Residuum

Blood 2.2

i


He flipped forward a page, scrolling his finger over the text to find the right passage. His attempt at reading the contents was poor at best, stumbling over words that he didn't really know. Sitting at the table to his right, Weiss was waiting for him to find the answer. However, despite her patience, Jaune couldn't help but feel flustered as the words on the page bogged down and he lost track of what he was supposed to be looking for.

"Uh…"

"It's okay, Jaune," Pyrrha patiently said to him for what was probably the tenth time, sitting at his left. Easily the two smartest students in the team, they had taken it upon themselves to directly teach Jaune the most. In reality, while everyone had agreed to help him, seven people attempting to teach him at once did not turn out to be productive.

He cast a glance at the rest of his team that was carelessly lounging around his apartment, sitting on the couch or laying on the floor. Yang and Ruby were both playing a video game the blond had no idea how to play, and judging by Yang's frustration, Ruby was successfully cheating at it. Blake and Ren were sitting on the couch and watching the debacle, also contributing to ruining Yang's game. Nora was lying on her stomach on the carpet, happily kicking her feet as she read a comic book.

"Focus, Jaune," Weiss said, getting his attention. Sighing, Jaune tore his gaze away from the rest of them back to the book at hand.

Logically, he knew that he should be practicing his reading and his assignments to keep up with his team. At the end of the day however, none of it truly interested him; he knew how to fight Grimm, how to kill them. Even Qrow hadn't known some of the things he did regarding the beasts. All of this was completely useless for him.

Unfortunately, the curriculum didn't share that view and Jaune was stuck trying to remember things to pass a class he didn't care for.

"Maybe we should take a break?" Pyrrha suggested, "We have been at it for… oh my goodness, look at the time!"

At her exclamation, Jaune noticed Weiss check her scroll, her eyebrows rising as she was similarly surprised by how late it was.

"We're so late! We need to get back to Beacon, guys!" Weiss exclaimed, rising from her seat in a hurry. Her shout caused a flurry of movement in the apartment as everybody jumped into action to get ready to leave.

Jaune was torn between feeling thankful his study session was finally over and feeling sad that his friends were already leaving.

"Sorry, Jaune," Pyrrha apologized to him as she slipped on her shoes, still the last person to leave, "We'll be back around the same time tomorrow. Good night!"

After they were all gone, Jaune flopped onto the couch and kicked his head back to look up at the ceiling. It was just like last night, where he had no idea what to do. He didn't want a repeat of yesterday's experience; it was only thanks to Lisa's careful maneuvering that he managed to avoid being extensively questioned by the police.

The two policemen had been strangely nervous in her presence, and they had left really quickly after asking him a few questions. Lisa had explained afterward that it was better for him to speak with the police than to leave the scene.

He had noticed her interest in him but was unable to wane it in any fashion, having ended the night by providing the woman his number for her to contact him with. Jaune had avoided telling anyone else about it, not wanting to worry them, but Lisa had promised to call him tonight.

Wondering what time she would call, his scroll suddenly began to ring. Picking it up from the nearby table, the blond noticed it was none other than the reporter he had just been thinking of.

"Uh, hello?" he awkwardly greeted, answering the call.

"Jaune," Lisa replied, "Good evening! I hope you're feeling well."

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said simply.

"That's good. Now listen, I would like for us to meet up tonight to discuss an interesting proposition for you. I'm assuming you're alone and free?" she asked. The blond seriously considered saying no, but he felt a bit curious at what she wanted to talk to him about. There was no way Ozpin would have let his secret out, not when even his team didn't know about it.

"Sure," he said finally.

"Good, good," the woman said as if she hadn't expected anything else, "I'll forward you the coordinates. If you leave now, you can probably get there within half an hour if you walk. See you soon."

The call ended abruptly, taking him aback. His scroll pinged with a message, presumably the address that Lisa had just provided him. Glancing at it as well as the time, Jaune slipped on his shoes and left the apartment to go meet up with her.

The path to get to the location she had given him was long and winding, with several turns in many different alleys within which he did not run into a single person. Turn after turn, the blond couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of practical joke she was playing on him, in a similar vein to Qrow.

But true to her word, it had taken him right around half an hour of walking to finally arrive to the place, which was just a handleless door in a rather dark alley. The alley was devoid of anyone except for one hooded person who was leaning against a wall. Jaune was unable to sense anyone else around them either. As he walked closer, the person finally seemed to hear him coming, turning to greet him.

"Jaune," they called out, raising a hand to wave him over, "Glad you could make it."

"Lisa?" he asked carefully, unable to see under her hood. She pulled it up, allowing the boy to confirm her identity before putting it back on.

"Sorry about the cloak and dagger business," she said, "I'm afraid our business will require some… anonymity to say the least. I'm a bit too well known otherwise."

"Oh," was all he could say in reply to that, still unsure of what she might be speaking of.

"Don't worry," she said, and he could almost hear the smile in her voice, "I don't think it will be anything you won't like. I won't keep you too long either way."

Walking over to him, Lisa looped her arm into his, pulling herself close to him. Reaching out with her other hand, she knocked on the door three times. Someone on the other end slid open a small window, peering out at them. Lisa pulled out a small card and showed it to the person, which apparently had been the right thing to do as they opened the door.

"We'll take a private room," she said to the man behind the door, "Enough for two."

"Of course," the man replied, pushing a button on his scroll. The wall lit up with a dotted line, the lights leading further into the building. Lisa basically pulled him along with her, following the directions of the light to what was likely the private room she had ordered. Jaune felt a little tense at what might await him in that room. Suddenly, he felt himself wishing that he had brought Reaper along.

"Don't be so tense," Lisa said as they walked along with her still clinging to his arm, probably having felt it in his body, "Like I said, I think you'll quite like it."

