Hey! I'm finally back. School's been busy, but I finally got around to continuing this fanfic. I've started a new story in this same strand, called:
Perennial Sidekick
Enjoy!
His arms laden with books, Penn stumbled home, dreading and anticipating the weekend.
Somehow, Phyllis has figured out how to send them on day-long missions, and that beauty pageant fiasco was just the beginning. The next week had been undercover as the three blind mice, then into the kingdom of the fay, then back into man-eating burrito world…
He barely had time to catch up on his homework. The good thing was, Rippen's been exhausted as well. He's been stuck there with them the entire time while they were on their missions, and turns out, teachers tire more easily than the students. He smirked as he remembered last week's, ah, shall we say, incident. Rippen's face was purple for a week.
He readjusted his grip on the books and strode forward, only to trip over his laces. He fell with a thud, his books scattering all over the sidewalk. He groaned and rubbed his sore knee and picked up his books.
"Part-time heroes should get special benefits in school," he grumbled under his breath.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Boone said, huffing from a mad one-block dash from school, where Penn had taken off early without him. "I almost fell asleep in last period today!"
"Last period was gym!" Penn shot back eagerly, happy to start a rally. He'd been bored all week, since he couldn't exactly insult Rippen on school grounds.
Boone met his gaze with an exaggerated pout. "What? Laps make me sleepy!"
The two teens laughed it off and made their way home.
"I wonder what ridiculous form Sashi's taking this time," Boone wondered.
"Yeah. She always seems to be getting the short end of the straw."
"More like the back end."
"Nah, that's Rippen."
They burst into peels of laughter, and Penn almost dropped his books again.
"Speak of the devil," He muttered under his breath crossly, but in truth, he was happy. Finally! Some banter!
He walked right past the art teacher, and looked right into the unsmiling face of Rippen.
"Ah, Rippen. Back from work early, I see? Glad to see your sunny disposition, as always."
He scowled. "Your little antics are getting old. Don't you people have a day off?"
"Don't you?" Penn retorted. "The balance of the multiverse probably wouldn't be at stake if you weren't messing it up!"
"With all due respect, Penn Zero, which is none at all, I'll do as I please, and it will please me to destroy you."
"Someday, Rippen, but time will probably do a better job than you," The red-haired boy taunted, watching Rippen's face grow red with fury.
"I will destroy you, and all the Zeroes, and your little friends," He glanced malevolently at Boone, "won't be around to protect you."
With that, he sauntered off, walking with his head held high and chin up.
Penn shook his head sadly. "Boone, let's just be glad you, me and Sashi stick together."
He nodded so vigorously that his hat fell into a puddle.