All rights reserved. This is an original character design by me (Comrade Duck). It is intended for use by myself only. It is being posted here for my own sake for future revision and character building for my future project.
Duke Cho - The Darkest Shadow
"Much like the willow tree, I'm always looking for a new beginning."
A young, single Korean woman, Hae-won Cho, found herself in the United States at twenty-eight years old. Having studied business in her beautiful, bustling hometown of Seoul, South Korea, she longed for something more. A prominent and promising graduate, she ventured out and made her way west, eventually settling in New York City in 1986. She soon opened a popular bodega in Brooklyn, gradually growing her wealth over five years. Some time later in late 1991, she met a handsome, touring frenchman by the name of Jean. She swooned over him but their relationship ended rather quickly when he returned to France some weeks later. She was not without reminders of him, however, as nine months later, she birthed a son whom she named Duke. The child carried his mother's soft eyes and tender lips. His father had left the boy with brown hair and the growth rate of a stubborn weed.
Duke would grow to be six feet tall by the age of fourteen, with another three inches to his height being added over eight years. As a boy, Duke was a handful. He was constantly in trouble, with regular run ins with local law enforcement. Somehow, with his slick, silver tongue, the boy could talk his way out of any lock-box. Unfortunately for Duke, his trouble would eventually follow him home and cause problems for his mother. A shut-down, brought on by Duke's misgivings, caused Hae-won's bodega to soon go under. And while she was able to keep herself and her son afloat for a brief time, Hae-won struggled to get back on her feet. This only furthered Duke's path and led him to perform more daring and more dangerous acts to protect himself and his mother.
It wasn't long until Duke found himself entwined in the grip of heroin, as a dealer. It was good money, and it fed his small household. However, Duke was not yet street savvy, and had to learn harshly the realities that came with being a dealer. The constant stops and harassment he faced on a street corner quickly hardened his heart toward figures of authority. The feeling of running and the fear of getting caught put a chip on his shoulder for a great deal of time. The rage that he felt when a deal went bad or a stash got taken, or the regret he felt when he was picked up and lost his earnings made him colder. The combination of these factors also made Duke much more intelligent, as his involvement with heroin grew and grew. Eventually, Hae-won kicked Duke out of her home, and he was forced to fend for himself. He was neither surprised nor concerned when it happened. He had simply been waiting for the day to come.
He worked his way up the corporate street ladder, from dealer to supplier. By the age of twenty-two, he was a shadow that draped over Brooklyn's streets. He had taken a lot of his mother's business sense and used it to twist the game. He cleaned his money and invested it, doubling his profits. By the age of twenty-five, he was opening his first night club in upstate New York, through every legal channel. It quickly became a regular hot spot in the city, and Duke was already thinking about opening a second. Over the course of the next eight years, Duke established a heroin empire, solidifying his place as one of the greatest threats the east coast streets had ever seen.
Unfortunately for Duke, however, it was 2025. And the bombs were about to fall.
Paige Green - The Light of the Hopeless
"Papa was dedicated to his work. But so was mom. That's how I got here."
Born to Jackson and Janine Green, Paige was still in the womb when her parents mutually separated.
Delivered just shortly after her mother arrived in Los Angeles, Paige's Curly hair was her father's own. Her green eyes and her full lips were taken from her mother. Over the years she would develop a very small but well built frame. Paige was a born athlete. At five feet and ten inches, she was slender and quick. From her days in elementary, she loved to run. When she finally had the chance to do so competitively, she became a track star in high school. Racking up medals around the country, meet after meet, Paige soon set her eyes on the Olympics.
In her downtime, Paige was competitive with her best friend. She grew up in a modest neighborhood, and quickly got to know the red-headed girl next door, named Christina. They went to school together, from elementary to high school. They were inseparable as friends, but they were even closer when they would compete. Though Christina didn't run track, she would never hesitate to challenge Paige to a race. And despite Paige not being a boxer, she spent a lot of time with Christina in the ring. When Christina eventually dropped out of high school in 2023, Paige went on to graduate at the top of her class in 2024. Always having the Olympics at the back of her mind, Paige needed to confront Christina and tell her best friend that she would be leaving. Paige had acquired a full ride scholarship to any school of her choice, and she wanted to study Sports Medicine. She would take her speed and pursue her goals of the Olympics while she ran for one of the best schools in Texas: Texas A&M. But she didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to her best friend.
The meeting was somber, and left a hole in Paige's heart. She spent the next year with Christina, talking about their goals and dreams. They went camping and hiking in the mountains. They crashed parties of high profile celebrities. They even snuck away to Las Vegas for a night to see the glamour for themselves. But, Paige knew she would eventually have to end their vacation together. She had so much to do to prepare for college, and even more to do to prepare for the Olympics.
This was it, for her. The year of 2025 was going to be the year that she put everything on the line.
Or, it was, until the bombs began to fall.