Random encounter

Last chapter for today more will be up friday

It took a minute to recognize what she was feeling, it was so new her. Nervousness, uncertainty…she wasn't accustomed to such things. Yet as she waited and the seconds passed so slowly by, she felt certain that had she possessed a heart, it would have pounded in her chest. Her fingers, still moving a bit clumsily, twitched slightly without her consciously asking them to, clicking slightly against the chair. She was more aware then ever of the world around her and the slow approach of her creators—and, at the same time, more unsure of what to do than she had ever been.

When the door opened, the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"It's true, then? What he said?" She asked, her voice sounding strange, colored by emotion she hadn't heard in it before. Sadness, fear, confusion, anger…she wasn't sure. All of them? None of them?

Dr. Polendina looked at her and sighed, not seeming surprised or upset but merely tired.

"Penny," He chided gently. "We've talked about this. You shouldn't eavesdrop on the conversations of others—"

"Yes," General Ironwood interrupted with blunt honesty, barreling passed his friend's attempts at a lesson, as he was wont to do. "And no—though more of the former then the latter, perhaps, so…yes."

As Polendina put his head in his hands and sighed, the General sat down in the chair next to her.

"Penny…" He said, shaking his head. "Your father and I didn't want it to come to this. We had hoped to shield you from this for at least a while longer. We'd tell you when you were older, we said, though we never could decide when you'd be old enough—in truth, I think we didn't want to tell you at all. That if we could, we'd hide this fact and keep it secret for as long as possible. But Penny…you deserve to know, and it would be hypocritical of me to treat you as both a Huntress to be sent into danger and a child to be protected and deceived. The truth is…this world we live in…it's as terrible as it is beautiful."

"What do you mean?" She asked though she was starting to think she knew. Her creators glanced at one another and Dr. Polendina sighed again, nodding slightly before the General continued.

"There are reasons," He said. "And excuses. And often times, one is hard to distinguish from the other. The predations of the Grimm, the unforgiving nature of this world…Humanity has done a lot of things to survive. The awful truth behind the world we live in now is that it was all built upon someone else's pain. Our nations were built upon suffering and a history of atrocities going back far before the Kingdoms. Where the dangers of the Grimm met the terror and desperation of Mankind…"

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Horrible things have happened throughout our history. Sometimes there were reasons, other times people looking for those to blame or to use, but a lot of the time…I'd say we've come a long way and it'd be true, but it doesn't change how far we've yet to go. It's hard to truly explain the tragedies in our history simply looking back; perhaps it is because we've lost so much of our history that we now cling to the few remnants we have left, however awful. The prejudice against the Faunus is an old hatred, so deeply rooted that it's hard to even begin to extract."

"What about the Council?" She asked. "Couldn't they change things? They're…"

"Yes, perhaps," He answered, shaking his head tiredly. "Yet the Council is nothing but a representation of the wills of the people. Some of them hate the Faunus or fear them—while others merely hate and fear change. Some know the numbers and worry because of them and others know only what they are told. Some are intent to preserve their power, their way of life, their…world. But others are different. They try and fight, to change things. As is, Mankind as a whole still does not accept the Faunus but…slowly, I think we are taking steps towards being able to."

"Is it enough?" She asked, images rising to her mind, of the building she'd explored after the White Whale departed. "Does taking small steps matter when things are so bad?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" He wondered, as much to himself as to her. "I wish I could say I knew. I hope so, not just for the Faunus but for everything—I work as both General and Headmaster to try and protect and improve our way of life, to keep things safe even as I hope things change. However much work it is, it's my hope that with the power those positions offer, my friends and I might be able to make things better. That's what I've worked for, hoped for, since I was a young man, even if the goals have shifted over the years. But do we do enough? Can we protect enough? I don't know. I honestly don't know if I do enough to matter…but I do my best and hope it's enough. Penny…I've always wanted to be able to give you the answers, but here…I just don't know."

