In the end of their shopping trip, just as they were walking back to the car, Rock idly let her gaze wander from shop window to shop window, from fashion displays to toy stores... And then she stopped.
Koko and Valmet kept walking, but Jonah only walked a few paces before he stopped and turned to see Rock staring wishfully at a very unexpected shop...
"Koko... Valmet." Jonah turned back to get the attention of the two women, who immediately turned to see Rock had lagged behind to stare at the display of designer glasses. "I'll distract her, can you two buy her a pair of glasses or two?"
"What do you think? Fake glasses would look really cute on her..." Valmet agreed with Jonah's idea to get her what she clearly wanted.
"I'll make sure to get some that she'll love." Koko agreed after a moment of watching Rock's longing expression in the window's reflection, as if she was placing her face in position to be 'wearing' the glasses herself. "Now you get her out of here so we can sneak inside."
"On it." Jonah already had something in mind to get Rock away from the glass... Food. Aside from the cookies, Rock hadn't really eaten yet, so a quick trip back to the food court for something more substantial to eat would easily work. He could tell she was still hungry.
"Rock, we didn't grab any food earlier, you want to come with me to get something to eat?" Jonah approached her just as her own stomach growled and snapped her attention away from the spectacles.
"Yes." With a slight blush on her cheeks, Rock followed him back to the food court, staying close to his side by wrapping her arms around his bicep, a clear sign she didn't feel comfortable being caught by herself in the line again.
"Anything in particular that you want to eat?" Jonah already had a meal in mind that he wanted, he just needed her request before he could place the order.
"Share with you." In a surprising twist, she shook her head, looking so cute as she smiled slightly at him.
So, with that adorable answer, Jonah ordered a serving of haddock and chips, waiting with her on his arm until the order was completed, which he paid for and carried the tray to a table in the middle of the court.
As they ate, as per their style, they didn't really talk much. Rock was too busy eating, while Jonah was just watching her, finding her expression as adorable as ever. She really liked food, that much was obvious... But what did she eat on the other side of that weird portal? Were the laws of physics different there? She wasn't much of a talker, so it was unlikely that she'd ever reveal it either.
Jonah noticed Koko and Valmet approaching a few minutes later, carrying a smaller shopping bag each, but they stopped to signal to him they had four pairs for her. Then, after a quick rock-paper-scissors, Koko - who won - rummaged into the bag on her arm and produced a glasses case with a smile as she and Valmet made their way almost right up to Rock before she suddenly spun around in her seat and caught them approaching.
It only took about three seconds before Rock realized what Koko was holding out for her... and as expected, she snatched it up with her lightning fast reflexes and popped the case open to reveal the first of four pairs of glasses. They were on her face just as quickly, as well as a very cute blush on her face as she looked rather pleased with herself.
"Thank you..." Rock was looking down at her unfinished food, one hand still grasping the open case.
"You're welcome. Now, that looks good, mind if we have a piece so we can all get back to the house?" Koko pointed at the fries and fish, so together the four of them munched on the remnants before all heading back home.
Back at home, Lehm had the rest of the crew doing marksmanship down at the range when the three women and Jonah returned with pleased smiles on their faces, earning a dry chuckle from the man himself.
"Rock, we'll need to set up a new section of the range for your Cannon, so while we get that sorted out, y'mind doing our guns when we're running practices?" Lehm pinched his unlit smoke between his fingers, not commenting on her new attire, nor her glasses.
"Fine." Rock agreed right away, approaching the table of guns, reaching for the familiar MP5, only to pause at a very unfamiliar one... and immediately snatched it up, earning an amused chuckle from Lehm.
"That's a whole different type of gun than the MP5... That's known as a shotgun."
"I want to try it." Rock didn't even hesitate, turning her head towards the older man with a surprisingly intimidating glare flashing across the lenses of her glasses.
"Heh heh... Alright, Jonah, you're up." Lehm chuckled again, tilting his head for Jonah to teach her, but he spoke up.
"I've never bothered with shotguns."
