Chapter 3: First Day of School

Daylight shone into team RWBY's dorm on Neo's first day of class, but she was still fast asleep. If left alone she likely would've slept up through lunch, but her eager leader had other plans. The girls were jolted awake by the ear splitting sound of Ruby's whistle. Neo nearly flew off the bed at the noise, completely caught off guard. Blake rubbed her eyes with an irritated expression, while Weiss and Yang glared at the caped girl.

"Damn it Ruby, I told you not to use that whistle anymore!" Weiss shouted.

Ruby shrugged, "Sorry, guess I forgot."

Weiss sighed angrily and flopped back onto her bed. Ruby frowned at her team's lack of enthusiasm until a cheerful Neo hopped down from her bunk. "Morning Ruby! What classes do we have today?" she asked with a smile.

"Um, let's see... Today we have Oobleck's class in about an hour, then Professor Port's lecture, and then combat training with Professor Goodwitch."

"Cool! I guess I'll grab first shower," Neo said, seeing how no one else was out of bed yet, and Ruby was already dressed. She grabbed her new uniform that Blake has been nice enough to get for her and headed for the bathroom. She shut the door and undressed, turning on the water as she finished.

'Alright, first day of class,' she thought as she stepped into the shower. The hot water cascaded off her body, taking with it her remaining fears for her first day. 'I can survive lectures, just gotta zone out like when Roman would rattle on about the White Fang. Combat training will be a nice break, I just have to make sure I don't go too crazy. It'll be nice to fight these guys for fun. Maybe we'll do partner stuff, that'd be awesome! I could get paired with Weiss, maybe fighting together could get her to start trusting me.' She kept her shower short, not knowing how long the other girls would take. She got dressed, fixed her hair and moved to open the door, but stopped with her hand on the handle when she heard Weiss and Yang arguing outside. Gently, she cracked the door to see what was happening.

Yang had her hands on her hips, glaring at Weiss. The heiress sat on her bed, arms crossed, glaring back. Ruby and Blake stood beside Yang, both looking angry at Weiss. "Weiss, if she wanted to do something to us she'd have already done it while we were asleep," the blonde said angrily, and Neo felt her anxiety come back.

'Shit, I guess I should've known this would happen,' Neo thought sadly. 'I get that she doesn't like me, but why does she keep instigating? I haven't done anything to her directly, not even when I was still with Roman. If she keeps acting like this I'll never get my chance to prove myself to her. Although I'm starting to think it wouldn't be much of a loss if I didn't.'

Weiss huffed, "How do you know she didn't?"

"Um, maybe because we're all still alive?" Yang snapped back. Ruby looked uneasy.

"Guys, please stop," their leader begged. "It's not good for us to fight like this. Weiss, you said you'd give her a chance. If you keep acting like this, then she'll never get one."

"Why should I give her a chance?" Weiss exclaimed. "Maybe she's not here to kill us. Maybe she's here to watch everyone fight so she can report all of our strategies back to the White Fang!"

Blake had been standing quietly until then, but now she'd had enough. "GOD DAMN IT, WEISS! SHUT UP!" she screamed, fed up with the argument. "Yes, she doesn't exactly have the cleanest history. And yes, we don't have any outstanding reasons to trust her. But you know what? When you found out about my past last semester, you thought the same things about me. And I remember you saying that you didn't it didn't matter as long as I wasn't a part of the White Fang anymore. What makes Neo any different?"

Weiss went to respond, but hesitated. Neo felt a few tears welling in her eyes and decided now would be a good time to end the argument. "Everything alright out here?" she asked timidly, fully opening the door.

Blake smiled, "Yeah, everything's fine." She shot a Weiss a look, and the heiress nodded without another word.

"Dibs on next shower!" Yang said, snatching her clothes off the dresser and rushing into the bathroom before anyone could argue.

The room was silent for a few minutes. Neo glanced over at Weiss, who was looking very conflicted, and couldn't help but feel bad. 'It's not her fault. None of them should be trusting me like they are. I haven't done anything to earn it.'

