30

Chapter 30: Of Soldiers and Souls

Vale Outskirts

It's been said that every city, no matter how beautiful its skyline or kind its people, has a dark side hidden just beneath the surface.

As Sun looked at the crumbling buildings and cracked roads around him, he could tell that Vale was no exception. While not quite the slum that he'd expected from Blake's description, the street they were walking down clearly lacked the warmth and charm most of the city had. Graffitied walls, litter everywhere, and more than a few broken windows; it was more than enough to make him uneasy.

Sun looked upwards, the now orange sky slowly tinting darker. The rally was set to start in just a few minutes, in a warehouse they'd passed just one street over. The plan was to wait until it was just about to start so they would be the last people through the door. Hopefully, that would lessen the chance of anyone recognizing Blake and put them closer to the exit in case things went pear-shaped.

It was a good plan, he had to admit. Unfortunately, right when they were about to enter, they hit a snag

Sun turned back to Blake, watching her expression carefully. The cat Faunus leaned against a graffitied wall, her eyes closed as her face twitched every few seconds. Her hands were opening and closing every few seconds, her shoulders tense.

Sun let out a huff, hating how useless he felt. They'd been not ten feet from the door when Blake had tensed up, Ruby's name spilling from her lips. Sun just counted his lucky stars that he'd noticed, otherwise, Blake's little freakout would have been in front of the dozen or so Faunus milling around outside the warehouse. Instead, he quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close and just kept walking. He'd gotten a funny look from some ram Faunus, but he just grinned and whispered "Nerves" as they'd passed, like that explained everything.

Now all Sun could do was just watch as Blake fought against the very clear urge to run to Ruby, and Weiss, seeing as her name had soon followed once Sun had lead Blake around the corner.

Man, this part of being Mated must suck, Sun thought to himself, having pieced together what was likely happening to Blake. Knowing your Mates are in trouble and there being jack-all you can do about it? Ouch.

His thoughts were broken when he heard Blake let out a deep breath. Her shoulders sagged in relief, her cat ears drooping. She opened her eyes, staring down at the ground.

"You okay?" Sun asked carefully.

Blake took a second, shaking her head clear. "Y-yeah, I think so. Sorry about that."

"What happened?"

She frowned. "I'm not sure. Ruby was scared and worried about something. Weiss started moving towards her, then…"

"Then…?" Sun goaded.

Blake shrugged. "I don't know. It was like… she vanished for a moment. Then she felt terrified of something. Then both her and Ruby were scared."

"Geez," Sun muttered in distress. "Are they okay?"

Blake took a few deep breaths. "I think so. They're both worried and confused, but they're calmer now." She looked down sharply, her cheeks tinting in embarrassment. "Sorry you had to see that. And… thank you for getting me out of there."

Sun waved her off, smiling. "Don't bother. New relationship, I figured a few things are probably overwhelming. It's cool. Though, do me a favor?" When Blake looked quizzically at him, he gave a joking grin. "Don't tell Yang I did the 'boyfriend lead-and-walk' thing? I saw that look she gave Nep earlier, and I like my internal organs right where they are, thank you very much."

Blake grinned back at him. "Sure." She glanced around the area, seeing several Faunus making their way towards the warehouse. "We need to get going. We're going to miss the rally."

She went to walk around the corner, when Sun grabbed her by the arm. "Hold up for a sec. We got a small problem first."

"What is it?"

"Um, well…" Sun rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Not quite sure how to phrase this… when you were, uh, checking on Ruby and Weiss, I kinda noticed something that might be a bit of a problem."

Blake frowned. "What?"

Sun grimaced. "First off, I'd like to say that your Mate's Mark has a very impressive design, shows off your bond with your Mates wonderfully, very colorful…"

"Sun…" Blake said warningly, eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out where he was going with this.

Sun let out a groan. "Look, it's just… there's going to be nothing but Faunus and White Fang members in there, right?"

Blake nodded, still confused.

"... you do realize the Schnee logo is part of your Mate's Mark, right?"

In an instant, Blake felt her whole body go numb. No, she hadn't realized that, not fully. Blake was suddenly aware of how much the image of that snowflake had shifted away from the company to her, and had become something she attributed as a part of Weiss. The white-hot rage she'd once felt seeing that snowflake, while still there, had been buried beneath the image of a white-haired girl with crystal-blue eyes that came to mind instead.

To every other Faunus in the city, however? While the snowflake in her Mark was blue instead of white (for reasons none of them had figured out yet), it was still very clearly the Schnee logo.

