Disclaimer: I own nothing of Kim Possible or RWBY.
Yam
By: Imyoshi
After the hectic Dust heist, both Ron and Roman simply relaxed in the hideout, taking their sweet time from getting out of the chairs. Neo sat on the couch, enjoying her stolen ice-cream, making extra sure for Ron to see, which he did, and she knew because his glare was cutting through her line of vision over and over again like glass on a chalkboard. His hair's still messed up from their power struggle and she grinned into her next spoonful of Neapolitan deliciousness with a taunting smirk.
Roman's still reeling in the possible jobs his new hand could accomplish and Ron's still fighting an internal battle between his heroic morality and his new found sense of appreciation from his boss. A very complicated struggle for the sidekick with one side having both positive and negative aspects and the other sharing the same properties as well, all very real and possible. But he eventually gave up, too tired to be dealing with any headache inducing sitch at the moment. Too much drama for one guy. Besides, he's getting awfully fed up with Neo shaking that carton of ice-cream in his face.
Buttons have been pressed and the sidekick had never been one to back down from a snackage challenge.
Watching Neo tease Ron with the ice-cream in her hands, Roman's stomach growled under the radar of his two little thieves. Robbing some poor sucker and taunting girls in red hoods really stirred up an appetite. Food did sound good right about now and Neo shouldn't spoil her dinner with ice-cream. No matter how much she complained. Takeout or not, ice-cream wasn't a suitable substitute for the essentials—grease and preservatives!
Walking up between the duo, Roman swiped Neo's ice-cream out of her hands when her guard's down, smirking at the mute girl as her face turned a scary shade of red. It's a nice contrast to her very pale skin and it did nothing to the criminal who enjoyed a quick spoonful of her precious sweet before placing the carton hard on the table, alerting his other companion.
Roman clapped his hands together. "Who's up for dinner?" It's more of a statement than question and Roman's already checking his scroll for local places to hit. "I was thinking somewhere along the lines of fried chicken? What do you two feel like? Here's a hint, say chicken."
Neo made a stabbing gesture toward the ice-cream, but Roman ignored her, eyeing the sidekick instead. Ron took a moment to think it over, not exactly in the mood for anything fried unless it was covered in cheese. And chicken's not fried in cheese. If he's going to be robbing people and all that, greasy foods was the last thing he needed right now. And he's feeling feisty tonight after feeling the adrenaline rush beat in his heart for the first time in a month.
"Do you have a kitchen?"
The question surprised Roman who slowly put his scroll down to point his thumb back. "Back there. We don't use it much. I don't cook and Neo can't to save her life. So we normally get takeout. It's more just for show."
Ron got up from the chair, heading toward the lonely room. "But there is food back there, right?" Roman flicked him a slight nod and the sidekick grinned. "Badical. Just give me a few minutes. I'll make dinner."
Shutting off his scroll, Roman blinked once at the retreating blond. "You cook?"
His answer came in the form of an even larger grin.
...
Roman didn't smile much when it came to eating. Normally food's food. There's no getting around that. Sometimes it tasted good and other times he'd just got to suck it up and down the morsels down before his nose could gag the taste back. However, eating some contraction that's drenched in a thin layer of white sauce, topped over pasta made from scratch, and with perfectly toasted bread to crunch on, had made all the other meals Roman and Neo eaten fail hard in comparison. They're not even sure how the sidekick created such a masterpiece from the limited ingredients. A true work of art if someone asked them.
Roman made no attempt to hide his pleasure. "This is so good. Way better than anything we can find around Vale." Neo reluctantly nodded alongside Roman, trying her hardest to ignore Ron's smug glare. "I could get used to eating stuff like this. Where'd you learn to cook like some high class chef?"
Ron twirled some pasta on his fork, grinning into the bite. "What can I say? I'm a man of many talents."
Roman reached for his water, slurping the ice-cold beverage in haste to finish off the rest of his meal. He relaxed back in his chair with his hat and cane put off to the side and his trench coat opened, which revealed a black shirt almost like Ron's underneath. A pleasant smirk adorned his features, and Neo's finishing up her meal as well, glaring at Ron from the rim of his cup. No way was she going to admit she loved the meal to the sidekick. Her pride wouldn't allow it. Yet, something told her Ron already knew.
Taking a few minutes to unwind after a stressful job, Roman eventually sat right up and stared evenly at his new subordinate. First his new companion had skills, smarts, humor, and now this? "A man of many talents indeed, although..." Roman chuckled, recalling the fight with Red. "Fighting doesn't seem to be one of them. We'll start working on that tomorrow. Until then, you're both free to do what you want. If you leave the hideout, that's fine. Just don't get caught. We're not busting you out if Vale's finest manage to capture you. You're on your own. But you can sleep on the couch until we set you up with a bed."
Roman stood up and pulled a cigar out his coat pocket, needing a smoke to help the food settle down. Neo's right behind him, waving the sidekick off to do the dishes. Ron didn't expect anything less from the ice-cream lover and sighed in his chair, taking a bite of his last portion of pasta. It's nice to have a place to stay at for the night and having food was another pleasant bonus. He's just not use to having someone to talk to.
