Chapter 43

A member of the mutant gang ran into the hideout of his division. Don's division.

"Don!" He exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath. "The second division is being attacked by the Jokerz! They're in trouble!"

All of them quickly got ready and rode on their bikes. In Don's mind, his negative thought began to flood. 'Is this how they plan on wiping us out?'

The Jokerz have already declared war against the mutant gang when they abducted the mutant leader. But even though the mutant gang has the advantage of numbers, they'll still be separated because of the divisions and the territories they each have to protect. Since most of the members of the Jokerz were from the mutant gang, it's natural that they would know every hideout. It's a greater advantage to the Jokerz who have yet to reveal their base to the mutant gang.

Don and his division finally arrived. The hideout is an unfinished construction site that was halted in its progress because of illegal documents. Other divisions arrived at the same time.

Don nodded to Cedric and the other division leader before they ran in the hideout.

When they arrived, they found the division that was attacked were safe. They had injuries, but they were safe and were resting their backs on the wall.

The same thing couldn't be said about the Jokerz. They were all lying on the ground...lifeless.

Their blood formed a giant puddle.

In the middle of it all, standing there, was a man in a brown trench coat and a red helmet.

"What happened here?" One of the division leaders asked.

"We were attacked by the Jokerz..." The division leader that was attacked clutched his broken rib as he forced himself to speak. "He came and saved us." He pointed at the man with a red helmet on.

"Who's he?"

"I don't know."

"Who are you?" Don asked him as he pointed with his chin.

"You can refer to me as the Red Hood."

"Why did you help them?"

"...because they needed it..." Red Hood said. "...and because I need you to join forces with me."

Cedric furrowed his brows. "Why do you need to join forces with us?...no...why would you think we'd want to?"

The Red Hood chuckled in his mask. "Do you still think that you have the advantage with numbers?"

"..."

"Exactly. No matter how much you outnumber them, as long as they don't play with you directly, you'll be targeted like this every time until none of you are left."

"...Then what do you propose?"

The Red Hood approached them. "You are currently leading this gang, am I right?"

"Yes." Cedric stood tall and claimed his current position.

"But only because your head got taken away, correct?"

"...Yes." Cedric's brows twitched.

"I want to hold your seat until we take back your real leader. If I help you defeat the Jokerz, that will help me get to the Joker. That's what I want to propose."

Cedric furrowed his brows. It's true that he can not lead the gang as good as the mutant leader did, but for a stranger to openly covet his position is irritating. How could this stranger even be sure that he can lead the gang better than him?

"Who are you to say that you are fit to lead this organization? You're nothing but an outsider." Cedric scowled.

"...You're right. I'm nothing but a stranger." He reached for the back of his helmet and clicked a button. The red helmet contracted until it became a mask that only covered his face. Once he removed the mask, he revealed another mask on his face. "Let me introduce myself again...I was Robin. Trained by the original Batman, not the one you know now."

The division leaders widened their eyes and murmured. Robin was also as famous as Batman for helping the caped crusader fight crime. Only Cedric and Don weren't phased by the sudden revelation.

"So, what?" Cedric said.

Red Hood scoffed. "You could certainly use my knowledge and training to help you defeat the Jokerz."

"Then why don't we just approach Batman?"

Red Hood furrowed his brows. "...That kid...he could surely help you win this war with the Jokerz...but it will be a prolonged fight. You will sustain many casualties as the war drags on. Mainly because of one problem that your gang also has...You aren't willing to kill."

"...That's what the mutant leader has imposed on us ever since. Are you saying we should abandon his rule?"

The Red Hood looked at the eyes of everyone there as he walked. "You are at war! This isn't some petty game of cops and robbers like you used to play." He walked back and forth. "You need to be willing to take a life, or else it's yours they will take. It's kill or be killed! You won't survive for long if you don't listen to my advice!"

The mutant gang were visibly shaken by his words. All of them had faces of worry.

"They won't listen to you..." Cedric said to the Red Hood.

"Because you still haven't given up your seat to me." Red Hood pointed at him and looked at the resr of the mutant gang. "You see! This man will lead you to your ruin! Do you expect him to bring back the mutant leader? A man who was appointed as his right-hand man and personal guard but failed when it mattered the most..."

Cedric widened his eyes at his statement. He took it personally and glared at him. Right when he was about to take a step forward, his arm was grabbed and pulled him back. He looked back and saw that it was Don.

Don shook his head as he gestured with his eyes to look at the other members of the gang that was looking at him with discontent.

Cedric had to clench his teeth and take it.

