It was a dark night. The city of Detroit slept, but in a small back room of Angelina’s Lounge a meeting was being held. The city of Detroit had some new operations in town and it was time for them to get to know each other a little better so as to ensure that operations ran smoothly.

As the hours passed the topic of conversation finally reached that of the favour system. Eyes flickered around the room...no one wanted to speak first...but eventually a voice from the shadows made a suggestion.

“The way I see it is this. We are Detroit now. Chance has brought us together, but it will not keep us together for ever. I suggest that we say fuck the favour system - if someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us. Who cares if our Mother City of Chicago gives the nod, they can get it too”.

There was a pause and then a murmur of agreement. Three drinks were topped up and a knife drawn from a cabinet. Around a flickering candle Angelina, Vincent__Costello and DaFuMetalhead downed their drinks and drew blood, swearing to support one another regardless of the consequences.

*********

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I will keep this to the point, as is my preferred style.

I have many little birds floating around the six cities and among them the city of Detroit is well covered indeed. It was brought to my attention that a meeting took place a short while ago and in this meeting three families agreed to flout everything that the favour system stands for, regardless of the inevitable impact it would have on their life expectancies.

Today I make my own blood oath. We have a system that provides opportunity to anyone with ambition. If you think yourself better than that system, but don't invest the effort to prove it then you will not last. Furthermore, if you even dream of scratching the city of Chicago then when you wake up you better come and apologise.

I know that these three pigs could never have touched so much as a hair on me. But nor do I want to allow them to ever get a chance at touching an innocent member of my city...well...innocent compared to me anyway…

Ladies and Gentlemen. The vermin has been exterminated. Please go about your business. And to any other young hopefuls in the city of Detroit - the door remains open, but remember how this system works.

Someone lied to you sir. You should know that is a fact. Next time fucking talk to us. We were working hard for you and we were loyal. I don't know who lied, but I hope they rot in hell for all eternity. 

Jupiler looked at Bonkers with a sad look on his face and wonders when this thing of ours became dictated by rumours instead of facts. But that doesn't matter now. As long as Paranoia rules over ones mind logic shall never prevail.

Jupiler walks of with slumped shoulders and pity for the godfather.

Bobby. You do realize that people weren't killed for doing it? People were killed for talking about doing it.

If you're a decent leader, like our soon to be ex-Godfather - apparently, is he going to wait for his innocent people to die before taking a real threat where people are discussing attacking his guys seriously? You must be joking, seriously. I think you need to reconsider who you called stupid, while then backing up all the allegations that had been made against the leaders that fell.

You even think about talking about that shit and you have to worry about being killed. When you talk about it with people that happily then share it with Bonkers you better be damn sure he'll do something about it.  

BlackJack appears from the crowd after listening to the speech delivered by Bonkers. He finishes his cigarette before stamping it out on the ground. He pauses for a moment, there is a look of pure disgust on his face:

"GodFather Bonkers, it saddens me that your hand was forced to take this kind of action. Upon first hearing of this news I was sure that it was a gross misunderstanding. While I have not seen any proof of this meeting, I am now of the view that it must have taken place. I have been contacted to the kin of the late Angelina who has accused me of betraying them. This kind of behaviour just proves to me that while she demanded trust, she gave none. Since the actions of her kin, I have no doubt that her ego would have gotten in the way and she would have become a cancer on our young city. 

In the event that any such meeting did take place, I wish to publicly condemn the actions of those involved. I, along with the remaining leaders, would not plot to bite the hands that have fed us so well. I personally remain thankful to the leaders of Chicago and the greater country for allowing me the opportunity to build my own crew."

BlackJack takes a fresh cigarette out of his left breast pocket and lights it up. He offers a cigarette to Bonkers before requesting a private moment to discuss the particulars of what happened.

The only people 'taken out' by Chicago were the upper structure members that had to die. They either had been part of the pact which threatened our safety, which deserves death, they would have gone done shooting with their fallen leader, which requires death, or they weren't the least bit loyal or honorable and wouldn't have cared about their leaders death, which totally deserves death.

The only other people attacked from there were those too careless to have worn a family tag. Anyone wearing a tag gets the customary seven days protection. Anyone not wearing it gets a target on their backs. You can try and blame other people for that all you like, but that one is totally on your father or mother's head. You choose which family you join. You choose which leader you trust. You choose who to dedicate your life to. If you make the wrong decision that ain't on our shoulders. 

There's no paranoia involved, we will protect our own. There was a meeting. There were talks of silly attacks. There were consequences. It's quite simple really. 

No, it doesn't sound like that at all.

I told him we took out the required upper structure people. I then illustrated why we didn't care if they were especially loyal or not at all, as either way those people 100% deserved death. Anyone else in the families we literally didn't and don't care about. I care about my family and those in Chicago. Not families in other cities that are actively planning attacks.

We do enforce protection orders. We do have rules. That isn't about Detroit residents so much as we want our own to be damn sure they follow orders and listen to commands. This is our business after all. You won't find that couple in the obits, at least not yet. So hard to speak on hypotheticals that haven't happened. A single former Detroit member seems to have fallen after moving on to a new family, but without having any details on who the shooter might have been or what the reason for the shot might have been it would be careless and tasteless to openly conjecture on the streets with no knowledge to back it up.

People can be angry and upset all they want. I really don't mind. When they lie or make unfounded remarks, I'll call bullshit on them. They're welcome to keep coming back angry. I can shout bullshit lots. 

