Now assuming a curious bystander faced the opposite direction, they could see a railroad platform underneath sectioning off the opposite bike route by a railing guard identically across. A bolder individual might attempt to scale the thick truss’ pipes connecting the support structures, as security is at a premium that enabled death-defying antics to be explored. The overhead of steel arrangements acted as platforms for workers that are accessible by a ladder or merely climbing either fence as it was only less than ten feet above. It certainly was an astonishment of industrial ingenuity, a labyrinth of cold metal stacked parallel or perpendicular to one another.
The bridge towered colossally above the east river, giving anyone a splendid view of the horizon up north for about a mile to see. One could definitely testify equally about the other walkway that had its own southern tapestry, a large body of water on both sides motioned tranquilly with what little boat activity occurred. Another interesting note to any observer is how this bridge is supported. Using only two edifices located at the east and west wings, the mass array of trusses aids the bridge’s massive length and weight.
An arctic chill sluices from the west. Any bystander travelling to Manhattan would inevitably feel a stingy cold to their face. It was by-far the least congested rush-hour this winter and not a soul in sight, but only cars sped across as their numbers were in scarcity. The rail tracks occasionally roared with the thundering two ton metal monster zipping across on schedule before receding back underground. This afternoon seemed particularly abnormal considering how robust the weekday traditionally is, but this Thursday afternoon reek with suspicion. Dawn started to settle beneath Manhattan’s walls of project tenements and skyscrapers that obscured what would be a beautiful sunset. There was still enough sunlight to any one person leaving Brooklyn to chase the star if so desired, but their surroundings were thick in a cornflower blue, with the exception of the vehicular tunnel. It was only 5:00 P. M. and far too soon for the bridge’s lights to shine an amber fluorescence. ~Credit to Mobius - TZDL2009 Tournament semi-finals
The next few seconds in this fight would prove to be crucial. Of course, in any sort of fight, every second counted, but some more than others, and in the second that passed after Rakhana depressed the trigger on her wielded Shiva, several thoughts flashed through the mind of the young Russian in the blink of an eye.
First; the dodge. Super speed was no stranger to her, given her own ability to keep pace with the famed Japanese bullet trains when she was fully amped up on injections and pushing herself to her absolute extreme limit. And yet, the man before her had somehow dodged her bullet. A twice-as-fast, burning round of pure plasma, and somehow - she hadn't seen quite how - he had sidestepped it like it was nothing.
The second realisation came almost in tandem with the first, and that was the collison of some sort of round with her plasma shield. Usually, being fired at was not an issue for Rakhana with her plasma shield in place, which was designed to melt and assimilate ammunition with ease. However, the round that the stranger had fired had somehow not been mitigated entirely by the aura. It was not unscathed - the aura was, after all, burning at over five thousand degrees Celsius - but she was unable to destroy it completely before the dense round smashed into her chest above her ribcage.
The pain was excruciating, and even more so when layered with the shock that currently reveberated through her body. The wound gaped open, having made a ruin of her collarbone despite its weakening. Even so, she had fought through pain and severe wounds before - she had even fought through a shattered hand before. But there was one last thought, a split second after the other, that proved to be the last thought.
The second bullet, the trick shot, impacted directly in the centre of her chest, expanding and multiplying the ruined wreckage that was now the young Russian's torso. The density and speed of the rounds meant that each hit, unhindered, was like the impact of a cannonball. And the second hit was indeed unhindered, with the first having depleted her aura completely. Had the rounds been spaced, had they been slower, she might have had enough time to pull rapidly from her own bodily energy to sustain another critical, but not fatal blow. As it was, the woman collapsed to the ground, steel grey eyes staring blankly up into the warm summer sky - unseeing, unliving - before the her final, postmortem act. All of the built up energy in her body suddenly released, with nowhere to go but to consume the dead flesh in a sudden blaze of heat.
It was surprising to her, really, that the other figure had let Rakhana approach as close as she had. Not that one hundred feet was close by any means, but most ranged weapon wielders usually tried to take her out before she got too close. And she knew this one was armed, it didn't take any sort of preternatural sixth sense to realise that, given his obvious stance. This was was just as well-armed as her; concievably, he was even more so, in fact as he had both guns out, whereas her second was still sheathed.
