Zero

(CONTENT WARNING!: This page contains themes of Abuse and Animal Brutality, please consider this before reading.)

Introduction.
Zero (Real Name: Feliks) is the leader of the antagonist gang in the main story of Virtue, he also serves as the primary antagonist throughout. He was invented some time during January of 2019. Zero is incredibly intelligent, which does not mix well with his evident mental illness. He is obsessively resentful of Spike and his friends, dedicating most of his time to tormenting them by any means possible.

Zero has an IQ Score which is considerably above the average adult in Virtue. While he is well spoken and mannerly when he needs to be, Zero is gruesomely cruel to animals, and other people. His apparent lack of empathy has developed throughout a life of abuse and rejection. His intelligence cements him as a natural rival for Thorn, who he has always disliked, even before his departure from Spike's group of friends. While Zero is not as physically threatening as his companions, his relentless desire to humiliate and degrade his enemies makes him intimidating to many who are unfortunate enough to know him.

Zero's strength is derived from his ability to get into people's heads. He is a master manipulator, using his ability to puppet Chance, Raze, Cobra and to some extent, the members of Spike's gang. Because of how well Zero knew his former friends, he has access to particularly sensitive traumas and memories for his enemies, which he abuses to no end. Zero is very tech-savvy, and he is known to use his skills to access social media accounts belonging to his enemies. Usually, this results in blackmail or extensive spying.

Pre-Vunk:
Zero was born of an affair between his father and a mother he never knew. Shortly Zero's father was informed of his birth, his marriage would fall apart. Zero's father would take custody of both he and his older sister. Zero's father was a bitter alcoholic, who abused him both emotionally and physically. Zero's older sister believed that he was responsible for her parents' divorce and treated him very coldly. Zero would often seek the approval of his father as he was made to feel guilty for how his life had turned. Eventually, Zero's father would take his own life. Zero was placed in foster care, separated from his sister. Zero's trauma would lead to the development of his abusive, violent personality. When Zero's sister reached adulthood, he was placed in her custody. Zero's sister would go on to be as abusive as their father had been.

Upon starting in High School, Zero would again encounter Spike, who he had met during his time in Foster care. Together with they two, Snips, Ace, Muppet and Thorn the group would grow close. Zero would become particularly close to Snips and Spike, entering an ill-fated relationship with the latter. After Spike suggested the group become involved in V-Punk Culture, Zero adopted his initial alias. This would later be changed to Zero, as of his departure from Spike's gang. (*By now, everyone is of-age.)

Prior Events:
Shortly after their entry into the V-Punk Lifestyle and the adoption of their aliases, Zero would cheat on Spike with his best friend, Snips. Zero would later regret only doing so once, as it has become his most powerful material for blackmailing Snips. Shortly after (still unaware) Spike would break up with Zero, describing him as 'clingy' and 'possessive'. The manner in which Spike breaks up with Zero would hurt him deeply, even if he had felt they were drifting. Zero had allowed someone the power to hurt him again, something he had sworn never to do again. Not long after, confident that he would be able to mend his relationship, Zero would soon find out that Spike had already slept with Thorn. (This was due to Thorn's excessive boasting.) Overwhelmed with grief, misery and frustration, Zero would cut ties with everyone involved with Spike's gang.

Zero would spend a great deal of time in isolation, allowing his resentment for Spike and the others to fester and twist. Eventually developing an intense hatred for Spike and Thorn in particular. While Snips would attempt to check on his friend, Zero had no intentions of speaking to him on friendly terms. For some time, Zero's only interaction with his former friends would be through excessive cyber-stalking. During this period, Zero would learn much about his would-be enemies.

Eventually, Zero would decide to form his own V-Punk gang. Initially, it would consist of himself, Domino, and Cobra. Though later on Zero would recruit Chance and Raze for his posse also. Domino is unique to Zero, in that he was not brought into his gang with intent to be manipulated. Zero would find comfort in Domino's support, and would even allow them to regulate his violent behavior. A sweet friendship would develop between the two, and they would often discuss leaving Virtue and escaping the toxic environment they had been raised in. Zero would also confide in Domino, who would be the only person apart from Snips or Spike to learn of his abusive up-bringing through Zero's lamentations. Zero and his gang would begin openly antagonizing Spike and his friends whenever the opportunity would present itself, sometimes resulting in physical violence.