Grabbing the dishes, Ron finished cleaning them slowly, wondering how training tomorrow would be. Was it going to be like training with his old ninja friends, where it was a lot of marital arts, or how training was like with his old best friend? That type of training was more espionage based. Both sounded odd. Not weird in the sense that they were both bad, but just probably obsolete compared to this world's strange presence. Ever since Roman unlocked his Aura, Ron's body just felt much lighter than before. He could feel his muscles relax and move perfectly in sync with his body.
Then there's his Mystical Monkey Powers.
He couldn't exactly feel those powers, but some instinct in the sidekick told him that they're there, affected by Aura's presence in his body. He just didn't know how yet. It's not like he hadn't felt their presence before. That fight with that would-be-hero was the perfect example. All those moves of his, dodging and parrying had all been the Mystical Monkey Powers coming to his aid. That much the sidekick knew. Years of being a crime fighter did play a significant role as well, but his powers were the real source of his victory.
Dropping the matter for now, Ron settled to turn in for the night, not wanting to explore Vale and all its wonder. He'd seen pretty much of all it after living on the streets for over a month. One night's not going change anything. And when he set his tired head down on the armrest of the couch, his mind couldn't help but wander.
Part of him wondered if this was all a dream still. And that line of thinking kept him from falling asleep. He did try to fall asleep—he really did—it's just not working. Not now. Probably not for a while at least. And the sidekick's blood's still pumping too fast to lay motionlessly for a set amount of time.
Eventually, he did get up and walk out the hideout where the broken moon's hovering over him. Broken glass break beneath his feet and the cool air tickled his nose. It sort of reminded him of the good old days with Kim. Missions always varied depending on the villain's lair and it wasn't uncommon for them to camp out in extreme weathers. So not to say the cold bothered him, he's just used to it. More so than others. And those thoughts of his were all over the place. Scattered. Lost to the cool wind and chilly night sky.
Sometimes, when he was really depressed, the sidekick wondered if his friends and families were looking up and wondering what happened to him—not with a broken moon of course. Unless, on the other hand, the super villains of the world decided to make a grand show of their dangerous, yet misguided power. For all he knew, the moon's broken there as well. Maybe Drakken finally took over? Maybe Shego finally found a more competent employer? Maybe Monkey Fist finally became that Supreme Monkey King he always yammered on about. Maybe that golf guy got a better super villain's name. Maybe, just maybe, Kim's doing fine without him and her memory of him will vanish without a trace. A haunting thought, but like she used to tell him, anything's possible for a Possible.
Even forgetting about her best friend.
Feeling its master's distress, the Lotus Blade came into existence right beside Ron, just hovering silently next to the blond. Nothing's said. No words were given. Only silence followed as he grabbed the blade to stare at the reflection glaring back at him from the mirror-steel of the blade. And part of the sidekick hated what he saw. While the other part couldn't make heads or tails at what he's looking at. It's him and then it's not. Not entirely. Not one-hundred percent Ron Stoppable.
Those chocolate eyes were his. Those mismatched freckles were his. That blond hair's his. Everything he saw was his—Ron's Stoppable's. So why's it so hard to look at it? Why's it so hard to believe he's really Ron Stoppable, sidekick extraordinaire? Maybe because for the first time since getting trapped in Remnant, Ron's finally realizing he may be Ron Stoppable, but he's not that Ron Stoppable. Not anymore.
He's not going around the world and stopping bad guys from taking over. He's not dealing with pointless high school drama or played-out gossip. Nor was he caught between the shuffle with balancing responsibilities and headaches. None of that centered around his life anymore. So in a way, he's not that Ron Stoppable. Not anymore. Now he's the Ron Stoppable who used his knowledge and talents to aid bad guys instead of stopping them. It's not exactly the life he pictured for himself in this lonely world, at the lonely age of seventeen, but neither was the life back at home.
Did that bit of info hurt to take in? Yes. Did part of him die alongside with his soul? Yes. Did he really have a choice? Yes and no. Ron could walk away from his new boss, but that would only lead him back to a life of living on the streets, and he had no desire on living on the streets again. Then there's another part of him that simply didn't care. Didn't care about the what-ifs and consequences. At this point in his life, what's the damn point in thinking of the negatives? They never truly bothered him before. That had always been more of Kim's issue, not his.
He'd always been a go with the flow type of guy. Avoiding trouble and then starting it by mere coincidence. Always have been and always will be. Couldn't change that. So turning to the dark side wasn't such a major deal. Not while correlating his never be normal life. It's not impossible. Just different. Majorly different.
Lowering the Lotus Blade, Ron laughed bitterly into the cold night sky. "I can't believe I'm playing the bad guy now. What would KP say?"
And suddenly he felt drained and sleep didn't sound so impossible anymore.
...
Taking a deep inhale of his smoke, Roman exhaled a few seconds later, enjoying the taste of a good cigar after a dishonest day's work. His mind was flashing back to the job, recounting the fight that Stoppable had Little Red. Nothing too special. The criminal's seen his fair share of wannabe heroes. Brats! Each and every one of them till the bitter end. He'd dealt with their kind plenty of times. And they all ended up the same.
