No one else will say it so I will: ShinRio Megamind AU
Rio’s an Android who’s grown up with humans. His creator has kept him “updated” as he grew, keeping him one or two years behind his biological son Kai
He attended the same high school as one Keiji Shinogi for a year, when he was a freshman and Keiji was a senior.
Keiji’s Metroman. Need I elaborate?
I do and I will. He’s less... Flying and laser eyes and more Captain America-ish. Muscles and stuff. He was born that way tho, or maybe it was Maybelline.
Rio’s always been ostracized due to his... adroidness. Kai’s always stuck by his side though. Good brother.
Once Kai enters college, Gashu delivers his final upgrade to Rio, warning him that he’s on his own to maintain himself as Gashu has other projects to turn his attention to.
Rio also lives off attention, so any press is good press and he turns to villainy to try to get the spotlight (and his dad’s attention)
Petty crime isn’t getting him anywhere, and that stupid policeman always seems to be there to stop him before he can actually like... announce his name, the bully.
Keiji always sends him off with a warning and a pat on the back
Rio decides he needs to go even further and plans to take a hostage next time. This’ll delay Keiji, make himself a real threat, and he’ll have some company for once because Kai doesn’t call enough
Enter reporting duo Sou Hiyori and Shin Tsukimi. Rio doesn’t want to touch Hiyori with a 10 ft pole, he’s scary, but cameraman Shin?
Shin’s cute, the town would not like it if someone as pitiful as him were taken, so he starts kidnapping the poor guy
(who’s terrified at first but quickly that fear for his kidnapper when he watches his minions Kanna and Safalin help him choose his masks for his next heist)
The first time Rio kidnaps Shin Tsukimi, it’s total chance. He wasn’t being taken seriously as a villain! Keiji would always stop him with a hearty laugh, clearly remembering the silly freshman Rio from high school who could never manage to get along with anyone. He hasn’t been making a large enough impact with petty crime. He needs to go big! Go bold, go home!
So, he stages a large bank heist. He doesn’t need the money, but he does need the publicity. And sure enough, news reporters dole out in the dozens, bracing up against the barriers the police have set up around the bank. Rio surveys the scene again. Okay, so maybe there’s like... three. Good enough. Time to make his move.
He needs someone young, someone cute and pretty to send the town into a tizzy. He plasters a bright grin mask over his face as he leers down at the crowd, a pair of green heads catching his attention. Why the hell is their hair green?
He shakes off the distracting thought and shoots his grappling hook at one of the beams stretching over the front of the bank. It hooks, thankfully (god how mortifying would it have been if he’d missed). Rio rugs at the line to test its security before standing straight, smiling and waving down at reporters below.
And he jumps, the line growing taut and locking in as he arcs down. Someone in his audience gasps and several people point as he descends. Rio spins, just out of pure exhilaration.
Rio awards himself 25 style points.
He touches down, his legs hardly feeling the jarring impact of the concrete and releases the line as he folds into a roll, popping up into a sprint towards the two green haired reporters. Police shout around him as he approaches the police barrier, but a stern glare as he approaches has them hesitating. The taller of the two reporters- with his long, stringy hair pulled into a thin ponytail- hardly flinches. His bright, cold eyes flash warily as Rio approaches, fist clenching more tightly around his microphone. He feels something sinister crawl down his spine and he promptly decides this is not the one. The city would probably relish this slimy loser being taken off their hands. Can’t have that.
But the baby-faced cameraman behind him, with his powder-blue hair and his cozy jacket and beanie? The way he flinches back, jostling the camera on his shoulder? With his soft blue eyes that light up with recognition? That’s the kind of stuff that would have the city in an uproar if Rio were to snap him up.
Rio grins under his mask, skidding to a stop right before the two, so close he bumps the barrier. He pauses, letting the steel-eyed reporter eye him over. The cameraman behind him seems to hesitate, gaze shifting between the two before he hefts his camera higher and angles himself to catch both Rio and the reporter in the shot. Rio aims a happy wave at the camera. The reporter seems to take a breath to steel himself before smiling widely and lifting his microphone.
“I’m Sou Hiyori with ASUNARO News. Can I ask…” He hesitates and Rio rolls his eyes. “Who are you?”
“The name’s Rio Ranger, doll,” he drawls, a flicker of irritation curling in his stomach. He braces his palms over the barrier, leaning in with a sneer. Not that they can see it under his mask. Maybe he should consider a costume redesign. “Shouldn’t you know that if you’re a reporter? I’m not exactly new in town.”
