The door to Roman's hideout busted opened with a kick by the man himself. According to his useless minions, this was the last place they had seen Neo. Roman's voice echoed through the hideout as he tried to maintain some semblance of calm, though his patience was wearing thin. The foul smell, the disarray, and the lingering signs of chaos hinted that Neo had been up to no good—again.
"Neo, seriously!"
He barked, walking deeper into the hideout, stepping over debris and what he prayed were spilled drinks and not bodily fluids.
"You know better than to mess up one of our spots like this."
His grip on the handkerchief tightened as he pressed it closer to his nose, trying to block out the overpowering stench. The whole place reeked of sweat, alcohol, and something else he couldn't quite place—a sign that whatever had gone down here wasn't exactly on the up-and-up.
"Neo, if you're in here, stop hiding!"
He called out again, voice laced with frustration.
"I swear to whatever gods are left in this world, you better not be wrapped up in some of Shizuo's nonsense."
The hideout had once been a safe haven, a place where they could plan heists and lay low from the authorities. Now, it felt like the aftermath of a party gone horribly wrong. Roman knew Neo had her wild side, but this was excessive, even for her.
As Roman made his way toward the back, his mind drifted to Shizuo. The deal with that inhumanly strong faunus had been simple—work together against Cinder. But Shizuo was no simple thug. He was dangerous, powerful, and unpredictable.
Roman had reluctantly allied with him to get what he wanted, but he was starting to regret the decision. Shizuo's influence was spreading like wildfire, and Roman had the sinking feeling that Neo had gotten caught up in it too.
"I forgive you for leaving me for a couple of weeks and the corpses that the police found that weren't probably done by you."
Anyone who heard that knew he was lying.
Roman's mind raced as he stared at the soaked panties he found beneath his desk. A cold chill settled over him, freezing his thoughts as a slow realization began to take hold.
He had always prided himself on control—of his crew, of his operations, even of Neo his own flesh and blood who he had taken under his wing, after she burnt her mother alive in the house he purchased for them to be taken care of. But now, this small, humiliating piece of evidence shattered that illusion of control. Neo had crossed a line, and he wasn't sure what it meant.
His hand shook as he retrieved the panties, holding them between his thumb and forefinger as though they might burn him. His stomach churned with a mixture of revulsion and dread, his grip tightening as anger began to surge beneath his cold exterior.
"NEO!!!"
He screamed, his voice barely audible, dripping with venom.
His office had always been his sanctuary, a place where no one—not even Neo—was allowed to cross boundaries. It was the one space that was his alone, where he could think, plan, and strategize without interruption or distraction. But now, this... this violation was personal.
Roman threw the panties onto the desk and stood up abruptly, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. He stalked toward the door, pushing it open with enough force to make it slam against the wall. His eyes were alight with a deadly focus as he marched through the hideout, heading outside where one of his most trusted minions waited.
"Hey, boss—."
The minion started, but Roman cut him off with a sharp glare.
"Burn it."
Roman ordered coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Burn the whole damn hideout. I want it gone."
The minion blinked in shock, momentarily dumbfounded.
"B-Boss, are you sure? This is one of our—."
"I said burn it."
Roman growled, his patience worn thin.
"Everything inside. I don't want to see it standing when I come back."
The minion hesitated for only a moment longer before nodding vigorously, rushing off to gather the necessary supplies to set the place ablaze. Roman stood outside, lighting his cigar with a fresh lighter, the smell of the imported tobacco filling his senses as he tried to calm his racing heart.
Behind him, the hideout soon roared with flames, the heat licking at the night sky as everything inside was consumed. Roman didn't flinch as he watched the building burn, his thoughts still spinning with fury and disgust.
"Who the hell has her wrapped around their finger now?"
Roman muttered to himself, though he already knew the answer. Shizuo. That monster of a man had to be involved. It was the only thing that made sense.
As if on cue, a soft presence approached from behind. Roman didn't even need to turn to know who it was. Neo strolled up next to him, her usual mischievous smirk on her lips, seemingly unaffected by the inferno consuming their hideout.
Using her semblance, Neo projected a message in the air for him to read:
"Feeling better, Dad?"
She asked, amused.
Roman didn't respond immediately. He took another drag of his cigar, his gaze still fixed on the flames.
"What the hell are you doing, Neo?"
He asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"What kind of game are you playing?"
Neo tilted her head, her smile never faltering. Another projection appeared:
"It's fun, isn't it?"
Roman glanced at her then, his eyes narrowing.
