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"I don't feel I have to wipe everybody out, Tom. Just my enemies."
- Michael Corleone, (The Godfather: Part II)
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<(Omniscient POV)>
"Dinah Laurel Lance? That is the first time I have heard of you... Although for some reason, it sounds familiar. Well, nice to meet you anyway, Dinah. I hope you won't try to screw us over too much in this negotiation. After all, it seems like your boss already plans to do exactly that." Selina teasingly giggled before sending a playful wink in Dinah's direction.
[{(Image from Discord)}]
Dinah was amused at Selina's demeanor. To begin with, there weren't a lot of women involved in the American underworld. Yes, there were a lot of female victims, but none were leaders. Moreover, Dinah had never seen a mob boss having a relaxed and playful attitude like her, even in a city as crazy as Gotham. It was like the girl was absolutely confident in her ability to survive and win, no matter what her opponent was planning.
"So, if I may ask, why have you called this meeting, Miss Falcone? I know that your Falcone family isn't in an excellent position right now, and I don't think there is anything you have that I need or desire for which I may agree to help you. So, I hope you haven't wasted both our time for no reason." Blackmask spewed, quite annoyed at Selina's laid-back attitude.
"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Sionis. I promise tonight is going to be very profitable for both the Carmine family and the Falsefacers." She allowed a small smirk to materialize on her face before continuing again, "I want to make a deal with you, one that will lead to the entire criminal underworld of Gotham City coming under one single banner. No more fighting for pieces and territories, the entire city will be ours once we succeed." Sofia calmly spoke, pulling Blackmask's attention to herself once again.
"Ah, you are quite ambitious. Seems the rumors weren't wrong; you are indeed more capable than Luca or even that brother of yours. By the way, please accept my apologies for the terrible accident that befell Alberto. The Maronis are truly a heartless bunch. Your brother deserved better than that." Blackmask said with what seemed like a mournful voice as he shook his head out of pity while taking a look at the other three women as if asking them if they agreed with him.
Sofia, who was sporting a stoic face, frowned slightly at the sudden mention of her brother but instantly controlled her emotions before nodding, "Yes, I agree. Whoever killed my brother was the biggest scum on Earth and I plan to take care of them soon. That is why I ask for your cooperation, Mr. Sionis. You see, I, along with the help of Miss Kyle and Miss Bertinelli, have prepared a plan to dominate the complete criminal underbelly of Gotham. We have a... miraculous product, a drug that gives a better kick than anything you have ever had.
Miss Kyle here will be providing us with the drugs. She is our manufacturer, while Miss Bertinelli has agreed to fund the upfront cost of the entire project. With the Falcone family's influence and the manpower of the Falsefacers, we can take over Gotham's entire drug market and maybe even become one of the biggest criminal families in America." Sofia revealed with a confident smile that seemed to reflect just how confident she was in her plans. "And of course, that involves taking care of the Maronis as well, once and for all that is."
"So, you need the help of my men and my connections in eliminating the Maroni crime family and then distributing your drugs all over the city while giving you physical protection in case any other gang or crime family retaliates. In return, you will cut me in for the profits of that amazing new drug of yours. Hmm, that does sound like a decently profitable offer... But I feel like I'll be doing most of the work here, and you will just be enjoying the rewards. Doesn't seem fair, does it?" Blackmask retorted in a somewhat teasing voice as he threw a glance toward Dinah. "What do you think, my dear? Aren't they being too unreasonable?" He asked, looking at the fidgeting young performer.
"..." Dinah couldn't bring herself to answer his question because she knew what was happening here. She knew what Blackmask had planned, and she felt bad, really bad. She knew that the three women in front of her were expecting a deal, but the thing was, Roman Sionis had already made up his mind not to make a deal at all. He was just humoring himself with a conversation. He was a sadist, and just like any other sadist, he loved crushing the hopes of people at the last moment so that he could inflict the highest amount of despair on them.
Roman Sionis, aka, Blackmask was a certified jackass.
"I don't have any expertise in Gotham's drug market. Maybe I should leave since I don't think I will be able to help any of you." Dinah mumbled out while clenching her teeth. She didn't want to be a part of this. What she was expected to do here was an insult to her mother's legacy as a hero.
Of course, she was aware that the three women might not be saints since they too were involved in Gotham's underworld, but she still didn't want Blackmask to kill them for no good reason. There was a chance that Sofia Falcone might have been the serial killer named Hangman who was responsible for the deaths of a lot of innocent girls, but Dinah had never heard of the other two girls in her life. According to her limited knowledge, they might even be innocent.