"Are they right then?" She asked, laying her hands flat on her lap to stop them from trembling, long since unsure how she felt. "The White Fang? I researched them when I returned and they…aren't they the bad guys? I read about what they've done and it's…but if they're really…then aren't they…? I thought we were…"

She tripped and stumbled over the words, uncertainty leaving her tongue clumsy, her mind uncertain—but the meaning behind them still seemed to go through. The General and her father looked at her sadly, as if watching something beautiful fade, and her father moved to take the seat on her other side, each placing a hand over one of her own.

"I'm sorry, Penny, but that question doesn't have a good answer, either," Ironwood said, raising the side of a fist to his mouth. "They do horrible things. They kill, destroy, and terrorize…but they're angry and hurt and scared. For so long, the Faunus have been subjugated and abused and no matter how hard they fought things scarcely seemed to improve; can they be blamed then, for fighting for their people? Before, the White Fang was a peaceful organization and yet accomplished so little—can I honestly blame them, then, for using the tactics that proved to work when so much is on the line? Can I decry them for refusing to protest ineffectually? How can I blame people for fighting against their oppression the only way they can? And yet…how can I stand aside, when their actions hurt others? I can't do either."

He moved a hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer and she let him, resting her head against him.

"Penny…I'm sorry," The General said. "More than anything, I want to do the right thing, to be an example for you to look up to…but knowing what the right thing to do is can often be the hardest thing in life. And I…I can't tell you how to find the answers. Sometimes, it's not even there to begin with. I don't have any easy solutions, Penny; I just try to help as many people as possible…even though helping people often means hurting others. Some days…Penny, some days I hope I'm the hero. And other days…I just hope I'm not the villain. And that…the worst part is, that's probably the legacy I'm going to leave to you. I don't want you to have to face decisions that have no answer, or do things while knowing it'll hurt people; I wish I could make things easy for you and give you a happy life and simple decisions, but…"

"What about me?" She asked and had she been able, she might have needed to blink away tears. "Is what he said about me true, too? Isn't that why you keep me hidden? If people know that I'm a machine, will they—"

"You are not a machine," The General said, drawing her fully into a hug. "If anything he said was true, it was that. You are a person, Penny, and as good a one as anyone I've ever met. A better person, even, then me. Don't forget that's true, even if people get scared or angry at you; you're real and you're a hero, Penny. I've worried since the day you were born what people would think of you, what world I was preparing you for, but I believe in you from the bottom of my heart. I can't lie and say your life will be easy or that there won't be people who hate you, but I believe that you are someone beautiful and special, that you're something new and unique, and you'll change things. I hope that others will see that, too; that with you as an example, we might avert the tragedies of the past, that those come after you might find a better world awaiting them."

"But I," She blinked rapidly, meaninglessly. "I don't, I can't, I…"

"Shhh," He said quiet, resting his chin on her head. "I know. And I'm here."

XxXXxX

I told them everything.

They were my parents; I was allowed.

I started, of course, with my power, giving them the longer explanation I'd promised Dad. I'd explained the reasons I'd gone on the mission, how things had broken down and eventually escalated, my actions onboard the White Whale and in the mining town—I told them everything I'd considered mine to tell. I was pretty sure they'd been able to make the connect between Tukson and the White Fang, seeing how they'd met him right before I got involved with all this, and from there it wasn't a huge stretch to the rest, but…

But I told them. How my world had changed literally and metaphorically, why I'd associated with a terrorist organization, why I'd caused them so much worry and pain.

They listened silently until I finished, not saying a word but reacting differently. My Dad occasionally nodded, raised his eyebrows, or frowned, depending on the subject, at first standing by the counter as he waited on the coffee machine. When it finished, he poured a cup for himself, one for mom, and brought both over to the table where he sat beside me.

I was aware of this mainly because I was trying not to focus on what my mom was doing; namely, writing something down on a notepad she'd produced from a drawer. I was tempted to use Observe on it, but it was like…I wanted to know, but I didn't want to know.

"You're right," My dad said at last, finally breaking the silence that followed the end of my speech. "Your power is bullshit."

