A/N: Holy shit... The last time I updated this fic was in December last year. That's nearly six whole months since I published the last chapter and finally, I have this one done. I had to really get back into the groove of things and because of that, I don't really know how this chapter will compare to the last ones but I still hope the quality is up to par and that the chapter doesn't feel like the odd one out.
I want to thank everyone who's been supportive of this fic even while it was on hiatus. I read every single one of your reviews and I've been absolutely blown away by all the positive responses. A lot of you have also given me a lot of amazing ideas that might be implemented sooner or later.
That being said, I have to ask all of you for everything I've asked for before. Feedback, suggestions, ideas, all of that good shit. I'm going to need it if I want to really get back into the flow of things. I do not care if it's good or bad feedback, I NEED to hear anything you guys have to say. That being said, I can't stress it enough how thankful I am for everything and because of that, I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Twelve: My New Criminal Empire
"Finally…" Roman groaned as the traffic light turned green. He pushed down on the peddle and sped up, casually cruising down the street as light from other cars and the buildings illuminated the city in place of the sun as a half moon shown over head.
He looked out the window at the sight, his eyes briefly resting on the large, white and gray rock. Roman shook his head. "Even after all this time I'm still not used to the new moon…" He muttered to himself as his eyes returned to the road. "It just looks… plain. Remnant's shattered moon had more oomph to it. Nicer to look at…"
A few minutes of silence passed by, if one would ignore the engines of Roman's car or the shouts of pedestrians on the sidewalk. He almost wanted to sigh before a dull ringing originated from his coat, a faint vibrating and buzzing accompanying the noise. Roman swore as he pulled over to the side before fishing for his scroll. He usually wouldn't have cared but the laws in Japan for this sort of thing were strict and he didn't want to chance something as avoidable as this.
"Tsutomu…" Roman muttered as he saw the contact on his scrolls screen. His annoyance dissipated slightly as he answered the call before bringing it up to his ear.
"Not that I don't appreciate talking to you, but what the hell are you doing trying to call me while I'm driving?" Torchwick snapped into his scroll. As expected, Tsutomu only laughed.
"Sorry about that, Boss." The large man said into his phone. "I was just making sure you were doing okay. You're a little late and that doesn't happen often with you." Torchwick looked at his cars digital clock and winced slightly at the time. 8:50 PM wasn't late, but it was later than he'd meant to meet up with the big guy.
"Shit…" Roman swore slightly. "Traffic was worse than I expected. Guess I lost track of time. I don't think I'm far though, so you should see me coming around within a few minutes but the longer we stay here calling, the longer it'll take for me to get a move on." He snarked without any real heat.
"Fair enough, Boss. I'll see you soon." Roman grunted into his scroll and the line went dead not a second later. He stuffed his scroll into his pocket once more and stepped on the pedal.
"Fucking Japan… Traffic wasn't nearly this bad in Vale. People in Mistral barely even used vehicles..." He muttered under his breath as he pulled back into traffic. A car behind him honked angrily and Roman returned the favor. He smirked when they stayed silent this time.
Despite the delay, Roman had made it to his destination. He pulled off of the main street, passing by a large building with a decorative illuminated sigh on the front. Roman snorted when he saw it. It read "The Golden Candle" with an emblem of a lit candle of the same color in front of a roulette table right next to the name. "I can't believe he actually decided to call it that…" He chuckled to himself as the sign fell out of view.
Roman took a turn and ended up behind the building at the VIP parking and entrance area. It wasn't nearly as lavish looking as the front but it was more subtle and he didn't need to drive around looking for a place to park his car. Then again, he was certain that one of Tsutomu's men would have taken his car and parked it without complaint but he'd rather take care of it himself.
Roman cut the engine, removed the keys and stepped out of the vehicle. He paused to look it over before stepping away. The car itself was sleek, aerodynamic and painted a bright reddish orange that reminded him of a blazing fire. He had to admit that the Japanese made decent cars and the 1967 Toyota 2000GT cemented that fact in his mind. The car was old and absurdly expensive and he was incredibly lucky to get his hands on it but he felt it was worth it for a beauty like this.
With a whistle of appreciation, he tipped his hat forward slightly before turning away, twirling Melodic Cudgel on his index finger as he strolled towards the door. A pair of security guards were posted near the door.
One man, one woman. Both were dressed formally. The man had a fedora type hat on with a black suit, red tie, black slacks and black dress boots. Roman could faintly see something stuffed into his coat, most likely a firearm of some kind. The woman beside him had a dark orange cropped tailed jacked with brown slacks and low heeled boots. Her hands briefly blazed with fire, giving him a hint to her quirk but he could also see a knife stuffed up her sleeve and a pistol tucked into her jacket. Both had armbands of differing color with The Roman Candle's insignia on them.
