Revised (Limited Changes, some rewording to hopefully improve flow.)

The devastation of Beacon, the loss of life in Vale and more importantly the death of Phyrra shook Jaune Arc to his very core. While he put on the brave face and reminded everyone over and over that he was fine, he however was far from it. In the days after those events he had become numb inside. Dwelling on past events, and actions all of them failures, in his eyes.

His wandering mind drifted back in time to strange side conversations he had with his father during the years leading up to his wish to be a Huntsman, to be a Hero. He could hear those words clearly even now in the chaos surrounding him.

"Jaune. I know you want to be a hero, and a huntsman, but they are not one and the same. The heroes of lore and legend are great examples, but there are other ways."

He certainly didn't feel like a hero right now, but then he remembered other statements made by his father and mother.

"Grim are monsters, but sometimes to fight monsters you need to use bigger monsters."

"Everything has a price Jaune. Everything, and sometimes that price is so high that even the hunters are unable to pay it."

"There are things in this world that no one can explain. There are things that we know exist, but on the same hand we dismiss others. Is it so hard to believe that we're not as observant as we think we are? That we are nowhere near as knowledgeable and smart as we portray ourselves as?"

Swirling in these thoughts came an epiphany of sorts. If grim and Aura and souls all existed, then what of other things? Things hinted at in stories and fairy tales.

In the disorganization of the evacuation of Vale, Jaune Arc made a decision leaving everything behind with only a cryptic note to his family and friends, he vanished into the dirt, dust, and rubble to look for answers that he doubted anyone alive would be able to give him.

Upon the note's discovery those of his friends who could search form him took off. But with a head start of several hours, and years of evading hyper-active sisters when he needed to, Jaune was easily able to with focused determination evade their search, thus preventing them from locating him. It took several weeks for the sporadic search parties to slowly stop, and it was only then he really began his quest for answers.

There were others like himself moving through the remains of Vale and Beacon. Dodging search parties, evading grim, and bandits. While Jaune like them used his time to gather materials and supplies needed to eke out survival in this blasted landscape, he also had more particular goals. Libraries, bookstores, the more affluent homes. He hit them all and spent hours going through everything.

More times than not he left such targets with nothing but a sense of wasted time, but on those rare occasions he found something worth a further look he was elated. He had decided long ago before the search parties had stopped that if a monster had taken Pyhrra from him, than he would use monsters to make them pay. In the back of his mind he grew to understand what his father had spoken of. He could see the shadows moving, there was more to this world then humans, faunus and grim. Something else, and he would find a way to tap into that. Fairy Tales, and Ghost Stories where more than things to inspire and scare children. They were lessons from an oral history leading to things better and worse than the grim.

"Everything in this world has a price Jaune, and that price must be paid."

While Jaune was careful not to be noticed, he in turn failed to notice. Neo was lost and for the most part desperate. Roman was gone, her world was in ruins literally and figuratively. Her skills and semblance easily helped her survive, but she was getting weary with the constant struggle. Memories of better times threatening to fully break her to the point of despair.

That was until she noticed him. Should couldn't really place him but she knew him from somewhere. His blond hair and shining blue eyes. He did look rather world weary, scruffy and worse for wear then the last time she thought she had seen him. She watched hidden from sight. He was a curious one. While she and others searched for items of value to trade and sell, he was snagging only items to live, and books. This was strange in her opinion, and secondly she could swear she knew him from somewhere. She thought he could be a student, but that wouldn't be right as they had all taken off.

He was familiar enough to her, and that made Neo interested in what he was up to, and curious as to why he was familiar. So with little else to do aside from avoiding others she began to shadow him, not once considering that sometimes things are better left unknown.

The weeks dragged on and more than once Neo felt that her time would have been better spent getting further from Vale, yet something just drew her interest to this disheveled young man. There were a few times she could swear that as the blonde searched through the ruins that the shadows moved around him as if to shield or follow him. Dismissing it as a trick of the light she tried not to pay it too much attention, yet every so often it would happened again, and of course she more than once watched as young grim prowled past, almost to walk on top of the young man only for them to shy away as a shadow formed near it.

She racked her mind for a sound reason, but her experiences with criminal elements and combat offered no solution. So she did the only thing she could; she continued to watch, wait and observe.

