Roman Sionis

"You came back!" Roman said with a small gasp and a wide smile, gesturing for him to sit down at his table with him and shooing away the company he just had with him. “I didn’t think you would. You didn’t seem like the type to frequent my little club here. So I did some digging- well, actually I had some other guy do some digging for me. As it turns out, you’re a buddy of Penguin’s. Tell me, because I’m dying to know... are you two together?”

"I never meant to come between you and him." Roman mocked the other man, trying his best to copy his voice but failing miserably. “You ever so much as look at him again and I’ll peel off that pretty little face of yours.” He hissed. 

Zatanna was looking for Dinah. It was the only reason she’s even be caught dead in Roman’s club. The fact the other woman had decided to work there was beyond her. Suddenly he was coming towards her, arms spread open. She held a hand up, signaling for him to stop. “I’m just here for Dinah.” she said straight to the point.

“Dinah... Oh, yes. She’s fantastic, as always but her setlist isn’t over. So, you’ll have to wait. You know,” He gestured for Zatanna to walk with him and took a few steps away from her. “She’s paid handsomely. Like all of my valued performers are. You do shows, don’t you?”

“Aren’t you a colourful character.” Roman said as he approached the woman. She looked enough like a clown that it worried him Joker might be inching onto his territory. His eyes narrowed and he walked away from his group of men. “And who are you supposed to be, mhm?” He asked, “If you work for Joker, you can tell that asshole that his little stunt earlier wasn’t appreciated. Though, I’m sure the severed faces must have sent the message.” 

“Congratulations!” Roman said to the woman. She was normally a hitman, a fantastic hitman but still. She wasn’t exactly the kind of person to control as much territory as she got. So he was a bit surprised to hear that Lilith was so bold. She was working with Joker in order to get this land- so it seemed and he needed to know more about that. “So... you have the Clinic now. You need a doctor to hire? I have the best of the best.”

Roman smiled the moment he saw her. Zatanna Zatara. He’d been wanting to get her and her act in for the Black Mask Club for a long time now and now she was there before him. Standing in his club. Why, it was a beautiful act of fate. “Zatanna!” He said with a smile and a his arms wide open. “Welcome! Can I get you a drink?” He asked before promptly turning to a waiter. “Bring me uh- What do you like?” 

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“Here I thought that was my job” Dinah chuckled softly looking at the other, in truth she liked spending time with Roman, there was a very soft side to him that had made her fall for him once. Of course once the darker side started taking over she moved to Star City to get a break away but it didn’t last long. “So I can see, I suppose I just thought you magic. Sounds like you’ll need to if you want to keep that weapon inventory up. I’m sure if you send Victor to deal with him he’ll swoon, a lot of Criminals have certain crush on that man” She mused innocently, it was always better to have Victor running little errands away from Roman should something unfavorably happened. “I don’t want to see you on some hit list, or Victor for that matter.” She mused smiling softly before chuckling “I’m sure if you called upon his sense of friendship he’d offer to deal with you. Its better to have allies then enemies in Gotham, you taught me that long ago.” 

“No, if I send Vic, then that’s what he would want from me. To give him up. I won’t share him.” He said, with a swipe of his hand. It was the same as making Dinah sign the exclusivity contract. He wanted complete control over their time. Nothing getting in the way if he wanted to be around them. The only way he knew how to do that was if he kept them under his employment. “I’ll figure something else out, Dinah. Perhaps I’ll make a deal with the girl Barbara Kean freely gave her territory to. You know, the one with no experience.” He sighed, still not over how stupid he thought it all was. “Let’s not talk of this unpleasant experience anymore. Let’s talk about you instead. How was your day. Dinah? Tell me all about it. I want to know every little detail.”

“You are the book definition of romantic Romy, I love how much trouble you go to just for me, makes me feel special.” Dinah replied smiling softly, she was being honest this side of Roman was the one she liked the one that reflected his kind nature beyond his over the top temper. She smiled softly, eating her food with one hand while the other was kept in Roman’s grip while he talked. “I had no idea that you two were partners, and you know sending Vic after the Police Commissioner’s wife and mother of his children isn’t a good idea. Your forces would be better spent on Joker. Marriage isn’t all bad, you don’t like the idea of being tied down, I’m so glad to hear that my presence has improved your day” She mused taking his hand to place a kiss on it. “Surely there is someone else who can be your partner? What about Oswald? Victor has done some work for him hasn’t he?”

“I aim to please you.” Roman said with a smile. She’d been a lot better with him lately. More willing to spend time with him. It made him wonder if she loved him again or... he pushed the thought that it might be a trick right out of his mind the moment he had it. “I make a lot of deals with a lot of people, Dinah. It’s how you thrive in a place like Gotham. Why do you think the club never runs out of food or booze. Barbara got me the weapons I needed to protect my territory. Now next time I need guns, I’ll probably have to go to the Penguin. And that sucks you know?” She said it wasn’t a good idea and he frowned at her. “Why not? The GCPD can’t defend shit lately.” She kissed his hand and it lifted his spirits slightly. “I could deal with Oswald, the issue is he has everything he needs already and I’d rather not be in the Penguin’s debt.” 

“Aww you treat me so cruelly Romy, where is that kind boy who used to follow us around everywhere? He was such a cute little snob” He teased the other after all he wasn’t scared of Romy not by a long shot, it always was too easy to get him all riled up to the point of screaming and throwing a tantrum. He may not have the same safety since before Gotham had turned into this back water hell hole. He still could fight regardless of what the other may have thought. “Yes very funny, I remember many a time in our childhood where I was laughing at you” He mused looking at roman “Now Now Romy, we both know you aren’t my type, why don’t find that little boy of yours…. Victor he’ll take care of all your fun things” He mused taking his cup to sip of his newly acquired drink before smirking “I’m sure you just love that, It’s been awhile since I’ve had the pleasure so hear her beautiful voice.”

