Tackytaff

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

It took about two days for Samantha to question her discussion to work with detective Hiegel. She didn't typically allow herself regrets; staying with the same man for fifteen years wasn't done without learning a good deal of forgiveness and a general go-with-the-flow attitude. But the flow began pulling her in too many different directions at once, and Samantha felt herself wearing thin. It of course didn't help when her new boss seemed to be going out of his way to make her life miserable.

"You know I'm not in today."

"Look, we're stretched thin. Not many people I can trust with a para-hunt. But if you don't want in I can call another precinct..."

"No, damn it-" She raised her voice to be heard over the baby that had suddenly gone from sleeping to hysterical in her arms. "I'll be at precinct in twenty minutes"

"Briars is already on her way to you." She could hear the self-satisfaction in his voice above the wailing and through the phone, it was borderline impressive. Samantha closed her eyes and threw the phone on the bed for a better hold on Brady whom she began to bounce gently.

"Everything okay in here?" Joseph was standing in the doorway, all surprise and concern.

"I'm fine." She tired to give a reassuring smile as Brady's shrieks subsided to quiet whimpers. "We're both fine."

Her husband came closer and peered down at their son. "But he never cries with you."

"I think he appreciates what a P.O.S. mommy's boss is, don't you darling?" She kissed the top of Brady's head before handing him to Joseph almost absently.

"You're leaving then." It wasn't a question, and there was more than a slight edge of bitterness in his tone that made Samantha feel about a foot tall.

"Emergency meeting, they need a debrief with the city about some para activities." Samantha moved for the bathroom trying to put some distance between herself and her husband.

"I thought the whole point of this new job was that you wouldn't need to rush off like this."

He'd followed her to the bathroom, she kept her eyes focused on the mirror, tying her hair in a regulation plait.

"Well, its more specialized now. You know how it is, hundreds of suits in the streets but there are only a couple liaisons." The silence that followed her half-truth weighed too heavy to leave well alone. "My ride will be here any minute."

She moved passed him to the hallway without daring to look at his face. Staying with the same man for fifteen years made it harder to keep secrets from him.

"Okay. Love you Sam. I'll have dinner ready when you get back."

"I love you too" She turned to smile back at him, relieved at being able to give at least one whole truth, and took two steps back to kiss him before rushing to the front door. "I want Lang's!" Were her final words, just as the unmarked police car pulled to their front door.

--

"What the damage?"

Briars looked at Samantha, who was still strapping on her gear, and tossed a datapad onto the dashboard and hitting the holograph button.

Samantha squinted, trying to differentiate the text in front of the moving scenery behind the windshield.

"I get dragged out for a couple of measly phones?"

"No, that was a few hours ago. Same girl was seen meeting - fighting?" She shook her head "who cares, she was with a para before they both disappeared."

"And our little thief forgot to de-chip the phones." Samantha finished as she clasped her helmet in place. A map displayed itself on the inside screen, showing their location and destination. "Whats our info on the para?"

"No a lot, no one got a very good look. Gamma they think, speed related. A couple odd rumors about a guy in a mask, apparently a sort of boogie-man in some parts of the city."

Samantha nodded silently. The little blinking red light marking the phone's location wasn't in the best part of town, and it had stopped moving for longer than she would have liked. She began reading the more detailed report as her partner sped through the worst of the center-city traffic to the quieter south streets.

"Wiles, Briars" The helmet earpiece crackled to life with Dan's voice. "Your guys have been leaving a bit of a blood trail."

Sam toggled the map display on her helmet off and tucked the data-pad away between their seats. "Stop here Briars, I don't want the car tipping them off. Whats the report Dan?"

"We're having a hell of a time getting numbers; was in the sewers. A few reports about some gang violence a bit further back on your route we're still looking into. But you should know that the para is armed with a blade of some sort. I'll send along details as we find them."

"Ready?" Despite herself, Samantha was almost giddy with excitement she hadn't felt since her first few weeks on the force. This was what she'd signed on for.

Her partner nodded without a word, and the two officers left their car locked on the side street and began clearing the surrounding alleyways. It wasn't long until they spotted the couple walking almost leisurely back towards the more populated streets. The seemed rather calm for a pair of thieves and murders, but the strange silhouette of the taller one and a nod from Briars cinched it. Samantha drew her regulation firearm and called out to them.

"MPD, Hands up and turn around!"

The Haunting of Crestwood Hollow - A Supernatural Coming of Age Story

Is it that time of year again?

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

The precinct was in utter chaos when Samantha arrived. The tech division, usually hidden away in their own rooms were spread throughout, grabbing at every computer or data-pad they could find; anything with an internet connection. Normally Samantha would have been curious about how exactly they planned to track down an anonymous source that was apparently able to hit the entire city, instead she was more than a little ticked off that she hadn't been called in to even help. It wasn't as though she and Briars had done anything all day. She unclasped her helmet and made a turn for the change-rooms, only continue, making the turn a full circle before pressing her helmet into her partner's hands.

"Put this on my locker for me? I'll be back in a minute."

