A/N: It's a me! I'm glad that everyone's being so understanding about my decision to take a break. So, because of that and also because I actually felt like doing it, this chapter is going to be extra long. I hope all of you are gonna enjoy it. Have fun reading!
Review response:
Chaosconetic:
Ah yes, the ramble master returns.
Okay but in all seriousness I'm loving some of your ideas. I'll definitely have to look into them once I get back to this fic. Just having Torchwick and the crew run around town for a bit just seems like a nice idea. I'm also loling at the Bakugo interaction you typed up, might do something with that.
Anyways, glad to see you enjoyed my last chapter. Keep your rambling coming, I love reading them.
Cane Master Race:
Thanks for pointing that mistake out. I was in a discord call with my friend when I read that review and we had a great laugh at that mistake. It's all fixed now but if you find more dumb mistakes, do let me know. :)
Wyran Cost:
Yeah, when Roman's crew get their aura's unlocked, I don't see what I wouldn't be able to give them semblances. Dunno what they'll get just yet or when but I have some ideas. Even then, that's for another day.
Crossover-jojo-man:
I'm planning to have that happen. Originaly, it was going to be later like... Post Stain arc atleast but now I think it'll be better to have it earlier. I'm still not sure when exactly or HOW it'll happen but most likely, Neo's gonna pop up before U.A. starts. About a week or two prior to the entrance exams so I can give Roman the opportunity to send her to U.A.
I dunno if I'm gonna go through with it but it's an idea I've been throwing around. If anyone read's this response, let me know what you think about it.
Baron Von Q-Tip"
Glad to see your thoughts on the latest chapter!
As for the subject about Neo, yeah it's a bit tricky. As I stated before, I was originally planning for Neo to show up MUCH later but I think it'll be a bit better if she shows up sooner. Not immediately, I mean we're still gonna have some time until U.A. even after the time skip but around or right before U.A. starts? I think that's a good time. I just feel like it'll open some more opportunities so I can continue to fly by the seat of my oversized clown pants.
But while I agree with you in the fact that time between universes are finicky af, I dunno, I feel kind of weird about it. So, I'd like some feedback on something: What time in the RWBY universe should I pluck Neo out of. The best options I see are Neo's fight with cinder in volume 6 or Neo falling into the void in volume 8.
Those are the best transition points, to my knowledge but if anyone thinks there's a better or more appropriate time, do let me know. Anyways, I'll wait patiently for your thoughts.
Allegingsky9788:
When I wrote my response to your review(The one before the one I'm replying to now I mean) I had literally no idea what kind of semblance I wanted. Now though? If you pay attention you might see it in this chapter and tbh I like it.
Anyways, thanks for the positive review!
G-28:
That's... actually a nice Idea. I was planning to get Roman a house earlier than this but it just didn't feel right so he only bought the warehouse places for his gang but after today's chapter, he definitely has a lot of cash. Buying a house right next to Yaoyorozu might also give some opportunities for some kind of character interactions down the line. Thanks for the idea!
Glen:
Eh. Not too big of a fan of spacebattles. The formatting is kind of weird in my opinion. Idk. It's actually why I started out on Wattpad. While the site is a fucking dumpster fire due to the community, the formatting and layout of the site is pretty good, I think.
As for shipping... I was kinda thinking about Neo? If I even ship him at all I mean. There just aren't too many people, outside of OC's I mean that would hook up with Torchwick. Either their ideologies are too different or they're just too young so aside from Neo (Who already has genuine feelings for Roman even in canon) or some kind of OC, I don't see Roman getting hooked up with anyone. So yeah, give me your thoughts on that people.
Chapter Eleven: I Win. You Lose.
While Takeo rested against the wall, Tsutomu was searching the room, compiling any important documents that might be useful as well as keeping an eye out for any more dangers. So far, he'd looked through a good quarter of all the files The Baron kept here but only a fraction of that was actually useful.
Most of the files were simply records of funds that flowed in and out of The Baron's compound and while some of them might be able to be tracked back to some unwilling provider, Tsutomu feared that most would only be dead ends. The other files were information on the men and women working under The Baron, while those might have been useful in other circumstances, they were not what they were looking for here.
Perhaps a few men might defect once they were done here and join The Roman Candles, many would not dare to betray their boss and even then, the only competent villains under his thumb, Tsutomu feared were already dead. Two files stuck out to him specifically with the names: Tadame Kozue and Fudo Renjiro. One had a chameleon camouflage quirk, the other could produce sonic waves.
Both were lieutenants of The Baron, which fit with his hypothesis of them defecting and joining up with Torchwick to be impossible. Both were fiercely loyal for one reason or another and so Torchwick deigned them too dangerous to keep alive. Tsutomu's eyes glanced at the carved up body of Kozue with a now drying pool of blood around her. He sighed, before going back to glancing at the files. 'At least that's another problem taken care of.'
Thankfully some of them were actually useful. A few were contacts of minor informants and while not strictly needed at present, not with Giran being so reliable, that didn't mean it wasn't a good idea to have the option of going to other brokers. Giran was only one man after all.
A few more files were even better and while not needed, would help them significantly. Tsutomu smirked as his eyes read line after line, taking in the list of people who The Baron had offered his "protection" to. He was sure Torchwick had his own plan for this, although he didn't exactly ask him what he'd do just yet. Still he could tell that Roman knew what he was doing.
