AN: I am finally back! Back from the war! I only intended to take such a small break, maybe a week or two, then everything in my personal life decided to pile up at the end of october!
Hopefully i can finally be free to write again! I think i'll will be at least!

Also i got college going, so i'm going to go ahead and make both fics biweekly so expect the next update to this fic two weeks from now.

Also every fic will now be updated on Tuesday, cause who doesn't love Tuesday!

Now onto the fic in question: Neo is a fun character to write, that is all!

See you everyone next tuesday!

"Alright Jaune, just like we practice."

Hearing her voice still hurt. It was just a constant reminder of his weakness and his failures. That was fine, he needed it every day. He needed to get stronger. He must get stronger. His arms and legs burned with exhaustion, sweat dripping so much from his face that he could feel the top of his hoodie begin to stick to his skin, but none of that mattered.

He has to get stronger.

"Hyahh!" Jaune yelled to nothingness. His sword slicing through the air. He liked to sometimes imagined Cinder in front of him, her amber eyes widening as his family sword strike her down, death claiming her swiftly. It was a glorious sight. Something that brought his hopes up. But he knew that if he saw her now, it would just end in his quick and disappointing end. Therefore, he must get stronger.

"Alright Jaune, just like we practice."

His sword sliced through the air once again. Every swing, every run of Pyrrha's practice makes him feel just a tiny bit stronger, a tiny bit faster. Would it be enough training for when his team runs into Cinder again? Definitely not. But who said he had to be alive?

All he needs to do is wipe the smirk off that bitch's face. Ruby can take it from there.

"Alright Jaune, just like we practice."

Those five words made Jaune run like a machine. Following Pyrrha three simple exercises, break, then rinse and repeat. So colored him shocked when there wasn't a repeat this time, looking behind him for why his scroll suddenly stopped playing the video, he was one part unsurprised and nine parts annoyed.

"Neo! What are you doing out here?" Jaune asked. It was probably around two to three in the morning, and he purposely made his way out of daybreak into a random forest clearing so he doesn't bother his friends nor any of the town inhabitants. Yet somehow this little minx found her way towards him.

Neo meanwhile had Jaune scroll in his hands. Her legs bouncing up and down as she seemed to scrolled through his photos. He would've cared if he wasn't tired both physically and mentally. He walked over to Neo and laid down, the relief on his muscles helped clear his mind a bit.

"Give me my scroll back." Jaune asked as nicely as he could, which of course Neo just ignored him. For a brief moment it was somewhat peaceful as Jaune just stared up at the stars, thinking about everything. Pyrrha, Cinder, his teammates.

Unfortunately, the gods couldn't let Jaune have peace.

With the tap of Neo heal against his head. Jaune grumbled angrily. Looking up at Neo who was pointing at a picture on his scroll. It was a picture of Team JNPR during their first week of School, despite it being so long ago he remembered taking it well. Ren was calmed during the entire set up process even with Nora bouncing like a mad women because everything she does had to involved an extreme level of energy. Pyrrha meanwhile was more reserved and was a bit shy, young foolish Jaune didn't understood why at the time, but he learned.

It just reinforced in his head how much he missed them. His entire team, Beacon, Pyrrha. Everything about his old life. It was extremely tough and sure he missed up sometimes, a lot of times actually, but he had had three wonderful teammates and plenty of friends at beacon.

Looking over he saw that Neo was pointing at Pyrrha, her eyebrows cocked in confusion. Jaune sighed and sat up, his gaze never met Neo's.

"She was a good friend of mine… Cinder killed her."

Idiot, you're the one that got her killed. His brain argued back, and Jaune couldn't find a proper counter for it. If he was stronger back then, if he was like everyone else, he would be able to help Pyrrha during that fight, changed everything.

But he was too weak, and Pyrrha paid the price.

"Why are you here Neo?" Jaune asked, finally looking up to her. "I haven't seen you since you laugh at me when we came back."

Neo smirked at mention of that moment; however, her eyes were not the constant smug that he had grown accustomed too in these past couple months. Jaune couldn't exactly see what emotion was dancing in those mismatched eyes of hers.