Jaune swore as he tosses the aged tome across the dilapidated room he had taken over. Vale was nearly a ghost town now, with only those unable to leave, unwilling to leave and those looking to cash in on the salvage left behind in the wake of the disaster. He needed a method to tap into the knowledge just out of his reach.

"Nothing but more childish garbage. Jaune swept the other books he had scrounged from the remains of Vale sending them to tumble into a pile on the floor. "There has to be another way." He knew some of the items referred to in the tomes would ring true, had to be true but there was never anything specific enough to follow up with. Weeks of effort wasted.

"Wait. A ritual. A ritual . . . where?" Jaune rushed over to the previously discarded piles of books and started to search through them. Minutes passed until his hands closed upon the small tome. Flipping it open he scanned the pages, devouring the words and images in his search, until about midway through the tome he found what he wanted.

"Shit." He knew this was a stretch, but as he re-read the couple of pages over and over he knew with some reagents it was at least worth a shot. Marking the pages he then grabbed the trench coat he had begun to wear. Stuffing the tome into an inside pocket he also grabbed his knife. When he was finished gearing up with a small satchel and a few other supplies he took a deep breath and stepped back out into the ruins of the once vibrant city.

His sudden reappearance from his hideout caught Neo slightly unaware as she was just getting comfortable enough to have a bite to eat. He was in a hurry and this caused her to narrow her eyes in focus. What would he be in a rush for? He was by far the slowest and most cautious scavenger, here in Vale.

Abandoning her meal for later she choose to follow. If he was out of character for what she had come to accustomed to, then there was something up. Maybe something she could get a pay day out of. She moved closer using her skills to remain undetected. His rushed movements was compelling her interest now. He was raising too many new questions for her to fathom that her need to understand was more a compulsion to follow this through.

Jaune was unaware of his follower, and even if he had been in was doubtful he would have cared. His mind was totally consumed with finding a way to bring Phyrra back, maybe just enough so he could talk to her one last time, or at least get final justice on those who had taken her away from him. He had to. He stopped in front of the locked up shop. It was surprisingly less-looted, but even then what he was after would be of little value to most of the salvagers roaming the streets.

Testing the door he found unsurprisingly that it was locked. He needed in but even in his darkened frame of mind and mood he could not bear to just smash in. It was bad enough that he was going to steal what he needed. No need to compound that action by destroying property if it could be helped. He racked his mind, he could try and pick the lock, but that was a skill he never even thought to learn so that would have been wasted effort. He continued to think about his situation until a spark of inspiration came to him, or more accurately a distant memory from his childhood. Doors where portals in the physical realm, but there are more than one type of portal. In his mind he recalled watching his mother step through a locked door, a door that his distraught sister tried to hide behind to avoid the attention of their concerned mother.

Pulling out the hunting knife he closed his eyes picturing the ritual he needed. Each detail slowly grew sharper and fresher in his mind as he concentrated. Upon opening his eyes once more he was focused in his intent and drew the blade across the palm of his hand.

Neo was a little shocked watching the blonde standing there for what seemed ages, before witnessing him injuring himself, purposefully. Something was definitely off here. She watched as he pressed his blood covered palm to the center of the door. She could see his lips moving, and barely made out the sound of him reciting something. A moment later he withdrew his hand and stepped forward walking through the door as if it wasn't there. This startled Neo. She knew of illusions, and speed and strength, but this was none of those. The blonde had simply walked through the doors, no damage. She could see him now inside the little store grabbing various items off the nearly bare shelves and stuffing them into a small satchel he had brought with him.

Jaune was elated that finally something was working for him. Cutting his palm for the blood price had hurt but it was quickly forgotten. Before him was a blazing and dripping arch opening into the store. It had been a simple ritual to complete. Press the offering to the barrier and recite the words, and it had worked. Stepping into the store he opened his bag and quickly set to work grabbing various things from the shelves. Matches, candles, salt, lots of salt. Old style thermometers, needles, thread, a small first aid kit which he was surprised was still on the shelf. He also helped himself to several cans of ready to heat food stuffs.

Satisfied with his haul he paused pulling some lien out of his pocket while wondering if he should leave it behind to cover his acquisitions. Putting the lien back into his pocket he thought better. Though this store was in a pretty good condition it was abandoned. The owners either having left or died. Anything like lien left behind would only be grabbed by whatever looter or scavenger that decided this place would be their next target, and in hind sight he might still need it for something else later on down the road. Stepping back through the portal he turned to face it and recited the closing phrase while holding his free hand up as if offering thanks. The portal closed before his eyes leaving no trace it had ever existed.

