Legacy [Maroni]

[Deleted]

Bludhaven is one of the few cities that can give Gotham City a run for its money in corruption and filth - the horrifying amount of crime that fills the streets each and every night is impossible to put a stop to, it's gotten so out of control that criminals practically run the city. There's a filthy stench that you can't avoid inhaling when in the centre of the city, the only people who manage to withstand it are the locals, as it's become part of their natural sense of smell. Many lives have been taken in Bludhaven, many stores have had to close their doors from irreparable vandalism, and the only people you'd call are in the pockets of those criminals - the police are just as bad as the street thugs. At least that's the narrative the media have always gone with.

Just over two weeks ago, another innocent life was claimed by these vile and irredeemable people - Richard Fontaine, the architect and face of Fontaine Enterprises, which one of the most well known organisations in Bludhaven. Richard Fontaine was a man of honor, a man that valued justice and refused to partake in anything that had an inkling of being illegal - he was the last person who would get involved with the mob. Yet, somehow and someway, evil still managed to put an end to his life - the two people remaining of the Fontaine name are Katherine Fontaine, his wife - and Malcolm Fontaine, his son.

Our scene opens at one of the very few nicer areas of Bludhaven, St. Bernadine's Church - where there is a grim atmosphere inside - a funeral. Closed casket. A large gathering filling the church to its limit. The exterior isn't much different either, as on the outside of the church's doors, there is a large gathering of press, cameras and reporters trying to get their latest scoop by capitalising on the death of a public figure and maybe find out more information about the future of Fontaine Enterprises.

Back on the inside of the church, the elderly priest behind the pedestal in front of the closed coffin begins his usual spiel. "We gather here today to celebrate the life of Richard Fontaine, who has now returned to his home with Our God, The Father..." Seated near the front of the crowd is Malcolm Fontaine, dressed as you would expect, a smart black suit with a black shirt underneath, no light coloration on his clothing - he zones out, not really listening to the priest, unlike his mother he isn't Catholic, and has never really believed in religion in general - Malcolm doesn't care what's happened with the 'soul' of his father, he just knows his life was taken, and although mourning, is more angry than sad.

The priest's ramblings eventually reach their natural conclusion after what feels like a whole lifetime, Malcolm managed to convince his mother to skip all the usual Catholic funeral rituals, he respects that everyone doesn't share those beliefs - his father wasn't even a believer, either, Richard never considered himself a man of god. "...We will now allow the eulogy readings to commence." Malcolm did not hesitate, he got up from the bench as the priest left the pedestal, he had a quick glance at the photograph of his father in front of the casket, which only made him clench his fists as he took the priest's place on the pedestal, making sure the microphone was aimed at his mouth.

"Thank you all for coming today. There's a lot of faces I know here today, and a lot of faces I don't - but my father knew all of you, and that's all that matters to me, I'm glad you could all be here today." Malcolm pauses, inhaling a deep breath, feeling as though he needs a cigarette right about now. "Richard Fontaine was a great father, he was a loving and caring husband, but most of all, he went out of his way to make sure he had no enemies - he wanted to be friends with everyone he met. Whether or not he believed in your ideals or your views of the world, he respected you as he was someone who understood that everyone has their own idea of what the world should be like."

"...Don't get me wrong, the guy could debate you for hours on end, and he'd win, too!" Malcolm stifled a smile, noticing the smiles from some of the people in the crowd, and hearing a couple of small yet awkward chuckles. "He did not deserve this. Nobody does, to be fair - but my father especially did not deserve this. He was one of the few small lights of good in the darkness of corruption this city has become - they took him from me. Believe me when I say, I will not let them get away with what they did. I don't understand how anyone can take the life of a man like him and not feel a hint of remorse. He was no criminal - in fact, he would have likely forgave the men who done this if he survived. That's just the kind of person he was." Malcolm leans forward slightly, his eyebrows blocking any light that would go into his eyes, making them dark and shadowed as he spoke with intent. "I'm not that kind of person. I don't forgive whoever did this...and they will get their comeuppance. Sooner or later, I'll know..."

