With a clearer mind, I realize that dealing with that guy wasn't the cakewalk I imagined it to be, especially considering the seemingly gentle façade he wore while conversing with me. It soon became apparent that beneath his soft-spoken demeanor lay a subtle threat disguised as a generous deal stacked in my favor.

That damn contract, packed with its minuscule letters, essentially forced me to acknowledge some form of guilt, condemning me to a week behind bars as a means of atonement for my actions. Conveniently obscured by the bastard, those small letters caught me off guard, resulting in a night spent in a cold, bare cell at the station. No bed, no mattress, not even a pillow; just the harsh reality of a toilet, devoid of any privacy, and a metal frame serving as a makeshift bed.

Alone and cold.

Fuck

It sucked, it sucked so bad.

Fuck Ozpin and fuck Glynda.

And the audacity of that bastard to paint his apology like he's doing me some colossal favor by locking me up instead of letting me go, as it was meant to be like it was written in those papers.

This is payback for turning down his damned scholarship, isn't it? If this little get-out-of-jail card has sneaky conditions, what else was buried in his supposed generosity?

The mere thought sends a shiver down my spine.

Honestly, I'd prefer to bed down on the streets than endure this godforsaken cell. At least out there, I could scrounge up some trash and fashion a makeshift bed. I had my tools with me this time.

And while technically it's private, being in this jail feels anything but. Sure, there's no one sharing the small cell with me, but across my place, there's this sorry-looking human locked up in another cell. His long, unkempt hair and beard, along with his filthy clothes, giving me an idea that he has to be a homeless dude or an addict.

I'd have ignored the hobo if not for his incessant screaming every time I so much as reached for my scroll or some food. Because yes, the cops haven't bothered to feed me a damn thing, not even breakfast, which should have been served hours ago.

Also, the reason that I wasn't able to bring out a pillow or extra clothes to use as a makeshift bed.

So naturally, I had to eat in small bites thanks to that retarded hobo screamed and flailed like a bloody monkey.

Obviously, that attracted the guard stationed to keep watch, which always came to check and leave after scaring him off to finally shut up.

Shaking off the annoyance, I flop back onto the metallic bed and gaze up at the damp ceiling, trying to be as patient as possible by counting the dots on the ceiling until Neo arrives.

I filled her in on the situation yesterday, at least the bare minimum, and she promised to swing by and bail me out.

It's been a long half-day since I last heard from her. I want to believe she's out there, doing something important to get me out of this mess. But damn, this situation is just straight-up miserable.

Glancing to my right, I notice the stupid human huddled in a corner, his attention elsewhere but my cell.

Seizing the opportunity, I discreetly retrieve my scroll from my inventory. There has to be something on here to occupy my mind. I navigate through my library app, considering buying another book or perhaps a short story to pass the hours. They are pretty cheap and I have plenty of money.

"GUARDS GUARDS A WEAPON! HE HAS A WEAPON! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

MY FUCKING GOD WHY?!

"Kill yourself, please fucking kill yourself!" I shout back at the fucking retarded piece of shit who is back, pointing his disgusting finger at me and howling like the animal he is.

"GUARDS GUARDS! WAAAAAAAAAAA GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDS"

"Oh, my god shut your fucking mouth!" I hear a shout coming from the other room, and the distinctive sound of something being thrown hard.

The door crashes open, revealing a cop, his face twisted into a furious scowl. I know because he isn't wearing his helmet.

The disgusting human points a trembling finger at me, a manic grin stretching across his filthy face. "Weapon a weapon there, check him!"

What a piece of shit.

But the cop isn't having any of it. He stomps over to the laughing man and snatches his baton from his belt, bringing it down hard on the hobo's hand. The sound of bones cracking echoes across the room as he lets out a scream of pain as he falls on his ass.

As if that wasn't enough, the cop kicks the bars of the cell, causing the hobo to shrink back into the corner. "Do you think this is funny? Huh?! Having to waste MY fucking time to shut you up?!"

