Oswald Cobblepot was on edge more than usual. Word of a certain someone getting out of the hospital had the underworld buzzing. That reputation of his was tarnished. There was no way to go up from being saved by Bat Brats and the one girl he should have left alone!
He snarled as he made his way to his office startling the staff he passed. While there were families that have gone radio silent, others were celebrating by hunting Ibanescu. That idiot was given one job! They should have known he was going to pull something like this when he volunteered to take care of their wild dog problem. He's always had a precarious relationship on the east end. And now pulling this? Dragging that Wayne girl into the middle of it?! His head was on a chopping block. All bets were on for who would flex hard enough and take him out. Oswald marched into his office.
"Hi Oz!" Victor said from behind Oswald's desk and the man nearly jumped out of his skin. Perfect.
"Fucking christ!" the man wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. "The fuck are you doing here?"
"Oh whatever I want but also giving you the courtesy to let me know what the families really wanted with me." A displeased grunt was heard from across the desk. "Someone planted the idea to put me on a leash and I bet that someone was you!"
Dark eyes narrowed but Oswald wouldn't bother moving Victor from his chair and dropped into the one meant for business clients. This boy exhausted him on so many levels. "It would have kept you alive a little longer. Snatching you up would have been a power play and no one truly wants you dead just on their payroll. Talks devolved into infighting."
"Sure know how to make a man feel special. Who's bright idea was it to involve the girl?" Victor asked in a cold tone.
"I told you to stay away from her!" Oswald spat, nearly rising out of his chair. "You know the rules!"
"Those rules apply to the families, not me. I'll crawl out of her bed every day if I can help it."
"You're practically an organization on your own! You just haven't hit tenure and you'll sure as fuck not hit it now! Dragos probably thought he was more clever than he is. Break the girl, whore her out and make you do every job imaginable to keep her from suffering. She'd keep her mouth shut about it to keep you safe. He would have been banking on that. How did they even catch you?!"
"I may have still been on my sad man's parade," he admits.
Oswald grumbled. Puppy love did something rotten to his brain it seems. "I don't need to know shit about what you're goin' to get up to but why are you here?!"
"That paperwork I asked you to hang on to. I need it."
Oswald stared at Victor in disbelief with his face contorted. "The fuck do you need with a shitty piece of paper?"
"You said you didn't want to know, remember? Hand it over."
Somewhere on a private beach in the Caribbean Olivia's phone rumbled. She answered and smiled at the image she received. Victor was posed with his GED sticking his tongue out. "What are you smiling about?" Melissa said as she turned over on her beach towel.
"Victor sent me proof of his GED," Olivia beamed and showed off the picture.
"Oh…Oh! I get it now. Do all bald guys look that good? How were you guys not screwing around on the first day?"
"God stop!" Olivia huffed.
"Send him one back! I've got one too. It's perfect! Tasteful and cute!" She grabbed her phone and sat up. "But! You have to promise to send it before I let you see it!" Olivia didn't like the sound of that but nodded.
"When did you take that?!" she whined after seeing the picture. "I can't send him that! No please! Let's take another one!"
Victor's phone buzzes and he stops closing a car's trunk to check his messages. A smile crept on his face. It was a candid picture of Olivia in light beachwear with a flowy shirt covering up most of her. She was looking wistfully away from the camera with a popsicle to her lips. "You and that sweet tooth." Time to get to work!
"I really like your ride, Avram was it?" Victor asked a fairly large man gagged and tied up in the trunk. He thrashed and tried to get free of his bonds. "I'll take good care of it!" He slammed the trunk shut and soon enough pulled out of the alley poor Avram had the misfortune to run into Victor in. Victor just happened to be looking for a ride to boost and instead he found his shitty tail. "Tonight is going to be fun."
A man in the alley watched the taillights fade into the night and took his phone back up. "Zsasz is back… Yeah it was him and he looks like he's on a warpath. Let everyone know to stay out of his way."