Tsutomu then began compiling the important papers into a pile, which he'd then store away so they'd be ready to leave with them at a moment's notice. It was then that he heard Takeo's breathing in the corner shift. The room was quiet, the rustling of papers and his own footsteps being the only other sounds in the room so he heard it, despite the low volume.
"What… Where…?" Tsutomu turned around only to see Takeo lifting himself up, although he didn't attempt to stand just yet. He lifted his head and green eyes met yellow. "Tsu… tomu?"
"Takeo." Tsutomu responded. He grabbed what documents and files he deemed important that he had collected so far and stored them away in a case he had brought just for this purpose. After storing them away, he closed the case and lifted it, before making his way towards Takeo. The masked blond coughed a few times and Takeo quickened his pace.
"How do you feel?" Tsutomu asked. Takeo didn't answer for a few moments, deciding to look himself over first. His left hand went to his side and he winced at the pain. Takeo vaguely remembered getting hit there but he didn't know how bad the damage was. He lifted his mask and coughed into his fist, before sighing in relief. No blood.
He circled his left arm and was relieved to find no lingering pain from the dislocation. Then his eyes went to his right hand and he grimaced. His blade had been snapped off and far from cleanly. He didn't feel anymore pain now thanks to the nerves in his arm when it was transformed numbing but it didn't keep him from feeling the pain right when it was snapped off.
"Better." Takeo responded simply but the hitch in Tsutomu's breath didn't reassure him. He looked up and saw that the large man was also looking at his damaged hand.
"Give me a second…" He said, before Tsutomu stood up and walked some feet away. Takeo observed him pick up the other piece of his transformed blade arm, before turning and walking back. He handed Takeo the piece as he crouched back down next to him.
"Now I know this hasn't happened before but… Is there something you can do?" Tsutomu asked him, looking genuinely worried. The concern put a small smile on Takeo's face and he shrugged with a begrudging nod.
He placed the broken piece up to his arm and held it there. Nothing happened and Takeo was about to let go when all of a sudden, heavy pain flared in his limb. He grit his teeth and tears filled his eyes behind his mask but Tsutomu watched astonished at the two blades slowly, ever so slowly fused back together. A few minutes later, the pain mostly subsided and Takeo took a deep shuddering breath.
He deactivated his quirk and while the pain in his arm flared once again, it wasn't unbearable. His arms returned to their normal state and Takeo flexed his fingers. He placed his arm down in his lap and tilted his head back before closing his eyes and sighing. He chuckled softly at the absurdity of it all. Then a hand landed on his shoulder.
He looked up and saw Tsutomu smiling at him with relief and even a bit of amusement. "I just want to say…" Tsutomu began, leaving Takeo a little confused. "What you just did is complete bullshit." That broke the camels back and both of them started laughing, although Takeo had to hold his laugh in as much as he could due to the pain in his side. When the two were done, Tsutomu needed to wipe some tears from his eyes. He went to speak once more but a hiss from Takeo stopped him.
Takeo brought his right arm up and rolled up his sleeve a bit further only for his breath to hitch at what he saw. While his arm was indeed reattached thanks to his quirk, that didn't mean he hadn't injured himself. In the area the snap had occurred while his arm was morphed, there was an ugly red, purple and blue bruise that circled the entire limb. Takeo lifted a hand to it and prodded, only to wince as his finger met something that felt like a nasty break. Then the pain came back with a vengeance and once again, he was forced to grit his teeth.
"Shit…" Tsutomu cursed, looking around for anything he might have been able to do but to no avail. Resigned, he turned back to Takeo with a tight frown. "Just try and hold out a little longer. Torchwick should be done any second now and once he is we'll get you to a doc." Takeo nodded at him but otherwise said nothing.
"What about Emiko?" Takeo asked although it came out more like a hiss.
"She's fine. Came to us as quick as she could fretting over you and saying how she was worried you wouldn't be able to handle it." Tsutomu chuckled and while Takeo really didn't feel like laughing, he couldn't help a small smile. "I'm sure Torchwick was able to calm her down though." Takeo thought back to the conversation his boss had had with Emiko earlier today before the job started. He'd been a little too far to hear everything but he'd seen the smiles on their faces afterwards.
He gestured for Tsutomu to give him his hand and reluctantly, he obliged. The two grasped each others hands and slowly Takeo was hauled to his feet. He was tired and in pain but his legs weren't damaged and he figured he'd sat there for long enough. Tsutomu went to speak but Takeo lifted a hand to stop him. He knew what he'd say but he didn't care. He could rest later, after they were done here.
He took a cautious step forward and nearly fell on his face as he stumbled, courtesy of the building shaking. Tsutomu caught him before he could fall but right after, part's of the wall and ceiling near them collapsed. "LOOK OUT!" Tsutomu shouted, pushing himself between the falling debris and Takeo.
Takeo didn't see what happened but he felt and heard it. Several pieces of debris fell directly on Tsutomu, one even smashing into the side of his head. After a moment, it was over and both Takeo and Tsutomu stood up. He turned around, only to see Tsutomu now had several injuries, including a nasty gash on his head in between the right eye and ear. Some blood flowed down his cheek and onto his neck but he was still standing.
Some of the filing cabinets were crushed and some debris now blocked the door but other than that everything was more or less fine. The two let go of each other with confusion on both of their faces. There was only once question in both of their minds right now.
"What the hell was that?"
