#robert topping

Hello Toppingfrye nation

jacob: 

evie: 

henry: 

freddie: 

clara: 

ned:

topping: 

charles darwin:

charles dickens: 

karl marx: 

starrick:

lucy: 

roth: 

pearl:

duleep: 

queen victoria: 

the rooks: 

the blighters: 

bonus

shaun and rebecca:

1860, Strand fight club.

“So, let’s talk about business”, Roth start to search something from his pocket.

“I imagine you aren’t here only for a fight, didn’t you?”, a young Robert Topping noticed. “Good thing my father isn’t here, Mr. Roth. He never allowed me to take care of any kind of business”

“But you’re in the circus and he never said a thing”

“Don’t say more! That’s a secret!”

Roth smirked. “We’re already in the underworld, we always do illegal things”, then he took in his hand a wad of bills. “This is the deal: you borrow my Blighters and me the Strand Fight club, let’s say... two to three times per week. I need to train them and this looks the perfect place to do it. Out of all the other fight clubs around the city, this is more secretive”

Robert frowned. “Are you asking me to borrow you one of my fight clubs for your criminal gang?”, look at the bill. “...That’s a lot of money. I suspect you stole it”

Roth had to repress a laugh. “Why the surprised look? You’re owning illegally this clubs. One word to the wrong person and the police will chase you”

“This is different, Mr. Roth”, Robert make sure no one is hearing them. “We’re talking about a criminal gang who steals, kills”

“And survives together, protecting one and other. And I’m aware that many men actually died in the brawls. Don’t act innocent to me”, Roth stare him. “We’re already criminals, just with different profesions. And you wanted to keep doing this, aren’t you?”, at Robert’s silence, Roth show the money. “So take it and we have a deal. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you each week for the days”

After few moments of reflexion, and unable to resist the temptation, Robert take a sigh and grab the money. “Okay, you won mate. Since you’re the current champion of the fight clubs, I hope to get some benefits of this”

“You don’t worry, lad”, Roth assured him with a smile. “And you’ll have a special protection from the Blighters. If anyone, police or anyone, dare to take you away and close your profession, I’ll make sure they won’t see the sun light again”

“The Blighters are dangerous, even if they’re a brand new small gang, you know?”

“And they’ll be even more under my watch”, Roth assured. “But since they’re my family, I’ll make sure they’re ready for anything. There’s dangerous other gangs outside, they need to protect themselves and I’ll protect them.”, get comfortable in his seat. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. So... next Monday I’ll be in the Thames fight club. Make sure to bring your best men to the pit”

Robert sigh but smiles. “I actually feel sorry for them, they’ll not have a slight chance against you. No one in London will ever defeat you”

(Max’s design here and the date is based in @leafylost design. Because you always have a talent to make him looking so damn gorgeous <3 I hope you know that)

This days I've thinking about: what if Maxwell Roth and Robert Topping actually know each other and they were comrades?

See, this is could be strange since in the game they never meet each other but keep in mind some vital facts:

When we met Robert in the laboratory, as soon Evie rejected to untie him, he mentioned that he still remember some tricks from the circus. Release himself from the ropes and vanishes.

And guess what: In the Roth's biography (which it not the whole story), we know that he also was part of the circus once, part of a theatre tropper. So he possibly know similar tricks. What if he and Robert were circus partners until both took different professions?

Then later, we meet Robert again, this time in a illegal fighting club, inviting the twins to give a try, either with Jacob or Evie. And been the new champion of the fighting pits.

And guess what? Roth also used to be a fighter. In fact, he was possibly a fighter champion for many years. Thanks for his theatre and circus training, as long with his days as a criminal in the streets, that he became unbeatable. And he was so skilled that once he founded the Blighters and knowing his men and women need to defend themselves and fighting against other gangs (years before Starrick owner them to take over all the Londonian boroughs, the Blighters were a smaller gang), he get in contact with Robert to get the possibility of using one of his fighting clubs to train his people. The Strand fight club looks as a suitable place for training, is inside a building, from a secret looking door. A safer place.

Is possible that Roth was Topping's champion of all his fighting clubs and he was normally there for fighting or training his people.

Until the Templars got the control of the Blighters, expanding them through all London and their members. Topping eventually lost the Blighters' protection because the new Blighters who came with the Templars, could eventually hurt him, so Robert and Roth's contract dissolved. And now Roth purchase the Alhambra Theatre, he couldn't go to the fighting clubs anymore. Surely for Robert, it was an excruciating loss because now his illegal fighting business as lost the spark and fun of the combat.

That's why once the twins show up and proved their skills in the streets, Robert had the hope to meet a new champion and his business been fun once again with an exciting show, well known in all the underworld of London.

Then, the most interesting detail I noticed after finishing Topping's associate missions, when we meet him for the last time... In front of the Alhambra of all places!

Here's the part

Why Topping decided to meet the twins the last time, praising them for been such impressive fighting skills, in front of that theatre? Roth's theatre?

He hoped that Roth could see them, recognizing Robert and seeing his new champions? Hearing his praises? In an indirect way, tempting Roth to come out of curiosity to meet his new champions... And maybe inviting the three of them into a fight? The "fight of the XIX century"!