"Well isn't this just a pleasant evening?" Roman asked rhetorically with a smile as he approached. They tensed briefly before getting a good look at him. "Torchwick!" The woman exclaimed, slightly wide eyed although she had a smile on her face. "Boss' been waiting for you!" She said quickly, unhooking the red velvet barrier rope and stepping to the side.
"Thank you." He said with an appreciative nod before strolling passed. He noted that they weren't scared of him, more surprised if anything. That was good. Fear only got someone so far. Let enough fear stew and your empire would come crashing down sooner or later. It was a bit of a shame to note that they were loyal to Tsutomu first and himself second if their address was anything to go by but it was only natural. He didn't have anything to worry about though as Tsutomu was and has been fiercely loyal for as long as they've known each other, and his men respected Roman regardless.
Pushing the door open, Torchwick stepped inside and walked through the hall before coming to the main area, only to marvel at the sight of the buildings interior. The effect was less pronounced due to not coming in through the main door at the front, but he still couldn't help but feel his breath be taken away for a brief moment every time he stepped inside.
Lavish carpets with various aesthetically pleasing patterns, white walls with golden highlights giving the decor a more vibrant feeling, extravagant glass chandeliers in the main area, other items such as paintings, statues and plants further brought the building to life. Last but not least, card dealers, roulette tables and slot machines as far as the eye could see. The casino was filled to the brim with his and Tsutomu's men, both as servers and security, along with gamblers either walking in with full pockets and wallets, or leaving with empty ones.
'Suckers.' Roman snorted internally as he sauntered through the casino.
As he passed by, the servers and security, who also had some form of identification to The Roman Candle on them, be it with an arm band for the security or a stylish pin for the other employees, smiled, waved and gave polite bows. While Tsutomu officially owned and ran the building and, as previously mentioned, had the loyalty of a good chunk of the other Candles within, Torchwick effectively still had an iron fist over this establishment and many other places throughout Musutafu.
Tsutomu's office was on the second floor of the building, reserved for VIP clientele who had more money to burn through. After reaching the other end of the casino floor, Roman found a back door with a guard stationed in front of it, which held stairs behind it. There was a much grander double staircase at the front entrance but this side path, among a few others, was used for less than legal dealings.
The metal stairs clanged with each step as Roman casually strolled up, clutching Melodic Cudgel with one hand and holding the railing with the other. After reaching the top, Roman breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't need to bear the noise any longer. He left the stairwell and found himself in a hallway on the second floor, finding it just as aesthetically pleasing as the first.
Guards, more experienced and much less friendly, watched him as he passed by, giving nods of respect but not much else. Roman approved. The men on the ground floor were just there for appearance or to kick out any unruly customers, maybe to handle any villain that thought they had the ability to actually rob the damn casino. These men? They were here to protect Tsutomu, any VIP's in the building and to guard money and merchandise.
Within a few minutes, Roman had found himself in front of a set of double doors, not unlike The Robber Baron's office from The Roman Candle's debut. Four guards stood in front of it.
"I'm here to see your boss." Roman said bluntly.
One of the guards grunted in acknowledgment, before turning and knocking his fist against the door in a loud, yet controlled manner.
"Who is it?" A voice, Tsutomu's, Roman recognized, asked.
"Got a visitor for you, Boss." The guard replied.
"Let them through!" Tsutomu replied.
The guard opened the door, before stepping to the side, allowing Torchwick entry. Roman tipped his hat in appreciation before strolling inside. The door closed softly behind him.
The room was spacious and equally as extravagant as the rest of the building. Unlike the bright and vibrant colors of the casino, Tsutomu's office had a darker hue. A dark blue carpet covered what Roman remembered to be wood flooring with the walls were a Magnolia cream. There were a few potted plants and other small decorations around but the most eye catching feature, was the painted portrait that hung on the wall behind Tsutomu.
It was a portrait of Torchwick, Tsutomu, Takeo, Isao, Hanako and Emiko, all of them dressed in their signature outfits. The first time he had seen it after it had been painted, he almost couldn't believe his eyes. The one he was looking at however, was just a copy. Roman himself had the original.
"Tsutomu!" Roman said with a crooked smile as his arms spread wide. "How are you doing, the place is still just as lovely as the last time I saw it."
"Boss! It's great to see you again!" Tsutomu said as he stood up from his large wooden desk.
