Ah, today was a wonderful day. It was one she couldn't help but enjoy her day off.
Or she really would have if she could have spent it with whom she wanted! But no, that woman had to drag him with her today! Make her man do her bidding and prepare for a heist!
Ugh! If only she could get her out of the picture... But she was too damn strong!
Neo feared that woman.
Neo let out a whimpered breath that was barely audible. She had loved these last five years of freedom, but alas, this woman came out of nowhere and forced them to their knees.
How could someone manipulate the elements so freely? With so much power?
Neo shivered, shaking her head. She wasn't sure why the woman with hatred fueling her allowed her to do what she wanted today, but she would take it.
Neo did not like to be caged. She preferred to be as free as the wind and do what she desired.
And she knew that woman would force her to do things Neo did not want to do. She was already putting her hands on her man!
She needed this time to calm down. To not do something stupid. She needed to follow Roman's motto.
Survive.
This wasn't a fight she could win. All she could do... All they could do was do her bidding and survive.
Wait for an opportunity to escape.
Ugh! Neo was so frustrated. A leisurely walk through the streets of Vale, causing random people to trip and nicking wallets or stealing clothes, wasn't making her feel any better!
She needed a shake. Good thing the Shake Shack was nearby.
Maybe she would run into those old punks from when she was little... Give them a harsh reality check...
Neo shivered, massaging her temple before she rapidly shook the memories away. She had no past. She had burned it away.
All except her parents' riches.
Neo snarled as she turned the corner to find the Shake Shack. A line? Preposterous!
She was the Queen of Vale! She waited for no one! This was her city, and she commanded it!
...At least she used to.
The first man in line yelped as he crashed to his knees from a sly hook of her parasol. Neo strolled forward, grinning manically as the woman next in line stumbled and tripped over an overly affectionate purple and white cat with blue eyes that brushed against her legs and ran into the alley. The woman was none the wiser, simply staring up in confusion as Neo strode by.
Having no idea that the cat was Neo's creation.
Mysterious accidents befell the following few patrons of the shack, crying out in despair as Neo approached the counter, eyes twinkling and her hips shaking side to side while spinning her parasol and laying it on her shoulder.
The vendor didn't hesitate. He knew who Neo was. What her order was. The trouble she would cause if she didn't get precisely what she wanted. He even paid for the order himself.
Sometimes it paid to be the Queen of Crime.
Neo grinned as her shake was presented before her, adorned with all the toppings and accessories she adored. Beautiful.
She gave her server a quick peck on the cheek to express her gratitude as she took her shake. She would have to recommend to his boss that he give him a raise to keep him around!
It was challenging to find such a good server!
But she still wouldn't leave this place unscathed.
Everything cried out as bees flew throughout the Shake Shack as Neo sucked on her straw, savoring the flavor and the cries of those within.
That made her feel better. Now, if she could only do that to that woman and get her away from her man!
Oum! She needed another distraction to get her mind off it!
Neo smoldered, scanning the street, searching for someone else to torment and inflict pain upon. To release the pent-up aggression bubbling with!
Oh? Was that a lover's quarrel going on over there? A proposal?
What a wonderful day! This could be fun! Two polar opposites attracted to one another?
A brooding, silent type and an outgoing, energetic blonde? Huh, interesting. The gender roles were sort of reversed. It was usually the guy who was dark and brooding with a happy-go-luck blonde trying to cheer them up.
Or at least that was what she read about and had only started to see! If only she weren't trapped at home for most of her life!
Oum, dammit! That woman had riled her up so much that she kept thinking about her past! And that pissed Neo off!
This couple was going to burn for the stress that the woman was putting Neo through!
But how? Should she break them up? Pretend to be the girl and mess around with the guy right when she walks in?
Perfect.
Time to study them. Figure out how they acted...
What were they talking about? It was so much gibberish... About travel?
