“Raven, that’s not a name I’ve heard before,” Harvor said, looking him up and down.
The way the person had entered, and the way he spoke, it was as if he should have known the name, yet the appearance didn't ring any bell.
Raven stood there respectfully; after all, he was in enemy territory, but there was an odd sense of calmness when Raven looked at Harvor.
It wasn’t like when he had met Sin for the first time. Sin felt like a person whose presence he couldn’t even stand to be in front of, while with Harvor, there was this calmness to him.
An aura of a star that anyone was able to approach.
“I was a member of the Phoenix Gang, and I’m sure you are aware of what happened to them,” Raven stated.
“Ah yes, Sin. He certainly did always keep things exciting among the Kings. I liked having him around because he showed what the Kings were capable of. It’s a shame he’s gone now,” Harvor said. “You state that you are here to inform me about the Howlers. Does that mean you are here for revenge?”
Raven was stumped for a moment. He had several plans for how to approach Harvor, one of the Kings, but depending on how he was, it would dictate how Raven would act.
There were wild people like Sin out there, but now after meeting Harvor, he didn’t know what to say that would please him.
“Yes, the Howlers are a troublesome bunch. They are a group that seems to think they are different compared to other gangs,” Raven went on to explain. “They started by clearing up the gangs in Slough and changing it.”
“They went against the Phoenix Gang because their morals didn’t line up. To put it simply, you could see the Howlers as an anti-gang, which means they will soon be after you as well.”
Of course, Raven wasn’t sure about this himself. He had a faint idea based on the actions Gary had taken in Slough, but more importantly, he needed a reason for Harvor to attack them. He needed the help of a King now more than ever if he wanted revenge for his brother.
“They only just defeated the Phoenix Gang, and you say they are going to go after one of the other Kings next? At the moment, I have no trouble with the Howlers though. It would be crazy to start a war with them for no reason.”
“And besides, why would I need you for that anyway? What could you even provide me?”
“I’m strong!” Raven instantly said. “There’s a reason I was placed in the Phoenix Gang. I’m a strong Altered, and I’m sure I proved that myself.”
“Yes, certainly, Yannis was in the top 15 of AFA fighters, and he was under the One Gang banner, yet you defeated him.
“It’s only because of that I invited you anyway. I have to say your plan to catch my attention worked, but I have plenty of people stronger than you. An addition from a fallen gang wouldn’t do much,” Harvor replied.
Raven had done his research into the gang, and although it wasn’t made public that Rank 12 in the AFC, Yannis, was part of the gang, Raven had found links and targeted him for this reason.
After beating him outside, he knew the One Gang would come looking for him, and in turn, he surrendered himself, all so he could be put in front of the leader.
“I know every detail about Slough. I know about the gang’s structure, their allies, and the powers they have,” Raven insisted. “You could take them down with ease.”
“I know every detail about Slough. I know about the gang’s structure, their allies, and the powers they have,” Raven insisted. “You could take them down with ease.”
“Sin failed because he was overconfident and underestimated them. If we’re the first to strike where we can, we can defeat them!”
Raven had let himself get ahead of himself. It was clear he was passionate about getting rid of the Howlers.
“I see. I can see why you have pushed yourself to come here and warn us,” Harvor stated and started to move closer to Raven until he was standing right next to him.
Suddenly, Raven felt very small. He fell to the ground and was on his knees looking up at Harvor, and didn’t even know what happened, but his legs had just completely stopped working.
“Do you really think we need your help in fighting the Howlers?” Harvor asked. “You think we’re weaker than them? You have no idea the amount of power we have.”
“And, I need to make things clear to you, I am not like Sin. I wouldn’t go for underhanded tactics to take out my opponent. We would crush them with pure strength.”
“When the time comes, if the Howlers, Gary Dem, or whoever, cross us, we will defeat and crush them because that is what we do.”
“I named my gang the One Gang because we will be the only ones left standing at the end of it all.”
This was partly what Raven was afraid of. It was a risk coming to another one of the Kings, but in the situation he was in, he had no choice.
Taking out the Howlers wasn’t something he could do on his own anymore, but now he felt like his life was in danger.
And before he knew it, Harvor’s entire hand was encased around Raven’s neck. Then Harvor threw him onto the ground.
“Lock him up,” Harvor ordered. “And no matter what he says, don’t let him out. I’ll come see him when I want to.”
Raven was getting ready to transform, but as if Harvor knew what he was going to do, Harvor looked into his eyes and shook his head.
“Don’t do that. Don’t,” Harvor ordered. “The only reason I’m keeping you alive is so you can see when the entire Howler Gang falls and you realize how much of a fool you were.”
****