"Come on, Tsutomu…" Roman whined mockingly, with faux hurt on his face as he swooned dramatically with a hand over his heart. "Are we so distant that you can't even call me by my name?"
There was a tense silence for a second before both men burst out in uproarious laughter. The two men closed the distance between each other and embraced warmly, no longer as employer and employee, but as friends. The two separated and Tsutomu took a step back before smiling.
"Torchwick, then. Or would you rather I call you Roman?" Tsutomu asked with a glint in his eye. Torchwick rolled his eyes although he couldn't keep the smile off of his face either.
"You know damn well that Roman is fine, Tsutomu." The dapper mob boss said in exasperation as the larger man laughed.
"Go and have a seat." Tsutomu said, gesturing to a chair opposite his own. "I'll go get the good stuff and we can talk over a few glasses, eh?" He said, clasping his hands together with an eager grin.
Roman did as he asked, removing his hat and setting his cane against the desk before taking a seat. It was comfortable and he found himself relaxing as Tsutomu opened a cabinet in his desk, in order to retrieve an expensive bottle of alcohol, Single Malt Whisky to be exact. Torchwick perked up as the bottle and two glasses were set down on the desk with a satisfying knock.
Two cold glasses were poured, which was followed by Torchwick and Tsutomu clinking their glasses together before they raised the glasses to their lips and drank. Roman only took a sizable sip after a subtle check to make sure the drink wasn't drugged, old habits die hard, but Tsutomu's glass was soon empty, before the large man slammed it down on the desk which rattled slightly at the impact.
"You know…" Tsutomu began after a satisfied sigh. "I still can't thank you enough, Roman."
Torchwick raised an eyebrow as he took another sip of his drink. "Oh? What for?" He asked while placing his glass down.
'It's just… All of this…" Tsutomu said, spreading his arms wide and gesturing to himself and the room around them. "I don't think any of this this would have been possible had we never met that day, you know?"
"Not for you, maybe." Roman acknowledged with a frown, before smirking. "But I was going to make it to the top regardless." The two men chuckled at that.
"Fair enough. I'm not sure I can picture you anywhere else either. Ever since you recruited me and the others, I noticed you always had this… look. Like you wouldn't settle for anything other than where you are now." Tsutomu replied, pouring himself another glass simultaneously.
"By the way…" Roman began with a curious look. "How are the others settling in with their aura?" He asked, taking another sip of his drink.
Tsutomu perked up before looking up from his glass with a smile. "They're doing just fine. It's been a few months and they're still going crazy over it. Emiko has taken to it like a fish to water and Takeo is still having some trouble but they're getting the hang of it… It's just that it's still hard to believe, even after… Even after you first explained it that night…" Tsutomu mumbled the last sentence quietly as the memory of that day flashed through his mind.
Tsutomu was… A little nervous to say the least. It's been a little over a week since The Robber Baron had been taken out by Roman and things were winding down. Hanako, Takeo and a few others were still resting up after getting checked out by the doc he'd taken them to and unorganized crime around the city had gone up. Despite all of the good things that had happened, there was a question in the back of his mind for Torchwick.
He stood in front of Torchwick's office in the warehouse they'd been staying in with his fist raised to the door but he didn't move it. Tsutomu was stuck with indecision due to some irrational worry. Torchwick had said to him before that he didn't have a quirk and he knew he wasn't lying back there. That being said, what the hell was that power he showed while fighting The Baron?
He'd seen him hopping all over the place at first, with what looked like quirk boosted movements and jumps. If it were just that though it could have easily been explained away as a quirk The Boss had kept secret for some reason. But then there was that arc of orange and red energy that Torchwick threw at The Baron when he swung the knife from his cane and that same glow enveloping Torchwick whenever he got hit with a particularly nasty attack, which also seemed to break into pieces for some reason at the end of the fight.
That wasn't a quirk. There was no damn way Torchwick could have more than one, could he? But there were no tells of lying during their first conversation. Either he was slipping up or there was something going on with Torchwick.
Now the actual reason Tsutomu was hesitating beside not wanting to intrude on whatever secrets Torchwick had, he'd noticed that Roman had been acting… strangely lately. He'd get worked up over nothing, he'd snap at the smallest of mistakes and if he didn't know any better, Tsutomu would say that Roman had had trouble sleeping. Aside from trying to satiate his curiosity, he also wanted to find out what was going on.
With a deep breath, Tsutomu finally forced himself to knock on the damn door. The sound of knuckles banging against the door reverberated across the silent hallway. He couldn't stop a bead of sweat running down his brow when Roman didn't respond. His heart skipped a beat when Torchwick called out to him.
