[url=http://i.imgur.com/wgtHHS7.png]Faceclaim Thing[/url] [b][color=662d91]“Well, I’m not the tooth fairy.”[/color][/b] [b]Name[/b] Helena Rosa Bertinelli [b]Alias[/b] The Huntress [b]Age[/b] 27 [b]Occupation[/b] Entrepreneur [b]Skills & Abilities [/b] Helena Bertinelli’s childhood consisted of being the daughter of criminal organizer, Franco Bertinelli, and as such has a distinct familiarity with the inner-workings of organized crime which makes her adept at not only utilizing it but also combating it as the Huntress. Helena picked up her first handgun when she was seven years of age, and her first bow during time at famed Gotham institution— Brentwood Academy. This gives her a long and confident familiarity with ranged weapons, though most of this pertains only to smalls arms. Helena Bertinelli was trained extensively following her mother’s death and the stability of Gotham’s criminal underworld falling during the crusade of The Dark Knight himself. Her father installed Tony Angelo as a martial arts and “survival” instructor (and later bodyguard) to ensure that Helena could survive the world before her. In addition to martial arts, Helena was trained in espionage and stealth tactics by Tony Angelo which defined her as not only adept in self-defense but also adept in evasion. [b]Equipment[/b] Modified Ducati 1098 – The preferred method of transporting the vigilante. A collapsible, combat efficient metallic staff that she has jokingly referred to as the “battle staff”. A utility belt that comprises several gadgets including a grappling hook, small arms crossbow, tear gas, stun grenades, and the like. [b]Personality & History [/b] [u]Early Life[/u] Helena Bertinelli is the daughter of Franco Bertinelli and Maria Bertinelli (ne. Panessa), who was born into a world of infinite possibilities as well as a world of crime given her father’s role as the boss of the Bertinelli Crime Family or as it was known in the criminal underworld: the Cosa Nostra. Descended from Sicilian immigrants that set sights on Gotham City as the next “New York” in the nineteen-thirties, the family has been in operation for a lengthy amount of time and was said to be the biggest threat to Gotham’s orderly infrastructure until the appearance of what is now referred to as the “Roman Empire”. But the days of Guiseppe and Alfredo Bertinelli were long passed by the time Helena was brought up in the world as the simple state of the crime family was not second but third banana to Gotham Organized Crime. In spite of this, Franco wished Helena to have a healthy childhood—one of which he did not have given the state of Gotham when he was a child. Unfortunately, we all don’t get what we wish. Franco Bertinelli’s ultimate weakness in Gotham was a lack of utter ruthlessness that his grandfather, Guiseppe Bertinelli, had—following in the illusion that their business should be clean, honorable, and still efficient. However other crime families had thrown out old concepts of honor amongst thieves, and began to peddle (as well as torment) whoever they pleased. This was evident as Roman influence began to conquer the political infrastructure whilst Maroni introduced European Sex Trafficking to Gotham’s unfortunate citizens. However, this did not conquer Franco’s ideals and virtues. During Helena’s childhood, Franco Bertinelli called a meeting of the families and arranged a sort of mob truce that should’ve inspired a white peace and for a good while it worked. That is until greed and intrigue filled the eyes of said rival families. Bertinelli leaned on his friend and mentor, Salvatore Valestra to help advise him on the dark times for the family to which Salvatore suggested he played it safe and quiet as tensions continued to rise. Said tensions almost cracked when Franco’s wife and son were killed in an incident that echoed the violence that absorbed many affluent families. Carlton Duquesne, a longtime enforcer and then sub-boss suggested that it was a declaration of war and that they needed to act; but without the proper intelligence nobody knew who was responsible and Salvatore Valestra suggested they do not act until they had a hint of responsibility—the only thing was known was either it was an coincidental accident or threat to any person who bore the name Bertinelli. Helena was only six years old when this tragedy occurred and the only reason she survived was the fact she was sick and stayed home on that very night. Franco Bertinelli became paranoid and damaged after the incident; and looked to his daughter as the only thing that really allowed him from losing his mind, though ironically it also facilitated his paranoia and rampant anxiety. Assigning a personal security expert and self-defense teacher named Tony Angelo, Franco decided it was time to teach Helena about the family and the reality that she needed to know how to protect herself from the danger lurking in the shadows. This would continue for years as the young girl would learn stealth, martial arts, and weapon finesse when she could; especially during summer which Franco would have Angelo take her overseas. Helena’s life thereon seemed mundane as she was inducted into Brentwood Academy and then Gotham University, where she joined her childhood friend Kathleen Duquesne and others in what seemed a relatively ordinary life for a young adult and it was… for a time. [u]Year One[/u] Fast forward to the frigid New Jersey winter of 2004, when the Bertinelli became the target of a new plot by Stefano Mandragora who attempts to gain favor as he incites an attempt to incite a brutal blood feud between the last remaining pieces of “Old Gotham”. As bullets mow down Helena and her father, the implications of a brutal breaking of the mob peace comes to play as Salvatore Valestra is framed for the endeavor as Mandragora looms in the shadows waiting for the bloodbath to ensue. One mitigating factor changes everything when Helena Bertinelli wakes up undeceased at Gotham General as mob doctor and family friend, Dr. Bradford Thorne, begins to explain to Helena what exactly has just happened and how lucky she should feel to be alive. This sets in motion the events that would make the then seventeen year old girl to don her alias of HUNTRESS and ravage the Gotham underworld in vengeful anger—something the Gotham Gazette would attribute to the influence of “Batman”. It did not take Helena long to discover that the war between Valestra and Bertinelli was conjured, though admittedly she refused to see the obvious fabrication due