The sound of a heavy muscle car barreling down the streets of Gotham roared through the night. "Gotta give it to ya, Avram! You sure know how to pick 'em," Victor howled into the night. There was only one destination on the agenda, Ibanescu's safehouse. Information gifted to him by Red Hood cut short what he was expecting to be a night of breaking knees for information. He took half the fun in it but that would have been time wasted getting to the main course.
The quickest path was cutting through quiet neighborhoods and ducking into defunct rail tunnels of which he was very familiar with. He learned how to drive on anything but actual roads once he figured out how to get a car out of a parking lot. In minutes he arrived in the train yard of Gotham Station. The engine's violent growling calmed to a rumble as he pulled between parked train cars waiting to be used or repaired. There were more passenger cars than freight. If Ibanescu was fleeing the city he'd still want to do it up in style and as fast as possible. Any car on the end will have to do. Easy to hitch and pull out the station.
Victor pulled the muscle car into the shadows and went about loading himself down with enough firepower to pass as a walking armory but still be mobile. To get a better lay of the yard he climbed on top of the nearest set of train cars. From there he could spot three separated from the rest of the line and a sweeping patrol of henchmen perhaps too committed to this life. Shame. While he was tempted to take a shot now he needed to be closer and unseen for a better head count and zero in on which car Dragos was using to hide.
Just a half dozen cars away and approaching from the darkest side of the rail yard he could tell the separated cars were one for freight, cargo and what was possibly a private passenger car. Victor smirked. The man was really trying to run with his tail between his legs with flair. Time to start picking people off!
The first of the most unfortunate militia was one man slipping off to smoke. As he turned to take a drag he was yanked into the shadows, his throat was slit and he left gurgling on the gravel while his freshly lit cigarette burned until drenched in his blood. Victor moved through the outer ring of guards silently but the moment he was spotted the stealth part of his mission was over. The shotgun on his back was pulled down and he quickly shot the man sounding the alarm.
There was shouting and scrambling to find the source of the noise. Victor is regretting not learning a bit of Romanian. It would come in handy at least learning which direction people were shouting to check. They started to go in pairs checking corners and radioing to one another. Some had the sense to check under the cars themselves and three even braved being out in the open on top of the isolated cars.
Victor's ears burned upon hearing his name. Wild brown eyes grew wide in glee and a throwing knife at his hip was hurled into the man's throat silencing him. "You're gonna ruin the surprise!" he said with a finger up to his lips. His name came from behind him louder and was followed by frantic shuffling. "Well so much for that." His name alone either struck fear or made people think it was time to be the bigger monster.
Duos became groups gathering around the train cars on every side possible. Communication was high but it seemed they were disagreeing on where he was coming from. With his back pressed against a metal passenger car he loaded another shell into his shotgun then put it away for now. Two automatic pistols were at the ready and he darted between separated cars, a shadowy blur, easily spotted and the spot he passed through became inundated with bullet fire. The shots pierced only one panel of the train car and covered the sound of him rushing to the other end to light up the rightmost flank, dropping one man for good and injuring too but not enough that they didn't turn to shoot back.
Shots rang out from the opposite end of their little arena. Nowhere near him but just as much frantic shouting and sporadic shooting. Seems Red Hood really did intend to help out. Or someone was taking advantage on their way to Ibanescu. Ammo check. Back into the open.
He popped off two more men and all visible guards turned to shoot in his direction. He was running a semi circle and people were still being dropped. He'll have to thank his unseen partner. There was more yelling and terror in their voices that came through even a language barrier. Empty magazines were exchanged and he was back into the fray with a sweeping barrage to make them scatter and Victor ignoring the shots that managed to strike his arm and thigh.
Back into cover he swapped over to two glocks with hollow point rounds. It was time to move and he stopped as he heard himself on the other side of the yard.
"DRAGOS! You gonna leave me waiting all night?!" his clone jeered and was drowned out by firepower. That was going to be their focus. Any person helping Zsasz was secondary to getting rid of him first! He ruined their operation and now they needed to break ground somewhere else.
