Orb Weaver: Interlude, the Criminal

Reina sat in Somer’s Rock for the second time. Only now it was different. Lung had called the meeting, but unlike Kaiser, he did not sit at the head of the table.

Reina understood why. Kaiser pretended to power. Lung is now the power of the Bay, and he doesn’t need to call attention to it.

The bugs had crushed under her foot as she’d walked into the place—even a few days later, not all streets were clear. Reina remembered them falling like a hard snow, collecting in brown drifts on the street, as the sky turned black and that Daemonic voice announced Kaiser’s downfall for all to hear.

And yet…

None dead. Save for Lebensraum. Restraint… though not mercy. Kaiser’s humiliation was all over the world, the videos playing on news shows, or set to music on PHO. Why not? The Empire was no longer here to show its anger. In six days, it had been erased.

You didn’t need to kill, not when you had a better alternative.

Although… nobody knew what had happened to Hookwolf, Purity, Stormtiger and Cricket.

The seats were full. The bigger groups, Faultline, Coil, the ABB, and some out of town groups, like the Friendly Boyz and Creek Bosses, were sitting at the center table. Before, those groups stayed clear of the Bay. Now…

The Empire was dead, and everyone was wondering if they could claim its crown.

“Gentlemen and Ladies,” Coil said. “We’re here to see what we’re going to do going forward.”

“We’re?” Honest Frank, second in command of the Friendly Boyz said, his clown makeup garish. “Don’t recall who put you in charge.”

“Consider me a facilitator, trying to ensure that none of us become Orb Weaver’s next object lesson.”

Honest Frank folded his arms and leaned back, but didn’t say anything.

“Keep the civilian body count down and we make Orb Weaver happy,” Tattletale said, the blond smirking.

“Really?” Faultline asked. “Care to share your genius?”

Tattletale snorted. “My sources say that Orb Weaver caught some Merchants about to force a runaway into prostitution. Not long later… the Merchants are gone. Then, the Empire goes after Krewe. Orb Weaver shows up, traumatizes the shit out of everyone, and leaves. I dunno, maybe he figured the lesson would stick. Then the Empire sends Victor in to drain the mind of a reporter who works with Orb Weaver. We all know how that turned out.”

“Orb Weaver does not care about our games,” Lung said, leaning forward, looming over Reina. He’d been bigger for the last week. Reina had been challenged to keep up with him, his mind making connections she hadn’t even seen. “Whatever he is, he sees the city as his—perhaps literally. If we harm the city, we harm him.”

“So what, become good little boys and girls?” One of the former E88 gang members, part of the splinter groups that were already forming, asked. “Wait until you come and go for us?”

Lung leaned back and smiled, gesturing to Reina.

“Our Truce will continue to be honored, even if the Empire is no longer with us,” she said. “So long as we are not attacked, we will not attack others.” Even if we could obliterate you, and everyone knows that.

There were murmurs. The out-of-towners were unable to keep from looking interested. The Bay groups were…

“It will be some time before the Bay’s police forces recover,” Coil said. “It’s true that they were heavily infiltrated by the Empire, but now… They’ll be focused on cleaning their own operations up, and half of the vice department, for example, are having interviews with the FBI. If we are quiet, we can continue to operate.”

“And those who are not quiet will answer to me,” Lung said.

“What about thefts, heists, that kind of stuff?” Circus asked from a booth. “Not all of us have big organizations to cut us a paycheck.”

“So long as it keeps away from the red lines,” Coil said. “No going after civilians, no battles in the streets that have half the city closed down.” He looked around. “We need to see this as an opportunity. With the Empire fighting everyone, the city was always a step away from chaos. Good, because it allowed us to get away with operations, bad because it was never stable. But every city has services the legal side of things can’t or won’t provide. That’s where we come in.”

“The people will be happy,” Tattletale said. “Orb Weaver may have taken down the Empire, but he scared the shit out of a lot of people. Half the Bay thought the Fourth Endbringer had shown up, and now that the news about Lebensraum is getting out… Yeah, I bet they wouldn’t be unhappy if Orb Weaver feels he can go on a vacation.”