A lesser individual might have felt disadvantaged by that fact, but not Rakhana; she could dual wield as well as anyone she'd ever met, but her favoured style of gymnastic fighting meant it was advantageous for her to keep a hand free. She could do so much more than just shoot, which was eventually evident to every opponent she had ever beaten into the dust. The young gymnast would not let complacency overtake her, however... how could she? That was the fatal flaw shared by all of her opponents - they were always so sure they would be victorious. Alas, they were sorely mistaken.
The moment she caught sight of the black mass spilling forth seemingly from beneath the clothing of the man before her, Rakhana pushed her building thermochemical energy through the balls of her feet, flinging herself backwards with all the speed she could muster and barely lifting from the ground as she did so. It was not her absolute top speed, with her adrenaline injection not yet active, but it was fast enough to push her backwards twenty feet in the blink of an eye, giving her a slight piece of extra distance and keeping that unknown mist at bay. Better not to interact with that at all, not until she knew what it did.
However, relying solely on evasion was too chancy for the Russian's taste, and the moment she landed she bolstered her aura; instead of being merely a searing but otherwise nondescript heat aura, it was now a corporeal, translucent field of ionised plasma alongside the intense heat. This defense had, in the past, saved her life more times than she could count, burning through inadequate melee attacks and ranged projectiles alike; thus, she hoped that it would be able to render this black mist useless as well. She could not be a hundred percent certain of this, however, so the plasma level aura would continue to be her plan B - evasion was the first course of action until she had more information.
And in fact, the decision to throw up her tried and tested plasma aura did, in fact, save her life. Not from the black mass, which hadn't yet advanced to her new position, but from her opponent's next move - a fiery bolt of lightning emanating from the man's face. He had given no visible tells, and the stream of white-hot energy would have been too fast to dodge at even the breakneck speeds that Rakhana utilised. However, her plasma aura had the ability to double as protection against lightning based attacks with an effect akin to a Faraday cage, diverting every single one of the now-fragmented threads of energy harmlessly around and away from her.
Her steel-grey eyes narrowed slightly at this confirmation of her suspicions - the person before her was indeed a lightning wielder. Who does he think he is, the gods-damned lightning emperor? she cursed mentally, though outwardly she allowed none of her irritation to show on her face. She simply fired her already outstretched Shiva with a round of pure, superheated plasma. The round flew towards the stranger with more speed than typical firearms ammunition, due to the non-Maxwellian distribution of the plasma that the rounds were comprised of. And, if they were allowed to get within range of the white-clad man, Rakhana would detonate the rounds into a buckshot-style, hoping to inflict upon her opponent (and potentially his mysterious dark cloud as well) a shower of plasma shrapnel, specifically designed to burn through armour and similar defences. In the meantime, she kept alert, ready at any moment to move again should it be necessary.
The weather might have been enjoyable on this typical August evening, had there been a cool breeze blowing through the open plains of Wisconsin in the early evening warmth. Even dreary, dull wheat fields could hold some appeal for people wishing to "get in touch with nature" and explore the dilapidated ruins of the old farm, combing through the rusted debris like countless others before them. However, this particular evening was marred by an oppressive, stifling atmosphere of humidity and a forboding, mixed scent of ozone and petrichor in the air, enough to keep away even the most inquisitive of onlookers for the event that was to come.
The more conventional method of getting to the target would have been to drive some sort of vehicle along the cement road snaking through the great expanse of crops. However, the petite figure steadily approaching the abandoned farm had eschewed this method in favour of a more unorthodox approach. Arriving in her usual method of transportation - a favoured Aprilia motorbike - would have been far too conspicuous, and anybody laying in wait would have been alerted far too early by the growling engine. Instead, young woman loped along the dirt trail, her robust motorcycle boots sending up delicate eddies of dust with each step. She maintained a steady jog, displaying no signs of fatigue or discomfort despite the long journey from civilization, not even stopping to brush away the stray strands of dark hair that occasionally fell over her vision. She held one gun - a sawn-off, modified version of an M1 Garand, by the look of it - firmly in the grip of her left hand as she moved, with an identical model strapped to her right thigh. Clearly, she was expecting trouble.
It was only when Rakhana drew close enough to clearly see the white-clad figure waiting at the end of the road that she slowed to a halt, about a hundred feet from him, her steel-grey eyes narrowed warily and her gun aimed squarely at his chest. The young Interpol agent was under no illusions why she was here - this had to be the opponent she was expecting to meet. The stench of ozone was stronger now than ever, which was a clear indication of lightning. She would do well to be on her guard - if the lightning was in any way associated with the man standing before her, she would have a tough fight ahead of her. Gods above, how she hated lightning wielders.
