Mercury and Emerald were walking the streets of Vale late at night. They overheard some civilians speaking of 'a crazy guy talking about the fall of Vale'. Hearing that, Emerald called her Mistress as they reached the front of the building, where they saw the figure of Glynda Goodwitch. She was on her scroll, talking quietly but urgently.
"Mistress Cinder? It's true.. Somehow the target does know something. The Beacon Headmistress is here too, probably speaking to Ozpin. We might need backup here" As Emerald was telling Cinder this, Mercury scoffed.
"Come on. I bet we can sneak past a couple of cops and ONE teacher" Mercury rolled his eyes.
"I'll send the mute but sneak in now and kill off that leak. Too risky to try and extract him" Cinder hung up.
"Okay come on Merc. That Ice Cream girl will be coming if we need back up. Let's go" Emerald and Mercury went over to the station, Emerald making them invisibile to the Headmistress and Officers.
They quietly searched the station, reaching the cell blocks, where they saw a few ordinary looking people in there for minor crimes. Then they saw one guy in the strangest outfit they ever saw. He looked like someone their big boss, Salem had dressed. He was scowling and pacing with aura negating cuffs on his wrists.
"That seems like him.. How do you want to do this?" Emerald whispered to Mercury.
"I can use a poison dart and we can slip out undetected" Mercury took out a small dart covered in Elder Deathstalker venom.
Before they could even start though, an officer came in and stood in front of the cell, drawing the teen's attention.
"What is it now!? I told you I have been betrayed. Once again, I find myself here.. Betrayed and alone in a dark room" He spoke venomously. Though the room was actually well lit.
The Officer said nothing before suddenly stabbing the three cameras in the room, then changing from an Officer, to Neopolitan. She was smirking at his stupefied expression as it turned into a furious one. Emerald and Mercury came out of hiding too at the reveal.
"YOU! You won't get away with this. I will tell them of your plans to bring Vale down. Then I'll use Cinder next.. You will not win this. Hear me.. When a gentleman loses his temper.. even the devil shivers" He spoke with as much conviction as he could muster.
Neopolitan started laughing softly, but began to full on cackle at him now. Emerald and Mercury both facepalmed at how this was the guy so dangerous to their plans that they were all sent to kill him. Neopolitan turned to the two of them and gestured for them to go as she pulled two molotov cocktails out of her sleeves.
"Ugh! That'll draw so much attention. Come on, Emerald. Let's go while the little psychopath works. She can get out easier" Mercury nudged her along and Emerald reactivated her semblance, quickly moving away from them.
"Wa-Wait, no. Fight me fair and square you bitch! HEY!! HELP! INTRUDER!" He started to scream as his voice pitch got higher and higher.
She stuck her tongue out at him mockingly and tossed them both in the cell right on him. Successfully lighting him on fire and turning the cell into an inferno. Neopolitan then disappeared in a show of light as she used her semblance to escape the station unnoticed.
"I'LL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!!!" Was the last thing he screamed before succumbing to the inferno as the sprinkler system kicked in and Glynda ran over.
"What is- Oh no.. Salem's agents..? They're in Vale? I have to tell Ozpin.. Someone recover the body and send it up to Beacon! I have to take my leave now" Glynda's expression darkened as she left the burned body of the man in the cell.
-Tukson's Bookshop, Vale-
Blake was catching up with an old friend back in her White Fang days. Neo was currently looking for the 'Ninjas of Love' Blake was said to read in the show. She gave it a once-over and it was, indeed, ninja themed smut. After picking out another book, she received a message from Neopolitan on her scroll and a system message.
>Icecreamwaifu: Done! Cinder asked me to back up the two lackeys but they were taking too long so I disabled the cams and snuffed him out for you 💖🤍🤎<
[Ding! Target assassinated! Administering rewards. 10,000 shop points, .44 Magnum revolver, 30 .44 magnum rounds]
"Oooooh a gun.. I'll try that later" She talked to herself and sent a message back to Neopolitan.
>Neo²: Thanks, babe! You the best. Let me know if you need sum'n and I'll stroll over just for you<
>Icecreamwaifu: Tempting! See you soon, I hope 💋<
~Is she flirting with me? Oh I hope so..~ She put away her scroll and walked over to Blake, who was finishing her conversation.
"Ready to get back to exploring? I got two books here. Seemed pretty good" Neo put them on the counter as Tukson scanned them.
"Hoh. Your friend has good tastes, Blake. 'A man of two souls' and.. of course 'Ninjas of Love' hehe.." He saw Blake's face freeze from the second book.
"Of course you picked that one.. I guess this isn't a coincidence?" Blake cast an accusatory glance on her friend.
"Nope! It was said you enjoyed the book so I was interested. Wanna read it together?" Neo put her hands in her pocket as Blake's bow twitched slightly.
"I.. Well.. Y-Yeah, I guess we can.." She almost whispered.
"Well that'll be fourty-five Lien" Tukson cut to the price before the atmosphere turned strange.
Neo snorted in amusement and paid for the books before heading out with Blake. For the rest of the day, they walked around Vale and had a good time.
