Early post because I'm driving somewhere
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
This is the story of a girl.
Who struggled to find the truth of a friend and in herself.
It didn't really strike Neo that she was falling. Her mind was a total blank. Words have more power than action and what Vilgax revealed shattered her to her core.
"Rose. Killed. Torchwick."
That wasn't true, right?
"I was THERE, but-"
She knew Roman died that night. But no one ever knew how. And on that ship was...her...Blake...and Roman.
...
What was the truth?
Her mind raced with all the possibilities, all these different scenarios of what could have happened. Maybe...maybe it was Ruby's fault. Neo hadn't gotten a good look at Ruby's face to gauge her reaction. Sure, she might've looked remorseful or saddened, but the ice-cream colored ex-con needed more time to get everything straight. She was great at reading people, figuring out when they were lying. When Roman was still around, that skill had come in handy on more than one deal that would've gone south and devolved into a shootout. Usually, in moments like this, she'd look to Hush and just remember the good times she shared with Vale's grand kingpin. The parasol had been tossed into the void shortly before she was by Vilgax. She didn't even have anything to the same effect for Albedo, which just hurt even more. She had nothing for comfort here.
Her racing mind, full of regret and grief, suddenly snapped back to reality as wind whistled against her face and through her hair, letting the panic fully set it. She looked around in a panic, seeing nothing more than a green-ish hued void, dotted with orange spheres. She hesitantly reached out towards one of the spheres, her hand passing right through the strange orb of light. Her fingers and palm tingled as the energy phased through it and, for a moment, she felt calmed. The panic came back to Neo when she blinked and saw clouds beneath her. A layer of pink, fluffy clouds began to come into view and she just raised a brow.
What the? the girl thought to herself before everything faded to white.
A few moments later, Neo bolted upright, blinking and feeling her body, like she was trying to see if she was really alive or missing any vital parts. She let out a silent sigh of relief when she was satisfied that yes, she was both alive and intact. She looked around and immediately questioned the former assumption. She found herself laying on a hill in the middle of a forest, nut like none she'd ever seen before. The trees seemed to be...the best word would be rubbery, woven around with various signs of twists in the trunks. The hill was soft and spongy, not even feeling like dirt or stone.
Where...where -am- I? Neo thought as she stumbled to her feet.
Neo pressed her hand against the ground, feeling it squish under her weight. She raised a brow, before smelling the air- it smelt sickeningly sweet.
...a weird urge formed in her head as she continued to press against the ground.
Rip this chunk out of the Earth.
She wondered where that thought came from but...no, there's no way this was actually real. Right? With no small amount of hesitance, Neo ripped the chunk out of the ground and looked it over. The ground was a familiar creamy coloration that just made Neo question her surroundings even more now.
This...this can't be, Neo thought, This is...vanilla?
Neo sniffed it and it certainly smelt like vanilla. It even looked like cake, spongy cake, too.
...
Neo sighed, as she took a bite. Yeah, it was cake.
She dropped the piece of cakey ground and just looked around. This had to be a dream right? This was all just some weird shock-induced dream. She was gonna wake up any second now and be somewhere normal like a beach or an actual forest. But this wasn't a dream. Everything around her said so. The sensations, the taste of the vanilla and the sweet smell in the air, they were all real. Just to make sure she wasn't going insane, Neo walked up to one of the trees and grabbed the trunk, just to see if it was what she thought.
It was rubbery, almost gummy-like, as if it was...
Licorice. The trees in this forest were made of licorice.
Neo looked around her. This entire world was made of...food. Specifically, sweets. Enticing, enticing sweets...it would probably make someone drool. It reminded her of that one scene from the book about that chocolate factory.
Am...I in a fairy tale or something?
She put a hand to her head, just coming to terms with where she was right now. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She couldn't stay lost forever. She just needed to pick a direction and start walking. She instinctively reached for Hush and held her arm out as if she was holding the weapon, but she just sighed when she remembered her prized parasol was gone. Instead she just went with putting a hand over her eyes, slowly spinning in a circle and stopping. When she removed her hand, she walked straight ahead in that direction.
As Neo walked, her mind wandered back to that uncomfortable moment. Did...Ruby really kill Roman? There was no way. Ruby would never kill someone so haphazardly- what terrible thing did Roman do to her, beyond general...tomfoolery.
She was never uncomfortable with Neo joining the team. She showed no real animosity- not unlike Yang sometimes. So...what was...the truth?
There were only really three people who would ever answer that question: Ruby herself, Blake, and Roman. She silently sighed, making her way past bushes of sugar glass with berries that were basically just M hanging from the branches and leaves made of gummy candy. As she walked along in silence, save for the sounds of no-doubt candy birds, she kept going back to that single question.
What was the truth? Her mind flashed to a nightmare scenario of Ruby fighting Torchwick, ending with the latter being stabbed by that giant scythe blade and then pushed off the airship into the storm of Grimm in the sky. Neo shook her head, trying to get rid of that.
No! That's not it! She didn't DO that! Stop thinking she did! Neo chastised herself, gently placing a balled fist to her forehead. She kept walking, leaping across Milkdud stones in the middle of a river of melted chocolate. Hopping from stone to stone was easy, letting her jump to the other side of the raging river without so much as a drop getting on her white top. Her mind then swapped fixations, moving from Torchwick's fate to how Albedo was doing.
