Four muggings - Four hospitalizations. Two robberies, three attempted murders, and twenty-eight drug deals - forty-two incarcerations. One attempted rape...

One massive jaw reconstruction. 

[i]Typical week in Empire City.[/i]

For every crime stopped in this city, it felt like there were three more in progress. While Carter never felt at a loss for something to do, it seemed as if he was less of a barrier, and naught but a boulder in the river, adjusting the tide, but only temporarily. He needed to fix the hole in the dam.

There was only one name that consistently sprung up throughout the past few months, all over the Lower West Side. - Tony Gambetti.

Honestly, Carter hadn't a clue who the man was personally, but he knew the name was important. Gambetti was the new don of the Castelvetrano family, who themselves were looking to become the unseen hands of Empire City, flipping the switches in the dark, and making sure that everything was flowing smoothly.

Anyone with half-a-brain knew that the mayor, hell, even the entire Empire City Council - They were nothing but figureheads. Puppets. Public faces for the city's true governors.

[i]Tony Gambetti, Empire City's newest political marionette.[/i]

Ever since the "disappearance" of his predecessor a couple years back, Gambetti had really tightened his grip, especially on the Lower West.

This made perfect fiscal sense, of course - With the reins of the shipping harbor strictly in his control, the family would control not only the majority of Empire imports and exports, he'd also have straight access to the surrounding states, and access meant more shipments, more shipments meant more control, and more control meant more money.

It was clear, at least to Carter, that anything that may, at the least, slow Gambetti down... That was a good thing. But he had to make sure that it wouldn't severely cripple the surrounding industries as he went about it. That meant that high explosives were out of the question.

While the Castelvetranos had fingers in just about everything, their staple export was the supply and distribution of cocaine, among other substances. Carter had been monitoring Dock 160 throughout this month, one of his perps having tipped him off that there may be something worth looking into there, in exchange for Carter not punching the fellow's teeth down his throat.

[i]I'll have to remember to send that punk a thank you card.[/i]

Carter had climbed his way onto one of the containier cranes, watching the dock from above. It was surprising to him how arrogant the mob could be, that they didn't seem to ever look up through their series of skylight windows.

[i]When you already think you're invincible, it's then that the cracks in your armor start to appear.[/i]

In the past year, he'd been able to be nothing but a random nuisance, a thorn in the sides of criminals throughout the West End, but not focused on any one group in particular.

Last year, they'd started calling him "The Walking Riot" - The name still made him chuckle, but it seemed to fit. If the criminals were the ones in charge, then it was clear enough to Carter.

A Riot was exactly what was needed.

It was nearing late afternoon, but Carter hadn't yet seen anything worth pursuing. Sure, he could leap down and bust a bunch of minor distributors, but that would only alert the Castelvetranos that he was targeting them specifically.

Instead, he needed one of the lieutenants. He needed someone that he could really get some genuine information out of, instead of relying on just heresay and second-guessing. Carter just kept an eye out as the sun continued to dip lower over the horizon.

[i]Night's coming, I've got to get out of here to go help the kids play nice.[/i]

And then, he saw something new.

Garbed in black, brown and gray, a masked figure made its way towards the Dock 160 warehouse. Carter focused his binoculors, and watched this person - A woman, stealthily sneaking to the back door, before cracking open the lock and slipping inside. She made short work of the distributors inside, knocking them out with what looked like little but a baton and a taser.

[i]Now that's impressive.[/i]

With her opponents down, she deliberately wandered towards one of the stacks, and picked up several syringes. She turned away, and Carter couldn't get a look at what she was doing, until she turned back, a syringe in each hand, a thumb on each plunger.

[i]Aw, damn it. She's going to kill them.[/i]

Checking his grapple line, Carter unclipped a heavy red smoke grenade from his belt, along with a flashbang. After one more pull, he tapped the side of his full-mask helmet to check the seal, pulled the pins, and tossed the two grenades down, directly through the skylight, landing them at the woman's feet.

As the two explosions sent smoke, light, and concussion through the warehouse, Carter leaped, gripping his grappel cord and sliding towards the roof. His boots shattered glass, and he landed on his feet, his shield impacting concrete directly in front of him, facing towards the woman in the mask.

"Now, now. I think there's plenty enough killing without your help, don't you?"