A/N Review response (figured I should start doing this :p):
Cooldude:
To me, it just seems like Dust bullets might be more powerful in comparison to normal bullets (if not similar. I don't think they're weaker at all) but even then, I'm pretty sure Gunhead's bullets are something he produces on his own. It's not any standard manufactured round.
Faightan Gaims:
Thank you for the feedback!
AK632612:
When it comes to Roman giving Aura, I want him to be able to do it for sure but the question is WHO will he give it to. It seems like something he wouldn't just give freely since once aura is unlocked, that person can unlock someone else's aura. So I don't think anyone aside from Roman's closest allies in the future will get their auras unlocked.
xfel:
That was my thought process as well.
Halo:
That was my thinking with it as well to be honest. I did throw the idea around in my head for a little while but I most likely won't bring in any unnecessary people from Remnant just because I can.
Zekken182:
I've had the idea given to me by someone else before earlier and it's most likely something I'll do. I don't know WHEN exactly, but Compress and Roman would 100% be friends if they ever met.
Chapter Six: The Fruits of Labor
The van pulled up in front of the warehouse, the soft rumble of the engine being the only sound accompanying the subtle crash of waves onto the wharf. As the vehicle came to a stop, the engine was shut off, the noise quieting and the cars headlights dimming.
The car doors opened to reveal Roman Torchwick and his crew. They slowly stepped out, quietly but visibly excited. The group rounded to the back of the car before opening it, revealing their haul from the job they had just completed. The back of the van was loaded with bags full of stolen loot. From figurines, to paintings, to abstract art pieces, it was all there.
Hanako and Tsutomu began to unload everything while the rest of the group went inside to celebrate. Roman however, stood off to the side with a far away look in his eye. Almost on instinct, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the burner phone that Giran had gifted him. He turned it on, before opening the phones contact list. He pressed Girans name and hit call.
Torchwick brought the phone up to his ear as the device began to ring. Several seconds passed with Roman patiently waiting for the call to be accepted. Finally, the phones ringing finally stopped as the call was accepted, replaced by a voice.
"Hello?" The voice was deep and subtly gravelly, holding a smug and amused tone. Roman let out a sigh internally and opened his mouth.
"Giran? It's Torchwick. Job's done." He could practically feel Girans grin widen on the other side of the call. The quiet chuckle only confirmed it.
"About time. I'll send someone to pick it all up tomorrow. How much did you get?"
"Everything." The call went quiet for a few moments before Roman heard the man cackle with glee.
"Everything? You really cleaned the place out?" Girans tone of voice was hopeful, like a kid being promised a candy bar and not believing his ears.
"Yeah." Nothing more needed to be said. Giran let out a low, pleased whistle on the other side of the call.
"Well damn, you really pulled through. I'll be sure to have your bonus ready. It was a pleasure doing business with you Torchwick."
"Likewise." Roman stayed quiet for a second before licking his lips. "If you don't mind, I need to ask a favor of you and not one I expect you to do for free."
"A favor? Fine. Meet me at the same place we met last time, tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you." There was a click and the line went dead. Roman kept the phone up by his ear for a few more seconds before lowering it, his arm going limp by his side.
Roman brought his arm back and with all his strength, threw the burner phone into the ocean. It flew in a wide arc through the air, before losing altitude and crashing into the ocean. It stayed floating by the surface for a few seconds, before the water pulled it under as it began to sink.
Torchwick dug his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out his cigar pack. He picked out a cigar and placed the rest back into his pocket, his other hand finding his lighter. He placed the cigar in between his lips and flicked the lighter, sparking a small flame. He brought the flame to the cigar, lighting it and letting flavored smoke fly into the air.
Roman took a long drag on the cigar, the embers on the cigar flaring as air brushed against it, before letting out a long sigh, exhaling smoke from his lungs simultaneously. He had a lot to think about now. In hindsight, Roman felt more than a little stupid. Here he was in some new world and he still thought the same things back on Remnant would apply here.