Malcolm realised a few people seemed uneasy at his comments, some horrified expressions seen on their faces. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to make this about me. You're all here to pay your respects to someone who respected all of you - please, if you have any words, come on up. My father would wholeheartedly appreciate it." He sighs, stepping down from the pedestal, some uneven claps heard from the crowd, as if they didn't know whether or not to give him a round of applause. He walks down the aisle, getting several looks in his direction as he makes his way to the church doors - opening them and stepping outside to a barrage of blinding camera flashes which causes him to cringe and squint his eyes as he raises his hand to block the blinking lights before firmly shutting the church doors tight to ensure nobody can see the service inside.

The son of Richard Fontaine made his way around to the side of the of the building to get out of sight of the cameras, and luckily it doesn't seem like anyone followed him - understandable, after all they probably aren't as familiar with him as they would have been his father. He reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes as he pops open the box and tugs out one of those white tobacco sticks and places it into his mouth before slipping the pack back into his pocket. He pats around his body around the pocket regions in search of something, once he comes to a realisation, he shakes his head. "Damn it. Can't believe I forgot my lighter today of all days...Now what...?"

[Deleted]

Funerals were never for the dead, but the living. They were meant for loved ones and friends of the deceased to celebrate the life of the one that passed. Normally a memorial is more welcome when someone dies of old age, they were able to live a full life and died peacefully in their bed. Unfortunately, a lot of people would never be so lucky. Sometimes the people we love are taken from us, unfairly. Sometimes there is a blatant disrespect for human life. The demons of this world can easily rise to take us from this earth, and the real reasons behind that are often shrouded in mystery. Life is never fair, if you want to make it even then you have to fight back. You have to seize your opportunity. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make people respect you and your legacy. If someone disrespects you, your family then you must show them the error of their ways. Loyalty, respect, legacy were the words followed by the Maroni family the most. Salvatore Maroni, the current leader of the Maroni family in Gotham knew the meaning of Loyalty, Respect, and Legacy. His father taught him, and Sal's grand father taught Sal's father. Luigi "Big Lou" Maroni knew Richard Fontaine, even grew up with him. When Sal saw how his son Malcolm acted while delivering his eulogy, he knew he had to be there for this kid. That's what Lou would have wanted, Malcolm was the head of the Fontaine family now and Sal knew that feeling all too well. 

Sal wasn't planning on speaking at the funeral, he knew that Richard was on the straight and narrow and so did Lou. Maroni is a big enough last name that even people in Bludhaven would know who he was. And that it was possible for them to get the wrong idea of him and Richard's relationship. Sure he could be noticed by someone else, and he probably would be but it was simply better if he didn't speak. If he spoke about the great relationship his father had with Richard, then it could be assumed that Richard really wasn't as clean as everyone thought he was. When Malcolm was finished speaking it appeared that he was leaving to go outside, probably to have a smoke. Sal and his underboss, Alberto Trianti were already sitting at the back so the attention would be off of them. Them standing up to follow Malcolm after he was already gone went unnoticed due to other eulogies that were going on. 

Sal and Trianti head outside, they quickly find the corner of the building that Malcolm retreated to and carefully approach them. Sal notices the young Malcolm reaching for his lighter, bad day to forget such a thing when you're a smoker. "Hey kid, need a light?" He reached in his suit jacket for his lighter and lit up Malcolm's cigarette and then stashing the lighter away back in his jacket. "My name's Sal, your father, and my father? They were friends, and if you do know who I am I want to assure you that it was a purely respectful relationship. Your father was always on the straight and narrow as always. He was a good man, I'm sorry for your loss. Your eulogy? Inspiring. I know how you're feeling kid, I do... and I might be able to-"

Maroni was rudely interrupted by a news crew from some rag of a newspaper in Bludhaven, just a cameraman and a reporter.

"Mr. Fontaine, care to comment on the unfortunate circumstances following your father's death?"