Briars gave her a confused look before peering around the corner, taking note of the impatiently waiting Captain, then nodded and took the helmet under her own arm. Samantha mouthed a silent thank you, then made an inconspicuous dash for the elevator.

The detective's floor was notably less chaotic than the lower bull-pen. Undoubtedly it had more to do with the individualized offices and lack of end-of-shift processing line up. Upstairs was too good for public urination cases it seemed. Samantha could swear even the smell was different, but her reverence was quickly dismissed after receiving one too many confused looks at her near-fully uniformed appearance. She slid into Dan Hiegle's office without knocking.

"Captain's looking for you" Samantha's former partner didn't even look up from his desk to great her.

"I forgot how charming you can be." She approached his desk just as he snatched up the data-pad he was reading, keeping its contents just out of her view. "Seems like quite the mess down there, could probably use some help."

Dan placed the pad into a drawer and slammed it shut with much more force than was probably needed. "Formality, Lorne's breathing down our necks but the hack is being shifted off to another precinct. We've got enough on our plate."

Still apparently not enough to share with her though. There wasn't anywhere to sit, Samantha surveyed the room for some hidden chair in a corner. "Seriously do you just hate guests?"

"What do you want Sam?"

She consigned to lean against the desk, Dan obviously hated it, but made no motion other than to fold his arms. "You know what I want. I want my job back."

"It's not my fault you left Sam, and just because you think you're ready to come back-"

"I'm not even talking about the detective job Dan. I just want to be a real cop again, I'm sick of teaching some kid how to do a road-stop."

"I figured you'd like Briars"

He wasn't missing the point, but ignoring it entirely. Samantha retaliated in her own manner by leaning in and batting her eyes. "She's no you Heigle."

Dan scoffed, but at least gave something that could have been, in some universe, construed as a reaction. She'd hit enough buttons, and pushed the issue. "Come on, just one little request to put me on your team. Don't you owe me that?"

"I don't owe you shit."

Bullshit. She could practically feel the guilt radiating off it, buried deep under his eternal aura of smugness. But after working together for almost a decade, she knew conceding to his pride would go further than tugging on heart strings. "Fine. We're even. But I still deserve this."

"Fine." He was abrasive, but even that was far to easy for the Dan she knew. She stared at him for a few brief moments, trying to measure his attitude before realizing.

"You already talked to the captain."

"Yes."

"And?"

"You have to take the PR job on top" Samantha stood up straight again, glanced to the open office door, and did her best to reel herself in. "Do you want to job or not?"

"Why does he want me so bad in the first place?"

"People are scared, ever since the tower they're not sure who to trust. A pretty young mom being the face of the masked police force isn't a bad move."

"Don't flatter me Dan. You're coming out of this an ass in my book either way." And with a bright gold star next to his name in someone else's for doing what the captain had failed to for weeks no doubt.

"You'll take it?"

"Of course I'm going to take it." She turned back to Dan and reached out a gloved hand. "I expect to get some real action here Hiegel."

Dan accept her hand, a small smirk of satisfaction threatening to break his suave facade. "See you in the morning Officer Wiles."

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

Samantha Wiles

SAMANTHA WILES

---

Age:

28

Para Category:

Alpha 1

Powers/Abilities:

Empathy - Samantha can not only sense and decipher the emotions and intentions of others, but also impact their moods with her own. She can calm someone down, work them up, or just get them to trust her completely; given enough time.

Skills:

Trained: A member of Marlon's police force, Samantha has had extensive training and experience in combat, artillery, and general physical activity, even if she isn't an expert.

Botany: Samantha has always maintained a hobby of growing plants. Whether living in a one-windowed studio or a townhouse, she has always managed to maintain a variable greenhouse in her own home. It is the one subject in which she would consider herself an expert.

Weaknesses:

Postpartum: Despite being above the average woman in terms of fitness, Samantha gave birth only a little over six months ago, and as such finds is both physically and mentally exhausted.

Empathy:Hers is a power that can go both ways if she isn't careful enough. As much as she can impact another person's emotions, she can feed of other's in turn if she lacks the focus to control herself.

Brief History:

Samantha has lived the life of a suburban princess. While her family wasn't incredibly wealthy, she was rarely wanting for anything while growing up in the outskirts of Marlon. She was her high-school's golden girl, captain of sports teams, homecoming queen, and friend to everyone. It wasn't until after graduation she was hit with reality.

Joseph Wiles, her high-school sweetheart moved with her into the city, where they both hoped to peruse degrees at Marlon's university. By the time their applications went out, they had realized even with part-time work there was no way they could afford both school and city rent. In the end it was Samantha that put her education on hold and went with the advice of her uncle, a retired Marlon officer that still had some pull, and joined the police force. She finished the academy training in under six months and was married to Joseph in the same year.

Despite her reservation and previous goals, Samantha fell in love with her job. She found friends in her co-workers and a talent for investigative work. After years of hard work, she was finally up for a promotion to detective, only to discover she was pregnant in the same week. The job was instead given to her former partner, and Samantha took almost a year off to have and care for her new son Brady. After the fall of the Lorne tower, she was eager to end her maternity leave return to work, much to the dismay of her husband who had objected to her return to the force at all. They compromised on waiting a further to months. Not that he had much to worry about in the end; her superiors gave her a green partner, task her with only the most menial busywork - even for a beat cop, and generally do their best to keep her at arms length from the real police work needed in the city.

