*SLAM*

Roman Torchwick slammed the door shut on his safe house, which was mostly dark and empty room save for a table and bed. He paced the room, frustration written on his face.

"Tough night Roman?"

"AAH!" Torchwick jumped at the feminine voice, realizing that he was not alone in the room. He whirled around, searching for the voice.

"Who's that?!" said Torchwick, raising his cane, "I'm armed!"

A burst of flame appears out of nowhere, carried by a woman in a sleek red dress.

"Oh, Cinder!" said Torchwick, "You should knock before entering someone's house."

"This is your house?" said Cinder, "It's not exactly clean."

"Oh shut up," said Torchwick, "Don't talk to me about the cleanliness of my home after I lost my partner and most of my operation."

"Yes," said Cinder, not a hint of empathy in her voice, "How tragic."

Torchwick's nostrils flared as he pointed his cane at Cinder, "I just took one hell of a loss for you! Don't be a pretentious bitch."

Cinder put on a wicked smile as the fire in her hands expanded and grew brighter, forcing Torchwick to shield his eyes and back away.

"Don't bother threatening me," said Cinder, "you have no chance in a fight."

"Alright alright!" said Torchwick, "Just don't blind me!"

Cinder reduced the intensity of the flames, "Come, you have a meeting with someone."

Cinder walked to the door, gesturing for Torchwick to follow. Torchwick sighed and did as he was told.

"So, any plans to free Sionis?" said Torchwick, "I'd like to have my partner back."

"Sionis was good at keeping the White Fang in line, but he was too good. The ones who got captured refuse to rejoin us out of fear." said Cinder, "You'll have a new contact soon."

"Now just wait a minute." said Torchwick, "You can't just drop Sionis like that!"

"We just did," said Cinder.

"Well, at least let him go to jail," said Torchwick.

"Unfortunately, Sionis will likely be pressured to reveal our plans for a lighter sentence." said Cinder, "Your new partner is taking care of that."

Torchwick sighed, "Damn."

Cinder nodded as the two stepped onto the street. Cinder walked to a nearby car and ushered Torchwick inside, getting in herself as a White Fang driver began to take them to their destination.

"Hey, don't you usually have some sidekicks?" asked Torchwick.

"If you're referring to Emerald and Mercury, yes, normally they're present," said Cinder.

"Alright, where are they now?" asked Torchwick, "Hopefully not doing my job."

"No, they're just learning some new things from your new partner." said Cinder, "We learned of him through the person we're going to meet."

"Who are we meeting?" asked Torchwick, "If you don't mind me asking?"

"He's newer to our circle, but he's also a valuable asset," said Cinder.

"And your pets, what are they learning?" asked Torchwick.

"How to tie up loose ends." said Cinder.

The police van rumbled as it traveled along the coastline, passing the fish shops along the docks. It was nighttime, the only light coming from the moon and the headlights of the van. Two armed guards sat in the front seats, keeping an eye on the road. Roman Sionis, the Black Mask, sat in the back, accompanied only by his handcuffs and his previously clean white suit, now stained with dirt and blood.

"Goddamn, Tom!" said the driver, "Why are all the lights out?"

"Apparently one of the explosions at the docks knocked out the power grid." said the guard in the passenger seat, "There are no working lights for a few more miles, so quit complaining Jerry."

"Hey, less traffic right?" said Sionis.

"Shut up back there!" said the guard, "I don't want to hear another word."

Sionis sighed, "That was profoundly rude, I'll be sure to return the gesture once I'm free."

"Not sure what you mean by free." said the driver, "The other suspects have all confessed to witnessing you lop a guys head off, so first-degree murder is a surefire offense."

Sionis grumbled, "I'll be free soon, I've got friends in high places."

"Sure you do." said the guard.

"Seriously," said Sionis, "I might not even reach the jail."

The guard turned his head around to look Sionis in the eyes, "The hell are you talking abou-"

*BUMP*

A sound startles the guards in front, prompting Sionis to sit up straight.

"What was that?!" asked the driver.

"I think you just hit a bump," said the guard, "it came from my side."

"Check out the window," said the driver, "I don't wanna find out I hit someone."

The guard sighed "Fine." before rolling the window down and peeking his head out. The wind was heavy, making it difficult to keep his head out for long.