True Victor did not miss a beat. As they checked what they felt was the correct side he called out. "Come on, bud! After all that foreplay you gonna leave me wanting?" No shots this time just…confusion. Were there two Zsasz? Were there always two and they were never privy to that information?! Their numbers were dwindling fast enough for it to be true.
His clone spoke again and he made his move now marching towards the isolated cars with each shot lighting up his excited face. "Should have killed me when you had the chance!" The scattered few were gunned down from both sides. A shot grazed his forehead and struck his side. He has experienced worse. A burning hot barrel was pressed to the wound to stem the bleeding as much as possible before he turned his attention to the train cars.
There was no power so the middle car's doors had to be wrenched open before he climbed in and quickly slid into cover. At the other end before the private car were three men showering the spot he hid with bullets. Nothing hit. Minus a trail to get in and out the car was loaded up with everything that wasn't nailed down from their territory. Heavy crates loaded with who cares, not his problem, briefcases and a hearty safe in front of him. That must have been a bitch to move. He caught the faint reflection off the safe of one man approaching with the other two at the ready and turned, low to blast out one knee then finish him off with a second shot then ducked back into cover.
Still all quiet outside. His double must be cleaning up. "You know, I like to think we could have come to an agreement," he yelled while he checked his guns' ammo. "I convince you he's not worth your time and you walk away but your friend Avram changed my mind about it. Talked shit about my girl. Disgusting stuff and while it's not fair, I feel you all must share the same feelings towards her and I can't risk any of you getting close to her again."
Victor hopped up to his feet and quickly turned the corner to fire off his shotgun, round after round in the area of where the two men were now hiding. He paused after four, admiring the spread. The man on the left assumed he was reloading. He was wrong and had his hand blasted. The blood curdling wail was followed by another shot to the man on the right. He'd let them scream and bleed out. Dragos was waiting after all!
Or he was not! As Victor shoved the door to the private car open he saw that a side door was ajar and Dragos Ibanescu could be seen hurrying and tripping across the gravel towards a car. "Aw, nice try Ibane," he patronized then leapt from the car to follow. Ibanescu was getting on in years, overweight and at a great disadvantage in a foot race. Even with all the weight of his weaponry Victor caught up in what would have felt like the blink of an eye. Not a tackle but a drop kick to the square of the man's back sent him slamming into the very car he was seeking to escape in. He bounced back against the door and fell to the ground face up.
Victor landed on his back and quickly hopped back to his feet, bouncing on the spot as he readied for the real fun. "Ibane! Do I have a bone to pick with you!" He snarled before winding back to kick the man just beneath his arms, shattering ribs. The old man gasped and tried to reach for a gun at his hip but Victor stepped on his forearm. "Ibane, I have to admit, I never liked you. You did nothing new mind you but with a particular sleazy stink about it!" All of his weight rested on that arm until he heard it snap and the sounds of Ibanescu bellowing echoed through the yard.
"You fucking brat!" Ibanescu managed to gasp. "I was doing you a favor! They wanted your head!"
Victor's brown eyes were wide as a grin spread across his face. "Then you should have let them take it but you had to try to aim higher. Know your place pig!" He stepped further on that mangled arm!
"You'll get what's coming to you! All dogs get put down!"
"Mm." Victor crouched beside the man and readied his gun. "You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" A shot was fired into the man's left foot. More crying out followed. "I could have my fill and send you back to the families so they can have their fun too but in all honesty, they'd just call on me and I AM already here!" The smoking hot barrel was pushed against a jowl with a sickening sizzle. "Anyone you want to try and take down while you're on your way out? I am going to need more than Penguin suggesting I get a leash, Falcone wanting to ship me off to Italy in a box, Riley looking for a replacement to kill me and Dimitrov thinking I could be bought with his own daughter. Are you noticing a pattern here?" Victor tapped his gun on Ibanescu's forehead. "They said nothing about my girl!" The guns were put away and a long tactical knife was pulled out and turned between Victor's fingers. "You made her cry, Ibane. That's pretty fucked up of you. She's such a sweet girl."
