It made the news, his performance from the prior night. Every news reader worth their salt gave mention to "notorious criminal Roman Torchwick", and his daring escape from the authorities. If he was being completely honest, he could think of a few things he would rather have the news be calling him, but in his line of work, honesty could get you killed.

It might have surprised the people watching those broadcasts to know he was just walking around in the middle of the day, but he was no amateur. He knew how to make people ignore him. "A little fake scar on the cheek, some prop glasses, different clothes and sleeked back hair. Not sure if I'm a genius for figuring this out or if the cops are in desperate need of re-training."

Most people weren't looking for him or wouldn't remember his face well enough to identify him, and the police would see the pale line on his cheek of an old scar that their target didn't have and think they were looking at the wrong guy. All of this added up to him being able to walk into a coffee shop in the middle of the day while he's being actively hunted, with no-one being the wiser.

Ordering something strong to keep him awake after his long night and short nap, the ignored man took a seat in a nondescript corner of the cafe, sipping the drink as he waited for his employer to arrive. It didn't take long, as the headmaster took a step inside at exactly noon, the few customers who recognised him reacting with surprise at seeing him He ordered a drink of his own, then sat across from Torchwick when it arrived.

"Wait. Don't tell me, I wanna guess. Hot chocolate again?" He asked jokingly of the white-haired man, leaning back into his chair as he watched the other man drink.

"Yes, and I must say that your recommendation was well founded." Ozpin said with a small smile as he rested the cup down on the table. "So, what have your studies found, professor?"

It felt strange to be called that, but Ozpin wanted this discussion to be kept as secret as possible, so using code, false names and titles was a necessity. Roman drank his coffee, now half empty before he spoke again. "It's a promising start. Still taking off though. The subjects aren't quick to trust."

"As is to be expected. We can only do so much at a time with such delicate circumstances." His gold eyes glanced towards the door, even though it hadn't opened. One thing anyone who knew him could tell you is that Ozpin was secretive, keeping as much as possible close to his chest at all times. Sometimes it made him look paranoid, but Roman knew that it wasn't that simple.

"Still, one of the test subjects is showing promise. I'm going to keep an eye on her and see how she affects the rest of the experiment." He held a card under the table, making sure it was at an angle that the rest of the customers couldn't see, but that Ozpin could. The professor took it and pocketed it for later. It only said four words for now, and was the only lead Roman could say for certain he had; Her name is Cinder.

"Well, do keep at it. I have confidence that you can see this experiment through to the end." The Beacon headmaster finished his drink and stood up to leave, turning back before departing. "Oh, but do be careful with Dust crystals in future. They can be quite dangerous if not handled properly."

"I was really hoping he hadn't heard about that part." Roman scratched behind his neck awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact with his boss. Ozpin may have sounded casual, but the redhead could tell he wasn't exactly happy with his employee throwing an explosive Dust crystal at a minor. "In my defence, I was...at least 90% sure things were going to work out well."

"Yes, well next time only take that risk if you're completely certain. Proper handling of Dust is simple safety for you and those around you, after all." With his brief scolding done, Ozpin left, dropping a few extra Lien in the tip jar as he went. With his employer gone, Roman reached into his pocket for a cigar by reflex, before stopping himself when he remembered that he had left them behind.

"They're looking for a redhead with taste in cigars, genius. Just because they haven't spotted you yet doesn't mean they won't if you make dumb mistakes." Eventually withdrawing his hand from his pocket, Torchwick knew he'd have to get his craving back at his apartment until the heat was off, or until he was back in-character. Running a hand through his hair to recompose himself, he finished his drink, left a noticeably smaller tip than his boss and walked back onto the streets of Vale.

He couldn't help trying to keep his head down as he walked, feeling strange walking around without his cane. It wasn't that he wasn't armed, as he had a small self-defence knife on him just in-case of problems, but he was so used to having Melodic Cudgel on him that he felt less safe without it. He had heard that some Huntsmen and Huntresses had similar reactions to being far from their weapons and it wasn't hard to see why. They were practically trained to treat their weapons like an extension of themselves, so being without it could feel like you were apart from a piece of yourself.

The need for a cigar wasn't helping, nor was the fact the police were looking for him and his boss would deny any knowledge of him should he get caught. For starting this trip so confident, he was becoming increasingly eager to get out of the public eye, walking faster and ducking into alleys anytime he thought it would make his journey quicker.

When he finally made it back home, he grabbed his cane from its place near the door, gripping it tightly as he walked over to where he kept his cigars, rummaging around for one. "Come on, come on...! I know I have some in here!"

Behind him, he heard something, a distinct clicking noise of a lighter being opened and closed. For most people, hearing someone other than themselves in their apartment when they live alone would be cause for alarm, particularly when the only firearm they have is unloaded because they were responsible enough to not leave a loaded gun lying around their house unguarded. Roman just smiled, as he knew who it was currently sitting in his chair, as they had done this multiple times before. "You know, you should really call before you visit. I'd have picked you up something to drink before I came home."

