Heyo! Here's a new chapter, hope you all can enjoy it. I have to go back to work now, hope you all stay safe, I'll see everyone on the next update. Byeeeeeeeee!


The Worst Reincarnation Yet

Chapter 7: Trust

It had been three days since Neo and Roman arrived at the nightclub, thanks to Junior and Whitley who risked their lives to bring them to safety despite the dangers that would bring. The pink-haired girl was surprised at first by the treatment she was receiving from the henchmen and the other staff working at the club, none of them showed contempt for her presence or her partner, in fact, they were polite and quite kind in a way, something that was unheard of to her. But she had a feeling that everyone was acting in this manner because of Whitley, the young man had probably ordered them to not be disrespectful.

Neo felt that such consideration was unnecessary as she had grown accustomed to being treated as a nuisance, although it was a refreshing change from being subjected to stares with disgusted expressions from the nobles due to her physical appearance. The worst of all was the pitiful looks she got from them once they found out she wasn't able to speak, this made her angry as she couldn't tolerate the lack of respect. Fortunately, those types of stares were something she didn't have to deal with here, which helped her to relax.

Ah! I still can't believe I have this big room all for myself, a shame I won't be able to stay here forever. She pressed the fluffy pillow to her face with a warm smile on her lips. Sleeping in a comfy bed is definitely better than a cold floor, that's for sure. Neo didn't want to get up as she was comfortable staying in the king-sized bed for a little more time, but she had stuff to do, so lingering on wasn't an option. The young lady got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

The hot water on her soft skin made her feel wonderful and helped ease the pain in her body. She scrubbed her gorgeous hair to get it clean and then went on to clean the rest of her slim figure. Soon, Neo had finished her bath and was ready to go, carrying a towel to cover herself, she left the bathroom and went to wear her usual attire. Wow! They really did an excellent job mending my clothes, I'm impressed. The mirror revealed how stunning she looked in her outfit. Now, to find what that Schnee has been doing lately.

A sudden knock at the door caught her by surprise, she grabbed Hush just in case. The handle turned, and the door was opened, Junior entered the bedroom looking frustrated. "So you're still here, huh? I'm amazed you haven't hurt anyone yet." It was clear the man was uncomfortable around her and didn't trust her one bit, but he had good reason, as Neo had quite the reputation to cause problems. "I don't really care for you or that prick you call a friend the moment both of you are back in shape, I want you out."

Hmph! Always an asshole as usual. Neo always found Hei to be incompetent and a nuisance. How could the leader of the mighty Xiong crime syndicate allow the family to fall so low? Long ago the power they wielded reached even the ears of the council members that ruled Vale, they didn't dare to go against them. What a foolish man, you have no clue on how to lead if it wasn't for Whitley and his surprising talent for business, your family would still be a rotting corpse with maggots feasting on your decaying flesh.

Junior knew from the girl's glare that she understood him. "Good, I hope you will bear my words in mind and keep out of trouble while staying here." He was about to leave but for some reason, he glanced back at her. "I don't know what are your intentions with the brat, however, you better keep your distance, he isn't your plaything." Hei couldn't risk losing the Schnee boy, as thanks to him the Xiongs were growing in strength again and with time they could finally retake the city.

With that said, Junior head back to his office. Huh!? It seems the bastard has a soft spot for ice-boy, though I suppose it's natural since he brings lots of liens. Neo twirled her umbrella as she left the bedroom. Like you, I too have an interest in that guy he is nothing from what I had expected from a Schnee, this is going to be so much fun!

While the young girl made her way through the hallway she heard loud noises coming from the level below, intrigued she went to take a look by going down the stairs. The dance floor was busy with plenty of staff working like crazy and from what she could tell it seemed there was some sort of party happening soon. There were several tables overflowing with appetizing dishes, just the smell was inviting enough. I wonder what they are celebrating to go all out like this, well, it doesn't matter, I have no interest in boring social events.

A familiar voice in the distance caught her attention. Neo searched for the source while avoiding the incoming henchmen carrying more luxurious ornaments to decorate the place. Ha! I knew it was him! She was confident the voice was from Whitley and appeared to be coming from a room located next to the bar. When Neo approached the entrance, she noticed this was Junior's office as it had his name written on the door, inside was Whitley seated on a couch, he was talking with some random girl wearing a peculiar outfit. Hmm... Who's that woman? She poked her head out to listen to the conversation.

"I have to admit, I was a little concerned about leaving you here on your own, but you managed to do more than I predicted." Said the orange-haired girl with a big grin. "When I went to the old district just to make sure there weren't any problems, I was impressed by how the entire area was renovated. The Faunus there are really happy with their new homes, thanks to you they don't have to worry about anything."

Whitley got embarrassed, but the real reason he did the renovation was to attract more citizens willing to live there and to win the heart of the Faunus community. "No need for such praises, I told you I simply did it for the money that place would bring. I mean, our new refinement center's workforce is almost entirely composed of Faunus that live there so it was natural to improve their living conditions." He replied. "The old district is now one of the most luxurious sites in Vale, can you imagine how much of a profit we will make from selling plots of land there?" And because we were the ones who developed the area we will only have to pay 20% of the taxes to the government for seven years! HAHAHAHAHA!

