A/N: This chapter is mirrored from my old account: SoloRogueStudios
Okay, here we are, chapter 2. My oh my, how long has it been since I last released a chapter in a timely fashion.
So, I dunno if anybody noticed, but the character Ash from the last chapter is a pretty blatant reference to Ashe from Amagi Brilliant Park; just a treat for any fans of that series. There'll be a couple characters in this chapter that are based on/reference characters from other properties, so keep an eye out for those.
Okay, I'm done. Without any further ado, here's the chapter.
Chapter 2: Hard Time
It was one o'clock in the morning at the Vale Police Department, normally a time when no one truly wanted to be there. Night officers would rather be at home, asleep in bed like their families; but those very families are what motivated them to stick to their duty, to keep their city safe. Tonight, however, was not a typical night. Tonight, every officer in the precinct was excited to be there. Tonight, they finally brought in Vale's most notorious criminal.
Twenty officers were waiting in the receiving area as the truck pulled up to the curb. Four SWAT officers approached the back doors: two to open them, and two to keep their guns trained on the suspect. The doors were pulled open and Roman Torchwick walked out to greet his captors.
"Good evening, officers." he said, with a snide grin.
The SWAT officers that opened the doors grabbed him by the arms and started dragging him towards the door to the main part of the precinct. The other cops in the room all cheered as he walked by.
"Job well done!" said one.
"We finally got you, you son-of-a-bitch!" said another.
"Have fun in prison." said a third.
Roman simply chuckled as he was brought in to be processed. His cane was taken to the evidence locker, while he was taken to an officer standing at a computer.
"Roman Torchwick," said the officer, "boy am I glad that I'm the guy who gets to scan your prints into the system."
"Careful, you might not feel that way for long." said Roman, with a threatening grin.
The officer frowned at Roman, as two other cops grabbed the criminal and took him through the booking process. They scanned his fingerprints into the database and recorded the circumstances of his arrest, also making note of the numerous warrants that were out for him. They moved him against a wall and took his mug shots, his number was 274761453. Finally, they did a full body search and confiscated any personal belongings, including his cigars. When they were finished, they brought Roman to a holding cell, where he would stay for the rest of the night.
"Hey, Sorola," said the officer who locked him in, "send a message to the judge and the DA's office. I'm sure they'd like to get this guy's trial over with as soon as possible."
"Heh, knowing Judge White, Torchwick'll be in supermax by tomorrow." responded Sorola, typing up the email on his computer.
Roman simply kicked back on his bunk and went to sleep.
It was a clear morning as the sun rose over Vale. The streets were empty, as Neo made her way through the bad part of town. Any lingering street-urchins, who let their eyes wander over the beautiful young woman, were immediately warned off by a glare and a flash of a hidden blade in her parasol. She silently continued on her way, hiding her anger behind a cold expression. She eventually reached her destination, a bar called The Hammered Ursa, where one of Roman's criminal contacts worked.
Neo practically threw open the door, causing the bell to rattle violently. Slick, the man she was looking for, turned around to face her from behind the bar.
"Hey, be careful with- Oh, why hello." he said, losing any signs of anger upon seeing the young woman.
Neo walked across the room, silently.
"Wait, aren't you that cute little minx that's always hangin' around with Torchwick? Can I get you a drink?" he asked, as she reached the bar.
Neo hooked the bartender's collar on the curved handle of her parasol and pulled. Slick fell forward, his face slamming into the countertop. With a twist of the handle, the parasol's hidden blade extended from the top end. Neo laid the smooth part of the weapon against the bartender's neck, a demand for compliance in exchange for his life.
"The hell're you doing you crazy bitch!?" he yelled in protest.
Neo put more pressure on the blade, prompting the distressed man to quiet himself. The tricolor-haired thief pulled out her scroll and showed him the latest news, a headline that read Notorious Criminal Roman Torchwick: Captured at Last.
"What, Roman got caught?" asked Slick.
Neo glared at him.
"You think I had something to do with that!?"
Neo kicked a barstool aside, causing it to slam into a table and knock it over.
"I get bad info sometimes! I try to verify what I can but some things just slip through the cracks, okay!"
Neo raised her blade, holding the tip just an inch away from his neck.
"No, please! Look, I'll tell you who gave me the info, where to find him, anything you wanna know! Just please don't kill me!" yelled Slick, hands clasped together as he begged for his life.
Neo pulled back, allowing him to get up. He let out the breath he had been holding and hunched over the bar, as he gasped for air.
"You…you are a scary lady, you know that." said Slick, when he finally caught his breath.
Neo glared at him.
"Alright, alright, I'm going!"
Slick pulled out a tablet scroll and began looking through an electronic ledger.
"Y'know, I'd never turn on Roman; it's 'cause I knew he'd kill me if I ever did." he said, as his eyes darted around the screen. "But, seeing what you can do, now I really don't wanna mess with him."
Neo watched him closely, tapping her foot impatiently.