Turning, he was met with the sight of a girl with pink and brown hair lounging in his armchair with his lighter in one hand and his box of cigars across her lap. She even had the nerve to wear his hat, smirking as she rested the lighter down and begin moving her hands in precise patterns. He read her sign language with ease, having mastered it himself just to understand her. "Where's the fun in that?"

Resting his cane down again, he strode over to her and reached for the box of cigars, lifting one from it and bringing it to his lips. "We need to talk about your definition of fun, Neo. I get the feeling we have very different ideas about that."

Neopolitan, or Neo for short, was a memorable girl, for a multitude of reasons. Her look, a distinctly patterned hair style with eyes that changed between a variety of combination, combined with fine clothes and short stature, made her stand out from a crowd, even in as diverse a place as Vale. Her skills were also hard to forget, as he had never seen anyone so gracefully decimate her opponents or look like they were enjoying it as much as she did. Some might linger on her silence, a result of her being naturally mute and needing to find other means to communicate.

But the reason Roman could never forget her was because she was his oldest companion, the last link to a life almost lost to time, and his partner from his academy days. She was as much a part of him as his arm at this point, and he would never complain about seeing a face he could trust, even if she was breaking into his home to visit him. "I was hoping you'd jump. I'll have to try something new next time."

"As much as I would love it if you for you to rob our enemies the chance to kill me by startling me to death, can we put a rain check on that until I'm done with my job?" She handed him his lighter as he spoke, giving him the chance to finally get his craving out of the way. As soon as he inhaled, his nerves calmed and he took his time exhaling, making sure he blew the smoke away from Neo. She never particularly liked his habit, but indulged him for the time being as long as he minimised how much of it she had to smell.

"Oh? You onto something?" Sitting down on his sofa, Roman grabbed an ashtray and held it close by as he went over the facts in his head.

"I think I've been dealt a good hand to play, if that's what you wanna hear. You should see her, Neo. Dark hair, gold eyes, and looks in all the right places." He chuckled as his partner rolled her eyes at his comment.

"This "hand" got a name?"

"Cinder. Still working on that last name, but I'll get it soon enough."

"Because you have a way with the ladies, right?" He wasn't sure how many people could be sarcastic through sign language, but Neo had perfected it. Shifting to sit upright, her expression became more serious. "You need any help?"

He held the cigar up to the ashtray as he breathed out more smoke, thinking carefully about what to say. "This could be our big break, but I don't think she trusts me enough to bring in my own people yet. Stay on standby for now, and I'll call you if I think I can get you in on this."

She had been protective of him for years now, even though she knew he was capable. Letting her know how much he wanted to have her looking out for him would put them both at ease. With his cigar almost completely burned out, Neo left her chair and sat next to him, leaning against his shoulder with a concerned expression. "Just stay safe."

"Come on, it's me we're talking about! There's nobody more careful than me!" He said with posture, relieved to hear a faint giggling coming from her. It was one of the only noises she could make, so it was always nice to draw it out of her. "Just remember what we used to say; Rain's overhead, but blue skies on the horizon."

She signed the last few words as he spoke, both knowing the saying off by heart, before they relaxed against each other. Content in that moment, he couldn't help but think about how lucky he was to still have her by his side after all this time, and how it all came to start.

One of the earliest things he could remember was the smell of the farm. An earthy smell that most people in the cities would turn their noses up at, but that he couldn't bring himself to be bothered by. Every morning, the rising sun would shine through his window, right into his eyes to wake him up and remind him that being a kid didn't make him exempt from doing his part.

Coming downstairs, he would always find his parents awake, active, and annoyingly cheerful for this early, but they gave him breakfast, so he forgave them for it. His father, a man who he would one day be the spitting image of, would leave soon after to tend to the fields and harvest the crops at the right time. His mother, a beautiful woman with a sarcastic streak, did a few different jobs around the area, but mostly worked in the greenhouses.

While they were doing that, he had to make sure the house was clean before he was allowed to do what he actually wanted to with the day. Sometimes he would sneak out and come back to do it later, but he'd usually get caught if he did, so most of the time he just got on with it, then went to play outside once the place was spotless.

The farm hadn't been around for long, but he couldn't remember a time it wasn't there. His father was friends with the farm's owner, Bartleby Brunson, and when the other man had suggested they try to live off of the land, it hadn't taken the older Torchwick much convincing to agree to give it a try. In honour of his friends trust, Bartleby made sure that both their names would be memorialised in the name of their new home; Brunswick Farms.

Or at least, that's the story he'd heard from Bartleby's son once. Honestly, he didn't care about the details. Home was home, and it was all the young boy needed to know.

