(Morning; School Library)

I sat beside Bonnie, who was trying to do some last minute homework. And somehow, she roped me into doing half of it.

I took a sip of coffee as I finished the last problem. I had pilfered this cup from the faculty room. It was the cheap brand, Maxwell.

I normally didn't drink coffee for energy, I would instead mediate deeply. But I didn't have time for that. So I was having a black cup of coffee. This was the only way I could drink it. Cream and sugar totally ruined it for me.

"You could have thought of me when you stole coffee from the teachers," Bonnie said from beside me.

"You hate coffee," I replied, "Remember when you tried some at Temple and immediately spat it out?"

"I was like 7 at the time! I only liked really sweet things."

"Still counts."

With the use of her telekinetic powers, Bonnie grabbed my cup of coffee. I frowned at her. One, for taking my hard earned coffee and two, for using her powers in public.

She smiled innocently as she took one gulp. Her disgust was only visible for a fraction of a second before she schooled her face back into a blank stare. Impressive.

"There will be a punishment," I told her, as she took another sip.

"Scary," she replied, not the least bit intimidated and took another sip.

I grabbed the cup away from her. She could steal her own coffee. I'm sure she would get away with if she was caught.

When I finished taking my own sip, Bonnie leaned over to steal another sip.

"It's really not that bad," she said, "Once you get used to it."

"I'll get you a cup next time," I told her, "Since you have taken a liking to it."

"And I'll bring some doughnuts each time."

"Each time? What are you on now?" I asked her.

"Each morning of school, we should come to the library and talk. Tell one another about our evening activities. You could give me the full details of your mission, instead late at night when you check in," she explained.

"And what about you? What will you tell me?"

"I could talk about my simple life and friends, but your missions are so more exciting. I'll comment on your missions and what possibly you and Kim could have done better," she replied, "Plus I like hearing you talk when you feel comfortable to be your true self. You have a way with words and a commanding presence that never bores me."

"My true self? You're saying I hide behind some form of mask arounds others?" I asked. She nodded. "Even Kim?"

"Especially Kim. You have always been submissive to her, following her around and listening to her what out any thought. You act like a little kid, being extremely immature and childish all time," she explained, "But now you're more likely to ignore her commands, probably because you are fed up with being looked down upon."

"Very observant, Bonnie. Seems like I have attracted your attention," I said, just smiling at her, "What else have you noticed?"

"That you're tired. You move slower than you usually do, mask or not. And before you drank your coffee, I saw the tiredness in your eyes. They were also a little red earlier. It's like what my father looks like when he comes home and just works all day instead of resting."

I took another sip of my coffee after her explanation. Not responding.

Bonnie crossed her arms. "Are you going to tell what you did last night?"

"It was nothing important."

She huffed at me. "I might accept that answer because I know you aren't going to tell me unless you want to. But what are you going to tell Kim?"

"Staying up all night studying and catching up on late assignments," I answered, "I told her I quit being the mascot for my studies anyway."

"Sounds believable. Does she know about your powers or have any suspicions?"

"No. She has only heard about them from of our foes. She dismissed it as nonsense."

"Monkey Fist, right?" I had to stop myself from crushing the cup. Yesterday made me lose much of my control. Stupid memories. I would have to mediate on this.

"Yes, him," I answered.

I noticed my breath was ragged. Bonnie was staring at me. I took a few deep breaths, as she rubbed my back.

"I didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories," she apologized, still rubbing my back.

"You're fine. You didn't know," I replied, "Let me tell you about how I awakened my powers."

"Awakened? Don't you mean obtain?" she asked.

She only asked since I had informed her of how she got hers. She was surprised to find out why she had to keep seeing Kimberly's mom after the Gill incident.

I shook my head. "I apparently always had them. I just never had the ability to use them before."

I told her about the mission with the cretin. She was still staring at me, concerned when I mentioned him. I told her about the second encounter, without Kim, but with the hologram technology of Wade's.

