Legendary Hero Kari Frost, Once Stygian

## **Self (Re)Introduction: "Kari Frost"**

I am the one who used to call herself "Stygian". It was an alias, obviously, but why I chose it shouldn't be at the start. People know who I am around the world, so if I may I should re-reintroduce who I am. I was once the somewhat known German war hero Kari Frost before a terrible altercation that damned me to a life for eternity by the god known as Avis Ardoris, who me and my acquaintances refer to as "Katya". Now I am known almost absurdly as if my influence streams behind me with every path I set, famous on my planet and just as much across many dimensions. Perhaps I should start from the very beginning, then.

I was born on July 18th, 2062 in Leipzig, Germany.  In general during my youth I was that bookworm that always aspired to be their best, I never had a reason to act up so I simply didn't.  Growing up I became fond of electronics and that sort of mechanical creation, and it was kinda hard to find other girls who liked that stuff that early in life so I guess I felt more comfortable talking to boys during high school.  I had two friends that liked the same kind of stuff I did that I met when I joined a robotics team. They were Dominic and Marius, two people I'd spend nearly all my life with until I got dragged into the group of people I had to deal with for a good portion of my life. The two made school easier for me then, just simply many people to talk things out with. The three of us were all in the engineering realm, and I could tell we'd go far together. Dominic liked to make all these electrical mechanics from scrap parts and Marius always loved to build and repair tirelessly.

As you can guess the three of us went to parties and clubs a lot, and we took advantage of the drinking age of 18 quite a lot. I had spent time studying abroad in America and was unimpressed even at that age, stunning. At some point the driving business I held for my father's work caught on to Dominic, who then mentioned he was tied into the late night street racing scene and wanted to see how I'd fare against some undesirable opponents he'd rather not race. It was then that I took that old Toyota hatchback to the racing scene to not exactly outpace others but out-drift them. Those stories are some of the most interesting of all my life.

After high school Dom went into MP and Marius went into the military for aviation, and I went into the police force. Police wasn't terrible, but I was a quick learner. Although one time I had a fight with a coworker that caused an auto accident that killed other coworkers, and it ended with me doming his thick skull with my sidearm. The whole incident ended a lot less catastrophic as one would imagine, he was known to be more violent and my naive excuse was self-defense. First tick in a series of events that would nail down my reputation.

After some time I caught the attention of the GSG-9 for my oddball cases, overall demeanor, and engineering prowess. It was then that I felt above most people in skill level, knowing I'd been personally selected by a Counter-Terrorist Organization. Only one in five pass entry and I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised to see Dom and Mari there too, but I guess it was happiness. I loved seeing them again, and I felt like my life had a true meaning that I've longed for then.  A purpose and one with a side helping of enjoyment and friends.  Soon at that, we had to come up with some clandestine aliases.  Dominic went with Bandit, Marius went with Jäger, and I went with Frosty. Oh my naive youth.

We all got to pick our own choice of arms as exclusive special ops, and this is where I tested around to eventually become to distance-based battle rifle engineer. A recon kind of tech ops. We did a lot of work together, and eventually proved that just the three of us was all it took when sent out. It earned me my scars, many that are difficult and tiring to continuously explain. Most notable I almost had my heart stabbed into by a bayonet knife, but was too high towards my collarbone.