In an instant, Alberto Trianti shot a glance at Sal and was met with a nod. Trianti would then approach the reporter and forcefully rip the several thousand dollar newscamera out of his hands, and then smashed it on the ground.

"You reporters, no class. Now beat it." Trianti barked at the newsmen showing no sympathy for what he just did.

"You asshole! Do you know how much that camera was worth?"

Trianti took another step forward, appearing as If he was ready to pounce. "Must I fucking repeat myself? Get lost, or else I'm gonna break more than the camera." Getting the message, the newsmen finally left, leaving their expensive tech broken on the pavement.

Sal sighed and patted Malcolm. The pat was strong, reaffirming.

"Sorry about that kid, now where were we?"

[Deleted]

Just as he is about to give up any hope of finding a lighter, Malcolm Fontaine notices a couple of men approaching him, two men he doesn't recognize in fact - this raises the hairs on the back of his neck as he starts to feel a little uneasy, especially with their demeanor and the way they're dressed. He might be new to the mob game, but he's already met enough mobsters to know how they tend to carry themselves, is he about to get into a fight? About to get gunned down like his dad did? Are these the guys who did it? 

Before any of these questions can be answered, the man who appears to be the leader of the two offers him a light, this eases the tension just enough for Malcolm to let his guard down, his shoulders slouch a little bit in relief. He inhales the cigarette as the man lights it for him, speaking in a rather muffled tone due to the stick between his dry lips. "Thanks, you're a lifesaver." Malcolm then takes the cigarette between his index finger and middle finger, inhaling a deep breath before removing the stick from his lips to let out a puff of smoke - he's destroying his lungs with every puff he takes, but that's a fact he's long since accepted, maybe one day he'll quit. 

Malcolm listens to the man who addresses himself as "Sal", hearing him out for whatever he has to say, a small smirk spreads across his lips as he takes draws of his cigarettes every few moments, keeping in silence to allow the man to speak. Before he can get to the point he's trying to make, they're interrupted by a news crew with some uncomfortable questioning - before anything further can be said, he watches as the other man quickly disposes of the camera and gets a frustrated response in return from the news crew - Malcolm starts to feel uneasy, and in a way he begins to feel some remorse. It's not his fault, but he feels a responsibility to remediate the situation.

He turns to Sal as he starts to pick up where they left off, but before the news crew get too far away, he gives a brief response to his new acquaintance. "Sorry, hold that thought - wait right here." The son of the recently deceased Richard Fontaine brushes past Sal, with a little bit of a jog in his step as he quickly catches up to the news crew. "Wait, wait, wait..." The camera man turns to him with a glare that could strike the into a lesser man, but Fontaine keeps his cool, reaching into his jacket pocket. "I'm sorry about that, look, I get it, you have a job to do - but maybe choose a better time and location next time, alright? How much was that thing?" Malcolm points back at the camera lying in ruin on the pavement.

"Ten thousand, give or take. I spent my lifetime savings on that to get into this business." Malcolm nods his head as he pulls out a cheque book from his pocket along with a pen, quickly penning in some details. "Name?" The camera man looks back to his colleague in confusion before back to Malcolm. "...Uh...Willis Dillon...?" The rich heir to Fontaine Enterprises gives a nod of the head, finishing up what he's writing before tearing the cheque from the book and handing it to the camera man. "Threw in two thousand more for the trouble, have some better morals in the future, will you?"

Before the camera man can thank him, Malcolm turns his back to the news crew before quickly making his way back to Sal, returning to his original position as he gives a flick of his cigarette and takes another draw from it before letting out another puff of smoke. "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Sal. I appreciate what you did there, they're vultures - but I have a reputation to maintain if I'm going to be taking over my fathers business. I'm sure you understand." Fontaine pauses, looking over to make sure the news crew are gone - they are, leaving Malcolm and Sal alone, along with the other man. "So. You know how I'm feeling? Think you can help me? Try me."