The silence continued until Blake decided it was starting to become awkward. "So Neo," she began, looking for anything to have a conversation about. "Do you need anything else before class?"

Neo thought for a moment, smiling at how friendly Blake continued to be. "Um... I guess I'll need a notebook or something."

"I think Weiss has a few extra ones," Ruby chimed in. "Maybe she could give you one."

The girls turned to Weiss, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I, uh... Yeah, I think I have some extras," she said, reaching into a desk drawer. She pulled out a medium sized binder and tossed it to Neo. "Here."

Neo caught it and smiled, "Thanks."

"No problem," Weiss replied, giving a small smile in return.

Yang emerged from the bathroom and Weiss took her place, followed after by Blake. Once she was dressed, the team headed for Dr. Oobleck's classroom. Neo quickly found she wasn't a fan of school uniforms, fidgeting with her blouse for the length of the walk, much to Yang and Ruby's amusement. They arrived a few minutes before the bell rang and sat near the back of the hall. Neo sat with Ruby on her left and Blake to her right, Yang and Weiss sitting beside them respectively. "So what's today's lecture on?" Neo asked.

"Post-war Vacuo," Yang responded, sounding less than enthusiastic. Ruby groaned and put her head on her desk, covering it with her notebook. Neo laughed and turned to Blake.

"What's the professor like?" she asked.

"He's an... interesting person. He was with us on the train, you might've seen him then. Only thing is he's just a little-" Blake was interrupted as Oobleck rushed into the room in a blur, stopping at his desk to take a drink from with thermos.

"Good morning children we're going to get started right away with today's lesson on post-war Vacuo right away! Please open your textbooks to page one hundred three and follow along!" Oobleck rattled off, moving around the front of the room and writing incomprehensible lines on the chalkboard.

"Hyper..." Blake finished, and the girls all laughed. The lecture began and within minutes the members of team RWBY assumed their usual roles: Ruby asleep at her desk, Yang daydreaming, Blake listening off and on and occasionally writing something down, and Weiss furiously taking notes. Neo was writing with the same fervour as Weiss, eager to take in as much knowledge as she could. She occasionally glanced up at the rest of her team, each time saw Weiss looking over at her. The heiress was quick to look away every time she was caught, leaving Neo wondering what she was doing.

'Why does she keep staring at me?' she thought. 'I'm not doing anything wrong, am I? She doesn't look angry. What is it then?' The lecture wore on and eventually ended before she could answer her question, and the quintet headed to the dining hall for lunch. Again, they met up with JNPR and sat together. They got their lunches and sat down, and Nora was disappointed to see that Neo was eating a normal amount of food. Throughout the meal, Neo noticed Weiss continuing to stare at her, but this time decided to ignore it. Even so, it still made her uneasy. 'I know she said she'd keep an eye on me, but I didn't think she meant literally! What does she even think I'd be doing while I'm with everyone?' Neo thought, pushing food around her plate.

"Not hungry after last night?" Jaune joked.

"Huh? Oh, um, yeah, I guess," Neo stammered.

"You okay?" Ruby asked, sounding concerned.

Neo put on a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine." The others weren't convinced, but didn't pry further. Lunch ended and the group moved to their next class, Neo making sure to sit next to Weiss in the hope that she wouldn't continue to stare at her. The lesson began, and Professor Port was almost instantly derailed and began a tangent about a hunting trip from his youth. It wasn't long before Neo decided to take after Ruby and set her head on the desk, but a slap on her shoulder prevented her from falling asleep.

"Get up!" Weiss snapped. "If you expect to succeed here this is not the way to do it. This is important stuff!"

Neo groaned and turned her attention back to the front of the room in time to hear the professor explaining in detail the difference between crimson and scarlet. She turned back to Weiss with a smug look. "You were saying?" she asked, and Weiss huffed.

"Okay, maybe not paying attention right now won't hurt you, but getting in the habit of it will."

'Now she's trying to be helpful? What the hell is her deal?' Neo thought. She rolled her eyes, but decided Weiss was right. She kept her attention at the front of the room, glancing at Weiss every now and then, and was relieved to see the heiress wasn't constantly looking her way anymore. The bell finally rang and everyone rushed to leave the room and escape from the tortuous lecture.

