Oscar "Madd Tabby" Glens's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

Oscar checked the week's salvage logs at his desk in the U-Store-It building. Both crews had stuck to their territories. No fights, no stolen claims. The numbers proved what he'd hoped—cooperation pulled in more salvage than competition. He locked the records in his filing cabinet and grabbed his pack. Time to find the next step. The Atomic Cats needed better tools to strip the old factories clean. Red Rock wanted transport to haul building materials faster. Oscar knew where to look. Military supply depots held equipment that could make both crews stronger. He pulled out his map and marked three possible locations within walking distance. Finding one working depot would give him leverage to keep the peace solid. Results built trust. He headed for the door, ready to scout. The first depot sat buried under collapsed concrete. Oscar marked it off his list. The second had been stripped clean years ago. He moved to the third location and found the entrance intact. Inside, metal shelves held tool kits, hydraulic jacks, and transport dollies. He filled his pack with what he could carry and made notes about the rest. This find would keep both crews equipped for months. On his way back, he spotted a brass-framed beacon half-buried in rubble. The yellow crystal inside caught the sun and threw light across the ground. Oscar dug it out and cleaned the frame. A signal like this could mark neutral ground where both crews felt safe to meet. Back at the U-Store-It, Oscar set the beacon outside where both factions would see it. The crystal blazed in the afternoon light. He walked the perimeter and found old wooden doors from a demolished building. Oscar spent two hours fitting them into an arch frame. When he finished, the peace gate stood solid with both doors meeting at the center. Each crew could walk through their own door and meet face to face. The structure said what words couldn't—two sides working toward the same point. Oscar surveyed the area near his workshop. An old tennis court sat abandoned, its fence bent but standing. The clubhouse behind it still had walls and a roof. He could clear the debris and turn it into a training space. Both crews could practice their skills together, build strength, and learn to trust through shared effort. Oscar grabbed his tools and started repairs. Peace needed more than words and trade. It needed places where people worked side by side and remembered they weren't enemies. He hammered the last board into place as the sun set. Tomorrow he'd bring both leaders here and show them what cooperation could build.