Buried six feet under.
Jab! Jab! Jab!
Throwing his faithful companion a whimsical glance, he smirked easily at the ever so impatient Neo. She had her arms folded, waiting for Roman to spill. And he knew what she wanted. "Monty, you're impatient. Let me finish my smoke first, squirt." He intercepted her attempt to poke his ribs. "Patience."
Enjoying a few more puffs, Roman flicked his cigar across the pavement and patted poor Neo on the head. She attempted to swipe his hand away, but he's quicker, avoiding her hand with simple ease. This only led to him messing her, what did Ron call it again? Badicalest hair he'd ever seen? Whatever that meant. But Roman liked the word badical. It had the word bad in it. And he liked being bad.
Chuckling, he grinned harmlessly at her puffed out cheeks. "Hn? So you wanted to know how the job went? I came back with the Dust, didn't I? What else do you want to know?" A few hand gestures later. "Oh? You want to know how Stoppable did? Why so interested? Hn? Like the guy?" An attempted jab to his jaw later. "Sheesh! Calm down. I'm starting to think you actually do like him." Another attempt. "Alright, alright! He's a little wet behind the ears, but the kid's got something most of the villain community lacks... common sense. Not to mention he's quick on his feet. You should've saw how he taunted some wannabe hero? I didn't hear what he said, but whatever it was, it really got under her skin. You could see it in her eyes. He's a natural."
Neo made another series of hand gestures, eye brows raised. "Do I believe his story about being from a different dimension? No..." Roman paused. "I don't really know. That sword of his kind of gives him some wiggle room. Never seen a weapon like his. And we both know it's not his Semblance, I unlocked his Aura personally. And it's too skinny to hide any sort of contractions. And I know better than anyone what crazy things exist in this world."
Neo hummed silently, thinking for a moment before adding another few gestures. Roman had a little trouble interpreting her. "Mystical... Monkey... Powers? Ninja magic? Oh!" He remembered. "The kid did say something about having that. You think it's real?" Neo shrugged. "Yea, I'm not too sure either. I won't outright say he's lying. No Aura, but tech-less weapon. The math doesn't really add up, huh?" Now Roman shrugged. "Maybe it really is ninja magic and... monkey powers? I guess we'll just have to see."
She blinked, arms crossed again. Then Neo's doing a few kicks and mock punches at Roman's body with a silent roar. "Sure, do what you want, but be careful with him. We need him. So don't hit him too hard." He smirked a moment later, elbowing poor Neo in the stomach. "That is... if you can hit him."
Neo attempted to beat Roman to a pulp with a flaying of her arms, but the Master Criminal held her back with the barrel of his cane.
...
Ron Stoppable's cruelly woken up when he's suddenly yanked off the couch by a tiny force of swirls and colors. He opened his eyes with a tiny groan to see Neo standing over him with her umbrella perched over her shoulder. She made no attempt to hide her smug, superior smirk, which again, reminded Ron of another sidekick he once knew, but he pushed that aside, favoring to figure out the multi-colored girl above him. Looked like she's still angry about the whole ice-cream truck issue? Not his fault their disguise vehicle lacked anything even remotely close to covert.
What a way to start his morning.
Sitting up, Ron ruffled his hair a bit to glare at Neo with one eye through his palm. "What is it, Neo? Can't you see I was trying to sleep?" He'd already brushed aside the idea of asking why she did what she did. It's simpler to just ask what she wanted. "Well?"
Neo said nothing—obviously—and Roman walked in a minute later without his hat or coat on. There's a scroll in his hand, and his footsteps were filled with purpose and poise from years of training. He paused in front of Ron and Neo, tossing the scroll over to Ron to catch while giving Neo an amused glare.
The sidekick almost dropped the scroll, barely catching the device before looking down at the article Roman wanted him to look over. Apparently, some rare Dust was in some Weapons Master shop located here in Vale and Ron didn't need to be a genius to put the pieces together.
"So what? We're hitting some shop later? Now? When? Keep a guy in the loop."
Roman reached for the scroll, pointing at the disjointed pair. "Not we, you two, tonight, while I distract Cinder so she didn't realize Neo's missing. This one is all us boys and girls."
Ron stopped to think about the new job, and judging by the light coming from the windows, it's still early out. "If we're pulling off this job tonight, then why did you wake me up so early? It's like... before none."
Roman dropped down on the couch, bringing both his arms to rest on the neck of the couch. He kicked his feet out and pointed at Ron and Neo, then he pointed at a vacant area of the hideout. It's just large enough for Roman's taste and his current plans. Neo's already aboard, flashing over there in an instant and Ron's still on the floor with his sheet wrapped around his body and hair a mess. Instincts told him to run.
"Time for training, Stoppable."
Ron looked over to Roman, disbelief clear across his face. "Now?" A simple nod's his answer and Ron sighed loudly, already getting up. "Fine. I didn't want to sleep in anyways or have breakfast."
"That's the spirit!"
