(Flashback) I'll be seeing you. (Ozzy)

[Deleted]

St Edward Catholic Church, Downtown Gotham
2016
The Funeral reception of Luigi "Big Lou" Maroni. 

Those that attended the burial of Big Lou Maroni were now returning to the church in order to eat lunch, socialize and celebrate the life of the man that many in Gotham knew as "The Boss" There were several families in Gotham but downtown was an area that was usually controlled by Maroni and the criminal organization associated with the family. St Edward Catholic church was the largest catholic church downtown and was built by the Maroni family over one hundred years ago with money earned from prohibition. No expense was spared, it was built by a very respectful and famous architect. There is stained glass throughout the church depicting biblical scenes and statues of the most iconic saints, including the namesake of the Church, saint Edward.  Hundreds of people attended the funeral, some of Gotham's elite, or simply those that respected Luigi Maroni. Even his rivals showed up, Falcone, Sionis as well as others. 

Luckily the church was big enough to accommodate all of these people, the media was around too and even some cops were present. Big Lou dying in prison wasn't a surprise, it was known that he had been dealing with health issues ever since he was sent to prison in 2010. What made it a big deal is that his son, Salvatore Maroni was now fully in charge of the Maroni crime syndicate. He'd be overseeing the day to day operations, he'd be filling the vacancy that his father left and it was now up to him to show the city of Gotham what he was really about. Would he be tough but fair like his father? Or would he make Gotham fear him in a way they've never feared someone before? Only time would tell, but now was time for Sal Maroni to celebrate his father, and to let other people celebrate his father. 

The Maroni family owned many restaurants and businesses around town, but the catering for this even in particular was done by the Italian restaurant "Maroni's". The Italian eatery that has been around ever since the late 1920's. Once again, no expense was spared for the spread of food available to everyone. There was also bottomless wine, which helped. Just before the food was served, Sal was center stage. He gave a eulogy for his father and was ready to give one final speech before leaving the public eye. 

He stood in the center of the room where lunch was being served, with a glass of red wine in his hands.  "My friends... Today has been a hard day. For me, my mother and all of you who knew and respected my father. Take solace that he no longer has to suffer in prison and that he is with his father and his grandfather. Today isn't for him, today is for all of you. Eat, drink, and remember that my father respected all of you... and so do I." He raised his glass and the room erupted in applause after he finished speaking.

Sal then made his way to a private room where he and the men under him would be eating their lunch. Men like Sionis, Falcone, and Oswald Copplepot were all invited to join him if they so wished.

[Oswald Cobblepot]

The world of the mobs was as strange from the outside as the world of the socialites. One moment Oswald was wishing Luigi Maroni dead, the next he was celebrating when it happened and now he was here to pay his respects to the man.

Oswald was relatively new to the world of organised crime bosses. Since taking over his first small gang just a four years ago he had fought his way up the ladder fast. He'd taken over land and operations from the old crime families. He'd killed, stolen, schemed and made a name for himself, even gotten on the police radar though they had yet to accuse him of anything which stuck. Still, his rivalry was practically nothing compared to the history of the Falcone and Maroni families fighting each other over the generations.

One important thing that Oswald had at least known compared to many who tried to gain power in Gotham was when it was in his best interests to draw the line, stop and make peace. Or at least as much peace as one can make with the mob. Instead of continuing the escalating war and spreading his growing empire thin he offered an olive branch. He kept most of the land he'd stolen and an uneasy truce was born from favours and negotiated deals. It had perhaps been a help that Luigi had been ill in prison while Oswald waged his war but ultimately the Penguin (As was the unfortunate nickname that had surfaced not so long ago in the newspapers the first time Oswald was accused by the police) earned his place at the table and Big Lou died without that gang war raging around his family.