As the two walking through the twisting hallways, passing by door after door, Jaune looked at the hooded reporter in thought.

"I have a question," he said suddenly.

"Shoot," she replied, not the slightest bit put off.

"Almost everyone I meet thinks I'm a girl at first," he told her, "Everyone but you. How did you know I wasn't?"

"I didn't, actually," she said, "When I first saw you, I did think you were a girl. But once you get past that gorgeous face of yours and the pretty long hair, anyone with a little bit of insight would notice that lump in your neck, which only males have, of course."

Jaune raised his hand to his neck, feeling the lump she was referring to. She was right, of course. Now that she had mentioned it, the blond hadn't seen any females with the telltale bump there, but every male did seem to have it.

"Anyway, we're here," she said, stopping finally. The light on the wall finally ended at an unmarked door. Lisa reached out with her card and swiped at the key slot, unlocking it and making the light on the walls dim. Opening it, she walked in, releasing her hold on Jaune's arm.

Peering into the room, Jaune noticed that it seemed like any standard bedroom. There was a rather large bed near a wall, as well as a sitting area with two sofa's and a table between, both facing a large television screen mounted on a wall.

Lisa had already divested herself of her cloak, haphazardly throwing it on the bed.

"Well, come on in and make yourself comfortable," she called out to him, "And do close the door behind you."


ii


"Don't be shy, Jaune," Lisa said, "Feel free to speak your mind. It's just me and you in here and it's completely private."

Jaune wasn't quite sure what exactly he was supposed to say in a situation such as this. He didn't feel shy per se, but Lisa hadn't straight up told him what she wanted from him and he did feel slightly antsy because of that. The woman was confident as ever, from her the way she talked as well as the way she looked at him. As if he wouldn't say no to her.

"Come, take a seat right here," she said, gesturing him over to one of the one-seater sofa's. Jaune walked over to the seat she waved him toward, watching as she took the other seat. He noticed that the clothes she wore were far more revealing compared to what he had seen in Vale or at Beacon. Her dress had wide open slits along the sides and the front, exposing so much of her skin. Jaune couldn't help but find it impractical; at this point, she might as well go topless and save herself the trouble.

Lisa took a seat in the adjacent couch, crossing her bare legs as she gave him what he perceived as a knowing smile, one he had often seen at Beacon, usually from one of his teammates when they saw him encounter something for the first time.

"You're confused," she stated, "but I'll show you what we're here for."

She grabbed a scroll on the nearby table and pressed the button on it, turning on the television. Jaune looked from the pretty reporter over to the screen, seeing photographs of two men prominently displayed on it.

"Aha, it's a good one," she said, looking amused, "Stone and Carmine."

"What is this?" Jaune finally asked. Lisa tutted at him, wagging a finger.

"Just watch," she said, "It's starting soon."

The screen shifted, showing both of the men live as they stood across from one another. They were in some sort of sparring arena, a bit similar to the one at Beacon but completely surrounded by cages. There was an audience around them, many of them shouting and cheering.

Jaune noticed a countdown on the screen, starting at fifteen and the noise in the arena grew as it ticked down. The look on Lisa's face shifted to an eager one, one looking forward to a fight. He'd seen similar expressions from some of his teammates when it was their turn to spar in Glynda's combat classes.

Stone was the bigger between the two, with tanned skin and a bulkier musculature that stood out even more considering his topless attire. The man wore tight, thin bracers at each of his joints, possibly making his arms seem even bigger than they would have otherwise. Carmine on the other hand, was quite the opposite. His build was slightly similar to Jaune's in the sense that he was thin but that was where the similarity ended. Where Jaune's own body was lithe and in very in shape, Carmine was just thin throughout except for his abdominal area, where he had a protruding gut, making the blond think the man probably did not get much exercise. Unlike the unarmed Stone, Carmine had a giant tankard fastened onto his back and a hose with a nozzle attached to it that he held.

As the countdown hit zero, a horn blared out and both men erupted in a flurry of movement. Stone charged forward at the smaller man, intent on beating him into a pulp with his bare hands but Carmine was quick on his feet. The balding man ducked under a swipe from the hulk, taking a short hop backward and aiming his weapon at the man. Stone seemed to realize exactly what was about to happen and rolled to the side, barely avoiding a spray of a golden liquid that Jaune didn't quite recognize.

As Stone landed on the ground on all fours, he slapped an open palm on the ground, breaking off a sizeable chunk of the floor and hurling it at his opponent with a ferocious shout. Carmine squeaked at the incoming projectile, shooting it with his drink. Jaune noticed the pressure of the spray was a lot stronger than before; the man likely had different settings for how strong the liquid would shoot out.

"Hmm…" Lisa said, running a finger across her bottom lip, "He used his semblance earlier than usual. Stone must still be upset about losing last time."

Jaune took her comment into consideration as he watched the match with rapt attention. Stone continued ripping the floor of the arena apart, relentlessly hurling boulder after boulder at Carmine. Jaune noticed the frustration building on the man's face as Carmine deflected each and every one of them with short spray of his weapon.

"What is that?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Alcohol," Lisa replied easily, "His semblance lets him convert water into the stuff. Really strong stuff as well. Get hit by it and you'll find yourself out of it really fast."

Which was probably why Stone had desperately dodged the spray in the first place. Jaune had seen Qrow while he was drunk, and while the man was still competent in a fight while inebriated, it was likely an exception rather than the norm. Qrow had gotten him drunk once and it made him sluggish and unable to think straight. The blond had sworn off the stuff since then, not understanding the appeal.

Still, it seemed to be a decent enough weapon, though decidedly non-lethal and Jaune would likely never rely on it.

