In a secret base in New York, four figures stood outside a pitch-black pool, their expressions respectful.
On the opposite wall of the pool, a red mask stared at them, faintly emitting a sinister dark power.
This red mask was the incarnation of the consciousness of a dark force named Tara, the supreme leader of the Shadow Corps, a mysterious strongman from the dark dimension.
The four people standing on the other side were the other four "fingers" of the Hand, named Alexander Delara, the Gambler, Zowan Da, and Murakami. Along with Madame Gao, they were known as the five fingers of the Hand, the five leaders.
These five leaders developed their respective Hand forces in five different regions around the globe. Under the power bestowed by Tara, they each managed to grow their domains significantly.
However, these five leaders of the Hand did not often contact each other, which is why Madame Gao's death remained unnoticed for so long.
After all, Madame Gao left no corpse behind, making it difficult to convey even the chill of her demise.
Moreover, these five leaders were elusive, so Madame Gao's disappearance raised no suspicion among her subordinates.
If not for Tara's consciousness descending this time and discovering Madame Gao's tragic fate, the Hand's others might have remained unaware of her death for even longer.
At this moment, Tara was demonstrating his divine power to his followers. In the pitch-black pool, the water churned continuously, with waves of dark power emerging as a figure slowly formed from the water.
Upon seeing this figure, Alexander Delara and the others' respectful gazes turned fervent, knowing such resurrection-like power could revive them in times of disaster, granting them the power of immortality.
With a hum, Madame Gao's figure fully materialized, dressed in black, standing up from the pool, her gaze fixed on Alexander Delara and the others.
"Welcome back, Madame Gao." Alexander Delara and the others nodded to Madame Gao, greeting her with a smile.
"Master has been troubled, it's the subordinate's incompetence!" Madame Gao nodded, turned around, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Tara's mask, her voice filled with guilt.
"What happened? How did you die?" Tara's voice was calm, asking lightly.
"A mysterious strongman stole the Shadow Corps' power. I don't know if it was the mask or something else. I was investigating and died at his hands," Madame Gao said with a hint of reluctance.
"In that case, continue your investigation. This is the task I assign to you five. You must retrieve those masks, no matter where they are!" Tara's gaze fell on Alexander Delara and the others, speaking in a deep voice.
"We will fulfill Master's task, through fire and water, unhesitatingly!" Alexander Delara and the others immediately knelt, responding respectfully.
"Good, you may leave now. I have some words for Madame Gao..." Tara spoke softly and closed his eyes. Alexander Delara and the others exchanged glances and left the chamber obediently.
Creating this body took considerable power from Tara, but fortunately, it allowed him to have a body to walk the earth. Tara, or rather Madame Gao, nodded in satisfaction and left the room, issuing her commands.
Subsequently, numerous members of the Shadow Corps and the Hand began scouring the globe for the masks.
Meanwhile, in a city engulfed in dark aura, specifically in the outskirts where the dark aura was thickest, within Arkham Asylum mentioned by Clark to Robert.
A man in a vintage suit, with a gentle face and a friendly smile, played with a blue mask that could speak!
"Wear me! With me, you can control the Shadow Corps' power, leave this place, regain your freedom..." As the demonic blue mask spoke, the man took out a cigar from nowhere and stuffed it into the mask's mouth.
"Don't talk nonsense. This place is so fun, full of interesting patients, each a talent in their own right, with pleasing words. I love it here! Why would I leave?" The man looked tenderly at the blue mask, twirling the cigar in his hand, chuckling.
"The only regret is that the guy with the same mental illness as me, who likes to dress in black and imitate a bat at night, hasn't come here. It would be even more interesting... Do you have the power to bring him here?"
"I... Mmm! Mmmmm! Yes!" The blue mask, agitated by the cigar, couldn't complete a sentence, trembling as it struggled to escape the man's grasp.
"You're quite interesting... Hmm, let's try it then!" The man looked at the struggling blue mask, his gentle smile revealing a hint of madness, removed the cigar, and then placed the mask on his face.
"Yes! That's right! Wear me, and you will have great power! This is the power of General Ika!" The excited and manic voice of General Ika, the blue mask, echoed through the room.
"Unfortunately, your body will belong to me! As wearing the mask releases the evil within, obliterating your kindness and conscience, I will consume your mind, extinguish your humanity, turning you into a cold, evil demon! What? What's happening? So terrifying... No! What did you do? Stop! No..."
"How interesting, such an intriguing little guy. Unfortunately, it seems I never had kindness or conscience to begin with! Is this the power of darkness? Such a rich and sweet force, increasing my power so much? I can feel my body's strength multiplied compared to before!" The man's smile widened, replacing General Ika's voice with his own, gently yet sickly speaking.
"So, the stronger the inner evil thoughts, the more powerful one becomes after becoming a demon? Hehe, is my heart that evil? Suddenly, I really want to see his heart, to see if it's as evil..."
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