[Deleted]

The young Fontaine decided to pay the cameraman for the busted camera that met its end at the hands of Maroni under-boss Alberto Trianti. He'd smirked and crossed his arms as he watched Malcolm fill out the check, even adding an extra $2000 for the trouble. Trianti might have found it amusing, but Maroni was impressed. Malcolm Fontaine was trying to keep a public image, it probably occurred to him that cameraman and reporter would have never tried anything after that little altercation, the fear would have kept them in line. Sal felt that  Malcolm was really like his father, they seemed similar to what little Sal remembered about Richard. He was a clean-cut man with a lot of money, knew when to use that money too. Malcolm seemed to be the same, but the eulogy he gave today proved that he might be a little different. Maroni remembered the words of the eulogy well, the idea that he wasn't one to simply forgive heavily appealed to him. 

"First of all, smart move. Fear is an important tool, but respect is even more powerful than fear can ever be. Unfortunately, I just can't abide by such boldness and lack of respect." The fact that he was interrupted still upsets him, but Sal Maroni still had the air of someone cool calm and collected. He was easily angered, but he seemed to be doing well right now. It is likely that he wanted to make a good impression on Malcolm. Did he want to use Malcolm? In a way, but he also wanted to help him. Being the son of a powerful man, Sal understood and respected that. Not only that, but their father's were friends for many years. Lou would want Sal to watch over Malcolm after all this.

"Second of all, kid... Look. What you said in there? A real tear-jerker, strong sentiment. Sentiment won't get you anywhere though. Your father built the business that your family is known for, he did not deserve the death he received. Legacy meant a lot to him, he wanted to make sure you and the rest of your family would be set for generations to come, and he got what he wanted." Sal paused for a moment, he opened his suit jacket briefly to retrieve a precut cigar. He stuck it in his mouth, and Trianti would light it for him. "My point is, you don't forgive? Good. Ya want to find out who took your dad away from ya? Well then let's find out. You have no shortage of money, but I have something... or rather someone that could be useful." He'd take a few puffs of his cigar before looking in the direction of Alberto Trianti and smiling.

"This is Alberto. He's good at finding things, people, anything. He and I can get you what ya want kid. Whaddya say?" He held out his hand with a smile, the cigar still between his teeth.

[Deleted]

Malcolm was beginning to realise his initial suspicions were correct, the way Sal carries himself, the way he dresses and just their overall attitude seem to allude that they're in the...less legal line of work - this isn't something that really bothers him, though. Malcolm is no saint himself, he sees this as a potential opportunity, not only to bring his fathers killers to justice, but to get a little bit further ahead in his operations. The heir to Fontaine Enterprises listens intently as Sal talks about fear and respect, it's clear he knows what he's talking about - respect is a powerful tool, and it's what's needed to survive five minutes as a criminal.

Malcolm has never believed in ruling with fear, if you gain enough of a reputation then fear of what you can do will come naturally, that's the way Malcolm sees things. Sal is right though, Richard Fontaine cared about the legacy he was going to leave behind before he passed, he was a man of preparation who wrote his will in his early thirties, he knew exactly what he was going to leave behind when the inevitable day came, and he knew exactly who he would leave it to. Malcolm doesn't want to let his dad down, he wants to make sure the legacy lives on.

"I'm impressed, Sal. You've really done your research about my father." He says, his cigarette reaching the filter as he tugs it from his lips and drops it on the ground below him as he presses his overpriced loafers down onto it, twisting his foot to break it down into pieces and dose the flame. Malcolm then digs his hands into his dress pants' pockets, his rolex watch peaking out from underneath his shirt sleeve. "You're absolutely right - my father molded me into the man I am today. Although I've become independent and I'm far from just "my dad's son" - he knew what he was doing. He wanted to ensure that I was the perfect heir to Fontaine Enterprises, and a good deal of his riches. I am not going to let him down, I will be just as good as he was as the heir to his legacy...if not better."