"I know, right?" I nodded quickly, smiling hesitantly for a moment before doing so more fully as he gave me a sure grin.

"Life as a game," He mused. "Not a Semblance I'd have thought of off the top of my head, but if you think about it…"

"It's amazing," I agreed wholeheartedly. "I mean, it took we awhile to figure out how to use it right and all, but once it did…well, I don't mean to boast, but I can throw a pretty mean punch if I need to."

"Pretty good at infiltration, too, sounds like," He said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, fingers wrapped around his mug. "You know, a lot of people don't believe it, but I used to be pretty good at some of that stuff myself."

I took a moment to imagine it and laughed.

"Bars?" I guessed.

"It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it," He shrugged, smirk growing. "A lot of people don't think about that type of thing when it comes to getting information out of people, but—"

"I know," I nodded. "It was almost disappointing when I realized how easy it was."

"A lot of things are like that," He cracked his neck before resting his chin on the palm of a hand. "They seem really amazing and difficult, but it's really just a matter of knowing what you're doing and practicing it. Well, I'm sure the people who make robots probably think that, too…"

I hummed an agreement as he looked at me ponderingly.

"You know," He mused. "And don't take this the wrong way, because I'm not trying to knock your fighting skills or anything—but you would make a pretty amazing doctor. I always thought healers were pretty amazing. I mean, don't get me wrong, being able to slaughter monsters with a stick is pretty awesome, but there's a lot of times…well, I wouldn't have minded having someone there to heal people. Maybe not the most glorious job, but saving lives with a touch…pretty amazing. I'm not trying to sell anything but…"

"Yeah," I said, understanding. "I know. I haven't…well, life's been hectic, but I've thought about it, too. I mean, I definitely want to get as strong as I can at…everything and become a Hunter, but healing the sick and the wounded…I have the power, right? And there's a lot of people I could help, if I keep training the skill."

"Nothing wrong with saving lives," Jacques said. "We could brag about our son the doctor. Right, honey?"

Mom looked up from her writings to give him a glance and shallow nod before returning to her work. I watched her drum her fingers, waiting for her say something, but it never came. After an awkward moment, my Dad continued talking, apparently trying to brush over the lack of response.

"Yeah," He said forcefully. "Really, you've got plenty of options. That Regeneration thing you mentioned was from blue Dust, right? Think you could do it with the other types? If you can heal, empower, and fight, you'd make a great addition to any team."

"I'm pretty sure I could do it with at least red, yellow, and green Dust," I said. "I'll have to test with the other types, but…still, Haste is great and Feather Fall turned out to be surprisingly useful. It's really nice to not get smashed into stuff, you know?"

"Trust me, I know. I've been through some walls in my day. And rocks. And trees. It's not fun." He shook his head. "Healing, supporting, awakening Auras…not bad, son."

"Thanks," I fiddled with my drink absently, not really paying it any attention. "Still need to train them all, especially the Aura one, but…it's cool. Not sure how I could explain any of it, but…"

My dad gestured dismissively.

"Some of it will be hard, but I'm sure Oz will think of something for the basics. Trust me, the guy writes enough fiction to be a novelist and it'd be great to have at least an emergency healer on standby. You know…I could probably get Oz to bend some rules and bring you with me on a few missions, if you want?"

"Yeah?" I asked, eyebrows going up. "Me?"

Dad shrugged like it was nothing.

"Sure. Let me tell you, if you know the guy, it's really not hard to get Oz to bend the rules. Nothing major," He said, seeing my look. "No offense, but I wouldn't bring you along on the type of Search and Destroy missions I get sent on—but there's some Village Security stuff and such that could work. A lot of places like that have their fair share of sick and wounded. My team could deal with the actual security while you healed them. Might not be the most glamourous or exciting mission, but it could save some lives and I'm sure there's some way of making it fly as extra credit or something. You could make some friends along the way, some connections…I mean, if you want."

"Please," I said immediately, just…imagining it. Going on a mission with my father, if as the medic. "I'd love to."

He smiled.