It was when Stone threw another boulder that Jaune caught a problem in the fight. While the Stone was tiring himself out through his physical exertion, Carmine's sprays were getting smaller and smaller with each passing stone.

"He's going to get hit," Jaune said, watching in anticipation.

"Hmm?" Lisa looked at him questioningly, obviously not having the same observational skills as he did for combat.

True to his estimate, a few boulders later, Carmine finally ran out of water to convert and took a blow right to his shoulder, sending him staggering as one of the straps from his tankard tore, sending both the man and his giant gourd to the ground.

"Raaaagh!" Stone charged forward victoriously, intent on grabbing the smaller man. But despite the heavy blow he took, Carmine didn't seem deterred as the blond saw him grasp something attached to his belt. He knew instantly that the man still had something in store, and he watched eagerly to see what it was.

"It's already over?" Lisa commented, looking disappointed.

"Not yet," Jaune said, making her give him a weird look. But her eye's widened as just as soon as Stone got into range, Carmine hurled a ball at him, watching with glee as it exploded in the man's face and showered him in the man's special brew.

"That's new," Lisa said, looking impressed.

Stone staggered back and forth, wiping at his eyes as it stung him.

"You…" the larger man slurred, making Jaune frown. Even Qrow hadn't ever gotten drunk that fast; it must have been really strong brew, like Lisa had said.

Carmine grunted, getting off the ground and putting distance between himself and Stone, dragging his tankard along with him. Peering at the screen, Jaune noticed the man's aura was in the red; he felt quite unimpressed at the man's paltry aura reserves.

"His aura's in the red," Jaune said, "Why hasn't the fight stopped?"

"This isn't combat class, Jaune," Lisa said, smiling at him, "The fight's not over until one of them can't get back up."

Jaune looked at her for a moment. There was something in her smile that he didn't recognize, something that made him feel wary of her. Yet, at the same time, it made her seem even more attractive to him than she normally was.

Tearing his eyes away from her, he looked back at the screen just in time to catch Carmine shatter a crystal on the ground. As it shattered, a torrent of water erupted from the ground into the air. Clutching his injured shoulder with his hand, the balding man shoved his gourd where he had destroyed whatever crystal he had shattered. It was obviously inefficient, but he did catch quite a bit of water in it. Grabbing the hose with his good arm, Carmine took aim at the inebriated Stone who had been attempting to stagger his way over to the man.

Stone seemed to realize what was coming and just before he was hit with the spray that might have taken him out, he erected a crude wall of stone in front of him, blocking most of the alcohol as he crouched behind it. Jaune watched with bated breath as Stone put his back against the wall, slamming his elbow into it and bellowing in pain as it struck true. A chunk of stone fired out of the wall, catching the unsuspecting Carmine by surprise.

The man was struck in the leg, sending him toppling forward face first into his own tankard. His face struck the edge painfully, causing a groan to ripple through the arena. Jaune realized with a smile that the fight was effectively over. Carmine's aura was completely gone now, though the way the man still struggled to get to his feet won him some points with the blond.

Stone got out from his cover and lumbered to the man, still walking unsteadily. His opponent noticed too late and looked back as Stone stood above him, squeaking in fear. Stone grabbed the man by his feet and roughly dragged him away from his weapon of choice. Carmine desperately clawed at the ground, trying to crawl away from the man but it was a futile effort.

Stone grabbed the smaller man properly this time, lifting him high off the ground. Carmine kicked away but it was no use as Stone took slow and steady steps back toward the man's tankard. Jaune could see the realization of what the lumbering man was going to do bloom on the smaller man, along with a healthy dose of fear.

Looking back at Lisa, Jaune saw her face warp back into the eager expression he had seen on her earlier, but there was something slightly different this time. There was a strange flush on her face and she was biting down on her bottom lip. He also noticed her shifting about, unable to sit still as she rubbed her thighs together.

Stone lifted Carmine above his head and with a mighty roar, brought the man down onto his own tankard. Carmine screamed in pain and Jaune could tell he wouldn't be back up anytime soon. But as Carmine had howled in pain, Lisa had let out a whimper of her own, her legs shaking as she tightly clutched the hem of her dress.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asked, unsure of what had just happened with her.

"Definitely," she breathed out, "Never been better, actually."

A horn blared out from the arena, signalling the end of the match. Lisa grabbed the scroll and turned off the television, looking at him as she wet her lips.

"Well, how did you like it?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

"It was fun," he replied with a slight grin, "A lot of fun actually. I didn't think people could have semblances like that. Well, they weren't the best fighters that I've seen before, but they weren't the worst either. Who are they anyway?"

"Stone was a former Huntsman," Lisa told him, "On the front lines actually, but one day he got a little bit too cocky and ended up burying some civilians alive. Discharged from duty, disgraced, the works. As for Carmine… a lot of rumors about that little fellow. He's mostly known for making some really strong brews, but some people say he gets certain people a little bit too drunk, usually women. Has his wicked way with them, but nothing's been proven."

"Don't let his appearance fool you though," she explained, "He looks mild but he's a bloodthirsty one. Enjoys hurting people. Either way, none of that matters in the ring."

Jaune paused, thinking of the fight a little bit more.

"Not that I didn't enjoy it," he said slowly, "But why did you bring me all the way here? Couldn't you have just showed me this at home?"

Lisa laughed softly, shaking her head with a smile.

"This isn't the type of show that gets aired publically. The fight happened right here in this building actually. Unfortunately, due to people knowing who I am I can't actually go to the arena, so this is the next best thing," Lisa explained, "Besides, this isn't exactly… legal."

Jaune raised an eyebrow at that, making the reporter grin.