Having to approach him in such a wide open space had severely restricted her ability to approach with stealth, but she was certainly not defenceless. A searing aura enveloped the girl entirely, wreathing her in over five thousand degrees Celsius of pure heat. Not yet wanting to push it to its maximum reach, the aura lingered only to a few inches beyond her reach before dissipating competely. It would certainly have an effect on the ambient temperature as she approached, and ever so slightly distorted the air with a heat haze as she walked, but there were precious few indicators other than those to hint at the intense temperatures surrounding her. Perhaps someone with keen eyesight might deduce what was happening, but to the unobservant, she would just look like a little girl with a gun. Which was perfect for Rakhana... as she had proved countless times before, it was a fatal mistake to underestimate her.
Weapon still primed and ready, she nevertheless made no attempt to fire the first shot, preferring to just stare the man in white down for the time being. She was defended and prepared for whatever he could throw at her; it was better to see what her opponent had in store for her. Then, she could at least know what she was working with. Knowledge was, after all, a priceless currency, and one that could very well save her life in this fight.
Edit - 07:51 GMT, 09 May - to comply with judges' requested edits.
Name: Rakhana Vakarian Gender: Female DOB: 21st January Age: Twenty-four Height: 5'0" / 152.5cm Weight: 125lbs / 57kgs Blood type: O negative Race: Human (metahuman) Nationality: Russian Languages spoken: Russian (mother tongue), English (near-native accent), French (fluent but accented).
Build: Naturally very slender with a gymnast-like stature, but extensive strength training provides a wiry strength, with visible muscle definition (most noticeable on legs and arms) and a larger muscle mass than other gymnasts of her height. Measures at 33in (bust) / 25in (waist) / 34in (hips).
Facial structure: Oval shaped with high cheekbones and a small nose of celestial shape. Bow shaped lips of a pinkish-beige colour.
Hair: Dark brown, reaching to the bottom of the collarbones. Naturally wavy, cut in layers with a side fringe.
Eyes: A cold, steel grey colour, almond shaped and slightly larger than usual, with thick, dark lashes.
Skin: Fair, cool skin tone.
Clothing: Typical garments (all black) are a lightweight, long-sleeved top, and durable and loose fitting combat trousers comprised of Kevlar-strengthened denim, the bottoms of which are tucked into leather motorcycle boots with steel buckles and toe caps. Other garments that are worn are based on motorcyclist safety: a plain black leather jacket, thick gloves and a full-face black helmet with a silver lightning decal. All garments are treated with a proprietary substance designed to provide the clothing with a very high heat resistance, to avoid the fabrics and materials melting or disintegrating in high-heat situations.
Notable features: A white scar running horizontally across the neck. Very faint white scars along the back, a result of flagellation. A permanent catheter is located at the base of the spine (the entrance point to the storage of the subdermal injection system), small and inconspicuous enough that it is unnoticeable when clothed.
Abilities:
Gymnastic expertise - almost seventeen years of extensive training has provided a high level of proficiency in gymnastics and acrobatics, with natural coordination, flexibility, balance and agility being enhanced to the maximum capacity of the human body. In addition, extensive talent in performing aerial maneuvers allows for the ability to correct and re-orient in mid-air, or to rotate the body to recover from any falls, throws or knockbacks dealt.
Hypermetabolism - the acceleration of the metabolism to a superhuman rate. This provides extraordinary speed (base speed, without injections, rivals the top speed and acceleration of a Tesla Model S), strength (enough to easily lift five times her body weight, without injections) and rates of healing, at the cost of requiring a massive energy and nutritional intake (~5-6x that of a normal human when at rest, and greater when active) as well as increased heat production (see below - thermochemical projection). Due to the hypermetabolism, certain substances - alcohol, caffeine, pharmaceutical and recreational drugs - have little to no effect.
Eurythermal membranes - membranes grown naturally in the body, lining every muscle, nerve and bodily cavity. The membranes are produced by splicing the genes of eurythermal bacteria into the genome. The membranes produce an enzyme that gradually builds up temperature resistance to a level far beyond a normal human - up to 5500 degrees Celsius (same as maximum heat output, see below) and applies to external and invasive heat sources, as well as her own internally generated heat.
