Recap

It’s been a month and a half now since I put on the mask and created this second life for myself. My girlfriend Jazmin wants to leave me cause I don’t seem to have any time for her lately and on top of that, the streets are still a mess. I’ve made moves against the street gangs, psychopaths and crime organizations that claim to own the night. But yet more crack houses and freaks pop-up in the hoods across Philly. The crime and political corruption that has taken the city under makes me wonder if any of what I’m out trying to do for the city at night will matter for anything at all. For a straight month I prowled the city beating up on the scum of the underworld for info that would lead me to Alex Smalls, the city’s crime lord who rose from low-level drug dealer to the city’s King Pin of crime. I followed Alex across Philly to all his major drug spots and drop off spots and seen that Alex has his hands in everything from the Philadelphia police force to the people making the major decisions in City Hall. It’s the people like Alex that keep me coming out at night and realizing that my actions against chaos is all the city’s citizens have for a sense of hope in the streets. But the moves I’ve made to get towards Alex have gotten me nowhere. Alex has ties with everyone in Philly and nobody wants to be the rat that snitched out Alex to the freak in the mask. So I see, to take this man down I must look beyond my own lust for action and seek a little help. The city is beginning to rot away and the only people able to do anything about it are on Alex’s payroll. MARCH 22ND, 2005. It was the 22nd of the month; I was taking a long shot this night heading towards the office of Lieutenant Roderick Henderson. I had gotten the chance to catch the news the other day and watched a special on the Lieutenant, and how he gives back to the community- it was amazing how this cop was walking the hoods of Philly and got mad love from everyone. It showed me that there was at least one good cop left in the city. Every hood spoke highly of the man, people believed in him because of how he would go out of his way to make sure they are as safe as they can be in Philadelphia. This was the man I needed to aid me in bringing down Alex and his crime empire. Watching that special on Lieutenant Roderick Henderson I could see that he was honored and dedicated to not just his work but helping others as well.

The Sewers.

The sewers, it’s a filthy beast with many faces. A cold and stranded section of the city that is filled with nothing but rot and insects scattering all over the place because of my being in their home. I could only imagine what other creatures of the night besides I was lurking beneath the streets, and I didn’t have time to search each dark corner to find out. One could get lost underground, it’s dark and moldy sections could lead a person anywhere or into anything. But it’s one of the quickest ways in or out of the city, and that’s only if you know the inns and out of the dark and gray tunnels that lead all over an under Philly and into different cities. Bridgeport was where I was heading, a city I knew little about and was being taken over by a mad man that blew away the city’s main bridges along with what looked like half the city within a blink of an eye. Along the way got a text from an associate of mine who calls himself, “The Stalker. A while back I chased a lead from some low life worker of Alex Smalls to Central city. The lead was supposed to be on a drop that our local crime lord Alex was having, but instead was nothin. The location was a dud, an abandon park, back then I was young and weak. I would take any piece of information as valid and run with it. But if I didn’t follow that bad tail I would have never stumbled on to Stalker’s field where he and I had a chance to dance with one another. He’s a good fighter with nice weaponry, and once I could tell him that and of my actions back in Philly during the fight, I convinced him to help me create the Disk Blades that I use in my own war before I fled his city and back to mine. I also remember him telling me of a group he once thought of putting together. A bunch of guys he knew of from different cities who were making the same moves in their city as I was in mine. Or at least trying to, teaming up was the last thing on my mind and still is. The night vision within my mask made it easy to notice the scratch marks and dried up blood that stained the walls, about a mile or two in and bones that looked like they had been chewed on started to made a trail into a big crack in the wall. As much as I would love to have been able to go down and take a peek around, I had more pressing issues. Then a very slow and dry growl came from inside the crack in the wall, the growl got closer and much stronger as I stepped back. What was left of then brick wall began to crumble as something was breaking through, it was big and tearing apart the brick wall like paper. It had been a while since I felt fear, but I couldn’t walk away, not with this coming at me. There was dust and dirt everywhere, in front of me was a giant beast with half a tire on its face as a mask. His skin was grey or it could have just been the filth that covers his body, then out of nowhere the sound of a chains snapping filled the air just before a man whole cover was thrown at me. It was way to slow and sloppy to hit a target like me, but the power behind it was massive, I was on the clock and didn’t want to waste time with this. Had to use the smoke from all the dust to hide within and get up close to him and gain contact. Some hits landed harder than others, but it was a disk blade across the face that sealed the deal. Its scream echoed the halls of the sewer as it backed off leaving me curious and angry at what’s been living under my streets. I can only hope nothing involving him happens while I’m away, a lose inn that I will tighten up once I get back.

