[hider="The Scarlet Butcher"][center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjcyLmVkMWQxZC5UV0Z5YVdVZ1NDNGdURzlqYTJoaGNuUSwuMQAA/ds-gabriele.regular.png[/img]

[h2][i][color=ed1c24]"Nothin' personal hun - Just business as usual."[/color][/i][/h2]

[img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/144/015/large/geoff-trebs-redlady01b.jpg?1406251030[/img]

[color=ed1c24][b][u]Name:[/u][/b][/color]
Marie Helene Lockhart

[color=ed1c24][b][u]Nicknames:[/u][/b][/color]
"The Scarlet 'Skarlett' Butcher"; "The Crimson Huntress"; "The Red Menace" 

[color=ed1c24][b][u]Age:[/u][/b][/color]
31

[color=ed1c24][b][u]Birthdate:[/u][/b][/color]
May / 17th

[color=ed1c24][b][u]Gender:[/u][/b][/color]
Female [color=f49ac2][b]♀[/b][/color]

[color=ed1c24][b][u]Nationality:[/u][/b][/color]
French

[hr]
[h1][color=9e0b0f]Appearance:[/color][/h1]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Height:[/u][/color][/b]
5'10"

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Weight:[/u][/color][/b]
161 Lbs

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Fashion Sense:[/u][/color][/b]
[i]Marie's trademark "Crimson Huntress" attire is what most people think when they hear the bounty hunter's name. She wears a crimson torso jacket, with golden outlines and dappered in heavy-duty belts on her sleeves, as well as a matching corset and ankle-high dress. Under it, she wears stripped baggy clothes with heavy duty shin armor the same red-and-gold coloration and fancy looking heels to boot. But most importantly of all, she never leaves without wearing her iconically fancy, long-brimmed, crimson hat, complete with three long feathers dangling from the top.

She is known to wear both equally flamboyant clothing or casual loose-fitting clothes when she's free from her work.[/i]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Distinguishing Features:[/u][/color][/b]
[i]Multiple scars ripple across Marie's back and mid-rim - as well as her upper arms and thighs - from her many dangerous encounters. These mostly range from stab wounds, scratch marks, minor bullet wounds, and laser burns. Remarkably, little to no blemishes plague Marie's face - with any potentially being covered up by make-up.[/i]

[hr]
[color=9e0b0f][h1]Biography:[/h1][/color]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Personality Questions:[/u][/color][/b]

[hider=An Interview Under the Pale Moonlight...]
Within the crowded horde of bustling civilians, a lone man - shrouded underneath a dark beige trench coat - walks diligently past the distracted masses through the dark. The bearded man was disguised underneath a smoky grey fedora, alongside glare-proof glasses that sealed his anonymity, smoking a cigarate underneath his hairy muff. He firmly held onto a jet-black, silver-lined briefcase in his right hand. One might assume that he was on his way to an important business meeting of some kind, or perhaps on his way to a seal a shady deal with some seedy folks. And in a way, both answers would work in this case. 

According to various sources, his client had been recently reported to be found within a tiny old bar, snuggled up between two well-known department stores and apartment complexes. It had already taken him three days just to get a grasp on the client's location and it's already been a solid half-hour since he was debriefed on the location. After all, his client was a busy gal. She was always following where her next paycheck was.

The grizzled man then proceeded to enter the red-lit bar as he opened the rickety doors. He eyed his entire surroundings, trying to spot his client. At first, he could only see nothing but a few lone stragglers, some of which were already eying him as soon as he entered. Most simply brushed the man off and continued to what they were doing, but a few droopy-eyed, mean-looking folk continued staring with inquisitive notions. He didn't mind it too much. He was rather used to getting them. He slowly made his way towards the counter and signaled a bartender to come.

[b][color=39b54a]"'Ello there,"[/color][/b] the bartender asked casually with a hint of scottish in his voice towards the new customer,[b][color=39b54a]" How can I help ya?"[/color][/b]

[color=a36209]"I'm lookin' for someone."[/color] the man spoke in a moderately raspy voice as he sat on a metal stool, [color=a36209]"Have ya seen a gal wearing a red coat with a large hat enter here recently?"[/color]

Just as the bartender began to look around for anyone matching the description, they would hear a certain feminine voice answer them.

