Chương 114: Chapter 107: The Synthetic Soul

The freezing, neon-drenched intersection of Mantle was utterly silent, the screeching alarms having finally died away. The snow settled softly around the high-tech, floating chassis of the girl who had just obliterated an entire wave of Grimm. The orange-haired girl turned fully toward them. Team RWBY and Team JNPR could not believe what they were seeing. The vibrant orange hair. The green, synthetic aura of her glowing eyes. The freckles dusting her cheeks.

It defied every law of reality, every tragic memory burned into their minds from the Battle of Beacon. Ruby Rose's hands trembled violently. She dropped Crescent Rose into the snow with a dull thud, her silver eyes rapidly filling with thick, overflowing tears.

"Penny...?!" Ruby breathed, her voice cracking as the name escaped her lips. Upon seeing Ruby, the girl gasped. The mechanical, emerald glow of her eyes instantly lit up with a brilliant, overwhelmingly human joy. Ruby smiled, a watery, desperate grin of absolute relief, as Penny leaned forward a little, her thrusters humming.

"Sal..." Penny started.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked, entirely confused by the sudden pause. Penny lowered to one knee, her mechanical joints whirring as a high-pitched, escalating charging noise built up inside her chassis.

"u..." Penny continued, a mischievous spark in her eye.

"Uh...?" Ruby squeaked, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous. With a massive, explosive burst of kinetic energy, Penny began gleefully sprinting toward Ruby at blinding speed, leaving a trail of kicked-up snow behind her.

"tations!!!" Penny leaped into the air and activated her thrusters, rocketing forward like a pastel-green missile and tackling Ruby completely off her feet.

"Waaaaah!" Ruby shrieked, flailing her hands around in front of her as her eyes went wide with comical panic. They crashed heavily to the snowy pavement, sliding a few feet. Ruby groaned in pain, rubbing her sore back as the rest of the Vanguard quickly put their weapons away, rushing over to the pair with wide smiles. Penny popped back up onto her feet in a fraction of a second, perfectly balanced, while Ruby slowly rose, holding her hand to her aching head.

"It is such a pleasure to see you all again!" Penny beamed, her hands clasped together in pure delight.

"Penny, I..." Ruby sniffled, tears streaming down her face as she looked at her friend.

"I-I thought you..."

"Died?" Pietro Polendina finished gently, riding his mobility chair over the slushy cobblestones to his daughter's side.

"I guess, in a manner of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took me some time, but..."

"I'm as good as new!" Penny declared proudly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Better, even!" Penny offered her hand, helping Ruby stand up completely.

"And now I'm the official protector of the city!" Penny announced, her chest puffing out with absolute pride.

"That's my girl," Pietro smiled warmly, looking up at her.

"We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?" Pietro let out a hearty laugh, which immediately devolved into a brief, rattling cough.

"No sir!" Penny replied, raising a metallic fist and knocking twice on the side of her own head. The impact produced a hollow, echoing clank-clank sound. Weiss Schnee stared at the interaction, her pale blue eyes wide with bewilderment.

"This is..."

"Strangely wholesome," Blake Belladonna finished softly, a warm smile touching her lips as her feline ears twitched beneath her new haircut. Yang Xiao Long crossed her arms, chuckling as she leaned against a streetlamp.

"Sounds like Penny to me."

"So, the daughter you were talking about yesterday was Penny?!" Nora Valkyrie asked Pietro, furiously scratching the back of her head.

"I can't tell if I completely understand what's going on or have, like, a million questions!"

"And thankfully, I have about a thousand answers," Pietro offered kindly, adjusting his glasses.

"But we can talk about that in our free time."

"That was unexpected," Jaune Arc breathed, shaking his head in sheer disbelief.

"Never a dull moment," Lie Ren agreed, a rare, profound smile gracing his features. Ruby couldn't hold back any longer. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she lunged forward, throwing her arms around Penny's neck in a desperate, crushing hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright! I missed you so much!" Penny's synthetic eyes widened in surprise before softening into absolute joy. She hugged Ruby back fiercely.