And she was about to walk into a White Fang rally with it proudly on display.

"What do I do?" Blake hissed, slapping her hand over her Mark. "How did I not realize this?!"

Sun could only shrug. "Stress? You've been running a mile a minute since I met up with you today." When Blake's only response was to glare at him, Sun backtracked. "Okay, um… cover it up with something? You got a necklace or something you could wear?"

Blake blinked. She looked down at her jacket, slowly reaching into one of its pockets. Hesitantly, she pulled out a folded up stretch of black fabric.

Sun's eyebrows raised when he saw the familiar bow. "You still have that thing on you?"

Blake looked down at the bow, frowning. "I don't want to wear it anymore, but… it didn't feel right to throw it away." Quickly unfolding the bow, she wrapped it a few times around her neck, tying it off with a simple knot. "How's that?"

Sun looked her over, focusing on her Mark. "Not bad. I can still see the other three symbols, and the bottom spike of the snowflake, but other than that… I think you're good."

Blake nodded at him, satisfied. Then she frowned sadly as she ran her fingers across the hidden snowflake. "Sorry, Weiss," she murmured softly.

Not sure what to say to that, Sun simply bobbed his head towards the warehouse, which was quickly filling to capacity. "C'mon," he said, flashing a smile. "Let's go find out what our Fangy friends are up to."

Blake smiled back, appreciating the gesture. "Let's go."

Alleyway in Downtown Vale

Ruby was freaking out.

Things had been going so well, too. She'd caught up with Penny not too long after leaving Weiss (who, she'd noted to herself, she was going to owe big time for pretty much abandoning on the CCT's doorstep). After finally convincing the odd girl to talk to her, Ruby had let Penny lead her into the city. It had been nice, just hanging out with someone other than her teammates or the other Beacon students. She had just been about to get Penny to open up, to tell her what was bothering her so much, when they'd stumbled across a display stage for the Atlassian Military.

Ruby had been mesmerized by the new type of robots meant to replace the older models, not to mention the giant mech they had displayed, but Penny had seemed… nervous. As the display went on, she'd gotten more and more on edge, telling Ruby that they should leave. Ruby hadn't really noticed, too enthralled by all the new weaponry, until Penny suddenly took off in a dead run away from the stage. Ruby had been confused for all of a second, before she noticed the two Atlassian soldiers running towards them.

After that, it was all a blur of running and ducking through alleyways, Ruby trying to lose the soldiers while at the same time catch up to Penny. And when she finally did…

It was such a stupid mistake. No doubt Weiss would tell her the same thing later. She'd grabbed Penny around the waist, jumping onto a wall to rocket them away in the blur of her Semblance, but… she'd landed wrong. She could feel it the moment she'd touched the wall, the way her ankle had twisted when she pushed off. The pain was just enough to make her lose focus, to stop her Semblance and send the two of them skidding across the ground and Ruby into the street.

Then…

Ruby risked a glance back as she ran down the alley after Penny, back at the wrecked truck and broken road.

How? How had Penny done that? Even Yang would have had to sit down after stopping a truck that big, moving that fast, but Penny… she did it like it was nothing! She hadn't struggled, she hadn't grunted in effort; the truck just stopped dead the moment it hit her. And afterward… she wasn't even breathing hard!

Ruby turned back ahead, ignoring the throbbing in her ankle (she could already feel her aura working to heal the damage). She turned a corner and found Penny standing at a crossroads in the alley, looking frantically between the different paths. She could hear the girl muttering to herself. "Oh… where do I…? Uh… Um…"

"Penny!" Ruby called out as she neared the panicking girl, who stiffened at her call, whirling around in panic. "Please! What is going on?" Ruby couldn't help it, the questions just started tumbling out. "Why are you running? How did you do that?!"

The sheer helplessness in Penny's wide green eyes broke Ruby's heart. "I-I can't! Everything's fine-hic!" Penny's whole body jerked as she suddenly hiccuped. The girl grimaced, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"I-I don't want to talk about it-hic!"

Moments Earlier

Weiss was stupefied as she approached the carnage on the road. The pavement was cracked and shattered, a ten-foot indent in the road, as if something had dropped out of the sky and crashed there. In the crater, a delivery truck sat smoking, its front end crumpled in on itself.

People were starting to gather around the crater, newcomers asking what had happened. Weiss could hear snippets of different conversations, people explaining that a teenage girl had stopped the speeding truck without effort.

Not that Weiss needed to be told that. She'd seen the whole event herself. Though, she was still working on believing it.