"Come in."
Tsutomu did as he was asked and slowly opened the door. Once again, Torchwick was aiming his cane at him with the reticle up and his visible eye narrowed but after he saw who it was, the cane dropped again, just like it did last time.
"Tsutomu…" Roman muttered as he leaned back in his chair. "Wasn't expecting you at this time of night…"
True enough, a glance at the clock told him it was well past mid-night. The only reason Roman was still up was trying to plan the Roman Candle's next moves now that the cities biggest gang was done for. Some of the old members had even joined up with Roman so it was possible he was reviewing them as well.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting you, Boss." Tsutomu muttered.
"No. It's fine…" Roman said quietly, before a yawn tore out of his throat. With a closer look, Tsutomu noticed that his eyes were bloodshot. "Just finishing up the last of… this…" Roman angrily stared at and gestured to the pile of documents on his desk. "Have a seat and let's get whatever you need over with..."
Tsutomu did as he asked and took a seat. He fidgeted slightly as Roman's irritation grew. Before Torchwick could snap, Tsutomu finally spoke up. "Well, first off… I just wanted to ask if everything was okay…" Roman raised an eyebrow but didn't speak.
"It's just that… It doesn't look like you've been doing too good lately…" Tsutomu said. After a bit of silence, Roman sighed.
"Thanks for the concern… But I'm fine." Roman said. Tsutomu wasn't buying it.
"But, sir-"
"I'm. Fine." Roman interrupted him with a glare that promised pain if he didn't drop the subject and so he did.
"A-alright then… Well I also wanted to ask you something…" Roman waived a hand dismissively which let Tsutomu know to go ahead. "I… I just wanted to ask… Back when we first met, you said you didn't have a quirk but… When we took out The Baron, I saw you do things a quirkless person shouldn't have been able to do."
Roman froze for a moment. He glanced at Tsutomu with calculating yet narrowed eyes. The large men broke out into a cold sweat as Torchwick stared at him. "I told you the truth that day." Roman broke the silence. "I don't have a quirk."
"But then-"
"You know, Tsutomu." Roman cut him off. "Have you ever wondered if there's more to life than just quirks?"
"Huh?" Tsutomu muttered, confused at Roman's sudden change of tone.
"I mean, it's just crazy…" Roman began, throwing around hand gestures to help get his point across. "This whole fucking society works solely on the basis of quirks. It's all quirks this, quirks that… Everyone in this fucking city, the country even, is nothing more than a brain-dead idiot who's sole purpose in life is to have a dick measuring contest with everyone else."
Tsutomu chuckled quietly but couldn't keep a nervousness from bubbling in his chest, as if something was… off.
"And the bigger your dick, the better you have it in life." Roman said as he stood up. Tsutomu got a look at the smile on his face and to say that it unnerved him was a bit of an understatement. "So-called "heroes" are around every corner spouting that same idiotic rhetoric over and over again, not to mention the arrogant self proclaimed "villains" who think just because they can breath a little fire or lift a brick with their mind, they're suddenly the hottest piece of shit on the block… and if I'm being completely honest I'm getting fucking sick of it!" His hand swiped across the desk and everything on it was thrown off to the side, the documents he was looking at scattering to the floor.
Tsutomu watched, more than a little disturbed as Roman chuckled to himself while rubbing his face with a gloved hand. He had no idea what was going on, what Torchwick was saying or what the point was but he felt like even one wrong movement or sound and Torchwick would snap. So he'd just… wait.
"Everything in this world is all about quirks…" Roman breathed deeply with an almost crazed look in his eye. "Everything is only ever about quirks… It's all I hear, it's everywhere I look and here I am… here I am, all alone in this fucking world, the only person who looks at the big picture, the only person with a brain that isn't the size of a walnut and it's driving me FUCKING INSANE!" A reddish-orange glow enveloped Torchwick's arms, before his desk was thrown to the side, slamming into and denting the wall with a resounding crash.
"I'm all alone! I- I- I'm… I'm all... alone… I… Neo..." Tsutomu watched Roman stagger back as if the weight of the world had just fallen on his shoulders. His legs gave out and he toppled back into his chair. Suddenly, the entire room was unnervingly silent with the only thing audible was Torchwick's heavy breathing. Roman's eyes were wide and while Tsutomu couldn't see very well due to the dark room, he thought he could see some wetness around them. Despite everything, it was easy to see that that word Torchwick muttered, whoever or whatever Neo was, it was a very touchy subject.
Tsutomu didn't know what to say... but despite it all, he felt that he had to say something. So he did.
