Vanessa "Ness" Ripperton had a hard life after her parents died in a car accident with her in the back seat when she was three years old. Vanessa survived but sustained a broken leg and a few other injuries. After her physical and psychological therapies, which lasted over a year, Vanessa went on to stay with an uncle and his wife. Shortly thereafter, the uncle began physically molesting her. Enter Kevlan Sullivan, who saw Vanessa being physically taken advantage of by her uncle when he carelessly left his curtains open one day, enabling Kevlan to see what was going on from his apartment. Kevlan, who had already helped his mentor start an underground organization called the Family, which helped and rescued abused children and took them to a place which they had built called the sanctuary, came up with a plan along with his mentor to rescue Vanessa from a monster. Enter Fred Quentin, a.k.a. Daddy Q. Fred suffered abuse when he was younger from a parent and a priest, as well as a Boy Scout leader. After later winding up in a mental institution, it was there that Fred met a mentor who changed his life. When Fred got out, he eventually dedicated the rest of his life to helping children and young people, later opening up a boys-and-girls center in the community. It was there that he met a young Kevlan, and the two formed a special bond, even sharing their stories of abuse with each other after becoming best friends. After the two, along with a few others, rescued Vanessa and brought her to the sanctuary, she formed a bond with several other young girls and five other boys who had all suffered some type of physical or sexual abuse. Vanessa and her comrades later trained under an organization known as the Hood. Enter Simeon McCort, a man who was with Fred and Kevlan during the time when they had first formed the family but had disagreements with Fred, feeling that he was too lenient when it came to dealing with child abusers. Simeon, who suffered abuse from both his adoptive parents, eventually left the Family and formed his own organization called the Hood, which was heavily into torture and mind control, as well as other underhanded tactics. After Vanessa and her seven comrades trained in the organization known as the Hood, she met a young girl named Sarah and rescued her from some kidnappers shortly after her parents were murdered, later forming a mother/daughter-like bond with her. Together, Vanessa, Sarah, and all her comrades from the family and the Hood, must all help each other deal with a troubled past.