Roman swore he rested comfortably in his bed. Neptune's rough thumb making soothing circles over Ruby Rose etched into the skin of his neck. Instead of basking in solace, he was groggy as hell under a flickering light. Shaking his head to clear it and noting that his hands were tied well behind his back. Assessing the spinning and the sour taste in his sinuses, indicating someone chloroformed him. His throat went tight with the fear of what happened to Tune? Then smelling smoke from his cigar. Whoever fucking dared was dead.

A smooth feminine voice, "now let me assure you my grandson is safe." Ah yes Salita Vasilias. Well, she was welcome to have a cigar, "Repulsive as his habits are, I would not hurt him." Gritting his teeth as he could focus on her, why did Vacuo have to be so homophobic? Making a sharp exhale with smoke billowing out of her nostrils, "About the cathedral on my territory."

Torchwick blanched, he didn't even consider it. He asserted his authority on enemy grounds. So now he had the thinnest chance of surviving, "I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect. I saw some kids misbehaving, and I didn't think-"

Her laughter cut him off, "oh Toro, you weren't kidding about what an earnest boy he is."

The old man growled, "I told you to treat him with respect."

Roman twisted his head, trying to fathom why two leaders of warring gangs would unite to have him naked and bound to a cheap chair.

Salita stepped a little closer to better look at him under a flickering light bulb, "I'm hazing you. You're a good boy."

He was 23.

Toro cracking his knuckles, "let's get to the point. Serpent-"

Salita shook ash from her cigar, "What a terrible nickname."

Toro's brows twitched, "Sali-"

"Oh I know, dear cousin. You hate quick-witted women."A sly smile was growing on her mouth.

Toro snarled, "No I abhor disrespectful women."

Throwing her silver hair back to mockingly hit his face, "Can you tell the difference?"

Roman felt frustration burning through his little patience, "Can we get past whatever this is. And get to what I need to do to get some pants?"

Salita's eyes flicked downward, "Cute snake."

Winking, "Sorry ma'am, I am exclusively dating."

Toro frowned, "Your soulmate is a girl and yet-"

Roman growled, "There is nothing wrong with two men…enjoying each other's masculinity." Then, trying to adopt as smug a posture as possible as the bindings caught him, "Now tell me why are the head of the two biggest Vacuovian Crime families have little ol' me locked up in a shady basement."

Salita, "My Cacti Farm-"

Toro's hands turned to fists, arms twitching, "It belongs to my grandfather."

Waving the cigar in her cousins face, "He was mine as well!"

"It was willed out to my sid-"

Roman coughed indiscreetly, "You're cousins? And you war like this? Shouldn't a union have stopped this?"

Toro rubbed his bald head, "It did, but our parents were brothers."

Salita continued, "They fought…rather bitterly."

Roman groaned, "and so the war your grandparent married to stop resumed." Why did family have to be so fraught?

Toro, "We had a few years of peace…but the farm." At least the Adel had the decency to look sheepish.

Salita, "We can't force our respective men not to fight." Snuffing out the cigar with a great deal more force than necessary.

Roman nose wrinkled at the rule of the mob, "If enough of your underlings want to fight you have to."

Salita lowered her lashes and shamefully, "We need something bold."

The old man made an awkward gesture to Roman, "Serpent, we need someone who has good will among the police and both families."

"Am I the only one you can think of?" All he had going for him was buying some fancy windows for a church. Roman's eyes widened, "I'm technically an Adel and with Neptune-"

Salita gagged, "Oh god no. No one wants to even think about two men." Then, recovering some poise with a heavy swallow, "Besides he is a hunter with no reputation. It wouldn't even work if one of you was a lady."

Marriage, unions, that is how to make two families one, even if only temporarily, "Then how does it make sense to use me to unite the families?"

Toro rubbing his fingers together, "There needs to be something that makes both of the families profit. Something to act as your idea, and you lead both families."

Well, money is a powerful motivator, and Dust for energy had been bothering Torchwick for years, "Oh fuck me, I have the perfect idea for a debut, and we can use the farm."

Salita smiled slyly, "Like I said, cute snake."

Toro spoke through a grimace, "Cousin, you do remember where that snake has been?"

xxx

Roman back in clothes and flamboyantly, "you both said I needed a debut. Something to unite both families."

Toro, "You said debut. Not us"

Salita, "maybe we should revisit you marrying my youngest grandchild."

Toro, "gay marriage is illegal in Vacuo"

Roman pivoting on his toes, "What a horrible place we live in. Besides, Tunes and I are to disparate in our public standing for that to be possible…if it was you know, possible."

Toro, "but a wind farm?"

"Yes! Over the dead cacti farm. We are starting an electric company. Now names. Adelis?

"Vasiel."

Toro pondered, rubbing his chin,"You're known for the revolution attempt in Vale, and the revolution in politics in Mistral."

Salita with an upset sigh, "Roman this is yours. We have to leave the old families behind."

Toro, "Re Volt."

Roman snorted he loved it. Re Volt against the Schnee Dust Company. Buy wind energy. And a funny thing when you have a Mafia creating a business. In a few short months they were a part of the electric grid. A small portion.

But a substantial cut.

It took years For Roman to unite the criminal underground, but once he lined everything up, and with profit as inspiration, everything fell into place. If only they'd fight Grimm. But for now, it was time to be the adored Father of career criminals who were tired of bloodshed.

Toro patted his hand on a chair, "Son, sit down. The ad is coming up."

And there he was a handsome ginger selling you electricity.

Bizarrely it wasn't a scam.

And it cut out.