Though some of the assumptions weren't to far fetched he believed. Every living soul had the potential to unlock their aura so why would it be any different here? Did the people here really not have access to aura at all? Was he the only person in this new world to have it? Or could other people unlock it and just haven't yet for some reason?
Maybe they just didn't have any reason to unlock their aura. Back on Remnant, the overwhelming and ever-looming threat that was the Grimm made aura a necessity so that people could fight back against the tide of darkness or so people said. But according to Tsutomu, there were no Grimm here.
Roman quickly pulled his collapsed scroll from his pocket and opened it as he exhaled more smoke. He opened his browser and tried to search for "Grimm". All he found was something about a TV show that he had no interest in even glancing at and the adjective that described a gloomy situation.
That explained it. With no Grimm here on this world, there wasn't really a reason for aura. There was no danger that could potentially cause humanities extinction. The realization made Roman giddy. If that was true, then there was no real danger to him and even better, he was the only person with aura in Japan.
He'd need to try to unlock someone's aura at some point, someone he'd trust in order to see if he could give his own men aura. If he could, that would increase his organizations power (once he'd made one), exponentially and indirectly he'd increase his own as well. Roman looked down at his hands and brought his aura forth, the subtle sheen of fiery orange-red enveloping his skin. He had something no one else had, which he could also potentially gift to others. That, while very useful for cementing his own power and gaining the loyalty of others, it would also make him a target if the wrong people found out.
That meant that he'd need to do something he should have done at least a week ago. This whole ordeal made Roman aware of just how ignorant he was of how things are done in Japan. He knew absolutely nothing. Gripping his scroll in his hand, Roman turned around and started heading back to the warehouse. There were lights on inside but it was dimly lit enough that no one not actively looking inside should notice. He walked up to the door, which he had finally got around to fixing somewhat, and opened it only to be welcomed by Tsutomu and the rest of his gang getting drunk. Even Emiko, who was very underage mind you, also had a bottle of something Roman couldn't recognize clutched in her left hand.
He shut the door quietly, so as not to alert anyone outside with the loud noise before moving inside. They hadn't seen him yet and that was just fine. He walked over to the table and found an empty glass bottle of something. Roman picked it up and took a sniff and quickly held it away from his nose. It was definitely some kind of beer and not something he'd enjoy. His gaze scanned the room again and seeing no reaction to his presence, Roman lifted the bottle up above his head and let go. Gravity immediately took hold and the bottle fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Just like that, Torchwick's presence was now known. Some had milder reactions like Tsutomu and Isao who simply tensed before looking over at him. Takeo was too immersed in his drink despite only being buzzed to do anything and so he just kept chugging whatever was in his hand but Emiko and Hanako screeched like banshees, the former jumping into the arms of the latter. The two then looked at each other, went red and promptly separated from each other before their gazes also found Torchwick.
"It's fine if you celebrate but keep it down for crying out loud! We're not exactly allowed to be here." He glared at the two sisters who had the decency to look sheepish but his message was received.
Roman turned around and with a shake of his head made way to his room as the sounds of celebration started up again behind him although at a much more manageable volume. He found himself outside the rooms door a minute later. He grabbed the handle and pulled it downwards before the door swung open allowing him to step inside. Roman closed the door behind him and walked over to the couch, falling onto it. He took his hat off and placed it on the replacement coffee table and set Melodic Cudgel to lean on the wall right beside him.
He held his scroll in both hands which he set down in his lap. Roman looked up and turned his head towards the window, glancing at the moon that was shining through the window, slightly illuminating the dark room. It was fairly late but with the others most likely planning to stay up for a while, It was a good time to finally familiarize himself with Japan and the world he'd found himself on. Roman shifted himself, his body taking up the length of the couch and his head resting on the pillow he used whenever he went to sleep, Roman reopened his browser app and began searching for anything he considered relevant.