"See? I told you he wouldn't correct the essays," Blake laughed, and the rest of her team laughed with her.

"So what do you think of classes so far?" Yang asked, turning to Neo.

"They're alright I guess. But I don't know how many I could sit through in a row, especially if they're all like that one," she answered.

"Well you're in luck then!" Ruby cheered. "Combat training is next!"

Neo smiled, "Sounds like fun. Hey Yang, maybe we'll get a rematch."

"Don't expect to win this time if we do," the blonde said with a grin. The two went back and forth until they arrived at the arena and took their seats, joining back up with team JNPR. Professor Goodwitch walked to the center of the ring shortly after, looking down at her scroll.

"Alright students, today we'll be doing something a little different," she began. "Today we will be sparring in random pairs to test your ability to adapt to new partners and their fighting styles."

Neo surveyed the other students in the room, deciding in her head who she would and wouldn't want to be matched with. Her heart nearly stopped when she locked eyes with a familiar silver haired boy and green haired girl across the way. 'Oh my God, what're they doing here?' she thought in a panic. 'Did Cinder send them to finish me off? Make it look like a training accident?'

"Our first match: Russel Thrush and Jaune Arc, against Ruby Rose and Mercury Black," Glynda continued, interrupting Neo's thoughts. The four students entered the arena and stood with their partners. Miss Goodwitch stepped outside the ring and waited a moment to let the fighters discuss their fighting styles. "Ready... Begin!" The match started, but Neo couldn't keep her attention on the fighters. Her gaze constantly wandered to Emerald, who stared back at her for the length of the match with a blank exclusion. A loud thud finally brought Neo's attention back to the arena, where Jaune and Russel were lying dazed on the ground. "And that's the match! Excellent job," Goodwitch called out, stepping back into the ring. The fighters returned to their seats and Glynda turned back to her scroll. "Our next match: Cardin Winchester and Pyrrha Nikos, against Weiss Schnee and Neopolitan."

Neo turned to Weiss, who gave her an exasperated look. 'Well... Looks like I get my wish,' Neo thought sadly, and got up to join her partner in the arena.

"So... Is there anything I should know about your fighting style?" Neo asked, and Weiss shook her head.

"Just stay out of my way," she replied coldly. Neo sighed, and looked at her opponents.

'Alright... Looks like I get my chance to kick Cardin's ass. He looks like a typical bruiser, nothing too much to worry about. Pyrrha on the other hand should be interesting, but I have a feeling Weiss will keep her occupied.' Neo had been feeling down up to this point, but now her entire demeanour changed. She felt the change come over her and let it take hold, switching her from one personality to another. This was the Neo that Yang had fought on the train. She drew her umbrella and leaned on it, giving a cocky look to her opponents. Her change in personality showed more than she thought, with the rest of her team as well as team JNPR taking notice. Pyrrha took a step back, shocked at the psychopathic smile staring back at her.

"Ready?" Professor Goodwitch asked, looking at both pairs. "Begin!"

Weiss and Cardin charged toward each other while Neo and Pyrrha stayed still, each analysing the other. Cardin swung overhead at Weiss, who gracefully parried, landing a blow to his midsection. He spun around, carrying the momentum from his first swing and took aim at Weiss' legs. She leapt back, Cardin's mace burying itself into the ground, and charged forward again. Cardin was prepared this time, pulling his mace up and landing a strong blow square to Weiss' chest. She was sent flying back toward her partner, landing a few feet to Neo's left.

Neo locked eyes with Cardin and slowly strutted toward him. Pyrrha moved forward to intervene, but hesitated, wanted to watch the girl fight before she engaged her. Cardin charged at Neo, swinging wildly, but she dodged each blow as if it took no effort at all, moving only slightly to one direction and letting the weapon pass fractions on an inch from her body. Cardin's attacks became more wild and aggressive as his anger grew at his inability to connect. Pyrrha ran to help her partner, but Weiss moved in on her before she had the chance, leaving Neo to take care of Cardin. She continued to avoid his assault, waiting for the opportune time to strike back.