I remain silent as I watch the scene unfold before me. The cop fumbles with his key-ring, furiously trying to unlock the cell. Finally, with a loud click, he manages to unlock it and kicked it open. The prisoner inside let out a shriek as he stumbles back in fear, pathetically trying to crawl away.

"I've had it with you! You kept me up all goddamn night! I don't give a damn if I get suspended for this!" the cop shouts as he marches towards the homeless idiot, angrily grabbing him by the hair and pulling him back. He then uses his baton to strike the homeless man directly in the mouth, causing him to cry out in pain.

But the cop doesn't stop there; he continues to violently hit the man repeatedly in the face.

And again. And again.

I cringe as I see blood splatter on the ground, but the enraged officer shows no signs of stopping. He continues venting his anger on the man.

Finally, he lets go of the broken man and allows him to fall to the floor. As he catches his breath and his weapon drips with blood, he suddenly lunges forward and grabs the man by the collar, lifting him up to eye level. "You want to die? Is that what you want?!"

Without waiting for a response, he smashes the man's head against the wall, leaving a large stain behind.

The homeless man curls into a ball on the ground and weakly raises a hand to shield himself, but the cop clearly doesn't care.

"FUCK YOU!" He kicks him in the stomach only to change to stomping him. "SHUT UP!"

And that scene continues for a long while, my eyes never leaving as I watch the brutal scene with morbid interest.

When he finally stops, all I can hear after that is the heavy breathing of the cop as he stands over the broken body. Suddenly, his head snaps towards me with an enraged expression still plastered on his face.

"You saw nothing, you hear me?!"

I just raise my hands and make a gesture, zipping my lips.

"SHUT UP!" the cop roars, his face contorted with rage, before slamming the cell door shut and locking it. He pulls his hair, as he lets out a roar of frustration and then he storms off.

Probably realized that he went overboard.

Glancing back at the sniveling snitch, I find him reduced to a whimpering, broken mess on the floor.

"Serves you right, you fucking bastard." I sneer under my breath, satisfaction coursing through me as I retrieve my scroll and some food, finally able to enjoy a moment of peace now that the nuisance is gone.

With a few taps on the screen, I discover a simple game of matching three colors and dive in. Surprisingly entertaining, I find myself aiming for higher scores with each new game.

So time passes like a breeze, the monotony of my jail cell momentarily forgotten in the pursuit of higher scores in this dumb game.

Snapping out of my thoughts at the sound of the door opening, I am quick to move and send everything back into my inventory, not eager to invite further trouble or another round of interrogation.

The newcomer is another cop, distinct from the one who dealt with the hobo. His voice is higher pitched, and he wears a helmet, concealing his face entirely.

He doesn't waste words as he unlocks the cell, causing me to raise a curious eyebrow.

"Get up," he instructs, swinging the cell door open. "You're lucky you have a good lawyer."

A lawyer? But I didn't call...

Ah, Neo.

So that's what she's been working on all this time.

I don't know the details, but if they're letting me out, it must mean Neo's done her part. And that's definitely a good thing.

Without further ado, I rise from my seat and stretch my arms before stepping out of the cell. The cop gesturing for me to follow his lead.Before leaving, I steal one last glance at the sorry excuse for a man lying barely conscious in his cell, a malicious grin creeping across my face.

It was a satisfying ending for him, even if the cop got a little out of hand, but I wanted to break out from my cell to beat him up.

Yet thinking about it serves no purpose. I dismiss the thought entirely the second I step out of the room.

The cop leads me through a series of empty hallways, flanked by rows of metallic doors, until we finally ascend a staircase to a higher floor. The ambiance shifts noticeably as we step into the main room that looks far more inviting, the decor much more refined with actual wood replacing the drab concrete walls.

Making our way to the reception area, my eyes land on a sharply dressed man wearing a tailored suit and glasses, a suitcase in one hand while the other adjusts his red tie. But it's Neo standing beside him that captures my attention, albeit not as herself. Instead, she's disguised with her semblance as she is the brunette with twin pigtails and black dress, the same girl from her fake driver license.