Some time earlier
With a deep breath, Roman lifted Melodic Cudgel up, extended the canes barrel before firing off a high-explosive round at the door with a smirk. The fiery red flare that matched his aura screamed forth through the air, before impacting the lavish wooden doors and throwing them off of their hinges with a large explosion.
Torchwick's Candles rushed forward through the smoke either with weapons raised or quirks at the ready, hammers clicking back, blades being unsheathed or the sounds of quirks being activated hit his ears. He couldn't help but smirk as he lowered his hand and approached with Melodic Cudgel tapping with every step and with his men by his side. He felt like he had back in Vale, before Cinder. He felt on top of the world.
"What the hell is going on?!" A deep and heavy voice shouted from within the room. Roman could guess who that was.
He sauntered forth and through the smoke only to witness his men aiming weapons or their quirks at everyone in the room. The few bodyguards in the room were caught off guard, their hands flying to the heavens before they could even think to reach for their weapons. All of them had looks and an air of indecisiveness.
Then Roman turned his gaze towards the big man himself. He didn't exactly look old but he was far from young, late thirties to early forties of he had to guess. The man didn't wear anything eye catching exactly. Just a brown coat over something reminiscent of a yellow vest with a black undershirt underneath. He also wore matching pants to his yellow vest. Roman could also see black shoes from underneath his desk, as well as a black belt after he'd stood from his chair due to himself barging in.
Other than that, the man also just looked fairly unremarkable himself. His hair was short and brown and there was also the beginnings of a beard on his chin, although he had an incredibly nice mustache Roman had to admit. He wasn't much for facial hair but when it was done right, he couldn't help but respect it. His eyes were yellow and they were piercing. He was used to Cinder gazing at him and so he wasn't really affected but his bodyguards? Roman couldn't tell if they were more scared of himself or The Baron.
Not to mention, the man was very large and Torchwick meant large. He was taller than himself at around seven feet and he was broader than Tsutomu. The coat was a little baggy but even then Roman could see the muscles underneath the clothing. He didn't let his demeanor drop though. He was confident and a little muscle didn't mean anything up front. Neo looked like a little girl after all and she was one of the most skilled people he'd ever met.
"The Robber Baron…" Roman began. He held Melodic Cudgel in his armpit and placed a cigar between his teeth, before grabbing his lighter and letting a small flame flicker to live. The cigar was lit and the lighter was put away. Roman took a drag and let out a slow exhale before his eyes landed back on The Baron. "It's good to finally meet you at last! It's a wonderful day today, how are you doing?"
The man growled, completely ignoring his words. "Who are you and why are you here? You must know who I am and so I can't fathom what you might be trying to accomplish here!" Before Roman could respond The Baron's eyes glanced over to Isao and something akin to recognition glinted his them.
"Ah… I recognize you." He said, lifting a finger at him. "Your description matches one of which some of my men gave to me around a week ago." His glare returned to Torchwick and his eyes narrowed. "So that's who you are… The leader of The Roman Candles?" His voice was a sneer, almost mocking even, as if he couldn't comprehend someone challenging him.
"You know me?" Roman asked with mirth.
"I know of you, yes. But I do not know you. Or your name." The Baron responded. He still looked angry and ready to move at a moment's notice but he seemed to relax somewhat as the conversation went on.
"Well I'm flattered that someone like you knows who I am. My name is Roman. Roman Torchwick." He tipped his bowler hat down in greeting. "Master Thief and the leader of the up and coming Roman Candles, the soon to be biggest gang in Musutafu." The Baron snorted in disbelief.
"You're bold… Too bold in fact to make a claim like that to my face." The Baron said. He looked Torchwick up and down, sizing him up.
"Well I say go big or go home." The tension in the room increased, making everyone more nervous and putting them on edge. The only two people who seemed to retain their calm demeanor were the two big bosses themselves. One was serious, the other amused but neither was letting their guard down.
The two stared at each other, waiting to see who would back down first. Roman calmly took another drag of his cigar as he casually leaned on Melodic Cudgel. The Baron had both of his hands placed on his desk as he leaned forward. His eyes went to his own men, then to the weapons Torchwick's Candle's had aimed at them, before looking back to Roman. He didn't look away and he didn't avert his eyes. Nevertheless, he spoke first.
"What…" He began, seemingly carefully choosing his words and keeping his tone level. "Do you want…?" It was barely a hiss and Roman smirked internally at his small victory. At the very least, his entire presence was getting on his nerves.
"Of course, it's quite simple really." Roman drawled on. "All I want…" Roman extended Melodic Cudgel before lifting it up and aiming it at the Baron. "Is for you... to work for me." The Barron's eyebrows raised up to his hairline, not immediately, but slowly as the realization of what Torchwick had just said had set in.
"You have power and a reputation, but…!" Roman paused in the middle of his sentence and took another drag. "You're playing the game the wrong way, and there's no shame in that!" He quickly corrected. "It's just how you're used to things going, people fearing you, getting what you want… It may have worked for you this far… But I have a better solution." Roman finished with a smirk.
To his credit, the man seemed to at least listen to Roman but it was clear he didn't remotely appreciate being threatened by someone who was by all means just an ambitious upstart. Roman collapsed Melodic Cudgel's barrel and approached, The Baron's men didn't move although it was clear from the twitches and flinches that they wanted to, though the weapons aimed at them didn't allow it.
He stuck is left arm out with his palm opened. "So… What do you say?" Roman asked as smoke wafted from the end of his cigar. The Baron didn't speak, only reacting with his eyes trailing Roman's approaching form before glancing down at his offered hand.
