Caustic Babes

The Caustic Babes are the only all-female street gang operating in the district of New Kensington. The Babes are involved in almost all of the criminal activities in Downtown, which they own hands down. The Babes are quick to retaliate, when a foreign gang tries to muscle in on territory or a superhero comes snooping around the Babes are always ready for a fight.

## History of the Babes

Heather Hopp was only three years old when the city and her world were shattered by the event called The Day of The Destroyer. Watching on television as destruction and death claimed the city, Heather was a firsthand witness to her father losing all control and weeping like a child, while her mother took charge and issued orders to keep her family safe. The effect on her was profound. She grew up with the image of her father on that horrible Saturday morning which triggered a PTSD in Heather that would result in an unforgiving misandry.

Heather's mother maintained a misandry of her own as well as the outer composure of a steel door as she saw to training her only daughter to survive. Day after day rain or shine, Heather was subjected to and tormented by workout regimes, hand to hand combat, and marksmanship. When Heather turned thirteen her mutant powers surfaced, which made Mom even happier. At 16, largely seeking to escape from her sociopath mother, Heather enlisted with the Black Zodiac as a Longfang.

While Heather was on a year long tour of duty in Japan, Mrs. Hopp discovered that she had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She kept this information to herself, but consistently urged her daughter to maintain her militant feminism, earn respect, and to never surrender anything to a man. Heather returned from her tour just in time to attend her mother's funeral. Heather kept her promises and joined the MMA, where she first utilized the name Bombshell.

She fought for three years in the organization, earning herself a very respectable sporting respect and a reputation for ruthlessness that was equal to that of any man. Her life turned another unexpected turn when she met her loyal fan Rui Tegamno, a fellow MMA fighter from Osaka. Heather chose to retire from the sport and focus her attention on training Rui, whom began scoring successive wins thanks to Heather's training. Rui became known by her ring name of Kawaii, and eventually earned a match in the female division for the championship, which she lost., to the reigning champion Black Powder.

Kawaii's opponent had beat her into unconsciousness, which incensed Heather. She confronted Black Power publicly, an argument which escalated into a raging fistfight. When Black Powder, who's name was Tiffany Marsh, engaged her Meta-human powers Heather did so as well, and completely routed her foe. The two women parted on bitter terms but a situation in Marsh's life would united the three women.

Rui overheard two finely dressed gentlemen from the Yakuza instructing Marsh to take a fall halfway through the fight. Marsh refused, which caused the pair of men to threaten Marsh's six year old niece and provide cell phone evidence that they had the girl in their custody. Marsh had no choice to agree. Rui at once informed Heather, whom recognized the hotel where the men were staying by the decor of their bedroom. As Marsh engaged in her match Bombshell and Kawaii attacked the hotel, retrieved the toddler, and earned the undying enmity of New Kensington's Yakuza. Marsh's niece was delivered to her aunt safe and sound. Marsh tossed her resentment for Bombshell aside, and the duo became a trio.

The three discussed how best to support themselves, and found the idea of working with male bosses to be distasteful. They attempted to go into businesses for themselves as the Caustic Babes Detective Agency, which flopped within mere months of opening. In dire debt and seeing now way out, Heather suggested that the three women simply create disguises for themselves and take what they needed. Marsh was quick to agree, Rui more hesitant, but in the end the three of them together became The Caustic Babes: Bombshell, Kawaii, and Black Powder. Their first bank heist was an astonishing success. Their next crime was to raid a Zodiac shipment of rare gemstones, which they also succeeded at. The core leadership of the Caustic Babes was almost complete.