Unsheathing the blade that was hidden in her umbrella, Neo skipped to the center of the clearing. Pointing the tiny blade at Jaune, her head tipping to the side, waiting for Jaune reaction.

"… You want to train?" Jaune asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Neo gave him a thumbs up.

"Why?" Jaune asked, not sure if to take this little demon seriously or not. However, he decided to get up anyways. Gripping his sword in his hand and slowly approaching Neo. Wasn't like extra training wouldn't hurt him.

With a swing of his sword at her head, Jaune blinked once and somehow found himself on the floor, his chest thumping out in pain.

Jaune stared up at Neo. He somewhat appreciated her trying her best to hold in her laughter.

Actually, he didn't. It still pissed him off. Jaune rushed up as fast as he could, putting as much force as he could into his next swing.

In the very next second Jaune found himself again back on the floor, his head screaming in pain as he felt her heel strike him in that spot. This was going to be a very very long night.

/-/

What a glorious day it was! Neo felt immensely refreshed as she got up in the morning. Sure, she didn't get as much sleep as someone of her status deserved, but knocking the yellow fool around like a pinball ball last night was very relaxing. A part of her wondered if she caused him to have any head trauma, but also a part of her didn't exactly care. He'll thank her later for her 'training.'

As Neo got up for the day, she was beaming with so much positivity and excitement that it could probably struck down a small bird by how much her happiness radiated off of her. Skipping though the hallways she stopped at Jaune door and did two quick knocks.

"Go away…" She heard the man in question moaned from the other side of the door. He sounded like he was in great terrible pain, as if the entire world all took a turn to stab him directly in the back. Well, with her training, it was definitely more then a world worth of stabbing.

Somehow being even more merry then she was before, Neo skipped to the Inn's dinning room. As she peered over, she could already see some of her travel buddies were there. Ren and Nora, who the male in question was trying to protect his stack of pancakes from her overenergetic friend. A part of her was wondering if that she could reach over and steal them herself, watch the chaos unfold from the sidelines.

Looking over, she swore she felt her eye twitch slightly in annoyance. Little red was sitting right there. Eating pancakes like the deranged child she was. No matter! She's not going to let the continued existence of Ruby stop her from celebrating the start of a wonderful day.

As Neo sat down between Ren and Ruby, she tried to ignore the girl multiple attempts to get her attention. Ranging from her coughing into her hand to her saying "hello?" right at her. Neo just casually continued eating her pancakes like nothing was wrong with the universe.

After five minutes of constant badgering Neo felt the fork in her hand nearly snap in two before she turned over to the girl in question, her eyes twitching in anger.

"Um… hello." Ruby said awkwardly, her hand rubbing the back of her head. "Sooo, where's Jaune?"

Neo tilted her head, then made the motion of getting stab in the heart.

Ruby let out a long sigh. "What did you do to him…?"

Neo repeated the motion of getting stab in the heart.

"…You're going to be the death of all of us."

Neo certainly hopes that was the case. Hearing the footsteps of a very tired defeated man, Neo grinned at the sigh of Jaune arc. Tired, body broken, wishing for death at every waking moment. She was such a good teacher!

"Jaune!" Ruby said as she rushed over to help her friend, grabbing one arm from him as she dragged him to the table. As Jaune and Ruby sat back down, everyone turned and seemed to be worried, besides Neo of course, she wasn't just going to ignore a perfectly good stack of pancakes just because someone was dying!

"Jaune, what happen to you?" Ren asked as Jaune planted his face down on the table, groaning out in pain.

"…Training…" He mumbled out, not even bothering to lift his head to respond.

"Were ya training against an Ursa?" Nora asked, peaking over her impossible stack of pancakes.

"…Worse…" Jaune grumbled.

"Well, I think that the end of that!" Ruby suddenly decided, much to Neo frustration. "Being this exhausted isn't good for you Jaune!"

Ren nodded in agreement, placing a welcoming hand on Jaune shoulder. "Improving yourself is a valiant effort Jaune, however breaking your body is not. On the road we can perhaps set up some regimes to help-"

"Nope." Jaune wheezed out, interrupting Ren.