"Boss?" Tsutomu asked quietly. Roman shifted his head to glance at him but said nothing. "Are you… are you okay?"
"…"
"...No..."
An awkward and tense silence settled over the room once more after Torchwick spoke. It was more than several minutes later when Roman had finally seemed to calm down. Torchwick lifted his head only to reveal eyes even more bloodshot than before and a subtle tear track running down each cheek.
"I'm… sorry you had to see that…" Roman finally spoke up after a silence that felt like an eternity to him, while wiping his sleeve over his eyes. "I'll… I'll answer your question I just… I've been dealing with some things… I'll... be fine."
"Yeah…" Tsutomu mumbled with a wide eyed look. He didn't believe Torchwick for a minute but what else could he say? Might as well change the topic. "I was only curious about those things you did… I didn't mean to bring up-"
"Don't." Roman warned and Tsutomu's mouth snapped shut. "I said... Drop. It. Just ask your question..."
"Right… Uh- I- I just wanted to know, since you don't have a quirk and all... How were you able to do all of those things that day? Like just now too. Some kind of… glow surrounded your arms and…" Tsutomu trailed off as he gestured with his hands. Roman remained silent for a second, before lifting a gloved hand.
"You mean this?" He asked softly, before that same reddish-orange glow surrounded his arm. When Tsutomu nodded, Roman smiled. "It's called Aura. The supposed physical manifestation of the soul… and I'm the only person in this world who has it."
Tsutomu blinked dumbly as he stared at the glowing limb for several seconds. "Huh?" He asked. Roman only chuckled.
"It sounds crazy… But it works. Strengthens your body, protects you from attacks, heals minor wounds and more. It's a real god send… And the best part about it is that it's something that every living being with a soul has. People, animals, plants too…"
"That's…" Tsutomu murmured with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "That's amazing…!" He gasped out before blinking in confusion. "But… If everyone with a soul has it then why don't I have it? Or anyone else for that matter?"
Roman's smile dropped slightly. "That's not something I can answer. I don't know, not for certain." He said before turning contemplative. "But… Aura can be unlocked."
Tsutomu's gaze snapped to Roman. "Are you… saying what I think…?" He trailed off as Roman nodded.
"I am. I don't know if it'll work… But you've proven your loyalty. Assuming this works, I'm planning to unlock the aura of the others too. Emiko, Hanako, Takeo and Isao, all five of you. It'll give us an edge that other people won't have. We might even be able to give a good portion of the The Roman Candles members aura as well but it would have to be highly trusted ones… Regardless, that's not for a long time." Torchwick explained as Tsutomu let it all sink in.
"So… What do yo-"
"Yes." Tsutomu said immediately, causing Roman to blink. "I still don't know anything about this but it's clear you can do some amazing things… and if there's even the chance that you can… unlock my aura or whatever it is then… I'm willing to try." Torchwick only smiled.
"Alright…" Roman said as he stood, his mood brightened slightly as the previous topic was pushed to the back of his mind. "Stand up and close your eyes." Tsutomu did as he was asked and waited.
Then a hand was placed on his shoulder before Torchwick began to speak.
"For it is with cunning and wit that we achieve fame and wealth. Through a will of my own will I succeed where all others have failed. With a spark in my hand and a flame in my soul, I release your own and by my shoulder set thee free."
When Tsutomu opened his eyes, a bright green glow had enveloped him. He felt... free... more so than he ever felt before, as if a part of him he had never known about had suddenly been revealed. Then his gaze snapped up when Roman suddenly fell back into his chair.
"Boss?!" He asked, startled and concerned. Torchwick, while breathing heavily and obviously exhausted, waved him off.
"I'm fine… It just… takes a bit out of you… when you do that…" Suddenly, Roman smirked. "Now you have your own aura. All I did was unlock it but from now on, all of it is your own."
"This is…" Tsutomu muttered as he looked back at his hands, almost mesmerized at the green glow flowing up and down his arms. "Amazing…" He finished, before the glow retreated back into the depths of his soul.
"I'll… ugh, fuck… explain everything tomorrow… Someone's gonna have to teach you how to use it." Torchwick smirked as he pressed his weight onto Melodic Cudgel and stood up. "For tonight, I'm going to bed… Maybe I'll actually get some rest this time…" He said as she slowly shuffled to the door but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Torchwick stared as Tsutomu grabbed his arms and wrapped them around his own neck, supporting Roman. "Let me help you. It's the least I can do after all you've done for us." Roman didn't argue and just smiled tiredly.