She is as-of yet completely away of her abilities, though she has found some people oddly agreeable in the past few months she has attributed it more to the niceness given to a new mother rather tan anything supernatural. Meanwhile she blames the same thing for being stonewalled at work, rather than her own frustration bleeding out to her superiors.

Sample Post

“I know when I'm not being taken seriously.”

It was getting hard to tell who was getting exasperated faster; the shop-owner or Amanda Briars – Samantha’s new young partner. The latter took a deep breath before trying to reason again with the man.

“Unless you give a more detailed description – or have some kind of surveillance, there really isn’t anything we can do.”

Really Samantha should have been helping defuse the situation, her chat with the captain earlier that morning had put her in too sour of a mood to be of much use. Instead, she looked at the dry, breakfasting customers seated indoors with envy. God she wanted to start drinking coffee again.

“Well if you two had shown up sooner she’d still have been here.”

Sensing her partner was reaching her breaking point, Samantha put on her best public-relations-smile, and stepped in.

“Unfortunately sir, there are a great deal of dog-owners in this neighbor-hood and ‘tall woman with a dark dog’ isn’t enough for us to be going around knocking on doors.”

She had not helped. The man’s face was almost purple with indignation. He was prepared to argue all day, sheltered from the rain as he was in the doorway of the donut shop.

“I am business owner in this neighborhood, a law has been broken and my property has been vandalized. Is it too much to ask that you do your job?”

“Sir, if you know who the woman is, we can fine her, but until then, if you have a plastic bag, we would be happy to clean this up for you.”

“This affects my business! Customers won’t come to a shop that has litter shit at it’s doorstep!”

He gestured to the ground where the three of them watched as a swirl of rain water washed the evidence of the crime into a storm drain.

--

Briars was already in the car, doing her best to dry her hair, when Samantha hurried inside shielding a box of pasties with her coat. Her partner wrinkled her nose at the sight of them.

“There’s no way those haven’t been spat on.”

Samantha shrugged and smiled broadly, “They’re a gift for the captain.”

Briars laughed, “Meeting didn’t go well then?”

“Same offer as before.”

There was a moment of silence as both women took off their dripping wind-breakers and individually contemplated the drumming of the rain on the car. The city was in complete turmoil, and the biggest incident had taken place in Samantha’s own district, and she had the choice of being the smiling face of the department on TV or picking up after litterers and dog owners.

“We should probably get moving.”

“You’re right,” Samantha agreed as she buckled in, “Who knows? Maybe they’ll have a loitering complaint for us.”

The Tower Chapter 1: A New Dawn

Just going to leave this here I guess...

Hider

SAMANTHA WILES

---

Age:

28

Para Category:

Alpha 1

Powers/Abilities:

Empathy - Samantha can not only sense and decipher the emotions and intentions of others, but also impact their moods with her own. She can calm someone down, work them up, or just get them to trust her completely; given enough time.

Skills:

Trained: A member of Marlon's police force, Samantha has had extensive training and experience in combat, artillery, and general physical activity, even if she isn't an expert.

Botany: Samantha has always maintained a hobby of growing plants. Whether living in a one-windowed studio or a townhouse, she has always managed to maintain a variable greenhouse in her own home. It is the one subject in which she would consider herself an expert.

Weaknesses:

Postpartum: Despite being above the average woman in terms of fitness, Samantha gave birth only a little over six months ago, and as such finds is both physically and mentally exhausted.

Empathy:Hers is a power that can go both ways if she isn't careful enough. As much as she can impact another person's emotions, she can feed of other's in turn if she lacks the focus to control herself.

Brief History:

Samantha has lived the life of a suburban princess. While her family wasn't incredibly wealthy, she was rarely wanting for anything while growing up in the outskirts of Marlon. She was her high-school's golden girl, captain of sports teams, homecoming queen, and friend to everyone. It wasn't until after graduation she was hit with reality.

Joseph Wiles, her high-school sweetheart moved with her into the city, where they both hoped to peruse degrees at Marlon's university. By the time their applications went out, they had realized even with part-time work there was no way they could afford both school and city rent. In the end it was Samantha that put her education on hold and went with the advice of her uncle, a retired Marlon officer that still had some pull, and joined the police force. She finished the academy training in under six months and was married to Joseph in the same year.

Despite her reservation and previous goals, Samantha fell in love with her job. She found friends in her co-workers and a talent for investigative work. After years of hard work, she was finally up for a promotion to detective, only to discover she was pregnant in the same week. The job was instead given to her former partner, and Samantha took almost a year off to have and care for her new son Brady. After the fall of the Lorne tower, she was eager to end her maternity leave return to work, much to the dismay of her husband who had objected to her return to the force at all. They compromised on waiting a further to months. Not that he had much to worry about in the end; her superiors gave her a green partner, task her with only the most menial busywork - even for a beat cop, and generally do their best to keep her at arms length from the real police work needed in the city.