Oh god, Albedo. For all he knew, she was...she was gone. Vilgax stopped him from saving her. That was the last thing she remembered before she found herself in the void. Was he ok? Had he made it through to Vacuo with the others? Had Vilgax kil-
No. No. Do -not- go there, Neo. He is ALIVE and you will make it back to him. You are going to see him again, lock eyes, and you are going to kiss him when you get back. You are going to hug him and just tell him that you're ok, that you're back, and that NOTHING will separate us again, Neo resolved.
Neo took a deep breath. It had been a while since she'd been alone. Especially with her thoughts. Neo abhorred being without company, but right now she needed someone to talk to. Someone she could trust.
But there was no one of that caliber here.
It was...upsetting.
Without anyone to talk to, her negative thoughts just stewed in her mind. Roman, Ruby, Albedo...those three names just buzzed in her brain deafeningly. Her train of thought would focus on Ruby and Torchwick one minute before switching tracks to worrying about Albedo and then back to the death of her mentor. She would pay anything for something to take her mind off that for even a second.
How fortunate for her then that she emerged from the forest at the edge of a clearing, the grass stretching out in front of her being strands of pink ribbon candy. The field was neatly tended to as if it was farmland, with fences of peppermint poles tied together with licorice wire cordoning them off into neat little pastures for what looked like pink and blue sheep, no doubt their wool was made of cotton candy. Neo looked to the sheep pens and raised a brow. She noted that there was a path of paved wafers leading away from the sheep and towards a small farmhouse, constructed of gingerbread. Of course it was.
Beyond that was a giant sweet city towering over the horizon. The towers of the noticeable palace were topped with swirls of chocolate and strawberry ice cream, the material beneath them definitely waffle cone. Neo blinked and, while she was thankful for finding a sign of civilization, she still had to question the integrity of buildings made to support ice cream. That had to be terrible when they started to melt, if they ever did, anyway.
But then again, this place wasn't exactly normal, was it? And besides, what did it matter? It wasn't like she had any other options.
With a shrug, Neo followed the wafer path towards the gingerbread house. As she approached, the door creaked open and a small figure emerged. It was a man made entirely of candy, his arms and legs composed of sticks of rock candy, his chest and head carefully crafted from marshmallows, and his eyes were jellybeans. He smiled at her and beckoned her inside. Neo hesitated, but decided that there was nothing to lose.
The inside of the house was decorated in the same fashion as the exterior, everything being made of candy and sweets. The tables were covered in pink and blue cloth made of taffy, and the chairs were gingerbread with frosting cushions. Neo felt like a giant in a dollhouse, but couldn't help feeling a bit giddy at the sight of it all. She hadn't seen anything like it.
This feels like a dream I had countless times as a kid, Neo thought as she looked over the place, allowing herself a small smile. For a minute, her negative thoughts faded away and were replaced with childlike wonder. While she appreciated the candy person's hospitality, she couldn't really just loiter here. She doubted they knew sign language, or if they did, it would be a system completely unknown to her.
How could she ask her gracious host where she was...?
Neo tapped her chin, lost in thought. Perhaps her host could understand simple gestures? She pointed to herself and then to the outside. The candy man nodded and pointed to the sweet city towering over the horizon. Neo nodded, relieved that she could communicate, sort of.
Have...you...seen...an...umbrella? Neo signed.
"An umbrella hm?" the candy person asked, perfectly understanding the question. Neo blinked in surprise when they got what she was asking, actually smiling a little. She could talk with these people.
Y-yeah. Elaborate patterns, pink, white, and brown colors with a little red at the edges, Neo described the weapon, Anything like that come through here lately? Maybe someone picked it up out in the fields or something?
"You know...I did see something like that near the park in the city. Passed by it on my way after selling some of my harvest. I didn't touch it though...but I don't think anyone took it so might still be there!"
Neo smiled, and thanked the candy man and made her way towards the coco river he had mentioned. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel amazed at the surroundings. The buildings were more intricate than she thought at first glance. They were made of a variety of candies - gummy bears, jawbreakers, peppermints, lollipops, and more. And the colors were just as varied, pinks, blues, reds, greens, yellows, and purples, making the city look like a vibrant rainbow.
...this place is WEIRD.
What the candy man forgot to mention was that the coco river was mostly inside the candy city. Seemingly as a sign of welcoming, the gates to the city had been left open, allowing any good willed visitors to march right in and enjoy the city. In a way, this city resembled Venice. The coco river was as much a part of the city as it was of nature, flowing and snaking through the city like the famous Italian city's various waterways. Long graham cracker gondolas and their accompanying gondoliers drifted through the river with ease, while other various candy citizens walked the paved M cobblestone and white chocolate streets.
Weird but...strangely beautiful, Neo admitted to herself. As much as she wanted to take in the sights, her eyes were scanning her surroundings for any sign of her weapon. She followed one of the coco river canals, taking glances down into the water. She kinda hoped someone else had taken it so it wasn't soiled by the river.