"Fun? You think this is fun?"
Roman exhaled sharply under his breath, the weight of the situation sinking in. He had known from the beginning that working for Shizuo came with risks—powerful enemies, betrayal, and, apparently, even losing his own daughter to become the man's assassin and fuck buddy. But seeing Neo flaunt her involvement with Shizuo made it worse. Much worse.
"I don't know what Shizuo has on you, but you're getting in over your head. You always liked playing with fire, but this time it's going to burn you alive."
Neo's smile widened, her eyes glinting with amusement as she twirled a slip of paper in her fingers. On it, scrawled in bold letters, was Shizuo's number, along with a photo of her and the man himself that she took of her fucking herself riding the lion faunus. She waved it playfully in front of Roman's face, a silent taunt.
Neo, ever the provocateur, waggled the photo in front of his face, her sly smile widening as she watched her father's internal struggle. Roman knew she was enjoying this—her mischievous nature, her need for chaos—it was all part of who she was.
But even so, he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Not because she had some fun, but because she'd entangled herself deeper with Shizuo than he had anticipated.
"Guess it makes sense, with all the trouble he's been stirring up lately. But Neo... don't think for a second I won't find a way to get you out of this mess. Shizuo might have you now, but you're still my daughter."
His words were calm, but the fire in his eyes burned brighter than the flames devouring the hideout.
Neo didn't respond verbally, but her expression softened ever so slightly, as if acknowledging Roman's words, though she continued to sway playfully on her feet.
The tension between them wasn't new. Roman had always let Neo be her own person, but this—this was different. This wasn't just Neo being Neo. Shizuo had somehow gotten his hooks into her, and Roman knew all too well that working for him came with complications. And now, Neo was tangled in the same web he found himself in.
Roman finally lit his cigar, taking a long drag before letting out a cloud of smoke.
"I'm not mad at you, Neo."
he said softly, exhaling.
"I'm just mad that you've put yourself in the middle of all this. You know how dangerous Shizuo is. Hell, I know how dangerous he is. And that's probably what makes you more attracted to him."
Neo raised an eyebrow, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. Using her semblance again, she projected another message:
"And you? What are you going to do about it?"
Roman's grip on his cigar tightened, his eyes darkening.
"I swear, Neo... if this goes too far—"
"It already has."
Neo's next message read, as she gave him a sly wink and left him with a positive pregnancy test before vanishing back into the night, leaving Roman alone with his smoldering anger and the flames devouring what was left of his hideout.
Roman stared at the pregnancy test in his hand, his expression shifting from disbelief to a deep, simmering rage. The flames crackling behind him felt cold compared to the fury boiling inside his chest. His mind raced, grappling with the implications. Neo, pregnant? By Shizuo?
He clenched his fist around the test, crushing it in his palm as his eyes narrowed to slits. Shizuo's involvement had been irritating enough, but this?
This was a new level of chaos he hadn't expected. Roman had always been a master of manipulation, of keeping people under his thumb, but now he was losing control. Shizuo had taken Neo from him in ways Roman hadn't foreseen, and now the stakes were higher than ever.
His thoughts darted back to the photo Neo had tauntingly waved in front of him. The implications were clear, and the image of Shizuo with his flesh and blood left a bitter taste in Roman's mouth. The pregnancy test was the final nail in the coffin.
"Shizuo..."
Roman muttered under his breath, his voice filled with venom.
He flicked his cigar into the flames, watching it catch fire before disappearing into the inferno. Neo's games had gone too far.
She had always been unpredictable, but now she had crossed into dangerous territory. Roman knew he couldn't let this stand. Shizuo was a beast—a monster in both strength and influence—but Roman had always survived by outwitting the impossible.
"She's pregnant...?"
Roman's lips twisted into a dark smirk as the reality sank in.
"Fine, Neo. Fine. Let's see how long you can keep this game up."
Turning on his heel, Roman walked away from the burning wreckage, his mind already formulating a plan.
Shizuo might be stronger, but Roman had one advantage: he understood how to play the long game. And now, with Neo caught between them, Roman was determined to exploit every vulnerability.
This wasn't over—not by a long shot.
RACE: Lion Faunus
NAME: Shizuo Heiwajima
Semblance: Energy Absorption
LEVEL: A Rank
Aura: A- Rank
Vitality: A- Rank
Endurance: A- Rank
Strength: S- Rank
Dexterity: A- Rank
Perception: A- Rank
Skill: A- Rank
Charisma: A- Rank
Libido: A+ Rank
Virility: B Rank