“In their pocket or too weak to fight them,” Hawk says bluntly.
“Maybe both. But his term ends in eight months, and word is he won’t run again.” Josie’s expression darkens. “That’s the real problem. Summit’s already positioning someone to replace him. Daniel Vernick—owns businesses downtown, serves on the chamber of commerce. Looks clean, but I’d bet money he’s Summit-backed.”
“So they buy the houses, they buy the mayor, they get their zoning changes,” Mack summarizes. “And we’re fucked.”
“Not if we get ahead of it,” Stone says. “Josie, you said we need community involvement. What does that look like?”
“Town meeting. Soon. Get people together, explain what’s happening, organize opposition.” Josie looks around the table. “The more people who show up to oppose Summit at public hearings, the harder it is for politicians to ignore them. Especially in an election year.”
“The community trusts us,” Duck says. “They came to us before. They’ll come again.”
“Maybe.” Stone doesn’t sound convinced. “But there’s a difference between asking for help quietly and standing up in a public meeting. People are scared.”
“Then we frame it right,” Josie says. “This isn’t MC versus Summit. This is the community versus displacement. Luxury condos that no one in Stoneheart can afford, pricing out people who’ve lived here for decades.” She makes a note. “That’s the angle. This isn’t progress—it’s gentrification. And the community deserves a say.”
Stone stands, pacing to the wall and back. I can see him working through scenarios, weighing options.
“All right,” he says finally. “Here’s what we do. Josie, you work with the town clerk or whoever you need to work with to organize a town meeting. Make it official. Invite the press. Make it a real community event.”
“I can do that.”
“Tank, Hawk—door-to-door. Invite people to the meeting, get commitments they’ll show up and speak.”
“On it.”
“Bones, Axel—dig into Daniel Vernick. If he’s Summit’s plant, I want proof.”
“We’ll find it.”
“Mack, Duck—talk to Erica and anyone willing to be a public face. Get their stories ready.” He looks at Cash. “You handle logistics. Clubhouse needs to feel welcoming for civilians.”
Nods around the table.
Stone looks around the table. “This isn’t going to be quick. This isn’t going to be easy. But if we do this right—if we organize the community, fight this legally, and put pressure on the politicians—we can stop Summit from destroying this neighborhood.”
“And if we can’t?” Mack asks.
“Then we let them know that last time was just a warning—they need to stay out of Stoneheart or it’s war.”
The threat thickens the air. The MC will play by the rules as long as the rules work. But if Summit pushes too hard, if they threaten the community too directly?—
All bets are off.
“When’s the town meeting?” Hawk asks Josie.
“I’ll push for next week. Sooner the better. Gives Summit less time to organize their own counter-narrative.”
“One week.” Stone nods. “That’s our timeline. Bones and Axel, I want that research on Vernick before the meeting. Tank and Hawk, I want at least fifty residents committed to showing up. Josie, I want that meeting organized, advertised, and packed.”
Everyone nods, the energy in the room shifting from discussion to action.
“All right.” Stone heads for the door. “Let’s get to work. We’ve got a town to save.”
As everyone files out, I hang back for a moment. The weight of what we’re about to do settles over me—not just the research, but the bigger picture. We’re about to go to war with Summit again. Not with fists and bikes and burned buildings, but with paperwork and public hearings and political pressure.
It’s a different kind of fight. But it’s still a fight.
And this time, we’re going to stop them for good.
