Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What’s all this about?”

“All will be explained shortly, Miss. Please direct your attention to the screen. Jackson, play the recording.”

~~~~~

DATE: May 17th, 20XX

TIME: 4.16 pm

LOCATION: Doctor Anne Boleyn’s Private Laboratory

The recording begins playing, showing a woman holding an empty test tube up to the bright fluorescent lights above her. She seems out of place in the sterile laboratory, her bright yellow sweater and messy, curly, brown-and-yellow hair contrasting sharply with the monochrome, painstakingly organised environment around her. She appears lost in thought, as if she’s studying the way the light passes through the glass of the test tube when suddenly, a voice cries out from somewhere off-screen.

“Don’t touch that, Lina!”

“I’m not touching anything!”

“I can see you holding it! Contrary to popular belief, I’m not blind!”

The curly-haired woman in the video - Lina - grins sheepishly and sets the test tube down on the table. “Fine, fine, you caught me. But it’s empty, Anne, does it matter?”

The camera pans to the side to show a disgruntled woman standing over a counter with her arms crossed. Her black hair is tied into two space buns, and the wire-frame glasses on her face are askew. She wears a long lab coat that seems far too big for her wiry frame, along with a pair of latex gloves and a surgical mask. She has what looks to be a green bandanna tied loosely around her neck, and a lanyard that is barely visible to the camera identifies her as “Dr Anne Boleyn, PhD”.

“Yes, Catherine, it does matter, because my equipment is expensive and I refuse to spend the afternoon cleaning up glass shards again.” Despite the annoyed look on her face, her tone is lighthearted, and there is a glimmer of a laugh in her brown eyes. After a moment, her expression softens into a slight smile, and she sighs.

“Why’re you here, anyway? I thought you said science bored you.” There are faint shuffling noises as she makes her way around the counter towards Catherine. The camera pans so that both women are in frame.

Lina sticks out her tongue. “Science bores me. You don’t.”

The statement gets the ghost of a laugh and an eye-roll out of the woman. “I’m a doctor, Lina. A scientist. It’s like a package deal. If you love me, you gotta love what I do.” Anne raises her fist, as if intending to punch her companion lightly in the shoulder, then glances at her sterile glove and seemingly changes her mind. She reaches for the test tube and puts it back into the proper holder.

Lina scoffs and moves closer. “Well, ’what you do’ is stealing my best friend. You spend all day in this lab, Anne. When’s the last time you saw the sun?”

Doctor Boleyn rolls her eyes again. “I go outside plenty, Catalina. And… and you know this kind of thing comes with the territory.” She leans against the counter and reaches into her coat, retrieving a few folded documents, which she quickly begins looking over. “My research isn’t something I can just put down to go on vacation. I’m this close to a breakthrough, I know it. I can’t stop now.”

“Besides, what I’m doing here is important. The device I’m working on could change the world.”

The camera cuts to black. A second recording begins to play.

DATE: May 19th, 20XX

TIME: 9.02 pm

LOCATION: Doctor Anne Boleyn’s Private Laboratory

The recording starts again, this time showing an entirely different location as compared to what was seen in the previous recording. The room shown is darkened, the lights much dimmer than the bright fluorescent lighting seen previously. There is a large device in the centre of the room, like a giant crystal ball atop a pedestal covered in sheets of metal. Doctor Boleyn can be seen dressed in a protective suit, fiddling with its wiring, her head bowed and a torch by her side. Catalina, dressed in a similar suit, stands next to a panel covered in buttons and switches, looking on worriedly.

“Are you sure this is safe? Don’t you need, like… a lab partner for this kind of thing?” Catalina presses her hands against the top of the panel, making sure that the device is unplugged before she does so.

“You’re my lab partner. Besides, I’ll be fine!” The doctor cries. The camera quickly zooms in on her. She appears to be attempting to rewire the device. “Health and safety laws are overrated. It’s unplugged, nothing’s going to happen. And I’ve been working on this thing for years, I know it like the back of my hand. It’s like my baby.”

Off-screen, Catalina snorts. “No kidding. What did you name it again?”

“Elizabeth. My pride and joy.” Her voice echoes as she sticks her head into the hollow insides of the device.

“You named the radioactive death trap after your mother. You’re insane, Anne.”

“Aren’t all scientists a little bit mad? It’s what happens after you willingly spend eight years in a university.” Doctor Boleyn pokes her head out of the machine momentarily, reaching for a screwdriver on the floor beside her. As she moves, her elbow bumps against the top of the machine.

And that’s when the dim lights begin to flicker.*

There is a soft hum of machinery, the clicking and whirring of gears, and the Doctor tilts her head up in what looks to be confusion. Then, the machine begins to glow. The crystal ball-like structure begins to shake, hissing and emitting a bright green glow.

“HOLY- Anne, is this supposed to be happening?” The sound of a button frantically being mashed can be heard from somewhere off to the side.

The doctor’s eyes are wide, her expression fearful. “N-no, not at all! This is- ”

The device screeches and pops, and the doctor leaps back. “Get back, now!”