'Things just got a lot more interesting.'
When Roman awoke, the first emotion he felt was irritation. He didn't necessarily feel sore but the lacking of a good nights sleep was obvious in his mind. He opened his eyes slightly and immediately closed them as a sharp pain shot across them, both from the light shining through the window from the recently risen sun that shone across the sea and due to his late night web surfing. He brought a hand up to his face and rubbed at his eyelids for a few moments but didn't dare attempt opening his eyes for a second time.
Slowly and cautiously, Roman reached out with his left hand and gripped the backrest tightly while doing the same with his right hand using the nearby coffee table. Then, Roman pulled himself up at a slow pace to make sure he didn't aggravate any potential sore spots. Perhaps he didn't feel sore now but sleeping on a couch wasn't exactly the best choice for a man who already didn't sleep too well. Thankfully, no pain flared and he didn't feel himself get dizzy from sitting up too quickly.
Roman angled his head to his right and sighed with relief as he felt the heat of the sun's rays shift from his face to the back of his head. Once again, he attempted to open his eyes and while still irritated, did not flare up in pain as they had just a few seconds ago. Roman threw his feet off the couch and put on his boots that he'd placed near the bed last night before slowly standing up. He grabbed his coat and hat but did not put them on yet. Instead, he made his way over to the makeshift restroom he used and began to get ready for the day.
His gaze landed on the mirrors reflection of himself and despite the cracks running over the bottom right area of the glass, he could make out the image. His hair was a mess and his eyes were red, which explained their irritation after being opened after a restless sleep. Roman placed his coat and hat on the counter and cupped his hands under the faucet after he let the water run, letting some of the cold liquid gather and splashing it onto his face. Looking back up at his reflection, Roman conceded that he looked better, not good per se, but better. After that, he took a comb to his hair and a brush to his teeth, both of which he bought a few days ago. When he was done, he both looked and felt cleaner.
With nothing else to do, Roman threw on his coat, clicking the buttons into place once he had it on and placed his hat on his head. Torchwick walked back out of the bathroom, over to his black gloves which he promptly put on, followed by grabbing Melodic Cudgel, the familiar weight and feeling of metal comforting him.
'Better see what the idiots have done…' With that, Roman turned towards the door and opened it, letting himself out of the room. He closed in after him quietly, still too tired to cause any loud sounds.
As he walked down the hallway, Roman noted thankfully, that it was incredibly quiet which was a sharp contrast to last night. He soon found the stairway at the end of the hallway and began descending to the second floor. The more steps he took, the stronger the faint scent of alcohol became. Roman held back an internal grimace and wanted to facepalm for letting them drink so much. On one side, they would have been too drunk to really do anything stupid like crossing him and stealing the merchandise but he was certain that wouldn't happen anyways. On the other…
Torchwick finally reached the bottom of the stairs and turned a corner which led into the main room, only to find everyone who'd been drinking last night (which was everyone aside from himself) either still passed out or in Isao's and Hanako's case, groaning in agony from their presumed hangover. Roman glanced over at Emiko who had a peaceful face so he assumed she didn't drink as much as the others. Wouldn't have been a good idea because of her age. Not that he really cared mind you but even he had lines he didn't cross, especially regarding kids when he could help it.
A memory of Ruby Rose flashed through his mind for a brief second as he looked at Hanako's younger sister, causing Roman to snarl and narrow his eyes. 'Most kids…'
Looking away, Roman looked towards the loot from the previous nights heist. It was exactly as they'd left it which meant it was thankfully undamaged and devoid of being covered in alcohol like some of the floor was if the stains, knocked over bottles and cans and stench of beer was anything to go by. Oh yeah, they were not leaving until this placed was cleaned up.
"I take it you all enjoyed yourselves last night?" His question was met either with silence or agonized groans from those who were awake.
"Boss… Shut… Shut the fuck up… Our heads are killing us." The look in Hanako's eyes promised death.
