Harper Brooks

== Harper Brooks ==
Harper Brooks was an American social worker and member of the Burnett family group who was often put under the role of a stay-at-home mother for Juniper Burnett and a caretaker for the family homes while others were gone. Harper differed from her close peers in being hesitant to jump into situations head-on, and usually non-confrontational. Due to the death of Emily Burnett briefly after Juniper's birth, Harper Brooks and her younger sister Zoe were invited to the Juniata ranch. There, Harper became the primary caretaker for Juniper while Brian Burnett was away.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Harper Brooks was raised in the city and would often stay with her paternal grandparents in the country near Liverpool, Pennsylvania. Colleges were suspended in 2017, and thus Harper took her little sister Zoe and fled New York City to the less populated Liverpool to stay with their grandparents. Sometime before her introduction in Book 1, the Brooks' grandparents died, presumably from the Jinanvirus and left Harper and her sister alone.
In February of 2018, Harper and Zoe were intruded on by Ethan Delansky and his gang. Among them was Kyle, who at the time was not aware of his situation or Ethan's relation with Harper. Ethan and the others took up the residence, where he forced her into being his sexual partner. It is implied that they once had a relationship prior. Harper was complacent in the events because she was insistent on doing whatever she could to keep her little sister, Zoe, unharmed. This worked briefly however, David, one of Ethan's friends, attempted to rape Zoe. The act was thwarted by Kyle, who killed David before he had a chance to do anything. After, Kyle and the rest of the men left.
Harper was sought out by Kyle and invited, with her sister, to stay at the Juniata ranch. Without protection or resources, Harper accepted. In return, she was expected to help with taking care of Juniper, Brian's infant daughter.
== Early Life ==
Brooks was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 17 October 1996. Her father was present on and off in her childhood, and her mother was working most of her waking hours. Brooks learned to be very independent, and was raised in the city. She would often be taken to her maternal grandparents in Liverpool, staying intermittently. At the age of ten, Brooks was first introduced into alcohol, and around the time her sister was born, to various illicit drugs. Brooks' father completely abandoned the family following her sister's birth, leading to turmoil within the family. Before her thirteenth birthday, Brooks had engaged in prostitution for a local pimp who promised she would be funded enough to keep her family from being evicted.
For half a year, she was involved in prostitution, before her pimp and his gang began to conflict with a rival group. After a violent confrontation, the pimp was killed, and one of the rival group members, Ethan Delansky, took Brooks under his wing. The two dated unofficially, and though Delansky claimed the terms of the relationship to be for her protection, it quickly became much more involved. Although Brooks understood she was five years younger, she continued to pursue the relationship for two more years in order to maintain the security of her family.
At sixteen, Brooks wished to turn her life around, and engaged in many community gatherings and extra-curricular activities, not associating with the crime she had previously dedicated herself to. In 2014, Brooks received her high school diploma, and was able to enroll in a local college in Brooklyn. She received her associates degree, and nearly completed her bachelors, hoping to major in psychology and go into social work. She worked a full-time job while enrolled, her mother no longer a variable in her or her sister's life. Despite her efforts, Brooks was ultimately unable to complete her degree because colleges in New York were indefinitely postponed in the summer of 2017 due to the outbreak of the Jinanvirus.
== Life During the Great Collapse ==
Following the cancellation of her school year, Brooks quickly understood the gravity of the situation, correctly predicting that New York City would be a hot-spot for the virus. Because of this, she and her sister Zoe, left to Liverpool where their grandparents had a house in a rural setting. Around the same time, Ethan Delansky attempting to contact her again, to which she did not respond. At the end of 2017, Brooks' grandparents both died, leaving her and her sister on their own in the house. She briefly engaged in discussion with Delansky out of fear of stability, and after letting him know where she was staying, stopped talking to him again.
Harper and Zoe Brooks were able to ration their food and supplies, combined with a well and generator on the property, allowing them to survive for some time without help from others. However, Delansky and his gang, including an amnesia-induced Kyle Wald made a surprise appearance at the Brooks household. Delansky forced them to accommodate for the crew until the threat he came to take care of was under control- Brian Burnett. While there, Brooks believed if she let Delansky have his way with her, her little sister would be protected. This was the case at first, as Delansky took the protection of her sister seriously despite simultaneously forcing Brooks into the situation in the first place, including ultimately having sex with him against her will.
In the beginning of February, 2018, David Cook, an older friend of Delansky's, attempted to rape Brooks' little sister. After being caught by Wald, he promptly executed Cook on the spot. He then made the demand that Delansky, him, and the others leave the household. Delansky begrudgingly agreed, and Brooks would never have to deal with Delansky or his friends after that. With minimal county support, Harper and Zoe Brooks survived for over half a year after.
== Joining the Krauss Ranch ==
In November 2018, Brooks was alerted to Kyle Wald and Maria Burnett at her door, to her surprise- although she did not know the latter. The two sought a proposal, due to Brian Burnett having an infant child whose mother had been killed. In exchange for helping take care of the child, Harper and Zoe Brooks would receive protection and be involved in community support at the Krauss Ranch. After brief consideration, and understanding the integrit
y of Wald, she agreed.
== Leading the Homefront ==
In the mid-stages of her pregnancy from Douglas Haynes, Harper Brooks suffered a miscarriage. Haynes was preoccupied, and Burnett was not available for any means of communication. She had only her sister to rely on, and Dakota Taylor, who came to her help. She was brought to the hospital and lost her child, but Taylor stayed with her that night to make sure she was alright.
