There were many things Neo learned during her life, especially after burning down the house that used to be her prison and starting to stand up against her father without feeling fear anymore, whether it was training to be a spy for Lady Beat or working as a criminal alongside Roman.
These two jobs, which seemed to be different but couldn't be more alike, shared something extremely important and similar:
Planning; having the patience to wait for the right moment while preparing as best as possible before acting.
A necessity, as much as she didn't like to admit it, that could prevent unexpected results.
Sure, sometimes, however, all the planning in the world might not be enough, especially when the target was someone powerful, either in influence or power.
Cinder was an example of this.
No matter how much Roman and she racked their brains thinking to formulate a way to escape from the deadly clutches of that damned woman, nothing seemed to be enough or possessed a remotely acceptable chance of working out.
This bitch didn't have a past they could exploit for loopholes, family to threaten and kill, places she frequented or resided to sabotage and blow up, much less walked alone, always accompanied by her two guard dogs.
There simply wasn't a single weakness, something most people, including them, usually had.
Furthermore, not only did Cinder always seem to know where they were and what they were doing, somehow being aware of their every move, but she would appear out of nowhere and disappear without a trace.
A manipulative display of control that was unnerving and more solid than the illusions Neo could create, discouraging attempts of "betrayal", especially when Cinder could turn people into ashes with a mere touch of her fingers.
An unpleasant and sadistic fate on levels that even Neo wasn't comfortable with.
Torturing and killing were one thing, especially for people who deserved it and could fight back. Now, disfiguring and destroying bodies while visibly reveling in it was quite different; crossing the fine line that separated people from a monster like the Grimm.
That way, there wasn't a loophole to even try without risking death in the process, and both Neo and Roman found themselves with their hands tied by chains.
Now, however, that bitch was dying in a hospital bed; as vulnerable as a newborn baby.
Neo could and should have killed her, but chose to wait until Roman was out of danger enough to be moved elsewhere, a safe house preferably, and only then deliver their letter of resignation carved into the tip of a knife, burying it in Cinder's heart.
Otherwise, if she got carried away and killed that woman now, Roman would be moved to a maximum-security prison and the chances of rescuing him would be greatly diminished compared to the precarious security of a hospital.
Before that, however, there was Uchiha Sasuke to deal with.
The real problem that made Cinder seem docile in comparison.
As well as being far more sloppy.
While this supposed god also had no known past, Neo would know having made that cowardly lion, Haven's Headmaster, dig deep to find nothing; a complete mystery, Sasuke was in sight and had close people who represented a weakness waiting to be exploited.
Not only that, but if she played her cards right, Neo could even try to poison him!
Not that this had any chance of working, but it was still an option.
A cowardly method that wasn't her style, but that didn't matter as much as the slightest possibility of seeing this boy's dead body.
That's why planning and preparation were important, now more than ever.
Neo could not fail as she was unlikely to get a second chance.
Cinder and Roman's condition was a reminder of that.
Intent on securing the best possible opportunity, Neo began her infiltration and mingled with the other students of this Academy, the second one she was entering even temporarily, and study her targets from a distance.
Yes, targets, as in plural.
Sasuke and those stupid girls in his little harem.
Unfortunately, she couldn't do her job as discreetly as she intended.
Just like at her old Academy, Neo drew a lot of unwitting attention.
Except in a different way.
Before, she was the eccentric one who didn't respect the rules and didn't give a damn about other people's opinions, especially since all those girls were in the hands of the popular Malachite sisters, who always picked on her.
Two little bitches who were lucky to still be alive under Junior's wings after that gang war...
A conflict that resulted in the death of her parents.
All because of her.
Unconsciously, Neo had the white locks of her hair between her fingers, now hidden with her Semblance, while memories resulting from exposure to that bastard's inconstant Aura, both good things about her mother and bad things about her father, surging to torment her.
Yet another reason to hate Uchiha Sasuke, for forcing her to feel things she didn't want to!
For making Neopolitan feel like Trivia Vanille again!
That must be why she unhesitatingly dismissed an opportunity that came from the other kind of attention she received.
Unlike her last Academy that only accepted girls, this one was mixed and the boys couldn't help but stop in their tracks and stare at her, whispering things that would make most of the other female students blush with embarrassment and anger.
But Neo was different and smiled in response, boosting her confidence and options.
Maybe she could use some of these idiots as pawns later.
As a reward, she would give them the honor of licking her boots.
After all, what man wouldn't love that?
Maybe Uchiha Sasuke, but even this bastard who ignored the kind of female attention that would make any other boy live a sinful dream stopped in his tracks and looked at her before starting to walk toward her.
She, Neopolitan, had earned the attention of this god!