"Well you should have thought of that before you got yourselves piss drunk. How long were all of you even up just drinking? There are a few dozen empty bottles around here for fucks sake!" Hanako rolled over on to her side so she was fully facing Roman. She slowly brought up a hand to her face and extended her index finger into a point.
"Does this look like the face of someone who knows the answer to that question? I can't remember anything past you heading upstairs…"
"You mean when you shrieked like a banshee and held your sister like a teddy bear?" He couldn't help but grin as her face went red but instead of embarrassment, she was red from rage. In a very quiet whisper, she spoke.
"If it didn't feel like my head was a lead weight… I would come over there… And I would smack the shit out of you… So help me god…"
"You tell him…!" Isao raised a shaking hand in agreement from his own position nearby on the floor, before it went limp and dropped onto his chest like a brick.
Roman pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and let out an exasperated sigh as he shook his head and turned around and started walking towards where they stored some supplies. This place was a warehouse and didn't exactly have a kitchen but Torchwick still had some food and drinks stashed around so they didn't have to go out. The bottles of beer were not his doing. Around a day before the raid, Takeo and Isao came back with a full crate of the stuff in anticipation for the successful job. To them it was a well made investment.
After looking around for a little under a minute, Roman found some water bottles and grabbed them, stuffing any he couldn't palm into his pockets or under his armpits. When he made his way back into the main room, Hanako and Isao hadn't changed position but the rest were starting to stir, presumably from their conversation. He tossed each of them a bottle, every one of them wincing as the bottles hit them somewhere on their person. Hanako got a bottle to the side of the head and growled as she slowly sat up and began drinking. Emiko got a pass since Roman simply rolled the bottle over to her.
"We're expecting company today so all of you get this place cleaned up after you're all done moping around." Roman turned his head to the left as he herd a groan. It came from Tsutomu, the large man had finally woken up and was currently supporting his upper body with his arms as he tried to sit up.
"Tsutomu." The man in question looked over to Roman with a questioning gaze. He winced when he saw Romans unamused expression. "I expect you to control them. We need to exchange the goods for profit today and if all of you are slumped from a hangover, what's going to stop them from running off with what we stole?"
"Sorry boss…" Tsutomu raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, before gritting his teeth and moving it to his forehead. Roman snarled and turned away. "Don't let it happen again." With that, Roman walked over to where they kept their stolen loot and began sorting through it so when the time came to sell it off, it would be smooth and easy. In the mean time, the others slowly got to their feet as their migraines subsided and they began to clear up the mess from last night.
Around 2 hours passed when Roman heard some vehicles pull up outside. There were no sirens and whatever vehicles there were, stopped slowly and calmly, not like police cars skidding to a halt to quickly surround a perimeter. Torchwick glanced around the warehouse and was satisfied with what he saw. Tsutomu and the others were no longer dying on the floor and had decently cleaned up any evidence that suggested to anyone drinking themselves to sleep. There was still a faint odor of alcohol but it wasn't overpowering.
Roman had unloaded and sorted through everything they'd stolen. Everything was in it's own neat little pile or stack ready to be picked up and loaded at a moment's notice. The cash they had stolen had been taken upstairs where Roman would sort through all the cash they had made. Roman dug through his coat pocket and found the cigar he was looking for. He turned and started making his way towards the door as he brought a lighter up. He lit the cigar and took in a puff of smoke, before exhaling.
Upon reaching the door, Roman opened it a crack to see who was there and sighed in relief to see some of Giran's thugs. He already knew it wasn't the cops but it still paid to be cautious. Roman swung the door open and stepped outside, glancing back in to make sure that the others were doing what they were meant to be doing and seeing that they were, turned back towards the thugs with a grin on his face. One of them stepped forward.