She is as-of yet completely away of her abilities, though she has found some people oddly agreeable in the past few months she has attributed it more to the niceness given to a new mother rather tan anything supernatural. Meanwhile she blames the same thing for being stonewalled at work, rather than her own frustration bleeding out to her superiors.

Sample Post

“I know when I'm not being taken seriously.”

It was getting hard to tell who was getting exasperated faster; the shop-owner or Amanda Briars – Samantha’s new young partner. The latter took a deep breath before trying to reason again with the man.

“Unless you give a more detailed description – or have some kind of surveillance, there really isn’t anything we can do.”

Really Samantha should have been helping defuse the situation, her chat with the captain earlier that morning had put her in too sour of a mood to be of much use. Instead, she looked at the dry, breakfasting customers seated indoors with envy. God she wanted to start drinking coffee again.

“Well if you two had shown up sooner she’d still have been here.”

Sensing her partner was reaching her breaking point, Samantha put on her best public-relations-smile, and stepped in.

“Unfortunately sir, there are a great deal of dog-owners in this neighbor-hood and ‘tall woman with a dark dog’ isn’t enough for us to be going around knocking on doors.”

She had not helped. The man’s face was almost purple with indignation. He was prepared to argue all day, sheltered from the rain as he was in the doorway of the donut shop.

“I am business owner in this neighborhood, a law has been broken and my property has been vandalized. Is it too much to ask that you do your job?”

“Sir, if you know who the woman is, we can fine her, but until then, if you have a plastic bag, we would be happy to clean this up for you.”

“This affects my business! Customers won’t come to a shop that has litter shit at it’s doorstep!”

He gestured to the ground where the three of them watched as a swirl of rain water washed the evidence of the crime into a storm drain.

--

Briars was already in the car, doing her best to dry her hair, when Samantha hurried inside shielding a box of pasties with her coat. Her partner wrinkled her nose at the sight of them.

“There’s no way those haven’t been spat on.”

Samantha shrugged and smiled broadly, “They’re a gift for the captain.”

Briars laughed, “Meeting didn’t go well then?”

“Same offer as before.”

There was a moment of silence as both women took off their dripping wind-breakers and individually contemplated the drumming of the rain on the car. The city was in complete turmoil, and the biggest incident had taken place in Samantha’s own district, and she had the choice of being the smiling face of the department on TV or picking up after litterers and dog owners.

“We should probably get moving.”

“You’re right,” Samantha agreed as she buckled in, “Who knows? Maybe they’ll have a loitering complaint for us.”

Heroes Reborn: Prime Earth (Superhero/Urban Fantasy: OPEN)

Eden Mendel

---

---

Basic Information

---

Superhero/Villain Name

N/A

Civilian Name

Eden Mendel

Origin City/Planet

Summerville, South Carolina

Hometown

New York City

Age

18

Date of Birth

March 16th, 2001

Appearance & Personality

---

Sex

Female

Race

Human

Height | Weight

5'2" | 106 lbs

Costumed Appearance

N/A

Civilian Appearance

Eden owns few sets of clothes that she keeps in separate areas of the city in case of the need for a quick get away. Most are scavenged from donation bins, and of varying sizes and styles, though she has a noted preference for darker colours. Her hair can vary in its length but is always unevenly cut, unkempt and the same dark muddy brown colour. She has a wide, innocent face that when paired with her short statue and lean build lead many to assume she is much younger than she is.

Icon

N/A

Costumed Personality

There are a few people whoa are able to seek Eden out, despite her efforts. 'Clients' as she sees them aren't really there to see her. While she is able to remain cordial with these strangers in comparison to her day-to-day attitude, she is far from warm or even sympathetic as she seeks out the souls of loved ones, or wandering meddlers.

Civillian Personality

As a habit, Eden keeps to herself. She dislikes being dependent on others, and likes it less still when people can't mind their own business; the dead bother her enough as is. The few people she interacts with regularly know her only though personal exchanges; her former dealer, and a some-times 'room-mate', not that the conditions of their friendship haven't left her feeling uncomfortably attached to them both. While her long-term contact with the dead has caused her sympathies for them to gradually wane, she does actively seek out those suffering from haunting, both physical or mental, and does her best to give them closure, for a modest price.

Civilian Occupation

None

Abilities

---

Skills

• Inconspicuous: Eden has spent a good many years trying not to be noticed. She's become an expert at hiding from those she doesn't wish to find her.
• City Layout Knowledge: In the few dozen blocks Eden has lived in since coming to New York lay shortcuts and hide-outs those who were less-familiar would never even notice.

Powers

• Spirit Guide: Acting as something like a bridge between the worlds of living and dead, Eden is able to communicate with the souls of those either still lingering on Earth, or the newly-dead, still caught in the place 'in between' before becoming something new.
• Soul Split: When necessary, Eden can separate her own soul from her body allowing her to travel as a spirit through the world. It's an uncomfortable undertaking, difficult to maintain, and mainly used only in dire circumstances. While separated, her body is completely vulnerable, and if killed, her soul would be called to the realm of the dead.
• Possession: While her spirit is apart from her physical body, Eden can inhabit the bodies of others for a time. The side effects of this vary greatly depending on the person, and their state of mind while being possessed. Some may go insane after severing the connection, while others may not even notice. A few are able to fight to maintain control of their bodies, it's unknown to Eden what would happen if she were to lose one of these battle of wills so she uses this ability most sparingly of all.