The Demon

The come back is never easy… When you step away from what you call your craft, or take a brake from a job, then try to throw yourself back into it like you never left, time has a way of showing you there’s some catching up to do. The streets have been on fire since I dropped out of sight a few months ago, had a couple bad fallouts within that time off that derailed a lot of my plans for both my well being and that of the city’s. But I’m back now, I had to come back. I’ve broken down doors and crashed through windows on a nightly base, and still I find myself afraid of what may happen to me or someone when I lose control. It’s why I had to take the time off; this rage inside that comes over me is something I’m trying desperately to control. There are moments I can feel my life slippin away and the beast inside has taken full control. To find out there is a total stranger living inside that embraces the rush from gun fire and is a junky to the action that comes behind it is scary to me. Lusting over the feeling that takes over when I take flight across the city’s skyline and rain down on any and everyone that catches my eye disrespecting the streets. How can I feel so welcome to these feelings when taken over by them? I’ll be the first to say I’m more then confused; I really had no good reason for leaving. I can’t even call it droppin the ball, more like turning my back on the game. A game I started, in the beginning there were just the gangs and crime lords that ran the nightly news that I had to deal with. But since I first put on the mask, it’s felt like it’s been drawing more problems and higher threats to the city. And if that’s so what have I done to the city I clime to protect, are my action causing more harm then good? These questions I ask myself are what keep me confused at times and a major part of why I stepped down. Even after comin across others like myself who cover their faces and fight to save whatever’s left of there town and seeing what good this could do. It’s the demon inside me that keeps findin its way out. The broken eye socket and dislodged sternum I left a victim with that haunts me, overkill. And the pressure is on me now to clean up the mess I’ve left the city in, even if I am the magnet that keeps attracting the chaos. I’ll just haft to learn to live with that and forgive myself later, fact is deep down I know part of this is due to my actions. You can’t have the light without the dark and I try to stay between the two until the streets are civilized enough for me to step down without regret. Till that day, I’m here and accepting that truth. This is my destiny my faith, I am this figure I’ve managed to hide from myself for so long. A figure of the night fighting for and with those who represent the light, the battle within is mine to bare and no one else’s, and before I lose total control of this rage I haft to seek help. And it’s only one man that could do that, the great Master Kenshi. The man who first saw in me what I’m now finding, but it’s also that fact that has me doubting his willingness to help. I would still be a member of the clan if I didn’t get myself kicked out after losing my cool again in a fight amounts another member. The great master saw the fight and quickly dismissed me soon after. I’ll never forget the words he spoke to me, “forget now all I have taught you. The rage and pain in your heart will some day destroy you.” Then he sent me on my way, I remember packing as he stood over me explaining if I wanted to overcome such a cancer I would haft to find myself. I guess I’m still working on that, It would be a long shot going back to him asking for help. Seeing what I’ve become, exposing him to this dark figure might not have a good outcome. If all goes south with the Master, and he doesn’t take a liking to what I’ve used his teachings for, It’s all out war against him and “The Can of Hope.” A war I cant win and don’t want, one would haft to defeat thirty or so soldiers all highly skilled in the art the master taught me, “Jeet kune do.” Not to mention there’s probably twice as many followers now then there was back when I was taken under the master’s wing. I was his best student at the time, surpassing everyone in rank. But in the end none of that mattered, he looked right through that and saw the demon inside before even I could.

Black Hart

What happened to the Hero’s? There are so few of us left, those willing to stand against injustice and fight for what they consider good. These days’ people have given up on the possibility of such a thing, given up on thought of someone willing to fight for those who are haunted by the streets of Philly and has become it’s pray. Nothing looks the same when putting on the mask, I’m able to see the night as clear as day, things that use to hide in the shadows have nowhere to hide. But it’s not easy to live in the darkness; I’m trying to balance myself between the light and the darkness that has adopted me. I will always stand for the side of the light, but darkness is my ally, my weapon, my gift and a curse that still finds a way to consume me. Two nights ago I lost myself in a battle against three members from The “Red Brick syndicate.” The damage that was done to these men was beside myself, I could feel myself letting go from control and allowing that feeling take over, that feeling of freedom. When the great man that taught me what I know and use against the streets discharge me from his clan, he may have been right to do so. There’s something inside me that he saw from the beginning, something evil, a blood lust that builds inside me as time goes on. I could turn my back on the streets right now and go back to the life everyone thinks I live, but then what? What happens to those that need this alter ego that I’ve created, what happens to me? This is my life now, I love the streets. And deep down I know a part of me loves the chaos that fills them, it’s this chaos that allows me to lose myself on those I catch in the act of creating the pain that is destroying the city. It’s the chaos that has created me and given me purpose. That purpose is to protect the weak, to be something they can stand behind and not feel alone in the dark. Not a killer or what I feel myself becoming. It’s the feeling that takes over that worry’s me; the want to lose control that haunts me. I’m scared I may kill someone in battle and destroy everything I’m trying to stand for; I stand and fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. But if I’m losing grip of myself, then I’m in trouble. I’ve already lost sight on Aaron’s life years ago. Stop workin and dealing with the everyday functions around the same time, I only see my mom and pop every now then. After telling them bout my actions, it didn’t sit well with them and I felt them pull back some. I still look over them each night and drop in whenever I can, they are my only link to what my life once was. I don’t regret walkin in these shoes; I guess its confusion and doubt that’s brought me to this point. Confused of what I’m becoming and worried that I won’t be able to stop myself from giving in to the blood lust that comes over me.