"I'll talk to him, then," The Arc Patriarch said. "Maybe it'll even count as one of your Quest things?"

"Maybe," I nodded, not even sure I cared. He seemed satisfied with the answer regardless.

"Any thoughts on what you're gonna do next, then?"

"Uh…" I tilted my head to the side. "Probably just keep training. Working out for my physical states, reading books for my Intelligence, that type of thing. I want to hone some of my new skills, too, like awakening Aura's. I figured I'd start small, though, in the hopes nothing goes wrong."

"Oh?" He asked. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I was thinking about starting a garden, honestly," I admitted. "I don't know how well it'll work, but maybe awaken some flowers or trees to start with. I figure the odds of things going catastrophically wrong will be lower than if I start with animals. After I know what's liable to happen and am confident I can handle it, I'll upgrade to some goldfish or something, and then advance up to stuff like dogs. I can probably get a skill to train them, too, so…"

"Could work," He agreed. "It takes a fair amount of training to bring out their full potential, but good Hunting dogs are invaluable. There's plenty of stuff you can work on if you're interested. Let's see…I saw one guy who'd trained a falcon like that awhile back and a few other animals. Plants…there've always been a fair number of experiments along that vein for crops and such, but I don't really know much about it. They never really implemented anything that I know of, but I don't know if they had problems or if the issue of awakening enough crops to actually matter just made it unfeasible. For something we grow just to eat…I don't know. You can probably find something on that, though."

"Huh," I said. "I'll look into that. I hadn't heard anything about that."

"Like I said, I don't know how that's worked out for them; never really thought about it until now." He paused. "Well, there was this one time, but it turned out to just be a guy who could make plant minions with his Semblance."

"What was that like?" I asked, somewhat surprised I'd never heard this story. Dad's brow furrowed.

"Surprisingly horrifying. It's easy to make fun of a cabbage until it unfolds into layers and layers of teeth," He shook his head. "Naturally, we ended up fighting the guy in the middle of a forest, too, and at night. It was…"

He exhaled loudly.

"…Something." He took a sip of his coffee, blowing away the last remnants of steam. "It shouldn't be an issue for you though. I know a few people down in the Agricultural District if you're looking for anything in particular, though."

"I'll have to look into it," I said. "I never even considered the idea until today. I could just start with the trees and plants around here but…it's something to look into. Maybe see if I can awaken seeds and test them against normal versions of the plants, see if different breeds react in specific ways…it's neat to think about. I'll look into it."

My dad chuckled.

"My son the botanist," He said. "And the doctor and the captain."

He was silent for a moment.

"I'm proud of you, you know," He murmured. "Despite the danger and what happened…I won't say everything you did was flawless and you scared a lot of people, but I know why you did it. And despite the risks, you saw it through, even when you were alone and no one could have blamed you for turning back. I wish you'd called, that you'd told us, that…I wish a lot of things. But I get why, even as scary as it had been, and I'm proud that you saved those people, Jaune. You did good, son."

I ducked my head but was pretty sure it didn't fully hide my smile. For someone who was probably an internationally wanted supervillain, I couldn't keep from lighting up at my father's praise. He shifted slightly to bump me with a shoulder and I laughed a bit before sobering and looking up.

"Mom's been quiet," I whispered.

Dad sighed slowly and nodded.

"You about done, dear?" He asked. She flipped a page in the notebook to scrawl something and then clicked her pen.

"More or less," She said, pushing her chair back and rising. "Come with me, Jaune."

I rose and came around the table with a nod.

"Where are we going?" I asked. After a moment's pause, I continued. "Did you decide on my punishment?"

"I'm not going to punish you, Jaune, I'm going to teach you something," She answered calmly. "Which is why we're going into the forest to train. Follow me."

I nodded wordlessly, casting a glance back at my father, who saluted me with his coffee mug. I knew she wasn't really mad—or not mad about the things I feared, at least—and given everything I'd done…

This was fine. I'd take my medicine like a man.

It's not like I feared pain or effort anymore.

XxXXxX

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