"I mean, I had no idea you were so dangerous; guess it doesn't help that nobody really knows much about you." he continued, hoping the small talk would ease his nerves. "I always thought you were just a thief or some fangirl of Roman's. Then there're the people who think you're his woman, heh. Are you Roman's woman?"
Neo extended the blade of her parasol in response.
"Right, right, okay, none of my business. Ah, found your guy; here's all the info I have on him." said Slick, showing Neo his screen.
Neo looked over the information before nodding and walking out the door.
Slick let his gaze linger on the short woman as she left, before turning to the damage done to his bar. "Well, before anything, I should probably change pants."
Roman Torchwick was not having a good day. It was bad enough that he had to spend the night sleeping on a hard bunk in a holding cell, but now he was being driven to court only half a day later. The cop the night before hadn't been exaggerating when he said that the judge would get his trial over with quickly; apparently, all other cases for the day were promptly pushed back in favor of locking up Vale's Most Wanted. As Roman pondered the legality of the court doing such a thing, he felt the van come to a stop; they had arrived.
The courthouse was big, white, and had the typical stone columns one would expect; it was a design Roman didn't particularly care for. Officers opened the van and walked him into the building, stopping once they reached the table for the defendant.
The bailiff stepped forward. "Court is now in session, the Kingdom of Vale vs. Roman Torchwick; the honorable Judge White, presiding."
Everyone sat down after the brief spiel, and Roman looked up to get a look at who would be judging him. She was a blonde-haired woman, had to be around middle-aged but appeared quite a bit younger. Her uneven bangs framed a soft-featured face, which was set in a stern expression.
"Will the defendant please stand." she said.
Roman did as he was told, regretting having sat down in the first place.
"You have waived your right to an attorney and have opted to defend yourself, is that correct?"
"That's right." replied the thief. Lawyers were expensive, and Roman had something much more fun in mind.
"As you wish." continued the judge. "Roman Torchwick, you stand here today accused of armed robbery, homicide, grand theft auto, bond forgery, identity theft, breaking and entering, assault, inciting a riot, disturbing the peace, extortion, and a litany of other crimes we would be here for twenty minutes listing. How do you plead?"
"Guilty."
Everyone in the room flinched at the word. No one could believe the man had just said that. Even the Court Reporter seemed to drop his hands on his keyboard.
"Excuse me, let me see if I have this correct." said the judge. "You're pleading guilty?"
"What can I say Your Honor, I've been a bad man." replied Roman, with a snide grin.
"Your Honor, if I may." said the District Attorney, getting up from his chair.
"What is it, Mr. Dichrome?"
"The VPD and my office have spent a painstaking amount of time building a case against this man, it would be remiss of us not to present the evidence we have gathered."
"Well, unfortunately that decision is not up to you." said the judge, as she turned to Roman again. "Mr. Torchwick, are you pleading guilty voluntarily?"
"Yup, sure am." he replied, nonchalantly.
"Do you understand that by pleading guilty that you are admitting to facts that make up a criminal offense?"
"Yup."
"Do you understand the consequences of a guilty plea, including that you are giving up your right to have a trial by pleading guilty?"
"Uh huh."
"Do you understand that the judge does not have to follow the sentence that the DA is recommending?"
"Sure do."
"Well, since you have pled guilty and understand the consequences of doing so, this trial is concluded." said the judge, earning grimaces from the prosecution. "The Court shall now proceed to sentencing. Given the overwhelming list of crimes committed, Mr. Torchwick will be given the maximum sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole. Court is adjourned; officers, get this criminal out of my courthouse."
The officers that had brought Roman in grabbed him and walked him back to the van outside. They were stopped in the hallway by a man with black and white hair, District Attorney Dichrome.
"Congratulations, Torchwick, you managed to make years of police and legal work look pointless." he said, angrily.
"Always happy to make you guys feel stupid."
"Yeah, well, you're still going to prison for the rest of your life. Have fun, asshole."
The police continued to drag him away from the fuming DA.
"Honestly, I hand you guys a free victory and you're upset?" said Roman, with faux disappointment.
"A lot of people spent a lot of time building that case against you, and you're just treating it like one big joke." said one of the officers. "I'll feel better when you're locked up."
The officers handcuffed him and threw him in the back of the van. They banged on the side of the vehicle, signaling that it was locked up, and it drove off to its next destination.
It was late morning when Roman arrived at Vale City Penitentiary. The heavily-guarded facility was right on the outskirts of the city, right on the edge of the defensive walls. The prison's own walls served to keep the Grimm out and, more importantly, the prisoners in. The barbed-wire fences had an oppressive air to them, and the plain architecture felt uninviting. Inside, the grey stonework somehow managed to feel both grimy and sterile at the same time. The armed guards kept a close eye on him, as he was brought to the processing station.
The desk workers wordlessly entered his information into the prison's database. He was taken into another room where his clothes were taken, and he was given a white t-shirt, white underwear, and an orange prison jumpsuit; his police escorts handed his other personal belongings to the prison workers. Once he was dressed, the guards escorted him to the maximum security cell blocks.
