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"It's the weekend…" Weiss informed me. I was cooking us both breakfast and I turned to look at her.
"So…?" I wondered. "It's time for me and Neo to hunt down the Engelberts…?" I had a feeling that wasn't what she was alluding to. But I figured I'd remind her that just because I was done with classes and tutoring I wasn't free.
"You can rely on me too, you know. You dumb blonde," she was sitting on one of the dining room chairs looking at me.
"For crime stuff? I'm hunting them down and murdering them. You want to be involved in that?"
"First of all they tried to bomb you. It's not murder."
"It's not not murder. Anytime you have to say 'it's not murder' like that you're doing everyone and yourself a disservice. I'm killing people. I'm planning in advance to kill them. It's murder."
"We'll have to agree to disagree…"
"Will we?"
"We will. This is more like self defense in advance than murder. Was it murder when you killed Cinder or Tyrian or Mercury?"
"Yep."
"How?"
"Why did I kill them?"
"I don't know. Why did you kill them? Revenge? Justice? Defending the common good?"
"Because I wanted them to die, darling."
"Don't say something like that and use my pet name! Or you're in serious trouble! And that makes it murder? I think I understand. You make the distinction that your motivation was impure so that makes you more than just a killer."
"Have you ever killed someone, Weiss? Maybe in Atlas after I left?"
"No… not yet," she admitted.
"You don't get it and I don't have the tools to explain it to you. That's my fault but it's true. The first time I killed somebody was in an accident. It was manslaughter. The next time it was murder. Because I meant to. They were in my way so I destroyed them. I had the power and they lacked the power to stop me. So I killed them and they died. That's murder."
"I see why you think that way. But it was self defense as well. It wasn't just about that."
"But it was about that enough."
"The point is that you don't have to rely just on Neapolitan. I can help you destroy your enemies."
"Neo will torture and kill people because it's fun for her. She had no qualms about killing and torturing. She just needs a target. That makes her ideal. Her Blaster, Mover, Thinker, Stranger grab-bag has incredible utility."
"Quite the friend."
"I'm a murderer too. I've tortured people."
"I tortured Don Corneo."
"You tortured scum. Totally different than grabbing, torturing, and killing some poor guy off the street. Which I have done. Neo wouldn't hesitate to do it, she'd have a blast."
"My semblance has utility. I have telekinesis and Trump, Shaker, Master, Blaster, and Mover powers."
"The only semblance with similar utility to Neo's that I know of is yours, that's true. That or this young student named Crystal who has a precog, Thinker semblance that's rated pretty high. Neo is useful like that. She will torture somebody because it's fun for her. Her moral compass is like a clock. It's my clock. You're still innocent. Given the option I would keep it that way. And I would also not risk you breaking the law and being in trouble that way."
"I want to do something."
"Something as in go out to dinner?"
"Is that how you ask me out?"
"You. Me. Dinner."
"You made it worse."
"Let's get dinner, then. A date night."
"Then I want to help you with your other business somehow."
"Okay? I'll try and think of something I'm comfortable with you doing. 'Somehow' as in threaten some gangsters into doing whatever you tell them? Or the like? I'm not super alright with you killing people on my account. I'm really not worth blood on your hands."
"I'll be the judge of what you're worth. You make for a terrible judge and you always tip the balance of the scales against yourself. You have always been unable to see your own reflection clearly."
"I don't want you to ever kill somebody, Weiss. I'm not worth that. I'm just not."
"What is?"
"Your own defense and peace of mind. Ruby's defense and peace of mind. Our children, just in general."
"What about you?"
"What the fresh fuck about me?"
"You are infuriating, you dumb blond! Gods I love you so much but you frustrate the life out of me. Your defense and peace of mind is worth a little blood on my hands. I think you're blind. You really are unable to see your own worth. It's a problem. You are worth it. I love you. I'd kill and bloody my hands for your defense and peace of mind."
"I don't like it…" I trailed off.
"It's not your choice," she sang. She was so musical. She even sounded good as she subverted me. I suppose it wasn't really a subversion. She was doing it to my face. "I want to be involved. Involve me," she kept singing at me. It was… really distracting. I watched her lips move as though hypnotized. I was starting to think she knew of all the ways she could screw with my poor brain.
