STUDENT FILE
Name: Danica Nikitich
Alias: Zmey
Age: 23
Year: 2nd Year
Gender: Female
Powers:
- Zmey: The basis of Danica's powers actually originate from a magically-gifted necklace named "Zmey". Capable of enabling the user to perform superhuman feats, "Zmey" summons the power of Russian bogatyr - knights - of legend. The list of powers "Zmey" gives her is listed below.
- Verbal Summoning: By saying its name and calling out to it, Danica can summon the shield, greatsword, spear, and suit of armor. They will immediately "equip" themselves onto her.
- Super-strength: Danica becomes very strong when wielding Zmey. She is able to lift and press about 20 tonnes.
- Enhanced reflexes: Fairly self explanatory, but she is able to move and strike rapidly, as well as defend against supersonic attacks.
- Enhanced speed: This moreso relates to her ability to strike and shift, rather than to run. Her attacks can be, figuratively, lightning fast.
- Protective barrier: Her armor in and of itself can resist up to .50 caliber bullets, but she is able to create and maintain a magical protective barrier about 10ft in diameter by planting her shield solidly in the ground.
- The Freezing Edge: Her blade is able to cut through extremely tough material, including some metal. Furthermore, wounds inflicted with this blade freeze and expand.
- Spear of Lightning: Her spear, when thrown or thrusted with enough force, will imbue itself with the power of lightning.
Drawbacks & Limitations:
- Her primary drawback is that the powers are only present when she summons Zmey.
- She requires an insane amount of food to maintain herself after using Zmey.
- She is a "jack of all trades, ace of none" in terms of enhanced physical feats. She is much more powerful when combining all of her abilities than when trying to single one out.
Weaknesses:
- Ranged combat is not exactly her forte.
- She can be outclassed by explosions.
Equipment and weapons:
- Zmey
- Zmey Blade
- Zmey Shield
- Zmey Spear
- Zmey Armor, shown above.
BACKGROUND
Nationality: Russian
Hometown: St. Petersburg
Personality: Danica is a bit of a mystery. She can be as cold as the Russian winters she grew up in at times, and as warm and welcoming as the fire her family always kept lit at others. Primarily, her mood is dependent on what side of the bed she woke up on given any particular morning. Despite this, she is fiercely protective of her friends and honorable to a fault. She cannot bring herself to lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. This can lead to conflict and tension among those she does not know or considers to be less-than morally sound. She has enough courage to last her a lifetime over, which can be conceived as an over-inflated ego. Though she is not quick to fly off the handle, when she is angered she is hard to calm. She is not rash, but she fights battles - whether verbal or physical - to win them. She tends not to mince words, especially with someone she doesn't like. This can make her come off as hostile, but those who are used to her know she means no harm by any of it. End all be all, she is an individual who cares - perhaps too much - about the "righteous duty" of heroes and how they are supposed to act. Whether this will net her more friends or more enemies, only time will tell.
Bio: Born in St. Petersburg to a very "old money" family that was often tight-lipped on the subject of how specifically they acquired such wealth, Danica often found herself somewhat perplexed by her situation as a younger child. On one hand, her parents maintained the air of the elevated aristocracy. They turned their nose up at many of the poorer Russian people and catered specifically to other families that would net them advantages in the complex dynamic of Russian domestic politics. On the other hand, Danica's grandfather consistently lectured her on the Nikitich family duty of "upholding the right of the commons" and "becoming a paragon to the citizens of Russia".
Much to her parents dismay, Danica grew far closer to her grandfather than she ever did with her mother and father. Often, when her parents would attend the classic "rich people" functions, Danica's grandfather would steal her away to go on gallivanting throughout St. Petersburg, or whatever city they were staying in at the time. This led to Danica developing a connection with the downtrodden, the masses of Russia whose political and social needs were often never heard by the upper echelon of the political elite. She used the sizable inheritance she was given to give back to the people, building churches, schools, homeless shelters, wherever she could.
When Danica was sixteen, her grandfather revealed the secret of the Nikitich family lineage. They were the direct descendants of one of the most famous "Bogatyr" - Russian knights - in history: Dobrynyna Nikitich. A hero in his own right in medieval times. Her grandfather discussed how Dobrynyna was gifted with a item of legend by a Grandmaster of Magic: the Zmey necklace. It empowered him perform incredible feats of strength and skill through its own magical potency. He told Danica that the Nikitich family was, however, doomed. It was only once every one hundred years that someone worthy enough to harness the power of Zmey would be born into the family. It was with this that he gave her the necklace he had been keeping. He told her he was not worthy to wield it, as he had shown cowardice in his days by fleeing Russia during the Second World War to avoid conscription. His parents were consumed with avarice and greed. But the necklace had chosen Danica.
Almost immediately upon passing on the necklace, Danica's grandfather fell ill. He passed away not a month later, and Danica almost immediately fled the clutches of her mother and father. Taking her money with her, she used her connections to forge a new identity for herself in America, buying a plot of land in Massachusetts and attempting to hone her skills of combat. When she was actually eighteen, she attended Boston University to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Medical Studies. After that, and after several informants told the Professors of the William J. Nantz Institute who the Zmey Necklace was in the hands of, she was asked to attend.
Since then, she has shown herself to be one of the more capable students within the Institute, consistently being asked to run missions with the Union of Russian Heroes since the end of her first year, despite what handicaps she may have.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Fears/Phobias: Being labeled as dishonorable, a traitor, etc.
Skills: Masterful combatant and tactician, speaks both English and Russian fluently, educated at a Ivy League University, good combat medic.