Neo's energetic wave catches my attention the moment I step into view, prompting me to return the gesture as I start to make my way towards her. However, a firm hand clamps down on my shoulder, redirecting me to the big desk in the opposite direction where a woman is focused on her computer screen, typing something.

Irritated, I comply and approach the busy secretary, who's already prepared a stack of documents and a pen for me.

"Sign here, and here." She then turns the other page and points. "Also here."

Grabbing the pen, I quickly scrawl my signature across the pages, eager to be done with this bureaucratic nonsense.

Just as quickly, the woman gathers up the documents and neatly organizes them next to her keyboard. "Thank you, you may now leave, Mr. Rakhan,"

I roll my eyes at the curt dismissal and stride away from the desk, making my way back to Neo and the lawyer who made this all possible.

The man with the suitcase adjusts his glasses and turns to Neo. "Mr. Rakhan has been safely delivered, and all charges successfully dropped. My job here is done, Miss. A pleasure doing business with you," he says, extending his hand.

Neo firmly shakes his hand as he takes his leave, leaving us alone in the reception area.

As we step outside into the open air, I greedily take a lungful of fresh oxygen, relishing the stark contrast to the stale, foul-smelling air of the jail cell, because that homeless guy never bathed. But before I can fully immerse myself in the sensation of freedom, Neo tugs me to the right, her pace quickening. With her hand in mine, I have no choice but to follow along without protest.

Soon, we enter into a slightly dark alley, away from prying eyes, only to be met with a sudden and completely uncalled kick to my shin.

"Oww! What was that for?!" I protest, shooting her an incredulous glare.

Her arms crossed and a frown on her face, Neo meets my gaze with a steely glare. Moments later, my scroll chimes with a new notification.

'You talked to the police!"

Confusion creases my brow as I recall my interaction with the cops yesterday. "But I didn't! They were a bunch of pricks. Why would I talk to them?"

Neo shakes her head, a look of disappointment etched on her features.

'You turned a single hour of work into an entire night.'

And before I can react, her hand shoots forwards and grabs my ear, pulling it down. "Hey hey watch it! Let it go, dammit!"

After struggling for a while, she finally lets go, my ear stinging as I rub it to tone it down.

'You admitted to a lot of crimes, dummy!'

"What? What do you mean? I didn't admit jackshit!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up in frustration. "I only talked and clarified some stuff with Ozpin!"

Neo stares at me with a blank expression, blinking before letting out a long, loud sigh. She shakes her head and shoots me another look of disappointment, a sight that irritates me to no end. I hate that look.

I hate it.

'Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy?'

"Yes"

'Ozpin, the council member who was given full control of the Vale security forces?'

My blood runs cold.

'THAT  Ozpin?'

"I guess... fuck..." I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose, the reality sinking in. I had unwittingly conversed with one of the most powerful figures in Vale. No wonder he could dictate terms and erase evidence with a snap of his fingers. He practically owns them. "Shit…."

Neo is absolutely right to call me an idiot.

She continues shaking her head, poking me in the chest to drive her point home.

'If you EVER get into similar situations, don't talk. Period. Just call me.'

And with that, the finger poking my chest darts forward, flicking my nose with surprising speed.

"Ouch! Okay, I promise," I concede, rubbing my nose where she flicked it. That was totally uncalled for. "So, can I go home now? It's been a very long day. I'm tired, Neo."

I really want to rest on a proper bed and a pillow and get back some sleep and hopefully forget about this shitty day. Although, now I have put Cinder's gang on the scope, so hopefully they will be gone.

But Neo remains silent, staring at me with a deadpan expression, her boot tapping impatiently on the ground as her hands rest on her waist.

Ah, right. I forgot.

"Please?"