Thermochemical projection - the thermochemical energy produced by the hypermetabolism can be projected beyond the body in several ways, and utilized in both thermal and kinetic forms. Originally the only method available to vent excess heat produced by the hypermetabolism, it has since been harnessed and refined to provide an adaptable and effective attack/defence mechanism. Examples include kinetic barriers/force attacks, or pure waves of searing heat - up to 5500 degrees Celsius at absolute maximum heat generation. The energy output is able to be projected from any part of the body, in any shape (including energy constructs) or size of energy wave towards an opponent - however, larger energy projections or those that travel further lose energy at the rate of approximately -100 degrees Celsius per square foot, decay starting from 10sqft. Maximum level of heat generation allows for the generation of plasma, and as such provides the ability to generate electromagnetic fields such as would be seen in solar winds, or to generate electricity-based attacks and defences. Lastly (and crucially), thermochemical projection can also be utilised in movement, by concentrating the force and pushing it through a specific area of the body to produce a propulsion effect.
Heat aura - a subsection of the thermal projection; a heat aura can be generated at will by pushing the heat through the skin and surrounding the body with a field of heat energy that acts in offensive, defensive and evasive capacities. The heat aura pulses outwards - able to sustain maximum heat output extending up to ten feet from the central point, and losing energy at a constant rate until dissipating completely at twenty feet - discouraging close physial proximity and weakening or distorting some incoming attacks. Most ordinary projectiles and weapons can be melted or disintegrated with an adequate energy output, and if allowed to reach a level akin to generating plasma and electromagnetic fields, the aura can also become a corporeal field of ionised plasma, able to disrupt most energy based attacks. Plasma level auras, in particular, can create an effect akin to a Faraday cage, harmlessly diverting electromagnetic energy away from the user.
Mirage effect - the heat aura also be peeled off the body to leave "heat echoes" of the user in their wake that can be used as decoys, to fool an onlooker. At the same point, the heat haze left behind creates a cloaking effect, giving off a brief illusion of invisibility.
Subdermal injection system - a network of microscopic artificial vessels running under the skin and culminating in the spinal catheter grafted directly into the skeletal and nervous systems at the lower lumbar region of the spine. The energy needed to power the injection system is provided by bioelectrical impulses, and the injections and subdermal system are controlled completely via neural commands - these are switched on and off at will, with no timer system. The system is encased in eurythermal membrane to shield it from the consequences of the hypermetabolic heat generation, and it is also fully shielded from outside electromagnetic interference.
Injection converter - to circumvent the original need for the injections to be introduced from an external source, a mechanism has been grafted onto the area around the spinal catheter of the subdermal injection system. Its purpose is to draw energy and chemicals from the body to self-generate the injections, then distributing them through the subdermal system. This injection converter requires the user to intake certain energy and vitamin/mineral dense supplements, but once a supply is built up, the converter is able to store a month’s worth of injections before more supplements are required.
Cooling injection - specifically made to combat the excessive thermogenesis resulting from hypermetabolism (and subsequently avoid having to constantly project thermochemical energy). It is constantly being injected into the system at regular intervals; however, it can be suppressed with adequate concentration. It can also be accelerated to provide a rapid drop in body temperature, if required.
Controlled adrenaline rush injection - stimulates the body’s adrenal system to produce large amounts of adrenaline and noradrenaline which greatly enhances the senses and numbs pain, as well as providing a boost to strength (enough force and pressure to rival a water jet cutter) and speed (at top output, matching the speed of the famed Japanese bullet train) and greatly enhancing the neurological impulses. It also allows her a certain degree of control over her already altered visual cortex, allowing her to redistribute the information channels of her pentachromic sight (see below) into processing input at a faster speed, further heightening her sense of sight. Prolonged usage leads to paranoia, anxiety, hallucinations and general mental instability.
Armoured skin/decoy injection - causes the skin to produce a biological, heat-reactive superfluid that adds an extra layer of durability without hardening the skin or restricting movement. This superfluid layer can absorb and mitigate a great deal of incoming force, to the point where a regular bullet would not even piece the layer, for example - the force would not be completely negated by the injection on its own, however, and would leave a nasty bruise if not combined with other kinetic defences such as the heat aura or the muscular enhancement. The armour layer can also be rapidly cooled with an intense rush of cooling injection, leaving it to separate from the skin layer and peel away from the body completely - the result is a blackened husk, almost a perfect 3D silhouette of the moment of cooling. The decoy can also be combined with the explosive toxic gas effect (see below) to become an explosive stature, the perfect lure for any opponent.
