A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I'm not dead. Yet. So, a few chapters ago I mentioned that chapter posts might be a little off due to me getting sick? Yeah. That finally kicked in. I was sick one week, in quarantine the next, then back in class the next week, then in quarantine AGAIN for one more week and finally I went back to class last week. Needless to say that fucked up my schedule a lot. I also was starting to get a little burned out so I took a break from writing this story to catch up and look at other things. But now I'm finally caught up with school work (mostly) and I don't feel like writing is going to make me implode. So yay.
I still kept checking this story, especially the reviews and I'm really glad you've all been enjoying everything. I've also noticed that people (Ty everyone, TurbulentTotalities especially) are pointing out that my biggest issue currently is grammar. So I took my time and actually went through this chapter and caught anything I could find. Did I do a good job? Idfk, you tell me. I still tried though. Anyways, it's good to be back and I hope you keep enjoying my shit.
Review Response:
Halo:
Tbh yeah. Even if the quirk bullet could work on Roman, assuming his aura wasn't broken it would legit just bounce off.
Just a random guy117:
Yes and No. While you're not wrong it isn't that simple. Unlocking aura is more a technique than anything else. It can be learned and the chant Pyrrha used to unlock Jaune's aura is more like a way to focus. It isn't mandatory. It's like mages casting magic. Some universes require chanting but others simply use chanting as a way to imagine how the spell will turn out and thus making it easier. But no, if Roman unlocks someone's aura, there is always the chance they can find out how to unlock someone else's.
Chaosconetic:
Since you made multiple long reviews, ima just respond to them all in a general way. Thank you so much for your feedback and I'm really glad you enjoy my fic. In fact, your positive reviews pushed me back over the edge to start writing again. I may have still been on a break otherwise so really, thank you so much.
Allegingsky9788:
I'm glad you enjoy my work! Didn't think this would get called "A work of art" but it's really nice to hear that!
Cane Master Race:
I'm really glad you enjoy my fic. Thank you for letting me know that Roman is still himself (for now at least) and that you enjoy my OC's. As for your ideas on fighting certain quirks, I've taken them into consideration. I'm not 100% decided on how that'll work but I won't make those kinds of quirks ineffective on Torchwick. Decay and Overhaul are lethal af and just cause Torchwick has aura, I don't plan for them to be any less of a threat.
Chapter Eight: The Roman Candle
It was late morning, around 11 am give or take and Roman was sauntering down the street with a spring in his step. There wasn't any specific reason for his good mood but the general flow of his life and the smooth proceeding of his plans lifted his spirits up. It's been a couple of day's now since Roman told his subordinates to start recruiting and spreading rumors.
While there wasn't much headway yet, just as expected, Tsutomu had given Roman a call to let him know that so far, a little under a dozen thugs, pickpockets, and other small time criminals had taken up the offer feeling they had nothing to lose but most simply ignored the offer for what looked like a cheap deal that would go nowhere. Torchwick was far from surprised and if the roles were reversed, he'd have done the same thing.
Nevertheless, there was a reason why he wasn't in his warehouse's office, refining his plan to step onto the world stage and it was specifically because of the new manpower he had, despite the small number of them so far. He shook his head with an amused smirk at what had happened earlier that day.
Roman had just woken up and was finishing getting ready for the day. He'd slept well that night, devoid of nightmares or the stress of his situation keeping him tossing and turning whenever he tried to get some rest. The new bed he had bought probably helped quite a bit. It had been a while since he'd last slept in one after all. With him running up and down Vale for Cinder, followed by getting arrested and finally somehow ending up on Earth, it was like Christmas morning when he went to sleep that night.
Roman spit into the sink in front of him, before rinsing his mouth with clean water from the actually fucking functioning faucet. He may not have bought his own apartment or house yet, but he made sure to have all the necessary implements at this warehouse and the others eventually as well. It was going to be used for more than just storage after all, he was planning for those who'd be working for him to be able to stay there for extended periods of time.