For a thug, the man was fairly well dressed although less so in comparison to Roman. Black slacks and a dark blue vest with a black undershirt were his choice of wear. The man also had black gloves but unlike Roman's, they barely reached his wrists. The man also wore black dress shoes. He was visibly a more hardened criminal if the subtle scarring on his face was anything to go by. The man's eyes were yellow slits and the brief moment when the man stuck out a snakes tongue painted a picture of what he could do.
"So you're the one Giran got to rob that place." The man looked Roman up and down with a neutral expression on his face. There was no malice, disbelief or mockery. Just a statement of fact. After a minute, seemingly satisfied, he looked Roman in the eyes. "We're here to pick up whatever you stole and we're to pay you depending on what you got."
"Of course. Come on in. Times wasting and I'm sure we both have places to be." The man nodded and three more people stepped up to follow him as Roman turned and made his way back inside.
Once they entered, Roman stepped to the side, out of the way but ready to do something at a moment's notice. He didn't doubt Giran was trustworthy but it was never a good idea to let ones guard down. The man with what Roman assumed was a snake mutation quirk, as he had found out last night that there were 3 different types of quirks, stepped up and began to examine everything. The atmosphere slightly tensed at the silence but no one made any sudden movements.
After a few minutes, the snake man stood up and looked over to Roman, his impassive face gave him an incredibly small smile. "You did good work. The client who wanted this and in turn, Giran will be pleased. Bring it in." He gestured to two of the men who had come in with him and they ran back outside. When they came back in, they dropped several cases off in front of Roman on a nearby crate and opened them. All of them were filled with money. Roman took one bundle of Yen and looked it over. Once he was satisfied, he put it back and turned back towards the snake man.
"It was a pleasure doing business gentlemen." He reached out with his right hand which the snake man grasped. The two shook once and the tense atmosphere immediately dissipated, the nervous frowns quickly replaced by pleased smiles at a business deal gone well.
The snake man whistled and several more thugs came in with empty crates and cases into which they began to load all of the loot. It took a few minutes but eventually, everything was gone and in their place was nearly a dozen cases of cash. Roman was outside, watching as the last of the loot was loaded up. Once it was, car doors closed, engines were started and tires screeched as the thugs took off. Roman took in a deep puff of smoke and gave out a satisfied sigh before turning around and heading back inside.
"Alright. Now it's time for all of you to get paid." The cheers, albeit slightly reluctant from the still persisting hangovers, told Roman of their eagerness. Roman and the others grabbed all the cases and headed upstairs into the room where Roman left the rest of the money the other night. Several smaller stacks of Yen were stacked up on a table. Roman set down the cases he was carrying, followed by the others.
They unloaded all the money and Roman got to counting, sorting the stacks into two separate piles for himself and the others at as even of a value as he could. It took a fairly large amount of time to count and recount everything, a little under two hours but it was done. Once it was and everything was piled up, Roman had two neat yet large piles of cash sitting in front of him. Roman turned his attention back to the group.
"That's that. One stack of Yen is mine and the other is yours, free to distribute among yourselves however you want." Roman chuckled eagerly. "I can't wait to get a proper place with all of this…"
"We've never made this much in one haul before. This is amazing!" Isao's grin was wide, surprised and satisfied. He was rubbing his hand's together as if he was physically restraining himself from jumping at the pile.
"We're rich, we're rich! Woo-hoo! Hahahaha!" Emiko and Hanako were hugging the life out of each other and giggling like school girls. Granted one of them was the right age to fit that category. Takeo was simply staring at the pile with an unreadable look on his face. His eyes were dazed and his mouth slightly open but otherwise stood as still as a statue. Then Tsutomu spoke up.
"Uh Boss… This is… This is quite the haul." The man turned towards Roman with a pleased but noticeably hesitant gaze. "Thanks for letting us sign on with you." Roman lifted a hand and waved at him dismissively.