Malcolm's attention turns to Alberto as Sal mentions him, selling him well as a man who can get things done - this piques his interest, maybe this can be the lead he's been looking for to start tracking down the people responsible. As Sal finishes introducing him, one of Fontaine's hands leaves his pocket, extending his arm with an open palm in offer of a handshake. "Alberto. Good to meet you, I think we'll get along fine." After, Malcolm's hand digs back into his pocket as his back leans against the wall of the church, his eyes locking back onto Sal.


"Well, Sal, I think you know exactly what I want. I want to find anyone who was responsible for my fathers death - I want to know why a shooting like that can happen to such a high profile person without a proper investigation. I want to know the ones in the car, from the one who pulled the trigger, to the backseat passenger, to the roaches on the floor of that car. I want to know who arranged it, because this was far too planned out to be a random shooting." Malcolm pauses, looking down to the ground below, closing his eyes for a few seconds before looking back up to Sal. "And Sal? I don't want them dead, not until I can meet them personally. This is my battle, after all - but I would certainly appreciate your help."

[Deleted]

The two men shook hands firmly, Sal smiled as brightly as he possibly could with a cigar still between his teeth. It was hard to get a read on this kid, it wasn't an easy to task to find out what he was really after. Sal knew he cared about his father though, that he loved his father. The eulogy he gave during the service, that was the pain of a man who lost one of the most important people in his life. Sal soon released the handshake and heartily patted Malcolm on the back. "I know your place is here in Bludhaven, with your mother and your family. However, if you ever find yourself needing a getaway of sorts, you're always welcome in Gotham. I've got a villa that overlooks the ocean, it is very nice. Say the word and you can stay there."

He stood there for a moment, taking the cigar from his mouth into his fingers. He took a deep breath before returning his full unwavering attention back to Malcolm. "Now back to business... I've already taken the liberty of putting Alberto here in a hotel in Bludhaven. From this day on Alberto Trianti is a tool at your disposal. Use him as you see fit. Whether it is to find and acquire your enemies for an intimate one on one chat or you'd rather use him as a scalpel in order to remove an entity that you believe should no longer breathing than so be it." Sal felt like he had a pretty good handle on what kind of man Malcolm was for now. He could relate to the fact that Malcolm would do anything possible to remedy the insult that levied against his family. There was a danger to the legacy of Richard Fontaine, Sal's father would have wanted him to ensure the survival of the family and the family name. It's the least he'll be able to do.

"I will be leaving to return to Gotham, but if you ever need anything you can always give me a call." Sal would reach into his suit jacket and pull out a card, handing it to Malcolm. It was a business card for "Maroni's" The near one-hundred-year-old restaurant situated in downtown Gotham. On the back was a personal cell phone number written in pen. "You can reach me at this number, and Alberto always knows a surefire way to contact me. This man will travel with you through thick and thin, he will go to war for you. He will go to war with you. Do not underestimate this asset, son." Maroni smiled, all the while Alberto Trianti was standing still with a slight smile on his face. "Is there anything I can do for you before I return to Gotham? Otherwise I will leave Alberto in your hands, to use as you see fit."

[Deleted]

Malcolm listens as Maroni speaks, offering him a place to stay if he ever decides to branch his operations or search out to Gotham - he appreciates it, naturally, but he knows he needs to focus on finding those responsible for the death of his father, and he doubts that search will take him to Gotham...unless this whole thing is even bigger than he expects it to be, Malcolm strokes at his jawline, lightly scratching at his stubble before clearing his throat. "Sal, I really do appreciate your offer - I'll take you up on it at some point. It's inevitable Fontaine Enterprises will grow beyond Bludhaven, and some other...operations...I have will likely branch out to the bigger city sooner or later. I'll call you about it when we get to that point."

