Victoria Madison: Slayer Incognito

Victoria Madison was born in Seattle, Washington to Phillip and Ellenora Madison. She has an older brother, Simon, and an older sister, Samantha. Growing up in Seattle she was constantly surrounded by family, as both of Philip's brothers were alive and living in Seattle. Jake Madison and his wife, Vanessa, in fact, lived only a few houses down the street. Uncle Jamie, however, lived in Issaquah, but he had a large amount of property out there, so many summer days, and BBQ's during the night, were spent with him. Also occasionally present during her younger years was Vanessa's father, Keith Anderson, who doted on Victoria as the youngest child.

There was a lot of potential in Victoria as she neared the school age. Both her parents were well educated, Phillip being a Doctor and Ellenora being an accountant for a large firm in Seattle. And as she began her formal education it seemed that their hopes had become a reality. She progressed easily through school, and ended up graduating from Garfield High School a full year ahead of the rest of the students her age. In fact, by age 16 she was already taking advanced math and computer classes at the University of Washington, as well as assisting her teachers at Garfield. Her mind wasn't her only asset, however, as from a young age she showed great talent in both gymnastics as well as swimming. Her talent in gynmastics especially earned her reknown, not only around the Seattle area, but world wide, as by the age of 17 she was competing in, and occasionally winning, gynmastics championships. Including the 2007 Gynmastics World Championships, in Stuttgart, Germany, where she placed 2nd in the Overall competitions, and managed to claim 1st in the uneven bars during individual competitions.

Even before the '07 World Championships, however, her skills, both acdemic and athletic, had earned her the attention of a more prestigious school than the University of Washington, and so during the '07 Worlds she was proudly sporting a gym bag with the Harvard University shield. Having recieved a scholarship to Harvard for swimming, gymnastics and academics she has her work cut out for her, though she seems to be cruising through everything with no problem, achieving a 3.9 GPA during her Freshmen year while competing with both the Swim team and the Gymnastics team, in addition to the World Championships that took place just before the beginning of the term.

The remainder of the year was just as exciting and packed with trials and accomplishments. Her swimming career, though not as highly acclaimed as her gymnastics, was going fantastically, including breaking an American record in the 200 yard backstroke in the final meet of the season. As opposed to the usual Freshmen class schedule, Victoria had taken on an extra class during the fall, and since gymnastics didn't start up until spring, she took on yet another class for winter, and volunteered to help tutor for math and science. At last the gymnastics season began, and with the stunning performance she had put on at World's, a surprising letter had reached her, from the US Olympic Commitee. She was expected to compete at the 2008 US Olympic Trials in Philadelphia from June 19th through the 22nd! However, because of certain events that took place during the spring, she didn't make the Olympic Team, and had to watch as some of her friends traveled to Beijing for the Olympic Games.

Her Sophmore year looks to be another round of the same, 20 to 25 credits a quarter, swimming, then tutoring, then gymnastics. All piled on top of other, added responsiblities.

That's the public life of Victoria Madison.

Her private life began a few months after her 15th birthday. After an unfortunate incident involving some of the boys at her school she decided that learning to defend herself wouldn't be amiss. Her great uncle was more than willing to pass along the knowledge he had recieved after many years as a Navy SEAL, including two tours in Vietnam, and began to teach her everything he knew of self-defense.

Unbeknowst to her, he was actually beginning her training as a Slayer, for shortly after his return from Vietnam Keith had been approached by a friend and former comrade-in-arms of his about joining the group, as he was just the sort of fatherly figure they wanted. Also they, though he didn't learn this until later, they suspected his daughter, Vanessa, of being a potential Slayer.

The suspiscion ended up being false, Vanessa Anderson didn't carry within her the tie to the Slayer lineage, but once Keith had learned of the things his superiors had planned if she had been a Slayer potential caused Keith to withdraw from the Watcher's organization, and disgruntled him against them for the rest of his days.

While the Watcher's were able to take back their funding, and some of the other resources they had provided to Keith, they were never able to recall the knowledge he had of that side of the world, and so when Samantha was growing he tested her, ostensibly for the Watcher's Council, as he was closer and more easily able to gain access to her blood information, but his real reasons were to hide any positive results of the testing, should any show themselves.