The Hearts of Men, Part 1

In it’s past Philadelphia has had it’s fare share of gangsters, drug lords and wanna be kingpins, but none of there names hold any weight or meaning when mentioning “ Alex smalls. The city’s current crime lord and most feared through out the streets. But before all that Alex was a kid fist who grew up in the streets of philly just like most of those who shared his life style, mother and father were both dope feens and died when he was at the age of six from drug over dose. Leaving a young Alex to live with some family members and attended school where he became great at math and reading, but their was also a side of Alex that loved the streets. At thirteen Alex started to hustle and it was on from there. Within time the family that took him in found out then placed him in foster care. From then on it was the streets and just trying to survive. And being moved from one shelter to the other didn’t make things easy, constantly being tested by the locals forced Alex to learn how to fight in the streets. After some years flew by he began to enjoy the fight, His name started to brake through the streets as a major tough guy at eighteen and was also the time he introduced himself to the underground street fighting scene. Alex always made money from drugs, but the money that cane in from street fighting was major, enough to get him off the streets. In his first fight all bets were against him and on a fighter calling himself The Butcher man”. It was tough for a novice Alex, his opponent was twice his size and had won a couple fights prior; this fight was something for Alex to sink his teeth into. And he did just that, from the start of the fight it was noticeable that the veteran was controlling the fight and blows was doing some damage. But Alex had more heart then many men; he was solid and heavy handed in both hands. Alex was quick with studying his opponent’s styles and being able to take damage, its how Alex took his first match; studying the man then taking him apart with devastating hits to his body before the guy folded. It brought him in a tone of money and a friend, The Butcher man. It was also the start of his strong hold on the fight scene. It also made him that much thirsty for more. Their were some heavy names that lost money that night, and after seeing the fight most wanted to take Alex in as there fighter, Throwing women money and the guarantee of power in the streets at him. But Alex knew all of this could be obtained on his own in time, and tuned his back to everything but the women. At the time any and everyone who was any body in the city attended the underground fights, besides the battles it was a place to connect with or destroy an apposing click. But for the most part it held the fights and that’s what Alex was there for, the fights and money. By his tenth fight Alex had gone undefeated and built his body up to be a tower of muscle. Even still not being very tall standing in at five eleven, Alex would still manage to come out as the little man in the fight. Having to go up against men with a hundred pound weight advantage in just about every fight, but it made no difference to Alex, beating his way through each of them. You see not just anyone can step into what they called the concrete circle and go bear knuckle for six rounds with the cities toughest, you haft to be more then just a tough guy. More then just a fighter, one must be a gladiator, a warrior willing to fight till the death. And that’s just what Alex became. By the age of twenty something he had been crowned street fighting’s most dangerous. Taking out the baddest fighters from the citys most powerful crime syndicates at the time, the Mobsters and the Latins in The Bad Lands. Back then not many gangs ruled the streets, and before Alex took over the city the Mobsters and Latin’s ruled supreme in Philadelphia. Fast forward five years and Alex is now champion and still undefeated, beating not just warriors from within the city but from outside as well. Now his lust for power has grown beyond the fight scene, now Alex wants the streets. And after a wile Alex grew tired of the fighting, the number of fighters available to give the champion a worthy battle was dwindling and the fight scene was starting to become to main stream for Alex. Creating a name for himself as the best brought a lot of media and to much exposure to the internet, people began recording the matches and posting them on the web for the world to see, not good for someone like Alex who tries to stay out of the spot light as much as possible. At this point fighting wasn’t about the money to him, it was for the love of the fight and it wasn’t any fight left in the circle. And abruptly Alex just step out of the fight scene without warning.