Kerouac said it best, Booty. Paranoia, rumors, and shadiness have run This Thing from the start. Stick around a few years, or ask the old timers. Good or bad, it's just the way it is.

She sits and listens. "There will always be outrage after a family member's death... Always has been, always will be. One comment catches her attention. She'd been pouring over the memoirs of her most recent familial relation's death and sighs heavily. 

BountyOnBooty, please one moment? Thank you.

She adjusts her jacket and pats the bench beside her.

Have a seat sir, you look haggard.

Noticing he wants nothing of that she decides just to voice her own opinion.

We all will die the same as our predecessors. It's the nature of the beast here. However, you speak of a time when people actually had to do something to die rather than having their murders based on he said, she said backroom "whispers" that something "may be" or "will be" happening... When was this time? I've gone over generations of journals and notes looking for such a time and came up empty handed. Great journals. Many great, fantastic journals. This has ALWAYS happened. ALWAYS. Since day one of humanity and more importantly since day one here, in our world.

She waits to be regaled with tales of when the world was so much better and those Bounty's family had the joy of a perfect world.

While it is sad that it came to this, it's not the first time, it won't be the last time. People should learn that when you speak of insurrection and others hear, others more loyal to friends outside of their family or crew, they will share it to those they feel a tighter bond to. It doesn't matter if the plan is fully formulated and action intended or not. The thought of doing such a thing is there. This poses risk to those that are the intended targets. Just be happy only a few died rather than the entire city.

BountyOnBooty, I'm not sure if that view is a little naive or a little something far worse... but it sure is something.

I have to imagine these 'times' you speak of must have occurred during your sleep. They sure as heck have never happened on these shores. Rumors, whispers, and homicidal whims have always been a major part of families dying in this thing of ours. For damn good reason too. You protect your own. 

Having said that, none of those reasons are relevant here. Hard facts were found. Details were checked and the picture painted. Just moments ago we had the family of one of the deceased confirm many of the details in person. Suggesting a kill happened on nothing more than whispers and rumor is a bit much when the information gathered, some of which has already been presented by Godfather Bonkers, has been confirmed as accurate. 

As for a family not having the means to do any damage? I'm really not sure if you're joking there. You might not care about the lives of your brothers and sisters in New York, but I can assure everyone that here in Chicago we sure do. There were threats to the lives of our people. The minute someone dons a bold suit their courage and confidence tends to soar. That alone would tend to give them the ability to make shots they otherwise might have missed.

This is how our world works. This was a threat. This was a threat we found detailed, accurate and confirmed information about. This was a threat we ended.

To sum it up in a nice bow, let me turn to some clichés. "Loose lips sink..." no wait, that doesn't rhyme. Let me try another. I think the 16th-century philosopher Sir James of Vardy said it best with his immortal words "Chat shit, get banged".

As I've stood here and listened to the salty kin of the deceased and the responses being given to them by others, one thing has struck me as going unmentioned. Perhaps, in my opinion at least, the most important of all things considering who it was that was killed - the favor system.

Detroit was not a traditional city full of traditional auths. In a traditional format you are vetted and have to prove yourself before you are given the nod to put on a bold suit. You are, hopefully, well known by the person giving you auth and others in the city as well. In the free cities, all you have to do is ask. What you’re asking for isn’t the right to have a normal traditional crew. You’re asking for a chance to put on a bold suit and then prove to others that you are fit to wear it. And if you don’t, or can’t, prove that then you are bound to be killed.

People want to step out here and talk about paranoia or CH flexing its muscles or simply being bored, or whatever reason they want to use instead of what really matters. The families that fell were ones that hadn’t gained enough favor. The kin of the deceased Angelina stood on another corner near here and shouted and said they should have been talked to before being wiped out. Perhaps they would have been, if they had gained enough favor. If enough of the Godfather’s advisors had come forward and said “Hey, I’ve really gotten to know that person, they’ve made a lot of effort and I don’t think they would really participate in this.”

TsuDhoNimh recently gave a speech on the importance of building bridges so I won’t keep going on the topic. But I encourage the kin of the fallen to listen to it carefully. Had enough bridges been built, and been built securely, then perhaps you would have been spoken to first.

That's interesting, Daniella. Were all 3 persons out of favour or where the claims regarding them enough to put aside the favour system and take them down?

Because if all 3 were not in favour, I wondered when we would've seen one of the consequences put in effect. I'm sure people are not so much in favour at the moment, but it's surprising that all leaders who died were out of favour when these accussations surfaced. Or atleast, according you that was what prevented a different approach. Especially since all leaders who are asked are confident about their status.

Bonkers, can you confirm whether these leaders were in favour or not and whether their status would've mattered after the evidence that surfaced? It would shed some light on the system and it's current state that I'd find interesting.

Daniella speaks spefically about gaining favour. Can we assume everyone out of favour unless indicated otherwise?

That sounds reasonable and it does teach us a bit more about the amount of favour someone carries. Thank you for the insight on how different type of street appearances make for a fine or less impressive example for leaders in this thing of ours. Thank you for this, Godfather. It's much appreciated.

Having listened to all the responses, I have only thing that I would like to address, related to the aggrieved relatives of the deceased. While some may not grasp why they died and prefer to deny it was their crew leaders fault, I can only suggest that you were not given any of thedetails of discussions or plans by your upper structures as they wanted to reduce the possibility of leaks, presumably. My point is, that just because your parents didn't know about said discussions or plans does not mean that they weren't true. 

Just some food for thought.