"But you know how to use them. Teach her that much, at least." Koko smirked. "Rock, that shotgun model is called a Remington M870. It uses 12 gauge ammo, the red box to your right."
Rock's blank expression slowly changed from her stoic mask to a pleased little smile as Jonah finally moved to her side to begin teaching her how to operate the weapon.
"... Shit." Lutz, like the rest of the crew, were staring in astonishment as Rock, standing at a hair over five feet tall and a mere 100 pounds, didn't even flinch when the weapon kicked back into her small frame. Even more amazing was her skill with the weapon compared to the MP5 the previous day. "I was not expecting that."
"I like shotgun..." Rock lifted the weapon vertically and wrenched the pump to eject her last shell from the chamber, which clattered to the ground slightly ominously. "Now you try Cannon. Only fair, we try each other's weapons." She smirked as she brought the empty shotgun to her shoulder and turned to face the crew. "Jonah first."
"Why me?" Jonah immediately turned towards her with narrowed eyes.
"Because I like you." Rock replied as she placed the empty boomstick on the table and turned on her heel to manifest the ridiculous sized weapon and swinging it over her shoulder like always. "Come here."
Even Lehm was watching in silence as Rock hefted the Cannon into her arms while Jonah slid his hand into the back end, which they could all see had a pistol grip and a trigger hidden beneath the protective guard.
"Now, I let go, you lift." Rock stepped back, ready to release the weapon as Jonah nodded. Then she did just that, and it only barely seemed to descend.
"Fire?" Jonah asked, and she nodded.
With the same short whine as the first display, Jonah fired at one of the targets, his shot precisely blowing the wooden target in half.
"Who's next?" Rock was already amazed that Jonah could do what he just did. Not like the Cannon was very complex...
"Sure, why not? Doesn't look that bad." Lutz shrugged, stepping forward as Rock resumed holding it in position while he and Jonah traded places.
"Ready?" Rock asked, preparing to step away. Lutz nodded, and the moment that she let go, it thudded to the dirt without even a hint of resistance from Lutz's arm. "Not ready..."
"Holy shit that thing is heavy!" Lutz had fallen flat on his face with the falling Cannon, unharmed. "Felt like my arm was about to break!"
"Hmmm..." Koko's eyes narrowed at that comment, her blue gaze flicking to Jonah and Rock briefly, but she said nothing as the crew laughed at Lutz's failure.
Washington D.C... present time.
The President sat in his chair in the Oval Office, going over some documents when he suddenly detected a sound right in front of his desk. When he looked up, a large sword was lifted in front of his nose, a large black blade several feet in length.
His gaze traveled up the weapon's length, coming to rest on the face of the young girl in her incredibly strange attire.
"You are in the presence of m'lady, you will stand and show her due respect, human." The girl, wearing a large cyan crown around her head and a blue flame fluttering over her left eye snarled down the length of her weapon at the most powerful man in the world, ignorant to his power.
"Oh? And how did you and your Lady get in here in the first place?" The President wasn't a fool, but he held his ground until he could set his eyes upon this other woman that the girl was talking about... Only for the woman herself to speak to the girl in a distinctly regal tone.
"Black Rock Beast, that is enough. Lower your blade."
With a slight scowl, the girl removed her weapon and placed the tip on the floor, holding the weapon vertically, which brought the president's gaze briefly to her other weapon in her other hand, a pistol with parts that bore the same blue as her crown and eye flame... and then he finally laid eyes upon the woman.
"Judging by your tone, this girl is your subordinate, I presume?" The President stood up and adjusted his suit jacket, his jaw set firmly as he regarded the very queen-like woman standing before him.
She had red and blue heterochromatic eyes, and long black hair, much like the girl. But, she wore a black dress with a low neckline to accent her modest bust, and draped over her shoulders was a long cloak that had armoured shoulders, made of supremely polished gold, as if a servant just finished polishing it seconds ago. And, like her subordinate, she was armed, a regal looking mace was resting in the crook of her arm as if it were a royal scepter.
