Childhood
"Call me a cliché, but my childhood was not a pleasant one. Regardless, it's the one I got and I'll be damned if I didn't learn a lot growing up. I only wish there were a few more happy moments along the way."
In the summer of 1993, Jamie was born into the arms of Ellen and Robert Hudson, residents of Westside and married purely for their child's sake. The family was under the constant strain of poverty and dysfunctionality.
As an infant, Jamie was a frustrating baby, or more likely she was frustrating due to the arguing between her parents. Ellen and Robert's relationship was made on thin foundations and the only thing preventing them from going their separate ways was the screaming child in the background.
Going into school, Jamie's home conditions were no secret. Under the scrutiny of authority for any sign of bad behaviour and at the mercy of more privileged children, Jamie was stuck in the middle of social and legal antagonism. Jamie was intelligent, she had the potential to be a great student but chose to hang back in the shadows of lower grades.
Growing up through the years, Jamie found her niche as someone to be feared. Petty theft from other kids and a few well-placed rumours about her neighbourhood granted her solitude from other children.
Her parents struggled to cope the whole time, when money came in, it went to essentials. Any spare cash fed dangerous habits for themselves. Their bond together lasted as long as their next high, Jamie slowly lost meaning as she grew.
By sixteen, Jamie chose to leave. Having dealt with her parents' drunken stupors and drug addled insanity for years, she felt she faired a better chance at life on the streets.
This also meant, quitting school altogether.
On The Streets
"My late teen years, those really define who I am. Nothing was tougher, I lost count of the times I considered going back to my parents. But every time I stuck to my choice and battled through each day. I was a criminal, no doubting that, but not out of malice. I needed to live, and at the time, there was no other alternative."
There were no true grand moments during her time on the streets, it was simply a long arduous time of going through each day trying to stay alive.
The first year was scariest for Jamie. She was under no illusion that the darkest of the dark would be out to get her. She had taken what precautions she could against predators. A couple of knives, one plain to see, another hidden under a coat that wouldn't see a washing machine for the next three years.
Jamie encountered the sickest of the sick and drew blood with her knives on more than one occasion. She made friends too, the right friends.
Over the years she developed a reputation, just like she had in school. She wasn't someone feared, rather respected as a woman who merely tried to stay alive each day.
"That Jamie girl, yeah, don't mess with her. She may not look much, but she'll cut you if you cross her.
That's what they used to say about me. I was glad for it, it meant that I could be homeless in relative safety."
During her time on the streets, there were two things that remained constant for Jamie.
The first being that she always kept her eyes on the sky, because each day there would always be super heroes soaring above. And there was no greater dream for her than to be one of them. Even if she couldn't be super, being able to help would suffice.
Second thing, the desire for money. Every fibre of her being needed money, it didn't matter where it came from. Money meant food and food meant living. There was no materialistic desire within her, it was far more primal than that.
It could even be said that this primal desire is what kept her alive and what paved the way for her future.
Becoming a Hero
"Since becoming a hero, I've taken a lot of beatings. Nothing has even come close to the pain I felt when I gained my powers. But you know what? It was fucking worth it."
July 2013, Little Italy once again descended into a fire fight between Purple Gang suits and Heroes. Jamie had encountered these fights before and knew exactly which side she stood on.
She was not afraid, she did not hide in the shops like other civilians. She acted as a radar, watching for foes and pointing them out. Her influence may not have been super powered, but she acted as a brilliant coordinator and reduced casualties dramatically.
This day was different to other days, however. When victory seemed assured the battle was far from over.
True villains arrived, villains with all manner of malicious powers. Worse still, Jamie, an innocent bystander, was caught right in the middle of it.
Knowing she was in over her head, Jamie tried to take cover in an alley, but instead took the force of several beams of magical and technological energy.
Her cries of agony were heard by a hero named Bastion (@Wafflechan) who came to her aid and carried her to safety...only to be severely wounded by an exploding coin pouch.
Jamie's powers awakened through the cocktail of energies, but without any control, Bastion was hurt.
However, he did not hold a grudge and even asked her to become his partner in heroism.
Feeling she owed him a debt, Jamie agreed, joining Bastion's side as Change, The Economancer.
Eternals Inc.
"You want to know something? Without the Eternals I'd be one dead superhero. They're my family and I wouldn't give them up for anything. They've helped me become the hero I am and have supported me through some of my hardest times. In every fight I will have their backs and I know they will have mine."
Bastion and Change spent time together as a duo, handling a lot of street level crime and making a name for themselves. They became more like siblings than partners, though Change would never admit to that.