Gadgets

• Inverted Cross: A supposedly enchanted talisman, made under instruction of Wanda meant to keep himself and Eden in turn hidden from the Seeker.

Weapons

• Switch Blade: A knife she has little idea how to use effectively, but serves its purpose of warding away unwanted attention in the ignoble areas she typically resides.

Biography

---

Character History/Origin

Born to a devoutly protestant family, Eden's powers were never really an understood or welcome occurrence. As a child it was harmless enough; a small girl whispering to imaginary friends. It wasn't until adolescence creeped in that words like 'demons' and 'possession' started being muttered by her parents. When she began as her mother's father, a man Eden had never met, going to far as to repeat his final words to his daughter, and exorcist was called for.

Form the age of 11 to 13, Eden was forbidden from leaving her home. In fact the buck of that time was spent in her room in bed, while her mother presided over her with a bible. Naturally, over time her powers blossomed rather than dissipated, and she was able to flee the confines of her trapped body and release her spirit outside. It never became a comfortable enough sensation to form a habit, but it granted a much needed reprise from the often tiring and painful tribulations that came with trying to expel a demon from a young girl. It was towards the end of this time that Wanda found her.

For nearly a month, Eden began to agree with her parents that she had truly gone mad. Never before had so constant a voice echoed so deeply in her own mind. But eventually the dead witch made herself heard enough to instruct Eden on how to behave so she could be trusted to leave her room, and two months after her 13th birthday, Eden fled her small town home never to return.

Her family did search for her, for a time. But Eden had the help of a very old, very experienced witch on her side, and by the time she had traveled north enough to be free of both Carolina, it seemed the investigation for her had all but stopped. From there she seemed just another refugee from the Shattered Scar.

Being out in the open word left Eden somewhat shell-shocked for quite a while, especially in the larger cities in the north. There were a great deal of people, dead and alive, and with the added frustration of sharing her mind with another the sensory overload proved too much - so she sought ways to quiet it. She relied heavily on drugs her first few years in New York, aged 16. Typically she preferred some cocktail of cheap street heroin and oxycodone when she had money, alcohol when she had to steal. It dulled the voices, of course the only way she found to make money was to sell her services of speaking to the dead; the occurrence of which she was purposefully prohibiting with her use of drugs. For over a year she went through a constant tug-of-war between addiction, loneliness, money, and Wanda, who stubbornly remained regardless of what Eden did.

She eventually did hit rock bottom, something which lead her on wrong list for at least three known dealers and simultaneously to the discovery of her ability to possess other people. She went to ground after that, barely going outside, and having no contact with anyone. Until Casey Daniels nearly crushed her skull with his over-sized combat boots. For whatever reason, the refugee-turned-cyber-criminal pitied Eden enough to help her through the worst of her recovery just in time for her 18th birthday.

Optional Information

---

Nemesis

• The Seeker: A being Eden knows little about. It devours souls to gain their knowledge, but she has no idea if it is a monster, demon, or a human, only that she should avoid crossing its path at all costs.
• Makaya: Someone in New York is disturbing the dead. Eden doesn't know who or why but it's beginning to heavily impact her sleep schedule.

Allies

• Wanda Randok: A dead witch that wormed her way into Eden's head as a child. She's been 'possessing' Eden for over six years and manages to be both grossly invasive and evasive to personal questions about her own life. All she tells Eden is to watch for the 'Seeker' and avoid whatever it is at all costs.
• Billy B: A long time friend of Eden since she moved to the city. A known dealer in the seedier parts of the city, and has been in the employ of a number of different gangs over the years. They're of an age, and while Eden's recovery from addiction has changed their friendship, they keep in touch.
• Casey Daniels:An expert in illegal tech that accidentally set up shop in one of Eden's smaller hidouts roughly a year ago. Neither has any understanding of what the other does, but they somehow have a complete and unspoken trust in one another.

Team

N/A

Other

It should be worth noting that while not stupid, Eden never finished even middle school, and even then religion had been the main focus of her education. As such she is borderline illiterate and greatly lacks general knowledge of the world.

Heroes Reborn: Prime Earth (Superhero/Urban Fantasy: OPEN)

after they've been purified, they'll be reincarnated into a new body somewhere in the universe, and then you can obviously no longer converse with them since they're alive again.

Now, that's how it normally works. But if a person has "unfinished business", or something that strong ties them to the world, they can continue to linger on as a spirit. I imagine that's what happened with your character's witch friend.

@Blackstripe

Without the incarnation, this is largely what I had assumed, it's good to know the varying time limits, could make things interesting. I'll mention something about the constriction in the CS, is there anything else about it that needs changing?

