Blight

At the end of her life, Blight was the strongest entity on Earth. by Joey Vazquez.

### Series Affiliation

Ai Kunai

> "By day, RACHEL ROY was just another computer programming slave. By night, she was a famous cyber-criminal code-named Blight, wanted for creating and uploading hundreds of banned video games. Though the penalty for her crimes was death, nothing could stop her love for the historic games she grew up with. BLIGHT dedicated her life to preserving the legacy of now-forbidden games from the 20th century but found a new life waiting for her when she was infected by a foreign nanoculture."
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## 8-Bit Devotion

Rachel Roy spent her days as a cog in the vast computer programming machine of megacorporation Thayer-Thayer. She wrote code for the automated truck routes, though she often said her position more resembled that of a remote driver. The trucks rarely followed the plan, no matter how good the command set. There were just too many variables out there and she was constantly needing to intervene.

Rachel considered herself one of the lucky ones in the company. She had a fair amount of freedom and halfway enjoyed what she was doing. Still, every night she engaged in unlawful activity that jeopardized her whole career and could easily have landed her in prison.

See, Rachel liked trucks but she *loved* video games, especially the older ones. She secretly spent her time tracking down source code for old games and programming her own. She leaked both the classics and her creations to dark sites on the web despite the ban on unlicensed gaming of any kind. Though she faced severe penalty for her activities, nothing could douse Blight's passion for the forbidden video games of the 20th century.

## Inevitable Convergence

One very hot August night, Blight was soldering together an old motherboard. As she touched down the iron to the metal, an interdimensional filament leapt through the sparks, pierced her left hand and entered her blood. She didn't know at the time she had just become host to an advanced nanoculture from a parallel universe.

Over the next few days, the contaminant spread through her bloodstream and she felt strange. The process of bonding to the invader fogged her mind and, for the first time, she got sloppy with her hacking work.

It didn't take long until "the inevitable convergence." The authorities finally traced the Blight persona back to Rachel. Luckily, Blight was no dummy. She was able to detect them detecting her and so she knew it when it was time to leave. She made a b-line for P-town.

DID YOU KNOW: The foreign nanoculture slipped in from the Abbotville universe. This bridge was made possible by the impulsive and irresponsible actions of Supastank and El Mariachi in Fight 11: Stankin' Up the Universe.

## Infiltration

Blight learned a thing or two about being sneaky during her years as a hacker. Out of hundreds who immigrated to the Preservation, she was one of the few who crossed the border undetected. She loves her new life there, free of her programming job plus all the oatmeal she could ask for. With a plan in motion to develop a new game based on the legendary fights of the region, she sets up an inconspicuous filming operation at the opening night of the New Arena to get some motion capture footage.

The night proved more than could be hoped for. SIBLING RIVALRY: KUMA V. YUUKU was an amazing fight but when El Mariachi and Burgermeister's unscheduled brawl spilled over into their fight, Blight captured some pure gold. Out of sheer excitement, she released it to the net later that night: a move which would have consequences. Unbeknownst to her, this angered the organizers who began tracking down the mysterious person who filmed these fights without their permission.

At the next fight night, Blight is livestreaming the spectacle of Supastank's assault on DeCervantes, but finds herself face to face with fight organizer Willie before the fight is even finished. He demands she turn over the recording equipment and asks for her residence card. Blight admits she snuck across the border and Willie tells her she must fight for her chance to stay in the country.

He assigns Yuuku to teach her some basics and keep an eye on her. After showing her some moves, Yuuku declares that she's done for. She tells Blight that she's "not a fighter" and reiterates that Legend is a monster who destroyed an entire arena. Her parting words to Blight are, "do your best, nice knowin' ya."

## Fight History

##### GOLDEN AGE: SEASON 1

FINAL FUTURE: BLIGHT V. LEGEND

Blight is scheduled to fight Legend, the supernatural entity which destroyed the previous stadium in SUPASTANK V. LEGEND and also defeated the legendary champion Apsu. Having zero fight experience, Blight is terrified. She has no chance against this beast of a man. But once Legend attacks, something unexpected happens. The thing which infected her left hand several weeks ago reacts. The nanoculture patches into her subconscious, manifesting as an 8-bit web of organic energy. Much to Blight's terror and the nanoculture forms a powerful weapon which completely vaporizes Legend.

