The aftermath of it all came as somewhat of a shock to the mute. Neo had been there at Beacon and the travesty that had been, but Atlas was on a whole nother level. Where Beacon had a sky filled with Griffons, Neo had been intimately acquainted within a free fall, Atlas was filled to the brim with all manners of horrors. Neo had joined this seemingly suicide cult for the sole reason of getting rid of Ruby but was all this really necessary.
Neo was a merc for hire, not an idealist to end the world, and she was certainly not going to die to one of her "boss'" supposed beasts. So as soon as Cinder and she became separated at Schnee manor, Neo split, she'd chase after Ruby when she and her pack of nits inevitably suplexed the Walking Space Heater. Although Neo had barely gone to ground before she saw the black-cloaked, one-eyed lunatic shoot up into the sky and then get shot straight back down.
'That wasn't the kids." Neo had somewhat realized when Cinder had fallen. But that didn't matter now.
Neo was already making an escape plan when the streets had quite literally broken beneath her feet. Atlas was indeed Beacon on steroids, though the free fall this time truly made Neo scramble for her life. When the ground had given out, she had been thrown consistently through the road she was on, grabbing and snatching at anything that could have been stable enough for her. But Neo had not anticipated the city stopping beneath her whole. So when she came crashing down into some food stand on the sidewalk, her world was snapped to black.
Jaune streaked through the streets of Atlas, his bike growling at capacity as he went. Jumping off the machine beside Ren and Nora, they came to various parts of interest. One deli they stopped at was filled with the remnants of rotted Grim, scavenging through the food while the workers cowered behind the counter. Jaune had been proud of his team's swift action, his blade crashing through one of the alpha beowulf's skull of black ickur while Ren and Nora mopped up the betas.
Removing themselves from the deli, they collectively groaned as they mounted upon their bikes side by side. As they did so, Jaune called to his team with a glance back and forth. "Alright, guys, let's get down to the perimeter of the district, then loop back to the Manor." Jaune said with a commanding tone, removing his cracked scroll to check their map, though Ren and Nora shared a look. "Jaune? Your aura is going mad right now." Ren said with a determined wince, "Are you sure you're fine?"
A worried grimace from Nora at his side made Jaune rev his engine. "Oh, yeah. It's just while we're out here clearing the streets, Ruby and Weiss are locked in the Manor with a sociopath…" He stowed his scroll, turning to Ren, "So I'm only a little stressed." As he finished, he pressed down hard on the accelerator, the bike bellowing off.
Leaving a worried Nora and a scowling Ren, "Ren? Is she really that bad?" Nora asked with a look to her partner, their bikes crawling together. Ren shook his head, one of his hands wiping at his brow as he spoke, "I think he's just stressed and worried, Nor. Which is the case at hand…" Ren slouched forward, taking up the accelerator, "I don't blame him, now let's go." Nora chuckled as Ren smirked. The pair wound up their bikes and fired off to catch up with Jaune.
The blonde, however, was a little more than stressed. Jaune just needed something to take his worry away from the Manor in any state. Thankfully, the broken condition Atlas and Mantel still found themselves offering a perfect backdrop for distractions. Turning the corner of the main boulevard, his bike heavily drifted under him. Snarling ahead of him was a seeming pack of Ursa Grim, one major and a trio of minors with their teeth gnashing and claws scraping upon metal.
Jaune winced, "Ren, Nora. We have an Ursa pack trying to break into a taco stand." He spoke into his wrist, sat back on his bike as he heard the groan of bikes sally up behind him. Nora leaned on her handles as she winced, "This is ridiculous. They shouldn't be in packs?" She wheezed, head dipping as Ren looked at their situation. "Well, I expect that they want something from a Taco stand collectively." The man said with a chiding side glance to Nora and Jaune. The blonde leader slightly smiled, "I forget, is it Tuesday already?" Nora rolled her eyes with a scoff, dismounting her bike, "Okay, okay. Let's just get going-."