"I am so happy to meet you again, Ruby my friend!" Pietro, Jaune, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Nora, and Ren all watched the reunion, their hearts swelling with a profound, healing warmth. The tragedy of the Vytal Festival felt just a little bit lighter. After a long minute, Ruby slowly released her hug, wiping her eyes with the back of her wrist. As the two separated, the snow crunching under heavy boots drew their attention. Pyrrha Nikos stepped forward.

Her new, polished bronze armor gleamed under the streetlamps, but her posture was uncharacteristically fragile. Her hands trembled at her sides, and her emerald eyes were swimming with a thick, agonizing veil of guilt that had haunted her for over half a year.

"Penny..." Pyrrha whispered, her voice cracking painfully. Penny turned her head, her bright green eyes locking onto the champion. Pyrrha fell to her knees in the snow. She bowed her head, the tears finally spilling over her eyelashes and dropping onto the frozen cobblestones. The memory of the Vytal Tournament, the horrifying screech of metal, the wires pulling taut, the realization that her own Semblance had been used to tear an innocent soul apart, crashed over her.

"I am so sorry," Pyrrha choked out, her shoulders shaking violently as Jaune took a supportive step toward her, his heart breaking for his partner.

"I... I never meant to... Emerald sustained a hallucination, but it was my power. It was my hands. I have lived with the nightmare of what I did to you every single day. I am so incredibly, terribly sorry." Penny's perpetual smile softened into an expression of deep, profound empathy. She walked forward, her metallic boots clicking softly, and knelt in the snow right in front of the weeping Spartan. Penny reached out, her cool, synthetic hands gently clasping Pyrrha's trembling, armored gloves.

"You do not need to apologize, Pyrrha," Penny said softly, her voice carrying a completely un-robotic, boundless compassion.

"My father explained the anomaly in the broadcast to me. I know you were manipulated by an external illusion. I know you never intended to destroy me." Pyrrha looked up, her tear-streaked face reflecting the neon lights of Mantle.

"But I--""It is alright," Penny stated firmly, offering a radiant, brilliant smile that entirely banished the shadows of the past. Before Pyrrha could process the absolution, Penny threw her arms around the Spartan, pulling her into a tight, incredibly warm hug.

"I am just so glad that you and everyone else are alright after what happened to Beacon!" The heavy, suffocating iron chain that had wrapped around Pyrrha's heart since that terrible day in Amity Arena finally, completely shattered. Pyrrha let out a loud, shuddering sob of pure relief, wrapping her arms tightly around Penny and hugging her back. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Ruby smiled through her own tears, leaning her head against Weiss's shoulder as they watched the beautiful reconciliation. With the emotional weight lifted, Penny sprang back up to her feet with boundless energy. She excitedly grabbed both Ruby and Pyrrha by the shoulders, vibrating with enthusiasm.

"We have so many things to catch up about!" Penny beamed, her mechanical eyes sparkling.

"I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures! And tell you how I have been! And I am just very excited about the whole experience!!" Pietro laughed a booming, hearty belly-laugh, rolling his chair forward to gently pat his daughter's arm.

"Now, now, Penny. Calm down. You can do all of that after your mission is complete." Penny paused, standing at rigid attention.

"Oh! Correct!" She turned to Team RWBY and JNPR.

"General Ironwood has assigned me to personally assist Team RWBY and the Ace-Ops with the subterranean cyber-hub clearance! We are going to destroy Grimm together!" Ruby blinked, exchanging a surprised look with Jaune.

"Wait, you're coming with us?" Before Penny could answer, the roaring, heavy hum of Atlesian turbine engines echoed from the sky. A sleek, heavily armored Manta airship descended through the snow, hovering for a brief second before touching down smoothly in the center of the intersection. The side ramp hissed open. Stepping out in flawless military formation were the Ace Operatives: Clover Ebi, Marrow Amin, Harriet Bree, Elm Ederne, and Vine Zeki.

Following closely behind them, pulling his thick collar up against the biting wind, was Qrow Branwen. Beside him, dressed in a brand-new, heavily insulated dark green Atlesian winter coat and boots, was Oscar Pine.

"Looks like everyone is here," Clover announced smoothly, his lucky clover pin catching the glow of the streetlamps as he offered a charismatic, confident smile. Penny instantly snapped to attention, executing a flawless, rigid military salute.

