Young Meat
Kyouji was pretty quick to spill the details, it was simply about money from the way he explained it. Tribute needed to be paid to the Shadow and the activities of the heroes banning together had put quite the squeeze on all illegal trade. The Yakuza were even considering the idea of pushing into a rival gang The Son of Devilbats territory. Revenue from sales at the Knightsdome Arena would make up any shortfall and the nearby Royal Flush Gang was only interested in the high-end market not street stuff so a simple payment would keep them off the Yakuza's back.
This was the reason for breaking Devilbats unwritten rule about drugs near the schools.
"No crime in Gothom is safe from us Kyouji, you know that. But selling drugs to kids get you placed very high up on the list of being taken down. Get your people away from here, well maybe tell whoever takes your place while you are in the hospital and then jail to get away. Or don't, you will get lots of familiar company that way." Robin knocks Kyouji out and walks towards me.
As he is walking, I see him typing on a keyboard built into his glove and hear a phone ring. "Crowne Point Emergency room, what is the nature of your emergency?"
"Yes, this is Robin. I am at the alley on Brentwood and 3rd and there are 7 individuals with multiple contusions and dislocated joints here now. Would you please send multiple ambulances to the area and also, maybe let dispatch know there will be several pickups of the same sort throughout the night. I will contact Gotham PD and inform them as well, thank you." He said all this with such practice ease that I was certain this was a regular occurrence.
"Gotham 911, where is your emergency?" "Brentwood and 3rd alley way, there was a gang fight and the ambulances have been notified. Drugs and Firearms were involved. Talk to you later." Robin was again talking like it was a rehearsed speech.
By the time he got to me he had pulled out an envelope and stuffed the cash he took from the drug dealer in it. He wrote the amount on the outside and put Myouji's name on it as well. When he saw my questioning gaze he replied.
"Any money we collect during these raids is donated to the nearest hospital or orphanage. We put the name we took it from and the amount so it can be reported. The bosses of the guys we took it from see that on a website we put up and they know their guys aren't stealing from them and blaming it on us. Then the street level guys just a punishment for us catching them instead of killed for possibly stealing. The drugs we take are destroyed with no exception." Let's see what else we can find.
"You going to get your weapon you used to disarm the guy with a gun? I ask.
"Oh yeah, ha ha if I keep forgetting Devilbat is going to start taking the money from my allowance." He chuckled as he went looking for it.
"Why not look into a frequency magnet to collect them? Shouldn't be too hard to work out a magnet that only attracts a specific metal composition." I suggest.
"That's a great idea, ill see how feasible that is and talk it over with the boss." Robin replied as he shot his grapple to the roof with me following as an owl again.
Once on the roof I resumed my form and commented.
"You guys are much easier on the low-level criminals than I expected." I said.
"Violent criminals get a rougher approach from us. But the low-level guys we try not to hurt too bad, so they have a chance of mending their ways and maybe turning a new page in their lives. I am much more interested in stopping the crime than the criminal." Robin said as we crossed more rooftops.
"Seems to me that if the elite of Gotham brought in some more jobs for the area, then people wouldn't feel that they have to resort to crime to survive." I replied.
"Gotham isn't really known as a good place to bring new companies right now. We are trying to clean it up enough that normal citizens cand take pride in the area and companies want to invest but we have a ways to go before we can find that balance." Coming to an alley about 5 blocks from the last dealer, he points out a group.
Both of us jump to the roof just above them as quietly as we can and listen in.
"Hana you and Hiroshi have the best musical talent so you will be the dealers. Goro, you and Hayato will roam and collect the extra to drop off to me and I will resupply as needed. Jin will be here for backup. Any questions?" The one in charge was doing a group setup and had the drugs in a bag at his feet.
"A semi attractive girl that was identified as Hana asked, "What about the customers that want me not the product? You aren't just going to have me take them to the alley and have Jin watch my spot again, are you?" She asked with a whine in her tone.
I didn't hear the response because I asked Robin, "You think they are a dog lovers or cat?" Then I ran to the previous alley and jumped down. When I landed, I thought of a young Labrador puppy next to the red wall in my head.
Coming out of the alley I start limping toward the group as it sounds like they are finishing up their talk. Limping and whimpering a little I give the group my best puppy eyes impression hoping to ensnare at least one of them.
"Ohhh look over their guys." Hana says point to me. "The poor puppy looks hurt, and someone dumped green paint all over him." Hana started walking towards me.
The boss said. "Come on Hana he isn't worth it, you got work to do now."
"But he looks so chubby and cute, the paint won't matter after he is washed up." She pouted.
"We don't have time to wait for you to get back Hana." One of the others said.
"It's just down the street guys and the restaurant pay's good money for young meat." She said.
(She said what now???) I swear I hear laughter coming from the roof.
As Hana reaches for me, I bite her hand as hard as I can and then run towards the group as she screams in pain. As I'm making my way through the surprised crowd, I bite down on the bag that had the drugs in it and ran down the alley as fast as my four legs would take me.
I toss the bag at the dead end of the alley and use my small size to get behind some rubble as they pass me by. Ironically its Hana leading the way screaming like a banshee about having someone serve me up special for her.
Once they are past, I step out still in my puppy form and stop in the middle of the alleyway. I wait for them to notice me and do what I have been dreaming of for a long time now.
The boss is busy checking the bag with his drugs in it, but Hana has eyes only for me. "You see what you did you little piece of shit, you made me bleed." She held up her hand. "I will tell them to boil you alive before they serve you up to me."
As she walks towards me, I put a new form next to the red wall and suddenly Hana is looking up at a 9 foot tall Werewolf. (I'm not contagious so readers can put that thought away now.)
I reach out with both hands and lift her up by her shoulders and lay a long, wet lick along the side of her face. In a low growly voice I say, "YOUNG MEAT MMMmm!!"
With my new enhanced Wolf senses, I can now smell 4 new sources of urine and two that doubled up and dropped a load in their drawers. Hana took a long breath that I just knew was going to be a scream, so I snapped my jaws millimeters from her face, and she went limp as she passed out.
I toss Hana toward two guys soft enough that they can catch her but hard enough to knock them on their butts and then moved towards the boss with the bag of drugs. Intentionally opening a path for them to run away.
"THE DRUGS, THEY CALL ME. WHERE THEY ARE, I WILL COME!!!" I grab the bag and the boss dashes past me with the rest of his crew following quickly after dragging an unconscious Hana with them.
Moments later Robin is standing next to me laughing so hard he is holding his stomach. "I bet those guys will never get near drugs again on the off chance you come looking for more. Oh, I haven't laughed so hard in years."
I let my Werewolf form go and ask "Where to next? I think this area is going to clear out pretty soon. Should we go check by Cameron Kane High and make sure no one is trying to sell there?"
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Does anyone feel the story is a little "Jerky" I'm trying to wright smooth, so it all meshes together well, but I read and re-read it so often I find it hard to tell if I have the right feel for the story.