Lead No Shelter

Lead No Shelter is an upcoming plotline featuring Luke Jones which takes place shortly after the events of Insurgency. It will be the second plotline to feature Hunter, after his first plotline, titled 'Better To Sleep'. The plotline has been in the works for months and will tell the story of the challenges Luke faces when he has lost almost everything in his life, boiling him down to his very core. It also showcases and establishes his true identity as a hero, forcing him to face brutal choices in his transition to a leader. As well as this, many other themes surrounding Luke are to be explored through his confrontation with his inner demons and the forces he must face.

## Synopsis

In a tense after story of 'Insurgency', a daring adventure containing a new force to be reckoned with known as "The Ashes" who have come to reap the city of Heartania from Insurgency's aftermath, sees Luke fighting, not only for his life but for the lives of others. An all too brief reprieve in the outskirts of Heartania is soon shattered; The Ashes don't forgive and don't forget. With memories of all that he's lost bleeding ever further into Luke's blurred reality, his world is becoming increasingly broken and dangerous just at the point when he'll need all of his skills and the ability to do whatever it takes, not only to survive, but to lead.

### Hunter

Luke is a much more different person in the plotline, suffering once again from self-loathing, and a whole host of other mental tribulations after the events of Insurgency. At the same time, he is showcased as someone who is fighting these mental trials fiercer than ever before. His attire has a complete visual overhaul, now featuring him wearing a simply white shirt, light brown cargo pants, a brown leather holster for his pistol, a belt, black leather fingerless gloves, and dark brown boots, his scarf still around his neck). On his back, he hosts his new sword only. Luke's bow and dagger are gone, however, he also has a retractable climbing axe with him, gifted by Hawk.

'Lead No Shelter' presents Luke as more a confused man trying to find his way in the world. He is more so a realist, neither giving into his desire for a cynical perception on the state of his life and the events going on around him. Yet he is also resistant the desire for a more optimistic outlook in order to keep grief and his innermost feelings at bay. However, soon Luke has to face his inner demons as he learns to rely on something more than just his powers.

### The Sheriff

James Witt finds himself drawn back into Heartania after his trip back home to Scarlet City is cut short by forces that threaten to destroy him and Luke. James is set to return from his temporary absence in 'Lead No Shelter', with the arc checking in on him. Unlike Luke, aside from his somewhat more rugged appearance, his own repotoire remains similar, for reasons that aren't exactly in his favour. Yet he still remains his somewhat playful and cocky self still with his own revolver, and his abilities stronger than ever before. James displays adamant endurance and tactical skills, focusing on finding the right moment to overcome the foes that he faces, with the help of Luke and their new allies. There is a small history behind James concerning The Ashes, as he reportedly encounters them in Scarlet City, which will be explored within the arc.

## The Outsiders

The plotline introduces a new faction simply known as 'The Outsiders', a band out of heroic outcasts who pay attention to the city of Heartania. The Outsiders focus on being heroes when they can, but feel the need to be separate from society. This is due to the belief that they believe superhumans cannot be contained within a human society as they are too dangerous and contrasting with the status quo. Luke comes across and joins 'The Outsiders' temporarily as a way to get away from the city of Heartania and focus on recovering from recent events.

### Smoke

Named after his smoking habit (used to alleviate the symptoms of his powers) the smoke he shrouds himself in with his power of teleportation, and the smoke that typically comes out of guns, Smoke is the leader of the Outsiders believing that the best way was to let superhumans have the option to live away from humans and avoid conflict, as well as death and destruction. This has worked well for the couple of years that they have found themselves at Oberon, an abandoned munitions factory that is on the far outskirts of the surrounding area of the city. He set the place up at first, before inviting other lost superhumans like himself to join. His power includes summoning two dual wield semi-automatic handguns powerful shots that he can trigger to be incendiary, shock, or venomous. As well as this, he can teleport in quick successions, disappearing into a shroud of smoke before appearing wherever he wishes, his radius for teleportation only growing with how hard he's practised his powers. Smoke deals with a lot of issues, mainly PTSD from surviving on the streets and having to deal with being around numerous horrific events that arise due to superhuman conflicts throughout the years. He denied his powers for years before he became a hero and shortly after left the city of Heartania to set his own path in life. He doesn't deal too much with his past, trying to focus moreso on the wellbeing of The Outsiders. He loves his people and will do anything to protect them.