Maroni then makes him aware of Alberto being placed in Malcolm's command - this is a massive change of circumstances. Malcolm has his small following, which he will soon of course introduce him to, but this man seems like an excellent addition to his ranks. Part of him is worried that this whole thing might be one big elaborate set-up, for all he knows, these two could still be involved in his fathers death. Normally, he's a very trusting person, but they have him in a situation where he's quite vulnerable and difficult to trust - he disregards these thoughts, he'll deal with the problem if this is the case. The billionaire heir looks over to Alberto, shaking his head left-to-right in slight disapproval before looking back to Sal.

"Sal, please." Malcolm puts his hand up slightly, as if to ask him to pause for a moment before he gestures towards Alberto. "I wholeheartedly appreciate what you're doing for me, but please, Alberto is his own man - I can tell he can handle himself better than most, including myself. I don't see him as a tool, and he's definitely not at my disposal - Alberto is an asset, a valuable one at that. I'm not going to question how you describe the people in your ranks, nor am I going to judge the way you use your assets - but I treat my men with respect, friendship and a firm hand if need be. Alberto will get his commands, but he has a say in whether or not he goes ahead with them, we're all on the same side at the end of the day."

Malcolm realises he's probably getting a little bit carried away, and feels like he may even be disrespecting Sal slightly, he inhales a deep breath as a his lips curl into a soft smile. "I mean no disrespect of course - we're just different, you and I. We hold the same values and we both get the job done, we just have different methods - I'll treat Alberto like family. I trust he'll help in getting to the bottom of all of this." Fontaine gives the large man a light pat on the shoulder, giving an assuring nod in his direction, feeling the hairs on his arm raising slightly underneath his coat - he's excited by connotations of where everything might be heading - he's starting to feel more confident that he can actually do this. He's going to find who did this.

Reaching out for the business card, he gets a glance of what it reads - Maroni's. He'll need to pay this place a visit, after all this stuff is over - he flips it over as Sal mentions the number, nodding his head before he tucks it into his inside jacket pocket, which is starting to get full at this point. "I appreciate all you've done for me in this short time, Sal. You really know how to make a good first impression." Malcolm extends his arm for another handshake before bringing it back and slipping his hand back into his pocket. "Me and Alberto will get to the bottom of all this, we'll deal with every single loose end, made sure everyone has gotten what's coming to them - after that, we'll need to grab a drink or a bite to eat. All three of us."

[Deleted]

Malcolm was a bit naive, but he was new at this. Treating someone like a tool to be used didn't mean you didn't respect them or you weren't friends with them. Some people have a set of skills, and sometimes those skills can be put to good use. "This country... they're the ones that turned Alberto here into their tool. They pointed their finger at what they wanted done and Alberto made sure it was done." Sal would smile though, he was glad that Malcolm seemed receptive to his offer. Trianti didn't seem to care either way, it didn't really matter who was giving the orders or how they treated him. At the end of the day Sal was one of his best friends and gave him everything he could ever want in this life.

"You've got friends in Gotham, don't forget that." None of the men present really knew what was going on in the funeral, but they were outside for a while now. Sal was planning to head back to Gotham today after he finished up here. There was no point in sticking around to make people suspicious. "It is time for me to make my exit. Trianti will stay on site with you, and I'd recommend getting back in there. Never know if whoever took out your dad would be gunnin' for you next." Sal and Malcolm would shake hands in one final parting before Sal walked off. He had men waiting for him with a car at the front of the funeral home. Sal had no doubt that Malcolm and Trianti would be able to handle whatever they came across now. Trianti was a trained soldier, he was an operator that could solve almost any problem, Malcolm would find him very useful.

Trianti was standing there, after Sal had already left. "Probably a good idea to head back inside. Stay as long as you want to... Is good for keeping up appearences." Trianti and Malcolm would head back into the funeral, and they'd stay an indefinite amount of time. No one really knew who Trianti was at this moment, and they were too busy socializing that they wouldn't have been able to put it together. Trianti would watch Malcolm's back at the funeral, knowing that whoever came after his father wouldn't be stupid enough to come for Malcolm at the funeral. Trianti would be staying in a hotel, but he wouldn't leave Malcolm's side until he was back home and safe from whatever forces were against him and his family.