"Why does Kim always ignore your instincts about something is amiss on a mission? Does she ever regret it or even apologize afterwards?" she asked, after I was finished.

"She does, but you have to realize that I sued to connect almost every little thing to some conspiracy. I've stopped that, so maybe she will take me seriously the next time," I answered, taking another sip of coffee.

Bonnie leaned over and took another sip. It was almost gone now. "I would have listened; you know?"

The library doors opened suddenly, gaining my stopping me from responding. I turned around and saw it was Tara. With Hope hiding behind a bookshelf, glaring at the blonde.

Was Hope spying on us? When did she enter? I never noticed her entered. Must been when the cretin was first mentioned.
Bonnie noticed where I was looking and removed her hand quickly. Like I had burned her, but I wasn't offended. I knew why she did it.

"Bonnie, did you leave your phone or something?" Hope asked, as the pair approached us, "We've been trying to reach you for about twenty minutes."

The brunette pulled her phone out of her purse, quickly checking it. "It was on silent. Sorry."

"Hi Ron," Tara said nervously, partially hiding behind Hope.

I smiled, watching her blush. I caught Bonnie frowning out of the corners of my eye. Hope was staring intently at me or something near me.

"Hey Tara. Bonnie and I were finishing some parts of our project," I said, drinking the rest of the coffee.

That's when I noticed Hope's eyes moving with the movement of the coffee cup. I glanced at the piece of Styrofoam to see something I hadn't noticed before. Lipstick marks on the cup. Great.

Hope was now glaring at Bonnie, not that that the brunette noticed. She was too busy conversing with her blonde friend. That meant Tara didn't notice it either.

Female drama was one of the worst things to deal with. Bonnie was going to eventually complain to me about it and I would have to listen. Not looking forward to that.

I got up, announcing I was leaving and let the females catch up.

"I've got something to ask Ron right quick," I heard Hope said to her friends, "I'll be right back."

I was outside the library, waiting on her. I heard the doors open behind me. I turned and face her.

"What did you need to ask me?"

Hope narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms. "Is something going on between you two?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Bonnie and me? Of course not."

"You two were basically cuddled up in there. Right beside each other, her rubbing your back for some reason and sharing the same cup," she said, "Tell me the truth."

"I did tell you the truth, Hope. Now get back to in there before Tara gets suspicious of you. It's already weird you wanted to speak to me alone," I replied, "You keep standing here and anything you sat to Tara will be dismissed because she will be more suspicious of you than Bonnie."

Her baffled face made me chuckle. She gave me the middle finger before storming back inside the library.

I texted Bonnie about what Hope had saw and how I handled her. It was a warning for her impending interrogation. It's all I can do to give my ear a little slack. Time to get to my locker and meet up with Kimberly.

As I walked down the hall, I spotted Felix Renton. We had become fast friends when he got first got to Middleton. Especially after the Motor Ed incident. He was a great friend, my only male friend at that. I could always depend to on him to talk about man stuff, like Kimberly could depend on Monique for girl stuff.

That's why I was saddened when he refused my offer to join The Regime. But he didn't stand in my way, unlike many others. This was the reason that when The Regime conquered the world, I offered him to be the head of the Rehabilitation Cybernetic Department.

The department focused on developing cybernetics for the injured, maimed, and disabled to be fully function. Nothing there was used for any sort of offensive purposes. Just ways to improve other's quality of life.

"Hey Ron! How's working with the Queen Bee been?" he asked when I approached.

"Great! Just wooing her with my charms. No lady can resist the Ron Man," I answered, goofy smile and dramatic posturing.

The wheel chair bound boy stifled a laugh. "Sure Ron. How close are you to being done?"

"Pretty much done. Just a little editing here and there needs to be done."

"Cool. So did you really quit being the Mad Dog for better grades?"

I nodded. "I have to pave my own path to success. Can't depend on Kim for that."

