Quantum Dissolve: Chapter Seven Point Five. (The Mask, Mark 2)

Dusty's flight arrived the next state over, then, he took a cab back home.
Better to obscure a trail.

He was going to lay low for awhile.

When he got home to his apartment, there was a package waiting for him.

He opened it when he got inside, and was genuinely surprised for the first time in a long time.

It was a mask.
A green metallic mask.
A streamlined hybrid of the one he saw at the grocery store back in 2011, and his current one.
Accompanying it was a note, saying simply "from a fan".

The hair stood up on the back of his neck.
Someone knew who he was.
And was sending suspicious gifts.

But....dammit, he wanted that mask.

Over the next few days, he ran it through the microwave to kill any bugs, tracking devices, or electronically activated  booby traps, then ran it through the industrial dishwasher at the school 8 times to burn off any poison.

Amazingly, the thing held up without a scratch.
It was a really nice piece of work.

Two weeks after getting home, he wore it on patrol.
He figured, maybe it would also hide him from The Mayor for a little while longer.
He was disturbed by how perfectly it fit.

It felt great to get back to his real job.
But, the worry over who sent him the thing did gnaw at the back of his mind.

Finally, at about week five, The Mayor's flunkies made contact with him.
They were surprisingly jovial, given the circumstances.

Well, time to face the music, he figured.