We got a call-in around April of 2085 in regards to take back the German military's joint base with America's air force.  I had actually went to a concert the night prior so I wasn't very eager. Apparently four guys dressed like France's Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, that's a mouthful just to say GIGN, barged in demanding to repossess something called the "APOC Control Panel".  We got there to encounter this hellhole of a building already ravaged by battle, and immediately we got separated in combat.  I ended up encountering this guy from the USAF, said he was Lt. Ashton Mason and he lost his squad, little did I know how much I'd be around that guy in the future. After a fragile alliance, we met a more interesting figure; he wore all black, and had on the most stylish looking optical enhancement mask I had ever seen at the time, claimed his callsign was Firestorm. Again another guy I'd at least meet later on, who's real name was Maj. Aaron Maximus. Even further together, the three of us met up with this mysterious man who claimed he started this whole thing and that he was one of the four intruders.  He knew fluent German and had the deepest Swedish accent I'd ever heard, on a later date I would get to know this man as Dr. Simon Peterson.  Eventually we knew what exactly he started, and had to fight through hordes of unrelenting monsters called ZEDs that were genetic experiments gone hostile.  There was one that shot fire out of his arm, there was one that would scream so loud your eardrums would blow out, and there was this monstrous one with meat grinders for arms and glowing red and yellow lights that we guessed meant red as angry. We barely fought through, but I refused to believe my two life long friends were defeated in this rubble and ran away from actual freedom that dawned on me with the other three escaping.

I found em, not any better than I was though. We had to push our way out of that building and to the hills.  By then, we noticed that the three of us weren't going be able to save Germany from this brutal and gory fate. Little did we know all of mainland Europe and the British Isles would also be eaten up by this horror.  The ZEDs would grapple to aircraft, pull drivers and pilots out of their vehicles, and reach around every corner just to eat apart another human being.  We saw it happen right before our eyes.  After that, we took one last look, and headed for France in hopes we could find refuge, never looked back.

It took us a year of recollecting ourselves and adapting to the new world, but we didn't change shape.  We kept our gear, kept our uniforms, and kept our weapons.  Eventually, we did make it to France by foot alive.  With our hopes lost and our spirits low, we just kept on finding sustenance and kept traveling.  One particular day in June of the next year, we heard gunshots and trucks roaring by.  I myself had faith we could establish contact with other live people, but as a CTU operator I understood we could not show weakness.  After the shooting and screaming subsided, we noticed that all the damage was done from person to person, not person to ZED.  After some noise coming from an upstairs building, the three of us encountered some really, really lost soul.  More lost than us.  I played harsh on the guy, until I realized he had nothing to lose.  This man was Nate Hamilton.

After a quick stress test, we took Nate with us.  He quickly recognized us as GSG-9, and I further delved into what would be his military past.  He claimed this ninja came by and cut up these dudes as he was trying to help them, but I remember Dominic laughing it off and calling Nate ridiculous.  We grew to really like Nate, and he became one of us as a small team and I really liked that.

One later day, I got separated from Marius, Dominic, and Nate during a thick and unusual fog.  I remember really well that it was geographically impossible to have this much fog, as we weren't near an ocean or larger lake.  I managed to find my old pals, but not all intact.  There were my old colleagues that I grew up with, lying in a pool of their own blood.  Dying, slowly.  Bleeding out.  I panicked and tried my best to tend to their wounds right then and there.  Marius told me they weren't going to make it.  Dominic said a ninja really did come by and slice them up, and he chuckled at that; but given my spatial awareness I seriously doubted he was telling the truth. Looking back at it some time ago recently, I was right. I had cried at the sight of my friends that long time ago, and he wiped my tears with my kneeling before them.  They both told me they wanted me to spare them the pain of bleeding out or of being eaten by ZEDs.  They wanted me to shoot them, to end it quick.  After ten minutes of battling the thought in my head, I gave in but couldn't look at them as I did it.  I pitied them and they wanted me to do it.  I couldn't believe I had just ended the life of my two best friends in the whole world and if I hadn't had the initiative of trying to find Nate, I would have shot myself with them. This was the second point in my life that built me for who I'd be, and I still don't like to talk about this. Consider yourself as the listener lucky.

Nate found me, in return, and I had to use his shoulder to cry on for a long time before the fog cleared and I led him back to my best friends.  We buried them respectfully with their gear and firearms, and I took their helmets in their honor to bring with me.  I had their helmets in my home on a small indoor memorial when I used to live there, the house sits there with them. I carry a locket with a photo we took of the four of us soon before that fateful day and I never go anywhere without it. Back then, Nate and I found this ninja soon after. Apparently she had actually been there with the guy I went to the concert for so long ago, and that ninja I'd later know to be Ren Kimura. She, with her honor-bound heart of tranquility, swears to me she didn't do it. Without asking her, she'd start sending flowers for me to put on their grave and claims she meditates to better help my state in their honor. Over time when I got to know her, I actually trusted her about it.

