Kim - The Power Arc Backstory

"As a child, my mother would always warn me about men. She was the one to show me how the world operates, stuck seemingly forever under the iron fist of misogyny. Once a resolute feminist, the world of men had metaphorically beaten her into submission. For her, it had all been in vain. She drew her last breath not knowing a better world. I would prove her wrong, no matter the costs.

All these thoughts and more, I had put to practice while working at Cortex Inc, shortly before the downfall. From the entry position of data analyst, I climbed the ranks all the way to vice chairman. I helped turn the company from a modest local strong house to an international conglomerate empire. I embraced the exploitation of capital and embraced an amorality that constantly rewarded my actions. I deprived countries of key resources and used them not only for the betterment of the company, but for myself. Every single one of my words and actions now determined the outcome of millions. The world of men was in my hand.

By selling my strategies to the company, my power within it grew absolute. I was able to mistreat men in any way I saw fit, working them to the bone, forcing them into demeaning tasks like massaging my feet, or shining my heels, a rush of euphoric power that was soon short-lived after I received a reminder of my place. Cortex’s CEO, Dan Stone, my boss, had me brought to his office. Without any clarification, I was informed of the termination of my employment. At that moment, all lucid thoughts disappeared from my mind, and I grabbed a nearby letter opener, screaming with all the inner rage I could muster. My lunge was weak and my movements slow. Dan Stone’s nearby bodyguards had an easy time subduing me. Everything after that was a blur as I was rushed out the building, the laugh of Stone echoing in my ears. Unceremoniously thrown out of the place I had given my all, I now stood in a puddle of water, torrential rain pouring on my back, ruining my expensive suit.

“I told you so,” said the figure looking at me through the water’s reflection. That figure, that smile… it was my mother’s… and my own.

I recognized then that power is something that can be lost as easily as it is gained. Determination, on the other hand, is something you are born with. I knew my lot. I would not stop, even as order disintegrated around me.

The cataclysmic events of the Dark Shift made my goals a struggle. The crumbling of lawful order threw what little social gains women had made out the window. Eventually, we women looked down the barrel of indentured servitude.

As we slipped more and more into depravity, the words of my mother echoed in my mind. They would fuel my determination. I vowed to be resolute.

I would create my own order.

I would not stop until my power was absolute."

Revised and rewritten by Keliadom