No matter how she was disguising herself, her appearance, body, and face belonged to her and her alone, and that was what made this bastard interested in her!
If it hadn't been for a wave of indescribable emotions that hit her at that moment, ranging from fear of getting her target's attention to the hatred she naturally felt for him, and fear again for more reasons than she cares to admit, Neo might have tried to pass herself off as a shy and fragile little girl to gain easy access into that stupid harem.
However, the idea of that damn thing wanting her brought out more than just fear and fueled the existing hatred, also resulting in a sudden surge of confidence and self-esteem that easily turned into arrogance, making Neo smile like the psycho she was and look at Sasuke straight in the eye before using her Semblance to disappear without a trace.
An unobtrusive way to send him to hell, unfortunately being the only method she had...for now.
That must be why the confusion and apparent defeat of this god was so satisfying, making her heart beat faster with a coveted sense of victory.
However, that only lasted until he flashed his own smile in response; one capable of putting an end to hers and devouring her momentary happiness, leaving only fear again.
The good boy facade was gone at that moment and Neo could see; feel in her skin, for the second time, what Uchiha Sasuke was really like.
Someone just like her, twisted to the core; broken beyond repair but with one big difference:
He had enough power to do whatever he wanted and Neo envied him for it.
For having all that freedom; far more than she ever had or ever will have in her lifetime.
Her comfort was in knowing that just like Cinder, someone Neo and Roman considered untouchable, was now vulnerable on a bed just waiting for her fate to be sealed, Sasuke could also come to falter at some point and that was the reason she was waiting; planning.
Sasuke might be the main target to be scouted, but he wasn't the only one.
There were those girls in his harem, specifically Ruby Rose; someone she believed to be the key that would provide the best opportunity to get her revenge.
A girl that Neo came to hate from the moment her eyes fell on her.
Not only was she one of that evil god's girlfriends, but she was all happy and innocent...in a way that reminded her of her own naive dreams as a little girl, where her only company was loneliness that traumatized her enough to awaken her Aura and Semblance, thus creating Neopolitan, her first and only friend.
This bothered her.
Because she was unable to smile like that and interact freely with other girls her age as a little girl that was not a literal manifestation of her Overactive Imagination.
A stupid dream that she was never able to fulfill.
Her disability hardly helped in that, not to mention how isolated from the world she was because of her parents who were ashamed of her and only cared about their damn reputations.
One of the reasons she decided to ignore everything others thought of her.
A liberating decision in many ways.
Just like when she first used the name "Neopolitan" and it just felt right.
Killing this girl will probably feel that way too.
That and using her appearance to kill Sasuke.
Just imagining the result of that made her smile return along with her motivation as she watched Ruby Rose from afar, chatting with one of her harem mates, an extremely thirsty long black haired faunus, Blake or something, in the refectory.
Neo would be sure to memorize every hateful detail of this girl and replicate everything she learned to perfection later.
If necessary, Neo was even willing to...
Imagining this girl with that god on a bed made her swallow dryly and hesitate.
As subtle as it was, and despite appearances, Ruby Rose was making a lot of physical contact with Uchiha Sasuke and constantly staring at his crotch, as if expecting/hoping for a sinful reaction from her mere touch.
There was a good chance they had already slept together.
In fact, Sasuke could have slept with all those girls, except the one in yellow who seemed to be Ruby's older sister and clearly hated the bastard.
A potential ally to keep in mind.
Other than that, if she was right, would Neo also have to stoop so low?
The remote possibility didn't please her at all.
Even more, the mere thought of this brat, a teenager of about fifteen who must never have gotten her hands dirty with blood, being more "adult" than she was in other senses of the word was revolting.
After all, Neo had never been with anyone before.
Not for lack of opportunity, obviously, since one could see from afar the desire in the eyes of every man who looked at her, but not one of them came close to being worthy enough to touch her, let alone have her like that.
Bunch of losers.
Except for Roman, but he was more like family; a brother she never had, so he doesn't count.
That being the case, and considering the experience he must have, trying to seduce Sasuke wouldn't be that easy and she would have to enter uncharted territory.
But how exactly would she do that without ending up screwing up? Especially when she had no experience at all in this sort of stuff?
Fortunately and unfortunately, the answer existed on the Internet.
In fact, there was no shortage of... "tutorials" on this kind of subject.
Despite the darkness that plagued the world, people were quite perverted.
Or maybe it was just because the world was a shithole that people were like that.
Reality aside, going with the plan, after she took on the appearance of Ruby Rose, she would have the difficult task of stopping Sasuke from speaking. After all, the biggest flaw of Neo's Semblance was tied to her inability to produce sounds due to her disability.
In that case, how would she get this god to be quiet?
