Lady Beat

Neo looked back at her scroll before noting the time and a panicked look overcame her face.

[I need to get back to the academy]

Jack grinned and bowed lightly. "Very well, then I will see you another time Ms. Neo."

He watched as Neo smiled at him and typed out a number on her scroll before showing him. Jack took a moment to memorize it and showed her his own before she then took off running. It was always a possibility she'd go rat him out, but Jack was rather confident in his ability to tell when someone was lying. The ability to see their emotions certainly gave them away often enough that he wasn't worried about what she would do once she left.

He made his way out of the alleyway, humming a tune as he walked. The club Neo had mentioned drew his attention momentarily, and he considered his options for a moment before curiosity got the better of him. Making his way to the door, he made his way inside and took a seat at the bar.

There was the sound of yelling in the back of the club, but he paid little attention to it as he glanced around. His age was hard to tell for those around him, and this was one of the seedier parts of the city so ID was hardly an issue for Jack. He ordered a glass of Jack Daniels and Coke, allowing himself a small chuckle of amusement at the naming irony.

He pulled out his Scroll and began to look through any pertinent news. His eyes were drawn to a headline that said: "Schnee Matriarch pushing company reforms." In the three years since he'd killed Jacques, it seemed that Willow had gotten out of her slump and taken over the company in his absence. Winter was also a visible presence, right beside her mother as the heir. The young girl he'd known back then had grown up, at the age of eighteen she stood tall and confident.

Jack had made it a point to keep up with the goings of his family. They'd announced that he was missing, but not presumed dead. There also hadn't been any press about his possible involvement in Jacques' death, so everyone was just operating under the assumption he'd been kidnapped.

Weiss was currently attending a primary combat school to train to be a huntress. She was currently 14, so in a few more years she'd be attending one of the major academies and joining a team. She wasn't as notable in the press as the other members of the Schnee family, but whenever she did pop up he noted that she always carried Myrtenaster at her side.

It was an odd feeling as he watched his family continue their lives without him. Winter had become an adult, Weiss was deciding her path in the world, and he wasn't there for any of it. There were times he regretted his decision to leave, but when he thought of his presence in their lives he decided it was for the best. They were better off without a killer like him affecting their lives.

He noted the shouting in the back room had stopped, and shortly afterward a group made their way out into the club. His vision locked onto a pair of twins, whom he assumed were the two Neo had been referring to. Both had black hair, one having it short and in a bob while the other had it long, trailing down her back. Both had green eyes and wore contrasting dresses of white and red.

They were surrounded by a group of men, clearly hired help. They were all dressed uniformly in suits and one of them had a black trash bag over his shoulder. Jack tracked them with his eye while erasing his presence, making him come off as any other ordinary clubgoer as they passed by him, not even sparing him a glance.

Once they were gone, he stood up, leaving the Lien for his drink on the counter as he made his way out into the streets once again. Neo had asked him to kill these two in exchange for their life, but he wasn't one to act rashly. Preparation was always key, even if he was absolutely confident.

He walked out into the street, putting a slight sway in his step as he walked so that he looked like any other drunk. The group made their way down the street until they came upon a particular building and made their way inside. Jack took note of the surroundings, the building etched into his memory before he continued his way down the street. 

He'd long learned it was better to get a smaller amount of information and remain inconspicuous than to hang around and become noticeable. There was time to learn more about the building and whatever was inside of it later, but for now he'd make his way back to his apartment.

When he got home, he removed his shoes and coat and sat down on the couch. Few people had ever visited his place of residence, but he made sure to keep it spick and span. Jack hummed and leaned back, flicking through his scroll until he came upon his contacts list and added Neo's number to it. He wouldn't message her, it was always better for a young lady to be the first to reach out.