"No more of that "Boss" stuff. Our arrangement is done as soon as you're all out the door." Roman grabbed a few cases and opened them up, dividing and placing his stacks of yen inside them. "Just be sure not to waste it all on useless shit." When Tsutomu didn't respond, Roman stopped and looked up. Tsutomu and the rest were looking at him apprehensively, even Takeo had snapped out of whatever daze he was in.
"Well.. You see that's the… Uh, that's the thing…" Tsutomu started.
"We had a talk about it last night while you were still outside and…" Hanako continued.
"We were kinda wondering… Would it be alright if we stayed with you?" Isao looked sheepish and rubbed his neck with his hand.
"PLEASE?" The squeak from Emiko broke any tension in the Room and Roman couldn't help but snort after a few second's of awkward silence.
"You couldn't just let me know… Why?" Tsutomu lifted a hand and opened his mouth but Roman cut him off. "You know what, fuck it. You did your job well, you listened to what I said, none of you are brain dead idiots who can't even haul a crate the wrong way. Let's make this arrangement more permanent shall we?" Roman spread his arms wide in a welcoming manner. The grin on his face was mischievous but also slightly grateful, not that he'd let anyone know.
"And if we're gonna do that… I think we need a name…"
In the crime-infested cesspool that was the poor section of Musutafu, Roman Torchwick sauntered down the sidewalk with a spring in his step and a cigar between his teeth. Melodic Cudgel thumped on the ground audibly with every step he took. There was a smile on the man's face that absolutely nothing could tear away at the moment.
Soon enough, he came across a familiar sight as the bar where he had met Giran the previous week came into view. It was exactly the same as last time. Slightly run down but not in disrepair and drunken customers shuffling in and out. He waited for a pause in the sea of drunks before approaching the door and making his way inside.
He made his way straight to the back door he entered last time. The guard standing there seemed to recognize him and moved to the side after opening the door with a quiet nod. Roman gave him a nod back and stepped inside, the door being closed softly behind him. He scanned the room and found Giran sitting in the same place he was last time, cigarette in hand and a relaxed posture all the while.
"Torchwick. Was beginning to think you wouldn't show up." Giran straightened a little and raised his right hand in greeting.
"You calling me unreliable Giran? I know we only just met but please, I thought you'd have some faith in me." The sarcasm was palpable and Giran smirked, gesturing to the seat opposite him. Roman obliged and sat down, setting Melodic Cudgel on the floor and placing both his hand's on it's handle.
"Not sure if you've noticed but you were all over the news today." He breathed in his cigar as he let what he said sink in.
"Really? Haven't had the time to check. I was too busy counting money." Giran gave him a hearty chuckle before fishing for his phone.
"Here. Take a look." Giran handed Roman his phone after finding the video he wanted to. Roman took the phone and pressed play, watching the video as Giran talked.
"You did good. Apparently that art gallery was a popular place in that area. You cleaning it dry stirred up trouble. You even put a Hero in the hospital and his rep took a hit. Not only that but your face wasn't seen, although there is a bit of a description of you now. Mostly what you wear. It's not like many people dress like that around here." Giran took in another drag of his cigarette after he was done.
"Wait the hero took a rep hit?" Giran's eyes widened for a bit but he didn't lose his care-free smirk.
"Yeah. Not sure how it works elsewhere but here in Japan, popularity is a big deal for day-light heroes, which is basically every hero you come across. There are some that stay underground and keep out of the public eye but everyone else want's fame."
Roman couldn't help but snort but then a sly grin stretched his lips. "How hard did his rep… What was his name, Gunhead or something? How hard did his popularity tank?"
"A few day's ago he was the 346th top ranked hero in Japan. With your little stunt, he got bumped up to the 400th spot." The amusement was clear in Giran's tone. "You on the other hand aren't really being mentioned yet. It was your first job after all. Assuming you want your infamy to go up you'll have to keep at it."
"Oh I plan to. But I still have some business with you." Roman lit a cigar and took in a drag. Giran's eyes widened a bit. "You have good taste. That's the good stuff right there. I'm out sadly." Roman took out a second cigar and flicked it over to Giran who caught it. He kept his smug smirk but there was a hint of appreciation in it.