Finally, The Baron closed his eyes and sighed, his shoulders slumping briefly before the resolve returned with a vengeance. His eyes opened and he glared back at Roman, before speaking. "You have made a grave mistake here today Roman Torchwick." Torchwick only laughed.
"That's an overused line you know that?" Roman asked. "Every time someone gets the better of someone else, they always call it a mistake. It's ironic really." He couldn't help but snicker but to his confusion, The Baron chuckled with him.
"Perhaps… But your words imply that you've gotten the best of me, don't they?" There was a glint in the man's eyes, something Torchwick didn't recognize but it made him a little uneasy. Despite that, his confidence didn't waver.
"Mind explaining what you mean by that?" Roman chuckled before continuing. "I don't see how I don't have you on the ropes right about now. Your best men are dead, your documents and files make excellent blackmail, not to mention I have guns pointed at you from every angle!" Roman spread his arms wide and gestured to the men behind him only to hear hammers clicking in response. It only made Torchwick grin wider.
"Of course you have put me in quite the situation… But…" The Baron raised his head and leaned forward a bit more. "Have you ever heard the saying: 'Tempt not a desperate man?'"
Roman's smirk died and he raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The Baron only smirked further, that unsettling glint in his eyes never fading.
"You never tempt a desperate man, for desperate men are the most dangerous…" Then Roman's heart stopped as he heard a subtle beep, coming from underneath the desk. He glanced down and his eyes widened, eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. His eyes snapped back to The Baron's which were now full of mirth. "Because they have nothing left to lose."
Torchwick whirled and was already launching into motion, his aura enveloped him fully and he reached an arm out. His men saw the look on his face and while Isao and Hanako understood the danger, the others didn't. "OUT NOW!" He screamed and most of his men wasted no time in running. Isao threw himself out of the room and Hanako was right behind him as she used her quirk on her younger sister, practically flinging her out of the room.
He was right at the entrance when he heard the final beep, the sound it made signaled finality. Torchwick threw himself forward and his body twisted in midair, coming to face The Baron. While he couldn't hear anything aside from the blood rushing in his ears and the scrambles of his men, and even while The Baron's men were fleeing from the room with terror on their faces, he was able to see it clearly. The Baron's mouth was opened wide, mirth clear in his eyes. He was cackling.
That was the last thing Roman saw, before the bomb hidden in the room went off. The floor cracked and dust scattered as the shockwave from the bomb burst forward. Debris and shrapnel flew throughout the room, engulfing it in smoke and flames. The Baron was consumed in the blast and so were a good amount of The Baron's men.
Roman pushed his aura even further as the inferno rushed towards him. It felt as if time slowed to a crawl and he could do nothing to stop it. He brought his arms up in a futile attempt to further shield himself despite the fact that if aura couldn't protect him, then nothing would. His teeth grit and his mind raced, eyes flickering back and forth just hoping for some kind of idea to pop into his head.
Then something clicked.
And Roman's vision went dark.
Torchwick awoke with a gasp. His eyes shot open and he tried to jump into a sitting position but a harsh pain in his chest forced him back with a wince. He caught his breath, before he clenched his teeth and forced himself up, hissing through the pain that wracked his entire body. He brought a hand up to his fist to wipe away something warm and wet, only to see his own blood smeared all over his glove.
He activated his aura and to his surprise, while it had taken a significant hit, he still had a decent amount left. The more minor wounds all over his body immediately began to close and heal, causing Roman to release a massive sigh of relief as the pain began to rescind but not vanish completely. It was enough to move around though and he slowly pushed himself up to his feet.
Looking around, Roman's eyes widened at the destruction around him. Instead of a clean and organized office was now what looked like the epicenter of an explosion. Rubble and dust was scattered everywhere and much of the building was destroyed, small fires burned all around him. Torchwick looked up and was able to see the afternoon sky as it slowly transitioned from blue to orange as the sun began to set, courtesy of holes being blown into the ceiling. He scowled as he observed a few dead bodies and blown off limbs. If they were his own men or not, he couldn't tell.
The clothes he wore were a mess, he noticed. While his aura must have taken the brunt of the damage, his clothes were still fitly, covered in muck, dust and grime, as well as being riddled with holes and tears. Blood seeped through the damage in his clothes from numerous minor and shallow wounds that had by now been healed by his aura. Roman noticed his hat on the ground and gingerly leaned down to grasp it, before placing it on his head. It sat uncomfortably upon his tangled and messy hair.
He sighed as he realized his aura must have automatically shut off after he lost consciousness. On the bright side, he still had a good amount left even if he could have very well died after he went under but there was no use crying over spilled milk. Even then, he couldn't help but acknowledge that he was incredibly lucky to be alive. Roman looked around for Melodic Cudgel but scowled when he couldn't find it. Then he felt that tingle again, like a switch just flipped itself. He didn't know how to explain it aside from the fact that something that wasn't there before now was.
Not even a few seconds after that feeling became known to Roman once again, he heard some rubble dislodge itself form the ceiling. It fell to the floor some way's away from him before hitting the ground with a crash. He looked over and began to make his way over, gingerly limping as he did so, wincing and hissing if he ever stepped on a piece of rubble at a poor angle.
