Characters / Dark Lioness

Waverly

• Afraid of Their Own Strength: Waverly laments on this when speaking to Yvette.

"…how are you brave enough to do all of this? Even I'm not brave enough to be around me."

• Blow You Away: Waverly's sighs while giant are strong enough to push Yvette back while she's hanging from her grappling hook. She could likely do much worse if she actually tried.
• Boots of Toughness: Subverted with Waverly - Her disposition is more anxious and wary than tough. However her massive size offers some intimidation buffs by default.
• The Brute: Downplayed as the Dark Lioness organisation is less villainous and more antagonistic towards the setting's 'main' heroes, but Waverly nevertheless acts as their go-to muscle once she grows.
• Character Title: Once she grows, Waverly is referred to as 'The Dark Lioness'. Hence the story's name.
• Charles Atlas Superpower: It is stated that Waverly is able to lift a car even before she grows. Whether this is down to superhuman experiments or is simply her raw strength from training is unclear.
• Classical Anti-Hero: Nothing about Waverly screams 'hero' at a glance, from her awkward demeanor to her short stature and light build.
• Clothing Damage: Waverly's clothes rip as she grows.
• Giant Woman: She's turned into a 'Dark Lioness' and grows to 168ft tall.
• Human Weapon: Though the exact purpose Waverly is meant to serve is still unclear, her first mission involving destruction is a clear show that the intentions are not peaceful.
• Large and in Charge: Averted—while Waverly is massive, she nevertheless follows orders without question.
• Magic Pants: Though Waverly's clothes rip when she grows, they're intact enough for her to not be walking around naked as a giant once the transformation is finished.
• Painful Transformation: Downplayed - while the laser Waverly is hit with causes her immense pain, the growth itself is less painful and more just really uncomfortable.
• Pint-Sized Powerhouse: She's described as being small and weighing less than a hundred pounds as a human, yet has the strength to lift a car. Averted once she grows, of course.
• Power Glows: During Waverly's growth, the energy from the laser that had zapped her covers her body in a red glow until the transformation is complete.
• Sizeshifter: She's been physically trained to be able to handle the growth process, and so can change to and from a giant.
• Stronger Than They Look: Waverly is described as having a rather pitiful look to her as a human but can nevertheless lift a car and handle the stress of the growth process.
• Super-Soldier: A giant soldier made to rival the Lionesses already in action.
• Token Super: Amongst everyone involved in the Dark Lioness project, Waverly is the only one with powers.
• Transformation Sequence: Waverly receives a detailed one in Chapter three.

Xeni

• Badass Normal: Xeni has no powers but is a competent mercenary, adventurer and demolitions expert.
• Bantering Baddie Buddies: Downplayed as Xeni and Yvette aren't villains, but they're nevertheless workmates on the wrong side of the law that like to talk a lot.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He and Yvette are seen as skilled enough at their job that Zephyr will tolerate their buffonery to keep them around.
• Challenge Seeker: Loves to find new ways to test himself, no matter the danger.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Seems to be in his own world most of the time, largely unaware or uncaring of the danger his job comes with. Subverted in Chapter 2 when he grows worried after seeing a filled highway of evacuees leading away from a city under attack by a Kaiju.
• Colossus Climb: He and Yvette race up Waverly's body to the top - he wins by a long shot.
• Demolitions Expert: He and Yvette's specialty. He seems to carry explosives with him at all times.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: He and Yvette use these to latch onto Waverly's back and scale up her body.
• Informed Ability: Though he and Yvette are described as being particularly skilled and are regarded as such by other characters, their currently only mission only went well due to the negligence of another, rather than their own skill and competency.
• In-Series Nickname: 'X'.
• Mad Bomber: Xeni uses any excuse to blow things up.

“Hey!” Xeni protested. “You like blowing things up just as much as I do; stop pretending you don’t.”

“But I have self-control,” Yvette retorted. “Whereas you once set off charges because a wall looked asymmetrical with holes in only one section of it.”

• Platonic Life-Partners: Xeni and Yvette are clearly inseperable and it's a purely platonic love they have for each other.
• Thrill Seeker: Xeni always takes the first chance he gets to try something dangerous.

Yvette

• Badass Normal: Yvette has no powers but is a competent mercenary, adventurer and demolitions expert.
• Bantering Baddie Buddies: Downplayed as Xeni and Yvette aren't villains, but they're nevertheless workmates on the wrong side of the law that like to talk a lot.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: She and Xeni are seen as skilled enough at their job that Zephyr will tolerate their buffonery to keep them around.
• Challenge Seeker: Like Xeni, never says no to a thrilling challenge or adventure.
• Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: While she's a little eccentric in her own right, usually acts as the straight man to Xeni.
• Colossus Climb: She and Xeni race up Waverly's body to the top, though Yvette has noticeably more trouble.
• Dangled by a Giant: Yvette is precariously dangled by Waverly when the latter discovers her climbing her back.
• Demolitions Expert: Her specialty alongside Xeni.
• Fear Is Normal: Preaches this to both Xeni and Waverly when she notices their nervousness towards their missions.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: She and Xeni use these to latch onto Waverly's back and scale up her body.
• Informed Ability: Though she and Xeni are described as being particularly skilled and are regarded as such by other characters, their currently only mission only went well due to the negligence of another, rather than their own skill and competency.
• In-Series Nickname: 'Y'.
• Platonic Life-Partners: Xeni and Yvette are clearly inseperable and it's a purely platonic love they have for each other.
• Thrill Seeker: Though she's a little more reserved than Xeni, she still loves an adrenaline rush.

Uraya

• Action Girl: Kicking ass is her job and her first scene has her take out a kaiju on her own.
• Boots of Toughness: Wears boots, and is hardcore as hell.
• Gentle Giant: Though she's a very good fighter and seems a little rough around the edges, she greatly cares for the people she's protecting and makes every effort she can to cause as little damage as possible.
• Giant Woman: As all Lionesses are.
• Good Is Not Soft: Uraya fights to protect people but is ruthless in battle.
• Heroes Fight Barehanded: Kills kaiju with nothing but her fists.
• Heroic Willpower: Mentioned by Xeni as she admires Uraya's fight from afar.

"She kept fighting," Xeni mumbled, almost at a whisper. "Even with her life on the line. She was willing to sacrifice everything."

• Human Weapon: Like all Lionesses, her great size and strength is purely to defend and kill kaiju.
• Hunter of Monsters: The Lioness organisation locates kaiju before or when they attack, and Uraya's job is to dispose of them.
• One-Man Army: Uraya has the strength to kill kaiju on her own; something even the military struggles with.
• Person of Mass Destruction: Being comparable in strength to a kaiju, she consequently could do just as much damage if she wished. Thankfully, she sticks with being a protector.
• Sizeshifter: Most Lionesses switch from human size to giant when it calls for it.
• Super-Soldier: A biologically and physically altered woman for the purpose of fighting against monsters.
• Super-Strength: Comes with the territory of being gigantic.

Valerie

• Aloof Ally: Doesn't seem all too empathetic towards Waverly.
• Jet Pack: Is never seen without her trusty jet pack.
• Tested on Humans: Past attempts to grow a Lioness were vaguely mentioned, though it's not clear whether all these test subjects were Waverly or if there were others.