[color=ed1c24]"Ya lookin' for me?"[/color] 

The coated man cocked his head to the right to identify the culprit. Sure enough, it came from the same person he was hoping to see - Marie H. Lockhart - a mysterious blonde woman covered in red who was eying him mischievously with her slowing amber-colored eyes. She was seated by a table farther to the back of the bar, with her legs casually perched up on the table. He couldn't help but be drawn in by her exquisite looks, already becoming mesmerized by her eyes alone. He had to struggle a bit to bring himself back to reality. He rose from his seat and began to walk over to her seat.

[color=a36209]"I mus' be."[/color] the man would answer as he took his seat opposite of her's, [color=a36209]"Ya must be the legendary bounty hunter I've been hearin' about, yeh?"[/color]

Marie smirked as she sipped on a hard glass of chilled whisky.

[color=ed1c24]"The one n' only."[/color] she confidently replied before looking back at the man, [color=ed1c24]"Got somethin' ya want me to do?"[/color]

[color=a36209]"Ah, save it for now,"[/color] the man chuckled as he attempted to make himself comfortable. He took off his hood to reveal his hardened face and blond beard, [color=a36209]"No need to dive straight in on a night like this. We oughta enjoy it a bit, don't ya say?"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Sorry, hun. I ain't interested."[/color] the huntress snarkily blurted out as if she figured out what he was going to say next.

[color=a36209]"You break my heart, love."[/color] the man sarcastically responded, casually going along with it, [color=a36209]"But nah, that's not where I'm goin' with it. If ya don't mind, I'll just be askin' ya a few questions just so I get to... well, get to know yeh a little bit more. After all, there's so much that stories can tell someone about someone. Think of it as an "on-the-fly" job interview of sorts - ya dig?"[/color]

Marie gave an amused chuckle as she took another swig of her glass of whisky, exhaling loudly as she plopped the shot on the table with a thunk.

[color=ed1c24]"I suppose I got sum' time for that."[/color] she replied with a sigh, [color=ed1c24]"How many questions do ya have lined up?"[/color]

[color=a36209]"Just a few."[/color] the man replied as he readied his notepad and clicked his pen, [color=a36209]"It shouldn't take too long. Wanna do it now?"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Shoot."[/color] Marie responded with a flick of her head.

With that the bearded man proceeded with the first question.

[color=a36209]"Yer fightin' a worthy opponent who yer about to defeat, but then they forsake their humanity and give up their self just to beat ya. How would ya react?"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Beat 'em to a pulp like any other scoundrel."[/color] the huntress replied with a hint of intensiveness, [color=ed1c24]"Don't matter if they worthy or not, their efforts will go up in smoke."[/color]

The man nods and writes a quick summary before continuing with the next question.

[color=a36209]"Ya just lost a fight. Waddya gonna do 'bout it?"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Get up n' try again."[/color] Marie answered, [color=ed1c24]"Come up with a good strategy, ready the appropriate weapons, and kick the livin' shit outta them next time."[/color]

[color=a36209]"A good friend of yours abandons yeh and everyone they know in the pursuit of strength or some other force. How do ya feel about that?"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Feelin's mutual. Course, if it means that they wanna kick my ass, I wouldn't give 'em a chance in hell. I'd kill em at their place before they'd even get the chance to formulate a plan against me."[/color] 

[color=a36209]"Where do ya go when you die?"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"Straighta Hell. God doesn't want me up there and really I don't mind it. I'd much rather to be dancin' with the devil then to act all goodie-two-shoes with Jesus - 'less he can supply me with a lifetime supply of wine and booze that is, heh heh."[/color]

[color=a36209]"One more question for ya,"[/color] the man mentioned before flipping his notepad, [color=a36209]"This may sound a lil' dumb, but bare with me 'ere. Would you consider ya'self a... bad person?"[/color]

Marie's left eyebrow rose questioningly at his statement.

[color=ed1c24]"Define 'bad'."[/color] she asked cautiously as she took another swig of whisky. 

[color=a36209]"Both the underground and the public Media considers ya as a malevolent, blood-thirsty, killa'. Ya killed many in yer time and I bet you're ready to slash a few throats and bust a few brains out right 'bout now. Where do ya think you stand in the moral circle? Ya kill to kill, or ya got reasons to kill?"[/color]

Marie slowly plants the bottle back on the table as she flips over her legs.