Eventually, she made her way into what seemed to be a park, complete with a chocolate fountain and pond that was fed by one of the various branches of the river. Candy citizens, made of every combination of sweets imaginable, and candy guards, humanoids made of gingerbread and armed with simple candy cane spears and swords, walked around the place on their daily business. They shot Neo a few curious glances, clearly having never seen an Afteran like her before. Maybe she was from the Crimson Kingdom? Or maybe Farming Flats?
As she scanned the park, she caught sight of her precious parasol, floating gently atop the water of the bottom portion of the fountain.
Hush! Neo mentally cheered, rushing over to the fountain and reaching it. She gingerly picked up the umbrella and shook some of the coco off, drying off her weapon. She pulled the blade out from the shaft just to make sure it was still there before quickly sheathing the weapon back. Everything was in place.
Neo clutched her umbrella tightly, relief flooding through her at the sight of her trusted weapon. But as soon as the initial joy subsided, a heavy feeling settled in her chest. This was all she had left for now - her weapon and the clothes on her back. She had lost everything else.
The realization hit her hard, and Neo couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes. She had never felt so lost and alone before. She had been on her own before, yes, but never like this. Never with no idea where to go or who to turn to.
Neo...was lost.
"Come on. You're not gonna give up like that now, are you?" A voice asked. "That doesn't sound like the Neo I know."
With Ben and Ruby, their cruel jabs were in their heads.
But...Neo's were outside. And could be heard and seen by all.
And who better to take the form of than-
Neo's eyes lit up when she heard that. She turned around to see him. The trademark hat and the cane in his hand, it was unmistakably him.
Roman?! Neo silently gasped.
"You've seen better days, Sundae. I know I've been gone for...what? A couple years? But jeez-" Roman was cut off when Neo practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around in a tight hug.
I thought...I thought...oh my god... Neo sobbed, holding onto Vale's famous criminal mastermind, fearing he'd disappear again.
"Missed you too," Roman smirked, giving a one armed hug in response, "You've been through a lot huh?"
You...you have no ide- but, no. How are you here!? You're...you're dead. I...I- Neo was at a loss for words. Roman just messed with her hair a bit.
"Well, whatever killed me didn't kill me good enough. I'm here!"
But...but...
"You can hear me, they can hear and see me!" Roman gestured to the candy Afterans, several of them having stopped to stare at the appearance of a second strange visitor, "You just hugged me and you didn't phase through me. I'm the real, genuine article. Roman Torchwick, at your service, kiddo!"
...No way. Neo muttered. H-how'd you get here!?
"Dunno. One second, I was on the airship...the next, I was here. I've subsisted entirely off of chocolate and other sweets...yet I'm still thin." Roman frowned. "I must have an excellent metabolism."
But...that doesn't...but I ended up here because of the void and... Neo tried to rationalize it, explain it somehow.
"Calm down. You're gonna melt," Roman quipped, "Don't overthink the hows. Just accept that I'm back...and I'm feeling nostalgic."
...if it's really you, how did you die? Neo asked.
"How...what?" Roman asked.
How did you die? Neo took a step back. SOMEONE told me it was Ruby and I don't know if I can trust that. Because, I know you're gonna call me crazy for it, but Albedo and I are working with them nowadays...
Roman blinked. "...the hell did I miss?"
A...a lot, Neo admitted.
"Ok, ya know what. We'll keep the reunion celebration on the backburner for now. Been around here for a while and I happen to know a cafe or two. You can tell me everything over some hot coco. Sound good?"
...yeah. I'd like that. Okay. Neo sighed.
A sugar glass saucer with an elaborately decorated coffee cup clinked as a waitress made of chocolate and marshmallow set them down on the table in front of Neo. Roman was already on his third cup, while his former partner in crime had been silently explaining everything he had missed.
"So...tin man finally went off the deep end, eh?" Roman asked after a sip, "Always knew something was off with him."
He had files on all of us. Neo explained. I never read mine, but I saw Ben's in action. Brutal.
"Those military types are always either paranoid, assholes, or both. Tinman was both."
From there...things just went south. I fought Cinder's new version of...you, some guy with a pig mask, the multi-colored ex-con went on, the description making Roman choke on his coco.
"Ex-fucking-cuse me? Pig mask? Raddock? She thought she could replace me with some...narcotics peddler from Kuchinashi? She cannot be serious! Where's the charisma, the talent? Anyone can throw on a mask and smash stuff. Show your face in public, have a bigger vocabulary than 'Break bones!' God what was she thinking!" Roman ranted a bit.
You really are him...aren't you? Neo asked, finally taking a drink of her own coco.
"You had doubts?"
A few. But what you just did? That...that is an A-grade Torchwick Critique.
"Ha! As enlightened as ever right?"
Heh, sure. Not as many high-tech terms as I'm used to nowadays but, still.
"Ah right. Cause of your new boyfriend. So, how soon are you two tying the knot?" Roman smirked.
Neo spat out some of her coco upon hearing the words, shooting Roman a look while her cheeks blushed bright pink.
"Kidding, kidding!" the criminal held up a hand in surrender, "God, I've missed these back and forth talks."