Heroes Reborn: Prime Earth (Superhero/Urban Fantasy: OPEN)

Excuse me while I show up unannounced and swipe @MsMorningstar's format at the same time.

Eden Mendel

---

---

Basic Information

---

Superhero/Villain Name

N/A

Civilian Name

Eden Mendel

Origin City/Planet

Summerville, South Carolina

Hometown

New York City

Age

18

Date of Birth

March 16th, 2001

Appearance & Personality

---

Sex

Female

Race

Human

Height | Weight

5'2" | 106 lbs

Costumed Appearance

N/A

Civilian Appearance

Eden owns few sets of clothes that she keeps in separate areas of the city in case of the need for a quick get away. Most are scavenged from donation bins, and of varying sizes and styles, though she has a noted preference for darker colours. Her hair can vary in its length but is always unevenly cut, unkempt and the same dark muddy brown colour. She has a wide, innocent face that when paired with her short statue and lean build lead many to assume she is much younger than she is.

Icon

N/A

Costumed Personality

There are a few people whoa are able to seek Eden out, despite her efforts. 'Clients' as she sees them aren't really there to see her. While she is able to remain cordial with these strangers in comparison to her day-to-day attitude, she is far from warm or even sympathetic as she seeks out the souls of loved ones, or wandering meddlers.

Civillian Personality

As a habit, Eden keeps to herself. She dislikes being dependent on others, and likes it less still when people can't mind their own business; the dead bother her enough as is. The few people she interacts with regularly know her only though personal exchanges; her former dealer, and a some-times 'room-mate', not that the conditions of their friendship haven't left her feeling uncomfortably attached to them both. While her long-term contact with the dead has caused her sympathies for them to gradually wane, she does actively seek out those suffering from haunting, both physical or mental, and does her best to give them closure, for a modest price.

Civilian Occupation

None

Abilities

---

Skills

• Inconspicuous: Eden has spent a good many years trying not to be noticed. She's become an expert at hiding from those she doesn't wish to find her.
• City Layout Knowledge: In the few dozen blocks Eden has lived in since coming to New York lay shortcuts and hide-outs those who were less-familiar would never even notice.

Powers

• Spirit Guide: Acting as something like a bridge between the worlds of living and dead, Eden is able to communicate with the souls of those either still lingering on Earth, or the newly-dead, still caught in the place 'in between' before becoming something new.
• Soul Split: When necessary, Eden can separate her own soul from her body allowing her to travel as a spirit through the world. It's an uncomfortable undertaking, difficult to maintain, and mainly used only in dire circumstances. While separated, her body is completely vulnerable, and if killed, her soul would be called to the realm of the dead.
• Possession: While her spirit is apart from her physical body, Eden can inhabit the bodies of others for a time. The side effects of this vary greatly depending on the person, and their state of mind while being possessed. Some may go insane after severing the connection, while others may not even notice. A few are able to fight to maintain control of their bodies, it's unknown to Eden what would happen if she were to lose one of these battle of wills so she uses this ability most sparingly of all.

Gadgets

• Inverted Cross: A supposedly enchanted talisman, made under instruction of Wanda meant to keep himself and Eden in turn hidden from the Seeker.

Weapons

• Switch Blade: A knife she has little idea how to use effectively, but serves its purpose of warding away unwanted attention in the ignoble areas she typically resides.

Biography

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Character History/Origin

Born to a devoutly protestant family, Eden's powers were never really an understood or welcome occurrence. As a child it was harmless enough; a small girl whispering to imaginary friends. It wasn't until adolescence creeped in that words like 'demons' and 'possession' started being muttered by her parents. When she began as her mother's father, a man Eden had never met, going to far as to repeat his final words to his daughter, and exorcist was called for.

Form the age of 11 to 13, Eden was forbidden from leaving her home. In fact the buck of that time was spent in her room in bed, while her mother presided over her with a bible. Naturally, over time her powers blossomed rather than dissipated, and she was able to flee the confines of her trapped body and release her spirit outside. It never became a comfortable enough sensation to form a habit, but it granted a much needed reprise from the often tiring and painful tribulations that came with trying to expel a demon from a young girl. It was towards the end of this time that Wanda found her.

For nearly a month, Eden began to agree with her parents that she had truly gone mad. Never before had so constant a voice echoed so deeply in her own mind. But eventually the dead witch made herself heard enough to instruct Eden on how to behave so she could be trusted to leave her room, and two months after her 13th birthday, Eden fled her small town home never to return.

Her family did search for her, for a time. But Eden had the help of a very old, very experienced witch on her side, and by the time she had traveled north enough to be free of both Carolina, it seemed the investigation for her had all but stopped. From there she seemed just another refugee from the Shattered Scar.

Being out in the open word left Eden somewhat shell-shocked for quite a while, especially in the larger cities in the north. There were a great deal of people, dead and alive, and with the added frustration of sharing her mind with another the sensory overload proved too much - so she sought ways to quiet it. She relied heavily on drugs her first few years in New York, aged 16. Typically she preferred some cocktail of cheap street heroin and oxycodone when she had money, alcohol when she had to steal. It dulled the voices, of course the only way she found to make money was to sell her services of speaking to the dead; the occurrence of which she was purposefully prohibiting with her use of drugs. For over a year she went through a constant tug-of-war between addiction, loneliness, money, and Wanda, who stubbornly remained regardless of what Eden did.

