Hey guys, meant to get this out last night buy couldn't get to my comp before I blacked out. Here's chapter 37, and just to make sure . . last time I updated I put up like 3 chapters in one day. May want to go back and make sure you've read all the chapters I put up before reading this one :)

Enjoy!

POV: NEO

Chapter 37 - Failure Will Not Be Tolerated

"Cinder, I tried!" Emerald cries out as yet another harsh fist comes down on the cowering woman.

"Tried? She wouldn't even flinch at your pathetic attempts at using your semblance. I thought you've tested it on her before." Cinder shouts, completely furious at Emerald's failure to get her semblance on Pyrrha during the fight.

"I-I don't know! It's like she grew more resistant to it!" Emerald continues to cower, this time getting a sharp stiletto to dig into her abdomen.

"That blast was supposed to kill her! In fact, that attack was banned from her combat protocol with humans. It's an anti-vehicle weapon at the minimum." Cinder explains while she steps on Emerald once more.

"I wouldn't be too hard on her, Cin . . . Take a look at the news." Mercury says, still resting on the windowsill ever since Emerald's beating began. With reluctance Cinder takes out her scroll and begins to search, but doesn't bother taking her foot off of Emerald.

Not to be left out, I search my jacket pocket for my scroll and search for the local news channel that Mercury mentioned. To my surprise there's a breaking news story going into detail on the effects that blinding light has had on Vale.

"Tension flies through the air after the sneaky charade of Atlas is exposed thanks to an anonymous video sent in to us just a few minutes ago."

Lisa Lavender, the local Vale news reporter proceeds to hook in any views at the mention of of Atlas and an anonymous video that's apparently gone viral in mere seconds.

"Come on, Cinder . . . stop beating on her and pay attention." Mercury suggests, seeming disinterested in the news report himself and goes to check on Emerald.

"If this is a waste of my time . . ."

"It won't be, since when do I mess around on these things?"

"Too much for my liking."

Cinder walks passed me while I rest comfortably on the tall dresser and instead sits down on the bed to watch the news report. Normally I'd try to comfort her, but I suppose this is one of those times I should leave her be.

"This video shows us that the female combatant responsible for the malfunction of the protective barrier that keeps viewers at the Amity Colosseum safe from harm is in fact an Atlesian Robot placed into this tournament as a means of 'testing' its combat capabilities."

The video on display is sloppy at first, but the quality soon sharpens to show the several guards that escorted Penny into the tunnel to eventually meet up with Ironwood who proceeds to question the small redhead.

"Penny . . . that is strictly a threat level 5 ability. Did you deem her a threat to society?" Ironwood asks, keeping his calm for now.

"I . . . my programming must have been changed. My cannon is placed under threat level 2." The robot girl explains

"And what about civilian casualties!? If that wasn't deflected properly, lives would have been lost!"

"Civilian casualties are not my concern. Primary protocol is to protect self in combat."

As the two continue their discussion, a scientist eventually appears. Aside from the large, white lab coat, he appears to have a small tool case with him. As far as hair is concerned, he appears to be balding with his white hair circling the sides and back of his head, leaving the top a shining dome.

"Penny, when was your protocol changed? No, what protocols were changed?" The scientist asks while holding the screwdriver to Penny's back.

"Combat restrictions, casualty calculations, and safety priorities. Have I upset you, Father?"

"Nono. I'm just going to check your chip and we'll have you up and running in a few hours. Nothing to worry about."

The grand unveiling is finally made when Penny's back opens like a battery flap and the scientist proceeds to remove her six blades along with what appears to be a computer chip. The moment his hand is removed from the android's back, Penny's arms and head slump forward, and the light in her eyes completely vanishes.

"I'll fix her chip at once . . . Penny knows very well not to harm anyone. She's a good girl."

"She is military technology. She isn't a little schoolgirl despite the image she was made in." Ironwood argues with the scientist who looks on completely dumbfounded.

"She's my little girl. My precious little Copper Child." He answers back, much to Ironwood's disapproval."

"You listen here-"

Ironwood starts to say but his head quickly turns to the camera recording the entire incident.

"Who is that!?" He shouts, making the camera pull back and show shakey views of the tunnel ahead and floor below.

"Uh oh, gotta run." The cameraman says to himself, but without any mistake that video was taken by Mercury.

The video disappears from the screen, leaving us once again with Lisa Lavender.

"This 'malfunction' could killed hundreds if not the thousands in attendance, as well as the students and staff of Beacon resting in the Academy below. What would Atlas need with a weapon in the form of a child? Are the massive armies above a possible sign of incoming conflict? Could that androids entry in the tournament and obvious display of lethal action have been the first step towards Atlas declaring war on the Kingdom of Vale?

"Mercury . . . thank you." Emerald whimpers.

