Lightning Strike Initiative
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
History
1.0
At its earliest roots, the LSI was once comprised of a collective of Heroes, Vigilantes, and wayward vagabonds based and housed in a refurbished storehouse. With the lack of a better more apt title, this group came to be known simply as the Abandoned Warehouse. Helmed by a hero named Erik Jameson, the membership body of the Warehouse largely congregated in the Pocket D, making sport of friend and foe alike, generally having a good time and enjoying life outside of the worklives of the various members. In mid-2009, an errant knight by the name of Christian James arrived on the scene. A hero and PPD officer, he was quick to take notice of the events surrounding Warehouse member Clara Su'cour and the demon, Daniel, who was silently manipulating her from unseen angles. Chris was manipulated by the demon into aiding his attempts to get to Clara, though in this effort, Chris would find himself allies with Clara, sworn by spell to stay unable to reveal his dealings with the demon who sought her. This friendship is what led him to the Abandoned Warehouse.
In short time, Chris found himself taking in their carefree and fun-loving way of life, watching as their members grew. Among them, Shimmer-Strike, Lia McKay (whom Chris would later find out to be his half-sister) and Jordan Murphy. He grew close to members such as Casey McKnight, whom he began to consider his best friend, even entering into a short relationship with Clara herself. Though the group was never short on their own personal drama spilling over into full-blown events, things were peaceful, and although Christian was still a PPD officer and highly active Hero, he looked forward to his time off the clock with them.
Things would not stay so freeing, however. As the group was summoned to an impromptu meeting, Erik announced that his own work as a Hero would be taking him into the Isles, and that he could be gone for weeks. In a surprising turn of events, and superceding almost a dozen equally-capable and higher-ranking members, Erik chose Chris to lead in his absence. Though he accepted, Chris was unhappy. Relegated by choice as a simple soldier to carry out tasks for those more capable of leadership positions, he was not, mentally nor emotionally, ready to take on the tasks he had agreed to.
Within twenty-four hours, the Warehouse crew found themselves the targets of a group of powerful demons, the Abyss Empire. When an attempt to cease the hostilities by speaking to their leader Labal only resulted in the promise of more violence, Chris' resolve faltered more. Within the span of two total days, similar situations broke out, larger among which was a Crey attempt to reclaim Casey, a former experimental subject, when they stormed through the roof of the Warehouse, injuring even more members. By the end of the first thirty-six hours, two were dead and almost a dozen were injured. Though not for Chris' lack of trying, Jordan Murphy, who had been harboring a crush on him, was at his side assuring him he had done all he could. By the end of the week, he was actively traveling back and forth across Paragon City, not working, but appearing at each and every individual events that any member needed help with. Be it an attack, a personal problem, relationship issues, etc. He was by no means spectacular, but he tried.
When Erik returned almost two weeks after he had left, numerous members began to notice things that didn't quite add up. He had began stating that everyone in the Warehouse would have been dead without his leadership, made no attempt to find out what had happened during his absence, and when Chris approached him in order to make recent events known, he found Erik sitting on a self-erected throne.
His actions enraged a good many of the crew. Some quit, including Lia. But not without being struck by inspiration and the desire to see her friends in better circumstances. She spoke with Jordan, then approached Chris with a proposal. Quit the Warehouse and form a new group, led by the three of them, with Chris as figurehead and defender. Wary about taking on the position again, fulltime no less, Chris made her a counteragreement: If she could find a group of people who wanted him to lead them, he would agree.
Within a day, the majority of the Warehouse had up and quit, joining with Lia and Jordan in their newly opened Midnight Refuge. When Chris officially joined and took his position, he was shocked; Well over two dozen had left the Erik's Warehouse for their greener pastures, with more pouring in every day. Though he may not have been an ideal picture of leadership, his determination to protect those he led had won their hearts.
2.0
The Midnight Refuge, while the hot new item with a bustling member body, did not find itself exempt from the torment of the demons of Abyss. Constantly threatened and attacked, the grounds of the Refuge were turned from neo-Warehouse living-quarters, into a base formed for the general defense of its people. It's grounds were sanctified and anointed, it was shielded and guarded from varying forms of spy and intel-gathering equipment, every door and portal in and out were guarded through layers of security encryption and passwords, and every communications unit handed to its members was specifically tied to their persons, keeping anyone from stealing one and learning of the Refuge's location or paths of member access. Lia, Jordan and Chris worked hard to ensure it truly lived up to it's title as a refuge from harm.
3.0
Making Marks
Members
Leaders
Xeden - Offensive administrator; Tactical coordinator; Vanguard/PPD liason
Jordan Murphy - Defensive administrator; Security head