Finally, she extended her umbrella, deflecting a blow aimed at her head, and struck out at Cardin's ribs with her other hand. He recoiled at the unexpected attack, and raised his weapon to retaliate. Before he could swing, Neo kicked at the side of his knee, knocking him off balance. She planted a series of blows across his head and chest, finally grabbing his arm and flinging him into the air.

At that moment, Weiss was also off the ground, having just dodged an attack from Pyrrha. Seeing Cardin behind her, she created a glyph at her feet and jumped from it to the falling bruiser, grappling him and slamming him into the ground with incredible force. Pyrrha now turned her attention to Neo, running toward her with her shield raised. Neo dodged the girls initial attacks, and began parrying the continued onslaught with her umbrella.

Neo suddenly found herself on the ground as Weiss collided with after being thrown by Cardin. The two rolled several yards before coming to a stop, getting back to their feet to see their opponents charging at them full force. Weiss raised Myrtenaster and prepared to meet them, but Neo put her arm out to stop her. "Wait," Neo commanded. Weiss was hesitant, but held her stance as Pyrrha and Cardin drew closer. She smirked and activated her semblance, moving her and Weiss to the opposite side of the arena and leaving an illusion of them behind. Cardin slashed at the illusion, shattering it and leaving him and his partner off balance and confused. "Now," Neo said, and Weiss charged, creating a series of glyphs around her opponents.

Neo leapt forward as well, slamming into Pyrrha and sending her high into the air. Weiss unleashed a devastating assault on Cardin, dashing from glyph to glyph, also sending him flying. She gave a nod to Neo and the two launched up to continue the fight, each grabbing their opponent by the shoulders, spinning as they plummeted to the ground, simultaneously slamming them onto the floor, the thud echoing through the arena.

"And that's the match!" Glynda called out, moving toward the fighters. Neo was surprised that match was called so soon, but sure enough Cardin's aura had already dropped into the red. The adrenaline began to wear off and she began to revert to her normal self. She stood in an almost meditative state for a moment before she noticed Pyrrha approaching her.

"That was a good fight," the redhead said, holding her hand out to Neo. "I'd love to face you one on one."

Neo smiled and shook her hand, now fully from her second personality.

"Yeah, me too. Maybe next time," she replied, and turned to go to her seat.

"Hey!" Weiss called to her, and she spun to face the heiress. "That was... impressive. You're a good fighter."

Neo smiled, "Thanks, Weiss. That means a lot from you." Weiss smiled back and the four returned to their seats.

"Hey, what happened at the start of the match?" Yang asked with a look of concern once they'd sat back down. The rest of her team and team JNPR had been wondering the same thing, and leant in to hear an explanation.

"Well, you can see a lot of me is split," Neo said, gesturing to her face. "My hair colour, my eyes, and also my personality. Right now, you're talking to normal Neo. When things heat up, like in combat, I take on my other personality. When I make the transition, I become a psychopath. It's not easy to control, but I manage."

The group went silent, and Neo feared she shouldn't have said as much as she had. Yang was the first to respond, "I guess that explains the Neo I fought on the train versus the one I found on the streets. Is it only a fight that triggers it?"

"No, any strong emotion can bring it on too." Neo continued. "I can usually keep it under control when it's from a positive emotion, but otherwise it can be difficult, especially when it's something like stress or anger."

"How do you switch back?" Pyrrha asked. "You looked like you do now when we spoke after the match."

Neo thought a moment, "Well, that really depends. If it's from a fight, once it's over I can switch back right away. When it's from an emotion, it just takes time. How long depends on how strong the feeling was."

"Wow, that sounds... frightening," Blake said with a sympathetic look.

"What's her name?" Nora asked, suddenly turning all heads to her.

"What?" Neo asked with a confused look.

"Does the other you have a name?"

Ren sighed and put his head in his hand, "Nora..."

Neo giggled, "No, no, it's fine. I guess not, I've never thought of it as another person but... I guess she is."

Nora's eyes lit up, "Then we should name her!"

