16 Let's Meet the Sicilians
Finding Neutral Territory in a city like Gotham is like finding the correct code to a safe by guessing the numbers.
It's more annoying than it is hard.
Tusk is unwilling to meet up with Penguin in his territory, and Penguin isn't going to meet with Tusk in his. Now I must find a Territory that doesn't have hostile relations with either Penguin or Tusk.
Finding one that doesn't mind Tusk will be easy, The Metahuman is a newcomer on the stage, and hasn't been working long enough to make many enemies.
But finding territory that's neutral to Penguin? That lowers the choice pool by a lot.
So when you need to find someone who doesn't hate you, you go for someone who hates the person you hate.
And in Gotham City, Nobody is hated by Penguin more than Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, so in order to easily find a Neautral place for the meeting to take hold, we must first find someone who hates Falcone enough to not hate Penguin.
Something that is not at all a hard thing to manage seeing as Carmine Falcone made a lot of enemies. From the McKillen Irish crime family to the Ukrainian Odessa Mob, there are many families in Gotham that wouldn't mind having a meeting hosted in their territory, even if just to spite The Roman.
And perhaps none of them hate Falcone more than the Cosa Nostra, The Five Families.
Or should it be Four families now that the Bertinelli Family is dead?
"What are you planning?" Waylon Jones asked as he sat in the backseat of the car, His body half lying on his side in order to fit inside the vehicle.
"I'm planning to convince the Cosa Nostra to let Penguin host the meeting in their territory," I say as I stop the car before the turn, waiting for the traffic light to change color.
"Do you know how to contact them? I doubt a stooge like you could just get a meeting with one of the heads set up," Waylon asked, his eyes staring at the lights outside the car window.
"Pasquale Galante Junior, The Head of the Galante Crime Family and current head of the Cosa Nostra, Is known to have many restaurants under his control, acting as fronts for the Sicilian's Drug Smuggling operations. What we're doing is heading over to one of his Restaurants, and kindly ask the owner to get us in contact with him." I explain before stepping on the gas as the traffic light changed to green.
"And How are you going to convince the poor bloke to contact Pasquale? No offense, but you don't look threatening enough, And you're just one man," Killer Croc asked.
"Waylon Jones, Did you not wonder why the two black cars behind us are keeping a steady distance? I don't work alone," I smirk underneath my mask, hearing a large man grunt in the back, "I already have what I need to convince the Sicilians to host the meeting, Penguin wouldn't have sent me if I didn't already have a plan,"
And seeing as I have memories of a Comic character that existed for over 50 years inside of my head, It's not hard to take a look at what Richard knows and find a plan to use.
Even if this plan is incredibly simple.
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Rose Forrest wasn't in control of her body as she quickly made her way towards the Radio Store down on Sixth Street, a large duffel bag in her hands and a feather-shaped knife hidden inside the sleeve of her hoodie in case anybody tried to jump her.
She passed by homeless people and a turned-over dumpster as she made her way to the abandoned Subway Station, quickly making her way down the stairs of the old abandoned tunnel underneath the city.
She let her eyes adjust to the darkness for a moment before she walked deeper into the station, finding a dark and dusty corner to open the Duffel Bag she was given.
"Don't change here," She stopped when the Owl-masked man appeared from the ceiling, dropping down beside her, "Follow me," He said as he guided the girl deeper into the Subway Tunnel.
After five minutes of walking in silence, The man stopped and knocked on a section of the tunnel, the wall opening up to reveal a large brick room, a small stream of clear water flowing through the middle of the room with the use of an old aqueduct held up by stone pillars, A large statue of an Owl dominated an entire corner of the room, reaching five meters in height, looking almost like an ancient guardian looking over the room.
Rose would have let out a whistle of appreciation for the architecture, The Classic Old Gotham look.
"Here, This Room is where you will be taught. Change into the outfit in that bag, we're starting tonight." The Man said as he went to the corner of the room, a tap on the wall causing several hidden lights to turn on and illuminate the room.
Opening the Bag, Rose Forrest smiled as she saw the Owl-like mask staring up at her.
"Do you have this in Green? Black just isn't my color," Rose smirked as she changed her clothes into the Outfit in the bag, not minding the other person in the room.
"..." The man didn't respond to her joke as he tossed her a wooden staff, "We both want Tobias Whale dead, So here's how this is going to work," He went to grab a wooden staff for himself, twirling it in his hands to check the weight, "I'm going to train you the same way I've been trained, You will hurt, you will scream, and you will most likely hate me, But when I'm done with you, You will be ready," He entered a fighting stance with the staff, "Nobody but the two of us will know what is happening and you will not speak about this to your Caretaker," He tapped the floor with the wooden staff twice before kicking off the ground and slamming the staff in his hands into Rose Forrest's stomach.
"You will call me Talon, and I will teach you how to Fight," He looked at Rose under her own smaller Talon outfit, "So pick yourself up, Because this is only the beginning,"
Rose Forrest smiled underneath her new mask, when she was done here, Tobias Whale would have a new Thorn at his side.
"Heh, Thorn, That's a good name,"
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Parking the Car outside one of the many Italian restaurants owned by Galante Family, Waylon Jones and I stepped out of the car, followed by eight more of Penguin's men who I had following me.
It was time to meet the Sicilians and organize this meeting.
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Tusk, The New Elephant-skinned Metahuman gangster from Gotham hummed to himself as he cleaned a shot glass behind the small hotel bar he used as a hideout.
Crime was more a means to an end for a guy like him, Getting enough money so he could one day achieve his real goal.
However, his dream of opening a hotel where Metahumans and other people with appearances that left them ostracized by Society could find honest work would have to wait.
Right now he was barely more than a blip on the radar of Gotham City, so he sighed tiredly, as he cleaned the glass, Only to smile and turn his head to the door of the dingy hotel as he heard someone open the door.
"Who the fuck are you-" His words were cut off as more people entered the Hotel, guns aimed at him as they stood beside a Blonde Man wearing a red outfit, His shirt was open down the middle with a big V, Reaching his blue belt and showing off his muscles.
He wore a pair of tall blue boots, reaching up to his thighs and wearing what looked to be a blue metal headband as if it were a crown.
But most noticeable about the Red and Blue outfitted man, was the Long metal whip held in his hands, currently wrapped around the Metahuman Gangster's throat.
"I apologize, Mr Tusk, But I don't really have the time to speak right now, So if you would kindly point me in the way Penguin's Men went, I would be delighted," The man smiled sadistically at the Metahuman, the whip in his hands loosening from Tusk's throat.
Tusk, Knowing that one of his best men was currently with the people this creep wanted to find, Told him- "Go Fuck Yourself!"
Tusk suddenly choked as the Whip around his neck once again tightened, the smile on the Blonde man lifting just a bit as excitement entered his eyes.
"Wrong answer," with a press of a Button, Electricity shot through the Whip, and the many men around him started opening fire on the Metahuman Gangster.
The 100 were making another Move on Gotham, And tonight they sent a bigger gun.