Oswald was trying to be respectful despite the rivalries as he mingled at the church. He'd come alone and his usual attention grabbing tuxedo had been exchanged for a lower key black three piece suit and tie. He still had his umbrella and the monocle as he refused to wear glasses in public. He also still had his top hat but since entering the church he hadn't been wearing it despite the fact he was clearly already going bald while the hat was usually the only thing that covered that up.

He'd acquired a glass of wine and was engaged in conversation with a few of the higher class guests until Sal stood to give his speech and Oswald fell silent with the rest of the room. Already he was sizing up the new Don Maroni as Oswald rose his drink to the toast for a man he hated but perhaps in some ways had a small amount of actual respect for.

Would the new Don be like the old? Would the arrangements that brought the truce hold or would he be war? Oswald knew he had to find out if possible and he knew of his invitation to meet in private but he didn't jump immediately at the chance. He gave it a few minutes, watching to see if anyone else would be the first as he pretends to return to the conversation he was having. It was only a few minutes however before he excuses himself and takes his wine with him, following Sal's departure away from the crowds.

Knocking his umbrella against the door Oswald waits to be let in. He glances around the men gathered as he approaches Maroni, stopping at a comfortable distance as he bows his head slightly "Don Maroni" he makes sure to use Sal's new title "Please accept my condolences for you and your family. Your father was a formidable man whose absence will be felt across Gotham"

[Deleted]

Salvatore Maroni was in the private room with his father's underbosses, the capos and the Consigliere of the Maroni family. However all of those men were under Salvatore now that his father was gone. Perhaps it would be hard to adjust for most people, but with how important legacy was to Luigi Maroni, he made sure his son was prepared for the inevitable day that he would be gone, the day that he would become the patriarch of one of the most powerful crime families in the most dangerous city on the East Coast. Sal was molded into the man that Big Lou wanted him to be. He was taught how to use weapons, how to deal with people, how to manage and run a business. One of the most important lessons that Big Lou taught Sal would be how to hold respect for your rivals, organized crime always meant that the different organizations in town would be at each other's throats, but there were certain times that called for respect. A funeral was one of those certain times. When the first rival to show up was Oswald Copplepot, an outsider it wasn't a long-shot to say that Sal and his subordinates were surprised. 

The man-made his name and built his empire by preying on the weaker families of Gotham City. There were five families that came to prominence during prohibition, but only two remain, Falcone and Maroni. The rest were gobbled up by the progressive change of the world, or other more ambitious men that wanted to take their territory for themselves. Oswald Copplepot, the Penguin was one of those men. He was seen as somewhat of an outsider, some rich guy with too much time on his hands. He came from one of the most prominent families in Gotham, and now he was trying to rise up in the game of organized crime. Outsider or not he was dangerous, everyone knew that. Sal would know that too, and would make sure to deal with Copplepot using caution. 

Being careful wasn't exactly Sal's forte, he was prone to anger just like his father. They were at a funeral, Copplepot wouldn't try anything at a funeral Afterall, not if he even remotely respected the Sicilian tradition he had worked so hard to dismantle around certain parts of Gotham. He was still a boss, he still had to be respected, at least until it was time to get rid of him. 

Sal hadn't started eating before Copplepot entered the room. He would get up from his seat and open his arms as a greeting to him entering the room. 

"Oswald! I am so happy to see you on this day, despite the differences you may have had with my father I know for certain that he would appreciate your presence here. Take a seat, eat, and drink. Today we celebrate, tomorrow we return to business." Sal would gesture towards an open chair with a warm smile. He was happy to see him, he was pleased to see people respecting his father, even if they saw him as some sort of enemy.

"I hope the traffic wasn't too heavy, Oswald. The freeway is quite literally murder during this time of day."