STEP OF THE SHADOW: BLIGHT V. XIAO LONG BAO

Sneaky as always, Xiao Long Bao appears to make a new for herself in the arena. She demands a match with Blight "for honor." Blight doesn't know what she's talking about but obliges her, still being completely juiced on what happened with Legend moments prior. The fight begins but, as soon as Blight starts trying to control the Retrovirus, she discovers how painful it is. The fight is a frustrating affair for Blight, who takes a few good punches but holding her own (albeit ungracefully). When Xiao decides its time to shove a dumpling down Blight's throat, the Retrovirus finally does its thing. Xiao receives a devasating combo which brings her to her knees. Blight stands above her. She could easily end this disrespectful dumpling pusher but Blight shows mercy. Xiao acknowledges the strength of Blight and politely concedes defeat.

CARNAGE AT CANNIBAL COURT

With her matches out of the way, Blight sits in the fighters' dug-out, trying to come to grips with what she's just done. She doesn't get long to think about it before holes in the stands begin opening and a tribe of cannibals attack. People are being pulled through holes in the ground left and right and Blight must fight for her life. The Retrovirus protects her intermittantly but she is completely taken off guard by the hulking Mutt. Horrified beyond capacity to function, Blight is unable to overpower him. The unpredictable Retrovirus refuses to obey her. Just as Mutt is about to push her into unconsciousness, Xiao Long Bao appears from nowhere to deliver a dumpling to Mutt that frees Blight from his grasp. Her strange powers now activate and she clears the arena of many of the attackers.

When the dust settles, Blight, Xiao, Sweat Pants Ninja and Asha the only ones left standing. Then appears a mysterious woman (Belladonna Greaves) who weaves through the four of them, knocking out each of them in rapid succession with one kick. With unbelievable speed, Belladonna has reached Blight and blows a mysterious powder in her face. Finally, unconsciousness finds her.

HUNTING THE ALPHA: BLIGHT V. BEDROCK (VISION)

Blight lays unconscious in the horrible underground tunnels known as Carcass Caverns. The affects of the Lunatico Luzbel are wreaking havoc on her mind. While in her psychadelic fever dream, she has a vision of herself in the future. She's in her prime and fighting a weird caveman guy. She cannot focus on the fight so much as what she will become. Controlled, strong, not reliant on her gun. She fights with grace and confidence, handling this massive opponent with minimal reinforcement from the Retrovirus. She is vaguely aware of an ephemeral presence hovering around her, constantly talking shit while she's quietly dealing with Bedrock.

BLIGHT: EJECTION

Blight's vision continues. She has glimpses of the events earlier that night, followed by horrific flashes of an underground arena where prisoners are forced to fight and eaten. She sees the gentle face of the woman who blew the powder at her, then everything turns to electric blue. When she finally recovers fully, she is in her bed, back in fighter housing.

##### GOLDEN AGE: SEASON 2

BLIGHT AND MISERY: BLIGHT V. BURGERMEISTER

After the confusing events of her debut evening, Blight is determined to become the version of herself she saw in her vision. She signs a contract with Willie to fight in the Scrapyard for six fights, the longest contract ever offered.

In her first match, Blight tries hard to control the Retrovirus and again finds it to be very painful. Still, she takes a small victory away by managing to avoid firing the gun even though it manifests. She's having some halluncinations now because of the events in the caverns. Most obviously, the ephemeral presence she felt in the vision is dancing at the edges of her peripheral vision. It speaks uncannily insightful truths to her and knows things it shouldn't. She feels like her mind is glitching. Still, she takes another victory over Der Burgermeister, a strong man but still only a man.

THE RETROVIRUS

When the interdimensional filament injected the nanoculture into Blight's left hand, it instantly spread throughout her entire body where it laid \*mostly\* dormant until her fight with Legend. This was the first time the foreign technology she named the RETROVIRUS manifested. From this moment on, it would be ever present in her life.

The RETROVIRUS assumed the form it did because it tapped into her subconscious and discovered all of the 8-bit iconography resting there. In her early years of dealing with the virus, Blight tries to control it and it is incredibly painful; however, over time she learns how to let it manifest naturally it's less painful.