"I…" Victor arched a brow and leaned in to listen to this man's last vile words. "I should have let them run a train on her when I had the chance!" Victor clenched his jaw and slammed the blade into Ibanescu's heart once, twice, three times. Four. His face was splattered with Ibanescu's blood and he took a breath to calm himself and clean his blade on the flesh-monger's shirt. "The funny thing is, you wouldn't have gotten that far. I imagine she would have burned half of the East End just to get away from that. And then she'd cry because she doesn't like hurting people, even ones who deserve it and we would be here again!" Ibanescu wheezed then slipped away never to bother them again.
He remained crouched beside the crime lord's corpse tapping his chin with his knife. His eyes shot to the left as Red Hood emerged from the shadows of the train cars tucking away his guns. "I owe you an apology. I guess you can be discreet."
"And you…gave up on stealth quicker than I thought you would," Red remarked then looked over Ibanescu's body.
"What can I say? Half the fun is them being afraid. Gets the blood pumping, they fuck up, sometimes even turn on each other." Standing to his full height and still shorter than Red Hood he put his knife away. "You cloned my voice?"
Red the collar of his shirt to his throat then spoke. "You're chatty when you're down," with Victor's voice.
"That's creepy," he grimaced. "Anyone left alive?"
"Were you aiming for that?" The two stared at one another then looked around the mess they made in the yard. "Not a soul."
Victor sighed and crouched back down to take out a boot knife and get to carving then stopped at the first strike of a tally. This is what he gets for not showing a little restraint. "Wait, there is!"
The trunk of the stolen muscle car was opened up with Red Hood first standing out of view of Avram. The man was concussed from Victor's driving. "Hey bud! You still alive?" Victor checked for a pulse. "Excellent!" He closed the trunk and moved to the driver's side with Red just following suit and climbing into the passenger's seat. "Just gotta drop him off and viola! Message received!"
"You get alarmingly lucky. I'm starting to see how you've given us the runaround."
"I assumed you guys weren't really trying." Both things can be true. The last man "standing" was dumped by Ibanescu's body and Victor took a souvenir. One of the gaudy rings on Dragos' fingers was pocketed and he turned to Red Hood with his face still splattered with blood. "I can eat. You?"
Red pointed to his own face as he began to explain. "You've got a little." Victor brushed the heel of his hand against his face and saw a blood smear. Without a word he headed into the private car and looked for something to wipe off his face. A small water closet had rolled towels and that would have to suffice. With his face as cleaned as it was going to get he stepped out to find Red in the cargo car examining the safe. After just a minute of staring at the dial he spun it to the right combination and pulled open the heavy door.
Victor peered around him like a curious child. Money was the first thing he saw but manilla folders were always more fun! "Ooo!" He reached past Red but was struck with a stack of cash. "You need to start wearing gloves," Red Hood would scold before taking the folders. Victor scrunched up his nose but took the money and a few more stacks as well. He doubts they'll actually hand over the bounty he just claimed.
"Anything interesting?"
"Lots of blackmail material he never got to capitalize on." Victor reached for the folders and Red held them higher. "Consider this my payment for helping you." Red peered at the freight car. "Make yourself scarce and I'll clean up. Sort out the girls in the back."
"And here I thought we were bonding," Victor joked.
Red slipped the folders into a hidden pocket in his jacket then readied to breach the door. "I do more than just mow down people causing problems."
Victor was weighing his options. He heads home, clears out and then what? "I can help," he said while stuffing another wad of money into his waistband and shutting the safe.
"You know they're bound to know who you are. You'll scare the fuck out of them."
"And you won't with that creepy mask?" Both paused at the sound of sirens in the distance. "Did you call?"
"I don't call on cops for sensitive shit like this. We did make a lot of noise. We're leaving." He opened the door to the freight car and glanced inside. A dozen malnourished men and women and two pitbulls muzzled in crates. "They won't go over looked. Let's go!" Victor was already on his way out and heading to his now prized muscle car.