Doing her best to avoid drawing attention to herself, Weiss slipped around the crowd and made her way to the alleyway opening. She scanned the crowd quickly, taking note of the two Atlassian soldiers she had seen before. To their credit, whatever reason they had been chasing Penny and Ruby for had been put on hold, the two soldiers instead taking time to check on the people around the crash site. One of them was questioning bystanders, while the other was helping the old man out of his wrecked truck with the support of a civilian.

Seeing that they were occupied, Weiss ducked into the alley. Through the Link, she could tell that Ruby had stopped just up ahead, and was filled with just as much confusion and shock as Weiss herself was. Weiss picked up the pace, hoping that between Ruby and Penny, she would get some answers.

What happened? she thought to herself. What were you two running from? And what… was that? Some type of Semblance? It must have been. How else could Penny just… stop that truck?

Weiss kept turning the event over in her head as she marched up the alleyway, nearing the corner. She could feel Ruby just around it-

"Penny, if you could just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!"

-and hear her, apparently.

Weiss' brow furrowed at the panic and frustration in Ruby's voice. While her first instinct was to see what was going on, something (probably the slight tingling sensation at the back of her mind) told her that she shouldn't interrupt. So, she took a page out of Ruby's book.

Pressing herself against the building wall, Weiss peered around the corner, hoping that the two girls wouldn't notice her.

Penny curled in on herself, ducking her head so as not to meet Ruby's eyes.

Ruby stared at her helplessly. Penny turned away from Ruby, she was shaking. "No! No, no! You wouldn't understand!"

Understand what? "Let me try!" Ruby yelled desperately. "You can trust me!"

Penny shook her head, still facing away from Ruby. Then, her shoulders tensed, and the girl spun around, clutching her tightened fists to her chest. The sheer helplessness in her eyes made Ruby flinch.

"You're my friend, right?" The mix of desperation and hope in her voice nearly tore Ruby's heart in two. "You promise you're my friend?"

Ruby didn't even hesitate. Reaching out, she wrapped Penny's hands in her own, giving them a squeeze. She tried to muster up her best smile, making sure that Penny could see the honesty in her eyes. "I promise."

Penny's eyes widened, both at Ruby's soft voice and at the hands now holding her own. She looked down at their clasped hands. She closed her eyes. "Ruby…"

With Ruby still grasping them, Penny slowly turned her hands over, opening her fists.

"...I'm not a real girl."

Ruby stared at the hands she was holding. She blinked. Then blinked again. "Oh," she said softly, her mouth opening slightly in surprise.

Penny's palms had been ripped open when she stopped the truck, but instead of muscle and blood beneath her skin, Ruby saw grey metal. Plates of metal made up the different parts of her hands, a faint green light glowing in the spaces between them.

"Penny, I… I don't understand," Ruby muttered.

Penny opened her eyes, staring down at her damaged hands. "Most girls are born, but I was made." Her lips curved up slightly, a hint of pride in her voice. "I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura." Her smile quickly faded as she balled up her fists, hanging her head in shame. "I'm not real…"

Ruby's eyes darted up, meeting Penny's saddened face. She frowned at the self-described synthetic girl's words. Knitting her brow together, Ruby moved her hands over Penny's, pulling at her fingers to loosen her fists. Penny shot her an uncertain look, but allowed Ruby to open her hands.

Ruby stared at the grey metal of Penny's palms for a moment. Then, slowly, she rubbed her thumbs against Penny's palms. The metal was smooth and warm to the touch. After a moment, Ruby noticed a slight trembling feeling against her skin, a hum coming from under the metal.

Ruby looked up to meet Penny's eyes. A soft smile played on her lips. "Of course you are." her grin widened when she saw the stunned look on Penny's face. "You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts that makes you any less real than me?"

Penny blinked at her, looking very unsure of Ruby's words. "I don't… um…" She leaned towards Ruby, squinting at her. "You…"

"Miss Schnee?"

Both of them jumped at the sudden deep voice coming from around the corner. Ruby suddenly felt a slew of extra emotions, each tinged with a slight chill.

Surprise, Worry. Panic, then Resolve.

Ruby hesitated for just a second, before pulling sharply on Penny's wrists, pushing the girl and herself against the wall and out of sight. Slowly, she peered around the corner, her eyes widening at what she saw.

Weiss whirled around, startled by the call of her Dust-forsaken last name. She'd been so focused on the conversation before her, her brain working overtime trying to process the rather unbelievable and fantastical revelation about her quirky new friend, that she hadn't noticed the footsteps approaching her from behind. When her eyes fell on the interlopers, her stomach dropped.

