"Roman, is your name correct?"

"Aye, it is the name my decadent father gave me, so I do suppose that it is the one I bare as mine, non?"

Smiling lazily, the leather-clad man with his often called mythical eyes being covered by grey-black sunglasses leaned back into his chair. His head tilting back as he went back to counting the tiles of the ceiling above him, black mould, oof, he often remembered the time his family would warn him of such a thing. 

"Why are you here, in the states? Your name is not a common one and it was brought to our attention."

"Family business, I have to deal with a friend of mine, Officer Scully? Where’s Hitchcock?"

Barely glancing at the man, Roman seemed to be enjoying that he could easily toy with the officer, it didn’t make him break a sweat at the very least, he seemed to be calm, moreso with the fact that he was inside and not out there at the very least, he was not ready for the world to know that one of his clan was here. 

“You’ve said that many times, yet here it says that your family name is Peterson. Now that is odd, considering there are plenty of Peterson’s out here, what kind of business would you be referring too?”

"The kind that involves a shipment of glassware, I own a shipping company in East Anglia or East of England as many others have taken to calling it, Suffolk Shipping Company, S.S.C and the buyers are needing to know that the shipment will be late."

Yawning, Roman leaned forward, looking over to the side as he could see what this was and it didn’t bother him. The Feds knew him, obviously, it’s why he was brought here. It had been a while since his family had been out here, especially considering how his half-brother did out here, hehe, that was so funny. 

‘Salvatore, you tried but no one wishes to know who we are anymore. Our stories have come and passed.’

"So you're the only one of your family that is here on business? Seems pretty light considering things, tell me, Roman, why don't you remove your glasses?"

Roman played at his glasses for a moment before sighing, he removed them. Revealing an eyepatch over the right eye as he narrowed the left on the officer who was clearly enjoying that he caught him, this time. 

"A one-eyed freak? Well then, it seems that I hit the jackpot today. How'd that happen?"

"An unfriendly customer of the company, it happens, sometimes. I couldn't deliver and this happened in revenge, such a tragic story, officer. Especially considering that you have a mistress, three in fact. Then there is your daughter studying to become a lawyer in Dublin, your son is here, in the states willing to become a Federal Agent, just like you..."

This is where the game changed, Roman's sea-foam eye was not one that the officer would meet, knowing that the game had changed with the young man. His playful nature ceased, now sat in front of him was a player. 

"Oh, it seems that we've changed up, Peterson, why so fast? Did you not like being called out on that weakness? Especially considering the reports that it was the Yakuza? In retaliation for the Italian clans out in England which started a war with your branch? Leaving the famous grandson of one 'Old-Man' Peterson a cripple?"

"Marino, I think we should unveil the secrets, non? You know who I am, you know how I got here and you know that one Issei Hyoudou needs to meet me, so let us dispense with the need for you to grill me and for me to move forward with what I have planned, non?"

"Have you not heard? No one has seen neither hair nor hide of the infamous Dragon, it seems that someone did what you failed to do, slew the dragon."

Roman had to applaud the man, he did his research, oh this was fun and if he was Issei, he would have easily played with his food a bit more. Only that desire for him was not to be had, he was a strategist and he did not reveal his plans all too soon, even if the man was proving to be a great sparring partner. 

"Aye, I know my former rival, one person who has actually come close to beating him. Issei is many things, but easily dying when no one has seen his body? You underestimate my dear friend, Marino, will you be letting me go or non?"

"I will. Just remember, I'll be watching you."

Roman managed a small smile, giving the officer a bow of his head as he stood to his feet and walked out of the office, these people were different from the officers back home. He hoped for a nice ale soon, at the very least a comfortable bed. 

"Finally, I thought I was going to have to stand out here for too long, we've secured a nice hotel for you. The Continental, apparently your grandfather frequented the place once upon a time, it was actually a premiere spot once upon a time."

"Enough of the info Cernin, let us go, Issei is out there somewhere and I have a feeling that his allies have something to do with this disappearance on his behalf..."