"Most people do know it exists," she said, "But in the strictest terms of the law, this type of fighting is unsanctioned. Whoever runs it makes sure the right wheels are greased however, so people ignore it as long as it doesn't bleed into the general public."

"Okay," Jaune replied, accepting her explanation but still unsure what she ultimately wanted, "But why show me this?"

"Haven't figured it out?" she asked, leering at him, "In order to fight in the arena, you need to be sponsored by a member of the club of a certain standing. Someone like myself, for example."

As he realized what she was hinting at, Jaune felt a certain excitement build up inside him. He pictured himself in the ring, fighting against different opponents. While he certainly didn't miss being alone in the Wilds, he did sometimes miss the thrill of combat. After being barred from fighting in Glynda's combat class since his disastrous debut, all that pent-up energy had nowhere to go.

"I want you," Lisa said with a curious gleam in her eyes, "I saw the way you handled yourself in that restaurant. Cold."

She reached out and gently stroked the side of his face with her hand.

"Beautiful."

Her hand brushed a strand of his hair back, tucking it behind his ear.

"Violent," she whispered coarsely, running her hand down his cheek. Jaune had to suppress a shiver that ran down his back.

"You're everything that I've been looking for, Jaune," she said, leaning into him, "Be my possession. Tell me what you want in return. Money?"

She pressed her body to his, making his eyes widen as she put her lips near his ear.

"My body, perhaps?" she asked, before stepping away and giving him another smile, "Well, I suppose that wouldn't exactly be legal either, given your age. But if we're going to be breaking the law anyway… hmm."

"Uhh…" was all he could get out, feeling completely out of his comfort zone.

"You're a tough customer," she said, chuckling as she walked over to the bed to retrieve her cloak, "Take your time and think about it. I don't need to know for at least another week. Just don't tell anyone about this. The police might ignore it, but it's still illegal and they won't hesitate to arrest anyone advertising it."

Jaune swallowed, wanting to say yes but also thinking how Glynda or his team might react to this. Lisa laughed at his expression.

"Look, it's not the end of the world. Don't be nervous. Relax and think it through properly," she said, "Yes, I'll freely admit that I want you, but decide for yourself what you want. If you're going to do it, do it for yourself."

She fastened the cloak on and put her hood up. Once again, the reporter walked over to him and linked her arm into his, dragging him along.

"Now come on, let's get out of here. I'll treat you to dinner, okay?"


iii


Seeing the look on her companion's face, she knew that dinner would be a sordid affair. Though she didn't exactly expect it to be anything else coming here.

She strode into the room with a plate in one hand and a glass in the other, carrying some of the most exquisite food she could muster. Seared elk tenderloin with parsnip mousselin and a spiced pilaf of long-grain rice. She looked at the nervous expression of the other occupant of the room; all the trouble she went to acquiring this pretentious-sounding food, and not even a shred of gratitude. She huffed in annoyance as she set down a plate in front of her… what was this person to her anyway?

Abductee, kidnappee? Hostage. It didn't quite matter who she was. Just a poor woman caught up in something beyond her.

Neo smiled at her as she grabbed the seat at the head of the table. As the woman had been instructed, both of her hands were kept on the table, her left hand wrapped up in gauze with the ring finger prominently missing.

Grabbing the knife and fork from the plate, Neo began to slice up the meat on the plate, noticing with relish how easily it came apart. She wasn't used to eating fancy food like this; it was more Roman's thing and his suggestion in the first place. He had mentioned that Roselyn was probably used to eating these kinds of meals and wasn't the type to deprive anyone of the woman's standing such comforts.

Neo just didn't know what was wrong with a pizza, but that was a fundamental difference between her and Roman she would never quite understand.

She skewered the meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth, giving it a tentative bite. Chewing and chewing, she swallowed with a sigh. Bland as always. How did anyone enjoy this? Skewering another piece, she held it up to Roselyn's mouth, patiently waiting for the woman to open her mouth.

"Is… is that…?"

Roselyn was hesitant for only a moment, but any fear in regards to what might be in the food was allayed because Neo had taken the first bite. Now that hunger had overtaken her fear of the situation, Neo watched as the woman looked at the food with a more appreciative expression. Smiling, the mute spooned some rice onto the fork and took a bite for herself.

It was much better than the meat, she decided. There was a strong flavor to it, with just a hint of spice. Too little for Neo's tastes, but then she was used to eating foods spicier than the normal person.

She gave the next spoonful of rice to the woman, watching with interest as the woman closed her eyes in enjoyment of the food. Neo couldn't help but feel slightly amazed at her. Even as a hostage, threatened on an almost daily basis, she was able to enjoy something as simple as a meal.

As Roselyn obediently ate from Neo's hand, the girl took the opportunity to observe the woman properly. She was dressed in a bathrobe with likely nothing underneath, not having been provided with any other clothes. Her long, auburn locks were cascading down her back, dry and tangled. Obviously the woman hadn't had a chance to have it combed. Whoever had attended to the woman when she was given her bath hadn't cared to do the job properly; Neo made a note to herself to mention it to Roman. He had wanted the best of care for their hostage.

Well, Neo had originally wanted to be the one to help bathe her, but Roman had refused, citing something about Roselyn's mental health. As much as she denied she would do anything, the girl had reluctantly obliged the man's request to not interrupt what might be one of the few moments the hostage had for peace.

This time. Next time, Neo would make sure she was there.

Seeing her smack her lips together, Neo reached for the glass water and brought it to Roselyn's lips, tilting it forward to allow the woman to get a few gulps before she resumed feeding her. The process continued peacefully and soon enough, the meal was done.

As the woman leaned back having had her hunger satiated, Neo reached out with a finger and touched it near the woman's lips. Roselyn cowered at the touch, no doubt remembering what the blue-eyed girl was capable of. Neo picked off an errant grain of rice, smirking as she put in in her own mouth. She watched in amusement as the woman hunched in on herself.