After around a minute of stumbling and tripping over his own feet, he stopped near the area the rubble had fallen from. He looked up at the part of the ceiling the pieces came from, before looking down. There was a small pile of rubble at his feet. He cleared some stones and broken planks of wood away only to reveal Melodic Cudgel's barrel. He reached down and grasped it, the strange new feeling fading away as he did so.
He tugged, dislodging his cane as he did so and hefting it up. Then a foot fell next to him. Roman wasn't even able to turn before something slammed into his face. He flew backwards with a cry of pain but held onto Melodic Cudgel tight. He righted himself in mid air and fell to his knees, skidding along the uneven concrete floor of the ruined building. After stopping, he fell to all fours and gave out panting breaths, before lifting his head.
"You… You crazy bastard…" Roman muttered as his eyes landed on The Baron who in turn only smirked.
His clothes were torn and destroyed, leaving his upped body completely bare, exposing the impressive musculature underneath. The Baron looked about as worse for wear as Torchwick did. Soot, dust and grime covered him nearly head to toe, his hair was even more a mess than his own as well. However, after looking him up and down, Roman noticed that aside from a few minor wounds, nothing more than scraps and shallow cuts, The Baron was uninjured, although the man sported a few nasty burns along his skin. Roman scowled internally as he realized the charge must have been shaped but even then, the size of the explosion caught him in it regardless.
"Perhaps." The man admitted, before slowly approaching Roman as the Mistralian thief pushed himself to his feet. "I admit it was frankly a bit unnecessary but it was a gamble… One that you should not have survived. Not from where you were standing." The older man scowled at Torchwick, annoyed at his survival. "How are you still alive?"
Torchwick smirked and let out a humorless chuckle. "I'm asking myself that same question." Faster than either man could blink, Roman aimed Melodic Cudgel as the barrel extended and fired of a high-explosive flare. It raced towards it's target and The Baron's eyes widened ever so slightly before a blast of red and white flames erupted from the point of impact.
Without hesitation, Roman flipped his grip and aimed Melodic Cudgel's handle at some rebar which jutted out of some concrete and fired. The handle soared through the air and wrapped around it, before Roman was flying through the air. He landed on an elevated platform and whirled, only to see The Baron burst out of the smoke so quickly, he almost didn't have time to react.
Further flares flew at The Baron but the crime boss only leaped back and forth, not unlike Little Red did on the top of that Atlesian Warship a month ago. Torchwick pulled Melodic Cudgel's trigger once more but his eyes widened as instead of a flare bursting forth, he only heard the click of an empty weapon.
The Baron smirked and rushed forward as Roman raced to reload his cane. He managed to snap more ammunition in just in time but was too late to aim and fire before The Baron had landed right in front of him. A fist flew forth and Roman ducked, leaning to the sides to avoid a second and third blow. Roman struck back with Melodic Cudgel, swinging the cane down with all of his might as Aura encased his forearms.
The cane struck down with immense force but to Torchwick's shock, unlike the flare that only did minor damage to The Baron, Roman's strike just now didn't even scratch him. His only reaction was a smug smirk, before a haymaker found itself smashed into Roman's cheek. He stumbled back but didn't fall, placing his free arm around Melodic Cudgel's handle and with the click of a button, the blade inside was drawn free.
Roman lifted Melodic Cudgel's barrel to block a right hook, before slashing at The Baron with his blade. The steel cut along the man's bare chest but it was incredibly shallow, no more than a paper cut but even then, the hiss of pain that spilled forth made Roman smirk. He threw a kick right into The Baron's chest and while it didn't harm him, thanks to the aura infused into the attack, he was at least forced back.
The Baron didn't let Roman take the advantage and rushed forward with a snarl but once again, that feeling returned once more and when The Baron neared, the large man stumbled on some nearby rubble. Still, he continued forward, turning his rushing attack into an improvised tackle but Roman was ready. Roman ducked under the large man and hooked Melodic Cudgel around his leg and with some aura pushed into his arm, he pulled.
The Baron twisted several times in the air, before falling off of the ledge. Roman winced at the crash but knew better than to think he had won, after all if the man survived a point blank explosion, then he'd survive a fall like that. Torchwick turned away just as that strange feeling faded again, aimed his grappling hook and fired it before the tug of his cane pulled him into the air. He turned back just in time to see a large stone crash through the floor he had been standing.
He smirked when all of a sudden the feeling from deep within his soul returned. He felt the tug from Melodic Cudgel stop, instead replaced by gravity as he fell to the floor. Right before he hit the ground, he had seen where Melodic Cudgel had latched on to a support beam but the handle had come loose. He scowled and pushed his aura to soften the impact as much as it could. He hit the concrete hard and winced but the pain soon faded.
He stood and whirled just in time to see The Baron in mid air, flying towards him through the air. Melodic Cudgel was raised and a flare was fired, crashing into The Baron and throwing him into a pile of rubble. Roman quickly changed the ammunition type and fired, a larger and much brighter flare soared before slamming into the rubble, everything in the immediate vicinity catching fire.
Roman heard screams of pain as The Baron burst forth from the rubble a few moments later. While he wasn't very injured from the fall, the crime boss had angry red burns along his skin and Torchwick couldn't help but smirk as an idea popped into his head.
'So that's how he survived huh? His quirk probably has some sort of reinforcing qualities but those don't seem to apply to burns.' Any other thoughts were interrupted as The Baron launched himself forth and slammed into Torchwick. The two grappled and Melodic Cudgel was wrenched free from his grasp. His eyes widened in panic as The Baron began to overwhelm him with his sheer strength.