Having slept in his mission outfit, Ron moved forward where Neo was standing, ignoring the high spiciness of Roman's villain sarcasm. So far he knew he could dodge the petite girl, but he knew full well Roman's looking for some offense now. And he couldn't blame his boss. Judging his little fight with Red yesterday, some mad kung-fu skills wouldn't be so bad to have in a world full of freaky, super powered people. Besides, Ron didn't want to get anymore rusty than he already was. Would be a great dishonor to Yamanouchi.
Yawning one last time, Ron stood on the opposite side of Neo and lifted his gloved hand up. The article of clothing transformed silently into the Lotus Blade and he gripped the sword tightly, already feeling his instincts kicking in when Neo didn't even give him any sort of warning and lunged right for his defenseless pose. Just like a criminal.
Of course Ron dodged her, narrowly missing her roundhouse kicked aimed for his head by bending back, half thanks to honed skill and the other to his monkey instincts and reflexes. Aura didn't really play much on movement, just strength and speed from what Roman explained to him. Experience's not something fancy powers could give him. That's something he'd picked up over the years. And he showed this well as he dodged another one of Neo's lunges, only this time he tried to counter with a sloppy slash of his own on her exposed back, to be only be blocked easily with Neo dropping behind her umbrella to intercept his attack. She didn't even take a moment to look over her shoulder while she blocked his weak move, smirking on the side of her face.
Then she tried to swing her foot back when his sword's still connected, but Ron saw that coming a mile away and ducked underneath her attempt to hit him, feeling the wind pass by his hair. Then he created some distance between them, jumping back as Neo fixed him a smirk promising pain. The mute girl's clearly sadistic, no doubt about it, but couldn't she show a little bit of compassion for the poor sidekick. They're on the same team.
His answer came in the form of her appearing to the side of him with only the Lotus Blade saving him from taking a stab to the side. His movements alone hadn't been fast enough to intercept her. He saw her flash beside him, but he just wasn't fast enough to react, yet. In due time, he's sure, but he's faced with another dilemma as the Lotus Blade gave his swing a little bit more force to push Neo away.
The problem was Ron had never been much of a weapons type of dude. He's only stuck with the Lotus Blade after a freak ninja accident. He'd always preferred more of a hands-on type of approach. Weapons just haven't ever been part of his style—his essential Ronness. All that stuff made the sidekick who he was. Like the never be normal motto he lived by. Weapons, no matter how badical they were, never appealed to the sidekick. Ironic considering his weapon was indeed one-of-a-kind and in a class all on its own, even on a planet of badical machines.
Clash!
Stopping Neo's umbrella from hitting him on the face, Ron made an attempt to swing at her, but the mute girl simply sidestepped his attempt with elegant poise, laughing silently at his poor swordplay. Couldn't really blame her. He had no practice with using a sword. Again, all hands. The Lotus Blade's the one half the time parrying her slashes. He's just dodging her attacks and giving the sword openings.
Capturing another one of Neo's strikes, Ron's eyes widened in pain as a kick to his torso was suddenly felt from the side, flinging the sidekick away with his grip momentarily leaving his sword. He stood up a second later to spot Neo still standing where she had surprised kicked him in their power struggle with the Lotus Blade still holding Neo's sword in the air without Ron. It floated back to the sidekick as soon as he got up, but he didn't make a reach for the blade. Instead, he stared at the sword interestingly enough, having a silent one-sided conversation that passed between him and the mystical sword.
After seeing the sword still fending off Neo's umbrella and seeing Neo using their power struggle as a sort of distraction to use her body against him, Ron's suddenly got a clever plan on how to get the best of both worlds.
Perhaps there's a way for him to use the sword and his hand-to-hand combat at the same time?
For the first time ever, Ron started walking toward Neo before mad dashing at her, yell strong, and Roman raised a single brow in amusement as the Lotus Blade flew alongside Ron, instead of resting in his grip. Neo simply raised her umbrella in a mocking gesture, prepared for whatever Ron could have in store for her. He didn't even get close to her before she teleported behind him, aiming a thrust meant to strike his back with the tip of her umbrella.
Crash!
Ron smirked, turning around to deliver a direct fist toward Neo's exposed face. He may not be able to keep up yet, but the Lotus Blade could. And with her weapon locked in a power struggle with his in midair, Neo barely realized what's happening before she's hit squarely on the nose and flung back.
Some people would have problems attacking a girl. Ron Stoppable's not one of those people. He had absolutely no problem hitting a girl. Growing up surrounded by powerful females all his life kind of made the whole females were weak and fragile stereotype die pretty damn quickly. A lesson he learned a few times the hard way. Plus, it felt really great to strike Neo after all the torment she'd put him through.
Although, the victory's short-lived as Neo got up in anger with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. She blinked once and the colors in her eyes invert. Somehow that seemed worse for Ron and even Roman used a moment to wonder what's going through Neo's mind. Then all bets were off as Neo charged at with a soundless roar, bringing out the hidden blade hidden in her umbrella to attack the sidekick. Roman's about to stop her, but he halted himself when he spotted a certain look in Ron's eyes at the height of his life in danger.
