Kid Karma

Xian Hsui (a.k.a. John Soo)

Xian Hsui never knew his mother. As a child he wandered around East Asia with his father, an Asian-American metahuman adventurer who operated under the name “Johnny Karma.” His father told him many stories of his adventures in America before the boy’s birth, but never shared the names of who he worked for or what exactly he was seeking during their years-long quest. When his father disappeared during a trek through Nepal, Hsui’s upbringing fell to a succession of his father’s contacts. The boy quickly discovered he had inherited his father’s superhuman gifts. A number of his patrons saw to it he had the training to support these gifts, putting him to work as muscle-for-hire. By the time he was old enough to join the military, Xian Hsui had combat skills superior to any soldier and a reputation that provided ample employment opportunities. It was also during these chaotic years that Hsui learned to hide behind the crafted persona of “Kid Karma,” making his true identity a sanctuary and giving him a level of safety from the enemies he attracted.
Uncle Lao, one of his “foster parents,” traveled back and forth between Emerald City and Hong Kong frequently. He knew of the young man’s deep fondness for movies and left Hsui a small theater in Emerald City when he died. Hsui moved to the city, took possession of the business, and converted it into a small art-house theatre which showed a variety of B-movies and Asian imports. A small and empty former office building abutting the theater was part of the property and Hsui converted a section of it into a hidden set of rooms with a secret entrance to a nearby alley. Thanks to his spendthrift ways and his need for danger to feel alive, Hsui is still deeply involved in the gun-for-hire business. He splits his time between his Kid Karma identity and “John Soo,” the always-smiling proprietor of the Hong Kong Picture Show, taking great care to make sure no one connects the two.

Physical Description

Special abilities

Hsui is a second generation metahuman with the power to consciously and subconsciously alter probability around him. He uses this ability to subtly enhance his superhuman agility, reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and skill with firearms. Even without his ability to influence probability, Kid Karma is a worldclass marksman; combined with his power, he operates at a level of precision even seasoned marksmen claim is impossible. As long as Kid Karma performs a special Wu Jen ritual over his pistols at sunset, for the next 24 hours those guns will not run out of bullets.

Specialized Equipment

Hsui’s hand-to-hand skills are overshadowed by his ranged mastery, but highly impressive nonetheless.

Mental characteristics

Intellectual Characteristics

“Kid Karma” is a persona used by John Soo while working at his primary job as high-priced muscle. The persona is inspired by dozens of Hong Kong action movies and spaghetti westerns Soo was obsessed with while growing up... and still enjoys today. As the Kid, he is quiet, reserved, imperturbable, honorable to a fault and unforgiving of slights, bound by a warrior’s code to show respect to those worthy of it while showing mercy to those that offer no threat. As Soo, however, he is a jokester and a pronounced movie geek.
Hsui acts cold-blooded as Kid Karma, but he only kills those he deems worthy of it. His danger-filled childhood made him into a killer, but one with standards.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Men that live by the gun and kill for money seldom collect many friends, but they make enemies easily. Hsui accepted this a long time ago. The various power blocs he’s taken contracts against, such as the Emerald City mafia and local Triad, would very much like to see him dead.