Work Text:
"...Co-Conspirators?" Ben nervously shifted his weight back a little, unsure of how to handle the dragonkin in front of him.
"That's what you were going to talk to me about, right, Ben?" Vice sits on a ledge overlooking the alley Ben had followed them into, kicking xer feet and stretching his wings out. "Vice, by the way. Well- Plot D. Vice- stage name- but Vice to my friends- and we're not quite friends but I'm not going to full name you so it wouldn't be fair to full name me, right- so Vice, the pleasure is all yours."
"...Ben. You knew that, though - how did you know that?"
Vice laughed. "I know lots of things, not-quite-friend. And I want in on your little charade. However you need me." Vice moves to stand, and seemingly in an instant, Vice's entire outfit and appearance changes - their appearance now puppet-like, with ethereal strings lifting into the sky - she lets herself fall, the strings pulling taut right as Vice is horizontal instead of letting her drop fully to the ground. "As an unknowing puppet, or..." the strings pull vem back upright as, once again, aer entire appearance changes, this time to xis normal form, but with a clean suit and tie instead of void's original outfit, complete with sunglasses over kir eyes and a gun in her gloved hand. "perhaps a loyal second in command, pristine beyond compare?"
"...how would you be an unknowing puppet if you're offering yourself up for the role?" Ben was still nervous, staring at the clearly dangerous individual before him.
Vice smiles. "I'm very convincing." Vice looks beyond Ben, beyond even the space behind Ben, it seems. "So convincing that not even the audience would know where or when the performance ends."
Ben sighed. "The audience? The performance? You're messing with me." He turned to leave.
Vice jumps down from the ledge, returning to his normal appearance. "Aaaaaaaand... I might know a few ways to pull strings behind the scenes at Amiibrawl. Change tournament layouts, invited guests, little things like that." Vice pulls out a thick wallet and opens it - a string of Amiibrawl invitation papers all fold out from it, each with Vice's full name and each for a different one of the teams. "You used to work there, right? Inspect as closely as you'd like. They're all legitimate."
Ben pauses, and turns. Kneeling, he inspects the papers closest to him. "They're... impeccable forgeries. Nobody would supply you with invitations this broad. You're... something else, dragon."
Vice cleans up the invitations, before speaking again. "I'm just very, very, well prepared. I'm in, then?"
Ben stands up, furrowing an eyebrow at Vice. "What do you get out of this?"
Vice laughes. "Same as I always get. A front row seat."
Ben sighs. "You know what? Fine. But the moment you stop being helpful-"
"Won't happen. But you can throw me to the wolves if you need to, Ben. I've never minded being the sacrifice." Vice does a small twirl, and follows Ben out of the alley.