The lights flicker off, and alarms begin to blare. The room is bathed in flashing red lights, and off-screen, Catalina yelps as something sparks loudly, then implodes with a sharp crack. Smoke begins to billow from the control panel.

“It’s not powered on, how is this -” the doctor’s words are abruptly cut off by a loud bang. The panel she’s kneeling next to bursts into bright green flame, and the Doctor just barely manages to scoot out of the way, the fire singing the edges of her lab coat.

The sound of footsteps can be heard, and Catalina runs in front of the camera, blocking some of its view. “Anne, get the hell out of there, are you insane!?” A television screen in the corner of the room lights up, displaying the words “CRITICAL ERROR: PLEASE EVACUATE” in bright red letters.

"I- I can’t!” The doctor frantically pulls open one of the panels that isn’t engulfed in flame and starts fiddling with the switches. “This thing’s a ticking time bomb in the middle of Hampton, if I don’t contain this it could either cause a second Chernobyl or set all of Richmond on fire!”

"Then… then let me help you, I can-“ Catalina takes a few steps forward, but the doctor motions for her to stay back. “Don’t get too close, you could get hurt.” “You’re right next to it, Anne! What about you?” Despite her protests, Catalina reluctantly takes a step back.

"I’ll be fine. I just n-" The camera flickers and starts fuzzing out, the audio abruptly cutting in and out. The screen looks as if it’s beginning to melt. A few more words are said, both from Catalina and from the Doctor, but neither can be made out.

"Can’t- Lina- GET OUT OF-“ Through the static-filled, blurring recording, the machine can be seen shaking violently, the bright green orb beginning to crack. White dots start appearing around it, and the doctor can be heard letting out a startled yelp, and then what sounds like a muffled cry of pain. Catalina begins running towards the doctor, shouting something unintelligible through the sound of crackling and the obliterated audio, when suddenly, the machine cracks. There is a loud screech, then an explosion, and a blinding white light envelops the camera. The resulting force knocks both Catalina and the camera back, and it falls to the floor next to Catalina, who has crumpled to the ground and appears unresponsive.

The videotape is silent. The recording begins to fast-forward until it reaches a point somewhere near the end of the tape.

The lab is still eerily quiet, aside from the creaking of metal and some odd rustling sounds. Catalina slowly begins to stir.

In the background, an abrupt scream of pain cuts through the stillness, followed by desperate pleas for help and the sound of bones cracking and flesh tearing. Most of the screen is blocked by Catalina’s prone form, but in the distance, something can be seen moving.

Catalina groans softly and begins to sit up. “…Anne? Doc, you there?”

The only response is a soft growl. Catalina sits up straighter, reaching for the camera. The recording shakes and scuffling can be heard as the woman adjusts the camera, swearing softly under her breath.

"Fuck, the recording’s damaged.”

For a few moments, all that can be heard is heavy breathing as Catalina presumably begins fiddling with the camera. The video feed switches to night vision mode. Seemingly satisfied, she takes a shaky breath and starts walking forward, still holding the camera as she climbs over debris.

"Anne! Doc, you alive?”

Despite her seemingly light tone, her voice shakes, and worry seeps into her words.

There is the sound of grunting and muffled curse words as Lina makes her way around the lab. The walls are cracked and charred, and the lights have all gone out - it seems that the night vision mode on the camera is her solution to seeing through the pitch darkness. The only nearby source of light is a small, flickering screen, with three words displayed on it in bright red:

[WARNING: CONTAINMENT BREACH]

The camera shakes, and Catalina speaks again — this time, a faint, frantic tremor seeping into her voice. “D- doc, please. This — this isn’t funny anymore! Say something!”

A low growl echoes through the lab, followed by a thump, and the recording shakes and blurs as Catalina spins around abruptly, pointing her camera towards a corner of the room. The recording slowly comes into focus, and when it does, she lets out an audible gasp, the camera dipping as if she’s nearly dropped it.

The walls are stained with some dark substance - presumably blood. Shattered equipment lies strewn around the floor, covered in giant scratch marks and dents. And in front of the camera, a giant figure sits in the darkness, seemingly holding onto something. It’s huge, inhuman, covered in black fur and the same dark substance on the walls. And as Catalina and the camera look on, it slowly turns.

Bright, glowing eyes faintly illuminate the room, and as Catalina’s breaths quicken and her hands begin to tremble, causing the recording to shake and blur, it opens its mouth, revealing sharp, stained fangs and a similarly glowing throat. It hacks and makes an unintelligible, gurgling sound, dropping the suspiciously human-body-shaped item it’s holding onto the ground with a sickening thump. Catalina sucks in a sharp breath.

"What the fuck is that thing!? Wh- Oh god, Anne!”

An inhuman roar can be heard, and the camera is dropped onto the bloodstained floor. A shredded, bloodied lab coat and lanyard can be seen at the monster’s feet. Its claws and mouth are stained with the same blood, dripping and pooling onto the floor. The sound of sparking and popping can be heard, and the beast lets out another roar, just as Catalina lets out a piercing shriek and charges it, fists crackling with electricity. The recording flickers, then abruptly ends.