Woah, woah, woah? Was he talking about traveling the world? Go with him, dumb Faunus girl! Take the opportunity and see the world! Don't be a fool and clip your own wings!
Freedom is everything!
Where are my signs? Fantastic! The one day I need them, I leave them at home!
Neo frowned. Hadn't she decided that she was supposed to be trying to break them up? Lock in!
Wait, why was the dark-haired girl walking in her direction? Did she discover Neo was following them? But she was so far away!
Neo let out a silent sigh of relief as the Faunus girl walked past her. Good, she didn't notice her...
Ugh!
Stars swirled around as Neo spun after the blonde adeptly maneuvered around her, having not noticed her at first, before expertly dodging past her. She furrowed her brow as he joined his partner, acting as if he hadn't almost run her over and moved with extraordinary skill to avoid her.
"Sorry about that! Almost didn't see you there!" Naruto waved at Neo, blinking as the blonde chased after the dark-haired girl.
Neo blinked, unsure what had just happened. Was the kid a Huntsman? She had only seen trained and experienced Huntsmen maneuver that adeptly. The kind she struggled to get away from.
Neo felt a pit in her stomach as she slowly stalked after the two. Should she let them go and find someone else to inflict her aggression on?
"Naruto, you nearly ran that girl over! Be more careful!" Blake hissed, crossing her arms as she scowled at the blonde-haired enigma. "At least you have some manners and apologized. I swear..."
"My bad! I said I was sorry, didn't I! The little lady was shorter than I was five years ago, and I almost didn't notice her." Naruto exclaimed, grimacing at the dark look Blake gave him. With a deep breath, he withdrew his scroll to try to change the subject. "Where should we start? If I'm gonna have to get you all the fish that your heart desires, I'm gonna need a big bounty to pay for that."
Neo's eyes sharpened? Bounty? Was this couple a Huntsman and Huntress? Mercenaries? Kids acting like Huntsmen?
Maybe she should avoid them. It was better not to get involved, just in case. Never could be too careful...
Wait, did he not notice her because she was short?
That's it! She was punishing them with prejudice!
Neo hated being so short! Some people didn't notice her!
Clicking her parasol open to block the sun's rays, Neo snarled as the air around her glimmered like glass. Oh, he would rue the day he called her short.
His life was about to shatter as she ruined him!
He better believe it!
[ X ]
"Are you sure about this place?" Naruto pursed his lips as night had fallen and the lights of this red-light district blared all around him, his attention drawn to where Blake had brought him, and a massive neon sign hung over the building.
Junior's. Sounded like a strip club or late-night dance club.
Naruto exhaled. Places like this reminded him of Pervy Sage...
How he missed that man. He still felt he had so much left to learn from him.
Naruto shook his head and squinted his eyes at the place. He hated places like this. Not because he didn't enjoy or understand the area's appeal, at least for adults. No, the lights and smell always gave him a headache. And now, with his amplified sensory abilities, it was even worse.
"I'm sure this is the place. I've been here a few times, unfortunately." Blake informed Naruto, wincing at being reminded of what she did in the White Fang. "Might not look like anything special, but this place is owned by the new head of the Xiong family. The mafia family that used to run these streets until something happened five years ago that led to a new crime boss taking over the city."
"Nah, that makes sense. Pervy Sage used to gather information from places like this all the time. I just wanted to make sure." Naruto shook his head before he frowned. "This new crime boss... Is it this Roman guy you were talking about earlier at the hotel? The one I copied off the board, as he had the biggest bounty?"
"That's him. No one has been able to corral or catch him in years. And anytime someone gets close, he either disappears mysteriously or causes such a mess that Huntsmen have to call it off to avoid further damages." Blake grimaced, having looked into the man after visiting this place several times with Adam.
"Got it. Guy will do whatever it takes to escape... Hm?" Naruto frowned, formulating in his mind what kind of man Roman.
However, Naruto scowled as he scanned behind him. Someone was following them. Had been for a while. However, the moment they muttered Roman's name, there was a malicious spike of intent.