"I'm sorry what?" Ruby asked. A nervous tension enveloped the table.

"…Training good… getting stronger… going back to sleep now." Jaune said, going silent. Eventually Neo was able to hear snores coming out from the bumbling blonde.

Well, Color Neo impressed! Honestly a part of her thought that he was going to chicken out when she offered to train her again. The logical play for the boy was to ignore Neo for the rest of their little trip and forget that horrible training night that ever happened to him in the first place. Seems like the yellow fool must have a little more screw loose then she thought. Neo celebrated this revelation by stuffing her face with more food.

"So…" Nora started, gazing around the table. "When Jaune-Jaune wakes up, what we are doing?"

Ren pondered in thought for a moment, seemingly calculating something. "Last night all four of us made enough Lien to buy supplies that'll probably last us a week if we ration them." Ren grabbed the map from his pocket and rolled it out. "Our path should head to Yugisawa, it's a small town, but communities like this one most certainly should have Grimm related problems, then we head to the Kusato, a relatively big town for us to lay low, after that we can decided what happens from there."

"Wow!" Ruby said, her eyes seem to literally sparkle to the point where Neo wanted to gag. "You know mistral so well Ren!"

"Well, I was born here." Ren said with a soft smile. "It's nice to know that my memories here haven't abandoned me yet."

"Oh oh!" Ruby said, seemingly jumping up and down on her table. "Can we see your hometown!?"

Neo eyes narrowed as she saw Ren poker face shattered for no more then a brief second. The man shook his head to Ruby question. "Unfortunately, it's out of the way of the best path to Haven, perhaps another time."

Nora seemed to agree and was surprisingly oddly quiet about the whole ordeal.

To Neo, this group was continuously getting more and more interesting. She thought they were all a bundle of nothingness and boringness and turned out into pathetic losers. However, they seem to be pathetic losers with very entertaining backstories. As Neo finished her breakfast, she smiled. With the entertainment of watching her travel mates trauma unravel and the prospects of potentially beating up tall blond and pathetic every night, perhaps being forced into trip isn't the most awful thing in the world!

"So, uh who's going to wake up Jaune…? Guys…?" Ruby pleaded as Jaune started to murmur someone named 'Pete' in his dreams.

/-/

When Jaune woke back up it was already midday, his muscles were still screaming out, but it was now more of a dull throb then the pure agony he had to deal with. Training with Neo was… An experience to say the least. He thought training with Pyrrha was akin to a baby being thrown into the lion pit, but with Neo, it was like being thrown into a pool with your arms and legs tied together.

It wasn't pleasant.

However, he felt like he was making leaps and bounds already. In the short couple hours of training, or he would like to call it Neo beats the everlasting snot out of him, he managed to dodge one strike!

That was one more then he would've done yesterday! Sure, it took him three entire hours of non-stop getting beaten up, but it was working!

Right now, Jaune was with Ren shopping for the last bit of supplies for the next week. Right now, their tents and sleeping bags are in top condition, as much food as their lien could buy them, and other necessities that Ren deemed important. Jaune honestly never saw Ren as this big survivalist, he always imagined him as the type that would sit by a window with a giant novel that was over a thousand pages, basically a male version of Blake in his eyes. The fact that he seemed this knowledgeable about survivalism was… concerning. Sure, all huntsman knows how to camp and hunt, and even when he wasn't a huntsman Jaune vastly enjoyed the many training trips him and his father went on together, mainly to avoid his mother's and Saphron insistence of going shopping.

But Ren knowledge was such an extreme that it was scary.

"So…" "Speak of the devil…" Jaune thought to himself as he turned to his friend. He was currently sorting their can goods and M. . Which Jaune personally thought shouldn't even be classified as food.

"You're undergoing training?" Ren asked Jaune. His pink eyes glancing up from his work.

"Yeah." Jaune said, taking a rest and sitting across from Ren. "Neo offered last night. When you all are asleep, I like to sneak out and get some practice in… It's been, nice to just be by myself sometimes." Jaune answered.

"What change last night?" Ren asked, his attention solely on Jaune.