Ain't no Love in the city.

Her smile… It pop’s in and out my head. With a laugh that follows. It haunts me, it's like the world has played the biggest trick on me and everyone is in on it. It’s been months now since me and my girl broke up, and I torture myself each night by putting her house in my nightly routs. And allowing the thoughts of her starting a family with someone else cloud my missions, a storm had just passed through the city but there was still one in my chest. It was a muggy night out on the town as I watched over her from beneath the night time shadows, I want to tell her so bad bout what I do and hope she will come back, but I can’t. I can’t have her killing herself over my actions at night, so I took that thought and ran with it. There was a lot of chaos out on the town this night and I tried using it as a means of distraction from my own problems, but it didn’t work. Every car I chased down or street gang I had to battle meant nothin to me on this night, and I was cold an hard on whoever I had to step to. The more I wanted to return to her house the more I looked for trouble, most night I tried or would hope to run into shit. This night I was throwing myself into the shit, knocking on the doors to the city most ruthless gangs and bringing my pain to them. Along the way I came up on “The Hell Ryder’s” a local squad who set up shop in north philly and runs heavy through the streets. They had a spot just under the “El stop on Frankford ave. I had no reason to be stopping by other then my own need for a little chaos. I came crashing through the second floor window recklessly, without any care for what might had been on other side. But none of the men had expected someone poppin in and startin shit wit them. Shock and puzzlement grasped the room wile the “Haze was blazed and room smoked out. Eight heads popped up, two ran for the door leading to the downstairs and the others broke apart like exploding atoms heading for there weapon of choice or just trying to get out of dodge, the usual shit. I unhealed the smoke in the air deeply then zoned out. Two Disk Blades to the back of the head goes to those running for the door preventing them from escaping hells kitchen. The room was tight and I had just enough space to move around the remaining six foot soldiers like the smoke that filled the air. Shots were fired just as I killed the lights and took out the gun man at the same time. A little bit of light that came in from the street pole just outside gave the room just enough shine for me to see my hand sending another ones head into a wall, skull crusher. I was losing control and it felt good, I wasn’t thinking about her and I was taking out the trash at the same time. Final four wasn’t armed with much, a bat another had a knife and the last two just there mitts. Remember hearing footsteps and yelling coming from the outside crowd of what must was the remaining “Hell Ryder’s rushing to home base. I got back on the clock and took the others out one by one plus two with some fine leg work to their dome. By this time the outside crew had made there way inside and was callin out to their fallin soldiers wile checkin for them, no need to play this any way but how I’ve been for the night, reckless. Pull the “Bo Staff out just before busting through room door to finish what I had started with the rest of the crew. As I was heading into the door to knock it down, a strange vibrating sensation hit my leg, I knew it was the cell goin off and at four in the morning it had to be only one person or at least I was hoping it was. Much to my delight it was a text from her sayin she loves me, it through me off my square totally and saved the rest of the crew member from a months worth of pain that would have been placed on them. Left the eight bodies for the others to find, along wit the mystery as to who took out a couple of their foot soliders to keep them up and startled for the rest of the night. I had gotten the exit cue I was lookin for and was done playing for the night, be back tomorrow to finish off the loose ends I left.

The Predator.

JANUARY 25, 10:25pm. Like an acrobat I hurl myself right back into fire… And after only taking a night off it felt like a week… Fish town was jumping where my assault began, and a few extra bucks i had stacked away stepped up the weapon supplies that were gratefully being used. With my targets marked and locations exposed the take down was heavily in affect as screams and gun fire took over what was one of Alex smalls gambling and strip scene. Packs of women and men tried escaping the chaos that I brought to the event as I moved fast and aimed high at anyone that came at me as a threat. Must of been twenty or thirty men armed with rifles, hand guns and whatever else that could be used against me. My plans were simple, go to the areas on the map I found a couple days ago and see what’s going on with the six locations. But before I could start on that mission this place had to be shut down, a tip from some Dope fend earlier told me this was one of Alex’s major money making spots bring in thousands if not millions each week. I was finishing up a round of Alex’s guards and personal workers before taking off and leaven the fallen and some of the night’s earnings for the lieutenant to pick up. -11:38pm The next destination wasn't to far from the night spot, and after studying those maps and blue prints found for each location, getting to them would only be a matter of time. But as we know, time has a way of getting away from one when there haven fun, which is why I couldn't follow each sound of gun fire or police sirens that chased me along the way to the next spot.