Hyper regeneration injection - greatly quickens the rate at which healing occurs, to the point at which moderate to major wounds (including broken bones) are healed within minutes, and critical wounds within the course of a fight. Over a longer period, whole chunks of tissue and even parts of the neural system can be regenerated.
Toxic gas cloud - causes the sweat produced to turn to a toxic substance, which can be transformed into a gaseous state if the body is producing enough heat. Comparable to the toxicity of chlorine gas - irritating at small doses, debilitating at medium ones, severe or even fatal at high doses or prolonged exposure - the toxic cloud is colourless and odourless, though it does produce a very slight shimmer in the air, similar to heat haze. It does not cling to the user once produced, meaning it must constantly be generated and trail behind a moving producer - however, this does allow for pockets of toxic gas to be left as potential traps for unwitting victims. The gas is also incredibly reactive when in the open air, and after a few moments, becomes explosive - the effect is not fatal but can easily act as a concussive blast, and can be detonated by a jarring kinetic shock such as Rakhana's thermochemical projection.
Hyde complex - a side effect of the subdermal injection system that can occur when too many injections are used at once, the Hyde complex provides a massive boost of strength (quadrupling from her base strength output) and heat output (about 1.5x her usual output, maximum 8250 degrees Celsius) and blood that is toxic to others. This all comes at the cost of a complete shift in personality, making the user more aggressive, increasing bloodlust and putting an amoral spin on their thoughts. The Hyde complex also allows for usually defensive injections to be utilised in an offensive way - for example, a rapid drop initiated by the cooling injection under the Hyde complex can cause Rakhana to exude a chill that cuts to the bone, sucking the heat out of the immediate area. It also interferes with the heat aura, transforming it into a cocoon of plasma that surrounds the user. A visible indication of this side effect is the fluorescing of the blood due to the cocktail of unstable compounds within the body, making the blood vessels visible even through the skin.
Muscular enhancement - all skeletal muscles have been painstakingly altered with surgery, creating partially synthetic muscles where the muscle fibres have been interwoven with carbon nanotube fibres (allotrope carbon-40, strongest known substance to man, lighter than Kevlar) to greatly enhance their durability and help cope with strength demands. These fibres are also able to coil into a spring-like state with elastic potential energy stored within them, bestowing the ability to cushion or deflect certain kinetic attacks, equal to at least the same force and pressure of the adrenaline-fuelled injection state.
Pentachromic ocular enhancement - eyes have been surgically altered to produce tetrachromacy, and later pentachromacy i.e. adding extra information channels. This gives a total of five channels; the first three are the standard RGB channels that all humans possess, the fourth extends into the ultraviolet range, and the fifth into the infrared range.
Weapons/items:
Red Shivas - gifted from “the stranger”, the Red Shivas are two identical 5.56mm M1 Garand rifles, made of modified materials and cut down to long barrel pistols. Haptic touch technology on the grip of the guns automatically pulls heat from the wielder to generate superheated rounds of plasma that glow with heat, designed to move twice as fast as "regular" ammunition (due to non-Maxwellian distribution of the plasma rounds) and to melt or burn through armour, cover and other similar defences without resistance. This method of generating ammo ensures that the guns are provided with unlimited ammo and have no need to reload, as well as limiting the amount of people able to wield the weapons due to their ability to drain a large amount of heat from the wielder very quickly. However, the real power of the rounds is that they can be manipulated to a point after leaving the barrel of the gun, with the ability to detonate them mid-flight to create a buckshot style round, or to concentrate the heat to a point in order to boost their armour piercing abilities even further.
Customised NR-40 combat knife. The blade is composed of grade five titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), with a Kevlar-reinforced carbon-fibre grip overlaid with Nomex. When not in use, it is usually sheathed and tucked into her right boot.
Black Aprilia RSV4 R APRC motorbike, which is her main mode of transport.