He threw as much aura as he could into his right fist and slammed it against The Baron's face after they'd stopped tumbling. His fist hit true causing blood, saliva and a tooth to fly from the man's mouth with a painful crack as The Baron stumbled from the blow. He scowled and glared at Torchwick before raising a fist and slamming it into Roman's face. He cried in pain as his aura flickered violently but still managed to hold itself together.
"You've made an enemy of me today Roman Torchwick!" The Baron spat forth, his mirth and amusement replaced by fury. "And my enemies never live for long!" Another fist was raised before it came down on Roman. He brought his aura forth in a desperate attempt to defend himself but the impact never came as it was interrupted by a growl of frustration.
Torchwick's eyes opened wide only to see The Baron's hand enveloped by a purple glow that was forcing his fist back. He couldn't process this anymore before some rubble crashed into The Baron's back and while it didn't harm him, it certainly distracted him long enough to lose his concentration. He whirled as Roman went ignored, only for his entire body to be enveloped in purple as his body began to levitate, before he was flung into a nearby wall, crashing through it and sending dust everywhere.
"Torchwick!" Roman pushed himself to his feet and looked over, only to see Hanako with her arms outstretched. Looking her over quickly, he noted that while she didn't look horribly injured, she definitely didn't look well. She looked just about how himself did before he healed his wounds with his aura. Her dress was torn and shredded, it was a miracle that she wasn't exposed yet. She was covered in scraps, cuts and bruises, not to mention the expression of pain on her face but she was pushing through.
"Heads up!" She shouted and Melodic Cudgel came rocketing over to him. He caught it and smirked back to her with a wave. "Right on time! How are the others?!"
"Battered and bruised but they're alive so there's that! Don't think they'll be much help though!" She shouted back. She breathed out a sigh of relief before glaring at Torchwick. "What the fuck happened?!"
"Crazy bastard had a bomb planted somewhere! Dunno where exactly and I have no idea if he was just paranoid or he knew this would happen but not like it matters anymore!" He shrugged his shoulders in a 'what can you do' way while Hanako sighed.
"I'd come down there but my leg is busted up!" Torchwick spared a glance and noted that she was limping and forcing her weight onto her right leg. "I'll still try to help out from up here!"
"Good enough! Just chuck random shit at him while I try and kick his ass! Prioritize anything that's on fire!" She shot a hand into the air and gave a thumbs up.
"Got it Boss! Don't die!" Despite the situation Roman couldn't suppress the up twitch in his lips. It was short lived as The Baron stood up once more, rubble and debris sliding off of his as he did so. If he was angry before, now he was furious.
"Little wretch!" He shouted. He grabbed a piece of concrete and spun around before hurling it straight towards Hanako. She stuck her hand out but only managed to slow it. Thankfully, it exploded as a flare crashed into it.
"Eyes on the prize big guy!" Torchwick shouted as he fired another incendiary flare at The Baron. He deftly managed to avoid it but stumbled as he did so, allowing Roman to blast him with a normal flare, knocking him off of his feet. He quickly threw himself up and rushed at Roman with fury.
Torchwick blasted more flares at him but they either didn't effect him or were avoided. Roman tried to launch himself away with his grappling hook but there was nothing to grab onto, he was in the center of the makeshift arena they were fighting in. Anything he could have latched on to was either too fragile or out of his reach.
Recalling a certain technique used by a certain Kitty Cat, he figured he had no better options. He drew his blade from Melodic Cudgel and channeled his aura into it. The steel glowed a bright fiery red that matched his aura, before Torchwick swung down. A crescent wave of aura shot forth and dug along the ground, scattering rubble as it did so.
It crashed into The Baron full force, cutting into him slightly before throwing him backwards. The aura wave continued forth even as The Baron was thrown out of it's path, crashing to the floor in a heap. Torchwick smirked and thanked the training he put into his aura. He wouldn't be able to do that again though, his aura was already low enough. A few more good hit's and he'd be out.
He smirked as Hanako began pitching in, flinging several pieces of debris at The Baron although they were little more than a distraction. The first few managed to nail him since he was still recovering from Torchwick's attack but he got his bearing and was able to block or avoid the rest.
He managed to grab a support beam that Hanako hurled at him and instead chucked it at Torchwick. Roman made to raise his cane and aim but once again he was overcome with that strange sensation right before he fired. He pulled the trigger and his cane sputtered. It wasn't out of ammo, his cane had jammed!
It took everything in order to throw himself underneath the hurdling projectile. He crashed into the floor and threw himself back to his feet as quickly as he could, only to be met with a fist slamming into his face. Roman skidded back and brought Melodic Cudgel up for a block. His body shouted in protest at the strain of holding back the heavy blow but he endured.
The two men then fell into a brawl. Roman was faster and more skilled than The Baron, easily able to avoid most of his attacks assuming he didn't slip up but The Baron was stronger. On the off chance he was caught off guard and was forced to quickly bring Melodic Cudgel into a block, it took everything he had not to topple over and keep his aura from shattering.
A final punch forced Roman skidding back and a follow up haymaker was sure to break his aura, but once again that other worldly tingle overcame him and he caught a lucky break. The Baron stumbled due to some shifting rubble, his massive fist narrowly missing Roman who took full advantage of his mishap.
