Immediately, everyone sprang into action at Max's command. The delinquents, buzzing with restless energy, had been waiting for this very moment. This was their stage, their fight, their chance to prove themselves, and now it was time to act.
They surged forward without a moment's hesitation, carried by the electric charge in the air around them. Shouts and footsteps blended into a single roar as they crashed into the opposing forces, on one side, the rough-faced boys of Chalkline, and on the other, the hardened members of the Rejected Corps.
The first blows were swift and brutal. Bats swung through the air, colliding with skulls and cheeks with sickening cracks. Gang members flinched and staggered back, their surprise evident. Outnumbered and caught off-guard, they scrambled to retaliate.