"Special Operatives! Reporting for duty!"

"At ease, Protector," Clover returned the salute warmly. Marrow sighed, crossing his arms and shivering slightly.

"Finally. Let's get this over with before my tail freezes solid." Qrow stepped down the ramp, his crimson eyes widening slightly as they locked onto the orange-haired android. He paused, a look of distinct surprise crossing his grizzled features. He had known Penny's true robotic nature for years, having been part of Ozpin's inner circle, but seeing her fully reconstructed was still a shock.

"Well, I'll be damned," Qrow muttered, taking a slow swig from his flask.

"Ironwood wasn't kidding about the upgrades." The reunion, however, was interrupted by a sharp, highly suspicious clearing of a throat. Robyn Hill stepped forward, her crossbow resting threateningly on her shoulder. Her sharp eyes darted from Clover's pristine uniform to the heavy weaponry of the Ace-Ops. Behind her, Fiona Thyme, Joanna Greenleaf, and May Marigold formed a tight, protective wall, their expressions radiating absolute distrust.

"So," Robyn began, her voice dripping with political venom.

"Ironwood finally decides to send his elite lapdogs down to the slums. What's the occasion, Clover? Did the General run out of materials to hoard in the sky?" Clover maintained his smile, without wavering his professionalism. He stepped forward, ensuring a careful, respectful distance remained between the two factions.

"Robyn! Well, if it isn't Mantle's home town hero," Clover greeted.

"We are here on official military business to restore the communication relays. And to eliminate the localized Grimm threats that are endangering the citizens of Mantle."

"We don't need Atlas military breathing down our necks," Fiona muttered, her sheep ears flattening aggressively.

"We've been holding the line just fine without you."

"Keep your tin soldiers in the sky," May Marigold warned coldly, her sniper rifle resting against her hip. Joanna Greenleaf cracked her massive knuckles, stepping up beside Robyn.

"Mantle protects its own. We don't need Ironwood's charity."

"Watch your mouth," Harriet Bree snapped, her athletic frame tensing as she took an aggressive step forward.

"We're down here freezing to fix your grid!"

"Let them go, Hare," Elm rumbled, placing a massive, restraining hand on Harriet's shoulder.

"We're not here to fight civilians." Vine Zeki offered a calm, deeply serene bow toward the Happy Huntresses.

"Aggression serves no purpose here. Our objective aligns with yours: the safety of the people." Robyn scoffed, her gaze remaining entirely locked on Clover. She knew him. She respected his skill as a Huntsman, but his blind loyalty to a paranoid General disgusted her.

"I know you're just following orders, Clover," Robyn said sharply.

"But whatever secret Ironwood is burying up there... it's killing this city. If you actually cared about Mantle, you'd tell me the truth."

"I am executing my orders for the safety of the entire kingdom, Robyn," Clover replied smoothly, his tone respectful but utterly impenetrable.

"I sincerely wish you luck in the upcoming Council election. If your cause is righteous, the people will vote for you." Robyn stared at him for a long, heavy moment. She realized she wasn't going to crack the Ace-Ops leader. Her eyes shifted toward Team RWBY and Team JNPR. She remembered the sheer, palpable hesitation in Ruby's voice when she had asked them about Ironwood's secrets just minutes prior. They were lying. She knew it.

But forcing a confrontation with the Ace-Ops in the middle of a freezing street wasn't tactically sound.

"We'll talk later," Robyn promised the students, her eyes flashing with a warning. With a sharp whistle, Robyn turned on her heel.

"Come on, Huntresses. We have a perimeter to patrol." Fiona, Joanna, and May glared at the Atlesian operatives one last time before turning and firing their grappling lines, disappearing swiftly into the dark, snowy rooftops of Mantle. The remaining civilians, sensing the tension, quietly dispersed into their homes, leaving the streets completely empty. Clover let out a slow, measured sigh, watching the vigilantes vanish.

"Happy Huntresses," Clover explained to Qrow, shaking his head.

"Atlas Academy graduates who rejected the military draft. They've styled themselves as the protectors of Mantle. They mean well, but... their methods are borderline illegal."

