Laura Kalen led a relatively mundane life until she met her husband Kyle Kalen. He was a former gang enforcer who was trying to put his violent past behind him. He had a promising career in cage fighting, but Laura frowned upon it, so he stayed away. That was until the bills piled up, and he accepted an offer to fight in the arena beneath Block One. He did well and made good money. Laura was resistant at first, but frankly appreciated the incoming cash.

Then Kyle had some experimental boosterware installed. He had to pay back the cost of the enhancement with his winnings, but with the upgraded reflexes he was a hard man to beat. Laura was upset by this decision, but did her best to support him. It was not always easy however, as the boosterware made him aggressive and unpredictable. He would fly into a rage at some of the most mundane things.

Tragedy struck when Kyle faced a fighter known as the Beast. Not only did he lose, but he died from his sustained injuries shortly their after. A week after the funeral, Laura was approached by a man named Kristoff Masters, who informed her that Kyle still owed a considerable sum to Block One for the boosterware. He offered her a job to work off the debt.

The top tier fights would occasionally be to the death, like the one that claimed her husband. Laura was dubbed Lady Death and it was her job to decide if an incapacitated fighter should be shown mercy or finished off. It was a job she hated, and Kristoff knew it, even seemed to delight in that fact.

Eventually she got out when a team of edgerunners offered to pay her debt in exchange for some inside information regarding what was going on at Block One. She accepted, used the money to pay her debt, and then left NIght City