"No, you will remain here. You at least owe me that for all I did for you." The crime boss said, his voice suddenly gaining a commanding nature before looking back at Sofia, "As for the deal, Miss Falcone, your deal was indeed quite... lucrative. But I have got a better deal that is much more profitable for me. And I am afraid my deal involves you and the last vestiges of your crime family to forever disappear from the face of this Earth. The best way to achieve that is if the three of you die in this room." He smiled from underneath his black mask as he silently took out a revolver from inside his black suit.
Sionis expected the three women to begin panicking at his words, to threaten or even beg him to spare them. He expected them to try to negotiate for their lives or curse him in desperation. Hell, he even expected them to try to attack him as a final means of escape. However, contrary to all his expectations, none of them looked too concerned about his threat. They remained calm and composed while looking back at him with stoic faces, almost as if they were expecting him to say those words.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Sofia Falcone finally spoke, taking a deep breath before saying, "Did you partner with the Maroni crime family or some other gang? Or did you plan all of this alone?"
"The Maronis? Hahaha, those idiots are just as screwed as you are. As a matter of fact, after I am done with the Carmine family, I'll be taking care of them as well. Maybe tomorrow before lunch. After all, the continuous clashes between the Maroni and the Carmine families have weakened both of you to an absurd degree. How many people do you even have left? 10, 20, 30? I guess Luca took everyone with him back to Italy, didn't he?
Yes, don't be surprised. Of course, I know about how you don't get along with your family, Miss. Falcone. This is not the first time they have abandoned you, is it? Somehow, you might have become the new matriarch of the Carmine family, but let's face it, they were never going to give you the real support you needed. What you are currently ruling over as the head of the Carmines is just an empty mansion, a useless bloodied legacy, and a few dozen men who were too foolish in choosing a side. You have already lost, Sofia. You lost the moment you entered this room... no, you lost the moment you were released from your prison cell." Blackmask chuckled while playfully aiming his gun's nozzle at Sofia's forehead.
'Yes, that's it. Understand that there is no hope left for you. Comprehend your powerlessness and then fall into the depths of true despair.' He mentally thought to himself with a disgusting smile while looking at Sofia's slightly watery eyes.
"Oh, and since you are dying, I should tell you the complete truth. It was I who killed your brother, Alberto. He was an annoying pain in the ass with how he started trying to encroach into the businesses and territories that I had snatched after your father died. The guy was too hot-blooded and didn't even know how the term finders' keepers worked. Honestly, it was genius how I cut him up into pieces and pinned the entire thing on the Maronis. Those idiots didn't even have the brains to deny it." He chuckled before suddenly noticing Helena, who was silently listening to his words.
"By the way, since I am confessing and everything, I might as well go all the way. The thing I,s I was also the one who helped the Galante crime family slaughter your entire household in your own home that night. It was nothing personal, though. I just wanted your family's fortune for some new ventures I had planned. It would have been enough to set me up with some seed money for my future endeavors while the Galante family took over Bertinelli's territory, but unfortunately, the Bertinelli had hidden all their wealth in a secure, unknown vault that could only be opened with a particular code. And they hid both the code and the location of the vault inside a priceless black diamond that they put in another family vault. It took me a while to find out about it. However, after I take care of you, I will make sure to steal the diamond and claim everything for myself. I will become the newest billionaire in town. So, no matter how you see it, tonight, I am the only one winning, hahaha hahaha." Blackmask laughed.
He expected to see both Helena and Sofia breaking down in rage and regret, tears gushing through their eyes as they cursed him in the final moments of their deaths. Yet, instead, the pair just stared at him with contempt, hatred, and disgust painted on their faces. There was no fear, no regret, no despair. Even their reactions seemed a lot colder and toned down than what Sionis had previously expected.
Blackmask was a very experienced mob boss. He had an excellent gut instinct, which he always trusted, and right now, it was his gut that made him feel like something was wrong. "Do it, slaughter them all." The crime lord didn't hesitate to give an order to his second in command through the walkie-talkie beside him, but for some reason, there was no response from the other end.
"I think you misunderstood my words, Roman Sionis. When I said that we could rule Gotham's underworld together, I wasn't talking about you and me. I was just talking about the three of us...well, four of us if I were to involve that person as well." Sofia shrugged as she remembered the figure of the masked man Selina had introduced to her, the one who truly pulled the strings of everything that was happening tonight. "However, I wasn't lying when I said that I needed your help to achieve that dream. I indeed require something that only you can give me. To become the biggest criminal organization in Gotham..., I need you to die for us, Blackmask."
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