Sarah, Elaine, and I kept talking for about another fifteen minutes or so. The conversation didn't go anywhere new. Elaine kept stressing that my plan would work, but the aftermath would turn ugly.
Sarah agreed with that part, though for different reasons. She still thought the factory was the root cause of it all, even though it would be likely everyone would find something new to fight over.
I kept trying to get more information out of them, but they wouldn't give me much more. They were too vague and knew it. They purposely left me in the dark about a lot of details.
Eventually, the conversation died down and we each went our separate ways.
I was starting to feel sick too.
Having realized that even if the factory was destroyed, or if the conflict got too big, people would start fighting outside of it.
Everyone has grown hate and resentment towards each other to the point that the factory doesn't matter to them. It's all about coming out on top now.
So, I left with only one thing on my mind.
It's time I take back Factory 24.
———————————————————————
It's now been about a month since the start of seventh grade.
Elaine is in independent study and I haven't talked to her since the cafe.
Andrew still thinks he's in complete control over Factory 24. It's kind of sad how he hasn't realized just how bad the tensions have gotten there. Axel is working his ass off trying to keep everything together.
But maybe, from the inside, it looks like his control is absolute.
If I had to make a guess, Andrew is high on his power. It's the first time he's had control of so many people. That night we used him to take Factory 24 from Thomas, he called up a bunch of random groups who didn't have much to do with each other.
And now that he's in control of them all, they are sowing discord between each other.
Tensions are at their highest point yet.
There are groups who are loyal to Andrew.
Some only stayed because he won.
Some just like having the space.
I've had some of the high schoolers from the old Factory 24 spread rumors and instigate fights between groups from the new Factory 24 at school.
And now, all it needs is one final push.
Me.
One day after school, I got word that Andrew would be holding a meeting with everyone.
I didn't know what it was about, but I figured it to be the perfect chance.
I waited about fifteen minutes after the meeting started before walking straight to the front gate.
He obviously had a couple guards watching outside the gate. Upon seeing someone younger, they were about to rush inside to tell him. But they realized it was me, the person who once ruled Factory 24 and helped Andrew take it.
"Oh, it's that kid! What should we do? Should we tell Andrew?"
"Don't worry, guys. I'm here for the meeting. Sorry I'm late."
"What? You're here for the meeting?"
"That's what I said. Now, you gonna let me in? Or no?"
"Go right in! We'd rather stay on Andrew's good side!"
He said that in a joking way. It sure didn't seem like he was joking, though.
I walked in.
The makeshift door still wasn't replaced. It was loud. Really squeaky.
Andrew was giving his speech on something when everyone had to stop and listen to the squeak of the door.
What an awkward entrance!
I still walked in there like I belonged there, though. It felt like something out of a movie scene.
After noticing me, Andrew immediately told everyone to surround me.
"Woah, there! I'm not here to fight," I said. "I just have a few words to say at this meeting of yours!"
I looked over to see Axel. He was on edge.
He knew what was about to happen, and couldn't stop it.
"Andrew... I think you should get rid of him, instead of listening!"
"The fuck are you talking about, Axel? This kid is our guest today. What's a couple of words!"
Andrew was happy. He was probably going to give me a good bashing for interrupting his meeting after saying what I had to.
But I wouldn't give him the chance.
But that chance was actually kind of small. If I didn't get control of the room immediately, it could end up bad for me.
Instead of addressing Andrew first, I addressed everyone else.
I'd learned every member's name in the new Factory 24.
I also knew the names of the ones who would help me shake up tensions right then and there.
"Noah. Oliver. Theodore. James. Henry. Elijah. Lucas. William. Benjamin. Levi. Sebastian. Daniel. Jack. Michael. Ethan. Asher. Hudson. Luca."
I noticed each one tense when I called their name.
They all had something in common.
They were frustrated. They had complained before. They were the ones who stayed for the space, not for Andrew. They didn't like how Andrew ran things.
"What do you actually think about how this place is being run?" I said. "What if I told you I could run it better than Andrew ever could?"
That grabbed their attention, even some others' attention.
Not because it's subtle, either.
But because it was openly disrespectful.
Andrew was furious.
"Hah!? Are you trying to die?"
I kept going before he could continue.
"Andrew has made a mess of this place. He doesn't know what you guys want. I doubt he even knows your names. I know the name of every single person in here. I consider everyone equal. 'Monarch of 24?' Bullshit. That's a name forced upon me. I will give you what you want."
I stopped to breathe.
Andrew tried to take that second to talk.
"■■■■■■ is lying! He's th-"
"Andrew is incompetent! He doesn't even realize what is happening in the factory! He's blind to his own power! Right now, there are a quarter of you who want to rebel against him! And he doesn't even realize! The reason he's even made it this far is because of Axel! Axel is the one truly running the factory! All Andrew knows is violence! You guys follow him because he won, not because he runs the factory well."
Then I finished it off.
"I run the factory well. Clear structure. Stable friendships. Less pointless domination. More freedom inside and out of the factory. If you are loyal to me, you won't regret it."
People were swayed.
Not everyone, but enough.
The room started to split. About half the members turned around and circled me opposite of everyone else.
The first real break. Andrew has lost. But there's still enough to come back.
So I kept going.
"Half of you just switched sides from a few sentences."
"That's not because I'm special."
"It's because Andrew is weak."
That line landed.
Andrew snapped, ordering everyone still on his side to start attacking.
It would've turned into quite the messy brawl if they did.
But no one moved.
That's the moment he truly lost.
Not when he was questioned. When his order means nothing.
"I would never force my people to prove loyalty over something this stupid. I let people breathe. I let people think. Andrew wants a regime. I want a factory that actually lasts. Some of you might underestimate me because I'm only eleven. But I can do this better than someone who's sixteen."
That swayed the rest.
Well, all but about seven.
Not because they suddenly liked me.
But because they witnessed Andrew fail right in front of them.
Andrew was scared. His expression was that of a dog that broke a vase.
Axel knew it was lost from the moment I started talking, and just sat down to watch the show.
———————————————————————
After Andrew's support had collapsed, I told those near the doors to open them.
They did.
And then a real show of force came in.
A flood of kids ranging from ten to fifteen could be seen walking through every door.
All the old Factory 24 loyalists.
Everyone I had been coordinating with quietly.
At this point in time, there were well over two hundred kids in the factory now. It was overwhelming having so many crammed into this small factory.
At that point, no one even tried to side with Andrew. They all realized that this was planned to be far more than just one confrontation. We were getting the factory back, whether or not they liked it.
Andrew gave up.
Even Axel was a little stunned. He didn't expect me to have a force like this.
I walked to the desk Andrew was on, shoved him off, and climbed up.
"Hello everyone," I said calmly. It was silent. "Welcome to the new Factory 24."
Then my face turned dark.
"Those who want out, leave. Those who want in, stay."
"My name is ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■. And I am the leader of Factory 24. Any objections?"
Andrew immediately shouted:
"I fucking object!"
I wasn't expecting that. I thought he had given up entirely.
I guess even those at rock bottom might still have some fight in them.
I just smiled and said, "Any objections minus Andrew, Axel, and Thomas?"
Silence.
No one objected.
That silence was the real victory.