She eventually did hit rock bottom, something which lead her on wrong list for at least three known dealers and simultaneously to the discovery of her ability to possess other people. She went to ground after that, barely going outside, and having no contact with anyone. Until Casey Daniels nearly crushed her skull with his over-sized combat boots. For whatever reason, the refugee-turned-cyber-criminal pitied Eden enough to help her through the worst of her recovery just in time for her 18th birthday.

Optional Information

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Nemesis

• The Seeker: A being Eden knows little about. It devours souls to gain their knowledge, but she has no idea if it is a monster, demon, or a human, only that she should avoid crossing its path at all costs.
• Makaya: Someone in New York is disturbing the dead. Eden doesn't know who or why but it's beginning to heavily impact her sleep schedule.

Allies

• Wanda Randok: A dead witch that wormed her way into Eden's head as a child. She's been 'possessing' Eden for over six years and manages to be both grossly invasive and evasive to personal questions about her own life. All she tells Eden is to watch for the 'Seeker' and avoid whatever it is at all costs.
• Billy B: A long time friend of Eden since she moved to the city. A known dealer in the seedier parts of the city, and has been in the employ of a number of different gangs over the years. They're of an age, and while Eden's recovery from addiction has changed their friendship, they keep in touch.
• Casey Daniels:An expert in illegal tech that accidentally set up shop in one of Eden's smaller hidouts roughly a year ago. Neither has any understanding of what the other does, but they somehow have a complete and unspoken trust in one another.

Team

N/A

Other

It should be worth noting that while not stupid, Eden never finished even middle school, and even then religion had been the main focus of her education. As such she is borderline illiterate and greatly lacks general knowledge of the world.

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

The Runaways, Issue 1 : Tyrone I

Wholesale District - LA 02:20

---

"Everyone okay?" Just the sound of Tandy’s voice brought Tyrone a wave of relief. He spared a quick glance at her to ensure she was in one piece before joining her frantic search through the mess they'd made for the other two. This was not how the night was supposed to go.

"Why were there so many? Any of them conscious enough to question?" Eddie landed in front of him, surveying the fires he had stared, then the starless-sky. “It was supposed to be raining by now.”

Tyrone shrugged. “You seen the kid?”

“She was going to deal with the other truck.”

As though on cue, a slow, but steady grinding noise began to come from the direction Eddie had pointed to. Tyrone didn’t need to look to know Tandy was at his shoulder, light blade in hand. The kid appeared from behind the tuck, dragging one of the bodies behind her with little effort. Tyrone was never really sure weather to be impressed with her, or afraid. It took a few moments for her to get close enough for the group to realize it wasn’t one of the thug’s she was pulling.

"What is it?" Tandy leaned between the two boys, offering an orb of light to let everyone get a better veiw.

“It looks like… a kid?” muttered Eddie. It was a kid. Tyrone’s eyes immediately did another sweep of the bodies around them, but no, there had only been grown men in the fight. More than was normal for trafficking. He hated that he knew that.

The kid was tied, Tyrone noticed as he was brought closer to Tandy’s light. The girl dropped his arms two feet in front of her companions and unceremoniously ripped the tape off his mouth. His eyes flew open, and a string of curses loud enough to rival the earlier fight filled the alley.

Tandy was the first to speak after the echoes subsided. "Who are you?" It took a minute for the boy to register her words, he was rubbing where the tape had been with bound hands.

"Wha-? Chase Stein." He paused as though that should have been enough for them. Tyrone looked to Tandy, who shook her head slightly, then Eddie who shrugged, the all returned their gaze to newcomer.

"You deal with Simon Marshall?" The kid hesitated, and Tandy charged him, the light that had lit the alley came to a focus on the boy’s throat.

Tyrone followed her forward "Tandy!" He had to forcefully pull her away. "What the hell? We’re here to help.”

"We didn't see what was in the other truck.” She shrugged his hand off, and was glaring at him. "He was here, the only one left here and he's still alive. He knows something."

Tyrone’s own heart skipped a beat. "Were there other kids?” He asked.

“Who the fuck are you people?” The poor kid was staring at both Tandy and Eddie in turn and looked equal parts terrified and confused. This kid wasn’t some great conspirator. Not that Tandy was so easily swayed.

“Answer the question”

"What?"

“Where are the other kids?” Tyrone held her wrist, not entirely certain she wasn’t going to lunge again. What was with her? She was always the one picking up any stray that landed at their feet.

"Kids? There were no kids, they were making a weapons deal- look I didn't have anything to do with it, I swear."

“He’s in as much shit as the rest of us.” Eddie said with a pitting smile. Tyrone nodded. The silent girl standing next to Chase crouched down and began undoing his bonds.

“You’re all really just going to trust him like that?”

“We did for them.” Tyrone felt comfortable letting go of Tandy’s wrist to gesture to the devil and mute of their crew.