"Heh. One minute I was training, and the next she was just there. She mocked me and everything, but for some reason she just pointed her sword at me… Then she preceded to beat me basically to death." Jaune chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Then when I ask her why, she said I look like I needed to help."

"You believe her?" Ren asked, his eyes showing no emotion.

"Nah, I think it's a crock of shit." Jaune laughed. He knows full well that Neo just wanted to beat the ever living daylights out of him. Why him specifically he didn't know. Perhaps it was cause he's easily the tankiest member of the team besides Nora? Also, could be that he's weak as shit and it would be the easiest to beat down.

No matter the reason, Jaune didn't care. Hell, he rather it be against him and not like Ruby who he was afraid would, and he quote, "accidently" be found dead in a nearby river or Nora who would get way into the training.

He's happy his useless ass can be helpful for something at least…

"Jaune." Ren started. His eyes gaze downwards as he let out a sigh. "I'm pretty sure that training isn't good for you."

"Eh, your probably right." Jaune admitted, letting out a weak chuckle. It was clear that getting beat up wasn't a good form of training, even with that one small victory he managed to gain over her.

But it was all he got at the moment. Neo was strong, way stronger then he was right now, and he knows if he asked his team, they would train him… but he knows it wouldn't be good. They would baby him, try to conform to his needs and he can't allow that to happen.

He can't just allowed to drag down his teammates anymore. He needs to get stronger, he must get stronger. Neo is the only path he sees to it.

"Don't worry Ren, I know what I'm doing."

"No you don't.'

"No, I don't, but what's the worst thing that can happen!" Jaune argued.

"A broken limb, you being too exhausted, being eaten by a Grimm. Neo deciding to make you a pin cushion. Numerous ways of death."

"I get it, I get it!" Jaune waved away his friend's worries. If there was one thing Jaune was good at was barely escaping with a positive from a really, really bad idea. He liked to believe that was the strategist in him.

Ren just shook his head and returned to his work. Ren was packing everyone backpack with not only great efficiency but also making sure everyone had basic enough necessities in case anyone ever got lost. Jaune just watched Ren work his magic for a while, before a part of him wanted to answer his early question.

"Hey Ren?"

"Yes?" Ren replied, not looking up as he continued his work. Currently stuffing Nora pack with stabled lighting dust and pancake flavored M.R.I. How in the gods name she could eat those he didn't know, and frankly was afraid to ask.

"How did you get so knowledgeable about this?" Jaune asked,

"What do you mean?" Ren replied, staring at Jaune from the corner of his eye. "I told you all before that me and Nora were orphans, this is just something I picked up."

"Yeah, I get that, but didn't you all got picked up by an orphanage? I didn't know orphanage offered wilderness classes."

Ren stayed silent for a brief moment. Before zipping the contents of Nora's bag closed. "Don't worry about it Jaune, it doesn't matter. We're all ready to head out if you tell the rest."

Jaune didn't say nor do anything for a bit. But after a while, he got up and headed outside to find the rest of his friends. The only thing coursing through his mind right now was that in the past twenty four hours, he easily knew someone was lying to him.

/-/

It was evening as the former beacon students said their goodbyes to Dayport. Armed with their supplies. Ren, Nora and Ruby were already waiting by the road out, all that Jaune had to do left was to find Neo so that they could get all out of there.

Putting two and two together on where Neo was easy. First you find the nearest ice cream shop, Jaune couldn't believe how much one single girl could consume so much ice cream and not get sick from it, and then you just follow the trail of chaos from there.

Thankfully Jaune managed to get to Neo before she could start any fights. Honestly when he decided to have her join their group he was fully expecting her to get into fights and outburst due to how needlessly violent she was, but he soon learn that most of Neo's altercations just spawn from her defending whatever ice cream flavor that she adored at the time, apparently she would murder someone at the mention that Mint chocolate chip tasted like toothpaste. Jaune decided to keep his opinion about that to himself for his own safety.