to her uncontrollable anger and hate. It was only when she was lectured by the Dark Knight himself by her “sloppy vigilantism” and approached by another man in a trenchcoat and fedora who told her the facts blatantly that she would succumb to a degree of reason. It came to a point in the Mandragora estate when she could feel the simple taste of revenge… but the taste felt sour and rotten and she didn’t fire the bullet but rather allowed the police to take the man who killed her father into custody. She would return home to much contemplation. At the very least it started the awkward but diverse relationship Helena would begin to have with the ambiguous “The Question”. [u]Later Adventures[/u] Between 2005 and 2015, the Huntress became something of an addition to Gotham’s fears at night, which most certainly caused tension between herself and the Batfamily. In the sunlight, Helena went to the University of Gotham with her friends, Kathleen Duquesne and Jessica Sharp. But with every stride Helena did as a citizen there was always somebody trying to bring her family down even with the majority of it being five feet under the ground. However, the first step to her becoming a true hero erupted when her friend found herself in a distressing scenario as it seemed her art exhibit of expression became repurposed as an event for the Royal Flush Gang. This would be the first time she encountered the Dark Knight since his lecture—though she cared nothing for Batman’s approval and made that clear as she was concerned with her friends and public’s safety. From thereon it was only uphill for The Huntress as a vigilante. Fast forward through a decade of adventures and the laundry list becomes long—working with Black Canary occasionally, dealing with the craziest aspects of what was left of the Roman Empire, conspiracies and detective cases with The Question, and in the end taking over the Bertinelli Crime Family and it’s legal business operations. Which brings us to… the present. [b]Character Impressions[/b] [hider=Impressions] [u][center]Batman[/center][/u] [i]“I don’t think I’ve ever been more lectured, or threatened by somebody in my entire life… which is saying something given who my father was and what was expected of me. We’re better now than when I started this whole vigilante thing and I think I have to be honest that his methods are what inspired me to don the purple cloak. He’s an inspiration to everyone, but he’s domineering and difficult to work with. I have a lot of issues with the dark knight, but we’re on good terms.”[/i] [u][center]Bruce Wayne[/center][/u] [i]“In my circles, you get to know people like Bruce Wayne and I’m not sure if I ever entirely liked the idea of being part of the high society because of people like him. I mean when you’re young you swoon over the big shot charisma and charm, but then you realize you’re just another trophy on the wall—another conquest. But maybe I was wrong about him as it seems he’s getting married and the city’s just about to explode on that concept alone.”[/i] [u][center]Catwoman[/center][/u] [i]“The famed thief and later vigilante—it seems like every time that my best friend has an art exhibit the person responsible for her losing out is on her. I don’t really think I’ve ever run into her outside of a few tussles after those exhibits, though there was that one time regarding that art exhibit and Clayface…”[/i] [u][center]Batgirl[/center][/u] [i]“Whether it’s blonde or red, it seems like these are the parts of the Batfamily that I don’t want to ignore or punch in the face. I’m not sure where Batman finds all of these people to be his sidekick-distractions; makes me wonder if he owns an orphanage out somewhere and trains them to be assassins or something. No, that’s silly.”[/i] [u][center]Batwing[/center][/u] [i]“I have no clue who this is.” [/i] [u][center]Batwoman[/center][/u] [i]“I actually don’t know much about this one, is she new and is she another crony of the Dark Knight or someone completely unrelated? I mean it wouldn’t be the first time someone was influenced by him.” [/i] [u][center]Black Bat[/center][/u] [i]“Kind of freaks me out, a bit. There’s a sense of brutality that works and well she has it. I’d never want to be on the receiving end of her shit and I’ve sparred with Black Canary.” [/i] [u][center]Nightwing[/center][/u] [i]“The first Robin until he decided it was way more interesting in being a no money vigilante in Bludhaven. Maybe the brooding was better there... like gloomier shadows or some crap? I haven’t heard any news regarding him in ages though, maybe he died like Robin's tend to do? I don’t know.”[/i] [u][center]Oracle[/center][/u] [i]“I just have a feeling about this thing, a weird feeling that somebody is going to be taking orders from a disembodied AI or something. Well, it’s better than Skynet. Everything’s better than Skynet. I hope this doesn’t turn into Skynet.”[/i] [u][center]Red Hood[/center][/u] [i]“I’m not quite sure who this guy is or where he went, but I’m glad he’s gone. Back during the whole incident he tried taking over Gotham’s underbelly as if he could do it on guns and motorcycles alone. Since he left there was a lot of damage control to do and if he ever rears his head again he could be a real problem.”[/i] [u][center]Red Robin[/center][/u] [i]“The Robin after the dead one, right? From the encounters I’ve had he’s practically Sherlock Holmes—like movie Sherlock Holmes. I thought Batman was supposed to be the World’s Greatest Detective? Sheesh, he’s alright by me though as he seems to be the only cooperative one I’ve run to since the first one became Nightwing and decided to brood in neighboring Bludhaven.” [/i] [u][center]Robin[/center][/u] [i]“I’ve never really run into the new Robin, and it actually kind of scares me a little that they keep telling me that he’s angrier than even the Bat himself. One brooding pile of rage is enough, but two?” [/i] [/hider] [b]Story Arc[/b] [u]Omerta the Silencer[/u] - Helena is faced with a dangerous situation when professional hitman and international criminal, Omerta “the Silencer” is attributed to a contract on her life after her early actions as the boss of the Bertinelli Crime Family leads her to be at odds with Gotham’s rich and powerful criminal underbelly once again. More to come here. [b]Other[/b] Would be really interested in Outsiders, Birds of Prey, and other collaborative developments. [img]http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/square_small/8/83050/1958524-vrooom.jpg[/img]