"Alright so what is it you need from me?"
Roman held up two fingers. "The first thing I need is a fake I.D. I don't necessarily exist in Japan right now and I'm not risking getting arrested going through official channels. Doesn't hurt to be cautious. Can you do that?" Giran snorted and held back a laugh.
"That's amateur work my friend, amateur. I'll have that done within a week. All I need is some info and I'll have what you need. Now what's the other thing you need?" In response, Roman lifted Melodic Cudgel and placed it on the table in front of Giran, earning a raised eyebrow. Roman chuckled in kind.
"That reaction means this thing is doing it's job. What does the cane look like to you?" Giran looked at Roman in a deadpan. "It looks like a metal walking cane."
Roman snapped his fingers and pointed in confirmation at Giran. "And you're right! But that's not everything this cane is." Roman dug into his pocket and pulled out a vial of dust. He set it down on the desk beside Melodic Cudgel. Once that was done, Roman pressed a button on the cane, causing the reticle at the bottom to flip upwards and a trigger to lower from inside the cane. Finally, Roman opened the chamber which took in ammunition.
"My cane also has an built-in cannon." Giran whistled in surprise, his eyes were wide open and his grin dropped a bit. Apparently he wasn't expecting what Roman had just shown him. After a few seconds of looking the cane over, Giran barked out a hearty laugh.
"Well damn. This is the first time I've seen something like this. Most just run in with their quirk acting like they're the new top villain but you actually have plenty of surprises up your sleeve. So what does you showing me this accomplish?"
In response, Roman growled and clicked his tongue. "Previously, I've been using this-"He held up the vial of dust."-as ammo for the thing but due to recent… circumstances, I won't be able to use it anymore. What I want is for you to point me to someone who can find me something to replace this and modify my cane to use it."
Giran looked the cane over with Romans permission for a bit in silence. His curious gaze drifted up and down, seemingly scanning the weapon for anything to help Giran understand. "Well It doesn't look like it'll be hard to switch out a chamber. This thing might be able to use gunpowder as it is but better to be safe than sorry." After a moment Giran looked over at the vial of Dust Roman had set on the table.
"What exactly is the problem with this ammo?"
"Think of it as needing to replace expired medicine. It just won't fire with the weapon anymore. Found out the hard way last night and nearly paid for it." Giran gave a nod of understanding.
"Alright. If you aren't going on any jobs, if you leave it with me I'll have the thing done quicker." Roman frowned and narrowed his eyes.
"No offense Giran but there is absolutely no reason why I should trust you with that." Giran merely smirked.
"I thought we lived by the same principle? Isn't it bad for business to cheat people?" Roman stared at Giran for a few seconds before snorting, reaching over and punching Giran in the shoulder. "Fuck you Giran." The man in question laughed good-naturedly in response.
"Alright fine but if there's so much as a scratch on my cane, I will have your head Giran." Giran held up his hands in a mock defensive manner.
"You don't have anything to worry about. Now then, you wanted a fake ID, right?"
Some time later, Roman found himself walking down the street back to the warehouse. Melodic Cudgel was back with Giran, the information broker having reassured Roman nearly a dozen times that he'd see his cane modified and with nary a dent in it within a week if not sooner. He felt more alone and naked without it. If Neo was his partner in crime, then Melodic Cudgel was his best enforcer.
He looked up as he walked. The sky had began it's shift from bright blue to shades of purple and pink as the sun fell over the horizon. The squawking of seagulls growing as he neared the beach the warehouse was on though he still had quite a ways to go. He briefly considered lighting another cigar but dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. He'd had enough for one day.
Eventually, he came across the beach he'd neared and with nothing better to do at the moment, decided to walk up to a bench and take a seat. The specific part where he was seated was empty but further down the stretch of sand was covered in mountains of garbage that made Roman curl his nose in disgust. Roman quickly lit another cigar, preferring the smoke from the flavored cigar to the subtle stench of the garbage. He would have moved on but the view was nice so he elected to stay for a bit.