"Yeah, well . . . I knew you'd be getting it for this. We look after our own, right?" The silver-haired, sarcastic kickboxer retorts, drawing out a smile from Emerald who's managing with a bloody lip, and massive bruising along the exposed portions of her torso.

Cinder seems to be pleased at the new display. The threat of war with a massive army looming overhead. The risk of anarchy increases by the second. Cinder wants chaos, and she'll either get it from the civilians fearing for their lives against Atlas, or the Atlesian fleets moving far enough for our plan to commence with far less interruptions than we initially planned for.

"This is . . . acceptable." Cinder admits and raises her head from her scroll to look towards the curled up Emerald and kneeling Mercury that's doing his best to help with the sustained injuries.

"Mercury, you have a match coming up next. I suggest you get back to the Amity Colosseum." Cinder warns him. With a sigh Mercury moves to his feet and runs a hand over Emerald's head.

"Neo, if you got a minute . . . mind helping her?" Mercury asks of me before he leaves from the room, not wanting to upset Cinder any further, although he's done a good job of improving her mood.

When Mercury closes the door, my eyes immediately search for Cinder's gaze who nods her head the moment our eyes meet. WIth her approval I hop down from the dresser, landing quietly at Emerald's side with a smile on my face.

"I'm fine, Neo . . . I just need my aura to come back." Emerald sighs.

Thinking on how to at least numb the pain, I reach into my jacket to pull out my old sidearm, the S.A.D.I.S.T.I.C 5, my trust five shot revolver with a custom chamber. I give a violent shake to the side of the revolver, making the 5-shot chamber spring out to the side. I spin the chamber, searching for a blue dust crystal that I remove and hold out to Emerald.

"You still carry that thing?" Emerald asks with a surprise. I make sure to close the chamber, then proceed to take Emerald's weapon from her hip and smack the dust into smaller crystals with the hilt. I make quick work in gathering up the remaining shards and sprinkle the smaller pieces over Emerald's wounds. The shivers that erupt from her body are a giveaway that the dust is cold as intended.

"T-this is . . c-c-c-cold." Emerald complains, leaving me to give her a blank stare that emanates the phrase 'no shit, Sherlock'.

While the swelling is being taken care of, I walk towards Cinder's bed and start to reach underneath, fishing for a certain container I placed there a while back.

"What are you looking for, Neo?" Cinder questions me, getting a surprise when I pull out a brown, white, and pink box that I painted so anybody that finds it knows it's mine. Inside the box are about eight aura syringes.

Aura syringes are devices that boost a person's aura level after it's been depleted to critical levels. It's essentially an adrenaline shot for your aura.

I take one of the syringes out and put the rest away, waving the one that I separated to Emerald. When I get back to the green-haired girl I quickly jab the needle into her arm, wait a couple of seconds for the osmosis to take place, then pull out the needle seeing there's still plenty of liquid in the syringe, meaning Emerald's aura isn't as depleted as I thought.

With her aura back to a stable level, however, her wounds began healing partially and her body starts to fight the negative presence of the dust that feels like it's applying frostbite to a portion of her torso.

"Thanks, Neo." Emerald mutters and lowers her head, not trying to make any form of eye contact with Cinder for now.

Feeling the tension in the air, I decide to sit on the floor, but make a point to sit with my back between Cinder's legs and against the bed to be able to somewhat manipulate the mood. After getting comfortable, I don't dare lean my head back, knowing Cinder's not in much of a mood, but I do look up at her and offer a smile that she scoffs at.

She always does that when she wants to hide a smile from me . . . You'd be a terrible poker player, Cinder

I take my scroll back out and start to look through it, curious to see how the Vale news is continuing the story of Mercury's leaked footage. Much to my surprise, the news story isn't about 'Penny' anymore. In fact, it's showing a Vale home just off of the main street with a crowd of angry people outside. I eagerly await Lisa Lavender to explain what's going on, and within a few seconds of the broadcast being show, the news reporter appears with the information.

"Trouble appears to be brewing at a small home in Vale where eye witnesses say one of the Specialists of the Atlesian Military is staying during their visit to Vale. The mob you see outside are civilians attempting to chase out the Atlesian as a precaution to the looming conflict in the air. However, a lone Faunus stands outside the door, keeping the crowd at bay. A huntress maybe? An agent of the White Fang, possibly? More on this turn of events when we come back."

"Hm . . . isn't that Roman's loud-mouthed runaway?" Cinder says to noone in particular. "He told me she was nowhere to be seen, or heard."

"M-Mercury saw her yesterday . . ." Emerald speaks up in a near whisper, not wanting to get Cinder's anger to turn on her again.

"I see. She knows about you and Mercury, doesn't she?" Cinder asks and looks at Emerald who gives a slow nod of her head.

"In that case," Cinder starts to speak. She closes her thighs just a bit, touching her knee to my cheek so I look up at her.

"Neo . . . I have a job for you, and failure will not be tolerated."