Every cell in Ron's body came back to life, recalling all the times his life had been danger when saving the world. Not like last night. His actual life was in danger and his honed instincts took over. Having his life put in danger wasn't something new, it just hadn't happened in a long time. He'd actually forgotten the rush he used to feel when henchmen used to chase after him with electric weapons, or Monkey Fist's ninja monkeys.
So much nostalgia. So much fear. So much fear.
Maybe it's his Aura, Mystical Monkey Powers, him, or even all the above, but Ron actually charged at Neo to meet her head on because fear told him running wasn't an option. Suicidal? Absolutely! Insane? Positively! Refreshing? Ferociously! Frightening? Yes. Every cell in his body's scared.
Willing the Lotus Blade to follow after him, the sword glided alongside Ron, ready to divert and distract all of Neo's blows while he took care of the mute girl. The first two prove to be successful, but they're still leagues apart in skill and Neo started to counter some of his tactics by faking attacks of her own. He's able to dodge them for the most part, but that teleportation of hers really pushed him to the brink. By the time he's able to create some distance between each other, there's a cut running down his cheek from Neo scratching him, having long given up the idea of her umbrella actually connecting with Ron as long as the Lotus Blade remained close by. Although, the bruises forming on his body do indicate pain had been delivered—a lot of it.
Needing to find some way to subdue her, Ron racked his brain for an answer, finally coming to an idea that might work. Mainly a distraction, plain and simple.
Running at her, the Lotus Blade got ready to draw away her attack, making her umbrella useless as usual, but this time Ron grabbed her weapon as soon as the Lotus Blade stopped it, reaching for his sword the moment he gripped her umbrella. Then Ron willed the Lotus Blade to turn into a rope and commanded it to wrap around Neo's body, attempting to capture her and win the fight.
He almost smiled in victory as the rope tightened around her still body, until she shattered into many tiny fragments of glass when enough pressure was applied. Then he felt the tip of her sword pressed firmly to his back, signaling the end of the match.
Looking over his shoulder, Ron spotted Neo smirking victoriously at him. The anger's gone from her features. Well, most of it anyways. She still had this sense of smugness though. Still, he felt cheated. Cheated! Damn her freaky powers. Totally unfair.
"That... power is unfair." Her smirk only widened before she whacked him on the head, flashing over toward Roman on the couch. Made him wonder when he'd get his Semblance. "That's cheating!"
Sighing to himself, Ron grabbed the floating rope and willed the Lotus Blade to turn back into a pair of mission gloves. Meanwhile, Roman clapped his hands, standing up to judge the situation. He walked over to Ron and lightly poked the sidekick on the forehead.
"Not bad, Ron. That was definitely thinking outside the box. You need those types of brains to make it in the big world."
Neither Ron or Roman have to point out how sloppy and undefined Ron's new form of fighting was. It was fresh and required much practiced to perfect. The hand-to-hand and execution still left a lot to be desire, but the general gist was enough alone to bank on. And that's what practice was for. Lots and lots of practice. Eventually, Ron would be able to fully utilize the Lotus Blade's power and his in a fight.
Not now. But eventually. And Roman's perfectly fine on waiting. This batch of lemonade's going to sell like hotcakes.
Other than that, other points need to be made. "Being a Master Criminal takes more than just brawn and you seem to know that. Good. C'mon, makes us some breakfast and we'll talk more about the job for tonight."
Ron sighed, looking at the kitchen and the eventual mess he's about to create. Under normal circumstances he's all for making breakfast, but after just getting tossed around like a rag doll, well, Ron Stoppable wasn't so as enthusiastic to be cooking breakfast for the she-devil herself. Part came from being a naturally lazy person and the other out of spite. But then Roman's looking at him with hope in his eyes, clearly not wanting to subject himself to the fatty foods Vale had to offer on a dirty plate.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not on your life."
...
Breakfast was served and Ron's worried Roman's going to choke on his food from how fast his boss was eating it. Neo's at least more reserved than Roman, at least when she thought he's not looking. But the sad part was, he's always looking. A chef enjoyed watching his creation being devoured, but this was a little much. It's like they've never had omelets, hash browns, and bacon for breakfast before. Do those items even exist in this plane of existence. What a world they must live in.
Finishing up his meal, Roman traced his fingers over the rim of his glass, savoring the flavors. Some of the foods he had tasted were new to him, Neo included. Those tiny strips of pig and potato really hit the spot. Heck! With the way Ron cooked, he might've just used the teenager as a personal cook, thievery skills unneeded. But that'd be a devastating waste to the kid's talents. And Roman hated being wasteful.
And while he's on the subject of not wasting Ron's talents. "So, I've been thinking. You're hitting a Weapons Master shop. While you're there, you should pick up a weapon design or two so you could use that sword of yours to better use. It's kind of a waste if you're only transforming that thing into basic weapons and not the good stuff."
Ron looked up from his plate, eyes lost to what Roman's really getting at. "Come again?"
The Master Criminal pointed at the gloves Ron wore. "I'm just saying. You could probably—no. I know could you put that weapon of yours to better use. Like that rope earlier. You just lack the imagination. And that's fine." Roman threw up his hand in a mock surrender. "That's why I'm saying you should snoop around and pick up a few ideas."