"Thank you, Tsutomu..." He said quietly as the larger man helped him to his room.
Shaking his head to push the memory away, Tsutomu suddenly looked back up at Torchwick with a smirk. "You know, Roman… You're looking a little different than the last time I saw you." He said, looking Roman up and down. "Did you get a haircut?" He asked, half to change the subject and half to get a rise out of Torchwick.
"You're kidding me, right?" Torchwick asked with a crooked frown of faux irritation. "My hair is amazing. Always is, always has been and always will be."
Tsutomu only laughed at that. "I'm just pulling your leg, Roman. I am liking the new outfit though." He said.
"It does look nice, doesn't it?" Roman muttered as he pushed his chair back, before standing and walking over to a nearby mirror.
Roman's new outfit was best described as an improved version of his usual one. Roman's usual white coat had changed slightly. It's color and overall style remained the same but the addition of coattails gave him a more gentlemanly look. He'd also exchanged his heavy-duty buckled black gloves for a more subtle variant of the same color that were pulled under his coat's sleeves rather than over them, although they were no less durable. Red cuffs were also added to his coat that were pinned with golden cuff links.
Roman's black pants were changed out for dark brown pants of the same make and his light gray scarf was also exchanged for a dark gray and orange one. On the back of his coat, he wore his signature emblem of an orange cackling Jack-o'-lantern inside a black circle. On the backs of his gloves, he had two more symbols etched onto them. On his right glove, he had a bright green four leaf clover. On his left, he had a dark red number thirteen inside a playing card spade with a red outline.
Finally, his dress shoes were swapped for some black buckled boots which went up to his mid calf which remained classy looking while providing better traction for combat. His hat and undershirt remained unchanged. However, Roman wore a white, brown and pink pendant of Neo's symbol which laid on his chest, poking out underneath his scarf. Despite her absence, he promised to push forward and so he wore it to metaphorically keep her by his side.
"That it does." Tsutomu confirmed. "A lot of heroes and villains wear flashy signature outfits for… Dammit, what's the word…" He mumbled, scratching his chin as he thought. "Their image, I guess." He shrugged.
"I think I get what you're trying to say." Roman assured him as he walked back over to the desk.
"Right. What I mean is, your old outfit, while stylish, wasn't very… unique. It didn't say much about you aside from having good tastes." Roman snorted but didn't interrupt.
"But your new one? You've got a lot more flair now." Tsutomu concluded as Roman sat down. "Although…"
"What is it?" Roman asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.
Tsutomu gestured to his upper chest. "That pendant… It just seems a little out of place." The big man paled slightly as he saw Roman's grip on Melodic Cudgel tighten and his face twist into anger. "I'm not saying you should take it off or anything, Boss, I'm just curious as to why you have it!" Tsutomu said quickly.
There was a tense silence before Roman roman closed his eyes and released a calming breath, relaxing his grip at the same time. "Right…" Roman muttered as he grasped the pendant and held it up. "It has… sentimental value."
"Sentimental?" Tsutomu mumbled to himself in confusion. "I haven't seen you wearing it before so I wouldn't have guessed."
"It's because it's… relatively new. It wasn't given to me by anyone, I had it custom made but…" Roman released a sad sigh. "It represents someone who was close to me." He said.
"Oh…" Tsutomu muttered softly, his face having fallen. "I'm sorry for bringing it up." Roman didn't respond, having chosen to keep his eyes down as he pondered.
He wouldn't exactly consider himself to have full blown abandonment issues but after his own mother abandoned him back in Mistral when he was just a child, he'd definitely had problems with letting people in. Only Neo had ever been able to get over that obstacle and thus the only one he had ever added to the list of people he considered close. Tsutomu and the other four were easily good friends but they were hardly as close as he and Neo had been.
Torchwick's eyes slid up slightly to look at Tsutomu who had averted his gaze awkwardly.
'Well…' Roman thought to himself as he sucked in a quiet breath. 'Maybe it's time to officially add someone else to that list.'
With a sigh, Roman grabbed his scroll from his pocket and brought up a picture of a familiar pink and brown haired woman. He set the scroll on the desk, rotated it and slid it over to Tsutomu who picked it up.
"That-" Roman started with a somber frown. "is my old Partner-In-Crime. Her name is Neopolitan."
Tsutomu's eyes widened in shock as he looked back at Torchwick. "You mean… All those months ago when you first unlocked my Aura… When you mumbled "Neo", you…?" He trailed off when he saw Roman nod sadly. "I'm surprised you even remember..." The Mistralian thief chuckled softly
"Oh… I… I see… uh… I'm sorry for your loss…" Roman just chuckled before lifting his glass once again and downing the contents. The empty glass slammed back down onto the desk.
