[b][u]April 13th, 4:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The Astral Plane, Downtown Manhattan.[/u][/b]

Lord Death Man's body was deep in meditation in the Crime Castle of Coney Island. His mind, however, had wandered to a museum in Manhattan. Here, the greatest criminals of history were enshrined in a temple of thievery. Unseen, Death Man walked through the walls of the building. A number of security cameras. Alright, that was expected. These were valuable historical artifacts, even removed from the criminal context of their use. He needed to know where those were. And nobody could see him on the astral plane anyway. He set to work memorizing the layout of the museum, down to the guard patrols. The exhibits were tempting targets indeed, but even he'd have trouble even getting past all the cameras outside. However, as he stepped through the "under construction" bit of the museum, he discovered a much easier way into the museum. He spent hours poring over each and every detail of the grounds, before discovering the easy access to a 3-way intersection in front of the museum... and the manhole cover smack in the middle of it. That would make the escape child's play.

Immediately upon awakening, he put his efforts towards figuring out a few shipping schedules...


[b][u]June 3rd, 12:30 PM
The International Museum of Crime, Downtown Manhattan[/u][/b]

It was the opening ceremony for a new exhibit at the Museum of Crime, showcasing a number of items on loan from the Tokyo Museum of Crime. Zenigata Heiji's coins, the cauldron in which they boiled Goemon, and a camera left behind during a heist by Arsene Lupin were among the items on display alongside statues of the men in question. However, the tour group reached a rather large exhibit, backed by a portrait of a laughing man in a skull mask and matching black costume throwing his cape back with one hand and holding a massive jewel aloft on the roof of a train with the other. There was a book of Manga called "Kaitou Death Man," a number of elegantly written notices of intent, a series of replicas of the masks he wore throughout World War 2. In the center, a statue stood covered with a white sheet.

"...Many of James Moriarty's crimes, however, were completely fictional, created by Sir Author Conan Doyle while collecting Dr. Watson's stories of Sherlock Holmes to fill in certain gaps. We now come to a collection on loan from the Tokyo museum of crime, detailing the exploits of the eccentric 'super-criminal' known as Death Man. Complete with a recreation of his original costume."

The guide removed the sheet from the display, showing the man in the portrait in a jovial pose, cane raised high overhead. 

The high society types socially obligated to come to this sort of function looked around, some feigning interest, others looking at the exhibits in question with earnest curiosity. The reporters present were taking notes on the display.

"Death Man was a self-described phantom thief, who began operating in the 1910's. He would often rob museums and noble homes, but his most ambitious crime was breaking into the Imperial Treasury of Japan, where he stole a few hundred million yen in gold, jewels, and other valuables. In modern terms, that would be almost three billion dollars!"

A lady in a red dress gave a derisive laugh, obviously having already started the day-drinking. "Oh please... That costume is absolutely ridiculous! Doesn't he know Halloween is an American holiday?"

Ignoring her, the guide continued. "...We have on display the original notices of intent to burglarize. Death Man's MO often included a warning that he intended to rob a given facility. We are also displaying a list of the treasures confirmed stolen by Death Man. While working for the Imperial government as a special agent in World War 2, he was sent to the armory of Saint Petersburg, where he stole the plans for a new Russian tank... as well as one of the Faberge Eggs. Towards the tail end of the war, he stole the Amber Room being transported on a Nazi train bound for Berlin. Of course, even Japan was not safe from his criminal ambitions- it is confirmed that he stole the treasure of the Awa Maru, and believed by several prominent figures in Japanese law enforcement that he stole the Hanjo Masamune."

"Pfffft!"

One of the reporters pinched the bridge of his nose and glared at the woman in the red dress. "Miss Weatherby, I'd ask you to calm down and let the man speak."

"Awww, c'mon! He looks like a moron in that suit! How could a man dressed like [i]that[/i] sneak in anywhere? Let alone steal like... like... anything!"

At this moment, the statue moved, bringing the cane down on the back of the tour guide's head with a mighty whack... leading the gathered crowd to gasp in shock as he collapsed to the floor. Death Man locked eyes with the woman, pointing the cane at her.

[color=black][b]"Oh, far more easily than you'd think, my dear!"[/b][/color]

Death Man jumped down from the plinth, stretching. One of the security guards scrambled for his pistol as people began screaming.

[color=black][b]"In fact, I've been inside this museum for about a week! Along with my henchmen! BEHOLD, MY SKULL-MEN!"[/b][/color]

With that, the retreating crowd found their path blocked as the ceiling tiles shattered, dozens of men in similar skull masks and jet-black unitards popping out with a resounding cry of "YEEEEEEEEE!" and dropping directly in their path... and the remainder immediately set themselves upon the guards. As they struggled, one of the skull-men held out a bag.

[b][color=black]"Now! Please put your valuables- that is to say, wallets, purses, jewelry, you can keep your phones and your tacky clothes- in the bag!"[/color][/b]

As the minions collected the loot, Death Man looked over the display of his handwriting as he headed to a nervous reporter and looked straight into the video camera. This, of course, was his real reason for such an open crime.

[b][color=black]"Is... is this a live feed?"[/color][/b]

"N-No sir. I... Five o' clock news."

Death Man sighed and shrugged. [b][color=black]"Good enough, I suppose."[/color][/b]

With that, he pointed to the camera.

[b][color=black]"This is a message for everyone in the world. I have learned that, during my absence from the public eye, there has been very little sensational crime! Well, let the crooks of the world consider this a remedial lesson- and the headmaster is..."[/color][/b]

[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/313173201012391947/364850033826201621/Lord_Death_Man.png[/img]

[b][color=black]"Don't limit yourself to the conventional! Conventional crime is boring. It's overdone. I, Lord Death Man, the Mikado of Mayhem, the Shogun of Sorrow, urge the criminals of the world- with the advent of these bizarre heroes, it's time to step up your games!"[/color][/b]

Death Man then proceeded to throw his cape over his shoulder.
[b][color=black]"You rob a bank, knock over a gas station? You get a one-day blurb on page six at best! But if you steal a train... a battleship... vatican gold?! You're the headline! You want to make history?! Codenames! Costumes! Make your mark on history, and some day [i]you[/i] might have a museum exhibit too!"[/color][/b]

"Lord Death Man! We've got the goods."

The Skull-Man with the bag of jewelry, wallets, and purses, hands the sack over to Death Man, who opens it to the camera.

[b][color=black]"These are the spoils of the Super-Criminal! Remember that, as I begin my cross-country crime spree! Death Man... Out!"[/color][/b]

With that, he knocks the camera out of the cameraman's hands and heads for the front door, to a closed intersection where sewer work is currently being done... and jumps straight into the manhole, followed by the skull-men just as the police round the corner! Flashing sirens, gunshots, and shouting policemen were all Lord Death Man heard as he dropped onto the jetski between the tied-up sewer workers and gunned it, dashing south. All in all a clean getaway- his henchmen that remained in the museum, actually his mystically generated clones, would soak up bullets from the police. The fact the faceless minions would all be genetically identical was going to be a real mindfuck for some poor mortician. For now, though, LDM contented himself with the knowledge his message had been delivered. Now all that he needed to do... was wait.