"There you are." Jaune said as he entered the shop. Neo was sitting, staring at the window, in front of her was a giant bowl of multiple ice cream flavors. Her mismatched eyes switched to Jaune once he entered, she at once huddled her arms over her ice cream, as if Jaune was going to steal it right in front of her. Well, if Jaune ever wanted a quick death, that was definitely a possibility…

"Hey, we're heading out now." Jaune said. Neo still didn't seem to trust that he wouldn't steal her ice cream, however relented as she got up and followed Jaune. The two slowly walked in Dayport. The evening sun warming Jaune's back and the gentle breeze of the summer winds made this area feel more peaceful.

Then that peace was at once ruined as he felt Neo's heel dig into his foot.

"OW, what was that for?!" Jaune asked, hopping on one foot like he was a cartoon character.

Neo let out one of her annoying silent giggles that really drives him insane. It was like the gods removed her voice but not the malice. As Jaune hobbled like a fool, he was suddenly thrusted with a bowl. Jaune faintly recalled seeing two bowls, but he thought it was just that fact that when it came to Ice cream, Neo was just a glutton.

"Did you get this for me?" Jaune asked stupidly.

Neo responded to Jaune stupidness by rolling her eyes, before giving the blonde a thumbs up.

"Thanks…" Jaune said. Not exactly why he was getting this small bout of kindness from her in the first place. Maybe this was an apology from getting his ass kicked from training earlier? Either way Jaune was just happy to be eating ice cream. Jaune digs into the vanilla ice cream, easily the best ice cream flavor with no doubt. As Jaune was getting through his scoop, he looked over to Neo and didn't like the obviously smug look on her face.

"What? What is it?" Jaune asked.

Neo smirked and motioned her hands as if she was asking him for money.

"Wha- I thought it was a gift?! You know, a sign of friendship and kindness?"

Neo stared at Jaune like he gone mad.

Jaune groaned and finished his ice cream in sadness. He was sure he was going to pay for this later tonight… "Look I may not have money, but we can just train again later tonight, I think you beating my ass is good enough payment?" Jaune asked and gazed back to Neo. The girl in question gave Jaune a healthy thumbs up and skipped ahead of him.

Jaune groaned that he essentially sold his pain tolerance for ice cream.

Honestly? Not the worst trade he made so far in his life.
The city was starting to get behind him as Jaune made his way out of Dayport. A part of him feels nervous about everything in the future. Their plan, the walk, any challenges that might get in the way, it was scary to think that just a couple months ago, all he had to worry about was if he would pass Oobleck history exam.

Now he's with his best friends and one deranged psychopath trying to stop the worst person to ever exist. It was quite a leap. But one he was willing to take.

"Hey Ren!" Jaune said, walking up to his friend. "Everyone ready?" he asked, clutching the strap of his backpack.

"Yes, I got Nora and Ruby all sorted…" Ren stopped and look all around Jaune as if something was missing. And apparently something was. "Where's Neo?" Ren asked, confused. "I thought you were going to get her?"

Jaune turned as if he was expecting Neo to be standing right there in front of him, but Ren was right, Neo just wasn't there anymore.

"Huh…" Jaune said, not sure what to think. Did she finally decide to go f' this and hightail it out of here? He didn't exactly know.

But he had an incredibly awful feeling about this.

/-/

"My my, I must complement you, young one." The madman cackled as his wrist blades gleamed crimson. Neo grasped her arm as her nerves let out a constant throbbing of pain. Her hand was already stained with blood.

"Pity the little flower isn't here." The madman cooed. He nonchalantly walked towards Neo, not seeing the girl as any sigh of a threat. "However, you'll be a lot more fun!" He cackled, his weapons aimed forward as he rushed in.

Neo dodged, one of the sharp blades only a hair length from her neck, the other however struck gold as she felt her leg aura magically disappear somehow. The madman quickly followed it up with another slash, causing a deep wound to form on her leg.

Neo stared at the Madman with rage and a bit of fear. This damn beast can somehow cut through her aura. And seem to be faster and stronger then she was.

A part of her knew that death was rapidly approaches the longer she fights this man.

The other part of her wishes she didn't give that damn ice cream away.

With impressive speed, Neo unsheathed Hush and rushed right towards her opponent, the other things she could hear was the maddening laughter of a lunatic finding a new plaything.

Tyrian is even a more fun character to write, that is all.

See you all back two Tuesdays from now at 2 pm est!