Her demeanor undergoes a complete transformation, her pouting expression morphing into a mischievous smile as she nods, extending her hand in invitation for us to leave together. I accept, and we make our way towards my apartment with her pulling me again.

It's likely she wants me to cook something sweet for her once we arrive there.

Honestly, who could understand this girl? One moment she looks pissed off, and the next she's back to her cheerful, sadistic self.

 

 

-Later-

 

Neo served as my escort or bodyguard, accompanying me every step of the way to my apartment building. Perhaps she was concerned that the same bullshit might happen again, or maybe she wanted to ensure something, but either way, we arrived home without any issues.

During our journey, Neo filled me in on what had transpired in my absence.

Cinder had imposed restrictions on Roman, forbidding him from working with Neo for some unknown reason. With me preoccupied dealing with Yang, Roman was left to his own devices, forced to improvise for his upcoming heist. Unable to delay it any longer, he resorted to calling Junior for assistance, borrowing a couple of his men to pull off the job. However, their attempt ended in disaster when they were thwarted by a single girl–a trainee huntress. Roman, ever the opportunist, prioritized his own escape over his temporary henchmen, leaving them to fend for themselves in the chaos that ensued.

But despite how short it was, Roman's skirmish attracted the attention of Glynda, that uptight woman, escalating the situation further. The confrontation drew Cinder's direct intervention to rescue Roman from his mess, as Glynda's semblance proved too powerful for the thief.

This led to a heated battle between the two women, ending in a draw.

Cinder's ire towards Roman stemmed from the unwanted spotlight it cast upon her and the unwanted attention it drew from Ozpin, who began investigating her as a result.

And I helped a bit with that.

Honestly, it was overall a good thing.

Those two pricks are having a bad time, which translated to a good time for me.

As a reward for making me smile, I will bake a cake for Neo. I am sure I have all the ingredients to bake one. I recently refilled my pantry after all.

We are already up on the correct floor after going up the stairs, so this time I take the lead and move fast to reach the right door and go inside first to get everything ready.

But as I take out my keys, my eyes catch sight of something amiss – the doorknob. It looks similar but feels different, with markings around it that weren't there before.

"What the hell?" I mutter, scrutinizing the knob closely.

Could someone have attempted to break in? It would explain the odd appearance of the knob. Perhaps those assholes damaged it while trying to pick the lock.

Well, not like that. I have a lot inside. Most of my stuff is safely stored in my inventory.

Brushing aside my concerns, I insert the key and attempt to turn it, expecting the familiar click of the lock. Instead, the key stops midway, refusing to budge. Frustration mounts as I try again, exerting more force, only to encounter the same stubborn resistance.

Pulling out the key, I inspect it for any signs of damage, finding none. It's identical to how it's always been. So I get the spare key just to be sure.

Yet, when I try the second key, the result is the same: utter failure.

In a fit of frustration, I lash out, striking the door. Just what the fuck is wrong with this door?!

Why can't I get inside?

Racking my brain, I try to recall if I left anything blocking the door when I last left, but come up empty-handed. I haven't done anything to the door or left something close to the door that might have fallen and blocked.

Before I can attempt another method to open the door, a tap on my shoulder halts me in my tracks. I turn to find Neo standing behind me, holding a piece of paper in her hands that she picked from the floor.

Taking the paper from her, I begin to read, my stomach dropping as I take in the contents.

My breath catches in my throat as a tight knot forms, my eyes fixating on the giant red letters.

Eviction.

The words hit me like a sledgehammer, the realization sinking in with brutal force.

That motherfucker evicted me.

He fucking evicted me!

Citing a breach of contract due to police problems outside his property.

Outside.

bullshit

 

bullshits BULLSHIT

"BULLSHIT!" I roar, my voice echoing in the empty hallway as I tear the notice to shreds and deliver a furious punch to the door. "YOU CAN'T EVICT ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I FUCKING PAID YOUR SHITTY RENT! I PAID, I PAID, I PAID!!!!!!"

 

BULLSHIT

 

Breach of contract, my ass!