“Maybe you’re not as big a name in this town as you believe then,” Hiyori returns with a smirk. Rio’s grateful for the grinning mask covering his lower face, since the scowl that that twists his lips certainly wouldn’t do anything for his popularity. The cameraman visibly flinches back in fear at the reporter’s words.
“You’re just horrendously underinformed.” Rio casts a glance around, scanning the area to make sure stupid Keiji hadn’t shown up early to crash the party. He’d set a few false leads around town to keep him busy, but certainly not for long.
“So, what do you have planned here?” Hiyori’s words cut through his straying attention, drawing his gaze once more.
“A robbery, naturally.” Rio sighs, lifting his hand to his head as he fakes exasperation. His gaze slides over, looking beyond the camera to lock eyes with the man behind it. He tenses, his grip tightening on the camera. “But that hero of yours will come soon, so… I’m also going to need a hostage.”
Hiyori cocks his head, the microphone dipping a little as his smile turns plastic. “…A hostage, huh? Me?”
Rio tosses his head a back with a laugh. “How presumptuous! I was going to leave it to a majority vote!”
He doesn’t want Hiyori, obviously, but he did write a whole-ass script and by God he was going to stick to it. He has a image to uphold! Or… create, as it may be.
“A vote?” Hiyori’s voice drips with sarcasm as he scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Of course, villainy runs on democracy.”
“Oh, what a snappy political statement.” Rio straightens, gesturing to the other two men. “Anyway, it’s up to you two! I’ll take either you, or your cute little cameraman here!”
“You want Shin?” Hiyori laughs a little, completely ignoring how the cameraman- Shin, apparently, what a cute name- frowns at him. The reporter grins lazily at Rio. “And what if we say no?”
He really doesn’t like this guy.
Bored, Rio pulls a small trigger from a pouch at his waist and presses the bright red button.
The front of the bank behind them explodes outwards, sending debris cascading down around them. Fire rolls toward them in a plume before curling up, smoke quickly filling the air. The ground shakes- Shin falls, the camera rolling to the ground beside him. Hiyori- the bastard- only stumbles back a step, his arm raised to shield his face.
The building shudders but remains standing. Good. It was easy to figure out where to plant the low-grade explosives to seal in his threat, but the building had to stay up for his grand getaway. Everything seems to be going to plan so far. Fantastic!
He laughs, stooping down by Shin, who looks up at him with wide, frightened blue eyes. The bright orange of the flames flick across Shin’s face. He holds up a hand, as if warding Rio off. Adorable.
Rio rolls his eyes and scoops up the camera, easily holding the heavy news camera at arm’s length to catch both himself and Hiyori in the shot.
“Answer enough?”
Hiyori grits his teeth and glowers at Rio. “I suppose.”
“Glad to hear it!” Rio bobs in place, glancing between the reporting duo. “So? Who’ll it be? Sou Hiyori or Shin…?”
He trails off with the question, raising his eyebrows imploringly at the man- who still hasn’t lifted himself off the ground. Shin grips his scarf tightly, mumbling into it. Even if the fire hadn’t been roaring behind him, he doubts he would have heard him. Rio leans in, cupping his hand around his ear. Shin flinches back before visibly taking a moment to gather himself and lean in.
“Tsukimi. Sh-Shin Tsukimi.”
“Adorable.” Rio pops back up, the camera teetering preciously in his hand. Shin’s face pinches and he makes an aborted movement, as if to catch it if it falls. “Okay! Sou Hiyori or Shin Tsukimi? Which of you will be sacrificed to my villainous plans!”
Hiyori takes a quick glance down at Shin and back to Rio. “Is anyone going to get hurt?”
“Nope!” He pops the p, but it’s muffled under his mask. “Well… Unless your hero makes things difficult for me. Or whoever comes with me decides he wants to fight back. Just don’t be a pain and you’ll be fine!”
Hiyori grits his teeth and takes a step back. Shin looks back over his shoulder in disbelief. Hiyori gives Rio a disgusted glare that he then turns on Shin. “I’ll make sure you don’t lose your job.”
“What?!” Shin shouts, gaping up at Hiyori. “I have a little sister to take care of, asshole!” he turns his glare on Rio. “I have a little sister!”
“Unfortunate.” Grinning, Rio shrugs and turns back to Hiyori. “You saying I should take him?”
“Yeah.” Hiyori nods. “I have people who need me.”
“I have a-!”