The trio was interrupted by a deep and cowering bellow by one of the Ursa, "Was that the Major?" Jaune asked with a huff, quickly dismounting as the team watched the unfurling scene. It absolutely was one of the larger Grim. Its slick black tar of blood slipped down its neck onto the pavement as it roared. The others of the pack snarled devilishly upward to the Major in pain, though from JNR's observation, it was unlikely they were amid a mutiny.
No, the team went tense as they saw the mirage of pink, white, and brown balance precariously atop the beast. "Damnit, is that Neo?" Nora glared, her weapon coming quickly to her hands. "Okay, we have to capture her this time!" Jaune affirmed, looking at his team, "Forget the Grim, take her, and we'll call the Ursa in later." He managed before Ren shook his head with a pointed hand to the scene, "About that, Jaune?.."
The amount of lien she would have bet with Roman about this very situation transpiring would have been enough to bankroll a Skyship. Her parasol blade was plunged into the neck of a gigantic Ursa who not five minutes ago was trying to eat her like a Taco. Now, Neo was once more fighting to survive, how fitting. Gripping hard on her blade, Neo's other hand collapsed onto the fur and malleable skin of the beast as its allies crowded around the husk.
'Come on, you're not gonna keel over on me just yet, you big damn bear.' Neo thought as she begged the Major to remain scrappy and tall. 'I'm not gonna let you be a martyr.' She continued to think as one of the minors' sets of teeth snapped at her boot. Curling up even more on the Ursa, Neo wheezed hard. There were better ways to go, of course. Though she had rather died to a huntsman or huntress by this point of the story.
Which is why the sudden, screaming order, "Move!" Made Neo blink wildly. The Ursa beneath her rocked hard as a pink explosion shook both it and Neo. Panic crossing her face as her blade nearly dislodged, Neo frantically looked down the street. 'Oh good, the trio of idiots is back.' Neo snarled inwardly as she saw the blonde, Ninja, and the Grenadier rushing toward the Grim pack. Neo was quick to throw up a smirk at the team and check her exit strategy.
The alley beside them was too slim for an Ursa. Though the Major beneath her did not share her conviction, its deep roar at being shot brought about its front and hind legs under it as it made ready to charge. 'Don't you dare, you dumb-!' Neo screamed in her head as the beats began to beat the concrete beneath it, leading it and its pack hard at the huntsmen.
Spitting out commands, Jaune pointed his sword forward, "Nora, keep the big ones distracted! Ren, you and I get the little ones!" The pair nodded, "Right!" They said in unison quickly to take up their tasks. Nora glided to her left, smiling crazily as she and her grenade launcher hammered out the second and third grenades upon the whirling mass of teeth. While Ren pelted the minors with bullets, he and Jaune earned the shaking howl of their animosity. "Nice!" Jaune commended, "Now, let's get them wrapped up quick!" Ren nodded, "On you, Jaune!" The pair of men nodding to one another before charging at the trio of minors.
Jaune's shield deploying as he slid low, Ren jumped high and landed on the pane of metal before the pair worked together to fire off Ren to the other side of their foe with a high jump. Letting the two split the three Ursa into mates between them. Though Ren shouted over to Jaune, "Of course the big one likes me!" The larger rear guard turning on the Ninja with a devilish roar, while Jaune was met with the two small Ursa. "You're a popular guy, Ren!"
His sword drawn and shield coming down, Jaune fought to stand as his blade arched wide right. The edge coming in as a swoop against the right Ursa's gnashing jaw. Continuing his heavy streak, the blade bellowed through the black ink of blood withdrawn by the right and levied through the raised arm of the left, curtailing an attack from the raised claws. Shield coming up narrowly to catch a rebuking strike from the left.
Jaune regained control of his sword, curling it up high and bringing the pommel down upon the right's skull with a thickening crack of the carapace. The blade then flew forth, jamming into the sternum of the mini Ursa. The breath of the devilish creature heaved heavy onto him as he levered the sword hard upward. Finding its entrance in the stomach and the cracking exit where the neck met the left shoulder. Spilling out void like fluid as Jaune quickly swung his vision around.