"LET ME IN!"

It's not fair. None of this is fair! I've followed the rules, hist stupid rules! Paid my dues, and yet here I am, locked out of my own damn home.

And….

And why the fuck am I knocking?

I glance down at my clenched fists, the temptation to break down the door and reclaim what's rightfully mine, growing stronger by the second.

Fuck it.

I raise my fist, fully prepared to shatter the stupid door into splinters. I don't care about the consequences; I'm the victim here, and I have every right to do this.

But just as I go to strike, my hand stops abruptly, feeling a tight grip around my wrist that prevents my fist from reaching the wooden door. I snap my head, glaring and growling at the bastard who dared to stop me.

Only to find Neo mismatched eyes, shaking her head slowly.

'Don't.'

No.

I attempt to break free from her grip, but she tightens her hold, pulling my arm back and preventing me from using it to strike the door. Frustration boils over as I try to kick the door down with my leg, but Neo intercepts my movement, using her own leg to block mine.

I struggle against her, causing her to move in closer, restraining me with her body as I struggle against her grip, desperate to break free and reclaim what's rightfully mine. I paid for it.

I struggle against her hold, thrashing and writhing in a desperate attempt to break free. But her grip remains steadfast, unyielding, as she pulls me further away from the door. I watch in anguish as the door to MY apartment grows smaller with each passing second, frustration boiling over into a primal roar of defiance.

For a fleeting moment, I shake her off, and I manage to break free. But Neo swiftly proves her strength, effortlessly overpowering me and hurling me to the ground with a forceful thud.

She slowly positions herself in front of me, her expression dead serious as she blocks my path back to MY apartment.

'Don't do it.'

I slowly pick myself up from the floor, glaring at Neo. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I spit on the ground, a futile gesture of defiance. But as soon as I stand, a wave of overwhelming emotion crashes over me, and I grab my ears, pulling them down as I let out a guttural roar as my vision becomes blurred.

Without a second thought, I break into a sprint, my feet pounding against the hard floor as I race down the corridor and reach the staircase. But that proves to be a stupid mistake as I trip on the first stair, tumbling and rolling until I reach the first floor. I fumble my way outside, collapsing to my knees on the unforgiving rough pavement, pain radiating through my body.

My throat constricts, making every breath a struggle, as one thought echoes in my mind…

'Why?'

Why is this happening to me? Why am I being punished for something I didn't do? Just why?

What had I even done to deserve this?

Nothing has been going my way. Everything is wrong.

I don't deserve this.

It isn't fair. None of it is fair.

 

Why…

 

Why even live this point?

 

 

Everything hates me.

 

 

The world hates me.

 

 

Everyone hates me.

 

 

Live? Survive?

 

 

I couldn't fucking care anymore.

 

But then a shadow gradually stretches over me, dimming the warmth of the sun's rays. I make a feeble attempt to look back. But before I can fully register what's happening, my cheek hits something rough, jolting me into a weak sense of awareness.

 

Blinking a few times, I realize I'm no longer on my knees but curled up on the cold and rough streets. And then everything drains from me, numbing my senses as I just accept it and wait for everything to stop.

It doesn't matter what I do. No matter how hard I try, something worse will always happen. That's just the way it is, and perhaps the way it will always be.

 

I don't want to deal with anything anymore, escape this forever.

 

 

It would be so easy, wouldn't it? Just close my eyes.

But before I can even take a breath, I feel a gentle touch on my cheek. My eyes snap open to see Neo kneeling beside me. Her hand gently traces my cheekbone before she gently cups my face in her hands, her fingertips smoothing over my skin with a strange, delicate care. I don't move as I let her do her thing. She always likes to do that without asking, doing whatever she wants whenever she wants. What is the point of complaining now?

Her other hand finds mine, and before I can protest, she interlocks our fingers together, a silent gesture. With a gentle tug, she pulls me upright, guiding me back to my knees.