...right, Neo wiped off her mouth with a napkin before continuing on, So...we were wanted fugitives after Ironwood went full-on dictator. Not the first time for me, but new for most everyone else. We came up with two plans...neither of which really worked. In...in the end we had to stop Ironwood from bombing Mantle. We evacuated everyone we could...
"But then the walking calamari dish showed up along with our old buddies Merc and Cinder," Roman finished, "and that's how you ended up down here."
Yep.
"Well, sounds like you need something to cheer you up," Roman said, finishing off his cup and pushing it to the side, "And like I said before, I'm feeling nostalgic."
You...you wanna do a heist? Here? Now?
"Why not? Not like any place around here is Fort Knox."
Roman...I...I can't. I can't just-
"Sure you can! You say you're a hero now, right? All goodie goodie, right? Well, don't drop it. You've got a good thing going up there. But we're not 'up there' are we? We're 'down here.' No one else would know about one heist, right?"
I...well, I mean, Neo looked away from Roman nervously.
"Don't tell me you haven't missed the thrill of it? The adrenaline? I mean come on. This is basically our first job together all over again! And who doesn't like a nice 'first time redo?'"
Neo didn't say anything for the longest time, her eyes focused on her coco cup. She tapped the side of the sugar glass cup in thought, each tink of her finger on the glass echoing out just for her.
And then she finally answered.
Alright. One heist. ONE, Neo stressed that last word.
"There ya go, Sundae. Now, since it's your first one in a while...how about we make it lady's choice?" Roman smirked as he took his hat off and pulled out three pictures from inside it. He handed over the photos and Neo sifted through them. Roman must've been restless for a heist. The places he cased were kinda small scale including a candy bank, a candy jewelry store, and a candy storage warehouse. She shook her head, uninterested in the three. If she was gonna do one last heist, it'd better be a big one. She looked up at Roman and allowed herself a mischievous grin.
"Ooooh I know that look," Roman chuckled.
None of these are really worth it, Neo said, sliding the photos back.
"None? Really? You want a real thrill, eh?"
Yup. So I know where we're breaking into, Neo said, turning her head and looking slightly up. Roman followed her gaze and his eyes went wide, his lips curling into a knowing grin. Neo was looking at the massive royal palace that loomed over the city.
There's -bound- to be some good loot in there, right? Royal jewels, scepters, maybe even a crown. I know we can't fence the stuff around here, I doubt they have proper money either since they gave us the coco for free. But it's the THRILL of it. Why go for something safe when this is my last big score? Go big, go bold, go out with a bang!
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Sundae. Let's have ourselves a regular roman holiday, one last time."
...one last time.
Roman smiled. "I missed this...think you'll still have your flare?"
Neo looked down at her hands, and balled them into fists. For sure. She signed, with a knowing grin.
With that, the two started out their usual routine for a heist. Well, they did have to speed things up just a bit. Roman had taken the time to case the safer options, only taking occasional glances at the palace. But it was Roman Torchwick we're talking about. Those glances quickly turned into small excursions under the cover of "tourism." These people had probably never dealt with a thief before in their entire lives because they always bought it! They never once questioned his motives!
"Ok, so, I got news and bad news," Roman explained in their newly acquired safehouse, a waterfront(or would it be coco-front?) warehouse where several crates of gummy fish were being stored. Thankfully, gummy fish lacked the smell of the real things.
As usual, let's hear the bad news first, Neo began, taking a seat on a barstool made of wafers.
"The guards in the castle are different from the ones outside. Bigger, heavier, well armed. Think of it as the difference between a normal cop and a Hunter. Guys make me look like I'm your height."
Ok, so in other words avoid them at -all- costs. And the good?
"The good news is that there aren't many other people inside. Seems the big lugs deal with everything in there. Cooking, cleaning, everything. No mention of a lord or lady or whatever the hell you'd call the person who rules over the place."
Any other security? Neo asked, covering all her bases.
"No laser grids, no silent alarms, no cameras. Just a bunch of candy giants, glass containers, and bells they can pull on in case a dragon shows up."
Dragon? Neo repeated.
"I've heard 'em throw the word around. Dragon, basilisk, gorgon, you know. Buncha mythological shit. Nothing to worry about. Now, most of the stuff in there already looked pricey. Paintings, vases, so on. But the big 'payout' would be this," Roman smirked as he pulled another photo from his hat and slid it over to Neo. The multi-colored mute looked it over. It was a crown made entirely of peppermint, decorated with lollipop jewels and a few bits of white chocolate around the rim.
Sweets fit for a tsar, Neo joked, Where is it?
"What should be the throne room. Apparently they've been keeping it under lock and key until someone worthy of it shows up. They've got a whole legend around the thing, real Sword in the Stone type crap."
Well, I have good news. Neo grinned. I can have us walk right on past those stupid guards. I've been honing my Semblance.
"Oooooh~ This pleases me. How skilled are you now?" Roman asked.
Remember that one time we stole that truck? And I made it look like a bicycle? Neo said.
"Yeah, for like...a minute." Roman scoffed.
I've gotten better, Neo pouted, I can hold illusions like that for at -most- half an hour now. It's a strain for that long, but twenty minutes?
"Piece of cake?" Roman finished.
Bingo. So that'll be our exit strategy. We just walk out in plane sight, Neo smirked.