Nate and I fought hard through ZEDs and low supplies just to escape Europe.  I actually fell in love with Nate, or rather I was madly in love with him and he caved in.  I was a desperate idiot then, but that's not to say I hate him now. It was actually fun hopping the roofs of skyscrapers as I said goodbye one last time to my personal home, and he took me initially to Florida. After some time, he came home in a panic and said that we had to pack up and leave at that moment. I didn't argue just so I could make him listen to me.

We moved to this island, and while we were there I learned more about this pain in my ass to this very day.  Her name is Aki Yamada, and she used to be in the Japanese mafia.  I remember it distinctly because she boasts the name of it around everywhere she goes: Yakuza.  Back then we was a fully-fledged professional assassin and bank robber, and because of her I actually met up with Lt. Ashton Mason, but he didn't recognize me obviously. I was wearing a mask and used a callsign back then, why would he. I wanted to catch up with him then, but he always refuted talking about his military service with anyone.  He did tell me he was surprised and glad I survived, and was surprised I was with Nate of all people.  He introduced me to his brother, who's this "Chad" kind of man that spends his time doing whatever makes him happy and not what's best, but he means well. His name is Alex.

It was from Aki and Ashton that I learned that they, along with Alex and Nate, were all working together. My first thought was that it's a shame to see Ashton fall so far, and my second was asking Nate why he hadn't told me.  He thought I'd lock him up, but at the time I had the thought that maybe what he's doing is not meant with ill intent. Somehow, anyways.  Soon enough at a Christmas party Nate and I hosted at our new luxurious penthouse, I'd learn about everyone and anyone involved through connections.  At around January this guy tracked us down and broke into our home to kill us.  I took in three .45 ACP rounds just to stab this guy to death, I almost died and I earned myself three new circular scars. Nate would later tell me about this man and his connection.

Because of Nate I met the DJ, DJ Scully, and Ren again, Dr. Simon Peterson and his cute little assistant Hyun-Ae, who would find herself fond of me over time, Lt. Mason again and his brother Alex, Aki Yamada, the one-and-only Maj. Aaron Maximus, and many more peculiarities of society.

Ok, Aki, she's quite a story.  Not one I like either. Partial egomaniac, sex maniac, and once took over the island and declared it independent, actually straight up smooth talking and buying her way around any kind of counter-attack from mainland America. At first it was all selfish and inside, then decided to govern for the people and the citizens came to like her somehow, but then she decided she wasn't responsible enough to lead and appointed someone to, I think to his term end, genuinely carried on a fair government.

Just a few weeks before that same January I killed who Nate told me was named Jacob, in self defense, Nate and I were recruited to a worldwide CTU organization for remaining elite counter-terrorists called Rainbow Six. We had enlisted under the GSG-9 operatives, but if it weren't obvious I had to pick a new alias and was handed new guns. I had to think of something that made me elite, so I took to my old engineering skills to provide Nate and myself with creative new tools.  What I invented were two new, tangible gadgets taken from old, only speculated ideas.  Mine was the "Spectre" RED Mk3: a wrist-worn device that locates electronics and other gadgets live-time and through any surface.  Nate's was the G52-Tactical Flash Shield, a ballistic shield with brights effective to work as a flashbang.

Just a while ago, I was in operation with Aaron and Nate with one of the Russian Spetsnaz and Brazilian BOPE.  Turns out, the other BOPE operative is ruthless as hell, and kidnapped me and interrogated me hardcore. After what I experienced then, I decided I should consider leaving the military services.  When Nate, Aaron, Hyun-Ae, Ren, and Leila came to rescue me, Aaron was taken too.  When the remaining four actually found us, Nate made the other three take Aaron out while he took me personally.  Right then and there, the one who captured and tortured the hell out of me, I shot her down with given my lost temper and she lay there dead.