The two soldiers from before were standing just a few paces away from her, staring at her behind their visored helmets. Though she couldn't see their faces, their confusion was made clear by the tone of voice one of them had used. The awkward way they both straightened up once she turned her eyes to them did not help matters.

Weiss heard a shuffling sound behind her, and Weiss had a feeling she knew what it was. A quick scan of the Link told her that, yes, Ruby was now just a few feet behind her, just on the other side of the corner. She could feel her girlfriend's curiosity, followed by surprise, then worry, mixed with protectiveness. Whether she was feeling protective of Penny or herself, Weiss couldn't tell. It was a rather strong feeling, though. Maybe both?

That protective feeling bolstered Weiss' own, making the girl set her lips into a firm line. Ignoring the jumbled mess that was her inner thoughts (Penny is a robot; how do you even begin to react to that?), Weiss straightened up her posture, lifting her chin in a well-practiced act of superiority.

"Can I help you, officers?" she asked, her tone polite, but with a slight edge to it.

The two soldiers glanced at each other. One shook his head, while the other subtly shrugged. Looking back at her, the one on the left cleared his throat. "Um… Our apologies, Miss Schnee. We were following a... " He hesitated, likely thinking over the best way to phrase his words. "...person of great importance," he said after an awkward moment. "We didn't expect to encounter you here."

Weiss stared at the two soldiers, her mind racing. There were a few ways she could handle this, none of them guaranteed to work. Should she try and play dumb? No, then they'd just go past her and find Penny. Maybe tell them she saw Penny run down a different alleyway and send them running the wrong way? Possibly, but it would leave these two soldiers wandering Vale for who-knows-how-long, and they still might double back and find her anyway Maybe-

Weiss blinked as an idea came to her. Maybe she should try a more direct approach.

Well… they're already expecting me to act like a Schnee. Tilting her head ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing just a bit, Weiss tried to emulate the way she'd seen Winter interact with her subordinates. "Oh? May I ask who this person is? Perhaps I've seen them."

The soldiers looked at each other again, and Weiss could just imagine what was going through their heads. After all, while she was technically a civilian, she was also a Schnee. And when it came to those from Atlas, being a Schnee gave you certain rights.

...completely bogus, borderline illegal rights, which meant no one from the Atlassian military actually had to tell her anything. But, if she was lucky, these two regular soldiers wouldn't know that.

One of them seemed to take the initiative, taking a step towards her. "We're looking for a girl about your age, Miss. Orange hair, green eyes, wearing a bow and green skirt. We saw her go this way with a younger girl in a red cloak."

Weiss felt Ruby's nervousness spike behind her. Weiss tried to send her a feeling of calm, telling her to relax… then sent over a bit of sheepish remorse.

Because she had a feeling that the next words out of her mouth were going to freak Ruby out.

Putting on her best look of surprise, Weiss said, "Orange hair and green…" Realization came over her face, and she smiled humorously at the soldiers. "You must mean Penny!"

In an instant, Ruby's worry shot up to outright startled panic and disbelief. Weiss could just imagine the look on her face.

Don't freak out, don't freak out! Weiss thought desperately, praying Ruby would feel the emotions behind her thoughts. I have a plan, just trust me!

To her relief, Ruby's panic lessened almost immediately, simmering down to a feeling of unease. There was a feeling of trust behind it, though, which Weiss took to heart.

While Weiss and Ruby had their brief emotional exchange, the two soldiers took a step back from her in shock. Looking closely, she could see their eyes widen behind their visors.

"You know Penny?" One asked in disbelief.

Weiss frowned at him, looking perfectly affronted. "Of course. She's a friend of mine."

Somehow, their eyes widened further. Then they narrowed in suspicion. "She is?"

Weiss' frown deepened. "Yes, she is. May I ask why you are looking for her?"

Again, they hesitated. Then the one on the left sighed in resignation, standing up a little straighter. "Part of our assignment is to keep an eye on her for her father, but she went off on her own today to explore the city. We were told to bring her back to General Ironwood if we saw her, but she ran off when we did, along with another girl."

Well, Weiss had to give them credit. She had not been expecting such a direct answer, and it briefly threw her for a loop. Weiss collected herself almost immediately, her surprise masked behind feigned realization. "Oh, my. I didn't realize we would be causing you gentlemen so much trouble."

The soldiers blinked behind their visors. "'We'?" the right one asked in confusion.

