Chapter 91 - To The Table

<---Chapter 90 - Radicals|Table of Contents|Chapter 92 - Attempted Rescue--->

Three days later...

The Red Lions districts were a veritable sea of chaos and fire, flames licking up from every other window as firebombs, firefights and bloody stains dominated the streets unlike never before. Sounds of gunfire and screams rang out through the debris-ridden alleyways and backlanes, buffeting the whimpers and muffled cries of those seeking shelter however they could.

Clashes between the Red Lions and the union was intermittent, and despite the initial morale of the Red Lion members, they were surprisingly slowly losing ground to the union over time. "Boss, they are just too many! Their members are hiding everywhere, and their numbers grow each day with every factory and store they liberate." An officer reported to Leo in a small unrevealed command hideout, the view overlooking the main street where smoke and fumes continued to drift in the cold wind from burning husks of arctech wagons.

"How many?"

"Estimates from our observers put them at a thousand, and growing. As far as we can tell, they are putting a rifle in the hands of anyone who is coming to them. Many of their newer recruits are from other Sectors or Versian migrants."

"Fucking Versian trash..." Leo cursed under his breath. It was not too much of a surprise to him that the Versians would be more open to the radical nature of the union, seeing as they had their own revolution 15 years prior. "Have the enforcers mobilized yet?"

"Bishop Vernette is on the move. Within three hours we will completely encircle this district and bring the union to heel."

"Ensure every tunnel in and out of this district that is on our record is guarded and monitored. I don't want a single food ration getting in and out." Leo reminded.

"Understood, Boss, we'll starve them out."

Leo nodded, his gaze returning to the view of the burning district once more. While he still held a confident posture, deep down he wondered just how had it come to backfire so spectacularly onto him. Gunther... I will personally make sure you live a long and harrowing life.

[Children of Raktor! I ask that you see past the manufactured differences between us, created by those above that seek to divide and conquer us!] Gunther's voice rang clear on the arctech radio placed in the command center. [There is no upper-class, no middle-class, no lower-class: there is only those who own, and those who labor! Work with us, for we are starting a revolution anew. One that has succeeded before, and will succeed again!]

"Have we pinpointed where the transmission is coming from?" Leo queried a Red Lion member who was jotting down recordings on a notebook.

"We're almost done triangulating the signal strength for many of them."

"Current guesses?"

"They are not within our district, thats for sure. Nearly all of the sources are originating from the enforcers' district."

"We'll take care of that." Bishop Vernette's voice rang out as she entered the command center confidently, flanked by five enforcers.

"So Count Leon finally listened." Leo barely acknowledged her arrival. "I was beginning to wonder if you were behind this."

"This uprising affects me as much as you."

"What about your Seven Snakes pet?"

"We no longer work with them, I think that much was made clear months ago."

"Non-action is equivalent to helping."

"I made my stance clear to Count Leon. If you have issues, you can take it up with him." Bishop Vernette waved her hand dismissively, instead focusing on the situation at hand. "I'm surprised you haven't massacred them yet."

"They are spread like rats and birds - their command hierarchy is in complete shambles, and none of them truly know the exact extent nor strength of the union."

"So the Mane of the Red Lion is brought low by a simple worker uprising. How poetic."

Leo scowled, but did not raise a hand against her. "I liked you better when you were still a naive priest."

"I liked you better when you were still a humble foreman." Bishop Vernette smirked. "Your hand should have killed you by now."

"Not when there are no shortage of enemies."

"Even one that you have created yourself?"

"Enough small-talk. I will need your enforcers to bolster the lockdown and starve out the workers entrenched in their hiding holes."

"Of course. But remember this, I'm only doing this as part of Count Leon's request. Who's to say on what could happen after this is done?"

"We'll see about that, old hag."

Soon, the reluctant combined force enforcers and the Red Lion members were working hand-in-hand, albeit with clear issues in the distribution of information. The mistrust between Leo and Bishop Vernette made trying to encircle the radical union difficult and time-consuming, Leo unwilling to reveal the full capabilities of the Red Lions. Similarly, Bishop Vernette too did not show her hand, only allocating a minimum number of enforcers to deal with the threat.

With the internal bickering in the combined force, it was near impossible to filter and recognize every single member, many of whom had just join, radicals in their own right having flocked to a believable cause. Red Lion members and enforcers bickered with each other on every single possible move, a tug-of-war on control of the overall suppression operation.