Red Hood continued on. "As I understand it, the mutant leader gathered you but didn't appoint himself as leader, didn't he? You yourselves took it upon yourselves to officially make him the leader. That means we could take a vote right now, to appoint me as your new leader." Red Hood smiled. He looked at the faces of the mutant gang. He already knows that he has won them over. "Raise your hands if you want me to take over Cedric's current role as leader!"

One by one, hands were raised. Some raised their hands with full conviction, and some with guilt over their faces as they glanced at Cedric.

"The Majority has spoken." Red Hood said. Only Cedric and Don's division didn't raise their hands along with a few other members from other divisions.

Don patted Cedric's back as they watched the mutant gang transition into a merciless vigilante group.

----

"...that's basically what happened." Don said before taking a bite of his chili cheese fries. He was talking to Terry about the current situation of the mutant gang inside a burger joint.

Terry furrowed his brows as he stared blankly at the food.

Don looked at the dazed Terry. "...I told you, you should have come back."

Terry looked back at him and shook his head. "It wouldn't have made a difference. What could someone considered as a traitor do?"

Don chuckled through his nose. "I think you underestimate your reputation too much...you don't know how influential you are with the other division leaders."

Terry frowned. "Then, I should have probably come back even if it was temporary."

Don looked at the contemplating Terry with a wry smile. "...Don't worry about it. What's done is done."

Terry looked at him with a wry smile as well. "..what are you going to do now?"

Don wiped his mouth with a napkin before leaning on the table. "Me and Cedric are planning to leave the gang."

"!!" Terry's mouth was agape. "You can't! That would make the group's situation hopeless!"

"Terry..." Don looked at him with a serious face. "To stay in the group, we'd have to soak our hands in blood. We won't be exceptions. It's what the mutant leader has always advised us not to do."

Terry leaned on the backrest of his chair in defeat. "What will happen to the mutant gang now?"

"It's not the mutant gang now... not the one we knew. They're really straying from what the mutant leader has created...After all the hard work that he's done to keep us from going on that path."

"Where will you go?"

Leaving the gang means they'll have to give back their protected territory.

"...Cedric said he has a base."

"Could it be the secret base of the mutant leader?"

The mutant leader's personal hideouts are not known to other members of the gang except for Cedric.

"...Maybe." Don shrugged.

After eating, both of them walked together and continued to chat for a while. Their relationship as friends improved because Terry is now being more open to Don unlike before when Terry was overly cautious on who to trust when they were criminals.

Terry suddenly stopped walking.

Don raised his brow and looked at Terry. "What is it?"

"I know that girl. She goes to GCU too." Terry replied.

Just a couple meters ahead, a girl with purple short hair looks like she's being harassed by three men. The girl was Max Gibson. Someone who Terry befriended when he visited his college.

Don gave Terry a smirk. "Should we rough 'em up a little bit?"

Terry raised a brow and smirked back at him. "What are you talking about? We're not thugs. We're just going to...talk it out with them."

Don chuckled. "I know how your talks go..."

Both of them started approaching the three men who were harassing Max Gibson.

"I told you, Carter! I won't give you any more favors! If you were so smart, why don't you do your own paperwork?!"

The man named Carter grabbed her wrist and pulled her by force. "I told you. I'm just too busy for that. If I wasn't, our roles would reverse and you'd just be second best." Carter grinned at her menacingly.

"Hey!" Terry suddenly entered the fray and pushed Carter away from Max Gibson.

Max widened her eyes. "Terry?"

Terry glimpsed at Max and said "Hey...my friend and I were just passing by and saw you with these guys." He said as he glared at Carter and his friends.

"This doesn't concern you." Carter glared back at him. He and his friends lined up and prepared for a fight. "Leave, if you don't want to get hurt."

"That's cute..." Don chuckled. "I'd love to see you try." He put his hand on Terry's shoulder and put his other hand in his pocket to project his leisure in this situation. He held his chin high and made a smug smile.

Terry heaved out a sigh and made a wry smile. "Stay back, Max. Don and I will handle this." He reached his hand towards Max and pulled her towards her back."

"What?!" Max didn't like Terry's meddling and yanked her arm back. "I don't like people doing things for me." She went back and lined up with Terry and Don.

"She's spunky. I like her already." Don remarked.

As they readied, Don noticed Carter widening his eyes at him. Like he realized something.

"What? You got scared now that the fight's even?" Don scoffed.

Carter stopped spacing out because of Don's snarky remark and fixed his facial expression into a straight face. "...we give up."

Terry, Don and Max tilted their heads and furrowed their brows in confusion at him.