A kiss was the only thing that came to her mind.
Unfortunately, that would hardly be enough to create an opening to kill him, so she would have to do the unthinkable and drag him into a room as quickly as possible.
That was the part of the plan that made her hesitate because she didn't like to imagine herself naked or even half-naked in front of this bastard, regardless of whether she was using someone else's appearance, before...things started to heat up in the worst way with foreplay.
The idea of putting his thing in her mouth was only satisfying in the scenario that she could cut "it" off with her teeth!
Unlikely, let alone without losing her head in the process, but it wouldn't hurt to dream.
Other than that, her overly creative imagination, the basis of her Semblance, wasn't helping as she created many more scenarios and awkward positions based on the dirty videos she had seen.
This was the first time something like that had ever crossed her mind in such a vivid way, making her uncomfortable in a hot way.
The fact that he was absurdly attractive didn't help at all!
Neo would remember to disfigure that cute little face of his after killing him!
Except that, to be able to do so, she would have to submit herself to this degrading humiliation.
But what else could she do to make him lower his guard long enough to kill him?
Hell, in the worst possible scenario, she might even have to go all the way through and sleep with him to get her chance in the middle of the night!
As her mind was flooded with the possibilities that warmed her body in unfamiliar ways, causing her to have her lips stuck between her teeth, a very welcome alternative appeared.
Later, after Sasuke had let his absurd Aura show once again, probably having killed some unfortunate who pissed him off, in the main hall, a viral video of this bastard getting caught in the act while showing off his fetish for little girls, was rolling loose on the Internet!
At least, that was how she saw it.
The other idiots thought this monster was a hero.
They were so deluded.
Since when did a hero have a soul as dark as a black hole and slowly tortured people to death?
So much so that even Sasuke would agree with her if his words meant that much.
"I am not a hero and never will be."
But it didn't matter, something really good came of it.
The denial shown while speaking those words didn't come without a price, and seeing that god cry; falter like a little bitch, was all Neo needed.
No sarcasm.
The weakness that gave life to the opportunity she so desperately wanted was there, much sooner than she could have imagined!
Neo didn't need to give herself to this bastard anymore!
Probably.
So to make sure that wouldn't happen, she needed to be faster than those little harem sluts and find him as soon as possible!
After that, her Semblance would do the rest.
In case it was really necessary.
If Uchiha Sasuke was as shaken and vulnerable as his Aura suggested, she wouldn't even need to disguise herself!
She could kill him as Neopolitan!
In fact, she wanted him to know who she was while piercing his heart with the blade of her weapon, Hush, which Roman gifted to her.
Nothing seemed more fitting than that.
Which must be why the smile she had as she imagined it was impossibly large.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that easy.
His Aura disappeared and for a brief moment was present outside, something those little bitches could hardly notice, being too busy collapsing with their emotions where even a fight was sparked inside the hall.
As much as Neo wanted to see what happened, she had another problem to deal with, a really strong one at that.
Finding Sasuke was kind of easy, she only needed to follow his Aura and the rumble that echoed soon after to find him over the peaks of the castle that Beacon was.
The problem was that he wasn't alone.
Lieutenant Winter Schnee of the Atlas army, Weiss Schnee's older sister and possibly a whore who was also part of Sasuke's harem, if that tearful embrace they were sharing meant that much.
This made Neo rethink her plans and what to do next.
After all, it was common knowledge that Winter Schnee was basically one of the strongest women in the world, whereas Neo didn't know who was more dangerous between Cinder and her.
At the same time, however, she wouldn't have an opportunity like this again if she backed down now.
Winter, someone as strong as Cinder, was the only obstacle in her way.
So would she do the same as she had been with that bitch in red and give up without even trying?
A lifetime of submission flashed before her eyes and Neo had her answer.
No!
To hell with it!
She refused to go through that shit again!
Neo let her disguise disappear, revealing her true appearance as she made up her mind.
This time she would fight!
Seeing Sasuke faint only encouraged her to try even harder.
While Neo could use Weiss' appearance to gain a momentary advantage over Winter, it wouldn't work.
Aura prevented any initial attack from being fatal.
On conscious people, at least.
Besides, Neo would need every drop of her power and concentration, even if her chances of victory were practically zero.
But she didn't need to defeat Winter.
Neo only needed to kill a defenseless god.
A weak point that gave her an advantage in this situation and balanced things out a bit.
So, for the first time, Neo broke out of her illusion and stepped forward using everything she had to get her revenge!
A small chapter, but a meaningful one... for me, at least.
The next one is bigger and has some action in it.
That's all for now, so review, and if you want to support me and read ahead, take a look at my P t r & on (slash) Bertoti
The next one comes out on the 15th.