As the days trailed on, it became even more and more clearer that the situation was starting to spiral out of hand due to the disunity. More and more pockets of union resistance was beginning to spring up even within the enforcers' district itself. Protests and strikes became more and more frequent, all the while business owners were harassed and in some cases, executed publicly in a bid to frighten the city into submission. The same bloody fate that had befell Stanley and his son was repeatedly displayed across the South Sector.

What worsened the situation more was that some of the Red Lions and enforcers began to lose hope in ever suppressing the union, a minority even sympathizing and leaking information about deployments and raids to the union, rendering any coercive moves impotent.

Any threat of force by the enforcers were summarily ignored due to the union's possession of military grade weapons, resulting in sporadic firefights breaking out all over, even right in front of the Magda. There was no sense of rhythm nor rhyme to the expansion of the radical union, as though Gunther had simply given the tools to the people, spreading the fight as far as he could. Rumors of affiliated branches began to appear in other Sectors as well, threatening the overall stability of the city.

By the end of the next two weeks, even Leo was starting to get desperate, to the point where he himself was taking to the field. His overwhelming power allowed him to steamroll any opposition that he faced, but it was insignificant in face of the exponentially growing numbers of the radical union. As he examined what remained of another union hiding spot hidden in the slums, he began to despair at the sheer scale of what he faced. "Just how many hideouts do these rats have? It's like trying to crush a thousand ants hiding in the forest."

Yet it was not the numbers that truly frightened him, but the logistics of supplying that many union members as he noticed the copious amounts of ration packs made available in the shabby hideout, where five captured union members were tied up and forced to kneel. Just how is Gunther keeping all of them in control? How is it possible to feed that many mouths? At this stage, the union was now boasting a force even greater than the Ardent Cretins, and far more dispersed than anything the Red Lions could deal with. Every time they flushed a union hideout, three more popped up in their stead.

Leo stormed up to a captured union member, who had been clearly the overall in-charge for the hideout. In one swift motion, Leo had his red gaseous tendrils hang the man upside down, shaking him violently before hoisting the man's face to his eye level. "Tell me where are the other hideouts, and maybe I'll let you live."

Even as the blood rushed to the captured union member's head, his forehead brimming red, the member spat a glob mixed with saliva and blood onto Leo's face, grinning widely. "Better to die free than to die a slave."

Leo slowly wiped the spit off his face with a handkerchief. "Last chance. We can be friends, or I can be the last face you ever see."

"When I die, the only face I'll see is that of the Goddess Nona. Can you say the same, heathen?" The captured union member continued grinning widely, mocking Leo until his face began to scrounge up in pain, his brows furrowing as he struggled against the red gaseous tendrils that held each of his limbs.

"So be it." Leo stared into the man's eyes as the man's limbs were slowly tugged apart by the tendrils bit by bit. The sinews between his joints were pulled apart, the force immeasurable as the man bit down on his own tongue, drawing blood before finally letting out a pained shriek as the left arm gave way first, exposing the dislocated shoulder as well as streaks of flesh gushing out.

Within a minute, the man was quartered, his four limbs wrenched out of place, separated from his body and thrown to the remaining four union members, instilling fear behind them as the man still continued screaming, attempting to crawl away albeit without arms nor legs.

"Ready to talk? First one lives." Leo grunted, the four captured union members instantly clamouring to speak over the other, hoping to avoid the gruesome fate that their leader faced.

The Red Lion members took over, interrogating and drawing information from their testimony and confessions, yet soon a bleak picture was painted for Leo. Despite the clear willingness of the union members to share information, that information was ultimately highly segregated and filtered. Each union cell was unique from another, with only the very top leaders around Gunther knowing the true extent of where each union cell was.

"We.. we operate independently! We simply were told to recruit and fight for the cause wherever possible, to find the weakest spot!" Another captured member exclaimed, further proving Leo's suspicion that the entire movement was a decentralized body. With no head to cut off, Leo did not see an easy way to end the instability.

"Boss, perhaps... perhaps we should reach a compromise with the union." A Red Lion officer suggested, only to earn a glare from the frustrated Leo.

"A compromise?"