Rom bowed his head then, placing his sunglasses back on as he walked out of the office of Agent Marino.

"Once we find him, what is the plan?"

"We settle this like business back home, a good old fashioned drink and a fight. Sound good?"

"It seems that this place is not one of luxury, is this what I have to put up with?"

"Roman, it's not that bad, just because it's not flowing with patrons..."

"We saw a spider web as big as the revolving in the entrance, do you wish to count the sanitary issues alone Cernin?"

Roman did not hide the amusement in his tone as he turned his head to get a notice with a raised brow, only to get a snort from Cernin. One thing was obvious, at least he had not lost his cleanliness at the very least, his adopted mother would sheer him from head to toe if he did so. 

"What do we do about Issei?"

"Nothing, he will be found, what we do is wonder about his business, how he makes his money. For a whole month, he was said to be drinking away, what is with that?"

"Tiredness?"

Roman shook his head then, Issei never tired of the hunt as they had both taken to calling his time back in the East of England. He was one of the few that did not fear for himself, a warrior, one that would have feasted in the greatest of halls for what he had achieved in his time. 

"Issei loved many things, women and their posteriors, he never tired of that. Drinking? That was mostly me and Salvatore who partook in that, he was never someone who allowed himself to get dragged into that."

"So we assume that he fell on hard times, do you wish to become a detective now Roman?"

Snorting back at his friend, the only thing he did was shake his head as he began pouring himself a glass of Irish Whiskey. 

"Non. He is my friend, I came here to see if he was alright, yet no one has heard anything. Last I heard, he went underground, after that, nothing has come back to me.  It is as if he is resting up and licking his wounds, I wish to find out something but I cannot do it from here, the places he frequented were in New York."

Nodding his head as Cernin sighed to himself, they both respected Issei for who he was but they would not lie and state that this was entirely selfless. Issei was needed back in England, a matter of importance for his Italian Clan, Roman was finally in need of the dragon. 

"And if we find nothing?"

"We do not leave until we find a dead body or rumours that the dragon yet breathes fire again, understood?"

Cernin nodded but it was not needed, Roman knew to trust the man, he was not someone that would leave him behind. Cernin earned his place beside him and considering their relative ease in which they discussed the dragon, maybe they could find something out here at the very least. 

"What about the Gremory's? They are said to have a shipping company out this way and last we heard, Issei was associated with them, a month later, he gets attacked, we both know that play."

"It has merit, what kind of pull do we have out here?"

"A few Irish true supporters and the remnants of the O'Leary clan, should we make the call?"

Roman took a sip of his whiskey before nodding his head, it would be for the best at the very least, if he could gain some knowledge of what happened with Issei, it would be something well thought out and deserved praise. 

"Aye, make the calls and tell them to meet at the Gremory's shipping company, I want to be there when we speak with the Gremory liaison."

"We're here, not out of loyalty you gobshite, but money is what we were promised."

"Is that how are clans are supposed to do business now? Money, instead of loyalty and bond Ulric?"

"Aye, Roman. Devlin and Joseph may have had a different time. Especially Michael and Collin, but this is our time and last I heard, Salvatore and Lily were too busy playing innocent."

Roman stepped forward, his hand inching to his waistband as he met Ulric's gaze, neither wavered in the face of such tension that was slowly descending upon them. 

"Do you wish to meet your family so soon?"

"With a belly full of beer and a woman for company, aye."

A number of the Irishmen broke out in snickers before Roman and Ulric finally stopped the stare down and bowed to one another. 

"What do you know of the Gremory Clan, Ulric?"

"Those bastards? They've fucked us all over the cities, used to be because of Issei we feared them, now they have a bigger unit called Noroi, big bastard. Fucker is supposed to be one of the top enforcers for the Yakuza."

Roman stilled then and it did not go unnoticed by the Irish party there, a few of them were clear on the history between Roman's clan and that was one of the few that brought them to the reality of Issei's situation. 

