A Fractured Diamond

In Hell

   It was bright, why was it bright? First, it was hot last night and now it was so bright she could see it with her eyes closed. 'Maybe I'm in hell.' Neva thought as she pulled a sheet off of her head and opened her eyes slightly, it was around early morning. She groaned as she pulled her sheet back over her head and rolled so she was no longer facing the window, she did not feel like getting out of bed today. Especially not after last night. Neva closed her eyes tight as she remembered eavesdropping on Exto and Lumis' conversation. She couldn't believe that they called her cold, emotionless, untrustworthy, well Lumis had called her those things not Exto, but he hadn't denied them either. 'If only they all knew...' She thought with a small sigh when another voice piped up.

'I mean, you could tell them. There's nothing stopping you. Other than you just don't want to tell anyone.' Neva grabbed her pillow and placed it over her head. It was way too early in the morning to be dealing with her conscience. Neva moved her pillow slightly as she heard a soft knock on her door.

" Neva, it's 8:00. Breakfast is ready if you want to come down and eat. I'm sorry for waking you." A soft voice on the other side of the door said Neva had heard that voice before but couldn't quite place who it belonged to. Neva heard heels clicking against the stone floor, signaling the person had walked away. Neva groaned as she sat up and got out of bed, she might as well get a piece of bread or something.

——-

After having gotten dressed Neva made her way down stairs, she could hear the other members of the Golden Dawn laughing and chatting on the other side of the dining hall doors. She went to place a hand on the door handle but hesitated as a roar of laughter erupted from the hall. 'Maybe it's best if I wait till everyone else is done, since I'm cold and distant. I might end up destroying their joyful moods.' Neva thought to herself with slight irritation, she would never let those words go for as long as she lived. She turned on her heel and began to leave when she walked straight into someone.

" Please watch where you're going Ms. Belmonte." A cold and serious voice said, Neva looked up and noticed the owner. It was Klaus Lunettes. Her superior. She didn't know much about him personally but from what she gathered he was a typical stuck up nobleman. If someone was of higher status than him, he admired them greatly and was very warm to them, if someone was the same status he was indifferent, and if you were below him he wouldn't give you the time of day. Neva almost laughed as she suddenly thought about it, a few of the squad members liked him as much as they liked her, which wasn't very much.

" I'm so sorry spec-," Neva cleared her throat at her near slip up. " Klaus, it won't happen again. I was just heading to go see the Captain." Neva added as she began to walk away and head toward the Captain's office.

" Captain Vangeance isn't here Neva," Klaus told her as he turned to look at her. " He went to the Capitol today's the entrance exam. Besides, even if it wasn't the Captain is much too busy to meet with you." Neva cursed as she stopped in her tracks, she had forgotten that was today. Well luckily she was a very patient person.

" Oh he'll meet with me, come hell or high water the Captain's going to answer my questions." She threw over her shoulder as she began to walk towards the Captain's office. Where she waited...and waited...and waited.

———

'How much longer is he gonna be?! I don't remember the entrance exam taking this long!' Neva thought irritatedly as she was sitting on the cold stone floor next to Captain Vangeance's office door. It had been hours since Klaus had mentioned he was out. Neva was patient but for goodness sake she could be doing something more important right now! Like say, going out on a mission! Neva finally got irritated enough that she made up her mind and was fixing to go to the capitol herself when she heard the person she was waiting for.

" Neva? What're you doing here?" William Vangeance, captain of the Golden Dawn, asked in surprise. Apparently she was the last person he was expecting to see. Neva whipped around to face him, both hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.

" I have questions and you're going to answer them," she demanded before suddenly remembering her place. " Captain."

Vangeance blinked in surprise at Neva's irritated tone, it was very rare that she acted like this with him, he walked forward and opened the door to his office, allowing Neva to walk inside first. Neva stepped inside and went straight for the chair that was sat in front of his desk, she heard the door click shut behind her as she sat down. Neva glanced around the office, he was very minimal if she said so herself, but one item stood out. A small diamond statue that appeared to be in the shape of a magic knight, sat next to the window and was slightly hidden behind a couple of books, a small smile formed on her lips at the sight. Neva blinked as suddenly Captain Vangeance was in front of her.

" Now what did you want to ask me, Neva? It's not often you get irritated." He crossed his arms on his desk and instantly, Neva's irritation came back full force.

" Why am I being side lined? You haven't sent me out on a mission for two weeks, two weeks! So what gives?" She asked as she sat back in her chair and looked straight at her captain.

" I do have a reason for pulling you off of all missions," he began as Neva looked at him. " you only ever take solo missions, unless I specifically ask you to go with a small squad and when you do go on missions with the others, you tend to dismiss them." Vangeance explained and she looked down at her lap.

" So, I am being punished?" She muttered softly, not daring to look up at her captain. She could hear him sigh softly.

" It's not a punishment, it's more like a less-" he began before Neva cut him off.

" A lesson is still a punishment." She argued.

" No it's not I was just saying-." She cut him off again.

" If it walks like a duck-."

" Neva!" Vangeance said exasperatedly as he sat back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, his annoyance with her clear. They sat in silence before he continued. " I'm trying to teach you to work with others."

" I know what your dream is Neva, even if you don't want to say it to me directly, I know." He spoke softly this time as Neva wouldn't look up at him. " In order for you to achieve your dream you need to learn how to work with others, otherwise how will you get any of them to trust you as much as I do? How will you earn their loyalty? You have to work with others, whether you want to or not. That's how you become a leader."

Neva knew her Captain was right, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. She finally lifted her head, crossed her arms, and did something she never thought she would do. She pouted. " I work better on my own, Captain. I don't need anyone's help nor do I want it." She muttered stubbornly. A soft laugh escaped Vangeance's lips.

" You look like a petulant child Neva, you're above acting that way." He lightly scolded before turning serious once more. " But from today on, you'll be working in a small squad with three other members. One of whom just passed his entrance exam. So this is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know them." He added before grabbing some paperwork and going through it.

" Is that an order Captain?" Neva asked and when she saw the look on her Captain's face she had her answer. " Fine!" She sighed before going right back to pouting, causing Vangeance to chuckle softly.

———-

Neva's eyebrow twitched as she stood with her new squad, which consisted of Klaus the stuck up nobleman, Mimosa Vermillion, a sickly sweet royal which was a little jarring at first, and then Yuno the commoner that everyone was talking about. From what she observed he acted quite a bit like her, he was quiet, focused, and somewhat oblivious to others. Well, she was dismissive of others not really oblivious. Neva's eyebrow continued twitching as Mimosa continued to speak.

'It's official: I'm in hell.'