Chapter 50: Partners in Crime
Atlesian Airship: Blue Two
January 25, 2020
The next day, Britney, Ruby, and Keaton are all on an Atlesian airship with General Ironwood. With Britney carrying a briefcase, they all walked towards a holding cell.
"Let me speak to him first," Ironwood said.
The General then opened the cell, revealing a man sitting inside the cell. The man has slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. Black eyeliner traced his visible left eye. He wore a red-lined white suit with long black pants and black shoes. His accessories included a small gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves. This was Vale's most wanted criminal, Roman Torchwick.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the general himself. Care to talk again?" Roman asked as he gave a mock salute.
"We have some visitors here with a deal for you, if you are willing to cooperate," Ironwood said, stepping aside for Ruby, Britney, and Keaton.
"Well, Little Red, Little Red. What's the deal you have for me? You let me go, if I bake you a dozen cookies everyday for the rest of my life?" Roman mockingly asked.
Ruby growled in response as Keaton stepped up to Roman.
"Mr. Torchwick, we have an offer for you if you are interested," Keaton said.
"Hm, nope, sorry. Not interested," Roman said.
"What if we told you that we know that you work with Cinder Fall who is associated with the White Fang, your partner is Neopolitan, your in this because you can't afford to lose, and we have plans to have her plans fall apart right in front of her face?" Britney asked.
Roman stared at Britney in surprise then snapped out of his shock.
"How did-" Roman was cut off by Britney.
"We have ways," she said.
"Even if you do know all of this, still not interested," Roman said.
Britney sighs as he looks at Keaton.
"We didn't want to do a show and tell skit for you Mr. Torchwick, but we desperate times call for desperate measures. Britney showed him the clip," Keaton said.
Britney nods to Keaton as she then opens the case, revealing a computer.
"What you are about to see and hear is something that you will not speak to anyone," Keaton said.
Britney plays the video on the computer, showing bits of RWBY Volumes 1-3.
"What is this?" Roman asked.
"These two people with me are from another world where our world is a fictional web show," Ruby said.
"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Roman asked.
"Volumes 1 and 2 have already happened, so maybe watching the scenes with you in them will make you think otherwise," Britney said.
Britney then plays all the scenes that Roman was featured in. Roman was surprised by all the scenes of himself.
"And this is what will happen if you continue to side with Cinder and her goals," Britney said.
She then plays the scene where Roman gets swallowed by a Griffon. Roman could only watch in shock as his future self gets killed off unceremoniously.
"That lying, backstabbing, little bitch," Roman said under his breath.
"We have all the information we need to prevent this from happening. All we need is your cooperation. So what do you say, Mr. Torchwick?" Keaton asked.
A long silence passed until Roman spoke.
"What do I have to do?" he asked.
"If things go our way, we should expect a call for us," Keaton said.
Beacon Academy
Meanwhile back down in Beacon, Ricky and Penny are walking around the academy grounds, searching for Neo.
"What do we do when we find Neo, Ricky?" Penny asked.
"Give her a note, then expect her to show up in the academy gardens alone," Ricky said.
"What does it say?" Penny asked.
"Just where to meet us and to come alone," Ricky answered.
"Is you friend Jacob going to be okay?" Penny asked.
"With Professor Ozpin as his therapist, I'm sure he'll be fine," Ricky said.
"Look, I see Neopolitan up ahead," Penny said.
Ricky looked and saw Neo walking down the hall, about ready to pass them.
"Alright I'll pass the note to her," Ricky whispered.
Ricky and Penny both walk up to Neo, and just as they were about to pass each other, Ricky quickly places the folded note into Neo's hand. As Ricky and Penny quickly walk away, Neo stops and looks at the folded note. She unfolds the note and then reads it.
We know who you are, Neopolitan. If you want answers, meet us at the academy gardens, but come alone. P.S. if you tell Cinder, you'll never see Roman again.
Neo stared at the note in shock then looked behind her for Ricky and Penny, only to find them gone. Neo stares back at the note, wondering if she should tell Cinder or not.
Gardens
A few minutes later, Neo arrives in the gardens looking around for Ricky and Penny, but nobody seems to be around.
"Psst!" a voice hissed out catching Neo's attention.
Out from behind the bushes came Ricky and Penny, who walked up to her.
"We had to make sure you came alone," Penny said.
"Also you can lose the disguise. You ain't fooling us," Ricky said.