### Hawk

Native American born, Hawk is a wise-cracking optimist who is seemingly never in a serious mood. Always cracking and making jokes, as well as doing pranks, he tries to alleviate the mood in Oberon only to deal with his own depression, something that no one else, but his close friend Sail realizes. He is asexual, never finding the need for sex or romance and always preferring to just live his life and be happy. He is relaxed, charming, witty and laid back, all wrapped into one annoying asshole, according to many. There are several instances where he does take things seriously or he does get angry much to the fear of others who aren't used to seeing him this way. Hawk traditionally sticks to using his two tomahawks as his weapon, with both the ability of super speed but also healing, being able to heal wounds but his powers needing to be recharged if used too much. He leads the small medical team of superhumans in The Outsiders. As he is of Native American descent, he tends to be more dark-skinned and has light brown hair which is styled and tied back as dreadlocks. He has a love for Sail's optimism and the two tend to go sailing together and confide in one another greatly, though they only share a platonic relationship. He's a large domineering man, with eyes so dark they're almost black.

### Bolt

Bolt is a unique girl, a thin tall African woman with her hair stylized as a large afro. Growing up in a Southern African village, she and her family did well enough for themselves to get by. Her main love was her archery, akin to how her father loved fencing and her mother loved netball, their family seemed to be one defined by their interests. However, Bolt didn't favour the bow, much rather she had a love for crossbows and was very good. It was only when she was in her early teens did she discover her power, the ability to summon up and use her very own specialized crossbow, she simply called 'Recurve', which glowed a dark purple, had its own modern scope and feel. Bolt suddenly found herself plunged into a world of superheroism, especially when her ability was discovered by local kids leading to her to join a team of young superheroes, The Jades, who were excited and optimistic for the superhero world. However after they were wiped off the map by villains, Bolt decided to grow up and pursue their life as a normal person before moving to Heartania where they reconnected with their superhero spirit. Now more of a realist, Bolt wants to protect everything she has, hoping that The Outsiders aren't a repeat of what happened to other superheroes she grew up with. She can use all kinds of different bolts with Recurve. She's a thin tall African woman with her hair stylized as a large afro.

### Echo

A caucasian girl from Australia with dyed red and blue hair finessed into a gradient colour, Echo is one wild card that's not to mess with. Her love for partying alongside her more introvert nature where she longs for tea and a good book causes some people to be confused as to what she truly desires. In the end, Echo doesn't seem to know either, she simply helps people because that's what she likes to do. Her powers come with their own weakness which she has turned into a strength. She is able to summon an infinite amount of daggers and throwing knives, using these to disable and attack her
opponents. However at the same time, her vision is replaced, her eyes change as she becomes known to what she calls 'Echo-Sense' where she is able to see humans and the environment around her in a thermal vision of sorts and identify the anatomy of a human, seeing their skeleton and organs at work, giving her a better idea of where to pinpoint her knives and daggers. One of the repercussions for this power is she lost her eye during a harsh battle when using it, in an attack on the Outsiders. She now wears a bandage over one eye. Echo nonetheless loves this ability and is proud of her powers but inside she is a very intimate soul. She used to work as a hotel manager in Australia, playing the perfect role of a good girl for her mother and father, hiding her powers and instead leaving them to be used as a superhero iconic figure in Sydney. When her mother and father found out and asked her to stop, for her safety, she decided to leave and seek a new life in Heartania, where she met the Outsiders.

### Sail

Echo's younger half-brother Sail took after her older sister but was just a blonde rich kid growing up in a different family. Still, Sail loved his half-sister and really connected with her, almost inspired by her pursuit for happiness and excitement especially when it came to her powers. Sail acquired his name after his love for sailing in which he too found his own powers, managing to control the wind and the water to orchestrate the best sailing. He followed his sister years later in establishing the superhero persona and upon discovery of other heroes, decided to find her sister, in which she found her with The Outsiders and decided to live with her. He is bisexual (though this is only implied) and prefers living in a type of rich tapestry when concerning his life but has an appreciation for the simpler things, finding them more calming for his anxiety. He loves wearing blue, and finds himself subconsiously wearing blue sweaters a lot, especially in the winter. His anxieties and somewhat nervous demeanor at times is usually calmed down by his best friend Hawk. Sail has blue eyes, blonde hair and is somewhat short.