Weiss just smiled, trying to ignore Ruby's nervousness and growing confusion. "Earlier today, my partner Ruby and I encountered Penny on the Beacon grounds. We talked for a bit, before deciding to spend the day together. I still had some business to take care of at the Academy, so Penny and Ruby went ahead into the city. We were meant to meet up here when I was finished."

The two soldiers were silent at her explanation. The one on the left turned his head slightly from side to side, looking over the alleyway. "You told them to meet you...here?" While his tone was still respectful, Weiss could hear the skepticism in it.

Weiss made a show of following his gaze, lingering over the graffiti and cracked walls. Her smile turned sheepish. "There's a quaint little cafe I like not too far from here. As for the alley, well… I figured discretion was in order, given my family's fame and Penny's… situation."

"Y-you know about Penny?" the left one murmured faintly. "That she's…"

Weiss' eyes narrowed, a frown on her lips. "Yes," she said, her voice lowering to a hiss. "And I would ask you not to speak of her status in public." She stressed her ending words, hoping that knowledge of a synthetic lifeform really was as classified as she assumed.

The other soldier apparently agreed, shooting his partner a quick glare. He then turned back to Weiss. "Miss Schnee, we saw Penny and your partner run this way. Do you have any idea where they are?"

Ah. Well… that's about as far as I can take this charade, isn't it? Weiss thought as she tried to think up a plausible answer. "I only just got here myself," she evenly said. "Perhaps they went down a different path than the one I came from?" As she spoke, Weiss was praying that Ruby would catch onto what she was about to attempt. She pulled her scroll out of her pocket, showing it to the soldiers. "I could try to call them, if you'd like. They couldn't have gone far."

After a moment, the soldier on the right nodded. "That would be most appreciated, Miss-"

"Weiss!"

Weiss felt her nerves somehow lessen and increase at the same time. "Oh, that's them now." She looked over her shoulder, finding Ruby coming around the corner with a slightly-too-wide smile on her face, dragging a bewildered and very nervous Penny behind her by the arm. Weiss saw the way Penny's eyes darted between herself and the soldiers. For not being 'real', she saw a striking amount of fear in Penny's green eyes.

"Sorry, Weiss," Ruby said, rubbing the back of her head with her free hand. She smiled sheepishly, though Weiss could tell it was forced. "We made a wrong turn and had to double back. Oh!" Ruby let out a startled gasp as she looked at the soldiers. "Who are your friends?"

Weis held back a groan at Ruby's poorly feigned enthusiasm. Note to self, get Ruby acting lessons.

Thankfully, Ruby's words were ignored. The moment Penny came around the corner, the soldiers sagged in relief. "Penny," the right one started, staring past Weiss and Ruby towards the synthetic girl. "You know you can't just wander around the city by yourself like this."

Penny seemed to shrink in on herself, ducking her head as she met his visored gaze. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to explore the city for a little while."

"Why did you run from us?" the left one interjected, exasperation in his tone.

Penny shrank further, her shoulders hunching. "I didn't want to go back yet. And…" She glanced nervously between Ruby and Weiss. "I was afraid I'd get my friends in trouble."

Both soldiers started, saying nothing. The right one slowly panned to look at Ruby, then Weiss. He fixed Penny with a firm look. "These two really are your friends?"

Penny blinked at him, before smiling broadly. "Yes, they are! Ruby is so much fun to be around, and Weiss has been ever so kind."

Penny's words took Weiss by surprise. She and Penny had spent almost no time together, yet the girl's tone sounded genuine. Weiss allowed herself a small smile.

The soldier looked between Weiss and Ruby in scrutiny. Weiss could feel the skepticism in his gaze, and met it with a determined look of her own. After a moment, the soldier seemed to relent. He let out a small huff, a small bit of kindness creeping into his voice. "Fine. We should probably return to the General, Penny. He and your father are probably worried."

Penny stiffened at that, her eyes widening. Then her whole body slumped in resignation, green eyes falling to the ground. "Okay…"

Ruby quickly looked between Penny and the soldiers, panic and worry rolling off her in waves. "Wait a second!" she nearly shouted. She then wilted when both soldiers looked at her in tandem, eyes hidden beneath their helmets. "I mean… please, Mr. Soldier… man… sir…" She tapered off awkwardly under their gaze. Still shrinking under their scrutiny, Ruby asked, "Can't Penny stay out for a little bit longer? Just a few more hours?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss," the right one said. "We are under specific orders to bring Penny back to base if we saw her."