"Fuck me sideways. You're going to drive me nuts. If I can't use 'darling' however I want you can't sing at me while we're arguing. That's fair cop," I traded with what little leverage I could muster.
"It's not an argument. It's a discussion," she corrected. "And why can't I sing?" She asked.
"Because you're going to turn me on. It's the same reason you can't flash your breasts at me while we're 'discussing.' It's cheating," I tried to draw a line in the sand. I wasn't sure it would work or that I could pull it off. Weiss was a monster at this whole 'discussion' business.
"You want me to stop because it will give you an erection? You are not motivating me to stop. Quite the opposite. Maybe I want another hit," she teased me brutally. She had so much to tempt me with that it wasn't really fair. She was bopping me without really trying.
I had nothing and I just glared at her halfheartedly. "It's cheating and it's off limits while we're having something half of us are still calling an argument." Where could I back down and where did I have to push and hold my ground? Weiss was all over me and she was so clever. I was losing. I was losing fast and I was watching it clearly happen in real time as though it was happening to somebody else.
"Ruby would agree with me and call it a discussion," Weiss argued. Maybe it was true.
"Ruby isn't here and she wouldn't be onboard with any crime that I do," I said.
"Which should tell you what you need to know about whether or not it's the right thing to do," she pointed out.
"You…" I growled a little. Gods above, she was hitting critical spots like a sniper. "You're driving me insane. No singing. No trying to turn me on. No blood on your hands. Quit trying to spread me out."
"It's a legitimate strategy," she disagreed with me even on that and tried to spread me even thinner.
"I'm calling you out! You better play fair or else… or else…" I stammered off into blank nothingness. I had fuckin' nothin'.
"Or else what?" She wondered. She seemed genuinely curious and that only served to drive the point home.
"I won't give you breakfast," I threatened.
"You like feeding me. You won't do that," she called me out easily and with a small smirk. Just a tiny upturning of her lips. Just enough to make me want to kiss her. She was going to kill me and make me like it.
"You are so lucky you're cute and your personality is fire. Or else you would be intolerable," I spat as I gave her her breakfast.
"Cute?" She pressed. She was discontent even with my compliments and flattery. She wanted more. She had to have it. She was unrelenting and never gave me an inch. Gods above, she was so frustrating.
"Gorgeous and sexy. Whatever."
"The 'whatever' ruins it," she pointed out and robbed my thunder. Any thunder I'd been able to gather that was. Very little thunder. She still took it.
"That's not the point. Let's agree to have dinner and I promise to try to think of a way you can help me that doesn't involve killing and torturing people. And if I can't do that you have to stay uninvolved. Is that fair?"
"Fine," she agreed. "But I do also want another hit, though, please?" She sang it to me very intentionally. I looked at her. She took a bite of eggs and batted her long lashes up at me from where she sat. Her doe eyes were big and round and blue like ice as she pleaded for my affection. She was going to milk the power of her voice now that she knew it was a weapon. As though she couldn't just ask me to touch her.
I sighed. "Yeah, like I'm going to say 'no.'"
There came a knock at the door. Come on, I just put on the coffee. I heard the knock again. Three more quick hits. I left Weiss at the table and walked to the door. I pulled it open.
I pretended not to see Neo. She was short enough that I could fake it. I peered over her head blindly and intentionally. Neo punched me straight in the gut so that I flinched over and was more down at her height.
"Oh, Neo. I didn't see you there."
She stomped on the ground.
"Sorry but what can you expect? You're so smol."
She huffed, pouted, and folded her arms. 'Fine, maybe I won't let you know what I came here for,' she threatened. She had a decorative purple and white envelope in one hand.
"Something happen while hunting down Junior's friends and family?" I asked. That's what she had been up to for me when we last spoke.
Neo craned her head and peered past me and into the kitchen where Weiss was eating and watching the two of us.
"She knows everything pretty much. And the things she doesn't know I'll tell her if she asks. I don't really have secrets from my girlfriends. Or fiancé. Whatever they are to me."
She pointed at herself.
"Yeah I've pretty much told you everything too. You know I'm dying and that I'm barely a person. That pretty much covers it. What's up? Why are you here?"
She handed me the envelope. I opened it.