“And yet,” Lung rumbled. “Others may be coming. I have heard rumors. The Teeth, the Fallen, perhaps even the Elite. They have not moved, but they are curious…” He stood up, looking around. “I suggest we continue to have regular meetings at Somer’s Rock. Instead of only meeting when there is a crisis, we will send representatives to keep issues from turning into disasters.”

Reina carefully didn’t smile. Lung had mentioned that on the way over.

“They expect me to growl and so I shall not. They expect me to demand victory and so I shall offer compromise. And they all know that we are now the most powerful group in the Bay, so they shall wonder why I do so…”

And Reina could see it. Tattletale had a frown on her face, as she bent down and whispered to Regent, while Coil had an intent look as he considered the ABB contingent. It was clear what they were wondering. What is Lung planning…

“Agreed,” Coil said. “In addition, we should all be careful of targeting police.”

“What? You gonna let the cops walk all over us?” someone called from the side booths.

Reina leaned forward. “The police were neutered by the Empire. Now they will not be. If you are smart, they will not be a problem, but groups that get a reputation for attacking police will be hammered down.”

She met his gaze, and the small time gang boss broke it first. Huh. The reputation for battling Leviathan did benefit me. I wonder if it is worth the nightmares.

There were other discussions, the small fry reminded that if they made too much trouble, Orb Weaver might also accept an offering to remain calm. But then…

The meeting started to break up, and Reina found herself and Lung speaking with Honest Frank.

“We had a deal with the Empire,” he said. “No Empire now, so we need a new deal.”

Lung frowned. “Smuggling cigarettes and tobacco.”

“Don’t forget high-quality booze. Nobody goes blind from our stock,” Honest Frank said. “You didn’t deal with us, but half the liquor stores in the city stocked from the Empire. But now…”

“Why not use the remains of the Empire?” Reina asked.

“Those assholes? Half of ‘em were the low-level thugs. Figure that sooner or later the glorious white race is gonna rise up again.” Honest Frank held one hand up, the tanned skin plain. “Kaiser was smart enough to not piss off his supplier. These idiots want me to provide guns and soldiers, and the Friendly Boyz don’t get involved in that shit.”

“And yet you went to them first,” Lung rumbled. “And now you come to us.”

“Yeah, my bad, and I’m not expecting the same deal. You got your own supplier for ABB and I’m not looking to muscle in. But…”

“What was the Empire tax?”

“Twenty percent of our take, and they handled distribution in the city.”

Easy enough when the Empire had so many city officials in their pockets, but now…

“Ten percent, and you handle distribution, but we’ll handle any other smugglers attempting to molest your operation,” Lung said.

“That’ll take some time. Gonna be some thirsty Brocktonites,” Honest Frank said.

“Then you can charge extra,” Reina replied. She saw it now, even if Lung had seen it first. They wanted the old deal so that the ABB would be between them and the authorities. Well, they would have to live with the disappointment.

Finally, Reina and Lung were in a car driving back to the ABB territory.

“Do you think the truce will last?” Reina finally asked.

“For the short term, yes,” Lung replied. “They are terrified of Orb Weaver. For the long term… That depends on us making tranquility more profitable than battle.”

“No conflict?”

“Always conflict, but on a different battlefield…” Lung turned to her. “Are you willing to be transferred to Arcadia?”

“Great Lung?”

“You have interacted with The Investigator, and it would be wise to have channels of communication with her—and Orb Weaver.”

“The Wards go to Arcadia. And the Investigator is likely to know who I am, or will soon. I wouldn’t underestimate her.”

“Nor would I. Why did you think I kept you away from some of the operations that The Investigator would not tolerate?”

Ah.

“I will need a few days to ensure that the ABB members at Winslow understand that the remains of the Empire at the school are not to be attacked, so long as they do not themselves attack.”

“Very well.”

The car was silent, and Reina had one thought. She had just managed to get an A average, but Arcadia was considered more demanding than Winslow.

And Lung was not going to tolerate failure in any way. Which meant in addition to taking more time for her growing duties in the ABB, she’d have to… keep her grades up.

She tried not to be obvious as she sighed. Why couldn’t she have a power to make more hours in the day?