Arc One: The Maywood War Los Angeles has been greatly affected by the rise of metahumans, being considered one of the Cape Capitals of the world. In some parts of the city, the way of life has gotten better. Businesses have boomed for those able to employ these gifted individuals, and this boom has brought wealth to some neighborhoods. Others, already wealthy, have only grown more luxurious and exclusive. The Hollywood and Beverly Hills have all but become a gated community, filled with the rich and guarded by privately contracted defense companies. Life is good if you happened to jump onto the economic boom that is the super phenomenon.
However, in other places, life has not improved. In fact, it has gone down hill far faster than any could have thought possible. From Compton to Huntington Park, gang violence between the Bloods and Crips has exploded. The rate of violence spilling onto the streets has only grown, and not even the esteemed Magi deemed it worth saving. The potential losses were too great, the chances of it falling right back into corruption too large. Rather than waste valuable time and resources on the open gang warfare, efforts were made to contain the violence. Policing efforts redoubled around the known gang territories, while The Magi took to the streets, trying to talk to known or potential metas of the area and breaking up fledgling operations. To an extent, it worked. Warfare was contained.
These efforts did not take into account, unfortunately, East LA. After gifted became publicized, violence in East LA began to die down. Mexican gangs seemed to calm, although occasional bouts of street violence would occur. It wasn't until a year ago that the reason for this became clear. A once insignificant gang had been eating up the competition, incorporating them and recruiting fresh blood. The Nueva Tripulación al Este, or NTE had grown to control most of East LA, and was beginning to encroach into Crip territory.
Investigations would soon come to show that the NTE had grown to such power, so rapidly by using a combination of capes loyal only to the NTE, and a small amount of mercenary capes to take care of whatever their enforcers couldn't handle. The heads of the Tripulación had become underworld royalty, and their knowledge and connections to the darker side stretched farther than many would think. Even mercenaries they had never hired, these drug lords had contact info on should the need ever arise. That was all before the Maywood War, when the small army created by the NTE began open conflict with the Crips in the small neighborhood of Maywood.
For several months this war took its toll on the tiny incorporated city. Once peaceful, stuck between the gang wars to the south and north, blood finally spilled onto its streets. Buildings burned, children were killed, and capes on both sides met in combat to determine the victor of this war. By the end of the year, nearly a hundred were left dead, including a half dozen D Ranked metas. It was a stalemate, until the leader of the NTE was injured in a car wreck, and found with several grams of cocaine on his person. After being hospitalized and imprisoned, the police began their lengthy interrogation. During this time, the NTE were desperate for their leader, and began to target civilian buildings: Banks, warehouses, factories, even outside the scope of their war. The Cabrillo Group alone has lost tens of millions of dollars to property damage and liabilities.
Eventually, the police worked out a bargain for the NTE leader: Give up the identities and contact information for the two dozen plus unregistered mercenaries they knew of, and he would get away free. Currently, the NTE and police are in negotiations. Will the NTE agree, and throw their hired help under the bus? Or will the violence on the streets continue?
You receive a message on the morning of August 2nd, 2015. It reads, 'Valentine Caro has agreed to consider negotiations. He has requested protection during this period of deliberation. For this purpose, in addition to your other responsibilities, you have been tasked with guarding Caro. Please report to the LAPD HQ for further instructions.'
The afternoon of August 2nd, 2015 is captured with exciting news for LA: Valentine Caro, leader of the NTE has agreed to consider the plea bargain arranged for him. He has been until his trial in several days to consider accepting his handing over of information. This is obviously troubling, as his contacts include all of the prominent underworld capes in LA. What will you do? Break Caro out, or attempt to assassinate him?
You receive a message from Michael Wulfe, one of the directors for the Cabrillo Group. He writes, 'The NTE has been a pain in our side for too long. They have destroyed our property, killed our employees, and will continue unless we put an end to this violence. My father has decided that Valentin Caro must accept the plea bargain and call off his terrorist attacks. Ensure this happens, no matter the cost. You have the full backing of the Cabrillo Group.'