"I take it you have something in mind?" Jaune laughed. Nora shrugged and looked to the rest of the group for suggestions.

"How about Psycho?" Yang said, and Neo shook her head.

"Hmm... Gina? No wait, Debbie!" Nora cheered, earning another facepalm from her partner.

"I've got one. How about Beo?" Blake suggested. "As in Beowolf."

"I like it," Neo smiled. "I'm sure she does too."

Weiss laughed, "I feel like Beo and Nora would get along really well."

Nora went to retort, but then only shrugged, "Yeah, probably."

Everyone laughed and eventually returned their attention to the ring. Professor Goodwitch announced the next match, but Neo wasn't listening. Her attention had shifted to the white haired girl to her left.

'Well, she wouldn't have made a joke about me yesterday,' she thought happily. 'That's definitely progress. Maybe she's starting to warm up to me. I should see if we can hang out over the weekend, just the two of us. We can get to know each other more, that would help, I'm sure of it. Weiss Schnee, come tomorrow night, I'll finally be able to call you my friend.'

Class continued, with the teams of Yang and Emerald defeating Ren and Sky, Nora and Blake beating Dove and a boy Neo didn't recognise, and a several other matches of students she didn't know. After class ended, Neo noticed Mercury and Emerald making their way toward her as she and her team made the walk back to their room.

'I guess I should see what they want, not point in drawing it out,' she thought. 'I doubt they'd try to kill me right here, there're way too many people around. Actually, I don't think that would stop Mercury. Now I just need an excuse to stay behind.'

She looked around and got idea when she eyed Ruby's backpack.

"Hey, I'll meet you guys back at the room," Neo said to her team. "I think I left my bag back in the stands."

"Okay, see ya!" Ruby said and waved goodbye, not even thinking Neo hadn't brought a bag in the first place.

After her team was out of sight, Neo took a breath moved to confront her old allies. They stopped on the side of the path as Neo approached, Emerald putting her hands on her hips. "Well well, look who we have here," Mercury said with an amused grin, crossing his arms. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Neo was confused at the comment, "What do you mean? I thought you were here because I was?"

Emerald laughed, "No, we've been here a while for Cinder. I bet she'd love to know you're here though."

"She expected you to be in jail by now. Or dead," Mercury added.

Neo glared at him, "Well you can tell her I'm alive and well and, as of yesterday, a student here."

"Is that so?" Emerald asked in surprise. "Too bad, she said she was thinking about taking you back."

Neo huffed, "Not going to happen. I'm training to be a Huntress now."

Mercury smirked, "Not if Cinder has anything to say about it. I can't imagine she'll want you around anymore once we relay that to her. What we should just off you now so you can't cause trouble."

"Calm down," his partner snapped. "We need to keep a low profile, and I don't think killing her is a great way to do that."

"Well then what do you suggest we do then?"

Emerald thought a moment and turned back to Neo, "Alright, it looks like we both have a secret we don't want getting out, so I'll make you a deal; As long as no one finds out we're here, Cinder won't find out you're here. Sound good?"

Neo was hesitant. She didn't want to keep a secret like this, especially since she didn't know what they were up to. On the other hand, Cinder knowing she was a student now would almost assuredly bring her time here to an end. She went back and forth in her mind for another few moments before she gave a nod.

"Deal," Neo replied, already feeling uneasy.

"Alright then. See you around," Mercury said, and he and Emerald left.

'There's no way this is going to end well for me,' Neo thought sadly, taking a seat on a nearby bench. 'If I tell someone about them Cinder will find out it was me. But what if they do something and I could've stopped it? Maybe I should talk to Yang. No, I don't want to drag her in with me.' She sighed and got up to leave, 'How did I get back to the dorms again? I think I have a map on... Where'd I put my scroll?' She searched her pockets for a minute before laughing to herself. 'I guess I left something in the stands after all.'

Hi everyone, hope you liked the chapter! Next time we get to see Neo's attempt to befriend Weiss. Be sure to review if you've got feedback or any suggestions. I've got an overarching story in my head but if you've got something you'd like to see, don't hesitate to let me know! See ya next time! :)