Ron found it impossible to find any holes in his boss's logic. Soundly, the idea was perfect. It made perfect sense. And even he liked the idea of having the Lotus Blade transform into one of those weapons people carried around. Then again, he could just work more on his imagination. Problem being, he sorely lacked any imagination when it came to weapons. So essentially he's just running in circles now.
Taking a bite of his breakfast, Ron shrugged in approval, drowning the rest of his meal down in a cup of freshly made orange juice. Not like the idea of breaking into a place was new for him, he's just worried over Neo being his only companion. With Roman, Ron sort of knew what he's getting into. It's not same with Neo. So far all he knew about her was her love for ice-cream and stabbing. And those don't correlate very well to being sneaky. She already had poor tastes in disguise vehicles.
But there's a chance he could be wrong.
"Sure, sure." Ron waved. "You can count on me."
"Good." Roman smirked before reaching into his coat pocket to pull out a blueprint of the Weapons Master shop. It's a large building with many intricate traps hidden in every corner. Then he glared over to Neo. "There's going to be many traps and alarm systems set up. How do you think we should handle it?"
Looking over the blueprint, Ron saw the layout and all its glory. Some part of him wanted to ask where Roman found these blueprints of the projects he's hitting, but another part didn't really care. Villain's have always found a way to wrap their fingers around such delicate information. This was no different.
Observing the nooks and cranny of the place, Ron lost hardly any time finding the one fatal flaw all security systems had. No matter how complex or powerful a system was, they always had the same flaw iconically. Just like all the super villains he'd faced in his lifetime. And Roman did want him to find better uses for the sword.
Ron raised his hand, looking totally innocent and naïve. "I have an idea."
...
Neo and Ron reach the front door of the weapons workshop and Dust storage, standing in the dead of the night with only half the moon to greet them. Their dark silhouettes were hard to make out in the moonlight, but not completely impossible as they stood in front of the reinforced door, appearing totally inconspicuous, enough for Neo to be able to see a sense of awareness flash in the sidekick's eyes from sneaking in the dark before it's gone.
Glaring at the high-tech door, Neo made a few hand gestures on how to get in and Ron's not having any of it. "No! We don't always need to stab somebody! There's a much easier way."
Kneeling beside the door, Ron ran his hands slowly over the metalwork, feeling like he was on a mission again. The gears and sneakiness of it all forced him to remember better times—times when life made sense. Memories of breaking down even the most complicated of security systems were still as fresh as ever. And this was no different.
Standing up, Ron smiled heroically at Neo. "Now, usually, this is the part where I use some high tech gizmo to crack open the lock, but since we don't have any of those, we have this!" He grabbed the Lotus Blade from his back and held it and all its magnificent glory. "Now watch and be amazed."
Pointing the sword at the complicated, one-of-a-kind lock mechanism keyhole, Ron lightly pressed the sword in as it quietly transformed to fit into the right spots. Slowly, ever so slowly, the Lotus Blade essentially turned into a perfect skeleton key and Ron turned the device, hearing the telltale sounds of a lock opening up and most likely the security system shutting off. A grin blossomed on his face as the door opened and gave way with a simple push of his palm.
"See?" he laughed, pulling the key out and willing it to turn back into the Lotus Blade before willing the sword to gravitate to his back. "Simple. No one ever thinks to set up traps at the front door." Neo still made a hand gesture that roughly translated that stabbing somebody could've accomplished the same results. Sighing, Ron walked in with an air of lightness in his step. "C'mon, let's just get this mission over with."
Walking in, Ron found the light switch and flicked it on, taking a moment to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness. When his eyes do focus, he's assaulted by a momentum of blueprints and weapons he'd never before seen, but the sidekick pushed them away to find the incredibly rare Dust Roman had hammered on about. Beside, as amazing as these weapons were, they didn't hold a candle's light to the Lotus Blade's incredible power. He could just imagine these weapons and imagine them even better if he actually tried, which was exactly what Roman wanted out of him and one of the purposes of him coming here.
Ignoring the metal lingering on the shelves, Ron spotted a see-through cabinet that's storing Dust. He took a quick moment to see where Neo ran off to, and he found her checking out some weapon catalog she must've found. In her hands were a few weapons locked firmly in her hold, most likely for her to have fun with back at the hideout after they finished.
Fine with him, whatever rocked her disturbing boat.
Reaching the case, Ron willed the Lotus Blade to turn into another key. He lightly opened the cabinet, feeling an incredible and indescribable sense of Déjà vu suddenly take him. Then he's no longer back in some high-tech weapons shop in Remnant, but back home on Earth with Kim, and they're retrieving—not stealing—something a villain stole from a random scientist.
The memory seemed so real with the way Kim grabbed the device, placed in it her mission bag, and then led the way back out the villain's lair without so much as a sound. Throughout the entire ordeal, Ron couldn't make a sound, and even when he tried, no words could be made. No sound's possible in this memory. Nothing's possible except for the chance to relive it.