"Now to find a suitable location for the ritual." He spoke to himself, having over these long weeks grown into the habit, seeing as there was no one around him, at least that he knew of.

Neo was genuinely shocked at what had transpired in front of her. This person literally had walked through a wall without as much as a pause. This was definitely something to watch, and maybe she would be able to steal that technique. It would be useful, considering her previous line of work.

It was his mention of needing a location for a ritual that confirmed that she needed to see what this young man was up to. She followed him easily, as he made little or no effort to avoid being followed, though he did show a fair bit of caution not to be seen when he noticed others working through the remains of Vale.

Jaune didn't go back to his room. Instead he meandered further into the even less populated areas of Vale coming to stop before the mostly standing remains of an old church. Checking out the inside he nodded to himself. The derelict state, debris and lack of an icons meant this place would offer his best chance. Moving deeper inside he located an open door and entered what once was someone's office. Stepping inside Jaune failed to notice that the door took a few seconds longer to close then it should hare. He was too busy emptying out his satchel and pockets. Quickly returning the food stuffs to the satchel for later he then concentrated on the reagents he had gathered. Repeatedly he returned his attention to the book he pulled from his pocket and back to his pile of supplies. Organizing and separating. He had on purpose just grabbed anything he remembered being referenced in any of the books he had been reading, but the ritual he wanted only required so very few. Anything not needed was stored away in his bag.

"Okay." Picking up one of the boxes of salt, he moved to the window and poured a line on the sill. He did the same to the threshold of the door to a side room as well as the main entry. With those preparations done he tossed off his coat rolled up his sleeves and loosened the knife he had fastened horizontally behind his back. Using more salt he began to draw lines and symbols on the floor.

Neo was slightly concerned on if she had just followed an insane person into closed room. Her semblance kept her well-hidden, and her suspicious nature kept her well away from any place he could notice her. It was his actions and the constant muttering that was off putting. She had taken a quick glance at the book he was referencing before she had moved to a spot to observe from a safer distance. The title meaning little to her, but a couple of the images she had seen on open page was confusing.

Neo was growing weary as the blonde continued to do his work. It was slow going and as he seemed to have to continually check and re-check the book beside him it was definitely eating on her patience and wearing on her ability to stay hidden. It was almost surprising when he tossed the empty box of salt aside and pulled the knife from his back. His words meant little to her, but she watched as he stepped into the circle surrounded by strange symbols. He was careful she noticed not to smudge any of it.

Jaune held his left palm up before him and then placed the edge of the knife against his flesh. Closing his left hand he drew the knife free of his grip. He hissed at the pain but held his hand closed. Neo could see the blood swelling up between his clenched fingers and watched as he stretched his hand out so the blood would drip down into the lines of salt around him.

"I offer this essence of life freely, a sign of supplication and respect. I seek an audience with those who may grant knowledge."

Offer? Knowledge? This kid his way outside of anything Neo was expecting. There was a flair of light and on reflex she flinched dropping her illusion in the process. That second she realized her mistake and readied her weapon only to become aware that she was alone. Before her lines of salt burned ever so slightly with a reddish glow. The blonde kid was gone.

For almost twelve hours Neo hovered around the small office. She was for the most part trying to figure out what had happened before her eyes. The kid was gone, yet here in front of her were glowing lines of salt. She had seen the kid. Watched him set this all up. Witnessed him slicing open his own hand and then he was gone. She was stumped on what had transpired before her, the weirdness level was way higher than anything she had ever experienced. Still she needed to figure out some type of story incase whatever this was got linked back to her, though she doubted it would, but one needed to be prepared, and right now she knew she was not prepared. Plus she was hungry, and this place was at least warm and dry so she figured if the kid wasn't there at least she could help herself so to speak.

She was wary of smudging the lines of salt the teen had placed at the entrance. Call her paranoid but the fewer chances of leaving something behind to show that someone had been here with him the better, and with that train of thought she ate her own meager rations instead of snatching one of the kid's cans of food. It was going on the thirteenth hour when she noticed the increasing intensity of the light coming of the lines of salt. Jumping up from where she had started to lounge on the old desk she activated her semblance and faded into the shadows.