Dear Mr. Strife,
I am formally extending an invitation to you to join me and my family at our residence for a gala. You are encouraged to bring a guest with you. Food and drink will be provided as well as a show. Wear something you can dance in.
Please RSVP for this auspicious occasion with this letter. The address, date, and time are enclosed.
Your friend,
Hei Xiong
"An invitation from Junior? Did he catch you spying on him?" I asked.
Neo waggled a hand. 'Maybe,' she indicated. So he might know that I was watching him and ready to strike or he might not. He probably figured I was on the dangerous side of things at any rate. He knew I was a powerful and potentially unstable man. He must figure that my good side was a place to be on. Especially considering that I knew where he slept and I had Neo.
"Did Roman used to go to these sorts of things?" I wondered. Maybe knowledge of whether the former crime boss did attend would influence whether or not I should. Was it smart? Was it practical? Was there something to gain? Was it networking?
Again Neo waggled a hand. 'Sometimes,' she informed me. That was more or less helpful I guess. Roman probably attended these things when convenient and when he had something to gain from it. The only question was whether or not I did as well.
"I'll have to think about it," I told her.
She pointed at herself in a question.
"Take you as my guest?"
She nodded.
"Again, I'll have to think about it. You're certainly my first choice."
She raised a hand to her mouth in feigned surprise. 'Oh? Does your fiancé know that you are asking me to a dance?'
"Don't be a brat."
She again pointed at herself. 'Who? Me? I would never.'
"Yes. You. You totally would. It all depends on whether or not I want them to think I'm a lunatic that I would bring you. I'd have to be one to consider it. Did Roman take you to these sorts of things?"
She waved a hand dismissively. 'Pssh, yeah. All the time.'
"And I'm sure you were perfectly well behaved and not an absolute imp."
She nodded pleasantly with bright eyes. She made an attempt to seem cute but I'd seen that same smile (or one like it) presented while I snapped a man's fingers one by one. Hard to forget that.
"Yeah. Gonna have to think about it. You're a gremlin."
She thrust two fingers through a hole made in her other hand then pointed between us. 'Yeah, a gremlin that you fucked.'
"We didn't fuck, Neo. That's just in your wildest fantasies. You fiend."
She nodded. 'We did too. You might not remember it but I certainly do. How does your fiancé feel about the fact that we made sweet, sweet love.'
"If I did that it was only because I was out of my fucking mind. I might put my dick in crazy. But not this crazy." Then I held a hand up to her head height. "Out of my mind on so many drugs that it may as well have never happened. And it will never happen again. And that's saying it happened at all. Which I doubt. You're just fucking with me just to fuck with me because you can. Because you're a sadist. I see through you. You're an imp. You cause only chaos."
Neo pointed past me at Weiss. 'Oh yeah. Like she's not a fiend.'
"Weiss and Ruby are, and I'm telling you this because I know you can't ever repeat it, they are devils. They are absolute fiends who drive me out of my mind. Love and hate are both present at once in me with my relationships to them. So are domination and submission. It's both. The thing about you," I poked her on the nose. She angrily batted my hand away. "The thing about you is that you exist only to cause chaotic destruction and pain. You drive me out of my mind but it's in a way that makes me certain I don't want to put it inside you. Do you see the distinction I'm making here? Imp? What if I called you that and introduced you that way forever? Imp. You would deserve it. You would deserve worse."
She pointed at me angrily. 'You deserve pretty bad yourself.'
"And I'm getting it. Aren't I? I have to deal with you and my family and myself. That's pretty horrific. It's horrific enough without you trying to piss off my girlfriends who are literally the only lights I have in my dark nightmare of a life. You feel me?"
She folded her arms and stomped a foot angrily.
"I'm glad we understand each other. You're my friend, and fuck only knows what that says about me, but I don't want to fuck you. I want to have not fucked you if I did fuck you. Which you can't prove and expect me to take your word on now when it will serve you to inflame Weiss when you wouldn't tell me before. Sounds convenient. Too convenient. You're up to garbage. You always are. And it's part of why I like you." I poked her on the nose again. She glared. "But… you can see my dilemma when it comes to taking you at your word on pretty much anything that could, not hurt me, you wouldn't let me get hurt or die, but inconvenience me. Inconveniencing me is so on the table for you that it isn't even funny. It's number one in your playbook. Now scram, you scamp."
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-WG