He smirked when Tsutomu lifted an eyebrow. "She's not dead…" Tsutomu's frown increased when he noticed Roman hesitate. "Or… at least I don't think she is. We got separated on a job and I haven't seen her since… After that I came to Musutafu… Then I met you and the others…" Roman snorted bitterly as he poured another glass. "If anything, she probably thinks I'm dead…"
Tsutomu was silent for a bit before speaking up. "Roman… We've known each other for the better part of the year and I think I can confidently say that we're friends, right?"
"Yeah…" Roman chuckled softly. "I'd say we are."
"Then, as your friend, I'd like to ask you something… Are you doing alright?"
Roman went quiet for a few seconds before sighing. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before taking another sip of his drink. "I think so… Still got my low moments but I'm fine." Torchwick snorted suddenly with amusement. "Enough with the mopey shit, I didn't come here for a therapy session." He snarked, causing Tsutomu to erupt with laughter.
"Right. I suppose we did get sidetracked eh? Down to business then." Tsutomu smirked as he brought out a map of the city with a few other documents and laid it over the desk.
"You said you wanted to take stalk of our operations, right?' Tsutomu asked.
"That's right. It's only been a few weeks since last time but things can change fast. I need to stay up to date. Go ahead and give me the run down, even if there's something I already know, don't hold back on details." Torchwick explained to which Tsutomu nodded understandingly.
"Right." He said as he dragged his finger across the outline or an orange border that enveloped all of the city and even some of the areas around it, bar the area immediately surrounding UA high school. "First off, our territory has grown a little bit but not by much. Though, we are starting to push in the direction towards Hosu." Tsutomu explained while Torchwick watched on silently.
"80% of all the crime in our territory is regulated by The Roman Candle, with the remaining 20% being attributed to random thugs or other spontaneous crimes, nothing important. We've been raking in more money and manpower, primarily because of Takeo and Isao who've been working together. The drug trade, weapon deals, smuggling and other jobs for different clients have been raking in a pretty sum, that's all due to Takeo."
"Isao's the one who's been getting our numbers up via pressuring in villains who've been a pain in the ass or simply convincing those down on their luck to join up. Either way, things usually turn out for the better with how our own are taken care of. Isao's also been raking in money on his own as well with his protection fees. Although you know this already, unlike The Baron, we're making sure to actually protect our clients who are willing and keep our prices reasonable." Tsutomu paused as he took a drink before continuing.
"That being said, we're still trying to keep a relatively low profile, as you know. While the general populace is still unaware of The Roman Candle, the police, a few heroes and of course those we do business with are aware of us but so long as we keep pushing out bribes like we have been and don't do anything too crazy, we'll be just fine. We can afford it after all." He snorted and shook his head. "It's ironic how those who're meant to protect and save people are the most corruptible." Roman laughed openly at that.
"Oh you've got no idea." Torchwick said as he sipped at his own drink.
"You know…" Tsutomu spoke up, causing Roman to hum in interest. "There are actually a few cops who frequent this place for the booze, games and women." The entire building, while primarily a casino, also employed many other services. Assuming one paid, there were women employed by the casino willing to give their bodies to clients. "I've spoken to one of em. Asked me to "Thank your boss" since he was able to settle some debt with a land lord because of the bribe money."
"Huh…" Roman muttered. "Well that's good to know. Anything else?" He asked.
"One last thing. You remember that little information network that Hanako thought up a few months back?" Tsutomu asked.
Roman stayed silent for a moment as he thought the question over. "I think so yeah. Why, what about it?"
"Well, it looks like its been paying off. There's nothing really important or urgent coming in but thanks to her and her little sister, we've got a good chunk of Candles who are willing and able to get information. The last week has got us an increased profit largely due to that. Good information on targets and the happenings in the underworld keep coming in. We're able to act on the info ourselves or sell it to others. It's good money either way." Tsutomu explained before pausing.
"You got something else on your mind, don't you?" Torchwick asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused grin.
"I do, it's just… Hanako passed on a request, more like an idea really." He explained uncertainly.
"Well go on. Tell me what it is." Torchwick urged him with a bit of impatience.
"Right. So, Hanako got the idea to… well… send Emiko to UA."
"UA?" Torchwick asked surprised. "Is she serious? She wants to send her younger sister into the most prestigious hero school in the country, if not the world?" When Tsutomu didn't respond, Roman spoke up again. "Did she at least say why?"