His pistols weighed heavy as Ren hopped over the bear once more to avoid a lunging grab. The back blades of his weapon brought about mid-jump, spinning around as he caught the rear shoulder blades of the beast. Ren's momentum took him down as the edges clawed into the beast with a hearty and resolved roar. The thinner blades seemed to do little more than irritate the Ursa, but Ren was quick as he maneuvered away from a backward swipe. The blades tore from their wounds with a crack. Ren pressed distance between his quarry with a lowly grimace. "Ren!" The Ninja blinked, his eyes flicking to see Jaune charge from the backside of the beast.
Nodding, Ren charged at the Ursa, who was now caught between the hunters' blades. Raising his weapons, Ren listed fire into the bear's eyes, the Ursa responding with a sickenly howl as it broke off a charge and stood on its hind legs. But not for long before Ren hurled his shoulder into the beast's heavy gut, sending the Ursa into a clawing plummet. Hitting the ground in a blaze of knives like swaths, Jaune rolled with a stab through the beast's brow, allowing the blackness of the monster to melt over his weapon before standing. Tired, Ren looked to Jaune, "Were the others even a challenge?" The blonde chuckled, "Of course, but you're better at the big lifting, bud." Jaune responded. A call of laughter made the pair spin around.
'This girl is going to kill me!' Neo howled with fear as the Major she rode stomped through what appeared to be a clothing store. Trying to pull herself free with her weapon, Neo had found her back leg had plunged into the heavy carapace of the monster. Sinking up to her right knee, 'Gods!' She prayed, pink smoke enrapturing around her as the Grenadier yelled out loud, "Come on, you big nerd! I just wanna talk!" Nora said with a cackle, launching another grenade into the Major's evil face.
The smoke clearing as it roared loud and complicated, its legs picking up speed as it charged headlong into Nora. However, the ginger girl had already moved sideward, allowing for the beast to steam through a heavy concrete facade and back onto the street.
"Nora!" Jaune's voice bellowed as he and Ren saw the ginger flip with a laugh away, landing beside the pair of men with a laugh. "Oh, hey guys, having fun with the kids?" Nora said with a chuckle. Ren winced, "Going to bring down the building at that rate.-"Ren managed with a huff, "Nevermind the building, where's Neo?" Jaune interrupted and readied his sword. Nora nodded to the beast, who seemed to shake itself of concrete. "She's still on there."
Sure enough, the trio saw the small mute trying hard to pull herself. "She's sinking into it?" Ren asked. Nora shrugged, "I think. I don't know. I've had bigger fish to fry." She said as the Ursa returned to the moment, realigning itself with a heavy shrug of a roar at the trio. "Right," Jaune nodded, clicking his sword and sheathing his shield, the large weapon entirely unfolding as he took it in a two-hand. "Let's get it down." Jaune winced, heaving his heavy weapon as he received nods from Nora and Ren.
The pair of Ren and Jaune took off. The beast lurching forward had little time to react beyond a domineering crash of concrete to slow itself down. Coming around its left side, Jaune heaved back his blade and sent a thick cut into the side of the beast, eliciting a jagged chasm of black muck stretching from leg to leg. All the while, Ren began again with a shower of bullets, coming up just close enough to get some swiping attacks against the hind leg of the monster.
The Ninja was caught off guard with a snort as a heavy leg rose and bucked like a horse into his chest. Sending Ren off with a wince. Seeing Ren careen into the concrete, Nora leaped high as the beast twirled on Jaune. Though his thick sword caught a glancing swipe from its paws, Jaune was pressed to retreat from a snapping bite. Nora was not high enough for the hammer to be a one snap finish, but she could bring it down on the beast's back with enough force. Slanting down on roughly where a spinal cord would have been, the beats exhaled a slurry of cracked roars.