Out of costume, they were Oliver and Jamie. Oliver the idealist and bright light of the pair, Jamie the realist and avid fan of Anarchy.
On their downtime, the pair took a trip to Club Caprice and as fate would have it, they met Anarchy! Jamie, of course, was completely composed as Oliver physically pushed her towards her idol.
Anarchy, her friends and the heroic pair took the party to Anarchy's apartment where Oliver and Jamie revealed they were heroes. Eternals, Inc. was mentioned but the idea of joining wasn't.
Jamie spent more time with Anarchy though now she called her Vi, and Oliver looked into Eternals, Inc. it seemed to be a good next step for the pair.
Eventually Change and Bastion landed an interview with Stopmotion and by the end of it, they were members.
Events after joining Eternals, Inc. are widespread and complicated and so will merely be detailed in a list. Efforts have been taken to keep them in chronological order but cannot be guaranteed. Major Eternals plot lines have been omitted.
- Bastion leaves on a mission in Canada, without Change.
- Bastion goes missing while in Canada.
- Marek joins the Eternals, claiming to be Change's uncle.
- Marek gives Change one of first coins ever made.
- Change meets the Council of Nemoth and is given a silver coin as a gift. She wears this around her neck.
- Change tries to find Bastion, but for a long time has no leads.
- Change's business Heads & Tails takes off.
- Change mysteriously receives a new phone and a text from 'Hollowed'.
- Change buys a new apartment Downtown.
- Change learns that Hollowed is a myth that supposedly knows everything but can only answer questions.
- Change begins to investigate Isaac Rome, a businessman she suspects of villainy.
- Change is captured by Avarice and is chemically controlled by him for several days.
- Avarice does not do anything majorly criminal with Change's body.
- Marek and Divael free Change of Avarice's control but Change is wounded by the chemicals.
- Marek calls Change to the blimp and throws her off, telling her to yell "I NEED BASTION" at the coin he gave her.
- Change meets Leviathan 'Where All Light Gathers' who interrogates her.
- Satisfied with her answers, Leviathan allows Change to continue on her dimensional travel.
- Change arrives at the Bay of Ergastulum, where she witnesses a lizard boy riding a whale.
- The lizard boy meets Change and gives her a big hug, revealing that he is Bastion!
- Bastion says he has been away for two years but for Change it has only been a month.
- Bastion explains Ergastulum's economical system of memories as currency to Change, advancing her powers.
- Change tries to convince Bastion to come home but he says he has not finished training.
- Change returns to Earth, glad that Bastion is safe but also concerned.
- Marek reveals he was sent to kill Change if Bastion failed the Test of Tou, a test that Bastion had to complete as part of his training.
- Bastion passed the Test of Tou.
- Marek is attacked and is left comatose.
- Change worries that Bastion is in danger, and calls upon her fellow Eternals to help on a rescue mission.
- Professor Smash, Divael, Anarchy, Desecrated Dreams and Change arrive 'Where All Light Gathers'.
- Leviathan interrogates the group but eventually allows them to pass.
- The group arrive at the Bay of Ergastulum, which is in the middle of an epic battle.
- Change despairs as she catches sight of Bastion's hoodie floating in the water, breaking off from the group.
- The remainder of the group work to defend themselves against battleships offshore.
- Change is knocked further from the group by a stray missile.
- Bastion appears riding a tidal wave and knocks over a ship, saving Change from certain death.
- Bastion is extremely exhausted and close to death, however two dragons arrive and begin to battle.
- The group attempt to subdue the dragons, but another one arrives.
- Re-grouping, they flee the battle, along with an unconscious Bastion.
- Bastion recovers while Marek remains comatose.
- Bastion gradually returns to his human state and reveals his true powers of mimicry.
- Bastion moves in with Change.
- Bastion struggles with personal demons regarding his perfect memory due to his powers.
- Change returns to her investigations into Avarice under a vigilante disguise.
- Change is ordered by the authorities to cease her investigations after her vigilante antics get violent.
- Change is suspected to be the vigilante but nothing is proven.
- Change helps mentor for Rising Star and confesses she's had a crush on Mister Fifth who agrees to go on a date with her.
- Change takes a break from heroism to focus on Heads & Tails
- Change returns to her heroic duties, however Bastion takes a break to focus on becoming a top chef!
- Change along with several members of Eternals, Inc. join Mister Fifth and Strobe (Jordan Shaw) for a party.
- The party ends with Mister Fifth becoming Negative Fifth due to consuming a drug and battling the Eternals before fleeing.
- Change prepares to confront Negative Fifth, ready to do whatever it takes to get Mister Fifth back.
"I swear this job NEVER gets old!"