"But…" Ruby's eyes flicked between them and Penny, who was staring at Ruby with a mix of confusion and… hope, maybe? Then Ruby looked towards Weiss, and the heiress found herself pinned beneath both those silver eyes and the emotions behind them.

Helplessness. Desperation. Worry. Sadness.

Holding back a groan, Weiss stepped forward to save her poor partner. "Gentlemen, surely there is nothing so urgent that it requires Penny right this second."

The soldiers paused, then looked at each other. Weiss could practically hear the question they were both thinking: She's a Schnee. What do we do?

Weiss hated it. Having her family's reputation was bad enough. Purposefully using it to get her way felt like she was taking a massive step backward. But if it helped get that scared-puppy look off Ruby's face… she could put up with the feeling, at least for the moment.

"I… don't know, Miss Schnee," one of them said hesitantly, turning back to face her. "We are under orders…"

"I can assure you, sirs, she will be well taken care of. We'll even make an effort to stay away from prying eyes, if you'd like."

The soldier shifted his weight nervously. "I don't know…" He glanced at his fellow soldier, who seemed just as lost. "We really don't have the authority to make that decision."

A sudden thought struck Weiss. One that seemed just as likely to backfire spectacularly as it was to work perfectly. With an innocent look, she held out her scroll for them to see. "If you'd like, I could call my sister Winter to ask permission." At her sister's name, both soldiers stiffened. Then Weiss opened her scroll, adding, "I believe she's in a meeting with my father at the moment, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind being interrupted for-"

"That won't be necessary!" the one on the left practically shouted. "There's no need to bother Specialist Winter with this… right?" he looked over at his fellow soldier, hope in his voice.

The other man stared back silently. He looked over the three girls, his gaze lingering on Penny. She stared back at him, her eyes hopeful and pleading. Finally, he sighed in resignation. "I… suppose not."

Penny blinked at him, stunned. "You… you mean…?"

"Our shift ends at 2200. Be back at base before then."

Penny was silent for a moment, then her face split into a large smile. She snapped into a salute, beaming. "Yes sir, Lieutenant. I will see you then."

The soldier saluted back. "Stay out of trouble. And…" The man's tone softened a bit, a smile in his voice. "Have fun with your friends, Penny." He then nodded to Weiss and Ruby. "Miss Schnee, Ma'am." Gesturing at the other soldier, who nodded to Penny as well, the two members of the Atlassian military made their way back down the alley.

Weiss watched them in slight disbelief, her shoulders tight. She didn't relax until the two men had disappeared around the corner. She let out a deep breath, her shoulders sagging in relief. I can't believe that worked. That could have gone so- "Hrk!"

Weiss grunted as something suddenly slammed into her side, wrapping around her.

"Weiss!" Ruby squealed as she crushed the heiress in a hug. "That was amazing! You're the best girlfriend ever!"

Face heating from the surprise praise, Weiss gave Ruby a playful smirk. "I'll be sure to tell Blake you said that."

Instantly, Ruby reared back her head from its place against Weiss' neck eyes wide with panic. "Uh… well, I mean… um…" she stuttered, grasping for a defense. Then she saw Weiss' widening grin. She pouted, her cheeks puffing out slightly. "Oh, you know what I meant!"

Weiss allowed herself a small laugh at her partner's expense, then turned her attention to Penny. The girl was standing off to the side, watching the two in curiosity. When blue eyes met green, Penny quickly averted her gaze.

In that moment, awkwardness filled the alley. Ruby seemed to notice, pulling away from Weiss to look between her and her friend, concern plain on her face.

Weiss was at a loss. She wanted the soldiers gone so she could process the whole situation, but now that she had, she had no idea what to do, what to say. How do you talk to someone about how they were a robot? Was that even the proper term? What do-

"How did you know?"

Penny's hesitant voice jolted Weiss from her thoughts. She met the girl's eyes, which quickly darted away again.

"Know what?" Weiss asked, her tone carefully neutral.

Penny shifted her weight from one foot to the other (why would a robot do that?), slowly meeting Weiss' eyes. "About your sister." When Weiss just blinked back at her, confused, she elaborated. "All information about my development is highly classified. Specialist Winter is one of General Ironwood's most trusted officers, and one of the only people to have known about me before I was… completed. I doubt she would share military secrets with anyone outside the know. How did you know that your sister was part of my project?"

Weiss let out a small sound of understanding. A fair question. The answer, however…

"Honestly?" Weiss' eyes darted away for a moment. "I… didn't."

Penny was taken aback by this, her eyes widening. "What?"