"See anything?" said the driver.

The guard looked to his right, "No, nothing on the road."

*Bump*

"What was that?" asked the guard.

"The roof." said the driver, "Check it out."

"Man," said the guard, turning his body to look towards the roof, "You are such a bi-"

The guard froze.

"What?" asked the driver, "What do you see?"

The guard didn't say anything.

"Tom?" said the driver.

"GUY ON THE ROOF!" shouted the guard, pulling out a service pistol.

*SLICE*

Before the guard has a chance to fire, a sword cuts through the guard's neck like warm butter, lopping off his head instantly.

"TOM!" shouted the driver as the rest of the guard's body slides through the window and onto the street. The driver pulls out his service revolver and begins wildly firing it upward.

"SHOW YOURSELF YOU COWARD!" shouted the driver.

A sword plunges through the roof as well as the driver's head with a resounding *SCREECH*, spraying hot crimson all over the front. With no one at the wheel, the van careens out of control before flipping on its left side. Sionis tumbled from within as the van slid to a stop next to the ocean, where it sat precariously, only a little weight needed to tip it over the edge.

Sionis groaned, rolling onto his front and climbing to his feet. He stumbled to the back of the van, currently facing away from the coast, and peered through the window.

"C'mon, where are you, you bastard." grumbled Sionis.

Slowly but surely, a figure stepped into the moonlight, along with two other figures. Sionis squinted, making out more and more details from the initial figure before finally recognizing him.

"Slade," said Sionis.

The man raised his hand, and the other two figures stopped their approach, allowing the man to proceed alone. The shattered moon illuminated the man's figure, revealing some black and orange chain mail and a mask, which notably only had one white eyehole.

"I would have appreciated it if you didn't almost kill me." said Sionis, "But a rescue is a rescue, nice to see you, Slade."

The man, apparently named Slade, stopped at the back of the van, staring Sionis down through the window.

"What?" said Sionis, "Something in my teeth? Come on, open the damn door already!"

*SCREECH*

Sionis looked down, finding a blade had been driven through the door as well as his chest. The metal screeched again as Slade pulled the blade out, causing Sionis cough up blood while falling on his back. Clutching his chest, he looked through the window, watching as Slade sheathed his blade on his back.

"Slade, you son of a bitch." gurgled Sionis.

In response, Slade placed his foot on the van and applied weight, watching as the vehicle slid over the edge and into the ocean with a massive *SPLASH*. Slade watched as the van sunk beneath the waves before turning around and walking back. Slade approached the 2 other figures as the moon cast it's light on them. One was a boy in a gray and black jacket with silvery hair while the other was a woman with dark skin, green hair, and red eyes who wore a white and olive top.

"Hmm," said the silver-haired boy, "nice job."

"I'm not the one who's meant to learn here, you are." said Slade, "I made some intentional mistakes, point out what I did right and what I did wrong."

The green-haired girl put her finger to her chin, "You didn't make small talk with the target, you offed him quickly, that's a good thing. But you paused before killing the guards. Your biggest mistake was letting the driver fire his weapon, it caused a lot of unnecessary noise."

"Very good Sustrami," said Slade, "Black, learn as fast as Emerald here and you'll be a fine assassin like your father was."

The boy with silver hair crossed his arms, "Don't talk about my father."

Slade sighed, "You hold onto the past, it'll drag you down."

Slade turned around, "Time to go, we'll meet back at the warehouse later."

Roman Torchwick's cigar slid out of his open mouth as he gawked at the tower in front of him. The massive L at the top didn't make it any less intimidating.

"Quit staring and get in Torchwick."

Torchwick turned his sight to ground level as Cinder ushered him into the building. Torchwick sighed, following Cinder through the lobby. It was surprisingly busy for that time of night, interns hurrying stacks of papers everywhere. Cinder led Torchwick to an elevator, which promptly opened for them. Getting in and pressing the button, Cinder and Torchwick began to ascend.

"So," said Torchwick, "This guy's a high ranking individual in Lexcorp?"

"You could say that." said Cinder.

"What position is he? CFO? Chief Advisor?" Asked Torchwick.

"Think higher." said Cinder.

"Higher?" said Torchwick.