I don't resist. In fact, I find myself strangely willing to let her take the lead, to see where this path may lead. Maybe it will be a good thing. Maybe it won't. But for now, at this moment, I'm content with whatever might happen.

Neo just uses her free hand and pulls out a handkerchief from her chest pockets, which she promptly uses to wipe my face, which is pathetically drenched. I shouldn't cry and I wasn't crying. It is just something weird that happens with me, just plain anger. But never crying.

Liar.

Her gentle, almost soothing touch continues as she wipes away the evidence of my emotions. When my view is no longer obstructed, she smiles reassuringly at me, tucking the handkerchief back into her pocket.

'Everything will be fine.'

But I just shake my head.

And she responds by placing a hand on my shoulder. 'Come on, you deserve a break.'

I do want a break.

And just like that, I allow myself to be carried along by the flow, my mind drifting on and off as Neo leads me wherever she has in mind. The world around me disappears, just a blur as we walk.

And walk.

And walk.

Eventually, we arrive at a different place, one I cannot even recognize but I just keep moving, letting her take me inside and find myself sitting on a soft pink bed.

And pink walls.

Maybe it is her home.

Neo likes pinks.

I barely notice her return. She is different now or maybe not. It hardly matters as she gently presses me down onto the bed. Carefully arranging a mattress over me, until it feels warm. Only then she then sits beside me. Her hand finds its way to the top of my head, fingers tracing long circles before teasingly flicking my ears.

It feels nice.

I allow her this moment of playful but strange affection, feeling the weight of exhaustion slowly overcoming me. As time slips away, my eyelids grow heavier with each passing second.

And eventually, I surrender myself.

 

 

 

-Industrial District, Neopolitan-

 

"Well, did you find our scaredy cat?" Her Dumdum asked as he took another puff of his cigar. She noticed that he has been smoking quite a lot more cigars than he used to.

But she pushed those thoughts aside as she simply nodded, confirming his doubts, her kitten is safely tucked back at her home, he will be fine. And if not, well, she could always fix him later.

"Excellent!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Tell him to hurry and pack up all of this." He gestured with his cane towards a fresh stack of crates that had mysteriously appeared overnight. "I've come up with a plan to divert some attention away from us. We'll be shipping miscellaneous goods under our shell company's name. It may not be much, but it's a step in the right direction."

Well, it wasn't a bad idea, but it would take weeks before they saw any results, and it might not even make much of an impact against the ongoing investigations, but it could make a few of them stop.

Looking around, she noticed the lack of workers present. She shrugged it off; it was her Dumdum's problem, not hers. And she was about to add another issue onto his plate because, well, he was her Dumdum and he would understand.

"Oh, what is this…" He took the paper from her hands, his eyes widening as he read its contents. "Neo, dear, my beautiful girl, please reconsider."

She couldn't help but giggle at his flattery. Oh, how she loved being praised by him - she could listen to him recite the dictionary all day.

Tossing aside his cigar, he clasped his hands together and pleaded with her. "Come on, dear. I'll buy you all the ice cream you want. Get you a new collection or another bike, whatever your heart desires - just name it and it's yours, as long as you stay here."

Anything?

It was a tempting offer, especially coming from him. There were a few things she had been eyeing recently, so she needed to weigh her options carefully.

A very tempting offer.

An offer the old Neo would have jumped at, but she was no longer that Neo. She was the new Neo.

Besides, with a little bit of persuasion and poking, she could still get what she wanted, anyway.

So she shook her head and raised three fingers.

"Just three days?" He crossed his arms, tilting his head.

Neo nodded happily.

He hummed for a while, probably pondering or calculating, before letting out a sigh, his shoulders dropping. "You're determined to go through with this, aren't you?"

Yep.

"Well then, there's nothing else to be done. I will find a way to appease our trigger-happy boss." He chuckled. "Have fun on your adventure, dear!"

And oh, she definitely will. After all, the beaches of Patch were renowned as one of the top tourist destinations in Remnant.