Gary had already received this type of reaction before from others, but at least he understood why the others were doing that, but now he felt like it made no sense. The only reason he could think of for them to act like this was because of the words that had just come out of his mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Gary eventually asked, a little puzzled by the situation. “Is it really that surprising to hear that I’m being sponsored by my gang? I thought it would be fine to mention that in a place like this. I mean, it’s not like I’m the only one, nor are the Howlers active in any of your towns.”
None of the three really answered his question, so the green haired teenager looked towards Izzy who had been the most talkative up until now. This awkward silence continued for a few moments, but Gary’s gaze alone continued to put pressure on the teenage girl until she eventually said something.
“Look, it’s nothing against you personally, but… well, you should understand that the relationship between gangs and businesses is… ‘complicated’ to say the least. They pretty much control everything nowadays
“What businesses are allowed to operate in their ‘area’, how high the ‘protection fee’ is, and other things that only ever really benefits one side. I’m sure you understand why we feel like we have to be wary of gang members, since one wrong action could spell disaster for us and our families. The sad reality is that all they’ve built up until now could crumble at the word of a gang member.”
Gary stayed silent since he agreed with what Izzy was saying. In fact, it was a major part of the reason why he disliked gangs so much, and why he had made sure that the Howlers would do things differently from Olivia or Damion.
Admittedly, they weren’t completely in the right, either. The property which used to belong to the Underdogs was now in Kai’s possession, though following Gary’s will, they had leased those places back to the original owners as far as it was possible.
The Howlers also charged protection fees, yet their rate was far more reasonable than that of the other gangs, and the contracts even included clauses that would allow business owners to postpone payments in case business had been bad in a given month.
Those were unfortunately a necessary evil to ensure that the gang members stayed loyal and could support their own families. Gary could try to explain that the Howlers were better than most, but he doubted Izzy and the others would just take his word for it.
“There’s more than just that.” Izzy continued. “Gang members are just… ‘different’, usually vicious, people who don’t give a damn about who they hurt, and I bet that includes the ones in here. If we’re lucky, we might meet someone who is prideful and won’t ask for help from their family.
“The problem is that just because one gang member might be reasonable, that doesn’t mean others in his gang are the same. Let’s say I beat a low ranking gang member, there’s a chance that because I wronged one of theirs, the whole gang will go against me.
“Even if they’re facing another gang that is clearly bigger than theirs, those who are deathly loyal will still risk their lives. Now that we know that you’re in a gang, it certainly explains how you were able to do those things before so…easily.”
Gary understood that she was referring to, how he had broken Ian’s leg and clawed at the others. There had been next to no hesitation in the Werewolf’s strikes, and it was because he had already fought with his life on the line multiple times. As for the others, yes they were Altered, but their fighting experience had been far more limited and curated.
“Should I keep it to myself, then?” Gary asked. “If other people ask me what my background is, I mean. Should I just lie and tell them that some business is behind me?”
This was something the green haired teenager wasn’t so sure about, because the whole point of coming here had been to become a famous Altered, one that the Howlers could actively support.
“No, it’s best if you’re honest about that.” Izzy shook her head. “I’m sure there will be those in here who have a way to gather information on us somehow. Besides, your backing is actually advantageous for you. None of those from Tier-3 towns will bother to mess with you unless they’re from a gang themselves.
“Heck, even those from Tier-2 cities will probably want to avoid getting into trouble with you, unless they have big connections. Don’t rely on my analysis, though. There is so much we don’t know, that there still be some who will challenge you, maybe just see what you’re like or what type you are.
“After all, you might be a gang’s Altered, but it’s not like that automatically means that your gang will protect you from anything in here. It’s not like your the leader who can declare a gang war on the Howlers’ behalf.”
Gary scratched his chin at this comment. “Right…”
He wasn’t the type of person to do something like that in the first place, and besides the gang was busy doing their own thing.
——
It had been a while since the group had all travelled together, but today was an important day for the Howlers. They had been planning this for a while now, and they couldn’t help themselves but be excited in the car on the way to their destination.
“Freaking hell, I never thought I would ever get to step foot into a Tier-1 city, and now we’re travelling by limo!” Innu exclaimed.
“Of course, we have to travel in style!” Kai replied. “And with more of us, it was important we upgraded the vehicle. Otherwise, we would be squashed.”
While most of them seemed to be excited, there was one with her hand slumped on her chin, staring out the window.
“What’s wrong, Mai?” White asked.
“It’s nothing… I just wish Gary was here. I know he’s busy and all, and he’s living his dream, but it would be nice if we could enjoy this together.” Mai replied.
“Don’t beat yourself up too much. Think about the surprise on his face when he returns. Gary won’t have to feel so alone any more.” Kai answered as the limo passed the sign stating they were entering, Morfran.
The city was mostly controlled by a group of people, known as the Dark Guild.
****
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