As Nora plunged her hammer into the beast's back, the sinue and thick guts of the creature fluctuated, allowing for Neo's foot to be torn from the beast with a pained howl. Nora crunched still all the beats, saw the mute pull herself free. In a split second, the pair made eye contact before Nora's momentum took her off of the monster. "Neo's free!" She cried out, Jaune's eyes still fixed on the snapping gape of the beast, cried out, "Watch her! Don't let her run!" Ren bumbled back to a crouch as he spotted the tri-haired woman, conveniently looking still towards Nora and placing her back to him. Gathering his feet more firmly under him, Ren called out, "I got her!" Springing his feet almost as he launched at the mute.
Neo turned with complete shock as she barely pulled her blade back to her. Her surprise was short-lived regardless, ending when the four-foot woman had a six-foot muscular shoulder plowed into her sternum. Sending the air out of her quickly, Ren drove the pair of them off the beast and then back down onto the concrete. The mute's aura flashed as she exhaled hard beneath him, Ren recognizing as she released an incredibly airy wheeze at him, "You.. suck.."
A heavy sweep of claw brought Jaune another step back, then another as he was forced to roll to avoid a snapping of the beast's jaw. "Right, I hate this thing!" Jaune said, taking on his smaller blade and shield again as he winced. Coming alongside Nora, Ren hastily threw handcuffs on Neo before running to join his team. "You carry handcuffs?" Nora said through heavy breaths, "Yeah… Ace Ops gave them to us way back, remember?" Ren said with a tired nod. Jaune scoffed, "Were we supposed to keep those?" Ren shook his head. "Ah, right." Another short-lived laugh left the leader. Again the group was interrupted as a loud bellow and dragging of claws on concrete brought them back.
With a huff, Jaune consulted his team, "So… Big bear. Ideas?" Nora shrugged, "How much does Atlas need their eightieth deli?" Ren nodded half-heartedly at Nora's joke. "We could drop the building on it, but I don't wanna explain that to Robin before long." Jaune spat at the Ursa, "Well. We'll have to bite the bullet then…" Jaune said, readying his sword and shield with a flourish.
However, before they could re-engage, a loud bellowing horn made the trio and Major seemingly turn down the street. The team's wrists coming to life as an all-to-familiar voice yelled out, "Looks like you guys need some help?!" Yang's voice cracked over the comm. The yellow biker's mane was visible even from the end of the high street, coming in equally fast alongside the bob of black hair.
Jaune winced as he spoke to his wrist, "Blake, Yang! Think you can help kill a twenty-foot bear?" Blake's voice sputtered on, "Oh, yeah." The bikes closed rapidly, barely stopping before Blake stood atop her bike with her weapon drawn. It's loose ribbon hooked hazily to Yang's hand, "Show offs." Nora muttered with a happy sigh. Blake crouched low before exploding upward off her grav-bike, Yang being thrown even higher as the ribbon cut through the air. "Cover your ears and eyes," Ren muttered, as Yang raised her fist and was then rocketed down.
The cackle of the blonde woman could be heard as she slammed her fist through the bear's jaw, though the bear still stood. Then the black ribbon bounced over the neck of the beats, Blake coming slamming down onto the opposite side of Yang as they noose tied the large Ursa. Rushing behind the beast like a well-oiled machine, the pair heaved the beast onto its hind legs. The Major barely sputtering out a defiant roar.
Jaune rolled his eyes, looking downward, spotting the slim parasol blade which belonged to the assassin still wheezing for breath behind them. Using his foot, he kicked the weapon up to him. Ren, seeing the act, crossed his arms, he added with a laugh, nodding at the beast, "Give you ten lien to hit it." Jaune smirked as he unsheathed the slim steel blade of the weapon. "I learned some javelin back in Beacon. Let's see if I'm worth ten lien then." Jaune smirked. Raising his arm for aim and the weapon beside him, it was scarcely longer than his forearm, making it dangerously light.
