Introduction

 

-The Lore-

(This is mainly Information about this story’s version of Vigilantes cuz that’s all I have written that I can confidently share without risk of things being changed too much)

*This page will be edited and updated whenever necessary*

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The main characters:

Ariel-

The story follows a girl named Ariel as she learns about the different Vigilante Factions. Why is Ariel so interested in the different Factions? Because she wants to know their secrets, of course, why else? Ariel happens to be extremely interested in Vigilantes, and writes about them on a blog, even going out of her way to take pictures and film them as they work. Not only is she very passionate about what she does (going as far as to not work a real job and barely scraping up enough money to pay her rent.. and buy doughnuts… because she believes a job will take up too much of her time) she also has ways to learn about Vigilantes that the normal photographer or journalist simply doesn’t have. You see, Ariel herself is a Vigilante by the name of Picturesque, and has an ability that allows her to create Connections with people. These Connections gives her information about them, and is an easy ticket to learning about Vigilante’s with the click of a button, only if she knows specific things first, however, such as their full, REAL name. However things get dangerous when Ariel eventually becomes a target of almost all the Factions as her passion and ability quickly becomes a risk to Vigilante’s safety.

Alice-

(This character is still in the works, so excuse the lack of details in this introduction)

Alice is the second main character, she is an athletic girl who works at the Cupid Cafe, a cafe frequently visited by Ariel, who always buys doughnuts and abuses the free wifi. Alice was exposed to the world of Vigilantism at a very young age, and is a Vigilante by the name of Stardust. She has the ability called Potential, which allows her to unlock the Potential of others or herself, a very powerful future based ability that can amplify any ability and easily turn a difficult situation to her favor. Alice, while distant at first, eventually warms up to Ariel.

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(Sorry if the order of things is confusing, I considered changing things around but realized because I started with Teams and Factions first and then wrote everything else based off of that, reordering it would just be even more confusing. So, sorry, but just bare with it, it’ll all make sense once you finish reading I promise)

-Teams and Factions: What’s the difference?-

In this world there are many ways someone can perform as a Vigilante, so let’s explore that shall we?

Let’s start with Factions. There are seventeen different Factions, and there is always a possibility of another being established, however the reason Factions aren’t often created is because not only does it require someone to take the initiative and leader position, but it also requires a certain amount of publicity. In order for a Faction to actually be considered an official Faction, it needs a name, at least ten members, a general theme, and it needs to be recognized as such by both Vigilantes and citizens. Factions are more often joined rather than created because it’s much easier for a new Vigilante to just find a Faction that matches their theme, and then boom, you naturally have teammates. Of course this does mean that different Factions have different rules as to who can join them and who can’t, as some don’t want “weaklings” and some are very strict when it comes to staying in theme. However there is a known Faction that is easy to join, it is called “The Vigilante Alliance” and most Vigilantes join it just so they can say they’re part of a Faction (Alice is one such Vigilante), however that does mean that it is a very morally ambiguous Faction, and not everyone in it is going to get along. And if all that doesn’t work out, that’s where Teams come into play.

How Teams differ from Factions is mainly in numbers. Teams can be made of either a duo, trio, or a group of five (or more), and Teams can be inside of Factions or outside of Factions. Let’s say you’re a new Vigilante, you just got your power and now you’re doomed to being an outlaw. Often the first thing someone does is try to find a Faction so that they can have a Team, there is strength in numbers and you get a hideout as well so it’s normally the safest bet. But let’s say you can’t find a Faction to go to, or you simply aren’t being accepted, well, not to worry, as you have run into someone else who’s in the same situation you are, and you both decide to team up. Forming a Team is the easiest way to make a simple, unofficial “Faction,” as you can still name your Team and have a theme (or neither, I’m sure there’s someone out there with a team that doesn’t follow any theme and is simply called “Our Team” lol). Teams are also what Factions start as, so the more Vigilantes join your Team and the more recognition your Team gets, the bigger the chances are of it becoming it’s own Faction in the future. However not all Vigilantes are cut out to be leaders, and some are perfectly content with being a small Team, especially because more attention from the public also means more attention from the government.

And now begs the question: Are all Vigilantes part of a Team or Faction?

Nope! 

It is only seen as a requirement because of social constructs and the safety of numbers, therefore it’s not actually a requirement at all. Some people work better alone, some have reasons to be alone, and some just can’t find anyone. These Vigilantes are called “Loners” but some don’t like being called that. Ariel/Picturesque is a Lone Vigilante, and simply chooses to be despite being asked multiple times by Manager Cupid of The Darling Doves to join her Faction.

