Chloé's Past, In a Nutshell
Born Edward Răzvan Krotznik in the small city of Sighişoara, Romania, Chloé enjoyed a peaceful childhood. His father made a meager living as a carpenter in town, and was a stern, no-nonsense, and protective man, especially regarding his family. His mother, whom it was rumored had been raised by the local Romany (gypsies), was a patient and kind woman, and also deeply spiritual. It was she who had the most influence over Edward as he grew up, for the two of them shared a special, secret gift: the ability to communicate with all creatures through feeling, be it man, beast, or flower. Though the term later granted to this ability was empath, it was simply viewed as odd behavior by most of the neighbors, and frowned upon by the boy's father, who viewed such unnatural talents with suspicion. His younger brother, Matthew, showed no signs of the talent, and was greatly delighted by the animals who would often come to visit at their shared bedroom window.
Though rumors persisted in low whispers, and though this strange power caused tension between his mother and father, for the most part things remained calm and his childhood passed without major incident. However, he never quite got over the projected feelings from his father. The man claimed to love him, but in his heart he both distrusted and feared the extent of what the child could do.
It was a family friend, plied with bought drinks and innocent questioning from the well-dressed strangers who had come into town one day, who let it slip that the elder Krotznik boy had some sort of special power. Her guilt would be unimaginable.
His parents simply came home one day to find Matthew paralyzed with fear, hiding in the downstairs closet, and then ten-year-old Edward missing, without a trace.
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In truth, he had been collected by an underground organization known as Esset. They sought young psychics throughout the world to be brought in, brainwashed, and trained at their "school", Rosenkreuz. The strongest of those children who survived the harsh training were then sent out as mercenary forces to the highest bidder. The weaker ones often served as targets for the others, or worse, experiments in the labs located below the institution.
While Edward's powers, with effort, could have made him at least reliable cannon fodder for Esset's growing army of Talents, he balked at the thought of using his powers to harm anyone. His passive and kind nature, combined with his physical and emotional vulnerability, made him a prime candidate for school-encouraged bullying. His main tormentor was a German telepath called Schuldig, whose cruelty and skill at mental torment was already gaining him notice (and praise) from his instructors.
It was Schuldig, amidst all the horrors that place held, that Edward grew to fear beyond all others.
Later on in his life, when asked what Rosenkreuz was like, Chloé's response is often only a softly spoken, single-word answer: "Hell." The extent of what happened to him there, what torture he endured, or what the school's "doctors" did to him, is not known to many.
What is known is that a group of children somehow made their escape from the school, and he managed to sneak out along with them. Fleeing as far as he could on foot and through the pity of those he could hitchhike with, he was eventually discovered by a Richard Krypton, who was then in the area "on business". It seemed that he took pity on the frightened, damaged child in front of him, and when he returned to England, fifteen-year-old Edward came with him.
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Edward was adopted upon his arrival in England by friends of Krypton's, a wealthy, aristocratic couple, who doted on the child and sent the him to the best schools the country had to offer. While they were kind to him, and did much to help him regain his trust in people, they were often gone on "business". The children at the schools he attended were less than kind, though not nearly as terrible as his former classmates/fellow captives. He was often teased for being lower-class, and from Romania, claiming he must be a vampire, and mocking his loner nature. At the very least, Rosenkreuz had done one thing for him: his skin was considerably toughened, and most of their taunts fell on deaf, uncaring ears.
Then, tragedy struck yet again. Edward's adoptive parents died mysteriously, leaving him a trust fund and estate that could only be accessed once he'd reached eighteen. Meanwhile, his school fees were paid for by his volunteering to tend to the school gardens, a set-up that most believe was once again due to the intervention of Richard Krypton. Edward, for his part, relishing the feel of the soil beneath his fingers and the company of the flowers, who did not judge him, did not tease him, and were simply happy that he cared for them. It might be accurate to say that he spent the next few years with flowers as his best friends.
Then, he met her.
Her name was Christine Gray, a daughter of privilege and position, though she seemed to be fond of neither. She alone stood against those who constantly teased Edward, scolding them for letting their titles and wealth go to their heads and acting so cruelly. Edward protested her defense of him, but the girl would hear none of it, having grown fond of this strange, quiet boy with hair that caught the sunlight like gold flames, and who always seemed to smell of roses.
The two developed a fondness for one another. Through Christine, Edward could see that not all with power abused it, that there was goodness and beauty still to be found in the world, and inside he felt a growing desire to protect everything about Christine, and everything she believed this world could be. She had given him love, hope for the future, and the precious gift of faith, something he had almost lost entirely.
When Krypton came to see Edward again, he was not the same frightened, hollow child he had been upon his escape. Krypton saw fit at last to tell him what had become of his adopted parents: they had been killed while in service to a vigilante group that sought to punish the evil-doers in the world the law could not touch. He would be surprised at how quickly the boy agreed to take up their cause and join the group himself.
However, this meant that he could never again see Christine...in keeping her world beautiful, he would delve into the very heart of darkness, and to contaminate her with that sin was too much for him to bear. Thus the two reluctantly parted ways, the boy taking only two reminders with him: a gold crucifix, a gift from Christine upon learning of his departure, with a wish that God would always watch over him...and her nickname, "Chloé", a name she had used to distance herself from her aristocratic position and the formalities it carried. It was a name he associated with her inner strength, resolve, kindness, and the desire to make the world a better place.
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Thus was Chloé inducted into the group known as Krypton Brand. The powers he had been loath to use in the service of Esset now served a new purpose: while he still refused to use them to hurt anyone, he could call upon plants and animals to come to his aid. He could summon up a cage of thorns from the earth to protect himself or entrap another. He also gained two new friends: a temperamental Bengal cat named Mystique, and an owl named Trabant. Chloé denies their status as "pets", claiming both belong to themselves and only dwell with him so long as they wish to.
He now fights with his own strength, having trained since his introduction to the group, and also having had self-defense and fencing lessons since coming to live in England. His weapon of choice is a stiletto blade wrapped around a rose, crafted of a special metal that has been known to split steel in two with proper application of strength. Explosives hidden within flowers, as well as envenomed plants are also in his repertoire. Esset still seems to have some lingering effects, as Chloé is faster than most "normal" people, more agile, and quite a bit stronger than he looks, although not inhumanly so. He also possesses an incredible rate of healing, scrapes healing in a few hours, cuts overnight. He only possesses one set of permanent scars on his body, those being horizontal cuts across his wrists, badges of shame Esset refused to let heal, to make the boy remember his weakness. They are not often visible, as long sleeves, watches, or bracelets almost always keep them out of sight.
Chloé has since claimed his right to his adoptive parent's estate, and their funds as well, but chooses to live with his teammates at The Kitten's House flower shop. Not only is this choice for the sake of convenience, it is also the preference to live in a small residence with many people, rather than a large residence alone. Though he keeps watch over both his biological family in Romania, as well as Christine, he contacts neither. His family believes him dead, and Christine is unaware of his current occupation as a hunter of the night. Now, he has a new family to look after, and a task that gives his once uncertain existence meaning.