After cleaning up, Roman left the restroom and got dressed, throwing on his coat and slacks, putting on his gloves, tying his scarf around his neck and finally, flipping his bowler hat onto the top of his head. He grabbed his new and improved Melodic Cudgel, extending it and collapsing it again just to make sure it was functioning, before making his way down into the living quarters they'd made on the way to the kitchen.
Upon getting there, he walked through quietly, aiming to get some food prepared before he stopped suddenly. He retraced his steps, walking backwards before stopping again and turning. What he saw was none other than Isao and Takeo. Now that in and of itself wasn't what set Roman off, it was what they were wearing.
The both of them, while not wearing identical clothes, either one missing an item or having it in a different variety or color, the style was still very much the same. Dapper and professional, something that Torchwick would usually wear.
Isao had a black business suit with a red tie and a white undershirt. His slacks were a semi dark shade of gray and his shoes were completely black, being very similar to Roman's own. He also had a pair of dark red shades over his eyes.
Takeo meanwhile, instead of a business suit, had a red tuxedo vest and a black undershirt with it's sleeves rolled up, most likely so he could freely use his quirk. He wore boots instead of shoes but they still fit with the look he was trying for. His slacks were a lighter shade of gray compared to Isao. To top the look off, he still had his mask but instead of the hockey mask he had a plain, full face, red and black masquerade mask.
The two noticed him and the both of them spread their arms as if they were presenting something, although the something in this case was themselves, most likely what they were wearing. Torchwick stared at them for a few seconds, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them, before he sighed internally and opened his mouth.
"Alright, I'll bite… What's with the suits?" He asked. To his credit, he at least tried to appear interested. The two of them either didn't notice or didn't care, since their smiles didn't drop at all. Well… Isao's didn't. Takeo still had the mask and Roman couldn't see his face underneath it, minus his eyes.
"Well Boss, me and Takeo were thinking and well... We had an idea. You said you wanted to increase your notoriety and influence right? Well, what better way to do that than…" Takeo imitated a drum roll with his hands and made soft noises imitating a rapid drum beat. Then the two once again gestured to the clothes they were wearing. "Brand advertising!"
…
Roman blinked at the awkward silence. The two of them made it sound so stupid but the idea in and of itself wasn't a bad one and Roman was a little annoyed he hadn't thought of it just yet. The Xiong Family and Spider both did what Isao was pitching and used it to great effect. Just one look at a Spider tattoo and uniform back in Mistral would send many would be troublemakers running with their tail between their legs. Sometimes literally If they were a faunus. The Xiong family also had that effect although only prior to his own rise to power in Vale and Junior's fathers death.
"That's…" Roman started, Take and Isao wilted a little, thinking Torchwick wouldn't like their idea. "Not a bad idea actually. And the suits?" Torchwick asked.
"We were thinking it would be something like a uniform or a dress code of sorts. There aren't too many gangs around anymore but those that still are, are recognized by something." Isao scratched his chin a bit. "There's this Yakuza group not too far from Tokyo that's recognizable for bird masks they wear but that's just one example. We picked out the suits cause we wanted to get something similar to what you have."
Torchwick flashed him a grin and pointed at him. "Alright. I like that idea. Good work. Both of you." Roman turned and resumed his walk towards the kitchen. As he left the room he called out to them. "Finish up whatever you need to then get back to work. We have things to do!" The two nodded before scampering off to have a breakfast of their own.
Back on the street, Roman brushed himself out of his thoughts to make sure he wasn't lost. He checked his surroundings and seeing that he wasn't, resumed on his way. He still had another block to go or so. As he walked, he noticed that no one paid him any sort of notice. Maybe a look or two for his clothes but no suspicion. It was good to know since he wasn't in his disguise at the moment. He was glad that Giran had been right when he said he wouldn't be recognizable just yet.
Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, Torchwick came up to where he needed to be. He looked up and saw the familiar sign of "Akira Dry Cleaning". It was the same place he went to get his suit cleaned on the first day of being in Japan. That was almost 3 weeks ago now. Torchwick whistled at that realization. Time really does fly.
He stepped up and pushed the door open, the familiar sound of the bell chimed as he walked into the building. "I'll be right there! Just give me ooonneee moment~!" A familiar voice called with in that forced Roman to give a very small but still genuine enough smile. Roman approached the counter, Melodic Cudgel thumping with each step. Just as Roman stopped walking, a head of white hair popped out from the back.
Akira's green eyes immediately filled with recognition and her already bright smile got just a little brighter. She fully emerged and walked up to the counter with a spring in her step. A lime green casual button up shirt and black jeans complimented her eyes and hair. "Torchwick!" She greeted. "Hi! It's been a while since I last saw you! When was it, around a week or two ago?"
"Give or take." Roman answered. This was actually his third time being here, not the second. He needed to give his clothes a wash after his gallery heist and so he came here. Akira did a good job the first time around and she didn't disappoint the second time around either.
"So! Let's get to it! Whaddaya need? Do you need your outfit given a nice scrubbing regardless of the fact that they're dry cleaned or do you need something else?" She was just as hyper as always. She was similar to Red in that regard but there was one difference. Akira wasn't a child that tried to throw a wrench in his plans any chance he got AND she was tolerable to be around.
Sometimes.
"It's something different this time around, something you might be happy to hear." Roman pulled out a folded piece of paper which had a large order of business suits, tuxedos, slacks, coats, hats and other similar pieces of clothing and a few different colors. Namely black, white, red, orange, brown and gray. He unfolded the paper and handed it to Akira who practically snatched it out of his hands and scanned it with an energy someone of her age should not have. She wasn't exactly old but still.
Roman closed his eyes and began explaining. "I'm going to need around a dozen of every item listed on that piece of paper in a few different sizes and colors. In the future I'd also like to establish you as a permanent supplier if I find them satisfactory but I'm getting ahead of myself. I hope that what I'm asking of you is doable." When Roman finished, he opened his eyes, only to find Akira had lit up like a Christmas tree and had begun vibrating with energy the woman had absolutely no right to have.
Eventually, the sudden build up of energy in Akira reached it's limit and the woman jumped into the air with a shout of glee, before falling back down to the ground in a heap. Roman leaned over the counter with his eyes widened a bit. "Uhh… You okay?" He asked. His earned response was Akira pushing herself off the floor so quickly that the two nearly smashed into each other.
"Am I okay?! I'm more than okay! I've never had an order of this size!" She suddenly gasped as if a sudden realization dawned on her. "And you'll buy even more if you like the first batch?!" She grabbed Roman by the shoulders and pulled him close while she leaned in. "I will make sure you are the most satisfied customer I've had in years!" She pulled back and danced in a small circle. "I can't believe this is happening!"
Roman only snickered at her antics before suddenly growing solemn. Looking at the woman, he saw a very brief resemblance to Neo in the way she acted. His grip tightened on his cane before he let out a sigh. He knew she was gone, at the very least out of reach. He might have accepted it but he really didn't like it. Then, before the two could continue their conversation and finalize the deal, the door to the shop opened, the bell chime sounding throughout the building.
Akira froze and her eyes widened in both irritation and a smaller but still noticeable amount of fear and concern. Torchwick furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and turned his head towards the door and he immediately understood. Gangsters or maybe some other thugs or some upstart villains, the point was the same. They weren't dressed like normal civilians and their weathered and battered faces gave Torchwick the confirmation he needed. That and Akira's reaction that is. Both of them slowly walked up to the counter, seemingly ignoring Roman and keeping their eyes zeroed in on the woman.
"Akira!" The lead man greeted. The fake smile on his face was even less convincing than Cinders. "It's lovely to see you again!"