Weiss stomped down the urge to bite her lip, forcing herself to explain. "I assumed that the first ever… 'synthetic person'?" She paused, hoping she'd gotten the term right. When Penny gave a small nod, she went on. "...would be highly classified. Winter is always working close to General Ironwood, so… I guessed."

Penny tilted her head a little, perplexed. "That seems rather… risky."

Weiss nodded in concession. "I blame Ruby. Her impulsiveness is contagious."

"Hey!"

Weiss cracked a smile at Ruby's outrage, and saw Penny's lip twitch upwards. Her eyes drifted downwards to Penny's hands, still clenched firmly into fists at her sides. Penny noticed her gaze, quickly crossing her arms with a nervous look on her face.

Weiss frowned at that. She glanced at Ruby, who frowned back, concern in her silver eyes as she turned back to Penny. Weiss did the same. "Penny?" she asked.

Green eyes met icy blue. "Yes?"

Weiss hesitated for a moment, thinking over her options. Still holding Penny's gaze, she extended her hand, palm up. "May I?"

Penny's eyes widened. She glanced at Ruby, who gave her an encouraging nod. Slowly, Penny laid her hand in Weiss', the bare metal of her palm gleaming in the evening light.

With her free hand, Weiss ran her fingers across Penny's palm, feeling the warmth the metal gave off.

"Penny," she started, eyes never leaving the girl's broken skin. "Why do you think you're not real?"

Penny was surprised by the question, then followed Weiss' gaze, frowning at the metal. "I wasn't born. I was built. I can think for myself, I can feel emotion, but… it's all programming. I was made to be the perfect simulation of a human being… and that's all I am. A simulation of life. Not the real thing."

"Penny, that's not true!" Ruby piped up, grasping Penny's forearm "You're our friend! That's real."

Penny smiled at Ruby. "I know, Ruby, and I'm thankful for that. But-"

"No buts!" Ruby said sternly, startling Penny when she shoved a finger in her face. "You're not just a simulation, Penny. You have a heart. A soul." She placed her hand over her chest. "I can feel it."

Penny stared at Ruby with wide eyes, her lips parting slightly. "Ruby…" she murmured faintly.

"A soul…"

They both turned their attention back to Weiss, who was still looking over Penny's hand. Ruby noticed the Weiss' eyes were narrowed slightly, irises shaking slightly like they always did when Weiss' mind was moving at a rapid pace. Weiss suddenly raised her head, meeting Penny's eyes. "Penny, you said earlier that you can generate an aura?"

Penny blinked, then nodded. "Yes… why do you ask?"

Weiss nodded back, still mulling something over as she let Penny's hand drop. Then she smiled, soft and humorous. "Then I think you answered your own question. What do you know about the myths behind aura?"

Penny frowned, not following. "Not much. Most of the information in my… data bank," she said the word awkwardly, unsure about referring to her synthetic nature so casually. "...is purely scientific."

Ruby, who had been just as confused as Penny, physically jolted when she realized where Weiss was going with this. She smiled at Penny, her beaming grin just serving to confuse the android even more.

Weiss elaborated. "One of the main beliefs about aura- and one that both Ruby and myself believe- is that aura is actually our souls made manifest."

Ruby's grin widened even further. "And if you have an aura…"

Penny looked between them both, the gears in her head (no pun intended) turning. Slowly, her eyes widened in realization. "You think that, since I have an aura… I have a soul?"

Weiss nodded, a satisfied smile on her lips. "It's rather hard to fathom how someone with a soul could be anything other than 'real'."

Penny blinked. Then again. Weiss thought she actually saw Penny's eyes flash briefly. "You… you two really think I'm real?" Her voice was hesitant, almost scared.

Ruby nodded vigorously, Weiss giving a curt one of her own, still smiling.

Penny went completely still, a look of awe on her face, allowing the two partners to notice for the first time how Penny's chest never moved like one would expect from a living, breathing person. Then Penny lunged.

Grabbing each girl around the waist with one arm, Penny pulled Weiss and Ruby into a hug that put Yang's bear hugs to shame. Weiss was certain she heard Ruby's ribs crack… or was that her own?

"Weiss… Ruby…" Penny rasped out as she squeezed them, her voice thick with emotion. "Oh, you're the best friends anyone could have!"

Struggling to breathe, Weiss gasped out, "I… try…"

Ruby wasn't much better off. 'I can see why your father wanted to protect such a… delicate flower…" Even strangled, Weiss could hear the slight sarcasm in her voice.

Her father? Weiss made a note to ask about that later.

