In the future this would be remembered as a very important day for the gang known as the Howlers.
Thanks to Kai's gang tiered system, it was relatively easy to pass on the message. All Olivia, Innu, Austin, and Marie had to do was inform the people directly below them who would do the same until the entire gang knew what had happened and what Gary intended to do about it.
"Taking on an entire Tier-2 City… and not just any but Notsburg and their Scatterbugs… I have heard that our leader was apparently reckless but to this degree? I heard those guys are strong enough that some Tier-1 gangs come to THEM to ask for help."
"I feel you, man. I've seen for myself that our masked bosses are strong, but can we really do this? We're just a Tier-3 gang. If our boss wants to expand, shouldn't we try and go against lower tier places first…this is a big jump?"
"Didn't you get the same message as the rest of us? We don't have to come, only those that are interested in taking part. It seems like this is a personal grudge. According to my superior, they took out 'Fox' yesterday, so the boss wants revenge."
"I'm glad that I won't get into trouble for not coming then. Still, if they're powerful enough to take him out, doesn't that mean that the Scatterbugs have the power to take out our core members in our own territory? If that's the case though and only the core members go out, won't they 100% lose this fight? In that case, what happens to the Howlers?"
"My guess is that someone else will take over. Anyway, I'm out. No matter how much they're willing to pay for me to come, there's no point in joining a losing fight. I still need to be alive to be able to spend it."
Conversations like these were happening all over Slough. Naturally, news didn't just spread to those in the Howlers, though, it also spread to important figures behind the scenes in Slough. Among them were the leaders of gangs who had been suppressed, and of course a particular mayor who sat in his office.
'Hahaha, finally things are looking up! If I had known that those bastards would find themselves such a powerful enemy I would have waited by the side and enjoyed the show!' Ben heartily laughed in his office. 'This is perfect, the Howlers will fail, and the Scatterbugs will see that there isn't much for them to gain in Slough. They will leave, and the town will be back in my hands again.'
——
Outside the Wolf's Pool Club, at 8:55 AM, Gary was sitting on the few steps that used to lead up to the door. The club was still destroyed behind him. After all, given how late it was when the fight broke out, nobody had reported that the place needed repairs.
Sitting down on that staircase, Gary was busy putting together some pieces like a puzzle. As the first one to arrive, he had spent his time looking around for salvageable things in the pool club. There wasn't much to find as the intruder had done a horrific job making sure that their establishment would be out for business for a while. However, one thing that he had found was the smashed fox mask, and with nothing better to do, he had made sure to find as many pieces as possible.
'There that should be most of them. Just looking at your mask, I can practically picture you wearing it, Kai, berating me for doing something stupid and reckless again. Well, I can't argue that it will be reckless, but as I recall I'm not the only in our gang to do reckless things.'
Gary grinned as he as he thought back to how Kai had let himself get captured, on the off chance that he would get put into the same cell as him. What's more when he found out that Gary was unable to do much about his situation, Kai had forced Gary to turn him by nearly sacrificing his own hand.
'You got us out of that situation back then, so by the time you wake up, I'll do what I can to have our situation with them resolved. Once that is done, I'll return your mask, and if you want, you can still berate me afterwards.'
Eventually Gary saw a car drive towards the pool club's venue. It was the usual limo that the Howlers used driving to certain places. The door opened and Tyler stepped out, and opened the door for Olivia, Innu, Austin, and Marie, each one of them wearing their masks. Gary noticed that Austin's mask was different to what Gary had remembered before. Now it had what looked like a bull with a ring hanging from its nose covering his mouth slightly, and also Olivia's was slightly different, looking more like that of a wolf, although it didn't look the same as Gary's, as there was indented eyelashes.
"It was a gift from Kai, I thought it was only appropriate." Austin explained.
Gary smiled and put the fragments of Kai's mask into his pocket, before he put on his own mask.
"Gary." Marie spoke. "I'll be honest, we're most likely going to be the only ones. Everyone knows that we're going against the Scatterbugs and since you told us to write that this was a personal vendetta, even our lieutenants are unwilling to come. #"
Gary had been afraid that this might be the case, but as a gang leader responsible for the lives of his gang members, he had felt that it was only right to let them decide for themselves. Just when he was about to stand up and get into the car, the Howlers turned around towards the footsteps making their way over.
"A smaller, stronger team might be better, anyway." Ian greeted them with confidence
"Before you even try to say that we are not allowed to come with you, let me remind you about what you said before, we are in an alliance and that's what these alliances are for in the first place!" Numba stated. "Besides Gary, you're a friend, and a good one. You would do the same for me, in fact you already have done, so I have to do the same for you."
Gary couldn't argue with those words, and having three more Altered by their side boosted their strength considerably.
"We also made a deal once." Another voice said to his left, turning his head, this one was truly an unexpected person.
"Blake…but why would you… I mean, you're a… are you sure you won't get into lots of trouble if you tag along?" Gary asked.
"What do you mean? From what I've seen yesterday, that was the work of an 'Altered' who came into my town before he fled to Notsburg. In other words, I'm just coming along to do what's supposed to be my job, right?"
Gary knew Blake's skill from when the two of them fought against a Werewolf before and he had no doubt that he had continued to hone his skills.
"I… thanks, I'll really owe you one for this." Gary smiled.
Just as it looked like everyone had arrived who was going to arrive, a few more people started to creep in and fill the streets wearing the black and gold uniform. It was a good thing that the core members were wearing their masks at this time.
"We want to help as well!" they shouted. "Slough…it's changed so much since the Howlers took over, and I don't want it to go back to the way it was before!"
"I used to be a member of the Underdogs and they treated us like dogs… you saved me… so it's only right we follow you!"
It was a surprise, there were at least ten people from the Howlers group that were there, but when Gary looked at them, he made his choice.
"Thank you, you truly have shown your loyalty to the gang and for that you have my gratitude. I won't forget the faces of those that came here today… but I can't take you with me, I can't have you risk your lives.
"I realise now, this is something that we have to solve, because what the Scatterbugs have done to us… is personal." Gary said as he walked to the car with the others and they all got in one by one, driving off to Notsburg.
'You thought you could end this fight by taking out one person, well now you have a war on your hands, Scatterbugs.' Gary thought to himself as he looked out the window.
*****
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