CH 1 Unexpected Beatings

RWBY vol 6 spoilers for ep 1

CH song to listen to while reading: Naruto soundtrack - Sadness and Sorrow watch?v=wEWF2xh5E8s

Yang "What is she doing here?!"

Blake "Doesn't matter, just don't let your guard down!"

Weiss "I thought she was supposed to be dead! Ruby?"

Ruby "Don't look at me, she fell off an airship! Who survives that?! Gahh!"

The pink and brown haired villainess was currently taking immense pleasure in slamming her boot into the hooded girl's abdomen.

Ruby "We were only shopping, why'd we have to end up fighting in the rain? Oww"

Blake "Doesn't she seem off to you?"

Yang "Yeah no, she seems perfectly fine trying to KILL us! DAMN – IT!" None of Yang's shotgun blasts were hitting their target as Neo gracefully danced around the incoming projectiles. Her trademark smile was currently missing from her face however.

Blake "No I mean look at her, her clothes are filthy and torn, she doesn't look like she has bathed in weeks and isn't that Torchwick's hat?"

Weiss "Oh NOW you're taking an interest in the enemy's fashion?"

Neo blocked the incoming bullets from Blake's Gambol Shroud with her umbrella, however she hadn't seen the boarbatusk Weiss summoned. The glowing white apparition smashed right into her side and sent the petite woman flying four feet in the air. Though knocked to the floor, Neo quickly rolled back to her feet just in time to counter a fist from the blond brawler.

Yang's fists swung wildly and with purpose but she just couldn't seem to land a hit on the agile mute, however she had managed to get far closer than Neo would have liked. Catching one of Yang's punches with the cane of her umbrella, Neo was able to get her assailant off balance enough to hop on her back and use her as a stringboard. Once airborne, Neo tossed a pair of daggers at the main source of her sorrow who was still planted on the floor clutching her stomach.

Jaune "Ruby!" Not a second too late. With what had resulted in a running dive that put him on his back, Jaune had managed to get his shield in position just in time to deflect the airborne blades.

Ruby "Heh thanks Jaune. You alright?"

Jaune "Yeah no big, it's just my back.

Ruby "Where are Ren and Nora?"

Jaune "Oh you know, date night. Didn't want to interrupt their first one. Here." Back on his feet, Jaune offered up his hand to the young huntress. Even in the midst of battle Jaune was still a gentleman, a fact that Ruby took immense pleasure being on the receiving end of. She gladly accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up off the wet street.

Jaune "So who are we up against today?"

Ruby "Neo."

Jaune "The quiet one?"

Ruby "Jaune not the time. She is literally kicking Weiss' butt"

That she was. The (ex) heiress had just received a roundhouse kick to her rear that sent her toppling forward and nearly into a water trough.

Jaune "Where are Qrow and Ozpin?"

Ruby "Trying to find us passage into Solitas remember?"

Jaune "Don't you think you should have called them? This isn't exactly an easy opponent from what I've heard."

Ruby "Tried but his phone is dead." Dumb 'bad luck' semblance.

With that Ruby rejoined her team in combat. Four on one would have been difficult for even the most skilled huntsmen and Neo was no different. Although she was able to deflect or doge most of the attacks sent her way, she was still taking hits that whittled away at her aura.

Jaune "Yang look out!" Neo took the chance and tripped Yang, using the larger woman's momentum to send her flying in Jaune's direction. The buxom brawler came sliding up next to him with a fresh coat of mud all over her back.

Yang "Not now Jaune, kinda busy here. AHH My hair! How is someone so little that strong?!"

Jaune "No wait, I have a plan." Jaune punched his shield and although Yang didn't get it, Ruby had.

Ruby "Great idea Jaune. Yang, get in close. Blake, Weiss! Keep your distance and fire!"

Breaking off her attack, Weiss used her glyphs to quickly retreat out of the bladed umbrella's reach before firing off a round of Fire dust projectiles. Neo managed to doge most of the fireballs but one had landed on target, leaving searing burn damage to her ankle. Soon Ruby joined in, firing from Crescent Rose while Blake fired from Gambol shroud. It took everything Neo had to avoid most of the volley of gunfire.

She would have just used her umbrella to block all the fire, however Jaune and Yang kept getting in close to the nimble fighter and wouldn't give her a moment to rest. Between the hail of bullets, flying fists and slashing sword, Neo's situation was going from bad to worse.

Blake "Why isn't she using her semblance?"

Jaune "She must not have enough aura to activate her semblance and take those hits."

Ruby "We've almost got her! Don't let up."

A stray bullet passed through Neo's right ankle bringing her down to the ground on one knee. She opened her umbrella to block the following shots but immediately received a punch from Yang's robotic arm square in the jaw. The force of the hit sent the woman toppling over, skidding across the wet road and face first into a puddle.

Jaune "Hold your fire!" Jaune bellowed out, to which everyone complied.

Now surrounded, Neo grabbed her umbrella off the ground and used it to slowly help get on her feet. With the speed of the battle taking a much-needed moment of rest, everyone took the chance to catch their breath. Bloodstains blossomed all over Neo's clothes as she fought to stand. Her chest rose and fell as the woman struggled to breath. Wiping the blood dripping into her eye from a cut on her forehead, she once more took a shaky battle stance with her weapon pointed in Ruby's direction despite the poor shape she was in.

Ruby "Just give up, you can't win."

Yang "Yeah make this easier for all of us and just stay down."

Ignoring their words Neo tried to lunge in Ruby's direction but the act was quickly interrupted when Yang used Ember Celica to shoot a blast into Neo's good leg, making a mess of the woman's calf. She fell hard face first into another puddle while a voiceless scream rang out into the storming night sky.