"And our entrance?"
Old fashioned way, duh. I cut through a window.
Roman rubbed his hands. "Then, I think it's time we started operation." Roman spun his cane around, before planting the butt on the ground. "I call this heist: 'Reunions in the Candyland.'"
7 outta 10, Neo smirked, A BIT too literal but it's sweet.
"Sweet, eh?" Roman grinned, nudging his ice cream-themed partner with his elbow.
Pun not intended!
"Ahhh I still got ya to make one. Point Torchwick!"
Night had fallen in the acre by the time Neo and Roman reached the Royal Palace, the town below illuminated by intricate candy lanterns. The gingerbread guards in town were completely oblivious to the criminal duo's true intentions when they had walked past. Just like Roman had said, these people were way too trusting. The two continued on the path to the castle gates for a while before veering off and down an alley. Once they were out of sight, Roman spun his cane in his hand aimed up. The handle of the Melodic Cudgel launched into the air and latched onto the edge of the graham cracker roof.
Roman offered Neo his hand, and she gladly took it. With a click of an obscured button on the cane, the two shot up to the roof effortlessly. They landed neatly on the shingles, taking care not to make too much noise.
"Easy as pie," Roman quipped, grinning at his own joke.
Stop with the sweet puns. Neo frowned. They crept across the roof, careful to stay low so as not to be seen from the castle walls.
They leapt from one roof to the next with ease, the wind whistling against their faces as they jumped. It wasn't quite the same as Vale, but Neo could definitely imagine this sweet settlement as her home. She allowed herself to grin and enjoy herself, enjoy that rush of adrenaline. If she could cheer at the top of her lungs, she would, even at risk of being caught.
In a matter of minutes, the duo reached the walls of the palace. Sort of. There was still a decent height difference between the lowest window on the palace and highest roof in the city.
"You got this?" Roman whispered, gesturing up to the vanilla cream-colored pan of sugar glass.
Neo presented her umbrella and quickly drew a circle on the glass with the blade. Roman grinned, as he tapped the outline, watching it fall to the ground. "Best part is that we can eat the evidence."
Not a big fan of sugar glass, but you can go crazy with it.
"Well, business before pleasure so," Roman shrugged and spun his cane, before jumping into the window. He smirked and tipped his hat towards Neo, signaling her to follow. She took a running leap through the hole and rolled in before springing back to her feet.
"That's new," Roman blinked.
You stick around Atlesians long enough, you...start to add in the combat rolls when you don't need to, Neo joked. She rolled her shoulders a bit, getting back into the swing of things. She spun Hush in her hand and let it rest atop her shoulder. She looked both ways down the hallway that the criminal duo had found themselves and chose to go right. Roman followed close behind her, acting as Neo's "map." Eventually, Neo's purposeful march started to pick up, gain energy, and soon she found herself skipping down the corridor.
It's just like old times...just like old times! Neo beamed. She was so happy and nostalgic that she almost made a mistake. Roman reached out with his cane and caught her collar with the crook of his cane, pulling her back just in time to avoid being seen by a duo of patrolling guards. Vale's premier criminal pressed a finger to his lips in a hushing motion before pointing to the two guards that walked right past them. Roman was right, they were massive, clad in layers of gram crackers and wafer armor. all coated in white chocolate with pink swirls going down their arms and legs, with a pink, rock candy helmet covering their faces. The two guards thundered by Neo and Roman without so much as sparing them a glance, thankfully.
Sorry, just...nostalgic, Neo rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.
"It's alright. I'm giddy too, just better at hiding it." Roman smirked. "Do your thing."
Neo nodded, as a mess of jagged 'particles' coated their bodies, making them completely see through. Roman looked down at his hands, and saw the ground behind him. "You certainly HAVE stepped up your game." He muttered.
Albedo's training. He's a peach. Neo smiled.
"And kissable, apparently." Roman jabbed.
...shush, you.
Roman just grinned before he ran an invisible zipper across his lips and sealed them. With a flourishing gesture, the crime boss beckoned Neo to lead on. With their new invisibility, the duo snuck through the castle's surprisingly chilly halls. They hadn't noticed at first possibly because of how close they were to the outside. The further and further they went though, the colder it seemed to get. Neo looked around and noticed that some of the doors and walls shifted materials. From chocolate and graham crackers to what looked like the chilled cookies that one would see as part of ice cream sandwiches and waffle cones.
Are...we going the right way? Neo asked, noting the change in desserts.
"Yup. You saw the towers, right?" Roman whispered, pointing upwards.
Yeah, with the ice cream tops.
"How do you think they keep that stuff from melting?"
I just thought it was magic or something. Not that they're keeping the temperature inside the place as low as a freezer.
"They've got something in...get this...the 'ice' box. Both their most delectable sweets and their riches." Roman explained.
Interesting. Neo nodded. I do need some new necklaces...and maybe a snack.
"Second target after we get the crown," Roman suggested.
Fair, Neo agreed.
There were a few moments where they were almost discovered by the towering knights. The most harrowing encounter was when they were mere feet away from their goal, the door to the throne room. Just beyond a door of frozen chocolate, guarded by two of the goliaths, the crown was waiting for them. Neo was in the middle of thinking up some kind of plan, one that would make Albedo proud when Roman took things into his own hands.
