Bab 65: 65 Interlude: Uppercrust
Uppercrust is a businessman.
Those of a lesser mind might equate him to just another gang lord, but they would be fools.
But he has always been a businessman. Back before the Elite was formed and they were just a collection of parahumans trying to make a living off of their powers.
Now, every single one of the original members of Uppermost, the group that proceeded the Elite, are dead, leaving only Uppercrust.
Now the group he is a part of, the Elite, is nothing like what it used to be, the leaders either replaced or retired to allow more cutthroat, callous, 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘴 to take the helm.
All Uppercrust can do is keep a healthy distance from the rest of the Elite, which is why he set up on the east coast, despite the Elite controlling the vast majority of the west coast.
As a businessman, he is always happy when he makes a good deal, or finds a good business partner.
Suffice to say, Uppercrust is feeling rather quite happy recently.
It all started with a strange new cape walking through his doors.
It's not often that a parahuman manages to garner such a fearsome reputation so quickly, so she was certainly worth hearing out.
At first his men were worried, saying he shouldn't meet her personally, because she is dangerous and might do something foolish.
But they are all blind to what I see, or perhaps simply inexperienced.
I have seen many, many capes come and go over the years and one thing he has come to learn is that a lot of them aren't very intelligent.
Yet what that Tear did? Setting up a confrontation with over twenty capes that left the majority of them dead or dying while getting out relatively unscathed?
That kind of thing takes planning. It takes brains, plus a helping of skill.
So I knew she wasn't as uncontrollable as people were making her out to be, it's the only reason I agreed to meet with her in the first place.
Yet, even that did not prepare me for the person who showed up at my door.
I expected many things from her and prepared for each of those eventualities, yet I still ended up being caught flat footed with the person I received.
She wasn't baring her teeth to the world, being aggressive or throwing her weight, real or imagined, around. She wasn't making threats or acting as if she believes herself above us.
Which is good, because that was the worst thing that could have happened.
But neither was she new and uncertain, unsure of herself and how to act in these kinds of dealings like most people are for the first time, and I have no doubt that this was the first time she's been in this type of interaction.
Neither was she scheming and twofaced, nor was she even remotely uncomfortable with the situation. In fact, she really seemed to be in her element when the discussions began.
But what I actually found, was a woman who knew exactly what they were doing.
She knew what she wanted and she knew exactly how to get it, all without showing an ounce of weakness and somehow managing to avoid insulting me or the Elite at the same time.
Anyone who knows anything about negotiations and power plays knows that it's a fine line to tread between showing strength and insulting the other party.
Yet, she managed to do so perfectly enough for me to suspect that she has a Thinker power helping her.
Though, over the years I've gotten rather skilled at spotting Thinkers and I am pretty sure that she isn't one and that it's just natural intelligence, which just makes it even more impressive.
And her opening move was a masterpiece of interpretive communication that almost made me want to applaud her for it.
With just the simple act of sitting down, she set the tone for not just the ensuing conversation but for all future interactions we may have together. Truly magnificent.
But I think the part that surprised me most was simply when she walked through the door with Hideout.
Because I could tell from a glance that Hideout was, while not completely comfortable, relatively relaxed.
Relaxed?
I know for a fact that she was terrified of the mere thought of meeting the 'Cannibal of Columbus', yet 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 Tear managed to eliminate that fear almost entirely and actually make a good impression on someone who already had a bad impression of her.
That shows a level of charisma that is incredibly rare, to so easily make someone with such a bad opinion of you to someone who is, if not friendly then at least cordial.
Again, it left me suspecting that she has more powers than she lets on, but once again I believe that it's simply all her.
Frankly, it makes me relieved that she is so open to communication, because I really, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 do not like the idea of making an enemy of her.
Because despite what I said, I fully believe that she could singlehandedly do more damage to the Elite than the protectorate has ever done, if only because she wouldn't care about the repercussions.
Yes, she is an incredibly dangerous individual, but she is a rational one and someone who can be dealt with, which makes her an asset.
And what an asset she has shown herself to be.
Typically when the Butcher makes his rounds to the Big Apple our profits tank by at least 30% for the month and we barely bring the margin back up before the Butcher is back again.
30% is a very large amount of money with how much we pull in being the biggest gang in New York.
Yet, despite this, just by hiring Tear to keep the Butcher away for a month, we actually managed to make a 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵 from his arrival as we were able to push into the Teeths territory while Tear was distracting the Butcher.
Granted, that wasn't part of the contract and with her intelligence it wasn't difficult for her to figure out that I was making use of her beyond what we agreed, even without asking about it.
However, like I expected, she didn't make a big deal of it. In fact, she didn't even mention it.