Jaune "Hey wait! She's out of aura, you could kill her!"

Yang "Sorry, I – I didn't know." Yang had acted purely on instinct to protect her one and only sister from the violent, crazed woman before them. Never had she intended to cause such harm to another human, regardless if they deserved it.

Once more Neo forced herself to stand despite both legs having bullet wounds, though now she could only remain standing while propped up with her umbrella. The force of trying to stand caused blood to gush out of the bullet wounds turning her white boots red. Still Neo refused to back down.

Jaune "Why?! Why do you go so far? Just surrender already!"

Jaune's voice was almost pleading, but he was still only met with a scowl from the broken woman. And that's when he saw it, the dead lifeless look in her good eye. The other one had swollen shut after Yang's earlier punch had sent her flying to the ground. Before she could mouth any kind of threat, Neo was brought to the ground in a coughing fit. When she looked up blood was trailing down from her mouth.

Jaune "She still hasn't said anything has she?"

Yang "Nope, crazy mute."

Yang's insult had given Jaune an idea. It was a long shot, but it just might work. He put away his sword and shield and started slowly walking towards Neo, his hands up and out stretched as if approaching a dangerous wild animal.

Blake "What are you doing?!"

Weiss "Are you insane?"

Ruby "Guys, Jaune must have a plan. Lets trust him." At least Ruby hoped he had a plan. She really, really hoped he did.

Seeing the man walk toward her, Neo quickly raised her bladed umbrella in his direction from her spot on the street. The sheer action proved too much for her weakened muscles and what should have been an intimidating threat looked like nothing more than a desperate last cry. She held the umbrella with one shaking hand in the air while her other hand desperately tried to support her off the ground. The action did not deter the man, if anything it strengthened his resolve.

Still a few feet away from her, Jaune stopped and began moving his hands around in a way that caused the mute woman's eye to open wide with surprise. Her weapon arm lowered to the ground but the blade remained pointed at him.

Jaune {Why do you refuse to give up? What moves you to destroy your body like this? Please stop this before it is too late.}

Much to everyone's surprise Neo moved her umbrella to act like a crutch under her arm and began moving her hands in a similar fashion.

Neo {Where did you even learn sign language?!}

Jaune {I have a sister who is deaf, it helps to know these things.}

Jaune shrugged and flashed his best charming smile hoping it would help ease some of the tension. After a minute of Neo getting a good look at her surroundings, everyone else still had their weapons drawn and at the ready, she reluctantly replied to the one person whom she was able to speak with.

Neo {I have to get my revenge.}

Seeing as how signing had gotten Neo to open up, Jaune decided to continue speaking in a language that was exclusively for the two of them.

Jaune {Revenge on who?}

Neo {Red.}

Jaune {Red? Do you mean Ruby?}

Neo shot Ruby a piercing glare, the likes of which brought shivers down her spine. Unconsciously Ruby took a step back while cocking Crescent Rose. If looks could kill, ouch. Ruby felt the full force of that hatred and her desire for Jaune to quickly back away to safety hitched up into the back of her throat. But Ruby trusted Jaune, so she remained silent and kept her concerns to herself.

Neo {She took away the only person I had left.}

Jaune { . . . Torchwick? Because of you two many people have lost their lives.}

Neo {And I lost my world! I have nothing now, nothing except my revenge.}

She couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They began flowing down her face as she spoke the reality she had desperately tried to ignore.

Jaune {You can't live for revenge, trust me. Look what it's done to you.}

Before she could respond, Neo coughed up more blood and began gasping for air. The rain of bullets had wounded not just her legs, but also her arms, face; her whole body was scared. Neo would have been covered in her own blood if not for the rain currently washing it away. Catching her breath, she once more propped herself up on her umbrella from the crimson dyed puddle she was sitting in.

Neo {Without it what am I supposed to do? Go to prison? Rot in jail or rot on the streets, it makes no difference.}

Weiss "Will someone please explain to me what is going on?"

Jaune "Weiss, shush."

Weiss "Uhh you did not just tell me to shush?"

Jaune {Let me help you. I can boost your Aura so you can heal yourself. You don't need to die here today.}

Neo { . . . Why would you do that? I'll just come after you all again.}

Jaune {You don't have to.}

Neo {Then what am I going to do? I have nowhere to go, nobody waiting for me, no purpose. I'm all alone.}

It would seem with the admission of her situation Neo had finally lost what little control she still had on the floodgates of her tear ducts. She was reduced to a crying mess as the rush of pent up emotions overtook her.

Nora "Sorry we're late, came as soon as we got your message Ruby."

Ren "What'd we miss?"

Blake "We ran into one of Torchwick's associates."

Ruby "And now Jaune is waving his hands in the air and making her cry."

Weiss "They are talking in sign language you dunce. No one here knows what they're saying though."

Jaune "I'm going to use my semblance to heal her."

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang all questioned his poor decision in unison. Each woman gave up good reasons why that was a BAD idea.

Jaune "I'm only going to heal her enough so her life isn't in danger!"

To prove Jaune's words true Neo tossed her umbrella towards Ren and Nora, the only people who hadn't tried to hurt her. Reluctantly everyone allowed Jaune to continue, though they never fully let down their guard. Jaune knelt down next to the broken and batter ice cream girl. A few minutes in and the bleeding had stopped. With the rush of adrenaline subsiding and the searing pain all over her body being replaced by the warm comfort of Jaune's semblance, Neo found herself far more exhausted than she had thought. Unable to fight it back any further, she passed out and fell right into the blonde man's arms; Torchwick's hat finally falling off her head when she collided with her healer's embrace.