~~~~~

Let it be known that Catalina Trastámara is not a woman who is easily shaken.

But reliving her greatest tragedy and shame through a tape recording that by all means should not have been accessible to anyone, least of all the man in front of her? That was something that could shake her - both woman and superhero alike.

She’s gone out on the streets and risked her life fighting off monsters and murderers alike. She has seen the worst sides of humanity and despite everything, tried to turn them to justice. She has watched her best and only friend die in front of her, while she, despite her powers, could do nothing to stop it.

And rather than allow herself to grieve and heal, she had shrugged the pain aside, donned a mask and a suit, and took on a new name. Static Shock. A renowned hero registered with the Superhuman Defence Agency - the largest government-owned Hero registry in the country - who sought to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves, to save lives when nobody else could. As if saving all those people could make up for her failure in saving her friend.

Catalina Trastámara is not someone who is easily shaken. Static Shock is not someone who is easily shaken.

For a while, she is rendered speechless. Her mouth is dry, and tears sting at her eyes as the man ejects the tape from the player. She hopes that the gold-and-black mask she wears hides the pain on her face.

“How… how did you find this?”

“We have our ways, Ms Static. Or may we call you Ms Trastámara?”

Static winces. “Static. Just Static.” She’d taken great pains to keep her identity hidden from everyone around her, even her own family, so this man knowing her identity was… deeply uncomfortable.

She sucks in a sharp breath. She’s a hero. A warrior. She can’t show weakness, not like this. She can’t show this man how much watching that recording hurt — not even if she can feel long-suppressed tears stinging at her eyes.

“Why the hell are you showing me this?”

The man laces his fingers together and leans forward.

“You saw what happened that day, Ms Trastámara,” he states plainly, completely ignoring her earlier request. Static flinches imperceptibly at the second use of her real name, but doesn’t say a word. She, as much as she is loathe to admit it, is not prepared for this. When she received the invite to this meeting, she had assumed it would be another brand deal or a request for the great, electricity-powered hero to help them with some strange experiment. She didn’t think she would end up having one of her oldest, deepest wounds torn open again and carved up with a rusty knife. Combined with the tape, with the way the deepest recesses of her soul had been abruptly and unwillingly stripped bare for this *random stranger* to see, she feels *violated,* as dramatic as that might sound. Her sin and shame have always been her burden, and hers alone. She’s never dared to show anyone this part of her, not even her closest friends — what right does this man have to hold it over her head like this? Her sense of morality is possibly the only thing holding her back from killing him with a well-placed blast of electricity and fleeing.