As time passed, Brooks filled the role of matriarch in the Burnett family household. Despite not being related to the Burnett's, she solidified herself as a mother-figure to Juniper and a lead caretaker to the households. While Brooks saw others as irresponsible, she was making sure payments were made for the duplex and that other legalities were taken care of. When Brian Burnett returned for brief periods, Brooks often had disputes with him over his parenting styles and executive decisions that Brooks felt were not in the best interest of others. Though she didn't fear Burnett, she didn't put him on a pedestal like other members of the clan did. She began to feel strongly that guiding his daughter away from his influence would be optimal.
At the same time, Brooks had abandoned her relationship with Dakota Taylor favoring Douglas Haynes, who was often in the city and staying at the clan's duplex. Despite their age difference, the two had an extended period of relative stability. However, Haynes' work with John Kelley, initially unknown to Brooks, meant that his attention to her weaned. She grew frustrated by this, especially the cloak-and-dagger surrounding his work. Later that year, Brooks spent time in Camp Matamor, where she requested superficial help from Abel Clark in acquiring ammunition. Instead, she used it as a way to unload onto him, but related in their difficulties with Brian Burnett. She revealed to Clark that she had miscarried earlier that year, and Burnett failed to respond to her when she was in dire need of support- even after the matter. She then made an attempt to kiss Clark, but was interrupted by a call on his end.
Brooks began to catch on to Haynes' underground activities as she connected the dots between his disappearances and suspicious activities reported in the city and through the territories. She finally confronted Haynes about it, and with the appearance of Burnett that night, Haynes was cornered into giving a half-truth explanation in his work with John Kelley as an agent for internal security. While Brooks didn't fully believe him, she didn't need to know much more. In October 2024, Harper was captured by Rodgenie James. RJ then picked up Haynes, making it clear that the condition for her release was the elimination of his commander, Benjamin Krauss. Once she was released late that night, Brooks made it clear to Haynes that she no longer wanted him at her house and that she was rather resentful of him.
Though Maria Burnett temporarily let Haynes back inside after feeling pitiful for him, the Marine Captain didn't too much longer. At the same time, she welcomed Justin Harlem, Kyle Wald's stepdad, to the household. Haynes was brought under scrutiny again when Brooks' younger sister was briefly captured from her own doing. When Haynes returned again, it was revealed that Senator Daniel Pierce had been killed. However, the Captain revealed that he was able to find a compiled list of documents relating to executive corruption within Appalachia that would prove more than important to the entire region.
As confrontation boiled over, Brooks failed to be warned by Burnett about the possible threat of Kelley's gang. She was taken by surprise while in the shower by Trip Casey and a group of henchmen. While she and her sister were brought to the living room, Jackson Burnett was able to escape with the children, causing half of the enemies to split and follow him. By the time Burnett arrived, he'd already been beaten and defeated, and without much effort, was easily subdued by Trip Casey's men. However, he and Zoe Brooks coordinated and attacked. Narrowly, the three managed to fight the invaders, and Harper was quick to stab and kill the man who tried to attack her little sister. After Burnett killed Casey in cold blood, he demanded Brooks and the others deal with the mess while he track down his children. Justin Harlem, who had just arrived, helped Brooks recuperate. Together, they stashed the bodies, cleaned the house up, and brought them to the Krauss ranch. They'd spend the rest of the night burying their bodies, the bodies of those killed by Jackson Burnett, and the unmarked body that was presumed to be that of Douglas Haynes.
== Leading the Clan Following Burnett's Imprisonment ==
After the events of 2023, Brooks was overcome by many anxieties from the attacks. She began to see a therapist, and grew leery of Brian Burnett- almost fearful of the influence he had not only on the clan but her younger sister. Brooks saw her beginning to harden and solidify, and didn't want her to take after Burnett's survival soldier coping mechanisms.
In the late spring of 2025, Brian Burnett orchestrated a military coup after deeming it necessary given the information revealed by the late Dan Pierce. Burnett's attempt failed, and this put Brooks and the clan in direct danger. Though half of the clan was separated, Brooks quickly regrouped with the rest, including Leonardo Evans and Paul Coleman, who wished to ensure her and the targeted clan's safety. They were taken off guard upon their return to the ranch house, finding Bryanna Sandoval there- though she was wounded. It was not long after that Zoe Brooks was captured by mercenary Matthew Castillo as a way to divide and conquer the clan. Paul Coleman went to retrieve her solo despite the urges of the rest of the clan, hoping to bring not only Zoe to safety, but to cease Harper Brooks' worries. It didn't appear that Coleman was initially successful, and there was no contact between him, Zoe Brooks, or Castillo for some time after that.
Eventually, Brooks' younger sister and Coleman did return as they were trying to pursue information on Castillo without much success. Coleman returned to his duties, and the Brooks siblings returned to the city following the annexation of Appalachia by the Confederate States. During this tumultuous period of Burnett's absence, things for Brooks became more dire. Juniper Burnett's emotional state had taken a turn for the worse as she exhibited signs of trauma-induced rapid maturation. At the same time, Maria Burnett tried to dump the responsibility of her child on Brooks, who despite being a toddler, failed to be potty-trained. This angered Brooks and added to her disdain for the Burnett's seeming recklessness and lack of responsibility.
== Life During Clan's Return to Civility ==
== Relationships ==
Over her life, Brooks had a wide array of relationships since a young age.
* Ethan Delansky
**The first consensual partner of Brooks.
* Anthony Krauss
**The son of Nathan Krauss, Anthony was an unofficial boyfriend to Brooks when she lived at the Krauss ranch. The two were involved for a relatively short time after Anthony had broken up with Maria Burnett.
* Brian Burnett
**Since she had been raising Burnett's child, Harper Brooks thought a relationship with him might be worth pursuing, even though she was not completely attracted to him. The two ended up having sex, although, they came to the agreement that there was no real chemistry between them.
* Dakota Taylor
* Douglas Haynes