Chapter 44 Trust

"The Black Hand Gang," Zack suddenly said while they walked toward his home.

It didn't ring a bell for Connor, but hearing the name of that group, it was hard for Xavier not to react.

And, seeing his reaction, it confirmed to Zack what he had believed to be the truth.

"It was you, right? The one that got into an altercation with them and burnt down their brothel," he asked.

Xavier was obviously shocked, and just how he even knew about what happened was a surprise enough, but for Zack to connect it to him was just absurd.

Even the NYPD didn't make any connection to him, so how did he figure it out?

And it didn't seem to be a wild guess either, since he appeared to be very sure about it.

"Well, you're partly right. I did get into an altercation with them, but the brothel burning down was just a coincidence," Xavier answered, not bothering to hide it from them.

He had previously decided not to mention it, but since it was already out there, it was pointless to try to hide it any longer.

"Hmm. That makes sense, but where did you go after the incident? And who was it that picked you up?"

Grabbing his collar, Xavier was shocked by how much Zack knew, as he pushed him against a wall.

"Hey! Relax," Connor tried to pull Xavier off Zack, but it was to no avail, and a single glare from his new boss caused him to back off.

"Tell me. How do you know all of this?" he asked sternly.

He never expected himself to lose composure, but thinking about how much trouble he and Angela could get to if what had happened got out, how could he not?

Zack was struggling to get his words out as he uttered, "I-I-I saw the CCTV of the store behind the brothel."

"How?"

"I hacked into it and, after connecting the dots, corrupted the footage, so nobody else will be able to access or salvage it. I'm sure nobody else saw it other than me," he answered.

"But how did you know it was me?!"

"It's obvious. Gunshots. You have a gunshot wound. The Crazy Slasher was in the gang. You have knife wounds. You also suddenly want to form a gang. And you have a similar physique to the masked figure. The timing of everything just fits."

Zack didn't seem to be lying, and calming down, Xavier apologised for losing control, and Connor was also surprised to see him react that way.

"It's because of that cop, Angela, right?" Zack asked.

Once again, Zack shocked him, but he didn't bother getting angry as he asked, "How do you know that name?"

"The police report was made by her and the licence plate of the car that picked you up matches hers. Don't worry, after realising, I did my best to get rid of any traces of you and her, but you need to be more careful."

"So you mean to tell me you can hack into the NYPD and access their police reports, and can also cross-reference licence plates to find out the identity of the owner of the car?"

"Well, not easily, but yeah. I told you I would be an asset to the gang, and just wanted to show you what I could do. I just didn't expect you to react that way..." he answered.

Taking a deep breath, Xavier ruffled up Zack's hair as if he was a child, "You really are amazing."

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Zack would be capable of so much at such a young age, and to think he had made all of those connections.

His intelligence, analysis and judgement skills were great, and matched with his hacking capabilities, he truly was a great addition to the gang.

But also someone that Xavier had to be wary of, as he already knew too much.

[Trust. A gang is built around trust, and he welcomed you into his home and showed you his only loved one, and yet you can't trust him. So far you aren't showing to be such a great leader] the system commented.

'Trust. It's easier said than done, and with only a few members, I already feel vulnerable. One knows my mother, the other my first crime, and lastly, the other is my source of income. I feel pathetic,' he thought to himself.

[But if it was possible to become the Greatest Gangster alone, then there would be no need to form a gang or trust anyone. I am not telling you to trust everyone or to completely trust anyone, but have some faith in those that chose to follow you. Otherwise, how do you expect them not to break your trust, if you can't even trust them in the first place?]

Xavier knew the system was right and putting himself in Zack's position, after investigating an incident and finding his boss's involvement in it, not only did he remove any traces, but he also came and reported it to him.

If he truly was untrustworthy, he wouldn't have even mentioned it, and yet he had flipped out and even scared him.

"Zack, it won't happen again."

"What won't?" he asked, confused by Xavier's sudden declaration.

Xavier had gone silent and appeared to be deep in thought, then suddenly blurted out that it wouldn't happen again, so obviously Zack would be baffled.

And what was that even supposed to mean?

"Well... I mean that I won't ever doubt your intentions again. We are a gang built around trust, and I just lost control, but you can trust me and vice versa."

Zack smiled and reassured him that he wasn't upset and his reaction was understandable, as Connor started to tease Xavier for being corny.

"You big oaf. It seems as though I still need to teach you a lesson in tomorrow's training," Xavier threatened, as he glared at him.

"..."

Connor clearly became nervous, as Zack and Xavier burst out into laughter, seeing how quickly his facial expressions had changed.

Laughing it off, Connor joined the two of them as they spoke between themselves until they reached Zack's home.

"Make sure you go to school tomorrow, then come to the dojo after," Xavier instructed, as they bid Zack farewell.

"I will," he reassured them as he went inside with a wide smile, feeling a sense of comradery for the first time.

With that, Xavier's first day after forming a gang had been over...

Or so he thought.

But first, he had to go back home, and making his way there with Connor, Xavier was curious to see how his mother was faring with those three little demons.