Dakota Sterling

Dakota Sterling (also known as the Shadow or Dakota Lovett) is the protagonist of the first book of The Vigilante Trilogy, Shadow, which was named after her. She is a twenty-two-year-old bartender at Riley's Diner in Silver City at the start of Shadow.

Appearance
Dakota Sterling is described to have short, choppy dark-green hair, a pale complexion, and forest-green eyes. She is tall and lean and dresses conservatively to hide her numerous scars.

As a Child: As a child, Dakota was described to have long, wavy ebony hair, forest green eyes that always had a twinkle of mischief, a pale complexion, and sharp facial features. She is said to have inherited the Greywald looks just like her siblings. It is said that she loathed wearing dresses, often opting for jeans/shorts.

As the Shadow: The Shadow is described to have short, sleek black hair, piercing green eyes, pale skin, and dark-red rouged lips. She is only ever seen in her signature black, skin-tight bodysuit, mask, leather jacket, and occasionally a hood.

Personality
Dakota Sterling is very sarcastic and possesses a morbid sense of humor. She is very reserved and defensive, which is shown in how she lashes out at anyone who tries to pry into her dark past. Because of this, she closes herself off and tries to maintain as few ties to humanity as possible.

She is very analytical and intelligent -- often staying many steps ahead of those around her -- which plays a key role in maintaining her cover as the Shadow and as Dakota Sterling.

Those closest to Dakota know her to be very protective of those she cares most about. It is her protectiveness and unwavering love for those around her which causes her to be impulsive and triggers her short temper. This is shown throughout her childhood, especially with her younger brother, Wesley.

Her time in the Greywald Institute turned her into a hardened, manipulative, high-skilled Faceless Woman. It is this skill set that allows her to emotionally distance herself in stunting and avenging crime as Silver City's Shadow.

History
Before the Kidnapping: Dakota Sterling, then known as Dakota Lovett, was the second child and only daughter of Christopher Lovett and Evangeline Lovett, and the sister of Connor and Wesley. She was a very outgoing, comedic, and mischievous girl. She had a habit of getting herself into trouble and fighting, much to her mother's dismay.

After her mother was diagnosed with a mysterious terminal illness, Dakota took it the hardest. She resented her father for distancing himself from his family and avoided her ill mother at all costs. Because Wesley was a very scrawny and nerdy boy, Dakota always defended him and his honor through fists fights and intimidation.

It is implied that Dakota had seen/met a young Jasper Beauregard at a Richie event at some point during her childhood.

During the Kidnapping: Dakota kept her sarcastic wit and defiant personality throughout the week of captivity in the Institute, despite her fear. She was the defender of young Wesley and his best friend, Alice Fitzgerald -- even taking a punch to the face for the girl after she mouthed off. At some point, Dakota and the two children were placed in the commune at the Institute, where they got their first taste of what the Institute was about. It was then that Dakota would meet her future mentor, Elena Markova.

A couple of days into their captivity, Wesley became sick. Upon realizing this, the Leader of the Institute order for his execution and tasked Lieutenant Ophelia with the deed. In turn, Ophelia order Brutus to shoot the boy while other Faceless Men restrained the girls. Dakota watched her brother's execution -- an experience which would scar her for life and plant the seed of resentment towards the Institute.

A short time after Wesley's execution, Dakota and Alice plot to escape the room. Dakota stabs and kills Ophelia in the neck with a rusty nail, avenging her brother, and find a route of escape. She helps Alice escape through a boarded up window, but is captured before she can make it out herself. No one ever sees her again, and she is presumed dead.

After the Kidnapping: Dakota was a trainee in the Institute for seven years, but not much is known about her time there. She was tortured during the early years of her time there, mostly for her defiance, weakness, or sharp tongue. However, she later became a respected and feared Faceless Woman under the guidance of her mentor, Elena Markova.

At some point during her time as a Faceless Woman, Dakota met Jasper Beauregard, who harbored an all-consuming love for her. She recognized him to have the same defiance and hatred for the Institute as she had, and when they were 16-years-old and 17-years old respectively, she helped him escape. Less than a month later, Jasper returned and helped her to escape with the help of others.

Sometime after their escape, Dakota sought refuge with her older brother, Connor, at his residence in Long Island, New York. After making him promise to keep her existence a secret, Dakota parted ways her brother and returned to Silver City under a new identity: Dakota Sterling. In order to ensure that no child would ever suffer as she or her brother did, she became the Shadow, and Jasper became her partner, the Sparrow.