Faction summary: An established group of Vigilantes that often (but not always) follows a type of theme, these groups are strong in numbers and is recognizable by both Vigilantes and citizens.

Team summary: A small group of Vigilantes who work together, Teams can be created inside a Faction, or outside a Faction.

-The Moral Spectrum: Good vs. Evil, or somewhere in-between-

The difference between a Vigilante and a Hero-

*this section discusses the definition of a Vigilante as it is important to understanding this story, but it is NOT describing this story’s version of a Vigilante*

Vigilantes, by definition, are similar to heroes but differ in one main way: their morals. Vigilantes also protect the innocent and fight crime, but while a hero will follow strong moral codes of right and wrong, Vigilantes are more likely to bend those rules and will sometimes use questionable methods to complete their goal, which they ultimately see as justified. For example a hero might fight a murderer and fulfill their act of justice by sending the murderer to prison, however a Vigilante might fight a murderer and fulfill their act of justice by killing them, murdering the murderer so that they can no longer harm anyone else. This begs the question: was it right? And that is exactly where morality comes into play. It’s fair and just by their morals, but not by yours, hence conflict. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s talk about this story’s version of Vigilantism, shall we?

Vigilantes according to this story-

In this story a Vigilante is the name given to a person with unknown magical abilities, they are easily distinguishable from someone who is simply talented by being able to take on a transformation that reflects their ability or at least a theme similar to said ability. They are called a “Vigilante” due to the fact that they are super powered people enacting justice through means that ultimately ends up bending rules or breaking the law. While some Vigilantes are law abiding citizens who simply help the innocent without causing issues, they are not considered Heroes because the amount of law abiding Vigilantes simply is not enough to counteract the amount of morally questionable or villainous Vigilantes (this will be discussed later). Vigilantes as a whole are too morally ambiguous that the government does not separate them into groups of moral following, and simply outlawed anyone who develops these unknown magical abilities as they decided they posed a threat to humanity. This created a situation where even if a Vigilante was law abiding and morally justified they would still be at risk of being hunted down and arrested, however that doesn’t stop them from doing what they believe is right.

(There is historic reasoning for certain things being the way they are, but I don’t know enough of the story yet to have that thought out enough to add here)

Due to being outlawed, there are many Vigilantes who don’t follow a specific routine of criminal fighting and citizen saving, and simply do with their abilities as they please while being directly involved with a Faction. Some actually fight crime and help the innocent, while others use their abilities to help in other ways simply so they can be protected by their Faction in case the government finds them. An example being the two main characters, Picturesque and Stardust, compared to an actual crime fighting Faction. Stardust (also known as Alice) is a Vigilante who simply joined a Faction because she felt like she had to, she fights crime and helps her Teammates because she feels like it’s expected of her, but she doesn’t have much of a moral obligation leading her to doing those things, it’s simply the situation she’s in. Then there’s Picturesque (also known as Ariel), she helps people when she sees a way of helping, but she has no Team, no Faction, and mainly uses her powers for her own gain, she feels more of a moral responsibility than Alice, but it’s often skewed by her own desires. Then there’s The Darling Doves, led by Manager Cupid they fight crime, fulfill justice, and follow a strict moral code of right and wrong. They don’t do it because of the situation they’re in, and they don’t use their ability for their own gain, they do it because they strongly believe in the concept of “the greater good” and “responsibility,” and that if they have a way to help and the means to do so, than they should do exactly that. 

Vigilantes are morally ambiguous, they’re not only fighting against crime, they’re also fighting against each other. While many Factions get along and work together fine under the agreement of crime fighting, they still clash because they don’t all follow the same moral code. This creates a split within Vigilantism, something called the Moral Spectrum. Those who are on the far ends of the spectrum naturally oppose each other, and the closer Teams and Factions are to each other on the spectrum, the more likely they are to get along. That leaves those who meet in the middle to be on their own terms with those who have strong opinions on right or wrong, whether they get along with the different sides depends fully on the other sides’ impression of them, some in the middle might even try to stay in their own lane or even play both sides.

There are two well known examples of opposing sides, and that is Rogues vs. Virtues:

Rogues-

Vigilante’s whose morals lean towards what is considered “bad,” “questionable,” or “evil” are often pitted against Vigilantes who oppose their thinking, this creates the well known Heroes vs Villains situation. However, Vigilantes as a whole being hunted and arrested means that even villainous Vigilantes acknowledges and follows the same system as other Vigilantes, forming Factions and Teams. The Rogues are a well known Faction of villainous Vigilantes, they are on the very end of the moral spectrum and will do whatever they need to survive or feel powerful. However while The Rogues are very powerful and has the most members out of all Factions, there’s still some villainous Vigilantes who don’t care to join them for whatever personal reason they have. In other words, all Rogues are villains, but not all villains are Rogues.