"Uh… Yeah… You too…" Akira responded, looking nervous and a little on guard. Her tone made Roman frown. He may have only met with the woman a few times but he'd always seen her to be cheerful and energetic. It was very off putting.
"Let's get down to business!" He said, the second thug trailing off to the side. "Do you have this month's payment?" He placed a hand in his pocket and grasped something. While Torchwick couldn't see what he had grabbed, the paling of Akira's face let him know it was probably a weapon.
"Uhh… Well- I… Umm…" The thug frowned but kept up his cheery attitude. "Akira… Don't tell me you don't have it yet… You know what happened last time you didn't pay us." With that, the man pulled out his revolver, the other thug pulling out a large knife. Akira flinched, rather violently if Roman's eyes were working, which they were.
"Wait a minute! I- I'll be able to p-pay soon! Just- Just give me a few more days! Please!" The thug with the knife approached and backhanded her. Akira fell to the ground and held a hand to her cheek with a whimper. The other thug just laughed at her, taking great amusement in the situation. "I'm only going to ask one more time Akira. Where is the money?" He leveled his revolver at her head with that sentence. Reluctantly, Akira started grabbing money out of the cash register.
"Atta girl! That wasn't so hard was it? We get paid and you get left alone. That sounds like a win-win to me, don't you agree?" Akira grit her teeth but didn't stop grabbing the money. Finally, the thug looked over to his left and noticed Torchwick standing there with a face that said: 'It took you this long to notice me? Really?'
The man aimed his gun at Torchwick and approached him. "Might as well empty your pockets while we're here. Unless you want your blood to be smeared all over her merchandise." Akira promptly froze and glanced up at him, only to be backhanded once again for stopping. "Hold on! H-He isn't involved i-in this!" She stuttered out.
"Ah that he is my dear." He turned back to face Roman. "So? You gonna empty your pockets or should I lodge a bullet between your eyes?" Roman merely rolled his eyes and started to approach the man. Apparently, he wasn't expecting that and neither was Akira, nor the man's accomplice if their expressions were anything to go by.
The closer Roman got, the more the man's confidence slipped away, eventually forcing him to backpedal to maintain some kind of distance. The villain- no… The two-bit Thug, with the knife left Akira's side quietly, but Roman didn't even need to turn around to hear his foot steps. "Listen buddy! Back off or I will shoot you!" He tried to regain some of his confidence and was only slightly successful.
Roman, now getting bored, simply extended his cane and flipped it around, grabbing the end of Melodic Cudgel's barrel and with a speed that would make some magicians proud, he swiped the canes handle, catching the thugs revolver and disarming him. The gun clattered to the floor and slid for a moment before hitting a wall on the other side of the store. The thug froze, shocked at the lack of a fire arm in his hand, which allowed Roman to swing Melodic Cudgel into his head, knocking him to the floor easily.
"You really aren't one of the brightest people out there, huh? The confidence was a good start but you gotta back it up. All bark and no bite, such a shame." The thug looked up at Roman and snarled, only half paying attention to his mockery but his snarl and rage turned into a smirk. Roman already knew why but he didn't bother turning around.
Not even a second later, a knife grated across his back. It was painful, but the swing was clumsy, weak and his aura caused the pain to fade almost immediately. Only a brief sheen of fiery-red was visible as the thug attacked him. The thug stepped away, satisfied but then froze at the lack of blood on the blade. Torchwick turned around and chuckled quietly to himself.
"Well… You tried." Roman offered.
The thug did not take that well and charged at Roman. He easily sidestepped one punch and leaned to the side to avoid another before throwing a jab into the man's face, pushing him back. The thug got his bearings but Roman rushed forward, throwing weak but lightning quick strikes with Melodic Cudgel. With one final strike, Roman sent the man crashing into a clothes stand, or he would have had Melodic Cudgel's handle not hooked around the thug's neck.