Felix agreed. "True. You can't ride on her coat tails to get you anywhere. Especially considering that you aren't ever mentioned during interviews or articles or you're incorrectly named. Had to scrape some favor from that."

"Plus if her reputation went down in flames, so I would mine. Thus the dangers of being famous."

Felix gave me an alarmed look. "What could she possibly do for that to happen?"

"She doesn't have to do anything. Just be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone else does something and the blame is placed on her," I explained, "She might be helping a group of people and something that she can't control happens. Someone gets injured or even die, all fingers will be pointing at her."

Felix winced. "I never thought about that. Is that why it never bothers you when you aren't mentioned even though you should be?"

I nodded. "Better to be in the shadows than the spotlight."

Especially for what I had planned.

"Have you ever talked to Kim about this?" he asked.

"Of course not. She would just blow me off anyway."

Felix looked down the hall, where Monique, Josh, and Kimberly where at. "No offense to her, but that sounds in character for her."

I didn't respond, gaining the attention of the trio. Everyone greeted each other and told one another of their previous afternoon activities. No one noticed how tired I was.

(Rockwaller Residence)

"We're done, Ron" Bonnie told me as we entered her room. She sat down on her bed, legs hanging off the side.

"Cool," I replied, as I sat down beside her.

"You brought your change of clothes?"

"In my car."

"Good," she said, before rubbing my back.

I gave her a questioning glance, eyebrows raised.

"You need to rest," she said, answering my unspoken question.

"I'm fine." She frowned at my response.

"For now, when did you last get some sleep?"

"About thirty-three hours ago," I answered, causing her frown to deepen.

"In about three hours, you're going to be acting like a drunk. Your mental and physical health degrades severely after 36 hours. I don't need you hallucinating at dinner tonight."

"I can last longer than that," I retorted. My stubbornness was about to get her upset.

"Because of your monkey mojo?"

I glared at her. "Yes. Don't speak of the Mystical Monkey Powers like they are some lowly form of shamanistic powers that anyone can achieve. It bestows its true power to ones it deems worth. Ignorance of these things I can take, but intentional disrespect I will not."

Bonnie's eye widens and her hands were at her sides in disarming manner. "Sorry. Didn't mean to offend."

"Good. Make sure it doesn't happen again," I told her.

After a moment of silence, she tentatively pressed her hand against my back. When I didn't respond, she resumed rubbing my back.

"So are you going to rest? I would like my date to be fully functional so it will be enjoyable."

I didn't answer her, so she continued. "Boring dates with guys that don't pay attention to me are the worst. Brick was like that a lot. Unless he was looking at my boobs or butt or trying to get handsy, he drifted off into space, probably thinking about football. Plus, he ate like a total slob."

My face twitched, and by the pause of rubbing, she had noticed. She continued rubbing as she kept complaining.

"I really don't want to go on a date with another blonde bloke."

Now she was comparing my intelligence to the meat head Brick? Annoying girl.

"I'll rest, only to quiet your mouth."

"Get comfortable. I'll wake you up so you have enough time to get ready."

When I attempted to lie down on the bed, I felt Bonnie's hands on my arms, guiding me elsewhere. I found my head in her lap, with her hands gently going throw my hair.

Feeling adequately comfortable, I let myself relax. I soon fell asleep, due to silence and the ministrations of Bonnie.

"Rest Ronnie," I heard her mutter, before total darkness captured me, "Rest Ronnie."

(Chef Couteauex)

I felt much better after some rest. Fully refreshed at that. But I had to deal with a smug Bonnie when I woke up.

I looked back at her. She decided to go with a classy black dress that reached her knees and three inch black heels. Nothing too showy.

I wore a simple black suit, white undershirt, and black tie. I had also my hair combed back. My favorite hairstyle. Made me look a lot more dignified and classy.

Bonnie had just finished her Buffalo Tenderloin with Lobster Béarnaise. I had the Mountain Elk Chop with Stilton Pommes Puree.

"How was the food?" our waiter asked.