The man doesn’t seem to notice her discomfort. “On May 19th, a class-13 mutant broke into the lab after the security breach caused by an equipment malfunction, taking the life of Doctor Boleyn, a Doctor known for her ground-breaking research into mutants and radiation. A great loss was dealt to the scientific community that day - though I do not mean to presume that their loss was greater than the one you suffered.”

Static lowers her gaze and says nothing. The man, sensing her reluctance to speak, continues. “I assume you and the good doctor were close?”

The question elicits a small, humourless laugh from the heroine. *Close*. That was one way to put it.

“You could say that. She is - was…” She takes a deep breath. “We were friends. Very close friends. I thought the world of her. She was… she was honestly more of a hero than I am now.”

“A role model. Interesting.” The man adjusts his shirt collar and smiles crookedly.

“Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we? Why am I here?” Catalina puffs up her chest, trying to hide the grief in her voice. “Surely you didn’t bring me here just to make me watch the doctor’s… accident again.”

“Clever.” The man raises an eyebrow. “I’m afraid you’re right, miss. The matter I called you in to discuss extends far beyond the doctor’s unfortunate fate, though it is related. We wanted to request your help with a little… pest control.”

The man presses a button on the remote he has by his side. The recording rewinds, pausing on a blurry image of the bloodied creature seen near the end of the video.

“The Howler has been a thorn in our side for quite some time, Ms Static. It vanished for a while after the accident, but recently, it’s made a reappearance.” He presses another button on his remote, and the screen flashes to a few images of the inside of Tudor Engineering warehouses.

Or at least, what used to be Tudor Engineering warehouses.

Crates and shelves are knocked over, torn apart by what appears to be claws and teeth. Arrows stick out of the floors and walls, and a few bodies can be seen, clad in Tudor Engineering work uniforms.

“We don’t know why or how the Howler returned, but for whatever reason it’s been sneaking into and destroying our labs and warehouses, wrecking and stealing equipment. And it’s not alone.”

The image on the screen changes again, this time showing an image of what appears to be a young woman with brown and pink hair dressed in black stealth attire issued by the Superhuman Defence Agency. Despite the domino mask she wears that covers her eyes, it isn’t hard to tell that she’s barely eighteen.

“We don’t know how, but the beast managed to communicate and ally itself with a hero-in-training from the Defence Agency. An expert marksman named Katherine Howard, code name Trickshot. They’ve been spotted together at crime scenes, and a few of the bodies we found in our warehouses had her arrows lodged in their necks.” Underneath the mask, Catalina clenches her teeth. A hero-in-training, *helping* that beast - all but spitting on her friend’s memory? No matter if she was barely an adult - in Catalina’s eyes, she was just as bad as that monster.

If the man notices her rage, he doesn’t mention it, simply continuing with his briefing. “We also have our suspicions that they may have one other collaborator - though that hasn’t been confirmed yet - but more information about that will be revealed to you in time - if you agree to work with us, that is.”

“Work with you?” Catalina furrows her brows. “I’m no hero for hire.”

The man’s face twitches slightly. “We’re well aware of that. We know that your services aren’t something that can be bought, but we do implore you to consider this as not a service, but rather, a favour. An opportunity, if you will. We know of the grudge you hold against the Howler. It took someone you cared for very much, and all we want is to offer you a chance to settle your score while simultaneously helping us take care of a major problem. You see, you won’t be the only one working on this operation. We don’t in any way doubt your strength and capability, but we felt it would be more efficient to gather a team of… gifted individuals to assist in bringing the mutant and Trickshot in. They are formidable foes, after all. And you have both experience and motivation to hunt the beast down - with your help, we can slay two birds with one stone.”

He offers her a forced smile. “All we need is your verbal consent, Miss. Then we’ll provide you with the tools you need and get out of your hair, and you can settle your grudge with the monster at your leisure.”

And feel free to call her corrupt or weak-willed for this, for after this meeting that was what she would call herself, but for the first time in a while, Catalina feels tempted to agree. She knows, logically, that this man and his employer’s intentions are far from as pure as he tries to make them sound. She knows that as a hero, allowing herself to be hired by some mega-corporation is a long, slippery downhill slope and that a hero with powers like hers should never allow themselves to be bought or bribed over a grudge.