"The level of destruction will only increase over time, and our finances are being severely affected as it is. Even our protection rackets are starting to falter." While the Red Lions could still enforce a certain level of security among their businesses, the simple fact was that residents were no longer sticking around to patronize them, causing their revenue to dip on a large scale.

"There are far bigger fish to worry about than some paltry revenue of rakels. This is a war of annihilation. If we do not crush the union in time, I'm afraid the Red Lions may very well cease to exist."

***

The next day...

[Fears of union uprisings are beginning to spread throughout the city of Raktor. In what was originally a single factory unionizing has now turned into a sector-wide scare. Countless strikes and protests are brewing in every single district, with more and more workers joining the radical extremist union.] A radio presenter's voice drifted through the quiet mansion, Count Leon resting his head on his hands upon a opulent dark oak table complete with every fanciful decorations a noble could have, staring at a letter in front of him, the seal of a Duke on its edge.

His silence only unnerved the four generals standing in front of him, as well as every Baron and Bishop in Raktor save for Baron Cain, who was conspicuously missing. However, Count Leon was more concerned with pressing matters than a missing Baron. He raised his head, his sigh echoing about the large personal study. "Barons and Bishops, thank you all for coming on short notice. I'll get straight to it: Care to explain how the radical union has yet to be crushed?"

The South Sector's Red Lions district was now a veritable hotspot for the radical union. Even the help of the enforcers was employed within the last week, though the situation has only seemed to worsen.

No one dared to make the first step, almost all of them turning to look at Bishop Flectus, the Central Sector's Bishop who had been put in charge of the union suppression efforts. He cleared his throat, stepping forward with formality. "Count Leon, sir. With all due respect, the union is hard to deal with due to the alluring nature of its cause - "

"I do not want fanciful words or excuses, Bishop. My business, the city's businesses are suffering. Right now, the business owners are putting forward a petition to have me renounce my position! Every operation you have done has only led to more disasters. Why can't you just kill every single union leader and be done with it?"

"Killing the leaders will only paint them as martyrs, for others to rally around. Already, the death of Bronco, the union's leader second-in-command has increased fevor for the cause." Bishop Flectus did not waver, adamant. "Our sincere belief is that the correct approach is-"

"To outlaw every form of worker organization in the city. Right now, we simply do not have the legal right to arrest them. It does not exist in the Sanctum's code, which means we would need to apply for a special inquisition order. If we try to subvert the code, it would be another talking point for those undecided in these events." Baron Namor, the Baron of the East Sector offered his approach. "Until we have the legal and moral right to suppress the union, our arms are tied."

"Outlaw every form?" Bishop Vernette scoffed. "You might as well outlaw the Sanctum as well - we too provide protection for workers."

"Clearly I was misunderstood. These laws and amendments to the code shall obviously need to be reworded and discussed properly through the appropriate avenues-"

"I HAVE NO TIME FOR LEGAL BULLSHIT!" Count Leon slammed the table. "I have a joint military exercise with Kregol and Perlis along with an imminent war within months, and I will be the laughing stock of all of the Yual Dominion if I cannot get my own city in order. Who is funding the union and keeping them afloat?! How are they feeding a thousand fighters across the damned city?"

No one could answer that question - all they had now was suspicion and theories. The silence only angered Count Leon even more. "I want the union dead. Crushed. Torn to pieces, so they will never rise again!"

"This will only cause even more unrest and uprising, which would serve as a potent knife for those who seek to undermine our stability. It's clear that someone not among us is funding them. Are you sure about taking a violent approach?" Bishop Vernette raised her eyebrows, only angering Count Leon even more.

"I'm starting to think you're in leagues with the union yourself, Bishop Vernette. Perhaps you are the one funding them." Count Leon accused.

"My own men and inquisitors are fighting tooth and nail on every reported strike and protest as we speak. Perhaps before resorting to unnecessary doubt and grasping at straws, we should focus on concrete solutions. Not finding scapegoats."

"We can mobilize the military, call martial law." A general gave his suggestion. "Make gatherings illegal temporarily, override the Sanctum's code, give the military extralegal authority."

"Are you implying that the enforcers of the Sanctum are weak?" Bishop Flectus retorted.

"Could not have put it better myself. The very fact that your enforcers fails to squash such an simple uprising shows that the military is far better suited for such a suppression campaign."

