Douglas Greenspan (Thirteen)

Weight: 175

Apparent Age: 60

Archetype: Mercenary

Preferred Weapon: Ruger Double Barrelled 10 gauge Shotgun

Runner Song:

 Bio: Well this is the story of the runner known as Thirteen this man entered the shadows recently and has only walked into this life by events he had no control over. Thirteen was not given any other option, and he had to walk away from his suburban life, his comfortable job and his life as a father and husband. Thirteen didn’t choose to walk away from these things, they were taken away from him on December 10th 2073. He is yet another casualty of the war, he lost everything in the blink of an eye and left with only one option. He was forced to resort back to his former military training and he entered the world of the professionals Thirteen was to destined to become a mercenary.

         In the days before the war, Thirteen was an ordinary man. He lived a normal life in the Lynnwood district, he was a husband and father, he sat on the Lynnwood town council and was a well respected teacher at the Seattle Public High School. Thirteen life was completely shattered on the 10th of December 2073, while Thirteen was working at the school, overseeing the annual science fair and awarding yet another prize for a model volcano little did he know that the war he had heard mutterings of had erupted outside and the city of Seattle had become a full blown war zone. Back at his home his home his wife, in-laws, children and grand children all awaited his arrival to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary. This was a supposed to be a great surprise party for Thirteen, and yes readers this was going to be on hell of a surprise party. For Thirteen this was going to be a day that would live on in infamy, and he would never be the same again.

        By the time the beloved science teacher would leave the school and head for home, the war was ragging in the inner cities and in the harbour. The outlying regions of the city where fully engulfed into the fighting. Meanwhile the media blackout was keeping the citizens in the suburban zones in the dark, Thirteen did like he always did when he was returning from an event at the school. He called his wife to see if she needed anything and to find out about dinner and the kids. This day like all others, the call came in and his wife told him ‘Honey, I need you to get your tuxedo from the cleaners and change into it before you get home, we are running late for the White Palace.” then she hung up before he could say he loved her.  Little did Thirteen know this would be the last time he would ever speak to his wife again. He did as she asked and when to the cleaners, picked up the dry cleaning and changed in there lavatory, like many in the Lynnwood sector the war was all around them but the sounds of battle where something the suburban folks had grown accustom to hearing living in Seattle so they didn’t pay it much heed and maybe this time Thirteen should have listened to the warnings and hunkered down, but he didn’t and Thirteen headed home for what he thought was to pick up his wife for there intimate private anniversary dinner.

        When Thirteen pulled onto his street the fighting was at it’s peak and the dog fighting had commenced, as the sky erupted with fighter planes, choppers and Land Air Vehicles. Runners and Soldiers had taken to the streets fighting, hell had risen and even the suburban zones where feeling the pressure of the fighting. Thirteen was concerned for his family as he drove down the street and pulled into his driveway, He could see through the bay window his entire family waiting for him, panic began to consume him as he jumped out of the car and started to run to the door to try to get his family to the safety of the basement. He barley made it to the front walk as he heard a whistling in the air as he glanced up towards the heavens he saw a rogue missile heading his direction. Thirteen dove for cover behind his sons old dodge and as he peered around the front of the car he could see his wife so beautifully dressed in her evening gown, holding there 3 year old grandson dressed in his little tuxedo and then he was racked with pain as the missile impacted into the home and the explosion sent Thirteen reeling as his body was riddled with shrapnel and he was sent skidding down the road Thirteen’s life had forever changed in a split second, even being on the town council he had only heard rumours of the war. This man was unable to even protect his family and his wife from becoming a causality of a war he wanted nothing to do with.

        Though for Thirteen his life was going to get a hole lot worse before it would even start to get better, though this is in the eye of the beholder. The injuries he sustained from being nearly at ground zero when his home exploded would over take him and he would eventually pass out from pain and blood loss only to awake in the city morgue as the coroner was beginning to cut him open for the autopsy. Thirteen awoke screaming and in a panic as he laid naked on the autopsy table, he was bleeding from a deep cut in his chest and his other wounds had blown there stitches as he lunged forward. The medical examiner was in panic and his staff was able to subdue the now panicked and flailing Thirteen. He again slipped off into unconsciousness only to awake again in a flea ridden motel room, all he had was a bottle of pain medicine, his torn and bloodied tuxedo, a shotgun with a box of 20 shells and 100 credits. His Credit stick was gone, his SIN zeroed, and according to the nightly news he was yet another causality of the war and was listed as deceased. His body littered with scars, bandages and second rate cyberware, Thirteen would have to start a new life, and at 60 years old he would have to enter the world where his age would hinder and hold him back.

        Thirteen being unsure of even how much time had passed, his mind racked with fear and remorse, he had nothing and to make matters even worse his wedding ring had been stolen. This man was just a shell of himself and he knew that the money he had would only last him a few days at this roach motel. Thirteen had no street contacts, no knowledge of the shadows besides what he saw on the television and movies and he was smart enough to know that was not how it actually was. He took the name Thirteen seeing that lady luck had left him and he gingerly left the bed and eventually the room, his body shrivelled and as he opened the door he would see his fellow co-worker Ralph Rivers entering the room across the hall. Thirteen stood their confused and scared as he made his way out into the cold dark night alone and afraid. Not knowing what the future held for him as he knew that he had only one choose left and that was to seek revenge against those that did this to him. But for now he was needing to find a place to eat and try to regain his lost strength.

      Thirteen is new to the streets and in need of a team to help restore this man to his original abilities, he has been mentally and emotionally shattered and is nothing more than a shell of himself. He is classified as a mercenary only do to his prior military training, but this man is a science teacher and he has just been thrust into this lifestyle by happenstance. Hopefully Thirteen can find his place in this life or he will end up being just another statistic of the streets and never heard from again.

Page Written By: Henry Crandall