Roman took a drag from his cigar once again, like he had so many other times that day and exhaled, relishing the scent of the smoke as it blocked out the garbage smell. "What the hell is up with people…? This place is a mess…" His mumble was quiet but apparently enough for someone to hear him if the quiet chuckle from behind him was anything to go by.
"You're not the only one who thinks that." The bench shifted as a new weight set itself on the other side, beside Roman. "I'm sure most people will pass by and say how horrible it is though. Almost none will do anything about it."
Roman gave a grunt and took in another drag. "Well why would they? Why not go to another beach? It's not worth the effort to most people." That earned him a mirthless chuckle in response. Almost bitter and sad yet not quite. "Well, at least some people still have the selflessness to do good things."
Roman raised an eyebrow as smoke escaped his lips but before he could ask what the man meant, Torchwick heard grunts of effort from one of the trash heaps, before a small kid with a green mop of hair came into view carrying a mini fridge on his back. "That your kid?" Roman asked.
"Not mine no but I am here with him." The words came out after a small chuckle, genuine this time. "Kid has it in his heart and wants to be a hero so I'm helping him build himself up. Why not do a good deed while you're at it?" Roman merely snorted in response. "Whatever floats your boat."
"Is there something I can call you?" The man asked, vague interest in his voice.
"Roman." He gave a dismissive wave as if to say he didn't care what he called him.
"So you're a foreigner? Your Japanese is nearly flawless." Roman gave the man an appreciative nod.
"Thanks. What about you?" That was when Roman finally turned to look at that man and his eyes widened involuntarily at what he saw. The man looked awful, like a walking skeleton. He had nothing but skin on his bones and looked as if a small breeze would blow him over. Despite that, the man had a head full of long vibrant hair and while messy, shifted in the breeze. His eyes were deep blue and while they held a friendly gaze were also incredibly piercing.
"My name is Toshinori. Toshinori Yagi."
The two stared at each other which felt like an eternity to Roman although what was probably only a few seconds at most. Then they were broken out of it by the kid with green hair running up to them with a shout. "Mr. Yagi! I'm finished clearing the part you told me to." The man turned towards the boy with a happy smile.
"Good work." The man pulled out his phone and looked at the time. "Well alright. I'd think it's safe to say that we're done for the day. It was nice talking with you Roman." With that, the duo made their way off the beach although the kid, while a sweaty mess, still had the energy to spare Roman a smile and a wave.
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'They looked familiar… Have I met them somewhere before?'
A/N: Another chapter down and hopefully another happy costumer. First off, I'd like to apologize for the amount of grammar errors I had in the last chapter. I've since gone through it again and fixed everything I'd found but even then I'm almost certain there was something I missed. Because of that I tried to take it slower writing this chapter and if all went well, this one should be a little easier to read. I'd also like to ask, if any of you find any typos I might have missed, (either misspelling or an incorrect use of words i.e: 'through' instead of 'threw' if I write Roman throwing something) then it would be appreciated if you let me know.
I'm pretty proud of the interactions I made Roman have today. He got paid, Tsutomu and his gang have signed on permanently and Roman's getting some shit sorted. If you go back up, you may have saw that I never actually said what I want Roman's group/gang to be called. That's because, I'm not decided on a name yet. I have some ideas but I wanted to hear what you guys have to say. If you have a name suggestion, I'd love to hear it.
With all of that said, I'd like to thank everyone once again for reading my newest chapter. If any of you have anything to say, be it positive/negative feedback, questions, suggestions or anything of the sort, please let me know. While I'm writing for fun and will ultimately write however I want, your feedback is nevertheless incredibly valued. Anyways, I hope all of you enjoyed and I'll see all of you once the next chapter is ready.