With a choking sound escaping the thug, Roman pulled him back and grabbed him by the hand before he could fall to the floor, spun him around like a gentleman would spin a lady at a dance ball, hooked Melodic Cudgel around his shin and flipped him over. The thug landed on his back painfully and while he was still conscious, was too dazed to even think about standing up.
Torchwick looked over and saw the other thug had used his distraction to go for the gun. He was right in front of it, now bending over to grasp it's handle. Roman needed to act. If that shot went off at the very least the cops would be alerted and while Roman wasn't exactly known just yet, he did not want to risk it. The worst thing that could happen was Akira being shot and dying. He didn't know the woman well but he was fond of her to the point where he'd rather she was kept alive.
Throwing aura into his legs, Torchwick burst forward in an impressive display of speed. Right as the thug had picked up the gun and began to aim it, he slammed into him, throwing the thug to the floor as the gun flew to the side. While he was dazed, Roman took the opportunity to pick up the gun and place it in his pocket. After he was done, he turned back around to face the thug who had stood up and was sporting a busted lip. He spit some blood from his mouth on the ground and got into a stance.
The thug rushed in, although much quicker than Torchwick was expecting. His eyes widened as an absurdly fast punch landed on his cheek before he could avoid or block it, followed by an equally quick kick to his ribs and finally a headbutt which forced Roman to take a few steps back. While pain flared for a few seconds, Roman could only chuckle.
"I've really gotta stop underestimating people. Alright..." Roman cracked his neck and got into a stance. "Might as well get serious for this."
The two rushed forward and began to throw attack after attack at the other, all were blurs yet some were from quirk endued speed and others from training, experience and aura manipulation. Torchwick stayed on the defensive but was prepared for his opponent's speed this time and was easily able to block, dodge or redirect all his attacks. One jab had the thug overextend which Roman took advantage of. He hooked Melodic Cudgel around the arm and pulled sharply. A crack and a pop was heard as the arm came free of it's socket, as well as fracturing around the area Melodic Cudgel had pulled.
That didn't stop him though, despite the pain, the thug threw a roundhouse kick towards Roman's face, which he simply ducked under. Spotting the opportunity, he threw his foot up into the man's exposed nuts. The thugs movement stopped immediately as his face scrunched up in pain. He backpedaled while his arms covered his privates protectively. It was a shame he took his eyes off of Roman.
When the man looked up, he barely had enough time to process the aura enhanced haymaker that sent him crashing into the wall near the counter of the store. Roman's aura flickered around his arm from it's use, a fiery red sheen coating his limb, before receding back into the depths of his soul. The thug tried to stand up once more, supporting himself with his uninjured arm and eventually got to his feet, only to be met with a baseball bat to the face.
The entire store was silent for a few seconds, before the thugs legs gave out on him and he slumped to the floor, a dark red outline of where the bat struck him across his cheek, eye and nose. Roman glanced over to the other thug who had also fallen unconscious shortly prior, and then looked to Akira who was breathing heavily and had a baseball bat propped up on her shoulder. She looked pleased despite the subtle trembles of her body.
Torchwick walked over slowly as Akira noticed him. He looked around the store for a moment and noted, while it was certainly thrown through the wringer, no major damage had occurred aside from the cracked wall the thug had crashed into. He glanced back over at Akira, only to be met with a white and lime green blur which crashed into him with what felt like the force of a freight train. Roman just barely managed to stay standing when he looked down.
It was Akira. With her face pressed to his chest and her arms around him. She was hugging him.
Oh.
Oh...
She was still trembling when she whispered something just barely loud enough for him to hear. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…" Her voice was shaky and a little watery as if she was holding back tears. Torchwick didn't feel any moisture or wetness so he assumed she was succeeding. Roman had absolutely no idea what to do since he wasn't expecting this kind of a reaction from the chipper woman. Reluctantly and incredibly awkwardly, he placed one arm on her shoulder and rubbed it a bit. If Neo were here, he was sure she'd be laughing at the face he was making.