"Um, uh. Hi. My name is Ruby Rose." She was wearing leather gloves. "I'm a Huntress. And if we've done everything right, then I'm talking to all of Remnant right now. Dr. Polendina can explain more later," Polendina? the guy that made the robot? "but right now, you all need to know that the Kingdom of Atlas is under attack." was she hurt? "We didn't have time to prepare for Salem. But now you do! Just because she can't be destroyed, doesn't mean she can't be beaten." Clever use of words, Red, "If she really was unstoppable, she wouldn't have acted with such caution until now. She knows we're a threat. So even if we- even if Atlas falls, you can't give up."

And then she cut out. And Roman stumbled to his screen.

Toro, "you mentioned Salem before."

Roman, "Vacuo's next."

Salita sighed, "I believe it's time for our fearless father of crime to have a sit down with the Huntsmans' leader." So she organized a meeting late that month.

Roman strolled through the academy giving the two-finger salute to students pulling out their scrolls to take a photo of him. Then, walking into Headmaster Theodore's office, he appreciated the understated wealth. What He did not appreciate was Glynda huffing before throwing open a window.

"Woman, do try to enjoy some of the finer things in life." Gesturing to himself

Her riding crop rested threateningly on her shoulder, "I prefer the dry heat over your noxious fumes, boy."

Roman snorted and only then pulled out his cigar to smoke. Theodore came in with a charming smile and a fresh pot of tea. "A fight isn't why we are here."

Glynda crossed our arms, "We each heard Ruby's warning. Salem is coming. First Beacon, then Haven, now Atlas, and soon Shade."

Roman scowled, "Grimm will be coming in hordes, and I cannot get my army to fight monsters."

Glynda shook her head, "I still can't believe you switched sides."

Theodore blinked, "You can't believe it? With his soul mate?"

Roman gritted his teeth, he'd been hiding it for years. Then with an act of kidnapping and nudity, spilled the beans. Glynda seeing his frustration, softened, and poured tea, slowly sliding it to Roman, "And we are grateful." Roman stared at her hand as it rested on his wrist. He knew she was trying to offer comfort, and all he felt was how cold her hands were. Her quiet voice continued, "We finally need to utilize the army you've been amassing."

Pulling his hand away and exhaling curls of smoke, "Obviously, the Hunters on my payroll are yours. The two heads of the main family unite under me because they wish to stop dying. They will follow my orders and want their gangs to protect the city of Grimm. But the mob themselves? There are no lies I can tell to get them to do that."

Glynda huffed, "Then why spend years doing this?"

Unable to restrain the exhaustion from his voice, "It took me four years to get this far. I need more time."

Theodore shook his head, "Mr. Torchwick, you accomplished a great thing already. With the family feuds not breaking the city's focus, More youngsters have enrolled in the past few months than ever."

Roman shifted uncomfortably under the praise, "Yeah, I accept new guys, but I've not been actively recruiting." It wasn't enough.

Glynda's grip tight on her mug, "And that would make a notable difference in 4 years. Salem will be at our doorstep soon." The fine porcelain cracked

Theodore looked between the huntress and his new associate. "I might have an idea."

Glynda straightened her glasses, "To mobilize Torchwick's forces to fight Salem?"

The headmaster wove his fingers together, "If young Roman shows he is aligned with a huntress. Wouldn't his men honor that sort of connection?"

Roman, "If we could contact the Spiders AND if we had time. We could have made one a famous huntress." biting his tongue, Neo would have been the obvious choice, "The fact of the matter is I don't have a strong connection alive that is capable of something like that."

Glynda, "Why connection with your old gang?"

Roman waving his hands, "Mobsters have a code of honor. You don't carry through a hit if family is around to witness because family is all. Nothing is more important than family. A gang is so much more than a group of thugs."

Theodore, "Then perhaps marriage?"

Roman snorted, "You got a famous huntress hiding about in Vacuo?"

Theodore, "Well, not hiding."

Glynda blinked, and Roman blinked at her. Her face warmed up, and he had to admit she was an attractive woman. "She's old enough to be my mother."

Her flush increased this time in annoyance, "what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm running the mob. That prioritizes family. How's it gonna be taken me marrying a woman who can't have kids anymore."

Glynda gripped the hem of her skirt, "I wouldn't even let you touch me, you pig."

Roman, "It's not even about sex. I'm 24, and no one expects me to settle down yet. My guys expect me to have heirs someday."

Theodore nodded, "There is honor and loyalty. Your lieutenants treat you like family."

Glynda looked incredulous, "They are a bunch of gangsters."

Roman snapped, "This isn't Vale where gangsters shake a business down for a few Lien in the name of protection."

Theodore, "This is Vacuo, where the true enemy is the desert. Strong families stay alive. It is why no one is going after Roman for the sizable bounty on his head."

Glynda puzzled it out, "His 'family' is the strongest, and the rest of Vacuo stays alive because of it."

Roman grinding out his cigar, "Theo, it is a good idea. I need a strong, famous, age-appropriate Huntress that I can publicly woo. Preferably one that can lead in case I die." His scroll rang, and he listened before giving his thanks and hung up to begin texting. "We need hunters in the Eastern desert. Got some nomads dressed much too warmly with Grimm after them. And Some weird glowing archways."

Theo and Glynda exchanged glances. Glynda pushed her glasses up, "They must have used the relic of creation."

Roman, "The what?"

Theo, "No time to explain. Glynda, go ahead and stop by the Hunter's lodge on your way there. I'll gather some students."

Roman, "I trust you'll pay my hunters handsomely." hand on his mark, he knew why fate chose them.