When the test results for Samantha came up negative Keith felt as though part of the burden he carried had been lifted. One of his two great nieces had tested normal, ensuring that the Watcher's Council would care nothing for her. However, he still had young Victoria left, and 3 years of waiting still to do before he found out the news he'd been dreading. Sure enough, 3 years later Victoria's tests came back positive, a potential Slayer had been born. For the next two and a half years he spent practically every moment worrying, wondering when the Watcher's Council would discover his alterations and come for her.

After her run in with the boys from school, Victoria had come running to him in tears about the whole incident, and practically begged to be taught martial arts it seemed some of his worries had at last come to an end. He could finally talk openly to her, though it would take a year before they got to the point where anything needed to be told, about Slayers and vampires, Watcher's and witches. From there out, she had a seperate and hidden life, one that took place at night, in the dark, where things go bump.

Three years later her life was more or less the same. Her Slayer's training was progressing well, as her "Watcher" had moved to Boston with her, ostensibly to care for his mother who was dying of cancer, but in actuality to keep her training going, despite the fact that she was now over the usual age of girls who were called. No one was more pleased than Keith, who was sitting in the stands alongside the rest of the familty, when they got to see Victoria standing on the top tier of the podium in Germany, crying sofly as the American flag rose to the top of the center flagpole. Nine months later summer quarter was nearly done and Keith and Victoria were already planning their trip back to Seattle for the summer term, when a sudden rush of power caused Victoria to fall unconscious. When she woke up, she knew that something had changed, and was fairly certain she knew what it was, she had been called.

The first few days after her Calling were a frantic sort of organized chaos. Keith was on the phone nearly every waking moment, trying to get in touch with his old friends amoung the Council, only to find that something had killed most of them. Eventually though he got into contact with someone, who informed him that a witch by the name of Willow Rosenburg had cast some sort of spell upon a magical artifact and thereby activated all the girls and young women with any ties at all to the Slayers line. He also heard about some sort of epic battle for the survival of mankind, and the destruction of the Hellmouth in Sunnydale, California.

As exciting and exhilarating as the first 4 days had been, including their arrival back in Seattle, the next two and a half weeks were pure agony. Having to watch her father, brother, both uncles, and Keith die slowly and painfully, being able to do nothing to prevent it left her in ruins. News from around the world came in about a plague that was killing men by the millions, it knew no boundries and reacted to nothing the best doctors could think up. Three weeks later, 3.4 billion people were dead.

Barely eating, sleeping more than is healthy, and a complete disinterest in the world occupied the following few weeks of her life. Eventually though it was her sister, Samantha, who broke through Victoria's grief and brought her back into a world, though not as bright as once it had been, at least the sun existed.

The first thing she realized, after she'd taken back control of her own life, was that in her current condition, a newly called Slayer, no mortal gymnast would be able to compete against her. And despite her desire to go to the Games and win gold, her sense of morality made her realize that it wouldn't be right. Still, she wouldn't resist the chance to at least go to the trials. On June 19th her and her coach showed up at Wachovia Center and the Olympic Trials began. With her new found strength, coordination and control she discovered that she could easily manipulate her routine just enough to be good, but not the best. And so she placed solidly in third in all four events, disappointing many people in the crowd, who had been anxious to see the young beauty representing America in China later in the summer.

The second thing she realized was that, despite the amazing things she could now do, it wasn't worth the price she paid, or thought she paid at least, for the same powers. Roughly three weeks before school was scheduled to start she was in her room when her sister came in with an odd look on face bearing a letter from someone whom Samantha didn't know, one Willow Rosenburg, the same witch who had cast the spell that. And in Victoria's mind, killed all her male relatives and all the other men in the world. Victoria knew the name, but she also knew that Samantha didn't, because despite the fact that they were the closest sisters could be, Victoria had never told her about being a Slayer. So instead of screaming in grief at the reopened wound, she simply thanked her sister, then threw the letter into the garbage as soon as she'd left the room.

If she'd read it, she'd know that by going back to school that fall, she would be moving into the new headquarters of the Watcher's Council, and be smack in the middle of Slayers and vampires, Watchers and witches. Just what she'd been trying to avoid. Well, as they say, ignorance is bliss. So let's start a blissful sophmore year at Harvard University.

Oh my god, I know these places you're talking about!!! I'm a Seattle-ite too.