She had to squint against the blinding light and just like when the kid had vanished there was a sudden flash and then , she had to stifle a gasp because this time something was here. Standing where the kid had been but hours before was a young man, he looked similar, actually the same, aside from being more mature, having a few strange symbols tattooed or branded upon his bare forearms. What really caught her attention was his face and hair. The young looks of hope and life where gone. This face was dark as if it knew things none should know, his once bright blue eyes which she had spent a fair bit of time looking at where duller, topped off with white streaks throughout his blond hair. A kid had vanished and a man maybe ten years older had returned, though why he had no facial hair, or that his blonde mop wasn't any longer, kind of bothered her.

Jaune hadn't been prepared at all for what had happened on the other side, but he readily agreed to the terms of both the entities he had drawn to him with his rudimentary ritual. It had cost him though. Ten years of his life for all the knowledge they could infuse into him. Plus the brands on his forearms.

Taking a steadying breath he gazed about the room. It didn't look like much was out of the ordinary, yet he could feel something. There was another presence here, no two. He quickly worked through his mind. He could feel others here, but how to prove it. Spells, rituals, and incantations ran through his mind, until he settled on the simplest of actions. The brands upon his forearms.

Neo watched as the man before went from disoriented to aware in seconds. She watched as he took a steadying breath while scanning the room with his pale eyes. She prepared to defend herself as he moved breaking the lines of salt which had grown cold. If he attacked she was ready, but she was unprepared for what he did next.

"Into the Light I command Thee!" Jaune spoke the words loudly and with force as he brought his forearms together before him. The air and the very light shimmered and stretched towards him. The strain causing him to fall to one knee as his arms almost seemed to get forced apart.

Forcing himself back to his feet Jaune repeated the action and words a second time abet with much more force. "Into the Light I command Thee!"

Neo's illusion shattered leaving her shocked. That only happens when physical force was applied against it, or if she willing dropped her focus. How the hell did he do that with a few words and a strange symbol? She was even less prepared for his sudden move towards her while also grabbing an open box of salt from the table he had stepped back beside.

"Move!"

Neo wasn't sure why he was telling her this but the sudden feeling of dread rising behind her, coupled with her shock about being forcibly revealed without physical contact caused her to drop and roll forward. As she did she saw him swing the open box like a sword throwing and wave of salt past her towards where she had been standing. She turned upon landing and gasped. Right behind where she had been a misshapen gray and black mass boiled and then started to sizzle and hiss as the thrown salt contacted it.

She dodged as a tendril shot out slapping down where she had been and she watched as the man threw the rest of the box before slapping his hand together as if to pray. He entwined his fingers and then pulled his hands slightly apart forming a strange gesture. His words meant nothing to her as he started speaking in something that might hand been a language. With her focus elsewhere, she was unprepared as a second tendril shot out from the mass and imbedded its self into her gut.

Jaune knew upon seeing the thing attached to the wall that it was a corruption spore, and far from having the proper cleansing reagents he chose the next best tactic. Wound it with salt and then use a barrier chant to force it out of his vicinity. While it was disgusting and foul it was little more than a predatory fungus, and after only a few stanzas out of the entire fourteen of the chant it pulled away and vanished back through the wall.

Neo was in shock. This little side trip of hers to satisfy a curiosity had completely gone off the rails of reality for her. That thing on the wall had been repulsive, the feeling of burning pain in her gut causing her to start to panic. Never in all her years had she ever felt something like that, then him, that kid, or man, using only words and salt made the thing vanish and now she watched, struggling to keep on her feet as he grabbed more salt and started to pour it on the floor.

Jaune paid his new roommate not even a second though as he quickly grabbed the last couple boxes of salt he had gathered and proceeded to pour it along the base of each and every wall. Only once he was satisfied that the entire room was surrounded by unbroken line of salt, he pulled his knife, pricked the tip of his finger and let the blood drop into the salt. As if lighting a fuse pale red light flowed around the room and then climbed the walls, bending along the ceiling and finally closing upon itself. Only with the room fully warded did he finally turn his attention to the young woman. It was then he noticed her state. She was in shock but also hurt. The spore must have had landed a blow, and as he closed she made a feeble attempt to take a defensive stance only to drop to her knees, clasping at her gut.

Jaune closed and as she looked up at him she tilted and fell to the side her eyes rolling up into her skull.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Jaune cursed as he quickly as he could took in the situation. Kicking her possible weapon away he looked her over. Her hand grasped in spasms at her gut, and taking a steadying breath he pulled them away. Her clothes near the spot of entry were dark with wetness, and that darkness was spreading.