“It’s Roman.” He finally corrected him. “Are you so fucking dense that you can’t call me by the name I prefer to be called?” Bruce Wayne was insufferable. Not only did he take his family’s company but he had the gull to tease him. Not just about that but about everything. Like it wasn’t a sore subject. Like he didn’t go on a killing spree after it. Murdering Wayne employee after Wayne employee. “Maybe you shouldn’t have laughed at me.” He suggested coldly. “And you won’t be hearing it. What are you even doing here, Bruce? I thought I told you that you weren’t welcome here.” 

Barbara arched an eyebrow. “Says the man who is currently acting like a petulant two year old,” she responded. She rolled her eyes, still perched on the table, her legs and arms both crossed. “Owe you what?” she said impatiently. She didn’t bother correcting him on her last name – for one thing, she suspected the use of her maiden name was a dig against her marriage, and for another, hardly anyone called her by the proper name anyway. She raised her eyebrows. “I hear myself just fine, although you seem to be deaf to how obnoxious you sound – which, believe me, makes you a very lucky man.” Her temper well and truly up, his threat struck the tinderbox. She made like she was going to bite him, though without any intent of actually doing so – she wasn’t in the mood to wash her mouth out with soap. Her teeth snapped together inches from his face. “Back up.”

“I don’t know, but I’ll let you know when I do. ‘Kay?” He told her, biting the inside of his cheek. He liked Barbara but this was a stupid move. You couldn’t just walk out of the business like you were never in it. That wasn’t how it worked in Gotham. “I’ve never allowed my goons to kill your husband out of respect and I imagine you had the same deal with many others. I can’t keep that up if you leave. You realize that, don’t you? I’m just- this is a mistake. I’m telling you this out of love. Don’t leave the Defiance. I can’t protect you and I won’t protect the Commissioner.”  When she nearly bit at him, his eye twitched. Why was he even trying with her? “Fine. Have it your way. Get the fuck out of my fucking club. If I ever see you here again, I will do horrible things to you.” He said, before backing up and fixing his suit. 

“Expensive taste doesn’t equate to gaudiness. Not all of us are keen to have…” Harvey trailed off as he looked at all the statues around him, “Such extravagant shows of wealth.”

Harvey Dent took his trusted coin out of his pocket, and gave it a flip. He purposely covered the result. “Gotham was fine without the Bat. He’ll upset the balance. And we can’t have that, can we? We’re simply here to even the odds.” Harvey took another slow slip of his drink as Roman continued to ramble about nothing. He’s learned very on that zmost of what Roman said, and did, was utterly useless and performative. Even with no audience present.

“So we have to go back to our base, and just wait like a sitting duck until one of your lackies finds something?” Harvey stepped forward, making sure Roman saw every inch of his ‘interesting’ head. “I find it hard to believe you don’t have a single bit of evidence about Batman. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. I’m running out of patience.” Two-Face said.

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“If you’re not spending it on things you like, what’s the point in having as much wealth as I have?” He poised the question with a shrug, as if it was unarguable. “Tell you what, Harv. I’ll get you your own statue. Haven’t you always wanted to be immortalized in stone? I mean, how fun!” 

He did make quite a lot of sense. Roman had gotten used to his life without the Batman in the way. He could do whatever it was he wanted without the worry of the Batman’s eyes falling on him and tossing him into Blackgate. “Hmn.” He hummed before taking another sip of his drink. “Yeah you make a point.”

“Well it’s that or we make a big show. Lure the Batman out and kill him. I’ve always wanted his cowl in my collection of masks.” He suggested. Then Harvey stepped towards him threateningly. “I don’t give a damn about your patience, Two-Face. I have nothing right now on Batman to give you. If I did, this conversation would be different. Either my lackies find something for you or we come up with another plan. That’s it, that’s what I’m offering you.”

Victor looked up at Roman, blood splattered all over his face and clothes. At his boss’s request, he looked down at the clown he was still astride. “You want his head? You got it, but I’ll need to go home and get a bigger knife,” he said, waving his current one in the air. “This one won’t cut through sinew and muscle. It’ll make a mess. We need a clean cut if we’re gonna mount it.” When Roman praised him, Victor sat up straight, chest almost puffing out in pride. There was a smug grin on his face as he took the man’s hand, letting him help pull him up. “Thank you, boss,” he said, squeezing his hand. “I do all of this for you. To protect you, and to look after you. You know that, don’t you?” he asked, locking eyes with him, and still not letting go of his hand. “I’ll never betray you or leave your side.”

He’d mostly said that out of anger, but now Victor was making a good enough point to change his mind on the matter. “Fine, fine... that’ll waste too much time and he’d hardly make a good wall decoration. Too ugly.” He said with a gesture of his hand as if to swat the idea out of the air. He felt himself smile a bit when Victor squeezed his hand. There had never been anyone as loyal to him as Victor Zsasz was. It wasn’t something you could buy with cold hard cash. This was a deep and personal connection. “Of course I know, Zsasz.” He said, keeping his tone low. “You are my most loyal of allies.” He told him, “Such a good boy.” He said, reaching forwards with a gloved hand to stroke his cheek. He leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips before pulling back very suddenly and totally ruining the moment. A manic smile stretched across his face. “No, no. We won’t do the head thing. We’re going to cut off all of their faces and send then to Joker as a threat. It’s about time he learns not to mess with Roman Sionis.”