Interesting.
"Naruto?" Blake gave a concerned glance toward Naruto, her full attention focused upon him.
A sense of panic radiated from her.
Naruto grimaced. Was she afraid he was gonna bolt again, like when he was shocked by the shattered moon?
Didn't want her to feel that way again.
"Nah, it's nothing. Just the wind." Naruto turned his attention and flashed a smile. "So you think this guy will be here?"
"If not, the Xiong family might know where he will be. All crime goes through him, so this is the best place to check. And I know those twins you put on your list will be here. They work here." Blake's frown deepened. She didn't quite believe Naruto.
He was a terrible liar.
"Yeah, that makes..." Naruto nodded, hiding a smirk.
He didn't want to do this to Blake, but he needed a moment to check. And this would give him the best way to distract her for a moment.
So he started to panic, staring at this place caused Naruto's thoughts to run rampant, and a horrific thought crossed his mind.
"No, no, no... Being Hokage is like being a glorified mob boss?" Naruto clasped his left temple with his palm and began to babble incoherently. "There are so many similarities! All the jobs we do. Convincing kids to join and become ninjas just to train them in the art of the job, from everything up to assassinations!"
"Uh... What?" Blake faltered, stumbling as she recoiled from Naruto's peculiar statement. She was unable to comprehend Naruto's sudden leap of logic.
Or anything he was talking about...
Wait, did he say ninja?
So he was a ninja! She was right!
"Naruto!" Blake snarled, his full-blown panic caused her to snap and glare at him.
"Ah! Scary!" Naruto flinched at the stern glare Blake threw his direction.
"I need you to focus and get those thoughts out of your head. We're on the job, remember?" Blake scolded the blonde.
"Oh, right... Yeah, sorry. I started making correlations between my jobs back home and things that weren't there. Then I realized we were so much different because of the odd jobs we did, like catching cats for rich people, painting houses, or mowing lawns." Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head, grinning like a fool.
Hopefully, his master wouldn't take too long. He didn't want to make this girl mad!
"Hold on, as a ninja, you were mowing lawns? What is your world like?" Blake's jaw hung loosely as she stared at Naruto.
"Yeah, it is sort of strange." Naruto rubbed his chin before shaking his head. "Okay, focus! So, if Roman isn't here, we're looking for Militia and Melanie Malachite, right?"
Blake scowled, desiring to know more about precisely what Naruto had to do as a ninja, before sighing as she needed to lock in. "Should be... So let's head in..."
"What's that sound?" Naruto interrupted as a loud rumbling caused him to wince.
It sounded worse than a train!
"It's a motorcycle." Blake's ears folded as someone had pulled up nearby, stopping their engine as a corvid of some kind flew past.
A young woman with fiery blonde hair... Who seemed familiar.
No. It couldn't be the girl from the hospital.
"Oh? There are two-wheeled cars here?" Naruto blinked before grinning, looking over the machine.
Imagining himself riding one similar.
"Yoohoo! Didn't I see you at the hospital a few days ago?" Yang waved after taking off her helmet, approaching them with a broad smirk. "Name's Yang! Nice to meet ya again. Are you the guy she was checking on constantly while we were there?"
"I suppose I was?" Naruto tilted his head at the incoming blonde and then glanced over at Blake.
He only recalled seeing her a few times. How many more times did she check in on him that other patrons noticed how frequently she was doing it?
"You feeling better? You looked messed up when they brought you in." Yang's toothy grin shifted to concern as she placed her hand on her hip and looked over Naruto, grimacing at his missing arm.
"Mah, been worse." Naruto shrugged, brushing off her glance.
"Yo, seriously? You are one tough dude." Yang vividly expressed her shock and fascination simultaneously.
"I've heard that before!" Naruto laughed, tilting his head awkwardly at Yang. "So, you here to party or something?"