Main Events:
The main story-line begins shortly after the disappearance of Domino. Zero takes this particularly poorly, as he relied on Domino for emotional support. Without Domino to regulate his violence, Zero's actions would worsen considerably. Desperate for someone to blame, Zero would accuse Spike and his companions of involvement in Domino's absence upon being questions by the CMF. In retaliation, Spike accuses Zero of attempting to frame him. While Zero is not certain if he truly suspects Spike's involvement, he knows him to be incredibly aggressive and impulsive. Soon, Zero would enter a relationship with Cobra. Zero would use this factor to manipulate Cobra further, eventually setting him on an unsuspecting Spike during his walk home. While Spike was hurt, Zero would taunt and humiliate him. Zero and his partner would flee before Spike could get his second wind. Following Spike's descent into more aggressive patterns, Zero would begin to suspect he may have been involved with Domino after all.

Ace:
Zero was never particularly close with Ace. Though he previously respected him for his motivation and intelligence, he now views him as an extension of Spike, and therefor regards him as an enemy. Zero will not miss an opportunity to hurt Ace if the moment arises, as he is aware of Ace's importance to his twin. Before Zero's leaving, the two would play computer games together from time to time. Ace disproved of Zero's methods of playing, as he would often try to find ways to exploit rules for an unfair advantage.

Domino:
After ceasing contact with his former associates, Zero would only remain on friendly terms with Domino. After Domino agreed to join Zero's gang, the two would become very close. Domino would provide the emotional support that Zero could find nowhere else, again prompting Zero to let his guard down. Domino would express discomfort whenever Zero would act on his malice. Though Zero would simply resort to doing so while Domino was absent, they would still lull his frustration at times. Eventually the two would begin discussing a potential escape from their lives in the city, to find a better time in the western world. Zero was apprehensive, but Domino's excitement would bolster his confidence. Before the two could ever put any of their plans into action however, Domino would vanish. Zero lost what little support remained in his life, which would push him to act on all of his violent urges. Despite his drive to torment his former companions, Zero spends a great deal of time searching for clues to Domino's whereabouts. Though it is unlikely, part of Zero suspects Domino may have abandoned him and left Virtue alone. Zero does not resent his friend for this decision however, as he never considered himself to be deserving of someone so kind in the first place.

Thorn:
Zero has never liked Thorn. Thorn was always particularly physical with Spike, even during Zero's relationship with him. This would lead Zero to distrust Thorn immensely, as it was no secret to the group that Thorn was developing an unhealthy obsession with Zero's partner at the time. Zero's feelings towards Thorn would worsen further due to Thorn's habit of gloating. Thorn would often demean Zero's physical appearance by making comparisons to his own, as a method of diverting Spike's attention from his partner. Upon confronting him, Thorn would deny any such intent. Zero however, would remain unconvinced of Thorn's lies. Eventually, Thorn would act on his own bitter jealousy by taunting Zero after sleeping with Spike, shortly after Zero's break-up. Because of this, Zero hates Thorn perhaps even more than he resents Spike. Even now Thorn finds ways to demean Zero, though more openly so now that they are considered enemies.


 * (SPOILER) Further into the story, Zero is caught off guard by Thorn, and harshly beaten. While Thorn tells the others this was done to get back at him for hurting Spike, Zero is told by Thorn that it was a reminder of his place beneath him. Thorn exclaims that Zero will never truly be adored as he is, which only furthers Zero's self-hatred. This should not be considered Canon, as this is only a potential occurrence in the story. Thusly, it is subject to change.

Spike:
Spike and Zero met early enough that Spike would become a figure of comfort and security in his life. Because of this, Zero would prioritize Spike's presence in his life above all else. Spike's aggression and irreverence was appealing to Zero, who had already started to become rather unhinged. When Spike began to distance himself from his partner and Zero would go on to cheat on him with Snips, Zero would feel immensely guilty for his action, regretting it immediately. Though Spike had felt deeply for Zero, he did not enjoy being coddled or feeling responsible for Zero's well-being. Spike attempted to diminish Zero's dependence on him by understating his importance to Spike when he decided to break up with him. This, of course, did not go as planned. When Spike was called callous and unfeeling by the likes of Zero and Snips, he became defensive. Instead of admitting why he had been cold, Spike proclaimed it was Zero's fault entirely. Coming from his beacon of support and comfort, this would deeply hurt Zero, intensely furthering his self-hatred and ultimately, setting the coming events in motion.


 * (SPOILER) Further into the story, having lost his new companions and discovering the fate of Domino, Zero attempts to kill Spike, his companions, and himself by setting their hideout on fire. Zero quickly loses control of the blaze however, and potentially, is consumed by the fire. This should NOT be considered Canon, as this is only a potential occurrence in the story. Thusly, it is subject to change.

Muppet:
Zero and Muppet were friends before he departed from their group. Prior to this, Zero refused to accept the guilt that he felt for sleeping with Muppet's partner at the time. This remorse would not last however, as of discovering Cobra's affection for Muppet. Remembering what Thorn had put him through previously, Zero would grow to hate Muppet as well, thinking him to be a considerably less-intelligent (and uglier) version of Thorn.