Victor waited to see if they were riding together only to see Red on a sportbike rushing past the front of the car. No better choice than to follow him out through the yard and old tunnels.
The pair did get food together. It was an eye opening experience for atleast one of them. Victor gawked while his burger got cold at how Red Hood managed to eat without taking off the helmet. There were segments that slid away! "I need to get me one of those," he remarked then went back to his food. He burned through a lot and admittedly did not eat enough beforehand.
"You also need gloves. Can't be leaving your grubby fingerprints all over the place," Red Hood would chastise him again.
"Hasn't been a problem yet," he said through a mouthful.
"Cause no one wanted to find anything on you. That's probably going to be changing soon."
"Why do you give a shit? Once I'm out of the way won't your job get easier?"
"Not if you stop your depression rampages."
"Hey! I wasn't depressed, I was. .."
"Love sick to the point you lashed out? Do you want me to call it angry puppy love?" Red teased.
Victor aimed a finger at him. "I will shoot you."
"Like you haven't before." The two smirked and continued eating. A pleasant quiet fell between them. Jason could honestly believe there was hope for Zsasz to turn around. If only he were better at gentle prodding. It was expressed to him that knocking the kid out and just taking him to his base was not the way to go.
"I want to change," Victor expressed as he leaned back on his hands and stared down the street. Just beyond that block and around another corner was that meta-human club. "Not sure how but I know I need to. It felt great getting rid of Ibane. I always wondered why they tolerated him when they clearly hated everything he was about and wouldn't play by their rules." His phone buzzed and he fished it out of his jacket pocket. Just a picture of a smore held by delicate fingers with the chocolate seeping out the edges and the question "Cannibalism?" posed. He chuckled and considered telling her about Ibanescu but she'll find out in time. A simple heart reply.
Red Hood leaned over to peer at his phone. "See, puppy love." Victor shoved his face back.
"I've got packing to do," Victor said as he stretched and winced. He also had to stitch himself back up.
"You got a safe place to go?"
Again with this strange…caring older brother attitude. "You're getting weird on me."
"Look! I am trying to say that if you want to change I can help!" Red said, pointing with his whole hand to emphasize his words. "You'll still have to find work but I can help with everything else. What do you say?" Glowing white eyes set in a red metal mask managed a level of sincerity or maybe Victor was just imagining that.
Victor looked at his phone. It felt like an unspoken rule that they wouldn't be too chatty if they could help it. As if they intended to have as much to talk about when they saw each other again. "Might as well keep digging," he replied then held his fist out for a bump that was reciprocated. "Have to abandon my bike for a bit."
"We go in one, no turning back. I'll drive that monster you stole." His bike parked on the sidewalk whirled to life and rolled off without a rider.
"What the fuck?" Victor said in awe.
"Gloves first then we'll sort out a mask for you," Red explained then got ready to head away from the late night burger spot behind them. The staff was practically nose to glass watching the strangest thing they've seen all year. Two men who they swore wanted each other dead getting along.
Come morning Victor's apartment was cleared out of personal effects from his clothes to his armory. An old shoe box was the most guarded and extra care was taken to make sure it made it into the car. An armful of books were collected as well. All his things fit into that massive trunk and the backseat of the car. Ownership of the vehicle would get sorted out later. He considered giving Mrs. Hye-ja the lockbox gun but found it best not to give something that could shatter her wrist. She was simply given the key to his apartment and told she could have anything inside before the landlord caught on he was gone. Mrs Hye-ja gave him a warm hug and pats to his cheeks.
The new apartment was outside the east end in the center of the fashion district. The building was an old textile warehouse converted a decade ago to a private garage with an apartment above he had no idea what to do with. His old apartment could fit in the garage ten times over alone! A lightly furnished space with high windows that had metal shutters to block out bright neon lights. This was a nice place he may actually want to bring Olivia to see. He'll wait on giving an invitation until he has at least curtains and a couch.