Laurie Kernz

Laurie Kernz is a H.E.R.O. agent

## Background

### Pre H.E.R.O. Life

Laurie was a student studying marketing in Sector 7. She finished her degree, but was attack by a monster prior to her first day of work. The monster infected her before being killed by Nyx Elis, who brought the newly transformed Laurie to the H.E.R.O. base in Sector 1.

### Working for H.E.R.O

After finishing her training, Laurie was paired up with Veteran H.E.R.O agent Troy, who constantly pushed her to train harder.

Eventually the pair were tasked with tracking down Ella Vulpe following her and Jake's raid on the H.E.R.O base underneath R&X University. They were ordered to simply find her and wait for backup, but Troy opted to fight her directly instead, reasoning that the two of them could beat her because their combined level was greater then hers. Unfortunately for them, Ella had just evolved, and uses her newfound power to easily defeat them and kill Troy. After recovering from her "fight" with Ella, she was forced to fight Jake, who defeated her easily and erased her memories of the incident.

After the Ella incident, she was mostly kept on base for observation. Her defeat at the hands of Ella inspired her to start training harder.

### MC at H.E.R.O

Laurie is next seen alongside her new partner Del, where the pair are tasked with showing the newly recruited MC around the place. Laurie also returns to training at this time, where she fights MC and is soundly defeated.

Laurie and Del serve as MC's body guards for his appearance on the William Baldwin show. After the show is crashed by S.I.N, she gets Brianna to safety before returning to help fight. If the player chooses to help Nico fight, then Laurie and MC briefly trap Cole using a combo attack.

Laurie returns to training once again two days after the talk show fight. She is paired up against Alice due to MC fighting Tiffany instead. Laurie doesn't take the fight seriously, which proves to be a mistake as Alice defeats her even more quickly then MC did.

After Del was sent to infiltrate S.I.N., Laurie brings MC along to fight against a water monster. After beating the monster, the pair eat at a diner. When topic of Laurie's encounter with Ella comes up, MC removes the restriction that Jake put on her memories, causing her to remember what happened and blame herself for Troy's death.

If the player chooses to spare Jake, Laurie attempts to kill him but is easily defeated once again. MC then gives her advice on how to beat his powers, although doubts that it'll be enough to help her win. If Jake is dead, then MC instead gives her advice on how to get over her fear of close combat. The two then train together regardless of which route is taken.

Laurie brings MC to the simulation room to relax as a way to thank him for his help, but they are quickly caught by the teacher and kicked out.

### The Battle of Diamonds

Laurie was assigned to the main force attacking Ella's base. She is first seen effortlessly shredding weaker monsters alongside a squad of human soldiers, but are attacked by a Hrungnir, which is too powerful for them to hurt. The Hrungnir backs them into a corner with the intent of eating them, but is swiftly dispatched by Duncan Gillibrand.

Laurie returned to the main battle, only to be interrupted by Alice falling from the sky. The monster that dropped her kills the soldiers forcing the two women to fight it on their own. Another Hrungnir shows up after the win, but is inadvertently killed by Alexis Allaband.

Laurie and Alice make their way down to the lowest levels of the crater, where they encounter Del and Deryl's second Chimera. Laurie initially battles the chimera to give Alice a chance to power up a graviton bomb, but is defeated and sent flying into the area where Del and the fake Deryl are fighting. After recovering Laurie destroyed the water monster that Del was using, allowing clone Deryl to defeat him.

Laurie reunites with MC, Alice and the real Deryl following the final battle between MC and Deryl. She is happy to find out that Del lives on inside of him, but the celebrations are cut short when she takes an exploding icicle to the neck courtesy of Jared Wilson. If the player made the correct choices during the fight MC and Deryl, then they are able to save Laurie, if not then she dies.

## Powers and Abilities

Laurie has standard physical abilities for a superhuman of her level.

Her power allows her to create weapons made out of crystal that transform anything they cut into crystal. During The Battle of Diamonds, she also creates a suit of crystal armor to protect herself and get over her fear of close combat.

While Laurie's power is potentially very deadly, it does have quite a few weaknesses. Shapeshifters are able to simply transform the effected body parts back, and some opponents possess armor of barriers that make immune to the damage in the first place.