*DING*

"Send the damn footage up now or I'll have you fired without severance!"

The elevator doors open, revealing a massive office the size of a penthouse. Marble floors and pillars were lined with lab equipment and exquisite paintings peppered the walls. A single polished wood desk sat next to the windows, occupied by a bald man in a navy blue suit who was currently on the phone.

"Our new member is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation." said Torchwick, flabbergasted.

Cinder ignored him, walking up to the man, "Lex."

"Hm?" Lex looked up from his desk, spotting Torchwick and Cinder, "Ah, visitors! We'll continue this talk another time."

Lex hung up the phone, interlacing his fingers as Torchwick approached the desk, "So, you're our new member."

"Indeed Mr. Torchwick," said Lex, "I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but your reputation truly precedes you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Torchwick.

"You know what it means, I'd assume so from an adult with a brain." said Lex, standing up, "I'll make this quick, simply due to the fact that I don't want you in my presence any longer than you need to be."

Lex waved his hands as he passed Torchwick, creating a holographic image of the city of Vale. Lex pointed to a specific area on the map, "This will be your new base of operations. I chose it specifically for convenience in shipping as well as it's low visibility."

Torchwick pored over the map, "Sure, fine, but let's not forget my lack of muscle."

"White Fang troops will reinforce your ranks," said Lex, "as well as some new assistants to accompany you."

Lex made a motion with his finger, replacing the map with a hologram of a man in a red hoodie wearing a golden masquerade mask, "Lonnie Machin, prodigy when it comes to radical philosophy, should help sway the White Fang to your side."

"Oh, so he's an anarchist." said Torchwick.

"Precisely, I see you aren't mentally deficient."Lex motioned his finger again, bringing up a lanky man with black hair wearing a lab coat, "Dr. Jonathan Crane, I recommend him to spice up the train explosives with his own formulas, making those caught in it more attractive to grimm."

"A doctor?" said Torchwick, "Why would he help us."

"Mr. Crane is obsessed with fear." said Lex, "Any chance to spread some using his own gas is a chance he'll take."

Lex motioned his finger once more, bringing up the hologram of a man in chain mail, wearing a black and orange mask with one eye slit, "And finally, we have your new partner, Slade Wilson."

Torchwick's eyes widened, "You….You're pairing me with Deathstroke, The Terminator, the deadliest assassin in the history of man?"

Lex sighed, "Yes, your partner is Mr. Wilson."

Cinder stared at the hologram, "A truly excellent choice Mr. Luthor."

"I would like to thank you for the compliment if I knew it was genuine." said Luthor, "Unfortunately, the opposite seems to be true." Luthor sighed, "Alright, one more thing."

Luthor walked up to Torchwick and handed him a large red button, "I've heard tales of a bulletproof man getting in your way, if you meet it again, press this button."

Torchwick looked skeptically at the button, "What if it doesn't work?"

Luthor frowned, "It works, perfectly, unless you are of course incapable of pressing a button, something basic primates are capable of."

"Jeez alright!" said Torchwick, "What does it do?"

"I'm working on that, but it'll be done soon." said Luthor, "I've said what needs to be said, get him out of my office."

Cinder sighed, walking by Torchwick and ushering him to the elevator. As they both stepped in, Torchwick grumbled "Kind of a dickhead isn't he?"

Luthor sighed, letting the insult slide, "When man puts his mind to it, he can do anything." he monologues to himself.

He walked back over to his desk and pulled up a screen. The screen depicted a battle going on in a shipping yard, specifically one where a man was leaping about, punching his way through a bullhead, "Hmm, the scanners in the bullets I gave to Sionis seemed to indicate that the otherworldly mineral weakens this creature. Extended exposure seems to be required if we want to kill it."

Luthor pulled up a new hologram depicting a humanoid robot with a sort of crystal in its chest, "Let's hope experiment number two does the trick."

Here it is! The real end to Volume 1! Stuff has been teased and confirmed! Be ready for season 2!

Reviews: I'm a Star Wars fan yes, and the Mobius trailer seems pretty great, even though I don't know much about the character.

Thanks for the feedback!

Shadow Joestar: Thanks for the feedback!

Next Chapter: A New Day, New Plans, New Hole?