But thinking of what she saw that day, hearing her friend scream in pain as that monster tore her apart, she couldn’t help but want to say yes.

Just so she could hunt that beast down and make it pay for everything it took from her.

Catalina takes a deep breath. She can’t let herself be tempted - surely the Agency would never allow it.

“Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t think the Defence Agency will-“

The man raises a hand and cuts her off mid-sentence. He tosses an envelope with an official-looking seal stamped on it onto the table, sliding it over to her. “We already have approval from them. The defence agency has been working closely with us in dealing with the Howler, especially now that one of their own is involved. Tudor Engineering has been planning this operation for a while, Ms Static. The Howler is a mindless, destructive monster. It has to be put down.

Besides, you do want to avenge the doctor, don’t you? Isn’t that what a real hero is meant to do when they fail to save someone?”

His tone is light, and his face remains set in a cold smile, but Catalina can hear the challenge in his voice, the accusation rife in his words. The hero stares down at the envelope, seemingly still unconvinced.

Then she reaches up to her throat and touches a hand to the singed green bandanna wrapped around her costume. Gripping it tightly, her hands trembling, as if she thought if she held on tightly enough, she could still feel the presence of the woman who once wore it. Still hear the laughter in her voice as Catalina wrecked something in the lab again, the worry when Catalina seemed overwhelmed by the relentless offers from private hero agencies. Still feel the way she held her close and mumbled sweet nothings into her hair as she sobbed into her chest after showing up at Anne's doorstep in the pouring rain, begging for a place to stay the night — the way she’d so gently, so sincerely promised that Catalina would never, ever be a burden to her, and that she could stay for as long as she needed.

Anne would’ve given her the moon and stars just to see her smile. And what did she ever do in return but sit there helplessly as a monster ended her life?

"The device I’m working on could change the world.” And change the world it did - but only for one person.

For a few heartbeats, the room is silent. Then, Catalina raises her head. “When do I start?”

Chapter Text

THE FOLLOWING ENTRIES IN THE SUPERHUMAN DEFENCE AGENCY DATABASE ARE HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL AND SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH THE UTMOST DISCRETION. ARE YOU SURE YOU WISH TO PROCEED?

>YES  NO

NOW LOADING RESTRICTED DATA.

ENTRY #1501 - STATIC SHOCK

NAME: Catalina Trastámara

AGE: 29

SPECIES: Possibly Human.

RANK: A-Rank Superhero

ABILITIES:

• Bioelectricity - Static Shock appears to be able to generate bioelectricity to be stored and harnessed in battle, though it is unknown how her biology allows for this to occur. She appears to be able to release this electricity with her attacks. However, it should be noted that her body does not appear to have been able to adapt to this ability - when her powers began to grow in strength, she had to be fitted with a cybernetic heart as well as other unspecified implants to prevent her abilities from causing an arrhythmia.
• In addition, Static Shock’s cybernetic heart and bioelectric powers allow her to both absorb the power from and charge up any electricity-powered device. Voluntary testing has shown her to be able to completely drain the power from generators, and use this stored power to charge up various other devices like phones and laptops.
• Static Shock also appears to have a slightly enhanced healing factor.

WEAKNESSES:

• Any non-conductive material can negate her bio-electrical powers, though they cannot protect against her physical strength.
• Her cybernetic implants are very durable, but damaging them sufficiently may dampen her abilities.
• Her body cannot tolerate an overload of electricity.

HISTORY: Static Shock declined to share about a majority of her life, and as such, not much is known about her before her acceptance to Faraday University. At some point while studying at the university, she befriended the late Doctor Boleyn (see Entry #1533). While completing her undergraduate degree at the University, she experienced a surge in her powers that led to her needing to be fitted with a cybernetic heart to avoid her powers causing her major harm. She left the University shortly afterwards before completing her degree due to concerns about her abilities harming other students. She eventually moved in with the doctor, and the two remained close friends until the doctor’s death, after which she joined the Superhuman Defense Agency as a hero.

STATUS: Active

OTHER DETAILS:

• It is unknown how Static Shock’s abilities manifested, but they are believed to have originated from a regressive mutant gene on her mother’s side.
• Some evidence recovered by Defense Agency Investigators suggests that Static Shock may be estranged from her parents.