Neo glared at the two and then using her semblance to change herself to her original look with a wave of light washing over her from bottom to top. Her hair is no longer black and is now down. Her hair color is now typically half pink and half brown, with white streaks on the pink side. Her left eye is brown while her right eye is pink. She is now wearing a white cropped wide, broad tailed jacket with a pink interior, collar, a single gold button and large pink cuffs. She wears brown pants with a dark belt that has a gray buckle and an additional narrow belt under it. Under her jacket is a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wears a multitude of black beaded necklaces, which hang haphazardly around her neck. Neo also wears black and white spat styled under the knee boots alongside black gloves.
"I like that look better," Ricky said.
Neo then pulls out her parasol, Hush, and points it at Ricky and Penny.
"Hold it. Just put that thing away, and we'll talk," Ricky said.
Neo slowly, but reluctantly lowers her parasol while staring at Ricky and Penny.
"You're probably wondering how we know about you working for Roman and how we know he is aligned with Cinder," Penny said.
Neo rolled her hand around in circles at them in response.
"Well how we know is going to sound strange," Penny said.
"Me and my friends are from another world where Remnant is a fictional web show," Ricky said.
Neo raised an eyebrow at Ricky.
"Look, I know it sounds stupid and weird but it's true," Ricky said.
"And we can prove it," Penny said as she pulled out her scroll.
She dials on it and waits for an answer. The screen then reveals General Ironwood, Ruby, Britney, Keaton, and Roman all together.
"General Ironwood, we have Neopolitan here with us," Penny said as she then pointed the screen at Neo.
Neo happily waves at Roman as soon as she sees him.
"Neo, listen to me they are telling the truth, they really are from another world. Cinder has just been using us the entire time and I end up dying as a result," Roman explains.
Neo grew a look of shock, hearing her partner confirm Ricky's explanation.
"But they can get us out of it and help screw that bitch over. And if this goes in these people's favor, they'll have us both parolled," Roman said.
"All we need you to do, Neo, is sneak this chip into Cinder's scroll while she's not looking. Once the chip finishes transferring its data, take it out before she notices. You're the only one that can get close to her scroll without getting caught," Keaton explained.
"What do you say, Neopolitan? Will you do it?" Ironwood asked.
Neo stares at Roman, then back at Ironwood. Then with a smile, she nods.
"Good. Tonight you start your mission," Ironwood said, then hangs up.
"Glad to have you on our side," Ricky said.
Atlesian Airship: Blue Two
Back on the airship, Roman walks up to Ironwood then speaks.
"So, what's next?" he asked.
"First you'll need these back," Ironwood said, gesturing to Keaton.
Keaton was carrying two objects. In his left hand was a black bowler hat with a small feather tucked into its red band, and in his right hand was Roman's cane, Melodic Cudgel.
"Thank you, soldier boy," Roman said as he grabbed his hat and cane.
He then places his hat on his head.
"Right back where you belong," Roman said to his hat.
Cinder's Dorm Room
Later at night in Cinder's dorm room, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were all in their beds fast asleep. Neo laying in her bed, waits for them all to sleep. She gets out of her bed and walks up to the desk where Cinder's scroll layed. She grabs it and activates it. Neo then pulls out the chip from her pocket and places it on the screen. The transfer then starts as Neo looks at the people in their beds, all still asleep.
The scroll beeped as the transfer was now complete. Suddenly, Cinder's body began to shift, catching Neo's attention. She grabs the chip and shuts off the scroll then places it back on the desk. She quickly goes back to her bed just as Cinder was about to sit up from her bed.
Cinder looked around the room, as everyone was seemingly asleep, then layed back down to sleep. Just as Cinder fell back asleep, Neo pulls out her scroll and texts Roman.
Headmaster's Office
Meanwhile back in Ozpin's office, Ozpin, his inner circle, Keaton and his team, and Roman were all waiting for Neo to answer. Roman's scroll starts beeping as he then grabs it and looks at her text message.
"She's done it," he said.
"Good. Keaton, inform your hackers they are good to go," Ozpin said.
Keaton grabs his radio and starts talking into it.
"Barker, tell our hackers to get going now," Keaton ordered.
"10-4, Captain," Alex said over the radio.
After a few seconds of silence, Alex then talked through the radio again.
"Captain, our hackers just said that this could take at least five to six days at least to clear the virus and gain control," he said.
"What? Why?" Keaton asked.
"They are still trying to get used to Remnant's technology here. And honestly, I can't say I blame them," Alex said.
"Alright, see what you can do to speed this up," Keaton said.
"We'll try," Alex said.
"Well, let us hope things turn out for the better, Ozpin said.