Bonnie told him the food was great, especially considering it was her first time having something like the Béarnaise. She as kind put off by the creamy sauce at first, but she enjoyed it.

The young man only looked at Bonnie's face, eyes never passing downward to appreciate her beauty. Professional and respectful. He earned a three percent raise in his tip.

I told him what I thought. The elk, while similar to beef in taste, was bursting much more flavor and was tad sweeter. And it was extremely tender. Cooked to perfection.

The Pommes Puree was very creamy, slightly sweet, with a nutty aftertaste. I asked if the chef used blue Stilton cheese in theses potatoes. He told me that my assumption was correct.

The waiter was surprised by my compliments. Not every day you have someone looking young as me and being so knowledgeable about food.

He told me he would let the chef know and asked if we want dessert. I told yes and bring us the wine list too.

He asked for our IDs, not once sounding suspicious of our real age. I handed to him and he gave them a quick glance. He handed them back and headed off to get our menus.

"Fake IDs? Wonder what Kim would think about that," Bonnie muttered.

"She wouldn't believe if you told her," I said.

"The chef, Mr. Anderson, said drinks and dessert are on him," the waiter said as he put down the menus, "He was impressed by your knowledge, Mr. Stoppable."

"Tell him that his offer is accepted. I'm sure the dessert will be just as great," I told the waiter. He smiled and he'd be back in the next few minutes.

We decided on the Lemon Ricotta Soufflés, with two glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. I really choose everything, but I didn't dare say that aloud.

We told the waiter of our decisions when he returned. He took our menus and did a small bow before leaving.

Bonnie told me about some of her classes, that I wasn't in, and how Kimberly let out practice early for her date with Josh. She told me Hope hadn't confronted her yet, explaining why she was still in a good mood when I came to her house today.

The waiter returned with the rest of our order.

"So when did you start breaking all the rules, Mr. Hero? Ordering drinks with fake IDs, trespassing into the faculty area, and who knows what else."

I took a sip of my glass of wine. It had a fruity taste to it, letting me know they harvested the grapes young. "I'm not a hero. I'm a sidekick."

"What does that mean?" the confused brunette asked. She took a small sip. Her eyes blinked a few times and her face froze. Definitely her first time tasting alcohol.

"Heroes and villains have moral codes and standards. Sidekicks do not. We can pick and choose what fits us. That's why a good number of comic book sidekicks tend grow into antiheroes. A more neutral stance on life," I explained.

"So if I found myself in a situation where I could possibly get arrested, I could depend on you to get me out of it?" she asked.

"Of course, Bon Bon," I told her.

"I'll hold you to that," she said, before trying the dessert. I got a piece. It had a soft lemony flavor to it. I really liked this chef.

(Outside Rockwaller Residence)

I had just pulled up to the driveway. Bonnie had held my hand for the whole ride back to her house.

She didn't let go as I walked her to the front door.

"I believe you enjoyed yourself?" I asked.

"Of course, Ronnie," she said, giggling.

Ronnie. There goes that pet name again. Future Bonnie never called me that.

"Ronnie? What's with the nickname?" I asked, "I heard you call me that before I went to sleep."

Bonnie blushed. "I just like to call you that when you're being such a great guy."

"An affectionate nickname then. I like it," I said as I smiled, "When are you going to let me call you Bon Bon with no repercussions?"

She put a finger to her chin, seemingly in deep thought about my question. "Only in private."

I smiled again. "That's acceptable."

She smiled back, as she placed her left hand on my face to cup my jaw.

"That was one of the best dates I've ever had, Ronnie" she said, softly, "Why did you do that?"

One of the best? Guess I had to step my game up.

"Because I wanted to give you the date you deserved," I answered, "Real men know how to treat a lady right."

"You consider me a lady? Most people wouldn't agree with that statement."

I smirked, pacing my around her and pulling her closer. "That's because they want someone who is soft. I like a lady with some fire and bite behind her."

She giggled at this. "I can be gentle too, you know."