He walked up to one of the many candy cases on display, hooked his cane around it and pulled it off its pedestal. The vase shattered into pieces on the ground, catching the guards' attention. The knights shared a look with each other before they marched to investigate, holding halberds of waffle cone with swirled blades at the top resembling soft-serve ice cream.
That...was not what Neo was expecting of Roman.
You're a bit more chaotic than usual. Neo noted.
"Could be the sugar I'm always hopped up on. It's probably affecting my brain chemistry. Or something."
Before Neo could retort, she froze when she noticed the shadow of the giant guard looming over her. They were looking right at her or through her rather. It was still enough to make her freeze in fear, slowly and silently taking a few steps back from the knight. Their compatriot thundered over to the broken shards and knelt before them, the warrior's eyes turning a bit sullen as they picked up the pieces. Roman just looked over to Neo and nodded before silently dashing for the unguarded throne room.
Neo hesitated for a moment, looking back at the guard as they sadly tried to pick up all the pieces, the second candy knight moving over to assist them. There was...there was something else there, Neo knew that, clearly. But she couldn't stay and wonder why this stung her heart. She turned and quickly but quietly, made her way over to the throne room. One door was already slightly ajar thanks to Roman, so the multi-colored criminal simply opened it ever so slightly before slipping inside. She closed and locked the door before she dropped the illusion, the jagged glass particles falling away from her and Roman's forms.
When she turned to face Roman, she was met with a grand chamber as befitting of a ruler's public room. The carpet was made of ribbon candy woven together into a tight shape that lead from the chocolate double doors all the way to the throne, a confectionary seat that was made of pure white chocolate and adorned with everything from M to gummy bears as royal decoration. The tiles were a checkerboard pattern of white and dark chocolate, pillars jutting up to the ceiling made of similar materials in an almost Russian architectural style. Seems her tsar comment wasn't entirely baseless. A chandelier hung above with lights made in the shape of spades from a deck of cards.
Sitting on the throne was not a person, but rather, the crown's display case.
"And there it is," Roman grinned, "Even better in person, huh?"
Neo rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the awe that swelled up in her chest. Despite how ridiculous this entire world was, there was something captivating about it all.
Pretty nice. She agreed.
Roman chuckled. "You're more impressed than you appear to be, aren't you?"
Slightly.
"That's as much admission as I'm getting from you, huh?" the crime boss chuckled.
Yeah, pretty much. So, how are we- Neo began. As if he knew that was the question, Roman just took the Melodic Cudgel and smashed the sugar glass to pieces, exposing the crown to the open air. He carefully reached inside and pulled the crown out, holding it in his hand above his head like the trophy he saw it as.
"And voila! One candy crown that, were it made of proper crown-ly stuff, would easily be worth thousands!" the criminal smirked, "And now it's all ours."
...what are we really gonna do with the money in this world?
"Eh?"
Seriously...what GOOD is this gonna do us in the long run? Neo asked.
"Uh, hello? We didn't do this for the money. We did this for you. So you could feel that thrill, that rush again! Don't tell me you haven't enjoyed breaking the rules!" Roman argued, "Like I said, no one's gonna know you stole this!"
Neo wanted to respond with that same enthusiasm...but that lack of 'luster' in her eyes made Roman pause. His expression turned to that of concern.
"...those kids really changed you, huh?"
...I dunno if I like this for me anymore. Neo admitted, a little sad to admit.
"You're kidding...right? The Neo I know would love to jump back into the game, even if it was just for one last time!" Roman sounded offended now, "What, did all those heists we pulled together just turn sour for you? You're so 'good' now that you're ashamed of 'em or something?"
I...I don't know. Neo silently sighed, looking at the crown. This feels so...hollow. It's not that I didn't enjoy the experience, but I just don't have...the rush anymore.
"Ya know...if I didn't know any better, I'd say this-" Roman began, but their little argument was interrupted when the double doors to the throne room were flung open and the candy knights returned. They narrowed their eyes at Neo and Roman, growling in anger and gripping their weapons tightly.
"So much for a quiet exit," Roman sighed, before tossing the crown to Neo, "Heads up!"
Neo caught the crown in her hands and held onto it tightly, looking for a way out. The knights were blocking the door, so the only other exit was through one of the stained-glass windows- and she really didn't feel like fighting right now. Then, she remembered seeing a balcony outside one of them on their way in...
Window! She blinked at Roman, making a dash for the closest one.
"Got it!" Roman nodded, flipping the Cudgel in his hand and aiming towards the two knights, "See, usually we'd love to stay and fight, but we have some issues to iron out. So, have a famous saying from our home. You'll never take us alive, knights!"
With that, the cane's targeting reticle popped up and Roman fired off two shots of explosive Dust at the duo of candy knights. The warriors braced themselves for impact before they were knocked back by explosions that shook the whole castle. With the guards out of the way, Vale's kingpin dashed after his sidekick.
Neo and Roman made their way through the winding corridors of the castle, dodging past any guards they encountered. They could hear the sound of alarms blaring in the distance- as they rounded a corner, they came across a dead end. The only way out was through the ceiling.