After another minute of whatever the hell this was, Akira's arms went limp and she stepped back, allowing Roman to get a look at her face. She still looked scared but no longer down right fearful. Her misty eyed gaze looked up to him and with a slightly red tint covering her cheeks she gave out a humorless chuckle. "I'm… I'm sorry about that. I just-… The last time I didn't pay… I-I was terrified and you-... Thank you." She finally said.
Roman just looked at her dumbly. "Uh… Sure…" He got out, before regaining his bearings from the surprise of having someone thanking him of all people. "How long had these two been coming over?" He asked amusement clear in his voice as he knocked his boot against one of them. A quiet groan was his reply.
"It's been a few months I think..." Akira said as she started cleaning up what little mess the brawl had turned up. "Police and Heroes don't do anything…" For the first time, Roman saw Akira angry. Genuinely angry. So he decided to push for more info.
"They… They don't? Why not?" Akira only scoffed and rolled her eyes at his confusion.
"Heroism is a god damn joke nowadays. When I went to a few of the Hero agencies in town after the first time they extorted me, they either gave me a half-hearted assurance that they'd look into it only to throw my case in the garbage the moment I left or they flat out refused. The police aren't much better. At least they gave some kind of effort, even if it was half assed. "Can't do anything" They said..."
"Any idea why?" Torchwick asked. A mirthless chuckle was his answer accompanied by a bitter smile.
"There isn't enough publicity or prestige with my problems. Heroes all want fame, money and glory. There's none of that saving a small store owner from thugs harassing her business. The cops are just too lazy really. They turn a blind eye to anything they find so they don't need to do the work that comes with apprehending a criminal." She glanced up at Roman. "That's why I was so thankful for the giant order you put in. I thought I might have been able to get them off my back with the cash it would bring in, at least temporarily… But they came ahead of schedule-" She brought a hand up to her mouth and stifled a sob. Roman didn't even attempt to ask what they'd done the first time. He didn't care enough to ask but something about seeing her so… whatever she was. Scared? Sad? He didn't know how to describe it aside from wrong.
For now, he brought out the handgun and took a look at it. It was a large thing and it looked powerful too. Roman wasn't big on weapon's but he could recognize ammo types easily. 44 magnum rounds were reliable and packed a punch. He found a few more bullets on the thugs unconscious body and pocketed them. Finally, he stood up and placed the large handgun into his coat's chest pocket. Didn't hurt to have a backup weapon.
Akira's words brought him out of his thoughts. "I'll start working on your order soon I just-… I need to calm down and cleanup first after calling the cops. Maybe they'll at least come to arrest these idiots when there's no actual work involved." As she said that, she got to work, tying the two up in a mediocre but sufficient enough manner and getting the place cleaned up. Torchwick gave her a parting wave and walked out of the store with a blank and contemplative look.
In all honesty, he wasn't all that surprised but damn it if he wasn't disappointed. Huntsmen and Huntresses were of all walks of life back home but almost all of them simply did their job just as they were meant to. Fighting the Grimm. Of course, there were those who went rogue or didn't have the peoples best interest's at heart. Raven Branwen was just one such name, becoming well known in Mistral not too long before he defected from Spider. But she was the exception to the rule.
So far what Torchwick had seen of heroes, they were nothing more than showoffs and chumps. He recalled his fight with Gunhead a week or two back. While the man wasn't exactly weak, he wasn't very skilled in the grand scheme of things. Cinder and Neo would have obliterated him and even Mercury and Emerald would have taken care of him easily, just as he had. The problem though was his spouting of cliché rhetoric.
'Stop villain! I, insert random mediocre hero name here, will defeat you!' Roman thought mockingly and chuckled to himself. The Hero was more interested in playing hero than actually doing his job. And if Akira was telling the truth then it was a lot worse than he thought. Then a smirk graced his lips as an idea came to him, one that wouldn't be feasible just yet, but once he got more bodies to use and more territory under his control, it might be a good move.