Then he's pulled back when a hand grabbed his shoulder, dissolving the memory away in a sea of blackness as he's brought back to standing over some glass cabinet with a shiny, dark crystal staring him in the face. A small nudge on his shoulder forced the sidekick to glance over and spot a tiny ounce of worry betraying Neo's usually calm and smug face. For her to have notice him being unresponsive, the sidekick wondered how long he was out for.
Guilt taking over, Ron grinned and reached inside for the rare Dust, willingly the Lotus Blade to turn into a mission bag as he dropped the crystal in.
"I'm fine, Neo. Just got caught up in the moment." She didn't fully believe him and Ron couldn't fault her, although, her sudden and new found worry for him was very surprising and even more so heartwarming. No matter how much she'd probably deny expressing any sort of emotions later. "I got the Dust shard, let get the heck out of here."
Glaring, she let him go and grabbed a few more blueprints that was most likely meant for him to practice the Lotus Blade with, stuffed them in his bag, and they left without ever leaving a trace of breaking in and entering with a calm click of the door closing behind them. They escape without running, appearing as any normal civilian at the dead of night. And in the morning after, Vale's finest will once again be forever stumped at how the thieves managed to sneak in and rob the place blind without leaving even a hair of evidence behind, all except for a red hooded girl who saw right through the ruse with her silvery eyes.
...
When Ruby Rose walked into her favorite Weapons Master shop the following morning to grab some Dust rounds, she's greeted with policemen inspecting the place and the case where the rare Dust crystal had been residing. Her train eyes even make out all the missing blueprints of many weapons that used to litter the walls and even noticed several weapons missing themselves. Everything's so mismatched and out of place that her mind latched onto the first piece of regularity it could hear.
"What do you mean that the thief must've just let himself in through the front door?! It's a one-of-a-kind lock! I made it myself!" Spotting the old man yelling out to the fellow policemen, Ruby ran up to see what had happened. She didn't say anything of course, just remaining out of arms reach.
The officer tried to calm him down, but it's to no avail. "I'm sorry. But there's no sign of break-in. The only way the thief could've gotten in here was either they were already inside when you closed up or just happened to go through the front door."
That's not good enough for the old man. "That's not possible. My sensors would've detected anyone inside before I locked up. And I'm the only one with the key. It's not like some criminal just had the power to duplicate the key!"
Time freezing for a moment, Ruby took a small step back, reeling back in the words the old man had just said. Her eyes were wide and her breathing's a little short. Calmly though, she's able to settle down her breathing and walk about the shop before anyone noticed her frantic behavior. It did nothing, however, to stop the forming of a fist. And she's angry by the time she made it outside. She even made a second fist to tag along with the first.
It's not like some criminal just had the power to duplicate the key!
Except that's pretty much what might've happened if she's thinking this right. "This just has to be him! I just know it! No one else could've done something like this."
To steal from a Weapons Master shop was no small crime. Actually, it's pretty darn impossible. Their security systems were state-of-art, practically impossible to infiltrate from both the inside and out. Only a highly trained person could rob from a Weapons Master shop and get away without tripping the alarm. No way could an amateur pull off such a feat. At least not without leaving a clue behind or making some mistake. Yet, no mistakes had apparently been made and no sigh of force entry was found, doubly confusing everyone involved with the case.
Maybe if the thief had only stolen the weapon blueprints, Ruby would've looked the other way. But they also stole the rare Dust and the weapon blueprints. Two very distinct things that jerk had in common—weapons and Dust. And with that weapon of his, Ruby could actually believe he just turned his sword into the perfect key and walked right in without even setting off an alarm. It's not too hard to imagine. Quite the opposite in fact. It's too easy for the hooded girl to picture.
In the end, it didn't matter anymore; Ruby just kicked another lone pebble away and walked to some Dust store to pick up her rounds of Dust. Until that thief made some kind of mistake, she wouldn't be able to find him. No matter how much she wanted to. And she knew she wouldn't. Besides, she needed to get ready for Beacon next week.
"Darn it."
...
Roman Torchwick's pleased with himself when he got back from Cinder's meeting the same morning. He may have hated listening to Cinder's plan to recruit the White Fang into their operations, but he's damn happy to see the very rare Dust shard resting easily on his table with a mountain of weapon blueprints scattered all over the hideout. In the far corner of the room he could see Neo and Ron using the Lotus Blade to turn into some of the weapons, having apparent fun without trying to strangle each other for once. It's enough for Roman not want to tease them and breakup the party. He even remained hidden from the two.
Ignoring the massive hammer that'd suddenly come into existence in Neo's hands, the Master Criminal reached out and grabbed the rare, black Dust crystal resting on the table, taking immense pleasure as he rubbed his fingers along the clean cut lines of the fragment of Dust with a satisfied smirk. The edges dug into his glove and Roman killed an urge to laugh.
Normally, he would've never allowed Neo to do such a job alone with a window so short to rob the place. Too much hassle, too much risk, and not enough insurance for one piece of Dust. But with Ron's unusual expertise and weapon on their side, Roman hadn't even considered the negatives at the time. Already knowing from the start the job would be either completed or they would've at least gotten out their relatively fine if things turned south. But it hadn't. And the rare Dust shard was resting coolly between his fingers while Ron and Neo continued to break the realm of normalcy.