Grabbing a handkerchief from her pocket, Neo reached out and cleaned Roselyn's mouth, enjoying herself as the other went stock still. It happened every time.

Adults were self-sufficient, used to doing almost everything for themselves. Being attended to like Roselyn was, not allowed to bathe herself or having to be fed by another person kept her off-kilter. Probably more so from the fact that it was from the ones that abducted her.

Neo pushed away from the table and gathered up the utensils and the plate, grabbing and taking it out of the room. Once in the hallway, she shut the door behind her and walked into the room directly in front. She absentmindedly placed the plate on a side table and walked deeper into the bedroom, grabbing a hairbrush and a nail file from the dresser. Inspecting it to make sure it was clean, Neo walked back into Roselyn's room, once again closing the door behind her.

Roselyn looked at the item in Neo's hand, no doubt wondering what it was going to be used for. The girl just smiled gently, walking over to the woman and grabbing her hand. She pulled the woman away from the table and led her to the one-seater couch, situated in front of a mirror. She gestured for the woman to sit and Roselyn did so immediately. Really, the fire that had been in the woman before her finger had been cut off was completely gone. It disappointed Neo slightly.

The girl peered at her own reflection in the mirror for a moment. She was currently wearing her hair long and blond; she had based this particular disguise upon the rather feminine boy she had met in Vale some time ago. It was a fond memory, introducing another person to the pleasures of ice cream.

Once she saw that everything was okay, Neo walked around to stand behind the woman, grabbing her hair and letting it drop out over the back of the seat. Clutching the brush in her dominant hand and Roselyn's hair in the other, the silent girl went to work. With slow, long, and deliberate strokes, Neo began to straighten out the woman's tressed mane. Noticing Roselyn close her eyes in the mirror, she smiled to herself as she continued to make sense of the disorder.

They continued in silence, only interrupted by two short beeps coming from her pocket. Placing the brush down, she grabbed her scroll and answered the call from Roman. His image was also displayed on the screen hidden in the mirror, causing their hostage to look at him with fright.

"Hello, Roselyn dear," the man said, completely ignoring Neo's presence, making her huff in feigned annoyance, "I do hope you're doing well. My associate hasn't been giving you any trouble, has she?"

"Please," Roselyn begged, "Please, just let me go. Please."

Once again, Neo lamented the loss of the woman's enthusiastic resistances from before. She began brushing the woman's hair again, ignoring the conversation taking place.

"I absolutely will let you go, my dear," Roman replied, and Neo could almost feel the stirrings of hope well up in the older woman, "As soon as your husband-to-be gives us what we've been asking for."

"I had nothing to do with it," she said, "Please, I already told you all I know."

"Now, you know how this works, Roselyn," Roman admonished her, "As soon as we get Simulacrum, we'll let you go. Though I will admit it's quite odd he hasn't given in to save you just yet. Such a scandal from the Mayor's nephew, no wonder it's been kept under wraps."

"Please…"

Neo sighed upon hearing her repeated pleading. The poor thing should have known it wouldn't make the slightest difference, but she wouldn't stop.

"Either way, it seems like a finger isn't enough," Roman said, finally addressing Neo, "I think an audio recording might be more persuasive this time. Do avoid damaging her face though; I'd rather avoid any marring of her beauty."

The screen blinked off, and two women were once again surrounded by silence apart from the occasional sniffle from the brunette. Neo finally finished brushing her hair and set the brush down, grabbing her scroll and the nail file. She walked around to meet the woman face to face, her ever-present smile not withering in the slightest.

Setting the scroll down, Neo hit the record button and leaned in toward the woman. Roselyn's chest began heaving, the previously unshed tears finally dripping down her cheeks.

"Oh God, don't," she begged, her voice faint. Something in her voice struck a chord within Neo. The woman was helpless, could do nothing but beg and plead to what was essentially a higher being.

It excited her; it always did.

Neo pressed forward and pushed Roselyn's bathrobe apart very slightly, exposing the woman's neckline to her yet also preserving her modesty. Gently, Neo pressed a kiss upon her collarbone, feeling a shiver in the body of her hostage. She worked her way up, reaching the jaw. Upon reaching her face, Neo extended her tongue and trailed it upwards along Roselyn's tear-stained cheek, licking the salty liquid from the woman's skin.

Roselyn sobbed at the action, pressing into the back of the couch as far as she could. Yet again, the woman showed little appreciation to her gentle caress. Sometimes, she wondered why she even bothered. Either way, the pint-sized girl wasn't to be deterred.

Backing away from the woman slightly, Neo kneeled in front of her and grabbed her good hand, holding her wrist tenderly. She grabbed the nail file, watching as Roselyn gasped in fright. Neo smiled up at her, pulling the hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers, holding them there for a long moment.

When she was finished, she pushed the nail file to the woman's longest finger, guiding it under the nail and scraping out the non-existent dirt from under it.

"No, no, no," Roselyn kept saying, "Please, God, no."

She kept up this ministration, waiting for the right moment.

Just then, she felt Roselyn relax ever so slightly. Her grip on the older woman's wrist tightening into a firm hold, Neo jammed the metal file into her nail, prying the entire nail loose and letting the blood leak out.

"AAAHH!"

Roselyn shrieked out in pain and fright, music to her ears, and struggled against Neo's grip. But for all of her struggle, she wasn't able to pry her hand free. Neo worked the nail file deeper and deeper into the woman's finger, wiggling it for good measure.

"Please!" she pleaded, "Stop! Stop!"