"Sorry about this." He said to her as ripped open the lower part of her top. The wound was seeping and oozing black bile like fluid. The Spore had landed a solid hit and its foul nature was starting to work. He knew from his recent accelerated education that soon she would start to spasm, and those would grow worse until finally in a one in last convulsion her body would twist so violently that her own neck would snap, killing her and allowing a new spore to emerge from her decaying mass. He didn't have much time.

Again grabbing a nearly empty box of salt he drew a circle around himself and the young woman, then he drew a second circle around the wound. Using his knife he cut his hand and then after a second of thought cut her palm as well. Tossing the knife aside he took the fingers of his left hand and dipped them in her blood and then in his. With the mixed blood he drew runes on all four cardinal points around the wound, followed by a sigil upon her forehead. He worked as fast as he could. Slowly her body was showing signs of the spasms growing more severe. With one final mixing of their blood he let drops fall into both salt circles as he began a slow complicated prayer.

Neo was in agony, and through the haze of pain she couldn't get her bearings. It felt like her body was burning, and freezing, that all her muscles where slowly coiling and coiling tighter and tighter. She could swear her bones were creaking under the strain threatening to snap.

Jaune could see her condition getting worse so her closed his eyes and focused reaching into his aura like his recent lessons had taught him. He spoke the words of the esoteric prayer with more conviction. In the glow of the activated barrier wards a faint white light flowed around him and into her. Funneling into the blood runes and symbols before diving into her body. From within the wound bubbling black goo started to froth and foam up. Slowly it climbed further and further into the air as if filling a tube. The ward around the wound preventing it from flowing freely to the floor.

Neo could feel things easing. The creaking and tightness was letting up. The burning and freezing sensations felt like they were being flushed out of her. Slowly she opened her eyes and began to focus on the world around her. She wondered for a moment why she was looking at the cracked and peeling ceiling of the room before noticing the white light cascading all over her. Lifting her head she then took note of the man kneeling next to her speaking in another strange language. It was also at this time she noticed the blood on her left hand and the pulsating churning black mess of goo spilling up and out of her stomach.

"Don't move!" he spoke without look at her. Her mind was broken at this point and whatever reason she could have fathomed not listen to his commanding tone didn't register so she remained still. She watched as he separated his hands and in a pretty fluid motion swept his right hand against her bared flesh and knocking or tossing the floating mass off her while also breaking the salt circle around her wound. The mass flew and in her amazement she watched as it seemed to impact an invisible barrier near her feet before busting into a quick spout of intense light before vanishing completely.

He stood up and walked away from her scuffing his feet through the glowing salt and breaking its effect. Quickly trying to assess her situation Neo noticed that her shirt was ruined from the waist up to just below her bust, and while that was upsetting her, the small scar on the left side of her stomach was more disturbing and causing any anger she was feeling about her clothes to vanish. She looked at him, her pink and brown eyes rimmed with slight panic.

"You'll be fine. I was able to remove the entity, and close the wound, but I can't do anything about the scar. Those don't vanish after something like that. Sorry about your shirt."

Neo racked her thoughts trying to come up with some reason for all of this.

"Can you talk?"

She glared at him.

"I'll take that as a no." the man took a seat on the floor a little distance away. He sighed, a sound indicating to Neo that he was mentally and physically drained. "Do you know how to sign?" he accompanied the words with hand motions.

Neo looked at him lifted her right hand and gave him the finger. It was a slight motion that took some serious effort on her part to complete.

"I guess not." Jaune was getting a little more than annoyed. He had planned on his return to the physical realm to try and contact Phyrra, but now he was wiped. Dispelling that first spore and then excising the second one had taken more than he wanted to admit out of him. This was getting him nowhere, so at the edge of his patience he chose to do something less conventional. "'She'll probably bit it off but, whatever." He knew she would still be suffering the after effects so he moved.

Neo heard his words and saw his motion but even though her body was no longer in pain it still felt heavy and cumbersome. Her eyes opened in surprise and a little disgust as he grabbed her left hand and stuck one of her blood covered fingers in his mouth. The feeling intensified when he proceeded to push one of his blood dripping fingers into her mouth. He muttered something and formed a few strange shapes with his free hand, before after only a couple of second releasing her finger and removing his.

"You fucking sick piece of shit!" she could taste the iron of his blood on her tongue.