"She did, actually… Gave a few reasons that I actually agree with. The main reason isn't anything serious, it's just an older sister looking out for the younger. With all of the money we've been raking in, Hanako wanted to get Emiko to finish her education." Tsutomu explained as Roman listened, a small sympathetic frown overcoming his features. The Mistralian thief was still just as indifferent and uncaring to people as he was back on Remnant, but Emiko was one of the very few who could actually succeed at pulling his heart strings.
"That's… actually a decent reason. But if she just wants Emiko to finish school then why are you telling me?" Roman asked confused and it was a fair question. It wasn't his business knowing what they all did in their free time.
"Because, assuming Emiko gets in to UA, she'll be in the perfect position to get us info on what the heroes are planning." Roman frowned when he heard the explanation but Tsutomu wasn't finished. "It's just a safety measure. Emiko would simply go to school and keep an eye and ear open for anything interesting. She'll pass anything she hears to us and we'll deal with it as necessary."
"It's not a bad idea, I'll admit…" Torchwick mumbled as he swirled his drink while thinking it over. After a moment he spoke up again. "What course is she planning to join?" He asked.
"Hanako said she just wanted to go into General Education. I've heard that those who perform well during the sports festival can be transferred to the Hero Course so if the need arises, she can be moved over. She's more than strong enough to give them a good showing, especially now that her aura has been unlocked." Tsutomu explained.
Torchwick went silent as he pondered the idea. It really wasn't a bad idea. Since she wouldn't be in Gen. Ed., she wouldn't be getting much attention, which was good. She'd finish her education and pass on anything she hears in the mean time. There shouldn't be any risk so Roman didn't really see a reason to say no.
"Well… Like I said, it's not my business whether she goes or not. But I'm not gonna disagree with the decision so long as she's careful." Torchwick said with a small smile.
"That's good to hear. Emiko already got her application sent. All Hanako needs to do is tutor Emiko in the meantime and make sure she'll be able to pass the exam. After that, just sit back and reap any benefits." Tsutomu finished, leaning back with a satisfied look on his face.
"Alright. You can let Hanako know that I'm okay with it." Roman said as he finished his glass, before grabbing Melodic Cudgel and standing from his seat. "I think it's time I get going, though. It was good seeing you again, Tsutomu." Roman said as Tsutomu stood from his seat.
"Likewise, Roman, likewise." He said as the two met and shook firm hands.
When they separated, Roman turned and walked out with a wave. "Have a good night, Tsutomu." The door opened, Roman stepped out and the door shut once more.
As Roman walked back to his car, he could only mumble one thing under his breath. "You best hope Hanako and Emiko know what they're doing..."
A/N: So this chapter was more or less just an info dump. The time skip has finally arrived and it was a pretty big one, 8 months from last chapter. That means, Roman has been on Earth in the My Hero Academia universe for 9 months. That's one month until the UA entrance exams.
This chapter might have been a little boring, but I thought it was necessary. I needed to showcase how The Roman Candle had grown over the course of the time skip, just to give you guys an estimate on what was happening. But yeah, Roman's gang basically owns the entire city which is pretty cool.
Tsutomu and the other four members of the original crew also have Aura and no, they don't have semblances yet cause one, I have no fucking clue what semblance I wanna give each character, and two, they've only had their aura for like 7-8 months. Even Jaune in RWBY didn't unlock his semblance that quickly.
I'm also pretty happy with the little flashback scene I did. I felt like it was a good idea to show that, despite Torchwick being able to push past the fact that he was in a different world without Neo, I felt like he hadn't really gotten over it just yet. It was a little difficult to write it but in the end, I think I managed to come up with something decent. And no, I'm not going to pull a Jaune Arc and have Roman be sad about Neo like Jaune was about Pyrrha for 3 whole volumes. It might pop up in a flashback again, no promises, but that's it. He's more than accepted the situation by now. One of the reasons I did it was to get some bonding between Roman and Tsutomu but eh.
One last thing is that I hope everyone is okay with the new outfit I made for Torchwick. His original is already really good but I wanted to spruce it up a bit and so I managed to put what you read together.
(P.S.: The people reading this fic probably already know this but just in case, the fic that actually inspired me to write this fic, "Another Path" by Viola Magistrate, finally updated again after over a year of no activity. If you haven't read it yet or you have read it and simply haven't checked out the new chapters, I highly recommend you do so.)
(P.S. x2: Some people suggested I give Roman a custom "aura unlock" chant and I felt like now was as good a time as any. I'm not sure how good it is but if anyone is either reading this for the first time or rereading it again, it'd be appreciated if you could give me your thoughts.)
