Masked History
The two people led the way, where to I didn't know. When we came to a dark alley they stopped. The alley was the usual type of alley; a big green dumpster at the corner, piles of reeking black garbage bags along the red brick walls and old newspapers blowing in the wind. The man in the overcoat looked down the sidewalk in both directions, and then went down the alley. The kid followed.
They stopped outside a large steel door. The kid turned around and saw that I was still standing on the sidewalk. "Come on." He said. Slowly, cautiously, afraid of what would happen next, I walked into the alley and stood beside him.
The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small round object. He placed this item into the place where the doorknob should be. He pulled his hand away and I saw the item was half black and half orange. The small red lights around the edge of it blinked for a few seconds and then the door opened.
We stepped inside, I more cautious than ever. Once inside, the man turned on a light and removed his coat and hat. He was wearing a black jumpsuit with metal plates on his arms legs and shoulders, a utility belt around his waist, and a strap across his chest. He also had on a helmet-like mask with two eyeholes that was also half black on the right, half orange on the left.
The kid wore almost the exact same outfit except no mask and the top of his jumpsuit was half orange on the left half black on the right. "What are you people in some kind of cult?" I said.
The man in the mask turned around to look at me, his cold eyes starring through the mask. "My apprentice will explain. Shaun." The kid stepped forward.
"Come with me." He said. He then led me into a separate room. In this room, a kind of pine green mural hung on the wall with a glass display case beneath it. I saw three yellow rings in the display case and each ring had red symbols around the band. "This is the Masked history."
"Masked history?" I asked.
"Yes. The Masked is an ancient secret society." He said. "It began 3000 years ago by a man named Azar. You see, along with the Masked there is also the Scath." He continued.
3000 years ago, the Scath worshiped an evil demon named Trigon. Their master ordered them to bring Trigon into this world. In order to do this, they needed the Gem.
The Gem is the son or daughter of Trigon. The Gem is a part of Trigon's evil and therefore gets some of his power. When they come of age, the Gem must use their power to turn themselves into a portal that Trigon can escape through and come to this world.
Before this event could come to pass, a man named Azar feared for the world and created three powerful rings. They were the Rings of Azar. The first was the ring of defense; it could protect you from Trigons dark powers. The second was the ring of banishment; it would force Trigon back into the fire dimension from whence he came. The third was the ring of purification; it could purify the world of Trigons evil and make Earth the way it was before.
The Scath forced the Gem to chant the prophecy and become the portal; the Earth was destroyed. When the Earth was destroyed, the skies turned red, the seas turned to lava, and all the land was little more than charcoal. All the people in the world were turned into nothing but statures. But Azar escaped this fate since he was wore the ring of defense. While protected by the ring of defense, Azar used the other two rings to force Trigon back and purify the Earth all the.
Once The Earth was restored, no one knew what had happened except the Scath and Azar. Convinced that the Scath would try again to bring Trigon back, Azar started up the organization known as the Masked. He made sure the Masked was kept secret. He recruited martial arts masters, experts in machinery and explosives, as well as deception and stealth experts. Making sure that the Masked would be ready to fight the Scath whenever need be.
Since none of the people Azar got could learn all of the techniques, he began recruiting young people to learn every technique. These 'kids' followed under the command of several trainers, but when it came time for them to take apprentices they had enough knowledge that it only took one master to train each new apprentice. And so it went on for 3000 years. Whenever a new form of combat arose, the Masked would learn it. A new explosive, they got it. New machines, they made them.
"The Masked have kept mankind safe for thousands of years, even though the rest of humanity has no idea that the Masked even exist." The kid finished.
"So, Shaun. It is Shaun, right?" I said. "What am I here for?"
"You have been chosen to become my next apprentice." The man said. "Shaun here is ready to graduate from apprentice to warrior. The Masked council must choose a new apprentice to follow in the footsteps left by Azar. And, Slade, you have been chosen. Congratulations."
"What do you mean, I've been chosen? To join this cult?" I asked.
"To be a part of something important. You are an excellent fighter, Slade. Never has anyone as young as you been able to present such a challenge to me in a fight."
"Do I have to make a decision now?" I asked.
"You have one day to comply. If you choose to become a Masked you must leave everything from your old life behind." The man said. I believe he was a master. "You can take no items of your old life with you, and no one will know who or where you are."
"That's a big commitment." I said.
"You have until this time tomorrow to make your choose. You may go home now." Shaun said. With that, they showed me out and I made my way home.