"Need a boost?" Roman asked.
Quick! Neo agreed. Roman rushed in and wrapped his arm around Neo's waist. Once again, he took aim to the ceiling and fired off his cane's grappling hook. The thundering footsteps of the guards echoed out behind them. Neo looked over her shoulder and saw half a dozen of the giants rushing their way, her widening in shook. She heard the familiar clink of the hook latching onto the ceiling and, in a minute, she and Roman were ascending to the roof.
"Hang on tight!" Roman warned as the duo smashed through the sugar glass window onto the roof of the palace, "How can you NOT love this anymore?!"
Neo wanted to say she felt the thrill like Roman was. But instead, she found nothing. There was...a weird void in her heart, where all the fun should've been.
...had she just accepted Roman died LONG ago, and buried this feeling? Or...was it just this guilt weighing her down?
"Ya know, I think I know what you're missing," Roman snapped his fingers in realization, "Gimme the crown?"
Neo raised an eyebrow, and passed him the crown. Where are you going with this?
"You'll see." Roman grinned, before some guards started to somehow climb through the shattered window. "Ooop! This way!" And then the chase began again.
Neo looked from Roman to the guards and back again before she finally raced after her old boss. Roman was rushing ahead with the crown, holding onto it for dear life as his multi-colored cohort took up the rear. One of the guards took a knee and brought out a candy crossbow, complete with peppermint bolts. They loaded one bolt up and took aim, firing at the smaller of the criminals. With ease, Neo leapt over the flying bolt and swatted it aside as she started to race again. Another bolt was fired from another guard's crossbow, right before Neo popped open Hush and let the bolts bounce off the protective parasol barrier.
"Nicely done!" Roman grinned, as he spun around. He fired a few unruly shots from his cane, allowing them to strike the guards. Neo smirked as she watched Roman dispatch the guards with ease.
Your aim's gotten better. She noted. No reticle.
"Pick up a few things when you're alone." Roman tipped his hat.
Neo found herself smiling again at that little tip of the hat. The two continued to race on, firing back at the guards and dodging candy bolts when they flew towards the duo. But eventually, the criminal duo ran out of roof. Roman skidded to a halt at the edge of the palace's roof, letting a few crumbs of chocolate fall to the ground far, far below them.
"Wow this place has a shorter roof than I thought..." Roman muttered. Neo came to a halt beside him and looked up to him. She reached up and booped him on the nose before wrapping her arm around his waist...and jumping.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, NEO!" Roman screamed. The guards watched in shock and horror as the duo jumped over the side. Instead of hearing the horrible crack of bodies hitting the pavement, the guards looked over the edge to see Neo and Roman floating away on the breeze thanks to Hush's open parasol.
"Wha-you...you got it to work?" Roman asked, stunned.
I got it to work! Neo confirmed, I mean, they'll probably come after us when we land but, hey! We can at least say Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan survived jumping from the top of a castle!
"That we can! That we can!" Roman laughed, looking down at the city below, "Though...I didn't spend all this time just to get caught by a couple'a cereal mascots."
Well, they're gonna figure out where we are. They're probably still watching us.
"Yeah! So we give 'em something else to look at! when we land!"
Wait, do you mean-?
"Can't talk! Ground's coming up! Brace yourself, Sundae!"
With that, Roman and Neo braced themselves as they descended towards the ground. As they landed, they kicked up a cloud of dust and debris, but they quickly regained their footing and made a run for it. The guards were hot on their trail, but Neo and Roman were too fast for them. They ducked and dodged past any obstacle in their way, using their weapons and speed to their advantage.
Roman would occasionally fire a few shots, that would make the guards pause, giving them enough time to gain some distance. They knew they couldn't keep running forever, so they quickly made their way to a nearby alleyway.
"Quickly, this way!" Neo said, pulling Roman down the alley.
They ran for a few more minutes before they finally came to a stop. They looked at each other, panting and gasping for breath.
"I forgot...how much running there was..." Roman coughed between wheezing. "What a rush..."
Think...think we lost 'em? Neo asked, trying to catch her breath.
"They're too...too busy dealing with our distractions. So yeah. Think we lost them," Roman huffed, a smile coming to his face, "So...this still feel hollow for you? Or did it get your blood pumping again? Remind yourself how good it is?"
Well...I mean…
"Neo. Listen to me. I get it. You're trying to change, be better. But haven't you ever felt...constrained by all those rules? Chain of command, rules of engagement, 'Yes, sir. Understood, sir. Sorry sir, I won't sock another asshole in the jaw even if they deserved it, sir.' I mean you really expect me to believe that you're ok with that? It's suffocating!"
It...could be, yeah.
"Honestly, if you ask me, it'd be *worse* than the kind of rules you used to live under."
That's a low blow, Neo huffed.
"Low, but accurate. Look around Neo. We're in a new world here! No rules, no bad rep, no big military or Hunters tracking us down. We can do whatever we want down here!"
Roman, you can't...you can't honestly expect me to-
Neo was about to get into another argument with Roman before, unseen and unheard by herself, her Semblance flared up. Glass-like particles shimmered around her shoulders before traveling down her body to her feet, before spreading out into the ground beneath her. She was so focused on Roman's words that she never heard the particles collect and coalesce into another familiar form.