His oldest distinct memory was a day that started like any other before it. He woke up like normal, ate like normal, cleaned like normal, and then went out to play like normal. There wasn't much for a lone child to do, surrounded by people older than him. Sometimes some of the grown ups had enough free time to play, but usually he had to make do by himself. At the moment, he was kicking his ball against a nearby wall, content to keep doing that until he got tired.

"Having fun there, Roman?" Turning to the voice, he saw it was Mrs. Brunson, the kindly wife of Bartleby coming up to him.

"Sure am. Practisin' for when I can wow the world, you know?" He spoke with the playfulness only someone so young could possess, drawling a small laugh from the older woman. "You lookin' for mama or papa?"

"Actually, I was looking for you. I have a favour to ask." This was different. The only grown ups who ever asked him to do anything were his parents, so he was curious about what it was. When he didn't complain, the woman knelt down to his eye level. "I need to visit the city to pick up some things, but there's someone I don't want to be left alone right now. Can you stay with them until sunset?"

"Who is it?" Roman asked, not knowing who she could be referring to. Had someone gotten sick and needed looking after? Could he really be trusted with that if it were the case? Instead of answering, she extended a hand to him.

"Come on. I'll introduce you." Taking his smaller hand in her own, Mrs. Brunson led him to her family home, a place he had visited a few times for dinner, but never during the day. He had always stayed on the ground floor of the house on the few times he had visited, so it was a new experience when he was guided up there. After a few more steps, they stopped in-front of a closed door and the woman looked him in the eyes again. "Before we go in, there's something you should know. The person you're about to meet can't speak like you or me, so be sure to pay attention to what she does."

"Why can't they talk?" He asked innocently, so used to being able to speak that the idea of lacking that was hard for him to understand. For her part, Mrs. Brunson just smiled sadly.

"It's a long story, that I'm afraid I don't have time to tell." Standing up straight, she knocked on the door. "I'm coming in."

He could have sworn he heard a faint bell noise from the other side of the door, before the woman turned the knob and pushed it open. Looking inside, he saw a perfectly normal bedroom, with books and wooden toys scattered next to the bed. There, sitting upright was a small girl, one who couldn't be much younger than himself, staring at the older woman and waving faintly. She looked so pale, and her arms were so thin and fragile looking.

"Hi there, Neo. Mama's just going to get you some more medicine and maybe a nice new book if I can find any. But before I left, I wanted to introduce you to someone." She turned back to him, as he had remained rooted in place even as the woman walked up to her child's side. He approached when she beckoned him in, cautiously approaching the girl as she looked at him with curious eyes. "This is Roman. He's the same age as you, and I've asked him to keep you company till I get back."

The girl's gaze never left him as her mother spoke, and seemed so empty at first. He wouldn't lie, at that moment he was a little uncomfortable, wondering just what was going through her head. But then she smiled softly and gave him a small wave to say hello, and he felt a relief wash over him. "Hiya. Nice to meet ya."

Mrs. Brunson gave them a warm look as she grabbed a nearby bag and slung its strap across her shoulder. "Thank you for doing this. If there's anything you're not sure about it, go find my son. He'll be on the field behind the house today."

He nodded, and with a content expression she leaned over and kissed her daughter on the forehead before turning and leaving the two alone, where what felt like a long silence settled over them, even though it only lasted a few seconds. "So...your name's Neo?"

She nodded, and continued to just sit there, staring at him. He tried to avoid looking her in the eye, as it was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Still, he had to do something, or else they would both be in for a long, silent and dull afternoon.

"Is there anything you wanna do?" He asked, hoping she would give him some kind-of sign. Trying to understand someone who couldn't speak was more stressful than he had thought. Thinking for a second, Neo reached for a book next to her and handed it to him. He took it from her and looked it over, surprised that a girl so small would have such a thick book with her. "You want me to read to you?"

She nodded again, pointing to a bookmark sticking out from between the pages. It wasn't hard to figure out the rest from there, so he opened the book to the page the bookmark rested on it. It was a book of fairy tails, and from the looks of things she had already had half of them read to her before. He was no stranger to reading, but not out loud, so he had to clear his throat to ready himself.

"Alright, the story of the seasons. Deep in the forests of Remnant, besides a great and mighty river stood the small, fragile home of a cold, frail man..."

Minutes passed, then hours, as he kept reading stories to Neo, occasionally drawing giggles from her when he struggled with the bigger words in the book. She sat there and listened, engrossed in the sound of his voice describing the old stories. Before either knew it, they had drifted to sleep, as the sun slipped below the horizon.

He only stirred when a large, rough hand shook him gently. "Come on, lad. Time for you to be headin' back to your folks."

Bartleby was crouching over him as he rubbed at his tired eyes. He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but it was a relief to see that Neo was sleeping peacefully in her bed. "Mmmm... Okay..."