-The day of the Beacon Application test-
Over the two weeks Neo has been in Vale, besides killing off the first and second reincarnator targets, she has been spending most of her time with Blake, Neopolitan, Roman and Junior. With Blake she often went around the city and ate with her. Other than that, they both enjoyed the other's company and read their respective books in close proximity. With Neopolitan, she tended to let her more mischievous side out and consistently pranked Roman. Aside from this, they started to spend time together, just like she had with Blake. With Roman, she actually got into deep philosophical debates with him about what they find most physically attractive about women. Aside from this, she helped him avoid any huntsman above student level when he was forced to do more frequent heists. With Junior, she mostly ended up drinking at the bar when it was late at night and she had nothing to do. Such a night happened to be when Yang had walked in, wanting answers about her Mother.
Today was finally the Beacon Application test for those who hadn't attended a huntsman academy. Blake and Neo arrived at nine in the morning in Beacon's enormous courtyard where the tests were conducted. In the very front was Glynda Goodwitch, beside the Headmaster, Ozpin. Last time she saw Glynda was after the assassination of who she kept referring to as "Edgelord Prime". It was a simple retelling of what happened where not much else occurred, much to Neo's disappointment.
"Today we will be conducting the physical test portion of the entrance exam. Tomorrow you'll be coming in for an hour to do the written exam, should you pass the physical part. Lastly, is there anyone here who has not unlocked their aura?" Goodwitch asked and saw only a few had raised their hands.
"I see, then I'm sorry but you have already failed the physical test. Feel free to try again next year if you get your aura unlocked by then. You may take a Bullhead back to Vale now" Glynda folded her arms and spoke like a professional.
~Oof. Harsh but understandable. But this just cements that Jaune doesn't belong here. Boy was he lucky Pyrrha had his back~ Neo shook her head as she remembered how nice the red head was.
"Now we will begin the strength test. To the side, you will see numerous dumbells ranging from thirty, to one ton. To pass, you must be able to do three sets of at least fourty. Understood? Now, line up and begin"
Blake and Neo lined up with the other few remaining. Only around two dropouts failed this part. One due to trying to do the 150 pounds in each hand and failing miserably. The other was just too scrawny and unfit to consecutively lift the smallest weights for the full three sets.
Then Blake was up, she had the sufficient strength to complete a full thirty times with the fourty pound dumbells.
Giving her a high-five, Neo estimated her current strength and picked up seventy pound weights with only a decent amount of struggle, she finished all of her sets and returned to Blake, who was looking at Neo's arms.
"Where are all those muscles exactly? I don't see anything but soft skin" Blake tried to tease her.
"Remember the elixr? My muscles won't gain any more volume but will actually get denser as I progress in strength. Also you love these soft arms, don't lie" Neo smirked at Blake, who just rolled her eyes and looked to the next test.
"Good. Your results have been written down. Now comes the agility test. You'll be running an obstacle course. If you fail to complete it after one minute and thirty seconds, you fail. Line up again, please" Glynda walked over to an obstacle course made of hardlight dust about one-hundred feet long.
At this part, there were more failures. Only around two people passed this due to a mix of lacking creativity, lacking speed or in one instance, not being able to climb at all.
Blake was next up now and showed a rare confident smirk as she began the agility test. She easily leapt over falling logs, ran up a wall and leapt on small platforms. She ended up finishing in only thirty-seven seconds. As she returned to her friend, she pat her shoulder with a cocky smile.
"Beat that" Blake snickered as Neo started to do warm up stretches.
"What do I get if I do?" Neo hid a confident grin.
"I dunno. What do you want?"
"Lemme pet your ears for a full thirty minutes or.. hm.. I guess a kiss will do?" Neo gave her an evil looking smile.
"You perv... Okay, deal. But if you lose, I get to order you around for a day" Blake seemed competitive now.
"Done. So, to quote one of my favorite movies.. 'Maximum effort'" Neo got the signal to start as she began to run, jump, flip and swerve under the obstacles. Moving in a very fluid and incredibly agile way. Blake seemed to forget how even Neopolitan herself was just as agile and tricky as she was. Not to mention Neo, who had taken the elixr and had an older and more developed body of Neopolitan.
She almost fell to her knees when Neo moonwalked across the finish line in just thirty-six seconds. As if to rub it in, she continued to moonwalk back to her friend with a smug look of victory written on her face.
"Beat it. Those kitty ears or kiss is mine.." Neo stopped the dance and put her hand on her hips with a grin.
"Now the next test will be how you handle your weapons. Follow me toward the training dummies, please" Glynda then took the remaining few to a spot where robot dummies were lined up.
As Blake and Neo followed, Blake looked around very nervously as Neo continued to tease her in a minor way. Once confirming nobody was looking, she pulled Neo's head over and kissed her. On the lips. It was a quick peck and Blake continued to walk, although with a sweating and crimson face.
"Heeey, Blake?" Neo was behind her now. Blake was too embarrassed to look her in the face.
"MHM..?" Blake felt Neo's hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't mention it had to be on the lips, y'know? ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°"
"Could have even waited till later.. ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°" Neo now heard Blake make some high pitched started but muffled noises.
"Pffhahahaha!! Oh I love you, Blake.." Neo cackled as Blake began to sulk in embarrassment.
"Quit teasing me, you bully.. We have a test to complete!" Blake tried to shift focus now.
"All right, all right.. I'll let you off the hook. It was nice though" Neo said the last part quieter but Blake still heard her.
She couldn't stop the smile that steadily grew on her face as they went on to successfully complete the rest of the physical exam.