[Oswald Cobblepot]

Oswald finds it hard to even extend the level of trust required to have underbosses currently. Most of his underlings he considers idiots but he had a few people he had learned would do as he said if he tasked them with jobs and men but to discuss plans with them or let them see the bigger picture was to give them more power than he cared to. Power was hard to part with. His empire was young, he couldn't afford anyone to see the full extent of it in case they would turn on him. This was perhaps part of the reason Oswald had come alone today.
The other reason of course was that due to his height every time he brought along his men they tended to look like he'd brought bodyguards or muscle along. Frequently they were more intimidating than him, at least until he got angry. His temper was well known among his men. Oswald was not about to give the impression today he felt any fear in walking in to a room with Maroni and his men though, nor did he want the impression that he was there to cause a fight.

Oswald politely nodded a greeting to Sal's men but otherwise ignored them currently, they weren't the important ones in the room. He was sure he wasn't well liked in the room by the underbosses and the feeling was largely mutual but their opinion mattered little, they weren't in charge.

Sal's warm greeting at least reassured him that the tradition of mob bosses pretending to be friendly and make empty small talk was potentially going to remain which really made everything easier. Oswald returned a smile of his own "Differences can be set aside for a day, perhaps they will be laid to rest as well. I wouldn't dare to talk business on a day such as this though I hope to in the future" He held little hope for the idea but perhaps the new head of the Maroni's may be easier to work with or control than the last. Oswald puts his hat beside him on the table as he settles into the offered chair, his hand remains comfortably resting on his umbrella at his side as he carried on smoothly with small talk "The freeway may as well begin charging for parking and is best avoided on any day one doesn't wish to be past the point of fashionably late. A scenic route past the docks I find to be a more relaxed journey, though the considerable congestion around the church served only to show how many have come to pay their respects"

[Deleted]

"This city's infrastructure isn't worth a damn, ain't that the truth, my father gave the city hundreds of thousands to do something about it but they hardly did a damn thing with that money." A few more men would enter the room, some higher-ups in the Falcone family, but not Falcone himself. As well as other men and women that Lou had close business dealings with. "Now that we have more people, I'd like to propose a toast. The people in this room knew my father best. The people in this room, my father respected the most. Those that would normally be considered rivals have even decided to come to pay their respects. That is the importance of respect, the importance of family and legacy. No matter how hard things get, we can all respect the dead when that day comes. Because my friends, that is one of the certain things in this life. That and taxes..." It was a common saying, but it still got a few laughs.

"Salut." Everyone downed their drinks. This is the toast that Sal cared about, he wanted to at least seem friendly to everyone in this room. There was no point to go to war, no point to fight unless someone else decided to start a conflict. War was bad for business, and while Sal hated to admit it, his family was weak. His dad was in prison for several years, and while Sal tried to run things while the old man was in prison, there were a few things they didn't see eye to eye on. He was still the boss, even in prison. He still wanted to run things, that was one of his downfalls. As his health deteriorated, so did his business. Unfortunately, Sal let his anger get the best of him a few times. Freddie Potts, one of his dad's most trusted lieutenants spoke out of turn. He was almost twice as old as Sal and thought Sal was just a little kid. He couldn't run the business, not like his dad. Fredrico Potts was now at the bottom of Gotham Bay. Sal blamed it on the Falcone's but Lou knew better.

This city was cutthroat, it'd swallow you whole if you didn't practice caution every single day. Sal would need everything he had in him to make sure he could run this organization now. No one was going to help him, but if he could feign friendship just long enough for him to gather his strength, then he would be able to take on the threats as they came. The current underbosses and captains of the Maroni family might need to change. Most of them are still loyal to his father, not Sal. They won't listen to him as well as they would have listened to his father. If they knew what was good for them, they would show respect for who was boss now. Respect was a mighty important thing, which is why what happened next made a lot of people angry.

"Hey Oswald, what do the papers call ya? Penguin? Is it because ya waddle? Because you're short? Where'd that nickname even come from, eh?" The man who said it was young enough, he was a hot-tempered lieutenant
by the name of Aldo Trippi. He liked to bust balls, and that's what he was trying to do now. What was usually met with laughter, was met with pure silence?

"Aldo.Today is not the place for this."