Penny giggled at the boy's strange expression, he looked like a devil laughing after making a deal with a poor soul. "Hehe! You are really unique." Though Whitley was certainly greedy his actions always found a way to help everyone.

"Indeed! I am a Schnee after all." Whitley stated proudly. "I am not a liar like my father, I always honor my agreements."

"A Schnee...that you are." Her demeanor shifted to one of apprehension. "...I'll be honest I wasn't expecting you to actually help them, people tend to make promises that they can't keep and the Schnee household is known for their abusive treatment toward them, however, you kept your word in the end." Penny's hands fidgeted as did her best to find the right words. "Y-You treat the Faunus with the same respect as you would treat a human."

"Jacques sees them as nothing more than slaves to be used and then discarded when they are no longer needed." He took a sip from his cup of tea, instead of sweet it tasted bitter. "I am not a good person like you and I don't do things without gaining something for myself, but I would never exploit or harm them like my father." Where is she going with this?

"W-Well, what would you do if I was lying to you this whole time, that instead of being human I was in truth a Faunus?" She grabbed her chest due to her anxiety. "Would you hate me?"

Oh! Ohh! I think I understand what she's trying to get at. Penny must be curious about my reaction if I were to discover that she is a robot and not a human. Whitley placed his cup on the table and went to the girl, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Everyone has secrets, I do too it's normal, sometimes is not easy to trust someone, and the hearts of people are easily swayed. But, whether you are human or a Faunus it doesn't matter to me because nothing will change, you are my friend now and always." I hope this will ease your mind for now, I hope someday you will trust me enough to tell me your secret, perhaps I might share mine as well.

Penny analyzed him just to be sure, fortunately, she didn't detect anything, so it was clear he was being truthful, this made her happy. "I'm glad to hear, I had a feeling you were different, though the reason I asked such a weird question is that a situation like this happened a while ago to my friends back at Beacon." She continued. "A girl named Blake pretended to be human so no one would bother her since Faunus are looked down upon, yet when her friends found out what she really was, they forgave her." The concept of friendship was new to Penny, but it was something precious in her eyes.

"Now, those are the type of friends you want to keep around." Hmm, was I wrong? Maybe I was reading too much into her question.

"Hehe! Yes, they are quite fun." She said with adorable enthusiasm.

Whitley found the girl's beaming smile cute. "Even if you were a Faunus, I would still like you." He immediately realized what he said, his face burning red. "Ah! A-Ahh, I-I, y-you know what I meant." His voice cracked.

"... Y-Yes." Penny nodded sheepishly.

A knock at the door quickly dissipated the awkward atmosphere in the room. Neo had grown bored from listening to their conversation and decided to make her presence known. The young woman walked toward the white-haired boy which left him nervous as he wasn't counting on meeting her while Penny was around, he wanted to avoid these two crossing paths as problems could arise. "O-Oh! H-Hello, my lady." He bowed with grace. Neo extended her arm and waited for him to grab her hand. "Hm? O-Oh! M-My apologies." Whitley took her hand and kissed it. This was a normal greeting between a nobleman and a noblewoman in high society.

Penny flinched. "S-Salutations!" She had no idea who this stranger was, but for some reason that kiss annoyed her a little.

Neo looked at her with indifference, she had no intention of befriending her. The reason she was here was to talk to the Schnee regarding the Vanille family title and how to get it back, the title itself wasn't important to her, but the power and money that came with it was. The pink girl didn't have much trust in Whitley, but he did save her and allowed her to stay at the nightclub to recuperate, so she was willing to give it a try at least. If he betrays me, I can always snap that delicate neck.

"Right! I forgot to tell you before, this here is my guest, her name is Neo." He introduced. "She can't speak, but she uses her Scroll to communicate."

"I see, well, it's a pleasure to...wait, I think I have heard that name before." Penny narrowed her eyes and changed her stance, she remembered hearing that name from a conversation between two soldiers a few days ago. "Whitley! Stay back! This woman is a known criminal in Vale, and a dangerous one at that." Her backpack opened and Floating Array came out with incredible speed, the blades quickly surrounded the guest to prevent her escape.

Hilarious! Neo smiled wickedly as she unleashed her sword from Hush. Silly little girl, I suppose I should teach you some manners.

Both girls stared each other down, the air was heavy as a battle could break out at any second. "WAIT! WAIT!" Whitley shouted, gaining their attention. "Neo is my guest, she isn't here to harm me, in fact, me and her are in the middle of negotiating an important deal." He tried to explain. "I understand you are wary of her, but please trust me for now, you have seen how the Xiong family changed. Besides, we have a common enemy in Maelstrom, since they are after the both of us." Penny still hesitated to let her guard down.

"I believe you, but she can't be trusted."

"Please, I give you my word that if she does anything horrible, I shall take the blame." He pressed on.

