After The Storm: Death Masks

Originally posted on the IC thread, page 49 post 490

Storm Witch: “First off, about LaGuardia airport. It is not just Death Masks who use it. Many underworld groups in Queens use LaGuardia as a place to receive shipments, have meetings, conduct deals or settle differences. The cops won’t bother to come there unless whatever is happening spills over into neighboring areas. Even if shots are fired, they just figure that it is criminals killing each other and they are fine with that. They just send someone to pick up the corpses next morning.”

“On to Death Masks. I know that Jade Mask did not found the group, he just took them over. The original leader is the one called Long Knife. He has a real name too, John something. Back then they were just called Masks. Many similar groups popped up after Hillman took over the police. These days, if you are white and at least middle class, you might call the police when shit goes down. Otherwise, don’t bother. So many areas have neighborhood watches and such. But most of them keep a low profile. Only look after their own street and keep their heads down when the cops come by. Even if Hillman’s thugs do not do their job, he does not like anyone else doing it either. But Long Knife has a serious hate-on towards the cops, and he gathered a group of people with similar attitude. They actually fought against the cops when they came to their turf. Setting ambushes, firebombing their armored cars and such. Things got to the point where the cops wouldn’t go to the Masks territory except in really big groups, but Masks stayed in their own area so it was more like trench warfare than open conflict. But then Jade Mask arrived.”

“I have no idea who Jade Mask is, except that he looks and acts like a posh S.O.B. It wasn’t a violent takeover. He and Long Knife talked and Long Knife passed the crown to him, staying on as the number two man. I am not sure what he got in return, but I guess it was resources. Jade Mask seems to be loaded. After that, they changed the name and upped the recruitment. Masks were no angels, but they got worse when they turned into Death Masks. These are not kids with guns and attitude. They are seriously nasty people who won’t hesitate to kill.”

“They have become more dangerous in other ways too. They started stockpiling weapons and hitting the cops outside their territories. They also went public with it, with YouTube videos, leaflets and stuff. I think they are trying to provoke the cops into attacking them. I know they are ready for that. I have seen them preparing ambush spots and training deployment. Also, they have some serious weapons. Machine guns, mines, bazookas, the works. And Jade Mask with his lizard. I saw how they captured one of those APCs from the cops. Jade Mask did. He turned into this glowing ripple, like his body just vanished, and walked through the hull of the armored car like it wasn’t there. There were screams and gunshots. Then it got quiet. And when Jade Mask opened the door, not even his suit was smudged. And the cops were gone. Literally gone. No blood, no bodies, nothing. Like they never even existed. Seriously scary fucker.”

“As if Jade Mask wasn’t bad enough, that lizard of his, Basilisk, is never far from him. Not sure if it is a boy lizard or girl lizard or where he got it, but it can paralyze a person with just a look. And rumor is that no one has survived its bite. If Basilisk nibbles someone, someone dies blackened and twitching. Must be some serious poison. But it is the gaze that scares me. I am not sure if Jade Mask can attack at range. Maybe he can, but he does not need to if Basilisk paralyzes his victims for him. I have been making hit and run attacks on Death Masks for a while now, and spying on them for even longer, but I make sure never to get within spotting distance of Jade Mask and Basilisk.”

“As for why I have been messing with their shit, I started it after they started provoking the cops. Because Hillman may be a pile of shit, but he is a smart pile of shit. He knows he is being provoked, and hasn’t fallen for it. But he cannot afford to be seen doing nothing, so when Death Masks hit his people, he retaliates against someone else, like the neighborhood watches. Or just by rounding up some homeless people. So Death Masks and cops have a turf war going on, and innocent people get hurt. When that started happening, I started being a pest to both of them, Death Masks and cops. Wrecking their stuff, roughing up their people, or whatever comes to mind. The way I see it, every moment they spend looking for me or having to watch their own backyards is a moment when they are not being a hassle to innocent people who are just trying to get by. But I am little more than a speed bump. I may play weather like a piano, but I am still just one girl between Nazi police and urban terrorists.”