ENTRY #1533 - DOCTOR ANNE BOLEYN

NAME: Anne Boleyn

AGE: 27 (at time of death)

SPECIES: Human (?)

RANK: N/A. The Doctor was partnered with the Agency and helped to design weapons and armour until her untimely demise.

ABILITIES: N/A.

WEAKNESSES:

• Anything that can cause harm to the average human.
• Seafood.

HISTORY: Not much is known about the Doctor’s history. She had two other siblings, George and Mary, the whereabouts of whom are unknown, and skipped multiple grades in middle and high school due to her aptitude towards Science and Mathematics. She was later provided with a scholarship for Faraday University, befriending Catalina Trastámara while studying there (see Entry #1501), and after graduating and receiving her PhD, accepted a grant from the Defence Agency which allowed her to set up her lab in exchange for helping with the development of weaponry, radiobiology and mutant research. At some point, while testing out a device intended to harness Noctis Radiation for further study of the newly discovered radiation type, an incident occurred that led to a mutant breaking into her lab and taking her life.

STATUS: Deceased

OTHER DETAILS:

• The doctor was presumably killed by a mutant known as the Howler (See Entry #1547). This incident later resulted in Static Shock registering with the Defence Agency.
• The hero Static Shock mentioned that the doctor had helped develop her mechanical substitute heart and cybernetic implants. This has been confirmed by a project file titled “Atomic Heart” recovered from the late doctor’s computer.
• The doctor’s body was never recovered.

ENTRY #1536 - METAMORPH

NAME: Jane Seymour

AGE: 30

SPECIES: Unknown. Metamorph has stated that neither she nor her living relatives remember their original species.

RANK: B-Rank Superhero

ABILITIES:

• Shapeshifting - Metamorph possesses the ability to transform into any animal of her choosing, provided that she possesses enough understanding of the organism’s anatomy. Depending on the size difference between the forms she is shifting between, the process of shapeshifting can take 0.7-3 seconds.

WEAKNESSES:

• Shapeshifting without sufficient knowledge of the animal’s anatomy and/or biology may result in death.
• Attempting to shift into a creature that does not exist can cause her great pain and distress. However, it’s important to note that this is largely based on her own perception of what reality is, and not actually whether or not the creature exists.
• Staying in one form for too long can cause great discomfort and eventually force a painful transformation.

HISTORY: Metamorph hails from a long line of shapeshifters, a majority of which have a history of being either registered heroes or vigilantes. Her mother, Margery Seymour, is a minor hero, while her father, John Seymour, is an Agency Field Medic with a minor healing ability. As a result, it appears that Metamorph has been on track towards becoming a registered hero for most of her life, having entered into a SDA-sponsored training facility when she was around 16 in order to be fast-tracked into an agency posting as a Superhuman Field Agent — a role she continues to play to this day.

STATUS: Active

OTHER DETAILS:

• Metamorph has stated that her family believes their abilities stem from an ancient curse of some sort, though she has declined to explain what exactly this “curse” is - possibly because she does not understand it herself.
• Metamorph appears to have not inherited any of her father’s abilities - though it is recommended that our researchers continue to monitor her.

ENTRY #1540 - DAUNTLESS

NAME: Anna von Kleve

AGE: 28

SPECIES: Modified Human

RANK: B-Rank Hero

ABILITIES:

• Superhuman strength - testing has shown that Dauntless has the ability to bend steel bars with her bare hands and lift up to 2-5 tons of weight. However, it should be noted that her strength increases in proportion to how much danger she is actively in, with her abilities increasing exponentially when she feels threatened due to a chemical reaction between the serum and excessive amounts of adrenaline in her bloodstream.
• Durability - Dauntless is able to survive wounds that should be fatal to any average human being, in one instance being able to survive being shot several times in the chest before abruptly collapsing immediately after the battle. Further testing has shown that she appears to be able to absorb some of the impact from any hits she takes and release this stored force when unleashing her own attacks.
• Dauntless appears to have an enhanced healing factor.