Melodic Cudgel slammed into The Baron's face and his jaw snapped up, followed by a haymaker into the side of his face. He didn't know how or why, but whatever defense his quirk provided him was weaker around the face. He withdrew his blade quickly and with just enough aura infused into the strike to keep his aura from shattering, he slammed the blade into The Barron's thigh. To his surprise, it went in deeper than he expected and The Baron screamed in pain.
Torchwick jumped back to avoid the fist that snapped out in retaliation but he was too slow. The massive fist hit him square in the chest and Roman was thrown backwards. He crashed into some rubble and he felt his aura flicker violently, before shattering. The sound of his aura breaking filled Roman with dread. He pushed his weight onto Melodic Cudgel as he forced himself up, The Baron doing the same.
"I'm going to kill you Torchwick! You won't get away with what you've done here today! Your death will be slow and painful! I will make you suffer!" He began to rush forward, only for Hanako to begin pelting him with objects. They were little more than annoyances, the larger man easily batting them away but he did stop his charge. It was a moment later he realized why Hanako had a shit eating grin on her face.
"I'll take your word for it." Roman smirked and The Baron seemed confused, until a fist nearly as big as his own slammed into his face. The Baron was thrown back and hit the ground harshly, before rolling and flipping over and finally coming to a halt as he crashed on top of some fallen concrete, a large dust cloud appearing in it's wake.
"Well… It was nice of you to join us Tsutomu…" Torchwick tipped his hat towards the larger man who smirked back.
"I'd say I got here just in time…" Takeo slowly walked up behind him but it was clear he would love to fall onto the ground and take a long nap.
A coughing sound interrupted them and both Torchwick and Tsutomu glanced over. The dust cloud slowly dispersed only to reveal The Baron himself. Compared to the start of their little battle, the man looked wrecked. Roman noted he tried to push himself up but his own exhaustion and the unstable surface he was laying on didn't allow it. He etched a smug grin onto his face as he walked over.
"Well, well, well… Not even a minute ago you were making all these threats and promises… The irony is thick here." The scowl on The Baron's face only made it better as he lit a cigar and took a drag. 'God damn, that is satisfying!' He thought, before putting his lighter away.
The Baron sighed and seemed to accept his fate but the anger on his fate never left him. He pushed himself up as much as he could and spat at Torchwick feet which wiped the grin from his face. "You'll never have the power and influence that I hold! Just get it over with you upstart! Do. Your. Worst!"
Roman dug a hand into his chest pocket and withdrew the Revolver he had collected a few day's prior. He opened the chamber to see that the cylinder was full. He closed it and lifted the revolver, setting it right against The Baron's face.
"I plan to."
Torchwick pulled the trigger and The Baron's head promptly exploded as flesh, skull fragments and brain matter showered down around his corpse. Blood pooled to the floor and his body immediately went limp. It might have been instant but Roman didn't care much for drawn out deaths. He had won this fight. No reason to delay the inevitable.
Torchwick put the revolver away and turned to his crew. All of them were exhausted and injured but all of them wore satisfied smiles on their faces. "Alright… Let's get out of here…" He began to walk away but stopped in his tracks as he adopted a thoughtful look. He turned back towards the headless corpse with a smirk. "But first... Let's show the world just who we are."
Torchwick watched at the large doors to the warehouse were pushed open by Tsutomu, allowing the remainder of his men to walk inside. While a few unlucky bastards had unsurprisingly died in the explosion, a lot of his men had managed to escape with superficial wounds and a few were even unharmed.
He turned his head and looked at a few of his less injured men carrying several crates and cases which, according to Tsutomu and Takeo were filled with papers and cash. He sighed and exhaled some smoke from his lungs as his cigar ran out. He spit the butt out and stamped it out by grinding his cane against it. All in all, he felt like shit yet at the same time he felt accomplished. He felt alive.
Then something softly impacted his back. Instead of promptly falling to the floor like he expected the object to, it stayed pressed onto his back. Roman was too tired to be anything but confused and so when he turned, he wasn't sure why he wasn't surprised to see Emiko, barely staying on her feet and pressing her face against him.
"…"
"…"
"...What are you doing?" Torchwick asked.
"Nn… Tired…" He sighed and lifted a hand to her head, ruffling her hair slightly. She let out a small, quiet and soft whine but didn't protest otherwise. Hanako then came over and swept her feet from under her and hoisted her up into a princess carry.
"I'll get her to bed…" Hanako barely held back a loud and obnoxious yawn. "I'll also probably hit the sack as soon as I'll be able to… Damn…" Hanako smirked at Roman before turning away. "What a day…" She mumbled. She turned around and began to walk away but stumbled as she accidentally shifted too much weight onto her injured leg. Torchwick put a hand on her shoulder and Hanako turned around.
"Just…" Roman gave out a heavy sigh before opening his eyes and reaching out with his arms. "Just give her to me." He said. You could almost hear the reluctance and self loathing but Hanako only gaped at him with surprise. She looked down at Emiko as she snored softly, before glancing back up at Torchwick. "You're sure?" She asked, slightly incredulous.
"Yeah... Just hand her over before I change my mind…" He mumbled. Hanako snickered slightly and did as he asked. Slowly, she handed the sleeping girl to Torchwick who struggled to hold her for a few seconds before somewhat awkwardly getting a decent grip on the younger girl. "You saved my ass earlier today. Consider this my debt repaid." Hanako only snickered louder and even Roman couldn't help the up twitch in his lips.