Jack walked into his room, his attention drawn to the closet where the obsession he'd gotten over the last three years lay. Habitually, he opened the closet door where an array of newspapers lay neatly organized. Every single one of them, without fail, detailed the ongoings of the Schnee family. Despite leaving them of his own accord, there was some part of Jack that couldn't let that time in his life go. 

It'd started as a method to keep track of the reactions from his disappearance, but since then it'd spiraled into every single article that even remotely mentioned his family. The very first one, the one he'd always kept separate, showed a photo of the three Schnee women prominently on the front page. Each of their eyes was red, a sight that Jacques would never have allowed in the public eye. The caption said "Schnee family grieving for the death of patriarch and disappearance of Jack Schnee," and yet, Jack was well aware that there was no love lost for Jacques.

They were crying for him, because of him and he didn't know why that made his chest so tight. He'd made his choice and he'd thought it through thoroughly. Jack knew they were better off without him, his actions would only color their lives in the same eerie shade of red that his entire existence represented. Despite that, this obsession continued from there as he tracked their movements.

Willow had come out about her drinking problem and had a specialist help her with rehab, eventually ceasing drinking completely and taking over the Schnee business as a sober woman. Winter had continued to act as the heiress, seen often side by side with her mother. Weiss, on the other hand, disappeared from the public eye for a year before she made another appearance in the papers. The girl had fully immersed herself in the desire to become a huntress. Any time she showed up it was about a youth tournament she participated in, winning most but not all of them. 

Jack knew his family would be changed by his absence, and he'd thought it would be for the better. As far as he could see, his decision to kill Jacques had been the best one for his family. Willow had recovered, Winter no longer had to live constrained as the heiress to a cold-hearted man, and Weiss was free to pursue her passion without condescension. So why did it all feel so hollow? 

He wasn't going to be figuring out the answer to that question tonight, and it'd been a busy night for him, so he quickly washed up and made his way to bed. He placed his monocle on his nightstand as his two different colored eyes closed for the night, thoughts of the Schnee family were prevalent in his mind.

----

When Neo attended class the next day, her new hair and the alterations to her uniform draw many looks from those around her. She ignored them, content to look up every single scrap of information she could find out about Jack and his killings. Her first search was just about the Artist of Death in general, images of his various killings, and the articles about them appearing.

It was a weird sense of interest for her as she began to deep dive into the lore around the mysterious man she had met the night before. He'd let her live, he'd even agreed to her deal and she couldn't help the shiver of excitement that ran through her. This stuffy, monotonous life she found herself in had taken a new turn that'd reignited her for the first time since the Neo construct had disappeared. 

The class passed by quickly for her, but she was called to remain behind by the headmistress, Beatrice Browning, or Lady Beat as she was known to her students. She was tall, especially compared to Neo's own diminutive stature, standing at six feet tall. She was thin, with blonde hair that had begun to grey put up in a bun that ended up looking much like a beehive.

"You've had a change of attire Ms. Vanille," Lady Beat commented as she looked her up and down. "Why do you think this academy has a strict rule about the uniforms you all wear?"

Neo furrowed her brow slightly and typed an answer out on the scroll to show the woman.

[To discourage individualism]

Lady Beat looked at her, her normally strict face gave way to an amused look. "Much like the rest of this student body, you are missing the point. The point, young lady, is to help you learn to find balance within the rules. Not to break them, but to bend them instead."

Neo listened to her, idly noting a sense of revulsion at Lady Beat calling her "young lady." Jack had called her that as well, but there was a certain elegance to the way he used it. When Lady Beat called her that, it just came off as condescending. 

"I'm aware of your little outing last night, and I'm rather interested in the man you had the misfortune of meeting. I have a deal for you if you'd be interested."

She had no idea how Lady Beat had found out about her meeting with Jack. The headmistress had always seemed to have an uncanny ability to know everything the students were getting up to, and yet no one had figured out how she did it. Neo had changed her appearance and was sure that no one had noticed her or followed her, so how did she know what had happened? 