Penny released them, oblivious to their gasps of air when she did. "So, um…" Penny placed her arms behind her back, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "I'm not sure where to go from here. Is there something you two would like to do?"

After getting her breath back, Ruby spoke. "Well…" Then she blinked, realizing something. "Oh! Me and Weiss were going to meet up with Blake and Yang at a club downtown. Want to come with us?"

Weiss shot Ruby a look, frowning in disapproval. "Ruby…"

"What?" Ruby asked defensively. "We were!"

"Yes, to meet about…" She glanced at Penny, who was looking between them in confusion. "...the plan," she whispered.

At that, Ruby just gave another infuriating smile. "It's fine. We can trust Penny."

"Yes, but…" Weiss noted the determined glint in Ruby's eyes, as well as the sheer resolution she was feeling. Weiss let out a resigned sigh. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

Ruby's grin was almost too genuine. "Nope!"

Weiss groaned in defeat. "Well… Sun and Neptune already know, I suppose," she rationalized to herself. She pulled out her scroll, bringing up her contacts. "Just let me text Blake and Yang so they know we'll have a plus-one." She started typing out a message, muttering to herself. "I suppose I'll call a cab while I'm at it…"

Penny frowned at the exchange. "If it's really that much trouble…"

"It's fine, Penny," Weiss said as she closed her scroll, starting down the alleyway towards a different road, away from the truck wreck that was likely still there. "Just a… team project that keeps expanding outside the team. We'll tell you about it on the way."

Ruby nodded, following Weiss. "Yep! And we can answer any questions you may have!"

Penny smiled back at Ruby, walking alongside the two partners. "Okay. Actually, could I ask one now?"

"Sure!"

"When did you two get matching tattoos?"

White Fang Rally

As the warehouse quickly filled, Roman Torchwick stayed out of sight, standing just behind the massive black curtains at the back of the main stage. He watched in mild amusement as several White Fang members ran back and forth around the warehouse, finding their marks to give the best appearance of strength they could. With the tip of his cane, he parted the curtain just enough to peek out at the crowd.

Word sure gets around, he mused to himself as he eyed the hundred-or-so Faunus youths gathering before the stage. He tried to see if he could spot a certain set of black cat ears, but between the mass of bodies and those annoying masks everyone was wearing, they all just blended together.

Pulling out his scroll, he typed a quick message to Neo, who he'd sent to get a better vantage point on the crowd.

RT- Any sign of a certain alley cat?

A few seconds later, she responded.

N- No. More ppl coming in, tho.

Roman hummed in thought. This was the largest gathering the White Fang had had all month, publically at least. After that whole debacle at the docks, Roman figured that little black cat would take the first chance she had to look into the White Fang. If there was ever a time to do so, this was it.

Though, if she doesn't show, he thought, I'll at least have more time to plan. Maybe nab another Paladin to upgrade.

He looked up at his new pride and joy, grinning widely at the hulking mass of metal standing thirty feet tall.

In the back of his mind, he knew that it'd be better if nothing happened. He was already in hot water with Cinder over putting Beacon on lockdown the previous weekend, something she had made abundantly clear the last time they'd talked. If this rally went off without a hitch, it would make his life so much easier.

But… there was something he needed to know. After going through the school records Neo had swiped, he'd found something… interesting. He still didn't know how to go ahead with that info. He'd had a whole revenge plan in mind involving a Paladin and four snot-nosed brats, with the end result being four crimson smears across the Vale pavement, but now…

Roman shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. He had to focus on the rally and work his silver tongue on all the pups and kittens out there. If Kitty Cat showed up, Little Red wouldn't be too far behind. And then… he'd know, one way or the other. And if he was wrong… well, Plan A still sounded fun.

Plus… he really wanted to see what that Paladin could do. A mech that size, with all those guns… oh, just the thought of running wild with that thing got his blood pumping!

Roman let out a chuckle. From the corner of his eye, he saw a Faunus with a full-face mask step out of the curtain to address the crowd.

Well, that's my cue. He took his place at the curtain's opening, seeing Neo materialize next to the Paladin. He flashed her a cocky grin, earning a roll of mismatched eyes.

The night's still young, he thought, still smiling. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to have some real fun yet.

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Uh… looks like I was off by one. Sorry. '^_^

Next chapter is already planned and started. I'm hoping to have it up by next weekend.

I'm going to start editing old chapters and upload them to AO3, where I will make Arcs I and II their own stories. Just thought I'd let you all know.

See you all next time for a laser-shooting, pillar punching, bot-breaking good time!