Though my efforts are tried and true, I had to leave Nate's money and Aki's power to restore my old life. Europe was rebuilt quicker than I could ever hope for and I was quick to be back in my own home. After even Aki convincing him, Nate moved in with me. I'm really glad France and Germany both pulled through to reestablish Dominic and Marius' graves to be with the rest of the heroes who fell when the ZEDs broke out. Their graves are in a national monument in Bonn, since its the location of GSG-9 HQ. I would visit them once a month, and I still do miss them.

A lot of rather trivial events happened from then on, but one stuck out as interesting.

Aki challenged Ren to race, and originally wanted me to as well and I openly refused. Once I noticed they raced in a P1 and F512 I guess my pride convinced my I couldn't help myself with my teen years. I took that shadow painted AE86 and kicked their asses, Ren and Aki respectively. Aki was, and relatively still is, an idiot. She spun out in the end as I swiped past her mercilessly.

After that, things quieted down for a while. People came to respect me and I wasn't just a focus of drama anymore. People knew me for Nate being with me instead of me being with Nate. My legend grew stronger, and with that Aki and Ren convinced me to train them with some tricks I had in street racing. I knew Aki would begin to want to see me more than she already might considering she never takes her eyes off of my ass when I'm around, so it wouldn't seem out of character for me to initiate meetings with her. Kill two birds with one stone using that race, that's what.

Apparently Ren and Ashton went on the escapade of handling the Manhattan issue in my place and that played some serious part in Ren and Ashton falling for each other. Also apparently Aki exacerbated that conflict of a love triangle by proposing Ashton invite Ren to join the two in bed given that Aki was always close with Ren to which Ren supposedly gave in and accepted. I know Aki is pretty much the worst when it comes to lust which is why my more frequent involvement with those three sparked some serious side effects.

Now lastly is the entitlement of becoming a lawyer. I defended Nate with my old knowledge of becoming a lawyer, which I would have done instead of BPOL if only some things didn't happen, to clear his name of some charges pressed by Dr. Peterson. I bested him and Ren, who prosecuted against Nate, and did the same to Aki and Ashton of revealing that Ashton full-on cheated on her with Ren. Except that time it was Hyun-Ae and not Ren, and with several mugs of coffee; things were just getting coincidental at that point. Too bad that second case happened on Aki's birthday.

Once Aki started to get antsy trying to involve me in her sex acts I had already severed myself from everyone, including Nate, to go following breadcrumbs to an SCP that I later found out was a trap employed by Katya to kill me and do her bidding. Well skip forward some time and cut to when I tried to kill myself. I broke up with Nate, or maybe he broke up with me, and Katya narrowly stopped me from doing that and instead made me a full time lawyer. Now, I had no idea who she was at the time or why she could play God but I spitefully kept on my life. At that time was when I started following this trap, and I guess at that point Katya thought it'd be better for me to fight for her and not fight on in solitude and thus tried to get me killed.

Well, it worked. I died. At that point I became her pawn and I was alone without Nate or anyone else and damned to be immortal at the price of following her plans by force. Although I essentially became more like Ashton, Katya never did interject on my doings much other than sometimes point me where to go. After I spent time forcing Ashton to accept the fact that I'd be leaving him, as only few people knew I wasn't really dead, I left to go search different planes of existence and different times alone.

This is where things get interesting, as these events are being written out as it goes. I suppose this is where the main introduction ends.

I guess so far I can say where I have been is relative, but can be named. Lands with names like "Ferox", and other that have planes that exist in an empty space traveled through with such planes as the Aether, natural world, and for some reason Mexico is on its own. Sometimes I help Nate resolve the problems with Realm 935 without Aaron, maybe he sees it as some kind of game. Explaining what I encounter in the "Aether" dimension is a work in progress and what I do in other dimensions is a matter of "catch me if you can", many long stories that wouldn't really help paint a picture of what led me there. I live up to my legendary title, I say. Kari Frost: once Stygian, unknown traveler of the Aether, hero of lands far away, deadliest Snake and smoothest talker, and a true friend of many. Even if I don't like what or who I am, I live with the fact that it just really so happens to be like that and carry on.

