Oscar watched the Red Rock leader trace the boundary lines with one claw. The Atomic Cats leader nodded slowly. This was progress, but Oscar knew words meant nothing without action. He rolled up the maps and stood. "We test this for one week," he said. "Atomic Cats work the old factory district. Red Rock takes the collapsed housing blocks. Anyone finds trouble, we share the intel." Both sides agreed. Oscar shook paws with each leader. The real work started now. Oscar needed a place to keep records and track the agreement. He walked three blocks to the old U-Store-It building. The tan and blue exterior had faded, but the structure held strong. Green letters still marked the sign above the entrance. Inside, someone had cleared out the storage units and built office space. Oscar found filing cabinets and a working desk. He spread his maps on the table and started writing down each crew's assigned territory. Names, boundaries, and contact schedules filled the pages. This building would hold the proof of their deal. Back at his workshop, Oscar checked his power supply. The Dewey Electronics generator sat in the corner, its jungle camouflage paint chipped but intact. He needed it running to keep his equipment powered. Tools, lights, and communication gear all depended on steady electricity. He topped off the fuel and pulled the starter cord. The generator coughed once, then settled into a steady hum. Oscar adjusted the output and plugged in his radio. If either crew needed to reach him fast, he had to be ready. Water would matter too. Oscar dragged the MECO filtration system outside and connected it to his catchment barrels. The metal casing gleamed despite years of use. Clean water meant he could offer coffee to both crews when they checked in. Shared drinks built trust better than shared threats. He tested the flow and watched clear water fill his cup. The system worked. One week to prove peace could pay better than war. Oscar locked his tools away and headed out to check on the first day's salvage runs. Results would tell the story, not promises.

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.