Realizing that it was enough, the girl acquiesced with the victim's desperate appeal and removed the bloodied instrument from the woman's finger. Neo stopped the recording from the scroll, saving it and sending it to Roman quickly before she moved on to the cabinet. Retrieving a first aid kit, she brought it over to the woman. Roselyn was openly sobbing, this time also from the pain.

Once she was finished treating and bandaging the wound, Neo grabbed the crying woman's arm and pulled her onto the floor, standing in front of her. She leant down and pulled Roselyn into a hug, letting the woman wail into her chest. It was only a few moments later that she felt the older woman's arms come up and reciprocate her hug, clutching at the shorter girl desperately. Neo bent down and pressed yet another gentle kiss to the top of Roselyn's hair.

A victim that had no choice but to turn to the one torturing her for comfort. Neo couldn't help but smile yet again.

What fun.


iv


He silently watched her as she scrawled away, sitting on the stool near the kitchen counter. If the bespectacled woman had noticed his gaze, she made no notice of it. He saw her absentmindedly adjust her glasses, flipping the page as she marked off more items on the paper.

Jaune wasn't quite sure if he did as well as she would have liked; he knew she was a strict teacher and held her students to high standards that he was sure he didn't meet. When he took the test, he had second-guessed himself a lot and was sure he had to have gotten quite a few questions wrong.

She let out a short sigh, finally finishing perusing the paper and setting her marker aside as she looked at him. The blond had to refrain from biting his lips, getting the feeling that she was a bit disappointed.

"I'm afraid that you only got about thirty percent," Glynda told him quietly, causing him to deflate. That was a lot more wrong than just a few.

Jaune fell onto the one-seater in frustration, laying down as he put his head on the armrest and swung his legs over the other end. Bringing his hand to his face, he rubbed his forehead lightly as he let out a forlorn sigh.

"It's okay, Jaune," Pyrrha told him with a reassuring tone in her voice, "We know you did your best and I'm sure you'll do better next time."

"Yeah, no worries," Yang said flippantly, "Actually, I'm pretty sure there are people in our class that have gotten even worse scores on our assignments."

Her comment incited a giggle of laughter from Ruby and Nora, as well as a disapproving look from Glynda, though he did notice her hide a smile. Jaune didn't find it as amusing.

"Sure," he said, "But that's Beacon-level material, right? This is supposed to be the basics, for little kids."

Yang's grin faded and Jaune sighed again. He hadn't meant to ruin the mood, especially not over something he barely cared about. Of anything they could have been teaching him, he just didn't get the point of studying history.

"Your circumstances are special," Glynda intervened, "Of course, there isn't anything wrong with that. Nobody expects you to get everything at once. Just keep putting in the effort and take things at your own pace, Jaune."

"Well said, Ms Goodwitch," Weiss spoke up. Out of all his teammates, Jaune was sure she had to be the most frustrated with him. She had put the most effort in teaching him, even more than Pyrrha did. And time after time, her efforts had been proven to be fruitless.

"Well, I still think it's a waste of time studying history of all things," the blond complained, "It's completely useless. What's the point of knowing the Mayor's name is Porre?"

"His name is Mayor Bore, Jaune," Nora said, giggling.

"It's Mayor Flore," Weiss corrected, rolling her eyes, "And it's extremely useful. We can learn a lot from the mistakes of our forefathers. Not to mention that a lot of the stuff we told you is currently relevant and common knowledge."

"Well, he kinda has a point," Yang interjected, "I mean, when is he ever going to meet that old codger? Maybe we should put more focus on the more practical lessons."

"Like how to shop for clothes?" Blake said slyly. Yang grinned at her.

"A girl after my own heart! You get me, partner."

"Not helping," Weiss said, glowering at the long-haired blonde.

"Perhaps not about the shopping, but Yang does make a good point," Ren said, acknowledging his dorm-mate with a nod, "It would definitely be more helpful to have extra lessons on more practical aspects of everyday living, like cooking or cleaning."

The boy cast a sidelong glance at the youngest person in the room, who had been preoccupied with a drawing she was making, lying with her stomach to the floor and kicking her feet in the air.

"Besides, I believe there may be others that could benefit from it," he said, the smallest of smiles on his face. Ruby looked up at his comment, somehow knowing it was directed at her. Jaune couldn't help the smile that came to his face when he remembered the disaster she had caused in the kitchen a few days ago.

"I heard that, Ren," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"If we can get back to the matter at hand," the Schnee heiress said, "Remember that we're trying to help Jaune pass our classes so he doesn't get left behind. Adding on more lessons will just cut into that time, and we barely get anything done anyway."

"She does have a point," Pyrrha said apologetically, "As much as I do agree, we can always help Jaune out with the day to day things like cooking but-"

"If I recall correctly," Yang cut her off with mischievous look, "You aren't so hot in the kitchen yourself."

Jaune noticed Pyrrha's face redden in embarrassment.

"Surely I was better than Ruby," the redhead blurted out defensively.

"Hey!"

"That's not saying much, Pyr," Nora said, "That shouldn't even be a standard."

"Aw, come on." Ruby pouted, making Yang laugh.

"You set a pot of boiling water on fire, Ruby," Blake said, raising a delicate eyebrow, "I'm not even sure how that's possible."

"That was totally not my fault," the caped girl said, "Weiss's Dust crystal was defective!"

Weiss perked up at what her team leader just admitted, a heavy frown setting itself on her face. Jaune knew the coming signs, something he had often seen in the dorm.

"You used one of my Dust crystals?" she asked dangerously, "For… for cooking!?"

"Eep."

As Weiss began berating her partner much to the amusement of the rest of the team, Jaune found his own momentary humor fading as the previous frustration he had been feeling came back full force. Hours upon hours of studying, from learning to read to learning about history, Grimm anatomy, the different uses of Dust, and he had barely progressed.