A little note: Upon becoming a Rogue, a Vigilante from then on will have “Rogue” at the beginning of their Vigilante name, for example Phobia became “Rogue Phobia.”

Virtues-

Unlike Rogues, Virtues aren’t part of one whole Faction and is simply a title given to Vigilantes or Vigilante Factions whose morals are aligned with what is conventionally considered Good or Heroic. The Darling Doves, for example, are considered a Virtuous Faction, and Manager Cupid is well known as a Virtue. However no matter how heroic a Vigilante is, they will continue to be called a Vigilante as that is just how they are seen by the rest of the world, and the voices of the few citizens who might argue that they should be seen as Heroes are, unfortunately, simply drowned out.

Vigilante Summary: A citizen who by unknown means gained magical abilities and uses that power to help the innocent or to fight crime, their methods can be questionable. Due to the fact that they vary in their moral beliefs, Vigilantes fall under a Moral Spectrum, some are good, some are bad, and the rest are somewhere in-between. Vigilantes were given that title by the government as a way to create a split between those with power and those without, and to make it easier to weed them out of society.

Rogue Summary: A member of a villainous Vigilante Faction, their morals lean towards what is considered “bad,” “questionable,” or “evil” and it led them to join others who sees things the same way. Rogues follow a leader but generally has freedom to do whatever they please.

Virtue Summary: A Vigilante gifted a title that represents their “good” and “heroic” morals. Virtues believe they should use their power rightfully and cautiously and only when someone is in need of their help.

-To be a Vigilante or to not be a Vigilante: Is there a choice?-

That’s probably what you’re thinking by now. “Surely there’s some people who simply don’t use their power and lays low?” Kind of true, but not fully. Yes some people after gaining their abilities do try to lay low and not be found out, but they’re going to have to transform sooner or later. You see, after developing an ability, you also develop a transformation, however the abilities don’t allow you to transform, the form you take allows you to use the abilities that comes with it. And while those who gains a transformation CAN use their ability without being transformed (For example, Ariel uses her “Connection” all the time without being transformed as Picturesque) it is an incredibly weaker version of their abilities. “Well what if someone doesn’t care about their abilities and therefore doesn’t care if they transform or not?” That’s the kicker, you know how I said before that they’d transform sooner or later? I really meant it. The less someone uses their abilities, the more their power will take over, and they will take up their abilities’ form by force. People who go straight into Vigilantism often follows somewhat of a routine, where every time they go out to perform Vigilantism or work together with their Team or Faction they will always transform to protect their identity, but it also keeps a balance. If they keep up that balance they will always have control over when they transform, and the more time they spend transformed the more time they can spend NOT transformed, it’s a give and take situation. However this does mean that those who follows a routine of Vigilantism aren’t well aware of the trap they’re truly in. It’s not impossible for someone to just lay low and only transform when they’re alone, but unless someone is an absolute shut-in loner, if they only take stolen moments to transform just to get through their day without performing as a vigilante, their chances of getting caught by the government is much higher than someone with a Team who could help them escape or give them somewhere to hide. So, with all that said, while both being forced into using their abilities but also being outlawed for it, whether they like it or not their circumstances has forced them to be a Vigilante, whether it’s by practice or just by existence.

-To be a Vigilante: Always and forever-

Now that we’ve discussed those who don’t want anything to do with their power, how about we talk about the complete opposite: Full-Time Vigilantism. It is true that the more you transform the better control you have over it, but what about those who never leave their transformed state? There are some who get very caught up in their new identities and simply don’t want to leave, either they didn’t like their life before and find this new one exciting, or they simply like the power, some Vigilantes cast aside their former self to only be their new identity as a Vigilante. There’s two sides to this coin, on one side you have those who become a Full-Time Vigilante so they can dedicate all their time to helping people (Full-Time Vigilantes like this are often easily titled as a Virtue), and then you have the other side, Rogue Phobia is a good example. It all has to do with morals and how deep someone falls into the role of their new form, a Full-Time Vigilante who is also a Virtue will normally be guided by their strong moral compass and will keep some of their previous identity through that, but if you’re someone like Phobia, taking on the full identity of your form can lead to a loss in some of your real identity, especially someone like Phobia who didn’t like her original identity and cast it aside the moment she had the chance to. Full-Time Vigilantes never leave their transformed state, and because of this they are a completely new identity, they are no longer the human citizen living their life, they are now a powerful force led only by their abilities and their morals. How they choose to use their new powerful identity determines whether other Vigilantes should be concerned, as they could easily become a problem for both human society, as well as the future of Vigilantism.