"Alright. Thanks Boss." She said, before turning around and walked back over to one of the trucks with a slight limp in her step. Torchwick was about to head inside the warehouse but was interrupted by Tsutomu. The large man walked over and Roman's respect for the man grew slightly as he didn't seem as exhausted as the rest of them.
"Boss." He greeted. Roman nodded back.
"Tsutomu. You need something? I gotta…" He sighed as he realized the words coming out of his mouth were something he never thought he'd say. "I gotta… put the kid to bed…" He grit his teeth at the subtle smirk on Tsutomu's lips.
"I'll make sure to be quick then. Hanako, Takeo and a few of the other guys got a bit messed up so I'm taking them to a doc I know. Not sure when we'll be back but it'll be better to get them looked at and treated now rather than later." Torchwick nodded but grimaced slightly as a thought came to him.
"You gonna be able to dodge all the cops? We were lucky earlier today but luck runs out." Tsutomu only game him a tired but reassuring smile.
"We'll be fine boss. I'll be using my personal van for this and we haven't used it for much aside from driving you and some of the others around town. Cops don't recognize the vehicle and so long I don't do something stupid, I'll be fine." Torchwick chuckled lightly at that.
"Alright, fine. Go on, get out of here." He lifted one arm and shooed him off. He watched as a few of the more injured of his men, including Takeo and Hanako filed into the van slowly. Once the doors closed, the van's engine started up before Tsutomu drove them off.
Torchwick simply stood there for a few more moments, taking in the quiet that had fallen over the area and enjoying the cold night air. Then Emiko shifted in his grip and he struggled to keep hold of her. He looked down at her after she'd settled again before sighing and turning back towards the warehouse. As he walked he nearly tripped as a realization came to him.
'Well damn… They've grown on me…' He shook his head but kept walking. Eventually, he made it to one of the room Emiko and her sister slept in. He might have been embarrassed at going into a women's bedroom but he lived with Neo and that monster was a different kind of tease. He set her down onto the bed, took of her shoes and threw the cover over her.
Roman turned to leave but stopped with his hand on the doorknob. He tilted his head back towards the sleeping girl and grit his teeth. He felt his eyes water slightly but he wiped them with his glove, before opening the door and leaving the room, closing it softly behind him.
'Dammit Neo… I wish you were still by my side...'
With a cigarette in one hand, a drink in the other and his ass cushioned by the couch he sat on, he could be content. He took a drag and gave a satisfied sigh as smoke wafted into the room. He tapped his cigarette against the ash try and set his drink down, replacing it with a TV remote. He switched it on, only to grin at what he saw.
"Good morning everyone and thank you for tuning in today. I'm your host, Chieko Nozomi and welcome to the morning news. This just in, yesterday evening something akin to a turf war took place at the newly discovered base of operations of the notorious villain, The Robber Baron.
The building the fighting took place in has been completely destroyed by some kind of explosion, of which the source is unknown. So far, several dead bodies have been found and among those identified are Tadame Kozue and Fudo Renjiro who were found to be dangerous criminals working with The Baron and even The Robber Baron himself is among those dead.
Police are still trying to figure out just who is responsible but police have managed to find this symbol at the scene." An image was shown on screen. On a playing card was an emblem in black and orange. Inside a black circle was the face of a cackling Jack-o-lantern with a black, lit, waxed candle inside it's mouth. "According to the Musutafu Police Chief, this symbol has not been identified before. Rumors have been spreading of a new criminal organization but there is no concrete evidence just yet. We'll get back to you once more information becomes available. And now, on to weather."
With a sigh, Giran lifted a hand and shut off the TV. He took his glass in one hand and lifted it to his lips, tilting his head back and letting the burning liquid fall down the back of his throat. He set the glass down and smirked to himself. "Well, well… You really did it. Almost didn't think you had it in you."
.
.
.
"Keep it up Torchwick… You're going places. That's for sure."
A/N: He... Hehe... HeHEHA I DIIID IIIT! *Tumbles off of couch, falls onto the floor and dies*
Alright so... That's technically the first... the fuck do you call a season/volume in books? Is it also a volume? Eh, fuck it, my point it that the arc for Roman getting used to Earth and actually throwing himself into the world stage is kinda done. That's also the reason this chapter is a bit longer than normal. Finale pogchamp.
Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter. I actually had a really nice time writing it, especially the fight scene with the big guy himself. When I first thought of him, I wasn't sure if I liked the OC but after actually getting him to interact with Roman and fighting him, I'm kinda happy with him. I took inspiration from one of the bosses from "Playing our Roles" that once Torchwick SI gamer fanfic? Yeah I really like that one.
Now, I didn't really find an opportunity to say it so Ima just put it here. My idea for the Baron's quirk was kinda like a mix between Muscular and Kirishima's quirk. He can't make his muscles bigger like muscular via augmentation but more like he can harden and strengthen his muscles. So while his muscles will get bigger, he won't become a glob of muscle fibers like Muscular did. That's how he survived the giant explosion.
Now, if you pay attention you might also see that Roman finally has a semblance. He himself doesn't know it just yet since he was too busy trying not to die but, it's there. It might be a little obvious what it is exactly but whatever. I'm happy with it in the end.
And I guess that's that. I look forward to any feedback regarding this chapter or the story in general. I don't care what it is, no matter what anyone has to say, I want to hear it and I will reply to it in the reviews once the next chapter eventually comes out. I'll catch you all next time. See ya and have a nice day. :)