The appearance of the contamination is alluring. It's a shiny, pretty blue with badass looking carbon-nanotube cables which give it incredible strength. It's got a density to it. In the later years, it synchronizes more fully with Blight and she can touch activate or mentally trigger it to rearrange to form both weapons and armor.

GLITCH

In her unconscious state in Carcass Caverns, Blight underwent some psychic engineering which reacted to the Retrovirus in a very unique way. A piece of her personality fragmented, coelescing around a mental projection strongly reminiscent of Space-invaders. This familiar, which Blight calls Glitch, is a reflection of her subconscious. While at first localized only to Blight's headspace, it eventually escapes to reality as a fully functioning organism made of the Retrovirus. It's a strand of hair that can detach.

##### GOLDEN AGE: SEASON 3

For a long time, Blight lives in the Preservation fulfulling her contract. She is trying to understand the depth of her mysterious powers. Glitch aids her in this discovery, taunting her for being so clumsy and reminding her how painful her first attempts to control the Retrovirus were. Blight quickly learns how the pain vanishes if she gives into her instincts and lets the Retrovirus act naturally. However, understanding is much easier than continued execution. "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master."

During this time, Blight makes friends with the other stable fighters, in particular Kuma.

AI KUNAI: BLIGHT V. KUMA

Kuma offers to train Blight in some rudimentary boxing techniques. Blight accepts the challenge, taking a ding on the chin in the opening round and struggling to control the Retrovirus throughout the remainder of the match while absorbing some tips from one of the boxing greats.

==

AI KUNAI ==
As the fights stabilize and allegiances form between fighters, Kuma and Blight's partnership develops takes the unnoficial name Ai Kunai as named by the fans. Kuma's sister Yuuku fights under the banner as well, though she "doesn't take much pride in labels or primitive tribalism." Over time, the local bike parts merchant Sweat Pants folds into their crew as well, though her position on the team is opposed by the organizers due to her connections to Rinkutown.

NOW YOU'VE DID IT: BLIGHT V. HAMMER

Blight encounters Hammer in the forest. Hammer (or something that seems like Hammer) is clearly only there to study her. A few quick strikes and then flees. Thought Blight won the match, she could easily sense that victory was not the purpose of the match and she can't help but feel she gave something away. Glitch is uncharacteristically quiet about the event. Blight is unsettled by the event and she shares it with her team. Sweat Pants says she will do some investigation. Yuuku volunteers to accompany her.

Glitch starts getting weird from here out.

HUNTING THE ALPHA: BLIGHT V. BEDROCK

The vision Blight had finally comes to pass when the caveman Bedrock finally appears to challenge her. By this time, Blight has acheived near mastery of the Retrovirus. She can create very precise, impenetrable sheilds and rearrange the infection to form weapons as easily as she would raise her hand. Bedrock explains to her before the fight that he has had time to explore this land and found his only happiness would be to return to what he did where he came from: Hunt the Alpha. He says he volunteered to fight because he knows she is the best in the area. The match plays out as Blight remembered it; she defeats him and he accepts defeat honorably, telling her she is truly beyond human.

Later, she remembers his talk about hunting the alpha. It reminds her again of her encounter with Hammer in the woods...

##### GOLDEN AGE: SEASON 4

AI KUNAI V. TARBABY #1

When the threat of the crying prophet finally arrives in the Preservation, Ai Kunai go to face it. They are soundly beaten and Sweat Pants Ninja falls. Blight feels the death hard. Tarbaby was her first defeat and it was sound. Aside from her friends dying and her team being separated, she is deeply disturbed by Glitch's referring to Tarbaby as "big brother."

SMELL OF A DECADE: BLIGHT V. SPIKE/LOVETRAILS

After her team's defeat, Blight hobbles into the plains to find a couple of human weapons she'd met before. However, Spike & Lovetrails don't take chances with strangers and Blight must convince them she's not here to fight...which she does by fighting them.

When it's over, she tells them there's something greater than all of them coming and she needs help. They won't hear her.

By this time, Blight has a growing suspicion that using her powers may be killing her but she doesn't care.