"Whaddya mean? Hey Penguin, I'm just bustin balls okay? Can't we have jokes anymore? What gives?"

Everyone was now staring at Aldo, almost waiting for Oswald to react before they decided what was going to happen next.

[Oswald Cobblepot]

Oswald can imagine what happened to any money for infrastructure "If the money had not found its way to the Mayor's pocket it has likely vanished in to the hands of an endless string of contractors" contractors who charged a small fortune to send one man around with a bag of gravel to fill a pot hole. Even legitimate businesses were very good at making money disappear with little to show for it.

As the men filed in Oswald kept his eye on them. He recognised most, he made it his business to know the leading members of the competing gangs but to see so many in one place made Ozzy long for a bomb to blow up the lot of them. It would open up such a gap in power that he could take over Gotham in his sleep. Alas the idea would remain a dream. He had no escape plan, no plan for such a sudden expansion and he didn't bring explosives this time. He might have to bare the idea in mind for the next funeral if the situation hadn't changed by then.

Ozzy raised his glass, listening to the speech as he watched the room. He did enjoy being treated as equal in the group. He liked how the mobs did business with their deals and rules. He didn't find it easy to give real respect to anyone let alone those he hated, he faked most of the respect he gave but he liked to be respected and there was some grudging respect for the men who had been in the game a long time.

He chuckles along with the others at the taxes comment before downing his drink at the appropriate time. He had barely the time to relax and listen to the others or the chatter that was beginning when his and everyone else's attention was drawn to Aldo Trippi.

Cobblepot already didn't like the man even before he opened his mouth and made it worse. He'd clashed with many of the men under Maroni's and Falcone's command and hadn't earned many friends in the process. The Penguin name was a sore point for Oswald, one day he might make it his own but the newspapers had only recently given him the name and even though his lawyers had gotten everything brushed away the news would never forget. It was a name he'd lived with practically all his life though, the nickname the children at school had given him. It was just his luck that one of those children would end up in journalism and start all this. The editor of the first newspaper to use the name had already had a car accident. He'd get to the others when it wouldn't be suspicious.

It was possible to actually see how angry Oswald was below the surface. His hand tightened on his umbrella underneath the table but he didn't raise it to shoot. He couldn't. Not here, not today. He forced a smile, it was a poor fake and his eyes remained angry. He paused before he spoke, giving himself the time to try and think past the anger "It is used because some people are incapable of progressing past the humour of small children" he tried to sound calm but his words had an edge to it.

He couldn't shoot him now but there was always later. Even if he decided not to act on it when he'd calmed down it helped Oswald to begin thinking of a very messy and painful end for Aldo. It took the edge off of his anger so while his smile was still forced he sounded more controlled as he went on "I can understand why you would find it to be funny, Aldo. The joke of a five year old is quite advanced for you but it is perhaps best saved for a more appropriate time, when the adults are done talking" he even chuckled at the end, as if he accepted it all as just a joke but really he didn't take well to insults.

[Deleted]

Aldo wasn't phased, nor did he understand how angry Copplepot could be getting, Sal was watching though. Maroni knew a thing or two about dealing with a temper, and this whole ordeal didn't really matter to him whatsoever. Coppleput was a non-Italian upstart, so Maroni could really give a rats ass about how he felt or what he thought about Aldo calling him "Penguin". However  this was his father's funeral, there could be one day out of the year when the guys that ran Gotham could get along. If they hated Big Lou that was fine, but they have all done business with one another at one point throughout time. They could be civil for one lousy day, but young men like Aldo always tried to make a point. Aldo has had his temper flare before as well, and he didn't really appreciate being compared to a little kid. His masculinity, his status as an adult is something he was always pretty insecure about.