"Did you...really blow up a jewelry store...made of candy?" that familiar voice reached Neo's ears. She turned to face the voice and was shocked to see-
Albedo?! Neo gasped, her hands covering her mouth and tears welling up in her eyes.
"God, it's still weird seeing an actual recolor of Tennyson," Roman rolled his eyes. Neo ignored him and just raced up to her boyfriend and pulled him into a tight hug, practically crying into his shoulder.
I thought...I thought you were...oh god, did you jump?! Please tell me you didn't jump, Neo begged, trying to figure out how Albedo had shown up here.
"I didn't jump...but I did consider it. I went back, jumped right back through the gate and rushed Vilgax, but I wasn't...strong enough. He grabbed me, almost broke my arm before he tossed me over the side. The Ultimatrix isn't...working properly, from what I can tell."
But you're ok. You're here.
"Maybe we can have a proper reunion...I dunno, outside the city? Wait for the 'grand authorities' to ease up?" Roman suggested.
"I would suggest against that. I doubt they would just let you out of the city with that," Albedo pointed to the crown, "Considering the amount of a commotion you two caused, it's possible it's one of their most sacred artifacts."
"Then that just makes it more valuable. Perfect bargaining chip. Let us go or we smash it. Obviously a bluff but *they* don't need to know that."
"Or you could return it to them. Fix the stores you destroyed."
"I mean yeah, if you wanna ruin the fun of a heist," Roman scoffed.
...he's right though, Neo pointed out.
"See?"
No...I meant Albedo was right. As fun as it was, and I would DEFINITELY be up for more stunts like that, we can't keep it.
"...seriously?"
Yes, seriously. You heard Albedo. It's sacred to them.
"And you actually *care* about that now? Neo, we're thieves. The first heist we ever did was for coffee beans. Sacred's not exactly in our vocabulary," Roman chuckled a bit as if the exchange was one of the funniest things in the world to him right now.
"You stole...coffee?" Albedo asked, a brow raised in confusion.
Hey, they weren't JUST coffee beans! They were Mistral Mountain Blend, only getting shipped into Vale every three months.
"So you stole it?"
To then mark up on the black market and prey on the caffeine lovers in the city. Especially the rich ones, Neo smiled a bit as she reminisced.
"The best heist I'd had yet. Action, twists, a payday unlike any I'd had up till then. Good times, good times," Roman smirked, spinning the weaponized cane in his hand.
We...also destroyed the warehouse for the coffee company in question. Which resulted in a shortage in the city. Not just for Mistral Mountain but for ALL the coffee in the city, Neo rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, It was our first heist.
"That's where I offered her a partnership. And the rest is history," Roman said.
"Wait what?" Albedo wondered, "I thought you met when Neo tried to fence off a gem she stole."
Neo's face went pale. She'd forgotten that she'd given Albedo that cover! It'd been so long since she'd explained how she met Roman to Albedo; it felt like years!
"Wait...wait, wait, wait, noooo, you didn't! Neo! I thought you said this guy was one of the smartest minds in the galaxy! And he fell for that?" Roman could barely contain his laughter at the scenario.
"Fell for what?" Albedo asked, moving towards the chuckling criminal.
"Oh my god, I am *not* letting you live this down, buddy. I hate to say this but-"
Roman, don't! Neo intervened, stepping between the criminal and the alien genius, That's not your story to tell!
"Ok. You tell him then," Roman smirked.
What?
"Right here, right now. You tell him how you played him."
"...Neo?" Albedo asked.
I...I don't know what you're talking about. Neo said.
"Tell him how you played the long con." Roman said.
R-roman...I...I-i Neo went pale. That knowing smirk from Roman, she felt like he was pushing her closer and closer to the edge of a cliff and expected her to jump without Hush. Albedo's concerned and worried gaze didn't make things anything better. It felt like she was going to be crushed under the pressure of his gaze.
I need time! Neo panicked, swiping the crown away from Roman and vanishing in a swarm of Semblance particles.
"What the-?!" Roman stammered.
"Neo, wait!" Albedo called out, but he was too late. Neo, using her Semblance to turn invisible, had already dashed off into the night of the acre.
Albedo turned to Roman. "What the hell did you do!?"
"...Nooooooothing." Roman whistled. Albedo glared at him, slamming him against the wall. He applied pressure against his throat.
"I don't care if you're her best friend. Tell me-" Albedo demanded.
"You shouldn't be here."
"...excuse me?"
"You shouldn't be here...I only counted the brats, the shapeshifters and those other worthless criminals...and that stupid knight."
Albedo took in the words for a moment, looking Roman up and down, examining him. Something about him seemed...off, but for the life of him, Albedo couldn't place what specifically.
"...we have to find her," Albedo said, shoving past the crime boss. It'd be a waste of time trying to figure it out right now. Neo needed him.
"Well at least we agree on that. Just try and keep a low profile," Roman scoffed.
"If you think I didn't know how, even before I met Neo, you must be dimmer than I thought," Albedo smirked before sneakily dashing off into the night. The last jab was his and, for now, that meant he won their little argument.