"Great." He replied. "I got a girl mute with a sailor's mouth."

"You heard that? How did you hear that? I don't talk! I can't talk!"

"It's called Ghost Speak." He mumbled as he returned to full sitting on the floor. "It's a rather simple spells that allows people to be connected and converse or communicate without sounds hearable to anyone but those who are the targeted. So I targeted the pair of us. No one can hear you, aside from me. Much to my delight."

"What the fuck?"

"What the Fuck it right." He responded, "I have no clue who you are or why you're here but girly you just severely fucked up. Plus you've serious screwed me on what I had planned to do. So what is your deal?"

"Deal?"

"Okay, let's do it your way. Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Really? I just saved your life, you've interrupted my plans, and maybe you can sense it but we're kind of stuck in this little room together for the next few hours. So at least do me a favor and tell me what to call you."

Neo was at a loss for words. As soon as he said sense it, she stopped and concentrated. He was right she could feel something just outside the walls of the room they now sat in. She couldn't place the feelings, but she knew instinctively the things all around them were hostile.

"You do feel them don't you?"

"Yes?" Neo looked around, and could only see the peeling walls, but that sense of hostility was all about. "What is it?"

"Danger, and trouble. There is more to this world than what everyone thinks. You just got for the lack of better term your eyes opened to another layer of stuff, stuff that can make the grim look like puppies and kittens comparatively. So you got a name?"

"Neo."

"Well Neo, I'm Jaune, and just so we are both on the same page here, I would prefer if you do not break any of the warding lines I have around this room until day break. I would rather not get digested in my sleep by a spore, or something equally vile."

"Spore, was that what. . . "

"Yes."

"Where . . ."

"Listen." Jaune leaned back on his hands and stretched his legs out before him, "I'm wiped, and you're still feeling the effects of both the spore attack and my exorcism. We need to rest, and then if the barrier wards and everything holds we'll wake up in the morning. Then maybe I'll answer your questions and we can fuck off from each other. Sound like a plan?"

Neo was a little shocked at his straight forward was of speaking, but before she could come up with a reply, he laid down and closed his eyes. She felt tired but the sense of hostility surrounding her was a little too much for her nerves, in addition to the rapid fire series of events she had just witnessed and been part of. However even with her level of agitation she slowly succumbed to the fatigue pulling at her mind and body. Slowly she drifted off.

Morning came without incident. Neo groaned as she was forced from her slumber by a nudge to her side. When her eyes finally opened and focused she found she was looking up at a scowling Jaune who was presently nudging her kidneys with the toe of his boot. Rolling away from him she instinctively reach for her parasol but found her fingers latched on to nothing but air.

"Good you're up." Jaune turned his back on her and pointed off to one side, "Your umbrella is over there. There's a can of stew and a bottle of water next to it if you are feeling the need." He then proceeded to apparently continue to pack up his things, taking a break ever few minutes or so to spoon cold canned stew into his mouth.

Neo said nothing and took a few minutes to stretch out her stiff limbs before moving over to her own items. There was her parasol and right next to it, a can of ready stew and a bottle of water, in addition to a Spork.

"So what's the plan?" Neo asked between mouthfuls of cold food. She was famished and even unheated this heavily processed junk was gourmet.

"There is no plan. Its daylight we'll be safe from most stuff and we can go on our ways. I have plans and they don't include anyone. It's better that way."

"Plans huh?" Neo was slowly getting used to this ability to speak. It was kind of nice not to have to emote everything to others. Even if the only one who could currently hear her was this weirdo. "Like what?"

"Like private ones."

"So what about me."

"What about you?" Jaune eyed her over his shoulder.

"You told me last night there is stuff out there that makes Grim look like puppies. You also told me I've stepped into this shit without knowing, and seeing as I don't know anything, and there is nightmare fuel like that blob shit looking for me, what do I do?"

"Ah you survive? Avoid dark places, and shadows. Sleep in consecrated places." Neo glared at Jaune, making him continue, "What do you want from me? I didn't cause this to you, you caused this. What suddenly I'm now responsible for your wellbeing? That's not how I work anymore."

Neo was going to reply when they bother heard sounds emanating from outside the little office. The pair instantly went from tolerating each other to high alert. Jaune gathered up his remaining items and slipped his satchel over his shoulder, while nervously reaching for the knife strapped behind his back.

"Tell me you heard that?"