Back at the warehouse, Roman stood in his office looking over a map of Musutafu. It was nowhere near as detailed as it should have been but lack of information and experience in the city left him with what he had. At the very least it was categorized into the districts of the city as well as important locations and targets, like U.A. High school, were marked. Giran had come through with the list of locations that would be worth hitting.
As for U.A. it was to Japan what Beacon was to Remnant. The most prestigious academy in the country, if not the world. He'd seen the building on top of a large hill while walking through town and in comparison to Beacon or even Haven academy, he was not impressed. He hadn't been to Shade or Atlas academy, he'd seen pictures and Atlas was the most impressive. If he had anything to say about U.A. of first impressions at least, it was like a hollow copy at most and a joke at worst.
Currently, he was trying to find a suitable place to launch his next heist, his door onto the world stage, when there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" He said just loud enough so whoever it was could hear. He pointed Melodic Cudgel's extended barrel at the door though. Better to be safe than sorry.
The door creaked open softly and Tsutomu's large form stepped in. Like Isao earlier that day, he was also dressed up but nowhere near as extravagant. He was a simple man with simple tastes but that wasn't to say his clothes weren't nice. If anything, he reminded Torchwick of Hei Xiong. The choice in clothing was nearly identical minus a few differences.
The man had a dark gray suit vest with a white undershirt, the sleeves pulled up in order to show off his frankly impressive muscle mass. The man also wore gloves that went just past the wrists, colored a red so deep that at first glance could be mistaken for black. The man's slacks were a matching gray to his vest. His boots however were less for the office and more for the wilderness, being sturdy but still matched the look he was going for with a jet black color. He had a large deep brown belt going across his waist. The chain, while still present had a new color matching his gloves and was pinned to his belt instead of spilling down his leg.
"Evening Boss." He greeted but froze when he saw Roman's cane pointed at him. Roman sighed with a smile on his lips and let his arm go limp, before setting his cane down again.
"Tsutomu. What are you here for?" The large man approached calmly as Roman turned to face him.
"I just came to let you know, some of the people who took up our offer are here. We might get a few more but this should be mostly everyone for now." Torchwick grinned.
"Alright. Thanks for the heads up." Roman lit a cigar and headed out the door with Tsutomu right behind him. "Let's get this show on the road…" The two walked for a bit, taking a turn down a flight of stairs and coming to one of the empty areas that would normally be used for storing crates. He entered the frankly large room and took a look around. The rest of the crew were there, Takeo, Isao and even the two sisters Hanako and Emiko. He faltered a step when he saw what they were wearing.
The first thing that came to mind were Miltia and Melanie Malachite or as he liked to call them: Brat 1# and Brat 2#, Junior's enforcers, since what Emiko and Hanako were wearing was uncannily similar. Both of them wore purple and black dresses with skirts that fell to just above their knees with orange accents elsewhere on their outfits, such as the chokers and thin gloves they wore. He could also faintly see styled thigh highs on them both but opted to stop looking at that particular area.
Hanako's was more extravagant than Emiko's, who due to her young age couldn't pull off such a sophisticated look but what she did have fit her nicely. The older of the two sisters wore low heeled thigh-high boots while Emiko wore flat boots of a similar style, since she was likely unable to walk in high heels, both with a style of purple, black and orange.
Torchwick also noted their hair. While Takeo and Isao didn't have much room to drastically change their hairstyles, aside from losing the gel Isao used, and Tsutomu's lack of hair altogether, the two sisters had gone all out. The former still kept up her high ponytail, her hair glistened in the low light of the building and was clearly stylized. Emiko's style was more simple. Her purple hair fell into a low braid just above her shoulders before spilling over her right shoulder and falling onto her chest.
All in all, he approved of their new looks. Their outfits wouldn't hinder their ability too much and while the heels might have been a poor choice, they weren't very high. Besides, he'd met too many Huntresses who had fought in heels like it was nothing. He didn't understand it then and he wouldn't try to now. Besides both of them looked extremely pleased. It might have been to do with not being able to wear anything that nice for a while.