[color=ed1c24]"I reckon' ya knew why I've gotten myself in this line of work."[/color] she replied somewhat disappointingly at his question, [color=ed1c24]"Yeah, I get one hellova rush when it comes to fightin' and muderin', but at the end of the day it's all about the money, darlin'. I don't give a damn on what ya want me to do, so as long as the price is larger than the competition. It's what makes the world go 'round really. Course that doesn't mean I form any opinions 'bout it personally, and I'll admit there's a few lines I don't wanna cross. And believe me, I've done some reaaaaaally fucked up shit in the past. But overall, I just go where the money flows. Give me a target and a price, and if I consider it worth my time, I'll get you results and more if possible."[/color]

The man continued to write his notes before withdrawing it into his heavy coat.

[color=a36209]"Much obliged, Ms. Lockhart."[/color], he replied humbly as he began to get up from his seat, [color=a36209]"Expect to hear from my boss in a few days time. I think you'll enjoy what he has planned for ya."[/color]

Marie's gaze pierced into his as she tipped her hat in a teasing manner.

[color=ed1c24]"Don't disappoint me, hun."[/color] she replied with a playful wink, [color=ed1c24]"And don't keep me waitin' for too long... or ya might see me comin' for yer boss next."[/color]
[/hider]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Backstory:[/u][/color][/b]
Marie Helene Lockhart was born in Cannes, France to a rather intense family. 

Her father, Gustav Lockhart, was a high government official of the city, with some direct ties to the French President himself, however managed an international illegal weapons program known as "Project: Morphius" on the side for additional revenue. His program sold a special breed of weapons, known by the company as "Weapon-Morphs", a term used to describe the ability to transform one weapon into another just by the flick of a switch. Gustav had spent nearly a decade in trying to get the concept off the ground but through the success of his first prototype specimen (a machine-gun to claymore sword), he eventually founded an entire blackmarket demand for them. They had been sold throughout the entire world, from the United States, to China, Russia, and even places like North Korea. To him, he was only in it for the money - a mindset his daughter would eventually inherit as her own.

Marie's mother - a lawyer - meanwhile, wasn't much of a part in her life, as she died unexpectedly during childbirth. Her relationship with Gustav began to strain months prior to her giving birth, mostly along the concerns that her husband was too fully absorbed in his work and dealing in such illegal activities and feared that he wouldn't help in taking care of their future baby. Of course, her husband never really listened to her - stating how it was the prime factor in keeping them afloat - but despite the moral quarrels, the business did indeed help them remain wealthy and secure. And covering the fact that he was also a part of French politics as a beloved individual to the 1%, they seemed to have little to fear.

However, when Gustav's wife died, he was utterly devastated by this sudden turn of events. He wished he could've spent more time with her and perhaps even had listened to her in some way. But on the flipside, now that she's out of the picture, all he had to comfort him was his daughter and his job. So to balance both parties to his benefit, he took care of Marie the only way he knew how...

By turning her into a powerful agent of his own, of course. 

And so, through countless years of training, Marie became a powerful asset for her father. She was trained by him and by several other private trainers in all of the finest weaponry that her father could give her, and was used as a living weapon against all who dared oppose the operation. She was even given a special chip (known as the "Hammercore Augmenation Chip" or "HAC") that allowed her to create a tiny pocket dimension - a hammerspace - in order to accompany the vast array of weaponry at her disposal while also minimizing the threat of them being stolen. c And despite the tough training regiments and abuse from her father, Marie surprisingly didn't loose her sense of wit and humor. She felt the intense thrill of the hunt and bloodshed, doing her job to the best of her capabilities. This was all she knew... this was all she felt.

But it wouldn't come to last.

Tired of being anchored to her father's company, she attempted to abandon the company altogether. However, her first attempt was unsuccessful, thwarted by her father himself. Gustav told Marie that she was a company asset and that she was to remain here until the very end. This when when she finally began to fill in the dots; to acquire a clearer picture of her role beside her father. She was being treated like an object, not a human being.

She was essentially a slave. 

And thus, this led to the eventual assassination of her father, throwing the company into disarray as she darted into the night, alongside a good chunk of the weapon-morphs with her. There she went into hiding, traveling over to the United States, and eventually resurfaced as a bounty hunter living under various fake "aliases". As with "Morphius", the weapons were eventually stolen by a variety of gangs and other black market companies who wanted to cash in on the success. In fact, some of Marie's targets utilized her company's weapons and took them for herself after defeating them. Such weapons included "Owl's Blight" and "Neptune's Might". 

Now she goes where the money is, just trying her best to survive in a cruel, harsh, world, while also enjoying every single minute of it.