She then gave me peck on the cheek. She looked me into the eyes, as her thumb ran over my lips.

The sound of some form of fast moving aircraft coming close to us made me stand in front of her protectively.

I looked up to see the familiar sight of a Global Justice V-22 Osprey approaching. I saw Kimberly in the opened loading ramp, staring down at us.

"Seems like duty call, my lady," I told Bonnie, as Kimberly landed beside us.

"My lady? And why are you and Bonnie all dressed up?" the redhead asked, narrowing her once she saw how close Bonnie and I were.

"If you must know Kimberly, Ron and I just came from an excellent date at Chef Couteauex!" Bonnie told, sneeringly, "How was your date with Josh?"

"We had to cancel," she said through gritted teeth. She placed her hand on my arm, "Come on Ron! We got to stop Dementor! He's gotten the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer again."

I shrugged her arm off.

"Just because your date ended abruptly doesn't mean mine has to also," I said, getting an outraged Kim to frown.

"Ron! We don't have time for this!"

I glared at her. She took a step back. "Just wait, Kimberly. This won't take longer than five minutes."

"But..."

I snapped. "Get in the damn Osprey now Kimberly!"

After saying that, I turned to Bonnie, who was looking smugly at the red head. I heard the heroine huff before walking off.

"Never seen someone handle Kim like that. You actually got her to back off. And with the way you commanded her, I would think you were former military. Mr. Barkin would be proud at your outburst."

"Sometimes she needs to e reminded that everything can't go her way. She so used to that."

"While I'm flattered and impressed you stood up to Kim to spend more time with me, the world does need saving," she said, "Call me when you get back. I won't sleep till then."

"How sweet of you. Waiting for confirmation that your hero is safe before sleeping," I said, as I placed my arm around her again.

"You are sidekick, remember? Not a hero." She told me, before giving me an another peck on the cheek, "But you can be my hero."

"You free this weekend?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, Bon Bon. I got some business to attend to. But I'll try to make time for you."

She pouted. "Promise me, you'll be careful Ronnie."

What is with all these promises lately? First my Mom and now Bonnie.

I nodded. "I promise. Take care of my car for me."

She gave me a quick hug. I chalked up her slightly strange and bubbly behavior to her being buzzed. I didn't allow the girl to get drunk. I was responsible, contrary to what most people thought. Like the one was about to face.

After handing Bonnie my keys, I headed towards the aircraft. When I entered the Osprey, courtesy of the landing ramp, Kimberly was waiting for me. Arms crossed and glaring at me.

"What in the hell was that back there?" she yelled at me.

I matched her glare. "I wasn't about to let you ruin my date."

"I wasn't ruining anything! You were already done."

I shook my head. "No, I wasn't. We hadn't finished talking and you were pulling me away because you were upset about your own date and I had went on a date with Bonnie. Neither of those reasons give you the right to interrupt mine. Even if you had come earlier, I would still have dropped her off."

Kimberly said nothing. Just glared at me. She didn't have a retort of her own.

"I guess you won the bet then," she said, as she down on the bench.

"I guess I did," I told her, as Kimberly told Wade to let the pilot know we ready to go.

AN: Another chapter down. Don't worry about romance taking over the story. Bonnie and Ron are not in a relationship. S you can see, there are other problems and drama in the way of that.

Hopefully I don't come off as bashing Kim. That's definitely something I want to avoid.

CB73: As you can obviously see, I'm sticking to Ron's ability to mingle with various groups effectively. It will show more when he's established power in the world.

Daccu65: I'm glad you liked Ron not being this OP warrior in the manner of a few chapters. He basically has to remaster most of his skills at this point. And he is changing, he's not that cold hearted conqueror he used to be. But he can still be cruel enough to put fear in people, if needed.

BookFisher: I just wanted to add something from the henchmen's side. They are usually seen nothing more than cannon fodder. But they are people and ones with employment. I'm sure after years of being a henchmen, they know their schedule, just like an gainfully employed person.