Though it was a simple throw, he whipped the weapon hard, "Good follow through!" Nora commended, adding with a polite clap as the trio watched as the weapon shimmered in the air before plunging deep into the beast's throat. A low mirthful roar sputtered black ink from its gaping jaw. Spilling forth as it went limber against the Bees' choke maneuver. Slumping to its back legs, major began to crumble into a fine paste and dissipate.
Yang and Blake watched as it did so, both rather upset. "You took our kill?!" Yang called her hands out wide while Blake snatched up the javelin. "Your kill?!" Nora shot back, "We had it in the bag! Thieves are what you are!" Ren laughed at the ginger's enthusiasm. "Yeah! But-!" Yang began as she and Blake strode over. Though the pair slowed as the trio turned to grab at Neo. "Woah, where'd you find little pipsqueak?" Yang said with a smirk. Crouching a little so she could look the still gasping Neo in the face.
"Taco cart." Jaune responded, "Think we take her to Robin?" Yang asked with a smirk, "I bet she'd be plenty happy to find a good hold up for the little ones." Neo glared at the blonde, as well as Blake, who fiddled with her weapon. "What nothing to say?" Blake smirked. Rolling his eyes, Jaune put his hand on Neo's shoulder as he spoke, "Come on, don't harass the prisoner." A low huff of a laugh from Yang precluded her address to the small Villain. "Then what should we do with her?" Jaune immediately felt the eyes of everyone in the group fall on him, including that of his prisoner.
Though he was uncertain if it was merely because he was still holding her shoulder. "Schnee Manor may be a good spot to keep her while we figure it out." He sighed, though Ren quickly sighed, "Are you sure? Neo is dangerous on her own, but with Cinder there too?" Neo's attention flipped to Ren with a glare of disbelief.
The mute laughed silently, 'This is the worst trick you've ever tried.' She said internally.
Nora nodded, "I mean… from what Weiss and Ruby said, Cinder is largely passive now? Maybe they're onto something." Neo rolled her eyes with a scoff,
'Captain Looney? Passive?' She shook her head with a huff.
Blake nodded, "Well, worse comes to worst. We can lock her up somewhere else. It would be good to find someone who could talk to her, though." The Faunas muttered. "I doubt Cinder knows how to communicate beyond angry yelling." Yang countered but shrugged, "Oh, well. We're headed back to the Manor. We can take her if you want?" Jaune mulled over the options.
Eventually nodding, "Sure, we're almost done our round of this district, then we'll meet up back there." He said, pushing Neo to Yang, the short Villain irking a little as she was caught. "Aw, I can carry you by your little suspenders." Yang mused, receiving a nervous twitch away from her Neo as well as a death glare. Though Yang continued to move herself and Neo off to her bike. Jaune and Nora, too, took off for their own bikes, leaving Ren with Blake.
Blake stood watching for a moment when Ren elbowed her, "Remember, she's still dangerous. You may wanna keep her weapon with you while Yang takes her." Ren suggested, the Faunas nodding, "Thought as much the same, though I suspect Neo doesn't need a weapon to get Yang to shut up." As she said that, Yang winced loudly, "Ow! My freakin' toe!" Yang hopped on one foot as Neo hopped aboard the bike, a slight smile evident on the Villain. Blake nodded with a huff at the scene, "Well, I wish you luck." Ren laughed, patting the Faunas on the back as he strode after his teammates.
The two groups rushed past each other down opposite ends of the road. Neo handcuffed and essentially sat in the lap of Yang, tailed by Blake at a distance to watch for any funny business. Jaune went to his scroll and dialled in the number for his fellow leader. Hearing the tone, he was prompted to leave a message, "Hey Ruby. Blake and Yang are headed back with Neo. We found her on patrol. Careful with her, I think Yang may get more than a broken toe if she keeps aggravating her. See you tonight." He said with a wince, hanging up the scroll. "All good?" Nora asked, her captain giving a tied nod. "Think so, anyway. Let's get going. I want to be finished before night. The party will be fun." Jaune nodded with a rev of his engine.