Instead, she simply asked me to get her a costume made at a discount.
She used the words 'friends and family discount', but we both know that this is her asking for reparations for my slight breach of contract without making a big fuss about it.
The most interesting part for me, is that she doesn't even seem to realise how much of an incredible business sense she has.
It's like she doesn't even have to think in order to show the same level of skill in something that I have spend decades mastering.
Truly, she is frightening individual and I haven't survived as long as I have by making enemies with scary people.
Instead, it's better to have friends.
That's why I've already ordered my men that they are never to bother that new cape that she seems to have taken a liking to, March, was it?
However it seems that she was not done surprising me, as the day after the Butcher left she passed a message to me through Hideout to discuss 'business'.
As a side note, I am very impressed with Hideout. She has really grown into herself with this new assignment.
I suppose the severity of it was all she needed to truly grow as she has come to be unflinching and unafraid when it comes to dealing with Tear, and just more confident in general.
It's a remarkable improvement and one that I believe will be deserving of a promotion once the others see how she has changed.
Now, at first I had expected that I knew what Tear wished to discuss. Like last time, I made preparations for a variety of topics she might bring up, from support for March or, what I was most expecting, her realising that she was worth far more than we agreed to pay her.
Seriously, the amount she was willing to work for was a large part of the reason we actually made a profit by hiring her, rather than just avoiding losses.
Because she asked for basically nothing in the big picture, so I was more than ready to increase her payment to more standard levels for someone of her capabilities.
In fact, considering her performance and surprising professionalism I was prepared to pay even more.
However this time I at least prepared myself to be surprised again, and I am thankful I did because she once more managed to subvert my expectations.
Why, I remember how the conversation went as if it were yesterday (it was).
I was in my office, alone with only Quinten and James behind me, as they insisted on being, just in case Tear really is going to try something.
I don't tell them that they would be unlikely to actually have a chance at stopping her. I don't need to. But understanding that won't change their stubborn minds, so I allow it.
Then Tear walked in, flanked by Hideout, and immediately she starts looking around with exaggerated interest, taking in every detail of my actual office this time.
No doubt she is taking in a lot more information that even she realises.
Her mask, mirroring the smile that I am certain is beneath it, is just as unnerving as always. Though most of that is due to the glowing red eyes of a predator that hide behind it.
She pauses for a microsecond as she is walking closer to take a seat and with the way she tilts her head slightly and looks at me, seeming distinctly amused through her surprisingly expressive eyes I realise that she's already noticed.
I didn't think I'd need the barrier this time, but I figured she'd get a kick out of seeing it anyway and I'm happy to see that I was right.
"Crusty!~ How is my favourite Crust of High Elevation doing today?~" She enthusiastically greets as she takes a seat without being offered.
I feel my 'guards' bristling behind me at the perceived disrespect but honestly I find it refreshing.
Let the young be young. She can be boring and formal when she's boring and old.
Then again, I highly doubt she'll settle for such a mundane ending to her life.
"I'm doing quite well actually. I've been reading reports all week about this month has been the single most profitable month we have ever had while the Butcher is in town, thanks to you." I smile honestly with the praise.
She preens at the praise and leans back into her chair as she responds.
"Yeah well, you know what they say about clowns and rivalries.~" She trails of at the end as if what she's saying is obvious but she was clearly the only one in the room who wasn't confused.
"What do they say? About clowns and rivalries?" I ask, genuinely curious.
But she just tilts her head and gives me an even more confused look than the one I was giving her.
"I dunno? I thought you knew?~" It's then that I realise that she is just joking around and I mentally add acting to her growing list of skills, as I really thought she was confused for a moment there.
"There was a reason for this visit?" I sigh, choosing to just pretend the previous interaction didn't happen.
She perks up and all of a sudden her demeaner rapidly shifts from the careless, cheerful clown to something else. Something.. dangerous. 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.
It makes me uncomfortable and gets my full attention faster than anything else has in years.
Then she opens her mouth and I am once more surprised by the intelligence and forethought that she seems to be randomly capable of, but by the time she is walking back through my doors after a long and eventful conversation I find myself unable to hold back a grin of my own.
I've always loved finding good business, but who ever knew that a half mad cannibal clown would make for such a good business partner.
As I lean back in my seat, thinking on her words and the future, I can't help but compliment that that woman sure has a way with words.
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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!
Heheheuhahaha what dealings are being made, what did they talk about? Who knows?~
Well, at least one person has a pretty good idea, but they helped me flesh the idea out anyway so that's kind of a given.
Also, I really enjoyed writing uppercrust. I like these political conversations with double meanings and such :)
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