Origin: Operation V, Unknown Location
The facility is an old one, built in the 1960s or 70s, somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe, made of grey, dank concrete that is never warm. It’s been repurposed from its Cold War days: it was a secret Communist facility once, but now it is a secret NATO facility named only Operation V, instigated by certain paranoid and xenophobic members of NATO’s Security Council. Its inmates nicknamed it the Vengeance Lab after the revenge most of them swore to seek, after the experiments they were subjected to.
Operation V was designed to combat what a number of important politicians and generals saw as the threat of the Marked – which was not being suitably addressed by bleeding heart liberal politicians. It is a research facility – a torture chamber to its inmates – designed to discover the limits of the Marked, their weaknesses and strengths. What brings them down. What kills them. And finally, the V-Serum was developed to create more Marked – but ones that Operation V could control.
Rumours say early subjects of the serum became twisted monsters and were destroyed, but no-one knows the real truth. Some, like Wojcik, barely remember anything else – but they do remember volunteering. Some, like Varga, were forcibly brought there, disappeared from the system with few to miss them, but granted a purpose in the Vengeance Lab – to their regret. It was not a home for any of them, although some of them discovered family among the mismatched victims.
It ended when Marino couldn’t take it anymore and snapped. They set the doctors and lab on fire – even concrete will burn if you heat it high enough. In the confusion, some of the prisoners managed to escape, crawling down the mountain in the snow and ice – almost freezing to death – barely making it to civilization. None could remember the journey they had taken from the Lab.
Eventually all escapees found a refuge in Mistry Academy. Some arriving sooner, others later, but all are left with guilt – because they are the lucky ones. Who did they leave behind?
Note: Wojcik’s memories are actually false, they were bred in a laboratory and the memories created by Atkins. Also, Marino was manipulated into murdering a criminal rival but Atkins took that memory too. Varga knows both of these things, because they have read Atkins’ mind. No-one has yet talked about this knowledge, revealed it to each other, or discussed the implications – please do so at your own pace in play.
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Power: Energy Vampirism
Klein was dying from a degenerative disorder but their father, a powerful politician, found out about the V-Serum and stole some hoping to save Klein’s life. But he misunderstood what it would do: the serum painfully brought Klein’s Mark to the surface rather than healing them. Luckily, it still kind of worked. Klein is no longer dying, but only as long as they continue to use their power. Operation V was most interested in this success and had them kidnapped – Klein was tested in every physical and mental challenge they could devise, sometimes to the brink of death. Klein isn’t sheltered anymore, instead they have felt more pain than anyone. They have become suspicious and paranoid. Even Marino, who stood between Klein and the doctors, is still treated warily. At their heart, Klein doesn’t believe that their life is worth the energy they steal from other people to survive, but they can’t make themselves stop.
Content warnings: Degenerative disease, dying young, isolated Childhood, kidnapping, torture, suicidal thoughts
05: W. Klein Read More »
Power: Microwave Manipulation
Wojcik had a family once, but they feel so very far away now. The soldiers at Operation V said that it was Wojcik’s duty to be there, and Wojcik believed them and tried to be a loyal Polish patriot because his comrades must be right, no? Wojcik’s power sometimes leaks out, and since an accident that lead to the death of a guard, they have to wear metallic clothing to keep it contained. Wojcik was always forced to train until their muscles are shaking, but they never understood why they were singled out for special treatment. When Marino set the lab on fire, Wojcik was secretly glad and silently let loose their power to help weaken the walls. And then they ran away – so much for their supposed duty and patriotism.
Note: Wojcik’s memories are not real. They were created in the lab and the memories were implanted.
Content warnings: Implanted false memories, false history, lab bred, accidental murder, isolation in a metallic suit
15: R. Wojcik // Zap Read More »
Power: Memory Manipulation
Atkins was a soldier once, a good soldier, loyal to a fault, before the Vengeance Lab’s experiments helped them to realise that there are far worse things than dying cleanly on a battlefield. In any war, even between the Marked and pure humans, both sides lose and all you are left with is scorched earth. Atkins will never forget this. But they can make other people forget things, and have done more than once – both Wojcik and Marino have been their victims, but of course they don’t remember. Atkins has even destroyed the memories of their own dying men, to save them from worse pain. But deep inside they feel that fundamentally their actions were still deeply wrong. Atkins never wants to do anything like that ever again. They want to build a world where they won’t have to.
Content warnings: Survivor’s guilt, PTSD, has done bad things for good reasons, I was only following orders
25: S. Atkins // Flashback Read More »
Power: Mind Melding
Varga was born in Budapest, and grew up as a petty thief – all the while looking to get themselves and their mother out of the slums. When they were in juvenile detention, they were ‘disappeared’ because Operation V wanted to try their serum out on a person already Marked. Varga didn’t die, their powers actually increased, but at the expense of their body. They are physically weak now, no stamina at all, but they can sink into the mind of anyone they touch and read everything. That terrified the doctors at the Lab who kept Varga isolated in solitary confinement – which nearly sent them mad. When the Lab burned, Varga ran, because anything was better than that, even dying alone in the mountains when their body betrayed them. Luckily, Atkins rescued them but now Varga knows their secrets too…
Content warnings: Solitary confinement, isolation, physical weakness, homesickness
35: L. Varga Read More »
Power: Eye Fire Rays
Marino grew up poor, angry and ignored but they were determined to get out of the Neapolitan slums and make a name for themselves – they nearly succeeded when their talent for boxing lead to some lucrative cage fight offers. Unfortunately, when their Mark came in, the fight promoters were too afraid of Marino and the offers all fell through – except one. The crime syndicate the Camorra offered Marino a fight, but something went wrong – they don’t remember clearly but they know their power was set loose on the crowd somehow and people died. They went to jail until Operation V offered them a deal. Marino knows they deserved their torture there, but there were innocents that did not. One day they lost their temper and set fire to the Lab to protect Klein, who they pulled out of the conflagration. Marino is still angry and doesn’t know if they can trust themselves. But they know they can’t trust the unmarked.
Note: Marino let loose their heat rays on a crowd, manipulated with drugs and goaded by the Camorra, to kill their rivals. Their memory of the incident has been suppressed by Atkins.
Content warnings: Murder, torture
45: M. Marino Read More »