First born, bastard daughter of Ilya Nikolayevich Krushchev and Svetlana Leonidovna Makarova, Rakhana was spurned as a mark of shame from the moment she was born outside of wedlock. Her first few years of life were those spent in the desolate cellar of their house in Saratov, cooped up inside like an unwanted pet instead of a child as her parents lived their lives, even getting married during her second year, without revealing to the outside world that they had even produced a daughter.
But, of course, no secret stays hidden forever… especially not living, breathing secrets. And those who tend to be good at ferreting out secrets also tend to be those not overly worried about morality and legality. Thus, a deal was brokered between the Krushchev couple and the ringmaster of a travelling circus; they would sell their unwanted daughter, as well as conceive another child to be handed over, in return for the ringmaster’s silence. Both children would be taken away. The young couple would never again be burdened, and the ringmaster would gain two children whom he could put to work as he saw fit. These were the conditions that led to the conception of Rakhana’s younger sister Irikah, and her introduction to the world of performance at the tender age of seven.
Rakhana’s young age and small stature due to poor nourishment made her the ideal candidate for acrobatic training, and soon she was a core member of the troupe, her natural aptitude for gymnastics showing in the performances she gave. They also trained her in classical ballet, to add a graceful dance aspect to her routines.
Rakhana grew quickly from quiet child to reserved adolescent. Her entire life was to practice, to perform, and to look after Irikah; as such, she had no time for anything or anyone else, and the only interpersonal bond she formed was a nigh-indestructible one with the baby she raised while being nothing more than a child herself. Nine years passed in this fashion, until the night the siblings were taken.
The group responsible for the kidnapping remain elusive to Rakhana even to this day. All she knows about them is their reasons… their theories that, given the right person, superhuman qualities could be produced through intense physical and mental torture.
For just under two years, Rakhana and Irikah were kept in a concrete cell with absolutely no furniture and subjected to methods of torture such as sleep and sensory deprivation, separation, starvation, waterboarding, flagellation, stress positions and oxygen deprivation. But their most horrific torture was to force Rakhana to watch her baby sister burned alive before they slit her throat, allowing her to lose a substantial amount of blood and pass out in shock before they patched her up, ready to move on to future experiments.
But they didn’t expect that, when their guinea pig woke up, she would be their only success story.
Her basal metabolism rate was magnified to a superhuman extent, to the point where her speed and strength far surpassed that of any of her guards. Breaking through ropes, ripping doors off their hinges and breaking the bones of anyone who dared to get in her way, Rakhana managed to escape the experimental facility and travel across the country, finally collapsing near the village of Oymyakon, Russia… the only thing keeping her alive in the frozen, subarctic climate being her excessive thermogenesis as a result of her newfound hypermetabolism.
Upon awakening, Rakhana found herself being cared for by a stranger, a man who never introduced himself by name. Despite her first instinct being to run, regarding everyone as a potential threat, the hypermetabolism had subjected Rakhana to an accelerated form of starvation and a dangerous fever. It left her too weak to even stand, let alone escape… and thus she stayed. Though her mistrust still lingered visibly, she allowed him to care for her as she painfully adjusted to her abilities, even going so far as to allow alteration of her genome, splicing it with that of a bacterium usually found living in the Pompeii worm. These bacteria would meld and become membranes within her body that would produce enzymes to provide and enhance her thermal resistance, though the stranger did warn that this would not protect straight away, but would need time to build up the level of resistance she would need to survive, perhaps even years.
When it came time for her to leave, she grudgingly accepted that she would not be able to survive without certain technologies and contacts. Upon the parting advice of the stranger, she presented herself at the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. There, she adopted the surname of Vakarian and identified herself as a metahuman, though she kept the details of how she acquired her abilities private. As she worked, she made professional contacts that would eventually allow her to be implanted with a subdermal system that would administer the coolant needed to regulate her body temperature whilst she built up the level of enzymes needed to maintain her preternatural heat resistance. It was an unforeseen (yet fortunate) circumstance that the cooling injection would accelerate the growth of the eurythermal membranes, and relatively quickly, Rakhana found herself no longer relying solely on the coolant to keep herself at a safe and comfortable temperature.
At present, Rakhana works mostly behind the scenes at Interpol, her young age and even younger appearance making her unsuitable for work in the public eye. A tiny frame, pale skin scrubbed clean of makeup, thick, dark hair framing her face and long, dark lashes give her almost a doll-like appearance. Only her eyes betray her accelerated maturity; grey as steel, and just as cold… looking decades older than they should.