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Abilities:[/u][/color][/b]
[list]
[*] [b]Weapon-Morphs:[/b] Marie has access to a variety of weapon-morphs that she has both created and taken from her various opponents. These  can morph to a variety of different weapons, usually having 2 - 3 of said forms in the form of ranged and close-combat forms. These range from pistols that turn into knives, or axes that turn into machine guns, or any other whacky combinations that are each suited for accomplishing a particular task or niche. 
[*] [b]Hammerspace:[/b] And how can Marie accomplish in carrying such an arsenal and whip it out on the fly? That's where her trusty "Hammercore" Augmentation Chip (HAC) comes in handy. It allows the bounty hunter to tap into a portal to another dimension where she keeps those weapons in storage. So if one weapon doesn't work out for one situation, she can rummage through her little "pocket dimension" and grab another within her collection. However, using it too many times in rapid succession runs the risk of malfunctioning the HAC, which can jam or render it inoperable for an extended period of time, so Marie has to utilize it sparingly and give it a few minutes (3 - 5 posts long) before she can safely activate it again. It's also has a safety lock that prevents any live organisms or characters from entering the hammerspace, if by any chance they could fit in there as it's rather small in comparison.
[*] [b]Incredible Agility:[/b] Marie's training has allowed her to utilize her acrobatic physique to her advantage. She is quick on her feet and reflects, a tactic she uses to overwhelm her opponent and in some cases utilize to initiate stealthy strike to her oblivious adversary.
[/list]

[hr]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Equipment:[/u][/color][/b]
[list]
[*] [b]Lock & Load - (Flintlock Pistols - Sickles):[/b] Acting as her first-responders, Lock & Load are Marie's primary go to weapons in most situations. On the surface, they look like a high-tech versions of the flintlock pistols of old - being that they look, fire and reload more efficiently - but they can morph into deadly sickles used for hacking and slashing at opponents. Being that her blades are short-range, Marie prefers to get up close and personal before whipping them out. 
[*] [b]Blunderlass - (Cutlass - Blunderbuss):[/b] Another first responder, the Blunderlass is great in issuing major damage at medium-close ranges. 
[*] [b]Axelburst - (Battle Axe - Machine Gun):[/b] A heavy brawler weapon. Chunky, yet efficient.
[*] [b]Guncelot - (Gunlance - Rocket Launcher - Grenade Launcher):[/b] Heavy ranged weapon - somewhat clumsy to wield, but issues powerful explosive damage to armored targets.
[*] [b]Hammer of Judgement - (Battle Hammer - Light-Chaingun):[/b] Heavy ranged weapon - excellent for crowd control. 
[*] [b]Owl's Blight - (Scythe - Sniper Rifle):[/b] Silent light-weight weapon - great against small groups and singular opponents.
[*] [b]Phoenix Busters - (Gauntlets - Flamethrower):[/b] Gauntlets great in physical power, with flamethrowers to keep the distance between Marie and her enemy.
[*] [b]Neptune's Might - (Trident - Claw - Laser Cannon):[/b] An exotic weapon retrieved from an "Atlantian" - superb ranged weapon with an incredible amount of power to boot. However, one shot from its cannon form renders said form inoperable for the rest of the battle.
[*] [b]Whip-Slash - (Extendable Spiked Chain Whip):[/b] A non-hybrid weapon, this chain whip is often used to incapacitate and capture foes when they are vulnerable. The chain's rear facing hooks allow the weapon to grip into the opponent's flesh with ease.
[*] [b]Taser:[/b] Marie carries a small taser on hand to stun her foes up close without revealing her colorful arsenal. Great for stealth missions or acquiring targets alive.
[*] [b]Rocket Heels:[/b] Marie's heels have built in rocket thrusters that allow her to fly in the air for a limited amount of time. These are often used for short-distance travel or to escape tricky situations.
[/list]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Other:[/u][/color][/b]
[i]- Despite her French heritage, Marie primarily speaks in your traditional southwestern accent. Occasionally her home accent may show up here and there, or she may blurt out a french swear, but otherwise it's almost nonexistent.[/i]

[b][color=ed1c24][u]Themes:[/u][/color][/b]

[hider=Main Theme]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXhhdNL05sY[/youtube]
[/hider] 

[hider=Battle Theme]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErEfQmra6W4[/youtube]
[/hider]

[/center][/hider]