All aspects and groups of the Howlers were extremely busy. Those from the Scatterbugs were getting used to the new rules, and how their new leader intended to run things. Of course, if there were any disagreements, Midwak had permission to use violence.
However, that violence was limited due to the Pack rules that were currently in place. On top of that, there was also the Cardenez group. No longer under any threat they could continue with their development plan.
A new factory was being built, not just in Slough to help with jobs and general levelling up of Slough, but one also was built in Notsburg as well. The progression was beyond what Harry had thought he would have been able to do with one factory, and this was all because Kai was giving more funding to the Cardenez group than they would have ever got out of either deal, and that was from using the money from the Scatterbugs in the first place.
All of this was important to Kai, because unlike other groups who would have perhaps moved to the larger city and developed from there, they were staying in Slough. The biggest city would usually be one's base and from there they would claim lower cities so other places didn't attack them.
However, the Howlers were staying in Slough, while looking after the areas around them. This was all based on Gary's order, as he wanted to grow Slough out of poverty, and change it to become a place that could match up with others.
With all of this working like clockwork, it was why Gary had finally decided that It was time for him to head back to the academy. Numba, Izzy as well as Ian were all on the bus with him heading back.
They had overstayed a few days as they had wanted to return with Gary, for more reasons than one, and during that time, they had also decided to visit their families as they wished to discuss something with them as well.
"Wow, it's all starting to make sense now!" Ian said as he pulled his hair back. "When you told us to get you blood that time. I thought it was because you were a crazed Altered, but this is huge!"
Since the others had found out a lot about Gary, it was too much for him to cover up. They had seen multiple people transform into beings like himself, and words were thrown out left right and centre.
It was too complicated to come up with a lie that made sense, and besides all of that. Gary didn't want to come up with a lie. These were his friends who had helped him and his other friends through a tough situation. They had risked their lives and by doing so, they at least deserved to know the truth.
"I think what is even more amazing is, these… um creatures I guess I should say, have lived among us for so long without us knowing about them." Izzy commented. "Think about it. They would have existed in a time before there were even Altered."
While Ian and Izzy were talking in excitement, Numba had kept somewhat quiet, as he listened to Gary's story. Because it made him wonder if this was the difference between the two of them.
Was it why Gary was improving so fast, and would they ever catch up to him?
"Remember a lot of this stuff is new to me as well." Gary answered. "And there are still those that are stronger than me, and I'm not just talking about those that are like me, others like Jayden."
Hearing Gary speak about himself in a humble way, had caused Numba to snap out of it. Gary was right, there were still plenty of Altered out there that were incredibly strong, that would beat Gary even the way he was now.
If that was the case, then stating that Gary was different from them and that was why he was stronger, was the wrong way for him to think.
"I… was meant to ask you something." Gary said. "I can see you still have a bandage on the wound you received, is it not healing?"
There was a nervous look on Izzy's face when asked this question because the bite mark really was still there. It was the longest wound she ever had, and it was especially strong since she was an Altered, there were other things as well, but Izzy had yet to mention them to the others.
"It's okay. The doctor said there is nothing to worry about. It's just taking longer to heal." Izzy replied.
The answer didn't give Gary confidence. At the time, Gary thought it was a wound that would just go away as well, and Midwak had said something that had lessened his worries. The fact that werewolves were unable to turn Altered into werewolves.
Since this was the case, Gary hadn't even asked the question to Midwak, and only now had it become a concern for him.
'Thinking about it, the only Altered I know who was bitten by a werewolf was the one that worked for White Rose by Billy. The quickest way to get an answer is to contact Kai to contact Midwak. I don't really want to talk to that guy directly if I don't have to.'
"Anyway, what are you planning to do Gary?" Izzy asked. "I mean, it's great that you are coming back to the AFA with us and all, but I can't help but feel that maybe your gang will run into more things in the future with this. The more I think about it, since you're the leader… you can't just stay in the academy."
Of course Gary had thought about this a lot, and there were quite a few discussions with Kai about what he needed to do. The original plan was for Gary to become an AFC star that was sponsored by the Howlers.
Giving the group recognition and a chance to get sponsors from big companies using Gary's AFC name. However, there was no longer a need for that. The Howlers name was well known now, and on top of that with the Scatterbugs funds, as well as their casinos, the gang was no longer strapped for cash.
On top of that, Gary's name was being used to invest in all sorts of different areas in Slough, including the new factory.
"You're right." Gary sighed. "I need to head back to the Howlers, for more reasons than one, but there is still unfinished business in the AFA. I plan to stay here, pass the assessment, and join the AFC.
"After that, I will have my debut match with them, so I am registered in the AFC. After that, I guess it will be time for me to head back."
There were saddened faces, because they knew that the first assessment was only two weeks away. They knew that Gary would pass, which meant their time with him was limited. Unlike Gary they didn't run a gang.
Their dreams were just to support their families and join the AFC.
"Hey, we can't be sad." Ian said to the others. "We knew this was going to happen, and we talked about it before. If Gary said he was going to stay then we were going to convince him to leave, but the Green haired idiot had figured it out himself.
"Gary… our alliance is always ongoing, and even more so than before. We all went back to our families after that, and we… want to be a part of you, a part of the Howlers, and we have made our alliance official with our families."
"What… Do you even mean by that?" Gary asked.
"It was Kai." Izzy said. "We knew you would never accept, but something about that guy of yours, he seems to take a good deal no matter who it's with. The Howlers already own a percentage of our family's business in other cities."
"Which means that the alliance is official. Although, my family's company was the first." Numba commented.
Gary didn't know what to say. How could a bunch of students he had only known for a short while do so much for him, how did they trust him so much? It was because of this, that Gary felt like he needed to get stronger.
Stronger, so he couldn't lose those around him, because it had already been a dangerous call. The bus finally stopped and they had returned to the AFA. Meanwhile, Gary wasn't the only one that had the same feeling.
In the Howlers, there were two members who had learned a lot after that fight of theirs, and they were willing to go to any lengths to get stronger.
"This is what I need to do."
Both of them said in their minds, Marie and Innu, as they took two separate paths in their search for strength.
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