AI KUNAI V. TARBABY #2

Having failed to convince Spike and Lovetrails to join her, she makes her way back to the Preservation to find it rallying for an attack on Rinkutown. She rendevous with Kuma, who has brought Chuchi Bergman from the arctic. The second strike on Tarbaby sees Blight, Kuma and Sweat Pants Ninja 2 soundly beaten once again.

AI KUNAI V. TARBABY #3

Sweat Pants noticed something important in their last battle and they return to the plains. With Rat having gone to face Tarbaby and dying, Cenote is in charge of the crew out there. Sweat Pants is able to convince him to join them. Spike and Lovetrails join and the final assault of Ai Kunai on Tarbaby is composed of Blight, Kuma, Sweat Pants 2, Spike/Lovetrails and Cenote joined by the survivors of Rinkutown, Yuuku, Gebu Jr, Peasant, Taipei Sugar, who are joined at the final moment by Vishnet and Inessa Leonov, transported from Madhya Pradesh.

Of these, Blight, Peasant, Kuma, Lovetrails and Vishnet are the only confirmed survivors.

##### GOLDEN AGE: SEASON 5

Tarbaby is dead, along with another Sweat Pants Ninja and a large number of people Blight once knew. Though they won, Blight can't help but feel they lost. Her team is disbanded. The Preservation and Rinkutown are all but destroyed. Blight is depressed and also scared about what the Tarbaby told her. Will she be the reason for the destruction of everyone? She spends most of Season 5 taking some personal time, low-key living in the plains and gaming like she did before all this started.

END OF SEASON 5:

Blight is recovering. She has used her new powers to do more for her gaming cause than she ever thought possible, surprised by how useful the Retrovirus can be when used as something other than a weapon. She spends her days dancing with Hitashicorp in cyberspace, attacking their systems and spreading games to the masses until one day she hacks into a particular file:

PROJECT SUPASTANK: CLEARANCE LEVEL TOP SECRET

Blight learns what atrocities Supastank is committing and also learns about her glasses which see the future. Suddenly, her fears about the Tarbaby's parting words to her return. Blight wants to know how she can prevent the vision of doom she feels deep down seemed too true. She goes to Ponto Central to face Supastank.

CATATONIC LEADER: BLIGHT V. SUPASTANK

Blight goes toe to toe with the nasiest enforcer in Ponto Central and sends her packing. It feels good to exercise her powers again. They are stronger but something is wrong. After the battle, Stank goes back to report what happened, confirming with her bosses at megcorporation Hitashicorp the existence of another Tarbaby-esque nanoculture...Blight's retrovirus. After this, Hitashicorp sets all out war on the remaining free zones in order to contain Blight as to not repeat another paradigm-shifting accident with the unknown nanoculture. THANKS STANK.

EYES OF YOUR EYES: BLIGHT V. BELLADONNA GREAVES

Immediately after defeating Supastank, Blight is ambushed by Belladonna Greaves. Belladonna warns Blight that she should not risk looking in the future-seeing glasses recovered from Supastank. Blight hears what Bella is saying but she needs to know. Bella attacks.

After the fight, Blight recognizes Bella from the night she began fighting so many years ago. Bella explains to her what happened in Carcass Caverns and how she engineered Blight's capture and escape that night, filling in the gaps in Blight's memory.

Blight is simultaneously angry to know she was used by Belladonna and also pleased to know she played an instrumental role in the destruction of Carcass Caverns and helped so many escape that night.

## Trivia

Blight begins as very shy and reserved but finally becomes comfortable with herself over the course of the story. This is in large part thanks to Glitch, the external manifestation of her supressed rudeness. Interaction with Glitch and others allows her to integrate all parts of her personality by the end of her arch.

Blight was created by Lauren Davis in early 2017, conceptulized as "Gambit meets Phoenix with some Sailor Moon - the one with the same shoes as her."

Blight is lawful good chaotic. An anti-heroine.

She's a south-paw.

By the end of her training, Blight has a "Jackie Chan" style fighting.

Blight is one of the very few characters in the Oakwood Universe which possess supernatural abilities. This is due to her contamination by Retrovirus, which hails from the Abbottville universe (which DOES possess supernatural elements).