### Scope

Transgender male sniper with a very excellent aim. His power is to summon any type of long range rifle whether it be a hunting rifle or an assault rifle. However, they prefer a sniper. Growing up in rural Texas, he was cared for by a strong mother who used to be a hitwoman before she settled down. He has blonde hair, though their father was ginger and only their mother was blonde. Scope eventually returned to a burned down home after hitmen caught up with his mother and he decided to put his skillset to good use becoming a hitman of his own, before he decided that, he didn't want to lead a life looking over his shoulder like his mother and thus settled down with the Outsiders. His favourite part about being
a hitman was the travelling. He ties his hair back and wears a short army cap from his grandfather. He tends to be very friendly, simply trying their best to raise morale and make themselves seem useful. They haven't been able to teach anyone any good hunting skills, but he is an excellent cook.

### Cyber

Cyber is a cyborg who lost half his body in a freak accident and was thankfully restored with cybernetic powers in the hopes to be used as a military weapon. After a moral epihany he decided to help society with his technology and use his hacking prowess for good. He can also control technology through some form of telekinesis for physical altercations. He speaks in a robotic voice and has a hand which casts holographs which he can use to cast emojis. They have black hair and is Japanese. Cyber doesn't remember much about their life beforehand, other than they get the idea that he loved his mother very much and that they were an excellent student who lived in rural Japan, near a city of some sort. It was when they had finally moved to America, the accident took place and they found themselves becoming a cyborg, Cyber, against their will, even if it saved his life. Cyber tends to rely on Echo for emotional help and guidance. He covers his face with a cybernetic mask. He thinks of himself as a monster and suffers from self-loathing. He prefers to be referred to as a male, rather than they/them.

## The Ashes

'Lead No Shelter' also introduces another new faction, simply known as 'The Ashes' that act as the antagonistic force during the plotline. A group of bounty hunters, gunslingers, ganglords and mercenaries, with some of the most deadly of their kind in the world are all under one banner of black and orange. They have various different powers, most of them similar but in different ways. Many of them can teleport through short distances by becoming ash and scattering amongst the wind, using this to move quickly and even dodge attacks in some instances, before having to turn back (staying in this form for too long can cause them to be stuck permanently). They can also turn people into ash simply by holding them, the longer they hold, the more the body disintegrates into ash. The more of them that hold a person, the faster that person becomes ash. Many of them can seem to have the ability to manipulate fire also. They usually are wearing leather gloves, this prevents them from actually turning many things to ash (a curse or a blessing which they simplyhave to live with). Though noticeably they take these off when ready for combat, and simply wear these so their powers do not become a daily issue.

### Fang

A member of The Ashes who wears a necklace with different teeth on it. He takes one tooth per victim almost ready to make a full-set. He joined The Ashes as a way to care for his family who were doing poorly after the father lost his job and became a deadbeat due to his alcoholism. He, himself, indulges in alcohol, specifically flavoured vodka. He loves to turn people into ash, finding it his favourite way of murdering people as well as indulging in the idea of conquest, to take over other people and what they own. He is a middle-aged man, grey short hair and a beard, and tall with a muscular physique.

### The Dragon

Also simply known as Xiang, he is the leader of The Ashes and has come to personally investigate matters. He is a Japanese military veteran though much harsher and sees something in Luke, even offering them a way to get off scot-free if Luke joins The Ashes. He is ruthless however and will always try to seek out the more violent option as a way of establishing dominance, even if that means doing so against his own people. He prompted his own son, however, to join the military, however lost them in an accident at the military base they were stationed, thus enabling their self-destructive and risky habits that are akin to PTSD. Nonetheless, he hides his flaws well and is ruthless to burn down anybody who gets in his way. His thirst for power is simply his strong desire to create a 'safe space' for his mind away from society due to his trauma.