"Issei ran from the Yakuza, a month later, he backs out of the Gremory Clan. Taking a good few of their numbers, he was supposed to get involved with one of the Yakuza out here, Akeno was her name. Fell through, now? Gremory is backed by the feds, Yakuza, and has Noroi as the one enforcing the law on all the clans out 'ere. We've barely scraped a hundred grand in earnings."

"Noroi's here for another thing, more than likely he will care not for what happens with Gremory, it is why we are here. I know all of you, a good chunk of you have remained loyal to my clan, a small dead dynasty that no longer has enough weight to make a play out here or make money. What I can promise you is a better future, once we take care of Noroi and the Gremory's..."

Roman met Ulric's eyes, he was the one that he would need to bring on his side. He controlled the majority of the Irishmen here, the ones that would make a difference in a fight to take over the shipping depot at the very least.

"If we help you, I want all Gremory territory, a better start for my people, my clan. Is that something we can agree on?"

"Non. I cannot, the business of the cities is out of my personal council or care to be fucking honest, I am here to make sure that the dragon remains a barrier against those that would harm me and mine."

Scowling, the Irishman thought that he could have easily gained something out of this but he did not miss the glint in Roman's eyes, he was promising something else, lesser, but it was something. 

"In return, you can raid the depot, take all the trucks you wish, plunder, burn it to the ground. I care not. If it damages the Gremory's and can help out my friend, it will be good at the very least."

Ulric knew he could agree to that at least, it was promising and was thanking Roman because he was giving them something to fight for, there was wealth for them at the end of this. and that was all that mattered. 

"Aye. When do we do this?"

"Right now, we have the weapons, are you ready?"

"TO THE O'LEARY'S!!!!"

Over two hours later, the party for the Irish was just getting started, the raid of the Gremory shipping company had been a booming success. For one, it introduced a wave of information that Roman, Cernin, and Ulric were reading over within minutes. 

"Are your men always this way?"

"It's the first victory we've had in a while, let them have their fun, as long as no one dies and all are piss drunk, we continue our plans."

"Our plans are simple, we find Lola Spratt, Baki Hanma or Magnolia. These are the ones they're supposed to have something on Issei, I CAN FIND NOTHING!"

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Cernin calmed Roman down. It was clear that this search was getting taxing on the young man. Often said that Roman was not made to take the role of leader, yet here he was. 

"We did not see Noroi there either, chances are he remains with Eto, we all know he never leaves her side unless a matter he was sent by her on."

"So, we have three people that could help in this search of Issei, do we know where we could start?"

Roman and Cernin met each other's eyes, it was a start and one that would require a flight but if it worked, they would be closer to finding the truth of the matter.

"New York, one of the few places that would give us something on any of the three, it's where Issei spent most of his time. If we could get to the bottom of that, I say we would have a chance at finding the dragon, what do we say?"

"New York? You'd be a lone wolf out there, something that we would have no sway over Roman, there is a being cautious out there because we have no ties and that does not make us dangerous, it makes us targets and vulnerable, aye?"

Roman was not stupid, he knew when he could play a nice card or two, it was different in Chicago. One thing was the maintaining presence of allies, if there were out in New York it would be a pleasant time, instead, it did not matter for him yet, he would still play it cautiously as he was taught. 

"When do we leave?"

"We? Ulric, we, as in I and Cernin assumed that you would wish to count your monies and enjoy the war to come, Gremory is not going to take this standing but with one of his famous shipping depots taking, it would possibly be the fire that lights up a rebellion from all the other smaller Irishmen and other clans, it'd be a sight to see and you don't want to be here when it happens?"

The Irishman snorted, shrugging to himself as he knew when the time for helping came, he received his fair share of the loot. 

"Issei is one of the few stories I wish to see if he lives up to this in person when we arrive in New York and go look, it'll be a time to see if the dragon, as he is called, can still fight."

Ulric was on the receiving of a snort from Cernin and Roman, oh they all knew it was going to be a time before they found the dragon. Yet, for right now they would enjoy the booze and await the time they would finally set out on their next location for the dragon: New York.