"To question the effectiveness of the Sanctum of Yual is to question the decision of Emperor Yual himself! Martial law is only to be called in the most severe of emergencies, and it has never been called in the history of Raktor. Doing so would make ALL of us look weak. Think of our reputation!"

While the generals, barons and bishops bickered about the next steps, Count Leon let out an exasperated sigh, clearly distressed and suddenly bursting out in anger. "ENOUGH! You have two more weeks - two more weeks to find the union leaders and have all of them crushed! Lure them, cheat them, I do not care what it takes. Or else our positions, not just mine, will be in jeopardy."

Count Leon simmered with rage as he stared at them, before realizing something. "Where is Baron Cain? It has been more than twenty minutes! You two, find him and bring him before me right this ins-"

"No need for that, Count Leon. I am right here." The doors to the personal study swung open, revealing Baron Cain along with an unexpected guest. Count Leon shot up of his seat, while Bishop Vernette only squinted her eyes in suspicion.

"What are you doing bringing a gang leader here?!" Count Leon roared.

"To deliver your requested weapons and armour, of course." Kyle spoke with respect, his voice calm unlike that of Count Leon.

"But-"

"But how is it possible after everything that has happened? Is that what you wanted to say?" Kyle smirked, Count Leon bristling with fury unlike never before.

"How dare you enter uninvited. Guards!" Baron Namor immediately ordered two enforcers to step forward to arrest Kyle.

Yet, before the enforcers could get close to Kyle, Count Leon took a deep breath, calming himself. "The rest of you, please allow me to have a private conversion with Baron Cain and this gentlemen over here."

The generals looked at each other shiftly, confused about what was happening before finally reluctantly leaving with the others. Baron Namor shot a glare of disgust at Baron Cain, while Bishop Vernette brushed past Kyle for a brief moment. "Please don't pull me into whatever you have planned this time."

"Of course not. I value my allies' prosperity, whether or not they leave me out to dry." Kyle smiled.

Soon, only Count Leon, Baron Cain and Kyle were left alone within the personal study. Kyle took a seat without asking, leaning into a comfortable armchair and crossing his legs without a care in the world.

"You two, you fuckers. You planned all of this!" Count Leon accused. "Give me one good reason why I should not have you exiled on counts of treason!"

"Treason?" Baron Cain shrugged. "We simply fulfilled the contract as requested. Of course, the factory underwent certain unexplained hardships, but thanks to Mr. Kyle over here, we were able to sort it out effectively enough to meet the order. And under the terms of the contract, we are expecting renumeration, of course."

"I will have to ensure that the delivery is in order." Count Leon rang up his servants, irritated by the smug look on Baron Cain's face. "Check that the weapons and armor are delivered exactly to the number stated in the contract."

[Count Leon, sir, it's confirmed. All rifles and knight armour sets are accounted for, both standard and reduced version.]

"Impossible..." Count Leon was too shaken to even be angry any longer.

"Count Leon. We're both businessmen who clearly values time, so let me get to the point." Kyle took over the conversation, leaning forward with a glint in his eye, ready to strike for the kill. "You hired a gang, the Red Lions to disrupt my businesses and my district. On top of that, you made a seemingly ridiculous order that no other factory in Raktor could meet, something that would require a miracle. I do not begrudge you for that - it is a free market after all, the rules of the game are fluid. Unfortunately for you, I specialize in miracles."

Count Leon did not reply, watching Kyle get up and pace around the room, continuing to speak. "Whether you intended it or not, the Red Lions engineered a union uprising within my territory, and now that the radical union has escaped the confines of my grasps, it is now wrecking havoc across the city, stirring up emotions and long suppressed dreams of revolution, of better things. The Red Lions cannot even control the union in their own borders."

Count Leon gritted his teeth in anger, finally realizing what happened. "You purposefully let the radical union out so it would bring me to the negotiating table. You are the ones funding the radical union now!"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Who's to say? But maybe..." Kyle smirked, approaching the table right in front of Count Leon.

"What do you want?" Count Leon snarled.

"I want an mutual understanding, that we can both work better together than against each other. My weapons and armour are qualitively better than your current suppliers, and I am more than willing to share the design. For a price, a percentage, of course."

"Not enough. I could easily have my men come up with a better design. Why do I need you? Baron Namor and his engineers could do it in a heartbeat."