### Gale

Simply known as Gale or 'The Runaway', as Hawk refers him as upon first encountering him, he is a young teenage runaway (being the age of eighteen) who wanted to escape The Ashes after being taken hostage during the downfall of The Cobras, a gang he joined earlier as a way of seeking a new lifestyle and hoping that he would gain a reputation that would make him both respected and feared in the community. However, that doesn't work out too well for him causing him to run away and seek help. He takes on a more younger brotherly role to Luke and the two become close, he is also aided with his own suicidal ideation after losing his family. He is just a young person who is unfortunately caught in the crossfire between the conflict of The Outsiders and The Ashes.

## Chapters

### Prologue

A prologue was released before the end of Insurgency which showcases Luke in the future, speaking to Hawk in the factory of Oberon. He mentions how the other Outsiders are speaking to one another, presumably about what to do with him, whilst Hawk distracts him, questioning him about his burn marks, his sword (which is now revealed to be named after Lilly), and how he got to being alone "out there". Hawk also mentions how he healed Luke which Luke seems thankful for. After their conversation, Hawk proceeds to promise Luke that he will most likely get a chance to stay with them and work things out before he has to leave, and simply leaves the room, telling Luke that he will see him in the morning.

## Soundtrack

Lead No Shelter is the second plotline to feature its own soundtrack (usually referred simply as a soundtrack, rather than an original soundtrack, as the songs have many different respective creators and owners), the first being Insurgency.

* Main Theme
* Hunter
* The Ashes
* Survivors
* Oberon
* Fire
* Blood On The Skyline
* Frozen Ice
* Regret
* Death
* Sweet Brother Of Mine
* Luke's Genocide
* What We Deserve
* Victory

## Trailers

The first trailer was a teaser trailer, hinting at the protagonist of Lead No Shelter (Luke), by showcasing a sword (implying it may be Lilly, however, later on, Luke gains his own sword). The sword that is featured within the teaser is not necessarily, an exact image of Luke's own. The words, "What am I gonna do love?" which play at the end represent the helplessness and reliance on a certain character, which leads Luke into the events of Lead No Shelter.

The second trailer is more detailed, showcasing the city of Heartania being somewhat getting farther and farther apart, including the city being seen from the view of a boat surrounded by water. As well as this, it shows a hostage situation, a car chase and other characters that are with Luke. It can't be said as to what exactly is going on (in order to avoid spoilers), but it does show a variety of events that will be happening in Lead No Shelter, especially early on.

The third and final trailer reveals much more about the upcoming plotline. Featuring a cast of different voices, including one said to be the voice of Lilly warning Luke about the coming events, as well as other voices seemingly speaking to Luke about mistrust, the hellish nightmare of the superhuman world they now all live in, and even about survival. The trailer goes from fighting to showing the cast, and much more in an action-packed one-minute showing of what's to come and even forebodes the darkness of the arc as a whole.

## Trivia

* If you're looking for paragraphs worth of trivia, then you're on the wrong wiki page (cue paragraphs worth of trivia)
* Aside from other PC's, Luke is rarely ever called or refers to himself as 'Hunter', whereas this won't be the case in Lead No Shelter.
* Hawk is the first Native American character to be introduced in Villainy and Virtue, the same with Scope being the first transgender character.
* It is revealed that Luke has named his new sword, 'Lilly', in memory of his sister.
* Inspired by the creation of the Warbanders by NathanlielCoran, the creator, iCaramelBird, wanted to tell a story about a group of superhumans that had a type of philosophy that has never been explored in Villainy and Virtue, at least not to a major level. This included many concepts for 'The Outsiders' (who had remained untitled at the time) being drafted such as the group being a cult, superhuman monks, explorers, etc. An outside group felt like the best to focus on, rather than something in the city for Luke, following the events of Insurgency and what the city would be focusing on. However, iCaramelBird wanted to keep to the city somewhat by only setting the story on the very outskirts of Heartania (with a few scenes within the city), just to showcase that this was still part of the RP and not a totally independent story altogether.
* The events of Lead No Shelter were originally meant to take place in and around Hawaii
* Lead No Shelter is connected to the self-contained arc, 'Sons of Crimson', which features James, Gale, and The Ashes