 * (SPOILER) Further into the story, Zero butchers Mittens (Muppet's cat), in an act of vengeance after he discovers Cobra's affection for him. This should not be considered Canon, as this is only a potential occurrence in the story. Thusly, it is subject to change.

Chance:
Zero met Chance in high-school, where Chance was the target of bullying by Spike and his companions. Chance was never confident enough to stick up to them. Zero pitied him to some extent, but moreover considered him to be pathetic for lacking the confidence to defend himself. When Zero began to put his gang together, he realized how easy it would be to manipulate chance into doing his bidding, given how vulnerable he had always been. Chance had developed an affection for Zero during their limited interactions, which Zero was acutely aware of. Chance acts on Zero's command to impress or be awarded with his affection. Zero however, constantly belittles and degrades Chance to keep him obedient.

Snips:
Zero and Snips share their taste in music, and possess a very similar sense of humor. They are both quite cynical, which lead to them both getting along quite well. Zero found it difficult to repress his physical attraction towards Snips, despite only feeling romantically for Spike. This resulted in the two cheating on Spike and Muppet respectively, which they would agree to never speak about. While Zero would think even less of himself for doing this, he would continue to speak to Snips in social situations. Zero would eventually bury his guilt, when he departed from his group. Zero would blame Snips for what became of his life with the others in part, though contact between them later would be rather amicable in comparison to his interactions with everyone else in his group.


 * (SPOILER) Zero later attempts to tempt Snips into betraying his friends to align with Zero and his companions. This should not be considered Canon, as this is only a potential occurrence in the story. Thusly, it is subject to change.

Cobra:
Zero's attraction towards Cobra is purely physical, though he pretends to be intimately affectionate for him to strengthen his grasp on Cobra as a pawn. Zero has not informed Cobra of the similarities in their upbringing, though he is aware of them. Zero appeals to Cobra's hyper-sensitive sense of masculinity and feeling of helplessness in order to puppet him in his campaign against his former associates. Praising Cobra for his actions to build his confidence, but consistently demeaning him to keep him from becoming stable enough to improve his mental health. Though Cobra suspects he is being used, the metaphorical high he attains through Zero's influence is too empowering to quit.


 * (SPOILER) Further into the story, Zero butchers Mittens (Muppet's cat), in an act of vengeance after he discovers Cobra's affection for him. This should not be considered Canon, as this is only a potential occurrence in the story. Thusly, it is subject to change.

Raze:
Much like Chance, Raze had been the subject of harsh ridicule during his time at school. However, where Chance had completed his education, Raze dropped out and disappeared from Public conscious. During his isolation, Zero learned of Raze's whereabouts and opened communications with him. Appealing to Raze's violent, impulsive nature to convince him to do as he instructed. Zero is aware of Raze's desire for appreciation or approval, which he uses to his advantage while manipulating him. Zero rewards Raze for obeying him with some of the only praise in his life, which cements him as Zero's henchman. Unlike Chance however, Raze is far more open to physical violence against Spike and his companions. Zero also appeals to Raze's obsession with Muppet.

Design and Development.
Akin to Thorn, Zero was originally conceived merely as a joke. His first depiction was part of this joke, though it would serve as a base for his design upon being fully realized as a character for Virtue. Soon after the re-introduction of Snips and Muppet, it was decided that Spike and his companions would need some manner of antagonist to face, apart from the typical tyrannical body of government. Recalling the satirical character of Zero and his team of comical goons The Devil Dodgers, Zero was given a proper character design and backstory. Zero's backstory would worsen for him as he was further developed as a concept, but he would retain his original situation as the obsessively petty ex-boyfriend of Spike, who he had met during Foster-care. Zero's sister was also conceived during his inception as a proper character, though she was initially clueless to his wickedness, as well as being generally supportive of Zero. This was changed due to the situation being too similar to Thorn, who's parents perceive him to be utterly benign, despite his mania being so very clear to everyone else.

Trivia.

 * Zero is visually inspired by Tak, a character featured in an episode of Invader Zim. The two are also both spiteful towards a main character which wronged them at some point before the main events of their story. Zero was also said to have a hint of a British accent, though this is no longer canon to his character. Previously, Zero's top featured a ?, in place of the 0 which is present on every design after. This is an homage to Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, another character created by Jhonen Vasquez.
 * Zero's previous alias has yet to be chosen, but his real name has always been Feliks. Previously however, it was spelled Felix.
 * Zero apparent narcissism is a product of his intense self-loathing.
 * Zero frequents anonymous message boards. He is not very well-liked there, either.
 * Zero's natural hair color is a mousy brown, which he has never liked.
 * Though the consumption of alcohol is very popular in V-punk culture, Zero abstains from drinking any . This is likely because of his trauma regarding his father.