Lost Father

Friendly Talk

Neo POV

Yang: "So what brings you to Vale?"

She sets Ruby down.

Penny: "I've come to fight in the tournament."

Weiss: "You're gonna fight?"

Penny: "Affirmative."

Weiss: "You hardly look the part."

Blake: "Says the one wearing a skirt."

Weiss: "It's a combat skirt for your information!"

Ruby: "Yeah! Combat skirts for life!"

She zips to Weiss' side where they low five.

Weiss: "Wait a second. If you're here for the tournament then does that mean you know that monkey tailed hellion?"

Penny: "The who?"

She pulls out a crude drawing of said monkey.

Weiss: "The law breaker who came via boat."

Blake: "Stop calling him all these names. He's a person, just like us."

Weiss: "I'd hardly compare us to a lowly criminal."

Blake: "You arrogant little brat."

Weiss: "Excuse me?"

They walk away arguing.

Neo: "This is just heading for disaster."

Penny: "Where're we going?"

Ruby: "I just hope this ends well."

Yang: "You and I both."

We walk back to Beacon. As I sit down the argument reaches its conclusion.

Weiss: "You wanna why I despise the White Fang so much? It's because they're noting but killers!"

Blake: "And who's fault you think it is we're like that!?!"

We all look at her in shock. She then bursts out of the room. A couple days later I awaken to find Ruby still bummed out. I then get an idea.

Neo: "How do you feel about grabbing some breakfast?"

She only nods. Getting dressed I lead us to a nice little restaurant in Vale. As we wait for our order I decide to make conversation.

Neo: "So how you feeling?"

Ruby: "I hate seeing my friends fight. Makes me sad."

Neo: "I know how you feel. Makes you feel like they're not gonna be friends anymore."

Ruby: "Exactly."

Neo: "You know it's okay to fight. Despite it feeling bad it sometimes yields a positive."

Ruby: "Like?"

Neo: "If it's between friends then sometimes that friendship is deepened."

Ruby: "I hope that's the case here."

She looks down.

Neo: "You know my dad and I fought once."

She looks up.

Ruby: "Really? You made it sound like you had the best possible relationship with him."

Neo: "Yes. Despite how highly I speak of him we once fought. Though it wasn't entirely his fault."

She tilts her head.

Neo: "My dad had a rough childhood. The trauma from it still haunted him when we met. One day when he was experiencing it he attacked me. He cut my side and came close to ending me back luckily came back to his senses."

I lift up my shirt showing her the scar.

Neo: "After that we had a nice talk. He admitted he was scared of hurting me and said I should leave. But I hugged him and said I'd never leave. After that our relationship grew. He started opening up more about his past and started working through the issues it caused him."

I lower my shirt.

Neo: "People argue and fight. And yeah sometimes it ruins friendships. But it also allows them to see the other at their most vulnerable. Fake friends will call them weak and leave. But true friends comfort and help them. Weiss and Blake may have argued but I have high hopes that they'll grow closer once they've both had time to cool down."

Ruby smiles taking in my words. After we have our meals we exit the restaurant to see an explosion in the distance. When we get there we see White Fang everywhere. I scan the battlefield to see a man with green hair standing with his eyes closed.

Neo: "I'm going in, cover me."

Ruby: "Rodger."

I withdraw my sword rushing at the sleeping man. When I get close he partially opens his eyes firing a shotgun at me. Only problem is the shot comes nowhere near me.

Man: *lazily* "Darnit, I missed. Oh well. Have at thee."

As lazily as he speaks he swings his now transformed shotgun at me. I easily duck under it when a green pulse ripples out. I then find myself moving in slow motion.

Neo: "What's happening?"

Man: "Got you. Suppose I should finish you off. What a drag."

He moves at regular speed putting me in the cross hairs of his shotgun. Acting quick I put pressure on my left heel. A beep is heard as my body appears beside the man.

Man: "Darnit."

I swing my blade cutting his back. He falls onto the ground as I feel the slow down effect wear off.

Man: "I've been bested. Good, that means I can take a nice nap."

I just shake my head.

Neo: "What a boring fight."

*meanwhile*

On the street we see man. He then pulls out his scroll placing a call.

???: "What?"

???: "We found one."

???: "By Oum. Are you sure?"

???: "Positive. Shall we send him?"

???: "Affirmative."