"This is your cell." said one of them, as they locked him in. "Bunk, toilet, sink. Better get used to it quickly."
The guards left Roman to get acquainted with his new home. He decided to lie down on the bunk and stare up at the gray ceiling. Everything was gray: the walls were gray, the bars were gray, the toilet was gray, the sink was gray. Everything was gray.
Roman sighed, as he lied there doing nothing. "I'm gonna get bored real fast in this place."
His melancholy was short-lived, however, as guards began to file into the cell block. Roman sat up, curious about what was going on.
"Lunch time!" called one of the guards.
Roman couldn't help but feel a little relieved, he had barely eaten anything that morning and welcomed the idea of getting some food in him.
The prisoners were escorted to the cafeteria, where they lined up with trays to get their meals. Comparing the selection to cafeteria food from primary school would do a disservice to primary school lunch ladies. Everything here looked like it had come straight out of the freezer or a can. Even the gruel he had eaten as a child in the orphanage seemed more appetizing at this point.
"Oh well, prisoners can't be choosers, I suppose. Not yet, anyway."
He took a biscuit and what was claimed to be mashed potatoes, along with some corn and chicken. He grabbed a cup of juice to drink, since he didn't trust where the water came from in this place. Satisfied, as much as he could be, with his meal, Roman sat himself down at an empty table.
The food was surprisingly not as bad as he expected, although still a far cry from the cuisine he was used to. As he ate, Roman could feel the eyes of the other prisoners leering at him. They had noticed he was a new inmate and had marked him as fresh meat. For now, they were just eying him, but soon they'd try to see if he was someone they could take advantage of.
After lunch, the prisoners were led outside to the courtyard. There, they could get some fresh air and work out using the assorted exercise equipment. It was also where most of the hazing of new prisoners happened.
Roman looked around, but paid no mind to the prisoners whispering about him off to the side. He was more interested in the courtyard itself. There were guards by the door and on every corner, as well as watchtowers with lookouts along the stone outer wall. There were two high fences, spaced five feet apart and topped with barbed wire; the outer fence had signs saying it was electrified, just in case anyone got any ideas about cutting it.
Roman's observations were interrupted when he noticed inmates walking over to him. Within a few seconds, five prisoners had him surrounded. The guards noticeably tensed up, anticipating a fight.
"So, you're Roman Torchwick?" asked one of the inmates. "Word around here is that you're supposed to be pretty tough."
"Yeah, we heard you was the baddest crime boss in all a Vale." said another.
"We even heard you've given Hunters the slip." said the first prisoner. "Yet here you are, locked up by some plain ol' cops."
"Guess you ain't as bad as they say." said a third man.
Roman narrowed his eyes as he sized up his soon-to-be attackers. "Now that can't be right. If you really have heard of me, you wouldn't be dumb enough to pick this fight."
Some of the men noticeably scowled at his taunting words.
"I dunno, five-to-one, I kinda like those odds." said the first inmate. "See, just 'cause you're a big-shot out there doesn't mean we're gonna let you be on top in here."
"Oh, come now," said Roman, "we all know I'll get there anyway. All you're doing is guaranteeing yourselves a spot at the bottom when I do."
One of the prisoners that had been silent until then suddenly screamed. "You've done it now, Pretty Boy! Get ready for an early grave!"
Roman smirked.
Nightfall came quickly to the City of Vale that day. Time always had a tendency to fly by when excitement was in the air, and the people were quite excited to learn that a notorious criminal was now behind bars. Of course, for some, fortune was not so favorable; for some, seeing one devil get put away was immediately followed up by meeting another.
"Okay, we're here." said a cab driver, as he pulled up to the curb. "N-now, c-can I please go?"
The short, tricolor-haired woman in the back of the cab nodded. She lowered the sharp blade pointed at the back of his neck and sheathed it as she left the cab. The cabby drove away without payment, happy that he still had his life.
Neo glanced over the building before her. The nightclub wasn't too shabby considering the part of town it was in, but she wasn't here for the drink or the dancing. Neo had business with this club's owner, a man called 'Junior.'
So, that's all for now. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave a review so I can get some feedback, and if you enjoyed this be sure to check out my other stuff.
Character references in the chapter, for those who are curious: Judge White (particularly her physical description) is based off of the YoRHa Commander from Nier: Automata (amazing game, highly recommend). DA Dichrome is a somewhat blatant reference to Two-Face of Batman fame.
If anyone is wondering about the time-frame of this story, it takes place a few years before the main series time-frame. This was hinted at with the mug shot scene (it serves as an origin for the mug shot of Roman featured in the first episode of Volume 1). It'll be a bit more evident next chapter when we talk about the twins. Oh yeah, did I mention; the twins are gonna be in this. Now you have something more to look forward to next chapter.
Anyway, thanks for reading everybody. Have a good day, and I'll see you next time.
A/N: This chapter is mirrored from my old account: SoloRogueStudios