"That is correct, human." The woman replied. "Black Rock Beast, my finest warrior and personal bodyguard. And you, human... are to address me as Black Star Empress, is that understood?" She leveled a lethal glare at the President, who nodded curtly, knowing better than to disobey this clearly otherworldly and very powerful woman.
"Yes, my Empress. How may I be of service to you?"
Sussex, later that evening.
Rock idly laid on her back on her bed, one leg crossed over the other at the ankles. Lutz and Wiley's cooking for that evening was great, especially after all the training and shopping that she'd done today. So, with a hardy meal in her stomach and a comfortable bed to relax in, Rock's mind wandered. No real destination or links between them, just wandering... Until a very specific face came back to her mind and she bolted right up out of bed, gasping loudly in shock and accidentally knocking her box of spare bullets off her bedside table, causing them to clatter loudly against the hardwood floor.
Rock fell backwards in the same motion, sitting against the side of her bed, her eyes full of tears as she began hyperventilating.
Of all the people to hear her, the last she expected to come barreling through her door was Jonah, his eyes ablaze with worried concern.
Seeing her in the midst of a panic attack, Jonah immediately moved to her side, just wrapping his arms around her shoulders, instincts taking over at this point. Until she was calm, words were useless.
And, after several shuddering gasps for air, she curled her fingers into his shirt and pressed her ear to his chest, his slow, steady heartbeat contrasted drastically to her own thundering, racing pulse... But it was working. After a few minutes, his calm calmed her, and she continued to hold him for several long, silent moments before speaking.
"I saw... my mother."
"YOU'RE A WHAT?!"
Koko was utterly shocked by Rock's sudden announcement. She had both hands to the sides of her head, till reeling from Rock's admittedly short statement.
"I am a princess back home..." Rock repeated her words, but now elaborated on them. "My mother was a tyrant... I ran away before she took over the palace."
"So, wait... Are we supposed to be bowing to you or something?" Lutz, despite his naive question, was confused beyond normal.
"No." Rock shook her head. "Back home, royalty... here, bodyguard." Rock pointed at her feet as she said the final part. "But back home, I don't want to be royal, so I live at big cannon in the Badlands, instead of the palace with my mother."
"So, you exiled yourself to get away from her?" Koko asked, her eyebrow raised.
"Yes."
"Fuck... I need a drink." Koko placed the butt of her hand to her forehead and wandered into the kitchen, returning about two minutes later with a bottle of scotch and a glass with ice cubes in it. She poured herself a modest amount, then took a sip before placing both hands on the edges of the large table, inhaling a steady breath before asking calmly. "Does you mother know where big cannon is?"
"No. She'd have found me ages ago if she knew." Rock shook her head, her lips pursed. "Besides, the Badlands are... really big."
"How big?" Koko challenged.
"The Badlands... are what's left of my world's largest battle. Ever. Only the royal palace is still standing from before the battle, and the city was built from the rubble that was created from what damage the palace sustained." Rock explained, but then added. "It's a wasteland... and big cannon is just a relic from the battle that I happened to choose as my new home."
"So you mentioned that you fight in your world... Back when I first hired you." Koko took another swig of her scotch. "It was to survive in the Badlands, wasn't it?"
"Not exactly. My mother trained me to fight, just like my sisters." Rock slightly shook her head. "That's the fight part. Kill was indeed survival in the Badlands."
"So, little princess, are you still going to remain here as my bodyguard?"
"You ask that sarcastically, even though you already know the answer, Koko." Jonah suddenly spoke up, staring at his boss with a smirk. "She said it herself, she doesn't like her mother. Especially considering that this entire conversation was sparked by her having a panic atack when seeing a vision of the bitch."
"Jonah, don't call Rock's mother a bitch..." Lehm suddenly spoke up, but Rock held up her hand to stop the oldest man.
"Calling my mother a bitch is perhaps the most polite thing you could say. It's fine." Rock turned back to Jonah. "Does this world have any tyrants?"
"More than a few, to be honest." Jonah nodded. "At that's just if you consider the politicians. There's even more if you expand beyond them."
"I hate politics back home..." Rock's face was an adorable pout as she spoke. "Sounds like it's even worse here."