One more important something I should mention is what's come up recently. After using Ren's teachings to calm myself and reach a state of truth, I found within me a new power sparked by my relation to Katya and found before me what I thought was actually her. Instead, though, it was ethereal in nature and I could command it, it was tethered to my very soul. This is has a name in a different time, but it won't be used here, and it only said one thing to me, "Sweet Dreams, made from you" in my voice. That's what it's called, and I can use it to outclass Katya. At first it was similar to something Katya had explained she witnessed, but now the power of Sweet Dreams is much greater. This includes stopping time. After some time Aki took her money and made a PMC devoted to studying all ethereal with what Ashton had already been doing, including Katya and giving other people the same abilities as me. She managed to get one by electrocuting some sense into herself, but also gave Hyun-Ae one by means of deep meditation. Because of her I don't take too kindly to irresponsible users, which now there are more and more of in worlds outside our own.

I used to be able to grant myself travel to the dimension I nickname "Aether" through a dimensional portal system Katya had me use, but now Sweet Dreams has entered what is called "Ascendant" state thanks to my ordeals in that other dimension. Sweet Dreams can talk, think, and act independently from me. All while carrying out my will and responding to commands still, and has voiced her preference not of "Sweet Dreams Ascendant" but rather of "Sweet Dreams Requiem". Together we get stronger; someone there when I'm lonely, a fighting partner that won't disappoint, and a joker by nature being a friendlier and sillier other half of myself. Upon becoming Ascendant I've learned these abilities become sentient and are granted great power. SDR, as I've gone to shortening Sweet Dreams Requiem to, has the ability to pull other long lost powers from other bound spirits like hers, but the users are long since dead. One of these is dimensional travel.

In my endeavors across dimensions and worlds apart has led me to strange and uncomfortable situations. While I've had amazing times with friends I've met in this "Aether" dimension, namely a Duke Silver and a Jeff Wright, there are darker revelations to this kind of power. Katya approached me one day concerned that I rivaled powers of her own, but instead of killing me or the like she grabbed my arm and a shearing pain shot from her grip up into my neck. Next thing I knew, I was holding a baby boy with Katya standing before me. "He's ours," she began to say, "made by divine intervention, and the responsibility or caring for him should preoccupy you". I was shocked, appalled even. I couldn't bear the thought of doing just that, but my human instinct wouldn't dare leave a newborn child to fester and die. In a frantically organized search across dimensions I found Ferox, a large planet in a dimension quite similar to the one I nickname "Aether". There I found a humble farming couple who I gave the details of his situation and some possible events to expect in his future. Before I left I at least found it in me to name him myself: Voce D'oro. His name is Italian, meaning "Golden Voice".

In recent times life continues on as it were. I continue my mission with my friends in "Aether" and check on Voce on "Ferox". Apparently Voce has named these abilities like SDR with the moniker of "Anima" as it is Russian for "Soul". However he learned Russian in a realm where Russia does not exist I will never know, but the name stuck. I use it and now everyone who has one calls it that, including Voce. It appears my guess was right in that he would get one as both of his biological parents have one, and its name is "Rider of the Sky". It manipulates the general and actual meaning of "air" itself, something I will have to look more into myself.

As life goes on for me, traveling inter-dimensionally and helping those in need, my name carries around more and more. At this point in World Zero I've taken something like the old legacy of Aaron Maximus, but I care nothing of it. It seems that no matter how many people Nate gets comfortable with they still gain too much coverage by the public eye. At least people who recognize me in public know to respectfully acknowledge my being with friendly nods and smiles like if I were anyone else, and not to run up to me fanatically. That is all I wish to introduce myself with, but as my adventures grow so to will my stories. Stories I will share for the listening, curious, and daring. For now I leave you with the catch phrase people often remark about me with, "In a world with her in it, anything is possible".