“A little sister, yes, you talk about her all the time.” Hiyori huffs. Ranger watches, fascinated, as a strange shift comes over Hiyori. The reporter’s face softens, and he kneels beside Shin, whose scowl deepens. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. But I have many many people who rely on me. I can easily add your sister to those I protect. But you understand that I have to be there to do that, right?”
Shin clicks his tongue and looks away, raising a hand to grip anxiously at his beanie. “…You promise Kanna will be taken care of.”
“Of course.” Hiyori shares a soft smile with Shin and holds out his hand. Scowling, Shin takes his hand and allows himself to be pulled to his feet. Hiyori reaches out to grip Shin’s upper arms, squeezing reassuringly. Then, almost teasingly, he adds, “Who knows? She may even be better off.”
Shin looks stricken as Hiyori drops his hold, wiping his own palms on his scarf. The two turn towards Rio, whose unamused expression has grown more and more impatient. “Well? You ready?”
He holds out his free gloved hand, wiggling his fingers enticingly. Shin squares his shoulders and ducks under the police barrier, reaching for his hand. He hesitates, shaking fingers hovering over Rio’s palm. Huffing, Rio snags his hand and pulls him snug against his side. Shin cringes away. The villain (supervillain) shoves the camera into his arms. “Hold onto that for me, would ya?”
Shin blinks down at the camera shoved against his chest. “What? Why?”
“Because I need both hands to make sure I don’t drop you.”
“Wait wait drop me? What do you mean, drop me?” Rio takes out his grappling hook again, ignoring Shin’s rising panic shrilling against his ear as he aims it towards the flaming building. “Wait, in there? You’re like a-a robot or something right? You know humans like… burn right?”
Rio laughs. “Stop worrying. You might sweat a little, but I’ll get you through this.”
“Rio Ranger!” A deep voice barks out behind them. Rio tenses, shooting a glare over his shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Keiji Shinogi, local superhuman and city hero, rockets down the street towards them, looking more enraged than Rio has ever seen him. Finally.
Shin perks up in Rio’s grasp, making a lunge for the police barrier. “Help!”
The android huffs and tightens his grip around his hostage, muttering about cooperation as he shoots the hook. “Time to go then!”
“Don’t you dare- hnk!” Shin gags as the hook catches and reels them in, choking on his words as Rio’s grip hooks into his stomach. He shrieks, tucking his face in against the crook of Rio’s neck as they zip through the air and into the flames. Rio can’t imagine the cameraman is feeling too well, surrounded by fire with his neck swathed in that deep blue scarf. He shrugs and dashes deeper into the bank, ignoring Shin as he begins to mutter under his breath.
“Safalin!” He shouts, struggling to be heard over the roar of the flames. The building shudders as Keiji shoves open the doors to the bank. Rio hisses, scooping Shin over his shoulder and bolting towards where he planned for his getaway vehicle to be. He hears the camera clatter to the ground behind them.
“Ranger!” Something on the other side of the room shimmers and a bright orange vehicle pops into existence. A bright green head hangs out the window, the blue ribbons on Safalin’s arms fluttering as she waves. “Over here!”
“I know over there, dammit, I planned for you to be there!” He shouts back.
Safalin draws back, scooting into the driver’s seat as Rio pops the door open and tosses his baggage in. Shin grunts as he bounces across the seats, blankly looking down at his wrists when Safalin reaches over and claps a pair of handcuffs on him. “I-I’m sorry, just a precaution…”
“Ranger, if you leave with that hostage things will not go well for-“
Ranger slams the door closed behind him. “Get going!”
Safalin nods and flips a few levers. The car lifts, bobbing the engines adjust for the weight of the car as tilts towards the ceiling. Shin flinches back into the seat.
“Please tell me you’re not about to try to fly through that.”
“Alright.” Rio lowers his mask, grinning down at Shin. Shin frowns up at him. “But you might want to hold on to something.”
They do, actually, fly through the ceiling. Rio climbs onto his knees to stare through the back window. Keiji stands under the hole the vehicle’s made, glowering up at them as they escape.
“Look at him, Saf, look!” Rio points over the back seat, laughing.
Safalin obediently checks the review mirror. “I say you left quite an impression!”
Rio settles back into the seat, kicking his legs up on the dash despite Safalin’s frown. He nudges Shin with an elbow. “No way they can ignore this!”
Shin stares steadily out the window, refusing to acknowledge his captor. Rio rolls his eyes.
He can sulk if he wants. The hostage isn’t even important in the long run.