"Do you know who you're talking to? I was just bustin' balls. Why don't you calm down, little man?" Aldo's words were piercing. The room that they were in was already dead silent, the occupants were looking at Copplepot, then at Aldo, and then finally they would look at Maroni. They were looking at him to put a stop to this, they were looking at him as a newly appointed Don to see what he would do in this situation. "Aldo...Aldo. What did I just say, huh? Cool, it would ya? Mr. Copplepot is our guest, okay? Right now is not the time for bustin' balls. We're respectin the old man so how about you follow suit huh? Sound good, Aldo?"

"Respectin' the old man? What the fuck you mean, Sal? Big Lou wouldn't stand for thi-"

Sal took a deep breath, he placed his drink back on the table as he balled up his fist. "How do you know the old man wouldn't stand for it hotshot? Were you his son? This isn't about what he'd do, this is about what I'd do. I'm the Don now, so do me a goddamn favor and call me Don. Not Sal." He was visibly perturbed, Aldo had disrespected Copplepot and now he was disrespecting him. Aldo was finally starting to come around though, he noticed that he was fighting a losing battle. He had earned the ire of two of the most powerful men in Gotham in just under five minutes.

"Okay okay... Sheesh, like we can't bust balls anymore."

Sal would sigh and shake his head. "Don't you fuckin' get it? This isn't about bustin' balls this is about my father. Bust balls all you want on any other day but today is not the time nor the place. Now apologize to Mr. Copplepot and make yourself scarce. Now."

Aldo opened his mouth, trying to find the words to say, he had a hard time believing that Sal was taking the Penguin's side over the side of one of his own men. He knew that he couldn't keep going, if he did he would surely not make it out of this room. "Fine Don Maroni. I'm sorry, Mr. Copplepot. I meant no disrespect." He was full of sarcasm, but he did what was requested of him. After that, he would stand up, and leave the room without another word.

"Mr. Copplepot you have my apologies, I know you and my father have had your differences. I know your business and my business had our differences but we can put all of those aside for one day to appreciate and celebrate life. Some people can't understand that, but given time I am almost certain they will come around to see my point of view."

[Oswald Cobblepot]

Oswald was playing as nicely with others as he could. If it were up to him he'd bury Lou under a nightclub so the whole city could dance on his grave every day but that was merely the dream of a rival who had to fight tooth and nail for business. Lou's importance became irrelevant the moment he died and Sal took over. The important people were now in this room and if nothing else a lifetime of growing up around socialites he hated had taught Oswald how to attend a party and keep his temper at bay even if it simmered beneath the surface.

As Aldo started to get angry Oswald smirked. These loud, childish boys could never stand to have anything question their status. The temptation to play dangerous games and make an example of the man was there but he resisted. For now at least. Perhaps with proper time to plan he could safely indulge without incurring the wraith of Maroni.

He took note of being called 'little man', another jab, pointing out his height had always been an easy target "Do you? The papers may be unflattering but I at least make the headlines" he replies to the question of knowing who he was speaking to. He doubted there was a reporter who would care if Aldo was accused of a crime "You can dish it out but can't take it in return?"

When Maroni speaks Cobblepot looks to him and as he argues with Aldo Oswald is just watching. Dissension in the ranks? Do the men have less respect for their new leader? He certainly wasn't about to recruit Aldo but he could use that. This was also the first time he'd got to see Sal handling his men and that was interesting to him. Perhaps it was all for the benefit of Big Lou and avoiding a fight on this day in particular but maybe it meant this transition of power was not as seamless as it appeared.

Oswald quirks an eyebrow as Aldo actually apologises. Even if it is clearly insincere he's somewhat surprised the man's ego bowed to the order. He lets Aldo get the apology out and leave before looks back at Maroni "Yes, I can sense his deep regret for his words" he says with just as much sarcasm as Aldo put in to his apology.
Oswald waves a hand as if waving away the argument "A transition of power will always come with its outspoken protesters" he forces a chuckle "He is fortunate not to work for me and I feel just as fortunate for that fact because I have no doubt that will not be the last argument you must have with him. Some people have quite the thick head when it comes to convincing them to adjust to your way of thought"