Pocketing the Dust away in a safe hidden from even Cinder and her lackey's eyes, Roman clicked his cane hard down on the floor as he made his way over to Ron and Neo. They still haven't settled their attention over at him. Probably in favor of the floating rocket launcher hovering in front of them, or simply not caring for his entrance. Maybe even both if the Master Criminal's honest for once. Not likely, but a nice thought.
"So I see the job went off without a hitch?"
Neo still ignored him, latching instead onto the giant, red ray gun that came into existence in front of them. The blueprints never figured out how to properly create the weapon with all its complexity. None of that mattered to the magical sword and Ron's imagination. And Neo's already off to let Ron fill Roman in on the details while she went to play with the weapon's functions and terrorize anyone and anything nearby.
Laughing to himself, Ron smiled at Roman. "Yup! Got in and got out in no time. Peace of cake."
A lingering essence of the sidekick still felt bad for robbing the place and he doubted that feeling will ever go away, but then Roman's slapping Ron the back with a pleasant grin that reminded him of his old best friend, and everything's almost alright. Sure, he's a guy, a villain. But he's a guy with orange hair and green eyes who believed in him. It'd been a real long time since he was ever complimented for anything. And the rush of doing something dangerous did bring a bit of life back into the sidekick's bleak existence. Something he didn't even think he had control over anymore.
Danger had never really gotten along with Ron, or so he thought. Now, though, Ron's not too sure anymore. Maybe after all this time, he's realizing danger was the only real way for him to feel alive anymore. Feel like himself. Feel like Ron Stoppable again and not some drifter in a world full of monsters and super powered freaks.
It's all so confusing that Ron pushed it aside in favor to listen. "That's what I like to hear. Good job! Now then!" Roman glanced down at the blueprints near his feet. "I see you and Neo are having..." An explosion echoed off in the distance. "... Fun?"
Ron shrugged, following Roman to wherever Neo was delivering her own personal slice of one-sided debauchery. "It's mostly her. She loves weapons. I prefer my hands. I don't like things that can stab or hurt me."
"This is coming from the guy with a sword that can turn into any weapon."
"Hey!" Ron countered, flicking away an imaginary piece of dust from his chest. "It's not my fault I'm one-hundred and ten percent awesome. Never be normal, that's what I always say."
The criminal pondered over Ron's words, liking the sound of that motto he lived by. Normal people were just boring and plain. Not enough excitement for him. That was why stayed away from normal people. And Ron's as far as normal as anyone could get. Neo, too, with her sick sense of humor. They're all freaks in their own little special way.
Boom!
Reaching the sound of the commotion, Roman and Ron see Neo blasting poor, defenseless boxes at the corner of the warehouse with a giant weapon that defied gravity in her hands, most likely due to the Lotus Blade compensating for the weight of the large weapon of mass destruction. Literally, the red, deadly looking weapon was bigger than her, yet, the ice-cream lover was holding it with ease, smiling viciously as she incinerated box after box with precise aim.
Roman couldn't help but comment. "That looks like a giant incinerator ray."
Of course Ron's instantly on the defense. "Don't be so crazy... clearly it's a death ray!" he argued passionately with experience. "And trust me, I know my death rays."
Roman didn't even know whether or not he should ask how or why Ron knew that. So he didn't. No point in it. Not with Neo constantly destroying every square and rectangular item in their hideout in a never-ending spree of mayhem and destruction. In his personal opinion, she's just making room for more pointless junk. Out with the old and in with the new. Too bad the new was more useless junk.
Leaving Neo to her fun, Roman gauged for Ron to follow him back to their base of operations. "That aside, we have another job tonight. Nothing like last night, just another Dust robbery. Cinder needs us to clean this town out. Make them cower and fear us."
"Hn?" Ron listened, already mentally preparing himself for a mission later. "Okay. Anything else?"
Roman stopped when he stepped on a blueprint for a stronger barrel weapon that would fire a round twice as powerful with more added speed. Normally, such weapon designs required money, tools, and resources to properly create. Two out of three he lacked to usually upgrade his weapon. And even then the inner workings of the weapon still need to be finalized before being properly operated within the field of the workshop. Not this time however.
This time Roman had everything he needed to build a stronger weapon. The money, the tools, the resources, and the workshop were all bundled together in his hideout. And after seeing Neo having fun with an overly powerful weapon that could honestly change games, well, the Master Criminal's feeling feisty as well. Knowledge and power were within his grasp. And honestly, that's all someone needed to make it big in the world. Never mind useless muscle.
Holding up his cane, Roman poked Ron on the chest with the barrel of his weapon and then pointed it at the weapon Neo's holding. A silent calm filled the void before Roman gave Ron his cane, flicking a smirk toward the sidekick that's filled with evil and appreciation.
Another batch of lemons have landed in Roman's lap. Time to make something out of it.
"Yes. I think it's time for me to upgrade."
Author Notes: Update - 1/8/2017