"You could say that. I'm here for an experience. Wanna join in? It's gonna be a fun night?" Yang winked at Naruto and Blake, causing them to share a glance with one another.
Had she just hit on both of them?
"That depends on what you mean by fun." Blake scowled, glaring at Yang.
She had a feeling, given what she saw at the hospital, that she was planning a different kind of fun than what she hinted at. Or she just liked getting knocked around in several fashions...
"A lot of property damage and fighting!" Yang proudly grinned before frowning. "What did you think I meant?"
"Ah... Something else." Naruto nervously chuckled, releasing a sigh of relief.
He wasn't like Pervy Sage! He wanted the moment to be right before he did something like that!
"Oh... No! I mean, you're a hunk, and she's really cute, but dad would kill me if I did something like that!" Yang expressed her horror and shook her head rapidly. Calming down, she released a deep breath. "If you're not, you might not wanna go in there tonight. I got a few things I need to get done in there."
Sharing another look with Blake, Naruto flashed a smirk toward Yang. "Funny you should ask..."
"We might be here for a similar reason as you."
[ X ]
This wasn't good. Neo knew Roman would be stopping in at Junior's tonight. He needed men for a job tonight.
The couple she had targeted was planning to go after her man.
If it wasn't personal before, it was now! First, he called her short. Now he was targeting her man?
They were dead in Neo's eyes!
The good thing was that it was likely they would find that pain in her asses first. Perhaps she could use them to gauge how much of a threat they were. It might have been a brief display, but Neo didn't want to take the chance if he was a threat. Not after what had happened with that horrid woman.
Roman's motto was to survive. And oftentimes, it was better to run than to fight.
Worst-case scenario, they efficiently handled the Malachites, and she got a dinner and a show watching those trouble makers get their asses beaten before Neo grabbed Roman and found that woman. Perhaps having someone with that kind of power was useful...
But if the twins gave them a run for their money, Neo would stride in and finish the job. Teach them not to mess with the Queen of Vale.
"You've been following us for a while, haven't ya?" Neo's blood froze as she heard the blonde's voice echo from behind.
And to Neo's horror, as she slowly turned around, he was standing directly behind her, looking her over, analyzing her.
Neo grimaced, her eyes shifting left to right. She couldn't figure out how he snuck up on her. Or could even see her! She was using her Semblance to hide her presence!
And how was he here? There was a version of him over there talking to the cat girl, and now a blonde bombshell!
"Gotta say, I don't like being followed. But I am curious as to why you are following us. I know I almost stumbled over ya, but you can't be that mad at me, right?" Naruto frowned, tilting his head like an owl as he stared at Neo. "Wait... This isn't a love at first sight thing, is it?!"
Recognizing her illusions weren't working, it shattered like glass, and Neo glared and shook her head at the dumb blonde.
How dare he insinuate that she would love someone other than Roman? The nerve!
"Oh, well, good! Wasn't sure what to do if that was the case..." Naruto nervously chuckled before frowning. "So why were you following us?"
Neo rolled her eyes. He was just yapping at her while she stared silently at him. How annoying it was that the only way she could communicate with most people was with broad gestures. Sometimes she just wanted to scream in people's faces.
She couldn't talk! It was pointless to yap at her or ask direct questions, expecting answers!
"Huh, something's off with ya." Naruto stroked his chin, squinting at her.
No shit, Sherlock! Neo mouthed, crossing her arms over her chest.
At least he noticed she wasn't responding! Not that she would if she could, but still...
"Mah, stop being mad, would ya? I can feel the negative emotions rolling off you. Wait, do you have some sort of speaking disability?" Naruto frowned, glancing Neo once over before his eyes widened.
Neo recoiled. While it was surprising someone as dense as an idiot like this could decipher she was mute, it was what he said about her emotions that caught her off guard.
He could sense they were negative? Wait, was that how he was able to feel her when she was following?!
How? He clearly showed his Semblance was the ability to make a clone...