Ever since his meeting with Lisa several days ago, Jaune had felt a particular itching at the back of his mind, the kind aching for a fight. Even when the reporter had first suggested he fight for her he had been interested in the idea. Now, it was almost a week later and he felt himself going stir-crazy with all the studying and lack of any combat whatsoever.

He wanted to say yes and damn the consequences, but he hadn't been able to broach the subject with either his teammates or Glynda. But he also had no idea how to ask for their advice without telling them outright that he was going to join an illegal fighting ring. They would likely outright say no, and if they got Lisa's name out of him, she might get in trouble as well.

"Aw, cheer up Jauney," Nora said, noticing his somber mood.

"Perhaps we can revise the test?" Pyrrha suggested, picking up one of his course textbooks, "I find that if I do make a mistake somewhere, it's easier to avoid in the future."

It was the last thing that Jaune wanted to do, and he found himself trying really hard not to be frustrated with the redhead, especially because he knew she was just trying to do what she thought was best for him. But how could he tell her that he didn't want to study, he wanted to fight.

As Pyrrha walked over to Glynda and collected Jaune's paper from the older woman, the sight of the teacher gave him an idea.

"Hey Glynda," Jaune called to the woman as he sat up straight, "I was actually thinking if- if it would be okay for me to come back? To Beacon, I mean. Maybe just for combat class."

His teammates looked surprised at his request but if Glynda was taken aback, she hid it really well.

"I don't believe that would be wise," she replied slowly after a hesitant moment, "It hasn't been too long since you've been gone, and your behavior has been brought up by the Department of Hunter Education. They are aware that you've been suspended and have strict instructions to keep you away from any... sanctioned combat situations."

"Yech, I guess even the Vale government is breathing down Ozpin's neck," Yang said, sticking out her tongue. Jaune licked his lips, barely avoiding clenching his jaw in frustration.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'sanctioned' combat?" Ruby asked the woman, something Jaune also wanted to know.

"It means that apart from combat class at Beacon, he's also restricted from tournaments or contests and the like outside of Beacon," Weiss explained, "At least until they lift the restriction. I guess due to how public Winchester's injury was, Headmaster Ozpin was forced to report it. Beacon may be autonomous from the Vale government, but they do have rules to follow as well."

Pyrrha walked over to Jaune, handing a textbook over to him while keeping his failed test in her hand. Jaune wondered if she had just ignored the entire conversation, and felt a stab of irritation at the thought.

The blond tossed the textbook onto the table in front of him, startling the redhead. In fact, it seemed that it had also alarmed the rest of his friends as well.

"Jaune?"

"I'm not doing this again," he said, his jaw set firmly. Ruby finally sat up, looking at him with concern.

"Jaune, is everything okay?" the younger girl asked, a crease on her brow. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself. Despite his annoyance, he still didn't want to upset his friends.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said, speaking gently, "I think it's imperative that you don't fall behind. It might not seem important now, but a lot of the things we're teaching you are very important."

The blond thought back to the night he went out with Lisa. She had talked a bit more about her interests over dinner, but what really stuck with him was what she told him right before they left the arena. If he wanted to do something, he should do it for himself.

Maybe it was selfish, but he felt that he deserved to be a little selfish now. He didn't remember his life before the Wilds and for nine years, every action he took was based on necessity. While he did choose to attend Beacon, it was still ultimately because he didn't really see any other real alternative.

It had been annoying being barred from taking part of his combat class while he was still at Beacon, but Jaune had gotten by because of the presence of his friends. Now however, while Qrow was still out there searching for his family, while he was forced to be apart from the friends he had made at Beacon, he wanted to do this for himself. He wanted to fight.

"I'm done," he said, feeling the anger surge through him alarmingly quickly, "I'm done with this."

"But-" Weiss started, but he firmly cut her off.

"No," he snarled as he stood up, "I said I'm not doing this again."

The room fell silent at his proclamation, and he could see the shock on the faces of his teammates. It made him feel ashamed at himself, but that just made him angrier. He walked away from the sitting area of the apartment, away from his friends. He caught Glynda's gaze on him, seeing a sorrowful look in her eyes. He avoided meeting them.

"Jaune, wait," Blake said, the first of his friends to speak up, "Look, maybe we can take a break instead. We all know what it's like to be under a lot of pressure. Let's just talk it out instead, okay?"

The blond watched her for a moment before dismissing her words. He looked at Glynda, their eyes meeting for a few seconds before she averted her eyes from his with a troubled look on her face. He wasn't sure if she really understood what he thinking, but she wasn't going to be any help here.

Jaune clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he realized nobody would truly understand where he was coming from. He found himself wishing Qrow was here; the man always seemed to get him, despite doing his best to piss the blond off.

"Hey, it's okay." His partner walked over to him with a look of concern on her face. She stepped forward, coming closer to him than she ever had and pressed her body to his, wrapping her arms around his, causing him to stiffen.

"Hey, what-" The blond abruptly moved away from the girl, disentangling himself from her as he lightly pushed her away. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pyrrha said, looking stricken as she took a step back, "I- I didn't think- I'm sorry. Sorry."

"What was- why were you doing that?" he asked the girl, doing his best to ignore the rest of his team as they watched the two, horrorstruck.

"I- I just thought you could use a hug," Pyrrha said shakily, holding her hands up, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't- I'm so sorry."

"That… that was a hug?" Jaune asked, his previous anger completely forgotten. The blond was familiar with the term but he hadn't ever experienced it before.

"You…" Pyrrha couldn't finish what she was trying to say, slapping her hands over her mouth as her eyes grew wet. Looking around, he saw similar expressions on everyone else. Even Glynda seemed shaken.