Penny relented. "Alright, I hope you know what you are doing." All the blades returned to her backpack.

Huh! No fun. Neo returned her sword to Hush. Hmph! These two seem awfully close. She took out her Scroll, then she started writing something to show them. 'Are you two dating?'

"W-WHAT?! N-No! We are only friends!" Penny was flustered with her arms flailing around.

"Y-Yeah." HA! I wished, I never had a girlfriend before... or even kissed a girl... With a blank expression and lifeless eyes, he remained in contemplation.

Hearing this was enough to make Neo grin. Not that it was my business, but I simply do not like to share my playthings.

"Good! With that out of the way let's try to relax a bit okay? We have too many problems already, it would be better to not add more." Whitley then guided the pink lady to the couch for her to take a seat. "I assume you are here to discuss what we talked about a while back?" He went to Junior's desk where the tea set was and prepared a cup for his guest. "Here you go, my lady."

Neo gave a slight nod to thank him for the tea, when she drank it the sweetness overwhelmed her mouth. Quite delicious indeed. This type of proper behavior was something she liked about Whitley. 'As you said, I am here because I want to take back my family's title.'

"I had a feeling you would wish to reclaim it." The boy poured another tea for him and Penny. "But before we do or plan anything, it would be best to get rid of the Spider Queen first." He said with a serious tone. "If she catches wind of our idea before she's out of the picture, we might run into some roadblocks. Also, I wish to prove to you that you can rely on me."

'Valid point, I agree.' Neo was impressed he hadn't given up on dealing with Lil' Miss Malachite. 'I'm curious, have you contacted her yet?'

"I have, of course, it was easier since both of her daughters work here." Whitley answered. "She'll arrive next week, so have no worries, I always honor my agreements."

'What are you going to offer her?'

"And spoil the surprise? Nah, just wait and see I shall free you from those tangled webs, my lady." Whitley said with confidence. "In the meantime please enjoy your stay here, anything you need you just have to ask the staff or me if you wish." With a big gulp, he finished his tea. "If you excuse me, there's a boring party that I must attend. We managed to get some support from a few noble families, but this is only the beginning, soon a lot more nobles will come to us." He was about to leave until Penny barred the way.

She looked at him somewhat annoyed. "Don't forget that tomorrow you are going to Beacon with me." Whitley laughed nervously. "Weiss won't forgive you if you keep postponing your visit."

"F-Fine." NOOOOOO!

'It's dangerous to go out with Maelstrom hunting us, but if you insist on going to Beacon, I suppose I'll tag along to watch your back.'

Whitley's eyes widen in surprise. "B-But won't the authorities recognize you?"

'My Semblance allows me to disguise myself as other people, so it won't be a problem.'

"That's not really..." Penny wanted to protest, but Neo was right about Maelstrom, so just one time shouldn't be a big deal. "At least, try to not harm anyone there."

"Excellent! With that settled, I really must go help Junior with the guests, though if you two wish to join the party, you are more than welcome." Penny was interested as she never attended such a party before, while Neo didn't seem much eager, but it was normal due to her past experience. The group left the office and in front of them were plenty of people already mingling with each other, the sound of loud laughter echoed across the club. In the distance, Whitley noticed Hei Xiong sharing a drink with a group of noblewomen. "Things seem to be doing fine, I guess my presence here isn't..." He glanced back at Neo and noticed the panic state she was in.

Neo's skin was pale, sweat pour all over her, a throbbing headache settled in. I...I'm... S-Stop looking at me! I-I am perfect! I have to be perfect! Painful memories came flooding in, her parents always punished her severely if she wasn't flawless. P-Please stop, I-I just want to be left alone! Her pink hair and eye changed to brown, she wasn't responsible for this change but her subconscious. I-I can't do this! M-My chest! Neo gasped for air as her vision became blurry, she was having a panic attack.

Whitley grabbed her hand and brought her back with Penny's help. They help her sit on the couch. "Quickly go bring a bottle of water and close the doors!" Penny nodded, she left and closed the doors. "Neo, look at me, please calm down." God Dammit! I am so stupid! How could I forget that these parties were the absolute worst moments in her life? He squeezed her hand. "They weren't looking at you, and no one is going to hurt you, you are safe here."

... W-Whitley? Her heartbeat slowed down and her vision stabilized. W-What happened? A-Ahh! This again? I thought I had finally surpassed these nightmares... She saw the concerned look on Whitley's face, then she noticed he was holding her hand. I-I'm used to doing this on my own, I don't need anyone's help... but thank you. Neo gave him a faint smile.

"I'm sorry this was my fault."

Neo shook her head and wrote on her Scroll. 'Don't apologize for something you didn't do.'

"Even so, this happened because of me."

'I'm fine, you should go back to the party, they must be waiting for you.'

"No, I can't leave you alone, I will stay here with you until they all leave." Said Whitley with a serious tone.

What a strange guy you are, caring about me while you should be out there. Part of Neo's hair returned to its pink color, and so did her eye. I will definitely make you mine.