Melissa Duke

**Melissa Duke** is a character role-played by mad\_melz

## **Backstory**

**LTX Life Member**, **Melissa Duke**, grew up in a small country town in **New Zealand**. She is the daughter of **Thomas Duke** and **Mary-Anne Duke** and sister of **Alexander Duke**.

Growing up, her and her older brother **Alex** spent some time working at the family-owned Auto Repair Shop. She gained some knowledge about repairing cars, trucks, tractors and motorcycles and loved to tinker in her father’s workshop whenever she got the chance. She got her first motorcycle as a present for her 16th birthday from her father - an old, beat-up, **Daemon** - which they worked together to restore over the course of a year. Her family moved to **Vice City** for a while, her mother got work as a showgirl in a **Vice City** Casino, her brother joined the Army at 18 and her father found a job working at a garage and spent a lot of time at **The Greasy Chopper Bar**.

It was there that he met the **Vice City** Bikers and their Prez, Mitch Baker. And it was there that **Melissa** found herself involved in motorcycle club culture. After running a few errands for the members of the Club she was offered a part-time job at the bar, and soon found herself in deep. After a major argument between her father and **Mitch** over her mother, Mitch ordered **Thomas** “**dealt with**” as soon as possible. Unbeknownst to **Melissa** or her father, he rode out for a meet-up with 2 patched members and a prospect of the **Vice City** Bikers, where they beat him relentlessly. Fortunately, **Melissa** had tailed him, and shot all 3 of them dead on the spot, saving his life. Her parents split and her and her father fled to **Los Santos** where they rented a house in Sandy Shores and tried to forget all that had happened in **Vice**.

Her father turned to drink and Melissa took up a job at Lightning Autos. Eventually buying a trailer in **Stab City** and, in that time, had met a whole range of people from various backgrounds, gangs and clubs. **John Redwood**, **Jack Lost** & **Jamal Anderson** from the Lost MC, **Dazza Whipass**, **Amaro** and **Jimmy James** from the **Tailor Gang** as well as **Harley Hustle**, a Prospect from **Lunatix MC**. It was not long after this that **Melissa Duke** met **Baz “Prez” Power**, the President of the **Lunatix MC**. After a while, **Melissa** was given the opportunity to hang around the **LTX**, assisting the club in the **LTX** & **Lost** war against the **Whackers** & **the Slovak Mafia**. Not long after that she became a Prospect for the club, which unfortunately meant she had to break up with her then fiance, **John Redwood** from **the Lost MC**. (They parted on good terms and remain close friends to this day.) Months later she had earned her full patch but her and her father had sadly drifted apart. That was until, one day, she arrived home to find her apartment had been broken into and ransacked.

Searching amongst the mess she found her father’s old riding jacket and in the pockets she found two items, the first was her mother’s silver chain locket. The second was her brother’s dog tags. Both of them were covered in blood. She also found a note which read “**An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth**. If you want to see your father again, go home.” **Melissa** headed back to **Vice City** immediately.

***5 MONTHS LATER***

After months of searching for her father, **Melissa** returned to Los Santos downhearted and defeated. With no one to call, she picked up her phone and skimmed through the numbers. After a few dead-ends and voicemail messages she called **John Redwood** and he answered. He arrived with **Jack Lost** to pick her up and the 3 of them spent the afternoon catching up, driving around town and checking out new shops and businesses that had opened up. As the evening came to a close they ended up back at the **Lost MC** clubhouse.

*She cracked open a VB, lit up a cigarette, inhaled deeply and took a massive swig. As she lowered the bottle her eyes flicked to a car pulling into the compound.A big, black and bad-looking Charger. **Melissa’s** heart dropped, almost as fast as her cigarette to the ground - it was **Baz Power**.Regaining her composure she watched as he stepped out of the car. She knew this was not going to end well and she had no one to blame but herself.He slammed the car door and started walking towards the group.*

*Although he didn’t address her straight away, she knew he’d seen her. She wouldn’t have been surprised if one of the guys had told him she was back in town. He hadn’t changed a bit so she assumed she hadn’t either.She started to reminisce about all the good times she’d had in the past, and all the things she’d never done that she wished she would have. But she felt her time was up.Above her thoughts she heard his voice say her name and she snapped back to the reality of the situation.*

*“**Mel**, **get in the car, let’s take a drive**.” With no time to say goodbye to anyone she obliged, quietly walking towards the Charger and stepping inside. As the engine roared to life and the rusty gate of the compound screeched open she could hear her own heart hammering above the noise. The tone in his voice said it all. He was furious. And why wouldn’t he be. She’d heard that same tone when he was about to put someone down. But, underneath it all, she could hear the genuine concern as he spoke. She was reluctant to tell him the reason she had been gone at first, at the time it seemed like the only choice but on the grand scale of things it didn’t seem like a good enough reason. She was angry, not at the club or **Baz** or at the things that had happened to make her leave, but at herself. She’d let the club down. She’d let the Prez down. She’d let her family down.*

*Voice shaking and hoarse she explained all that had happened and, as **Baz** listened, the anger in his voice faded away. He would not kill her. But she had to hand over her vest. From that day on, she was in a debt that no amount of money or blood could repay. Regardless of whether she was in the club or not, she would be a **Lunatic** for life.*

***FAST FORWARD TO THE CURRENT DAY***

In an effort to prove her loyalty to the club and it’s current members, and to show **Baz** that she was “in it for the long run”, **Melissa** re-visited the Hangaround & Prospect stages - putting in work for the club over again and earning her full patch once more.

She is currently a valued **Life Member** of the **La Mesa Chapter** as well as the 1st and (just recently) the only female member in the **LTX MC**.

Although she might appear friendly and approachable she tends to keep everyone at arms distance, she has a hard time trusting people and tries not to invest too much thinking it can all be taken away in an instant. Despite that, she is fiercely loyal and cares deeply. **Melissa** has found someone she can trust with the **National Sgt. at Arms**, **Isaiah Amari** and the two of them are currently in a relationship.