"Ah, was it one of those things I should know about?" he asked, feeling slightly foolish. The blond teacher got off of her seat and walked up to him.

"It is," she told him. Like Pyrrha had done so before, Glynda stepped into his personal space, wrapping her arms around him albeit slower than his partner had done. The blond stood there, his arms at his sides as he was unsure of what to do.

It was a warm feeling and Jaune felt something unfamiliar rise up inside him. He knew he wouldn't be able to control it so he viciously pushed it down, deciding to just enjoy Glynda's hug. He felt disappointed when she broke away, but noticed that Pyrrha was right there again.

As soon as Glynda moved away, Pyrrha enveloped him in a hug again. The redhead felt slightly different to the teacher, but it was the same warm feeling and Jaune felt himself melt into her slightly, enjoying the feeling. Unlike Glynda, the girl didn't let go and the blond witnessed both Blake and Ruby approach them over her shoulder.

The brunette lightly slammed into his side, jostling him and Pyrrha a bit, but she stretched her arms as wide as they could go as she tried to hug the two of them. On his other side, Blake smiled at him, her own eyes suspiciously wet as she also joined their hug.

"Group hug!" he heard Nora call out, and both she and Yang slammed into the growing hug with even more force than Ruby had. Ren walked up to the group with a calmer stride, placing a supporting hand on Jaune's shoulder instead of squeezing in. Jaune could understand; there wasn't really room left.

As his team surrounded him with their love and caring, the blond felt that same feeling rising up again, and he felt his eyes growing wet before he once again shoved it down, not wanting whatever it was to come out.

"Well, I suppose there are more important lessons to teach you about," Weiss said, approaching the group. As everyone parted to let the girl have her turn, the much shorter girl hugged him tightly for a short moment before stepping away.

Then she stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek for a very short moment before she turned and walked away. Jaune looked at her in bewilderment.

"You kissed him!" Ruby said in astonishment.

"On the cheek!" Weiss hissed, her cheeks reddening, "It was just a friendly peck, nothing more!"

"I think that for the moment," Glynda said, addressing the real matter at hand before anyone could tease the girl, "You should do whatever it is you feel that you should, Jaune. I think everyone here will agree that you more than deserve it."

"Here here!" Yang called out, raising a pretend glass.

"I think this calls for a party," Blake said, a smile still on her face as she looked at Jaune. Nearby, Pyrrha wiped the last of her tears from her eyes before addressing the group.

"I'll order us some pizza, my treat," she said, her voice still slightly shaky. Ruby grabbed his wrist, dragging him over to the couch to play a videogame with him as everyone else decided to set up for the impromptu party.

Jaune looked around the room, noticing that everyone was still watching him with happy smiles on their faces. This time, the feeling in his chest was different; like it was going to burst from the joy. It felt even better than the thrill he got from fighting.

He had never appreciated the people in this room before as much as he did now.

fin


Notes: Hello! It's been a while.

So, obviously there's been a lot of content here, and I want to take the time to talk about this chapter. I think I'll cover it sequentially as it appeared.

Firstly, we see the true reason Lisa was interested in Jaune. It's not in her capacity as a reporter but as someone that enjoys watching this illegal underground fighting tournament. In terms of her personality, Lisa Lavender is quite risque and naughty in her private life, a far cry from her more professional appearance as a reporter. The best way to describe it is that she is aroused by violence. Her interest in Jaune is purely in terms of seeing him fight; in case anyone hasn't caught on, she saw him break up the fight in the restaurant. It didn't matter whether he was a girl or a guy, she saw something that was ruthless and beautiful to her, and decided then and there that she wanted him.

Her advances on him mostly went over his head; Jaune is nowhere near experienced enough to know when a girl is making a move on him unless she basically forces herself on him. In fact, I don't think he really understands what it means that someone is hitting on him. Either way, the main point here is that what Lisa wants out of him first and foremost is for him to fight. Her flirting and trying to seduce him, failure that it was, is just her not taking sex off the table without giving it its due diligence. Again, that wouldn't exactly be legal either since Jaune is technically underage, but Lisa is a bit deviant like that. Not that he's a child; seventeen and enrolled in a Huntsman school should be more than enough for him to make a sound decision what kind of activities he wants to engage in.

The next scene takes a more of a horrific turn. As you can see, I've not white-washed Neo in the slightest. She's... I suppose you could say psychopathic. She's not crazy or out of her mind or anything; everything she does is carefully considered and well-thought out. She just enjoys things out of the norm. Actually, compare Neo's scene to the one before and you'll see some similarities. While Neo isn't sexually aroused like Lisa was, her proclivities are much more deviant and messed up. I'd say they're on the same spectrum, though the disparity is also obvious. Anyway, I hope that this does establish that Neo is a bad person. Whether or not she's had a tragic backstory, she's a villain and she enjoys what she does.

The final scene was a long time coming. In all the scenes up until now, I've carefully kept track to avoid writing about Jaune being hugged by anyone (hopefully I didn't accidentally write it in). He has been hugged before, make no mistake. But that was before he got lost in the Wilds (and he doesn't recall those memories) so as far as he's concerned, he hasn't really experienced a hug. When Pyrrha tries to hug him after he lashes out, he pushes her away because he doesn't know what she's doing. Cue the group realizing that for all intents and purposes, he's never been hugged. Something so elementary, something so simple and taken for granted. Of course, they quickly rectify the situation, with Glynda leading the charge.

Lastly, don't read too much into Weiss kissing his cheek. As I've mentioned before, this isn't really a story about 'pairings' etc... and I hope that people can handle something as simple as a friendly kiss on the cheek without rapidly devolving into a ship-fest.

Thanks for reading, and do leave a review with your thoughts and comments! I hope to see a lot because I really missed reading them!

Cheers!

knuckz