That was bullshit! That wasn't how aura worked!
"Hey, stop getting mad and pointing at me! I don't know what your problem with me is! I said I was sorry earlier!" Naruto cringed away from Neo, who was pointing and glaring at him, demanding an explanation.
Neo spat and glowered. That wasn't good enough! He called her short! And he had two Semblances! That was impossible unless he had a Semblance stealing...
That could be a problem if that's what he had. And she allowed him within arm's reach of her...
"I guess you are mute then." Naruto scratched his cheek, his expression softening. "I can only imagine how difficult something like that has been for you. Talking is what I do best, and I can't imagine a world without it... And I really feel dumb for not recognizing that before and asking you those questions. I feel awful about that."
Neo queerly tilted her head and stared at the blonde idiot. Was he pitying her?
No, it didn't feel like pity. It felt... Genuine? Like, on some level, he was able to relate to her?
"But, ya know, I'm impressed by your ability to stay calm and communicate without being able to speak! I was still able to get you were mad at me! You're a tough one, I can tell! Not someone who lets life get them down." Naruto laughed, ruffling his spiky locks.
Neo just stared at Naruto, dumbfounded. His words weren't eloquent, but there was a passion in them that just felt... Infection.
Nah, toxic! She didn't like this feeling at all!
Just who was this big, dumb idiot? If he was trying to hit on her, he was bad at it! She didn't want someone with overwhelming passion! She wanted someone who was suave, debonair, and handsome...
Oh, how Neo loved Roman!
"Hey, stay still for a sec. I think I can do something to help." Naruto reached over, his eyes shifting to a strange golden tint as he reached over toward Neo and gently placed his hand on her throat while she was lost in thought.
Neo recoiled at his touch, but her eyes widened for the briefest moment as something washed over and froze her. One that uncomfortably burned her throat.
What was this? Was he paralyzing her? Was this big idiot a predator and taking advantage of her?
No! Only Roman could touch her!
"Get off me!" Neo shouted at the top of her lungs, snapping Hush from her parasol and striking true and into Naruto's chest.
Just to nick his flesh and barely penetrate it.
"Ow!" Naruto scowled, grasping Hush and, with a simple flick, pulled it along with Neo's hand out of his stomach.
However, the effort he exerted caused Neo to groan as she felt her shoulder pop out of its socket.
"Watch it, you jerk!" Neo screamed, staring venomous dagger at him. "What the hell are you? Why do you have so many..."
Neo's words died in her throat. She froze, rooted to the spot as she reached up and gently grasped her throat. Her eyes quivered as she awkwardly gaped at Naruto.
She could talk? After all these years of Mother and Father kept taking her to the doctor, trying to discover what the problem was...
This random guy was able to do what no medical professional in all of Remant could?
"My bad! I should have asked for permission! Shouldn't have reached over like that!" Naruto grimaced, placing his hand over his stomach, and the light wound she had inflicted upon him was healed in an instant.
Neo's eyes shimmered with tears, staring blankly at where the wound on Naruto was. Was he able to heal any kind of wound?
Heal a condition she had for all her life?
This was all too much for Neo to process. She bolted from the strange man, rushing as far away as she could. Neo heard him call after her, but she didn't care.
All she could think of was to run. To survive.
Yet, as she ran, tears streaming down her face, Neo saw that Naruto wasn't chasing her. That she was alone in an alley.
Collapsing and scuttling against a wall, Neo was in disbelief as she massaged her throat. But with every tear, a grunt and sob came with it. Not just a raspy breath.
She was making noises. Neo was making sounds!
With a deep breath and tears streaming down her cheeks, Neo felt her throat muscles burn as they contracted. But not in the way she was accustomed to when she actively screamed to no one.
"I can talk... I can talk..." The words flowed from Neo's lips in a voice she was not familiar with.
For the first time in her entire life, Neo could hear her voice—the voice she had been denied all her life.