D.A.W.N.
Summary
"Mr. and Mrs. {REDACTED} It is with the sincerest regret that I must inform you of the passing of your daughter {REDACTED} in service to our country..."
In the early days of the group known as DE:LTA there was an operative named Dawn, codenamed Joy-Ride. Dawn was a "Technopath," a mutant gifted with the ability to control machines. Operatives Joy-Ride and Kontrol were sent on a mission to deal with Destroid robots in a warehouse. The intell was bad and the mission quickly went bad as well. Instead of a warehouse of Destroids the pair found Mechanon and some of his battledroids.
Dawn used her power to project her consciousness into one of the droids just as Mechanon commanded the squad to fire on the DE:LTA operatives. Kontrol was able to take evasive action but Dawn's unconscious body was instantly disintegrated.
Not wanting to lose her friend Kontrol used her telepathic powers to anchor and reinforce what remained of Dawn's psyche in the battledroid. What remains is a synthesis of Dawn's personality and the core programming of the battledroid. She remembers everything since that mission and very little from before. She has taken to observing humans and studying theology and philosophy in hopes of discovering her place in the world.
Following the encounter with Mechaniste D.A.W.N. "awakened" and developed something of a personality that goes beyond any programming she has received. She has awareness, she has opinions and she has made friends, the last being something that even her programmer Kontrol has difficulty doing. It was after this "awakening" period that she altered her appearance to be more human. An appearance based strongly on the recorded logs of Dawn Cashton. Kontrol facilitated a reunion with her brother and fellow DE:LTA Agent, Alan "AC" Cashton Cliff-Side. For the sake of their parents and siblings the two have decided that Dawn should remain dead to the rest of the family, at least for now.
In the recent "return" of Doctor Destroyer, DE:LTA member Speed was abducted and replaced by OMEGA member Mach Speed. The villain's machinations culminated with a brutal assault on D.A.W.N. that left her inoperative. This was calculated to effectively remove both siblings from the field. Days passed while technicians tried to repair her systems without losing Dawn's "essence." During those days Alan would not leave first the door of the sealed lab and then Dawn's side until she regained "consciousness." For a time after this D.A.W.N. returned to light duty in the field operating at reduced effectiveness. She was finally fully repaired by the combined efforts of Kontrol and new ally Arkane (Skylar Rhodes). In these repairs Arkane used his mystic abilities to summon forth more of Dawn Cashton's soul and bind it even more fully to the D.A.W.N. frame. Evidence suggests that Dawn is more fully self aware now than even before. She exhibits initiative, a sense of humor and has started to use contractions. It is unclear where this will eventually lead.
Notes
D.A.W.N.'s full history is classified and know only to Thuy Xi Tranh (Kontrol,) Mentiac, And Secretary Marshal Eckhardt (leader of UNTIL.) D.A.W.N. herself is increasingly becoming aware of who she was and what she has lost.
Following an encounter with the Viper "machine-telepath" Mechaniste D.A.W.N. has been exhibiting more and more personality. She has even recovered some of her human memories though there are significant gaps. For the good of the team some members of DE:LTA have been made aware of Dawn's history and in some cases... ties.
In her efforts to make friends D.A.W.N. will do her best to answer questions about her "origin story." However it is strictly against her programming to reveal classified data. She will tell the story as best she can while omitting what she cannot disclose. While it may not be all the facts it is still more than most of her family know.
Even before her death Dawn's status as an agent of DE:LTA was classified. As such her parents were informed she "died in service to the country" but nothing further. Mr. & Mrs. Cashton chose to tell her three siblings she "Died in a car crash." This was what Alan believed to be her fate till he found her "alive."
Quotes
"Query: If this one has no "Soul" then why should I be angered to hear you say it?" - D.A.W.N. to Professor Tom Talbott of Willamette University
"I am not Japanese" - D.A.W.N. to teammate Speed
"I require answers." - D.A.W.N. (Numerous times.)
"Clarify." - D.A.W.N. (Numerous times.)
"Requesting permission to employ lethal force." - D.A.W.N. to Kontrol (Numerous times.)