Roman walked up on to what he called a stage but what was simply just an elevated platform and looked over their audience of maybe around two dozen people give or take. He was fairly sure at least some of them would leave here tonight if what he'd been told about how villains were usually like was anything to go by. The setting reminded him of that White Fang rally he had attended. He still couldn't believe how the crowd had gone from hating him to loving him in a matter of minutes. The giant robot at the end was just the cherry on top of the cake.
"I'm going to start of with this." Torchwick began, holding Melodic Cudgel in one hand, walking up and down the length of the platform he stood on. "You're all here because you have no where else to go. After all, why would you just take up an offer like this with absolutely nothing aside from my word? It's the stupidest thing any of you could have done!" He could feel the small crowd snarl and grit their teeth from here, even some of his own, especially Tsutomu were wincing and probably wondering what he was saying. He saw one or two of them get ready to either leave or attack him, he didn't care which.
"But that proves my point. Why would you do something so stupid if you had any other choice?" That gave them pause as he saw them stop and seemingly consider his words or at the very least keep listening. "This world is rotten, cruel and cold and all of you got the short end of the stick in life. That's why you're here. Because I'm offering you something many of you no doubt lack." He paused to let what he said sink in. "In exchange for your loyalty, I am offering you a place to go. To fit in! Money! Influence! Power!"
"You may not know who I am yet and many other's probably don't even care but I aim to change that soon enough. I have plans, plans that can and will make all of us rich and give us a secure position in society. Simply put I'm not some common criminal. I have standards I expect you to uphold!" While Tsutomu and the others knew what he was talking about, the rest murmured in confusion.
"Chaos will stir absolutely nothing but more chaos. Organized crime is the name of the game. Assuming you don't walk out of that door tonight, I expect all of you to do as I say, when I say it." His voice dropped low but enough so they could still hear it. "Those who do as I say and serve me well, they will be rewarded and more. Those who don't… I'll let your imagination run wild." He blew out smoke from his lungs as he finished, taking his cigar in between his two fingers.
"Now then. Those who are short sighted and can't swallow their pride to listen to someone who knows what they're doing, the door is behind you." he gestured in the exit's direction before continuing. "Those who are smart enough to throw in with me, with us, please approach the stage." He set Melodic Cudgel down, a loud thump echoed throughout the room with a finality that said his little speech was over. To his surprise however, no one backed away.
It took them around a minute to decide but eventually, all of those present tonight, some more confident than others, approached the elevated platform Roman was standing on. They stopped some distance away from him and Roman could only laugh. "You all made the right choice tonight!" Torchwick spread his arms wide and excited murmurs and a few cheers spread out through the crowd.
"Welcome all of you…!
.
.
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To The Roman Candle!"
A/N: I did it. I wrote another chapter. I'm planning for the big debut heist thing to be next chapter though and I'm planning some kind of a time skip after that. Not one that'll cause Midoriya and the gang to start U.A. just yet but it'll close the gap to that time. I was always kinda wanting Akira to appear again since, I'm not sure why, but I really liked her when I first wrote her so I decided to give her reappearing some kind of a purpose. The gang have a dress code now (something I took inspiration from Juniors gang) and Torchwick got some idea's from Akira's predicament. ^.^
About the gang name btw I threw the idea around in my head and I finally decided on "The Roman Candle" for the name of the gang. It's kinda like, the organization itself is THE Roman Candle, and the members are Candles. Or smthn like that. Pretty sure Malachites Gang is called Spider while the members are Spiders so I hope this works. I might call the members something different though but I don't think it matters in the grand scheme of things.
There isn't much else to say about this chapter though. I already mentioned about being extra careful about spelling errors n shit this time around but tbh I don't trust myself. If anyone finds something, do let me know that I can't write for shit so I can fix it up. Thanks. Anyways, once again I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you all around next time.