WEAKNESSES:

• Overloading her impact absorption ability with heavy, chained attacks can severely weaken her and send her flying.
• Despite her abilities, Dauntless is still human, and extremely heavy impacts (ie being hit by a large vehicle) can severely injure her.

HISTORY: Dauntless comes from a family consisting of a single father and three other siblings. Their whereabouts are actively being monitored by the Agency. The two eldest siblings are both actively employed, while Amalia is currently studying for a Biochemistry degree at Faraday University. Dauntless mentioned that her family was experiencing “financial difficulties”, though when asked, she refused to elaborate on this statement. She gained her abilities by volunteering for an experiment involving a newly-developed serum designed to boost the performance of Agents in combat. Of all the volunteers, von Kleve was the only one whose genetic makeup paired well enough with the serum that it was able to boost her strength, durability, and healing factor. Shortly after the experiment, she was offered a job with the Defence Agency as an on-call hero, which she accepted.

STATUS: Active

OTHER DETAILS:

• Dauntless has stated multiple times that she “would do anything for the right price”. While this was likely a joke, we recommend all staff keep this statement in mind for the future.

ENTRY #1541 - TRICKSHOT

NAME: Katherine Howard

AGE: 18

SPECIES: Human

RANK: Former Hero Trainee, currently a registered villain.

ABILITIES:

• Marksmanship - Trickshot is one of the best marksmen known to the Agency, having a near perfect accuracy rate in both training exercises and out in the field. Further testing may be required to confirm whether or not this is the result of a mutation, or simply pure skill.

WEAKNESSES:

• Anything that can harm the average human being.
• [ERROR - FILE CORRUPTED.]
• Blocking her visuals of the surroundings has proven to be effective against her.
• Trickshot has a limited number of arrows. Once they run out, she loses most of her advantage.

HISTORY: [ERROR - FILE CORRUPTED.] Trickshot’s past isn’t any of your concern, and you had no business holding it hostage like that. You lot sicken me. - 32

STATUS: Active

OTHER DETAILS:

• There appears to have been a data breach in Trickshot’s file. We are working to find the source.
• Good luck with that <3 - 32

ENTRY #1543 - HUNTSMAN

NAME: Catherine Parr

AGE: 19

SPECIES: Mutant

RANK: A-Rank Hero

ABILITIES:

• Enhanced Senses - Huntsman has a significantly enhanced sense of smell, touch and hearing, and tests have shown that she has the ability to hear the heartbeats of those around her, as well as feel vibrations made by footsteps or movement, amongst other feats.
• Skilled Combatant - Huntsman is highly proficient in many forms of hand-to-hand combat and has proven herself to be a skilled melee combatant.

WEAKNESSES:

• Huntsman is blind and relies largely on her other senses to navigate her surroundings - overwhelming or disabling her senses of smell, hearing and touch could prove useful in combating her abilities.

HISTORY: Not much is known about Huntsman's early life aside from the fact that she lost her vision to retinopathy shortly after she was born. Later in life, she showed an interest in poetry and literature, and managed to obtain several awards in various literary competitions. When her mutation first manifested, she willingly moved in to one of the SDA's research centers for a period of seven months in order to analyse the extent of her abilities, and eventually agreed to the Agency's offer of training and a position in their Reconnaissance Department.

STATUS: Active

OTHER DETAILS:

• Huntsman has a degree in law, though she hasn’t put it to use in the work industry.

ENTRY #1547 - THE HOWLER

NAME: Unknown.

AGE: Unknown.

SPECIES: Mutant

RANK: N/A. Highly dangerous supervillain.

ABILITIES:

• Inhuman strength. The Howler has been seen tearing through walls and throwing vehicles at its enemies.
• Extreme durability. The Howler appears to be able to withstand even direct hits from bullets, though it does seem to still feel pain.
• Claws and teeth.

WEAKNESSES: Unknown.

HISTORY: The Howler appeared for the first time on the day that Doctor Boleyn (see Entry #1533) was killed, most likely being responsible for her death. It vanished for a short period after that, before reappearing to wreak havoc and steal various items from Tudor Engineering with the help of Trickshot (see Entry #1541).

STATUS: Active.

OTHER DETAILS:

• Static Shock bears a grudge against this particular villain, having had a close relationship with Doctor Boleyn and having witnessed her death by its hands.