"Then why haven't they? Clearly you're lacking a few critical ingredients, a few leaps in theoretical understanding. Also, I'm not finished yet. On top of the design offering, as a sign of a goodwill, I will help you crush the union in one fell swoop for free."

"A sign of goodwill? Crush the union? HAH!" Count Leon let out a mirthless laugh. "You want to do what not even the generals, barons and bishops can do? What can you do that the enforcers or the major gangs cannot do?"

"Unlike the Tul'e Da'li who seems to think beating up every single union worker is the best solution, I propose a surgical strike, where I will kill or capture all of the union leaders."

"What makes you so confident? The bishops have already tried that - even the Mad Dog cannot get to the leader herself."

"Because I have something different. I have something dear to the union leader, and that is my trump card. But until we have an agreement, you may enjoy dealing with the union as large. My prediction? If you do not deal with the leadership immediately, you will face a general city-wide strike within three months, right when you least expect it."

Something dear to the union leader? Count Leon raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "And if you fail?"

"Then consider the deal off. You may do whatever you want to me - but don't expect me not to fight back." Kyle concluded, sitting back in the same armchair.

Count Leon kept silent for a moment, considering his options. I could have him killed right here and now. But his weapons and armour are truly better than its counterparts, and if he really does have the means to stop the union... "You planned all of this from the start."

"Only in response to your plan. It is all a game in the end, but with all of us winning."

"I'll very much prefer if you two lose." Count Leon threatened.

"Do you know why the Bishop of the South Sector and Baron Cain is working alongside me now, despite my... background? It's because they have come to the conclusion that to be my ally is far more desirable than to be my enemy. You'll find that dealing with me even when I'm dead will be more trouble than the union is." Kyle tapped the holster of his armchair, not budging under the glare of Count Leon.

Count Leon was not dumb. He knew of the reason why Kyle was let off so easily - the release of the handguns was still a major threat. Now that the radical union was also in full-swing, antagonizing Kyle right now would be the worst move to make, only stacking the problems even higher. I will use him, for now. "Fine. You shall receive royalty amounting to one-tenth worth of the price for every subsequent design produced by the Aspis Weapons Factory for the purpose of Raktor's military, the design also having been accredited by the military. And you will -"

"Three-tenths."

Count Leon's words were stuck in his throat, before he recomposed himself, glaring at Kyle. "Two tenths."

"Three-tenths." Kyle did not budge.

"Two and a quarter tenths."

"Three-tenths, Count Leon. I'm not the one who needs to worry about a union growing stronger by the minute. The clock is ticking."

Count Leon grapsed the table, his hand nearly cracking the edge off. "FINE! Three-tenths. But only for up to a year."

"Accepted. We can renegotiate at a later date. Pleasure to be working with you, Count Leon." Kyle shot up of his seat, adjusting his suit and coat with a wide smile on his face. "Do try not to undermine my operations where possible, it would only cause certain designs to be severely hampered. My designers require the best of environments to produce quality work."

"Get lost. I want the union leadership captured in a week!" Count Leon roared.

"Of course, my Count." Kyle only gave a courteous nod, before leaving the personal study. As soon as he opened the door, he was met with the glares of the generals, barons and bishops.

"I'm surprised you made it out of there alive, I was certain you would have been dead. No gang leader has ever entered his personal study room before." Baron Namor remarked.

"I suppose there is a first for everything. Though it's hard for someone who is always coming in second in most rankings to truly appreciate that." Kyle didn't linger around to see Baron Namor's face scrounging up in pure unbridled rage, though Kyle motioned for Bishop Vernette to follow him outside.

"What have you done now? Are you planning to antagonize the whole city? That man is a Baron, and he has extremely close ties with the Tul'E Da'li!"

"His influence is only in the East Sector. Despite the differences between me and Sebastian, I'm sure the Ardent Cretins would not tolerate another major gang enforcing their dislikes in our sector. However, I do need to ask you of a favor. You no longer need to distance yourself from me."

"... what do you want?"

"I need a prisoner transfer. A very highly publicized one. From the shopping arcade to the Magda. I will provide a full list of everything I need, and it must be organized within two days. Do this, and I will forget your past actions against me."

Why are you the one forgiving me?! "Fine. Inquisitor Mason shall be the liaison. Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"When have I never been sure?"

<---Chapter 90 - Radicals|Table of Contents|Chapter 92 - Attempted Rescue--->