"Quiet!" Neo hissed in a whisper.

"Ghost Speak, remember?" Jaune gave her a duh look and Neo just snarled back. "As long as I don't vocalize only you can hear me. So again, you hear that?"

"Yes."

"Scavengers?"

"Most likely."

"Thoughts?"

"Get out of here without them seeing us is an idea, or we fight."

"Not up for the fight idea. We need to get out of here."

"I don't see another door, and the window is all boarded up." Neo stopped when she remembered how he had got into the boarded up store, "Do the thing you did at the store!"

"Store?" Jaune's eyes went wide, and then narrowed, "What you've been following me that long?"

"Maybe longer. Can you do it, and will it work for both of us?"

"As long as there is physical contact between the key and any passengers it will work."

"Key?"

"Me. I open the portal that makes me the key."

"Contact?"

"Hold on to my hand or coat, or foot. Just make sure you keep ahold of me and you'll pass through with me."

"I get it. Can you do it?"

"Yeah. Are they getting closer?"

"Sounds like it. Better get on it Mr. Key."

Neo watched the door to the office as Jaune moved to face the wall behind them. She winced ever so slightly as she heard the knife edge drawn against the palm of his hand.

"I make this offering of essence freely and with humble respect." Jaune placed his bloody palm flat against the wall as he spoke in a whisper, "Grant passage beyond this barrier."

A glowing drew Neo's attention from the door. She had seen glyphs before but this was something different. A detailed almost artistic pattern spread out from the contact between Jaune's hand and the wall. The intricate collection of symbols and arches grew and rotated until fading leaving an arch blazing with light and dripping a shimmering curtain of crimson. Without a second thought Jaune offered his injured hand to Neo and stepped forward. She latch on to it as he started to move and stumbled forward as he pulled her through. Once outside Jaune let go, turned his attention to the portal, and raised his hand one more time.

"Thank you." As soon as the last word was spoken they watched as the arch dimmed and closed in upon itself, vanishing from their sight just as several men walked through the office door. Before Jaune's raised palm now was nothing but a solid wall once again.

"Well, that's done. I would say it was a pleasure but, you know. Have a good life." Jaune turned to walk off only to have Neo grab his sleeve stopping him. "What?"

"What about me? I can see those shadows moving. I can feel things out here."

"So?"

"You know about this shit, I don't." her pink and brown eyes bore into Jaune's dull blues, "Have a good life are you serious? I see crap that I couldn't before. I can apparently speak to you without making a sound, and that was seriously sick pervert shit by the way . . . if you think I'm letting you out of my sight until I can get a handle on this and can keep myself safe . . . then fuck you." To punctuate the point a blade suddenly appeared from the tip of her parasol which she causally placed against Jaune's exposed throat.

"Go ahead."

"What?"

"Go ahead. Cut my throat. You need me, I don't need you. Cut my throat and see how long it is until another spore or something worse decides to eat your tight little ass."

"You son of a bitch!" Neo barely caught hold of her flaring anger, but she knew Jaune was sort of right, "So what am I supposed to do? You brought me into this, you okay with me just being eaten?"

"No you fell into this without my help by being nosey. Ever heard of the saying curiosity killed the cat?"

Neo was now completely confused and desperately tried to formulate a plan of any type to keep from being left alone. Threatening hadn't worked, maybe looking helpless would?

"Don't even bother." Jaune replied seeing the start of the dreaded sad eyes on Neo's face. "I'm immune."

"Please?" it was her last chance, "I need help. Your help. Please let me come with you. Maybe I can help you? I might not know about whatever this is, but I know other things that could help."

Jaune wasn't sure why he was even considering having a tag-along, but he also knew that she wouldn't survive another night without some basic knowledge about this enhanced reality, and even though he hadn't been the cause of her situation he was a significant portion of it. He could see the things she was. He knew about said things, it wouldn't be fair, or right to just abandon her, not after wasting all that energy last night in saving her. "Do you know Vale, like really know it?"

"I do, why?"

"I need to find some more books, and supplies, special ones, and they won't be in these houses or shops, I also need some place safer, or I should say that we need someplace safer to setup as base for a bit."

"I might know of a place we could use."

"Okay. Lead the way."

Taking care to check for any onlookers the pair then made their way into the ruins, and desolation of Vale. Neither really ready to accept the pairing they now found themselves part of, but also not really willing to be truly on their own right now.