“Besides,” Eddie pitched in “we can’t stick around here forever, the cops are bound to be on their way here by now.”
Tyrone looked at the four people surrounding him and considered his remaining stamina. He’d taken groups of six before, but those had been little kids, and even sitting it wasn’t hard to see the new kid was at least matched him in size. "Don't think I can take all of us."

“I can fly back.” Eddie offered. Tandy threw her arms into the air and turned from the group, making her way back to examine the small stack of remaining crates.

"Don’t think that’s the best idea Red.” Tyrone said as gently as possible while awkwardly gesturing to his tail, horns, and well, entire body. “We don’t know if there’s anyone left to follow us.”

“Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Chase finally spoke up, and began to bring himself to his feet, wobbled for a moment then found his footing well enough to give Tyrone an indignant glare.

“Right, sorry. I’m Tyrone, that was Tandy, this is Eddie. We’re going to take you home with us.” He hesitated. “Unless you have another home to go to.” He’d gotten used to finding kids with nothing.

Chase stared at him blankly and slowly began to shake his head. “Why should I be going with you?”

Tyrone gave what he hoped was a comforting smile – seriously why wasn’t Tandy doing this part? “We can get you out of here fast, and maybe help with some of your other problems. Or maybe you can help by telling us what was going on here tonight.”

“Alright” he said after a moment. “Just let me get my things.”

Tyrone shrugged, and the kid went sprinting back to the truck. Suddenly his stomach dropped, he’d never hear the end of it if the one time he’d been the trusting one the kid had cut loose and ran back to a gang or something.

Tandy returned to them, a large object tucked between her arm and hip. “Well he’s not a complete liar at least.” She presented the thing to the group. “No idea what it does though.”

The supposed weapon didn’t look like much, sleek and black with no visible seems. Almost a rectangle with curved corners and a convex top.

“I’ll take a look at it back home.” Eddie said, though he was already reaching for whatever it was to examine more closely.

“Where’d the other girl go?” Chase had returned, this time with a pack slung over one shoulder.

“Headed back on her own I guess.” Tandy muttered, still looking at the weapon and not him. “She’ll fair better on her own then you did don’t worry.”

“We should be going too, before anyone shows up.” Tyrone reminded, before any note could be made on Tandy’s tone.

“How far is it?”

Tandy laughed, Tyrone grimaced, and Eddie took the boy’s elbow. “I suggesting thinking of something warm.”

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

The Runaways, Issue 1 : Chase I

Wholesale District - LA 02:06

---

Admittedly, Chase wasn't an expert on the whole superhero gig. But even his tenuous grasp on the subject told him being tied up and getting a stern talking-to about being sent back to your parents wasn't a stellar start to the career.

"Sure we should be letting him see this?"

"Nothing he hasn't already seen. Knows more than we do I bet." The two minder’s Chase had dubbed jackass and idiot, seemed just about as tired of him as he was with them.

"Should'a had him help unload then" Jackass grumbled as he began to roll a fourth cigarette. His name has been earned for punching Chase in the jaw. Idiot was idiot for letting him when he knew it was his employer's son his partner was hitting. Maybe that made him less stupid in the end.

"This is taking too long"

Chase nodded in silent agreement, fear has passed to boredom about an hour after they’d met up with a second group over an hour earlier, and he'd had a long day. Of course, the end of the night meant going home to dear ol’ mom and pop, whom he doubted would be holding a banner welcome. Best case scenario, they’d play it cool again and send someone else to do the dirty deed. More likely his father would just kill him. The former plan hadn't worked last time, and if there was one thing the Stien's were good for it was learning. Or so he'd been told, maybe that gene skipped every generation or something. There wasn’t much for Chase to do other than rub his wrists raw against his restraints, and every so often he catch himself craning for a better look at the action happening on the opposite end of the alley. Sure, he'd seen what was in the crates already, but he'd been a little more preoccupied with getting the stuff out so he could get in before anyone found him. As well as that plan had worked out.

Light broke through his thoughts self-pity before any noise. Fire and light cutting straight through the two groups 20 feet away. But distance didn't stop Chase from jumping to his feet in a panic - onto tied feet, which left him face flat on the pavement. That was when the noises began to register. Mostly shouting.

"Get the van!"

"They fuck us over?"

"Cops?!"

"It's those fucking kids!"

"Guess it's two for one night, lucky us!"

That last one was incredibly out of place. Young, and-happy? Chase twisted on the ground and with great effort managed to lift his head. His eyes still only level with the ground, it was hard to see much anything other than the fires, burning much closer than was comfortable. The other gang’s truck had started, had they even finished loading? So much for honor among thieves. Or criminals at least. His minder’s came out of their own shock and appeared to remembered his existence.

"I got the kid, let’s get out of here."

A pair of boots blocked Chase’s view and a hard grip dragged him up by the collar. His pride and favourite shirt ruined in the same night. The hit to the head obviously left him dazed. No sooner was on he on his feet, then the grip was gone and he was falling again, backwards this time. The back of his head hit the pavement, and the world instantly began to blur, but he could have sworn there was a kid standing over him just before it went black.