That led to worry about what Jack would do if he found out about this. She'd have to send him a message and let him know about it. 

[What deal]

Lady Beat offered her a new room and new teachings that would be tailored to her, instead of the classes she hated. All she had to do was keep an eye out for Jack and inform her of whatever developments happened with him. Despite her desire for a change in her daily life at the academy, she asked for a day to make the decision. Lady Beat gave it to her, and yet the knowing smirk on her face set Neo on edge.

When she left the room, she quickly pulled up the contact she had created for Jack the night before.

[Hello, it's Neo]

His response was swift, only half a minute after she'd sent the message she'd gotten a response.

[Why hello young lady, to what do I owe the pleasure]

Neo took a moment to enjoy the difference in the feeling his use of the term "young lady" gave her compared to Lady Beat's before she typed out a message that explained the situation. It took a little bit longer for Jack's response this time, and right as she began to grow worried that she'd upset him, his response blew those worries away.

[Then go right ahead and take her offer]

Despite his lack of apparent anger, Neo wanted to understand why he wasn't mad and even encouraged her to act as a spy. When asked as much, Jack gave her a reply that surprised her.

[It just makes it all the more interesting, now doesn't it]

She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. He got it, this what what she wanted. Her life, so boring and ordinary, had gotten a new spark of intrigue into it after one night of meeting him and she was going to enjoy it.

Neo quickly made her way to Lady Beat's office and accepted her offer and was informed her new class schedule would be given to her tomorrow. Despite the sense of excitement she felt, there was still a nagging feeling in the back of her mind about how the woman knew so much in the first place.

----

When Jack had gotten Neo's message, he'd been sitting at a diner sipping on some tea. He could tell the girl was worried about his reaction, even if he couldn't actually use his Soul Eye on her through the Scroll. Neo had nothing to worry about, Jack was well aware that she hadn't said anything. He'd relied on his Soul Eye for so long, if he began to distrust it now then there'd be no point in anything he'd one. She'd been truthful when she said she wouldn't tell, so that begged the question, how did this Lady Beat find out?

'Quite the mystery. I know for a fact there was no one else in that alleyway, I would've been able to tell.'

His senses were finely honed from years of killings, if he couldn't tell when someone else was present he'd have been caught long ago. Jack and Neo were the only two people who had been present in that alleyway, other than the dead man, so this woman had to have some other way to acquire that information. It would require some looking into, but he'd get to the bottom of it.

Jack glanced out the window of the diner he was sitting in, his seat giving him a clear view of the building across from him, which happened to be the one he'd followed the twins to last night. He'd noticed the diner when he'd been here previously and came the next day to get a better sense of what was going on.

It seemed like the building operated mainly as a warehouse, with people bringing in crates throughout the day. Jack hadn't made any overt investigations yet, simply keeping an eye out while he enjoyed his lunch. 

Eventually, he decided that he'd seen all he could see for the time being and paid his bill before making his way out into he street. Despite his agreement with Neo, he still had other things to do with his day besides focusing on the building. He still had a lot of money from his savings, but he'd gotten a job while he lived here in Vale. 

Rather amusingly, Jack worked as a male host much like those that could be found in Japan in his old world. It just required him to dine with women who had a lot of money and engage them in conversation. He'd gotten good reviews, women claiming he came off as refined and charming, and he was always tipped sizeablely after they left. 

Jack made his way inside, quickly changed into a different suit, and went to greet his first customer of the evening. She was a tall woman, with blonde hair that had begun to grey which she allowed to hang loose over her shoulders and down her back.

"Lovely to meet you miss..." Jack asked, trailing off to allow the woman to give her name.

She grinned, although it gave off as more of a smirk. "Beatrice."

It didn't take a second for Jack to make the connection, and he mirrored her grin with one of his own. "Well then, Lady Beatrice, perhaps we should sit down."

'It seems Ms. Neo's headmistress did her research, how intriguing.'