He lifted his head from where it had rested against the bed and followed the older man out of the room. Before he could walk downstairs, he heard the same faint bell noise he had earlier and turned back around. There the small girl, holding a tiny bell in her small fingers looked at him with a content smile and waved as he left.

He couldn't help but return the gesture, beaming brightly as he did. "See ya again, Neo!"

The farm owner walked him home, chuckling to himself as he did. His parents were already home by then, and he ran to hug his mother, who ruffled his hair playfully. "And what time do you call this, little fella?"

"Sorry, mama." His tone wasn't even slightly apologetic, but it wasn't as if he was being seriously accused of anything. Off to the side, his father spoke with Bartleby.

"Hope my boy did a good job today, Barty." The redhead man said with a carefree expression.

"Sure looks like it. Mind if I borrow him again sometime? My girl could use some company her own age once in a while."

"If he's up for it, then I got no problem." The respective fathers shared a handshake over the agreement, Bartleby patting his old friend on the shoulder. Roman, who had been listening to the conversation smiled. Spending time with Neo had been more fun than he thought it would be, and getting to spend more time with her seemed like a good idea to him.

"I'll look after her whenever you want, Mister!" One day he would ask why he had never met Neo before that day. He would ask why she couldn't talk. He would ask why she seemed so sickly and frail. But for now, those questions seemed far from his mind.

He finally had a friend his own age. For now, he was just going to savour it.

Exhaling the last bit of smoke he could get from his cigar, Roman looked over at the girl he'd met that day. She had changed so much that even he could hardly believe they were the same person. He didn't need to look after her any more. If anything, she had to keep an eye on him, and there was no-one he trusted with his back more than her.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of a scroll in his pocket, but not his usual one. It was the one Cinder had given him the night before, the one she had insisted he keep on him. Getting into character, he accepted the call and held it to his ear. "Calling for a second date already? I'm flattered, but it's a bit short notice."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something, but I thought I made it clear what I expected of you." Her voice was sultry, but with a clear hint of cruelty hidden beneath it. He would bet half his money she was a sadist beneath that pretty face, and he'd be confident he'd win that bet. "I have some associates I need you to meet tomorrow. You'll be working very closely with them in the near future."

"Are they good? I don't want to be dealing with any more amateurs after that fiasco last night." He wasn't even lying about that part. Whether he was a real crook of just pretending, watching Junior's men fail so spectacularly was just painful for him to watch, and he didn't need that kind of incompetence getting in the way of his real work.

"They're more disciplined than them, but just as expendable. If you want to know more, meet in warehouse 7 on Kent Boulevard at midnight tomorrow. As always, I'll expect you to be on time." She hung up without any further comment or chance for him to think of a witty remark. Putting the scroll back down, he turned to his partner. "Guess I've gotta be ready for business."

Neo pouted at having the shoulder she was using as a pillow move, but then dropped his hat onto his head and smirked at him. "Can't meet your audience without your effects."

"See, this is why you get me." He smiled back, adjusting his hat and helping her to her feet. "Who knows, if this goes well I might even be able to get you in on this soon."

That really made Neo happy, swinging the parasol weapon she called Hush onto her shoulder as she almost skipped away. "I'll look forward to that. Just remember not to keep a lady waiting."

"Roman Torchwick always makes sure the ladies leave happy." Roman said with a wink, earning himself a playful eye roll from the shorter woman. "Thanks for dropping by. See you again soon."

"Take care, Roman." Neo signed one last message before pulling the door closed behind her, leaving him alone again. He leaned his back against the door and sighed in disappointment that she couldn't stay longer. He tried to imagine she was still there, keeping his back safe from whatever trouble he was getting into, but he knew he was just being hopeful. After a moment, he forced himself away from the entry to his apartment, tiredness reminding him he'd need his sleep before tomorrow.

On the other side of the door, Neo waited until she couldn't hear him any more to let go of the door handle and walk back into the city. She didn't know the full details yet, but she knew one thing for certain; she would protect Roman from this "Cinder", even if she had to sabotage the plan to do it.

And then maybe, just maybe, she could finally be honest with him, and finally make him see her as she saw him.

Thank you all for your response to the previous chapter. I'm glad you guys seem as interested in this AU as I am.

I should address that future updates probably won't be this quick, for a few reasons. One is simply that I don't want to risk burning myself out on this by overworking myself on it, as that would slow things down in the long run. Second, the further we go into the RWBY timeline, the more time I'm going to need to consider potential changes to the timeline, and their long term effect. This is still a relatively new idea for me, so I am still working out some of the details.

I wanted to get this chapter done reasonably quickly, both to introduce Neo to the story, and to give the first hints of the backstory, which we will be revisiting in the future.

That's all for now. Everyone have a great day, and hope to see you next time.