"I feel like I understand her," Qrow muttered, his crimson eyes scanning the impoverished, freezing alleyways of the lower city.

"Given the state of things down here... it's hard to blame them for being angry." While the adults conversed, Oscar Pine turned his attention to the students. He adjusted the collar of his new winter coat, his hazel eyes lighting up as he took in their customized, highly advanced Atlesian gear.

"Wow, you guys look incredible!" Oscar complimented enthusiastically, walking over to Ruby. He pointed to the newly upgraded, rotating scythe-head mechanism on her weapon.

"That gear modification on Crescent Rose is brilliant! It looks so much more efficient!" Ruby blushed brightly, a massive, proud smile spreading across her face.

"Thanks, Oscar! Your new coat looks super warm, too! It really suits you!" Penny tilted her head, her mechanical eyes whirring softly as she observed the interaction between the two young leaders. She analyzed their elevated heart rates, the faint pink dusting their cheeks, and their highly synchronized, awkward body language. With a bright, completely innocent smile, Penny marched directly up to Oscar.

"Salutations!" Penny beamed.

"Are you Ruby's 'boy' friend?" The entire street instantly froze. Yang's jaw dropped. Weiss choked on her own spit. Blake's ears shot straight up in sheer alarm, while Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren stared at the android in absolute, stunned silence. Ruby and Oscar stiffened like wooden boards. Within a fraction of a millisecond, both of their faces erupted into a shade of violent, radioactive tomato red that rivaled the emergency sirens.

"W-W-What?!" Ruby shrieked, waving her hands frantically in front of her face as she stumbled backward.

"No! No, no, no! We aren't... I mean, we haven't... we're not... in that kind of relationship!"

"Y-Yeah! We're just... uh... we're tactical partners!" Oscar stammered, his voice cracking three octaves as he frantically backed away, nearly tripping over his own boots.

"Oh," Penny blinked, her head tilting in genuine, processing confusion.

"So, you two are not friends?"

"We ARE friends!" Ruby and Oscar yelled simultaneously, their faces burning even hotter.

"We're really, really good friends!" Penny's synthetic eyes widened in a sudden, brilliant flash of absolute, literal comprehension. She clapped her hands together joyously.

"Then you two truly are 'boy' friend and 'girl' friend!" Ruby covered her face with her hands, letting out a high-pitched, muffled whine of pure, agonizing embarrassment. While Oscar looked like he wanted the frozen earth of Mantle to open up and swallow him whole.

"Okay, Penny, time out," Yang intervened, laughing awkwardly as she stepped between them. She held her hands up in a placating gesture.

"You're getting your wires crossed. A 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' implies a... different kind of relationship!" The confused android tilted her head to the other side.

"What is the difference? Oscar is a boy, and he is a friend. Therefore, he is a 'boy' friend. And because I am a girl who is Ruby's friend, that makes me Ruby's 'girl' friend! It is grammatically correct!" The absolute, unadulterated innocence of her literal interpretation finally broke the tension. Yang, Jaune, and Pyrrha burst into an awkward laughter. Nora cackled manically, leaning heavily against Ren. While Maria let out a sharp, wheezing laugh from her stool.

Weiss and Blake exchanged highly amused, incredibly awkward smiles. Marrow simply dragged a hand down his face, letting out a long, heavy sigh.

"Teenagers," Marrow grumbled, shaking his head. Pietro rolled his chair forward, chuckling warmly as he gently patted Penny's arm.

"Oh, my dear. You have so much to learn about human nuances."

"I cannot wait to learn!" Penny cheered excitedly, entirely oblivious to the romantic panic she had just caused.

"I look forward to learning from all of Team RWBY and Team JNPR! Including on their journey with the Haven Relic!" The laughter in the street died instantly. Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Oscar, and Qrow froze, their blood running cold. Their hands instinctively drifted toward their weapons as they stared at the android in absolute shock.

"Wait... you know about the Relic?!" Jaune gasped, his eyes darting toward the Ace-Ops. Clover raised a calm, reassuring hand.

"Relax, kids. General Ironwood briefed us."

"We are fully aware of Salem's shadow war, the Maidens, and the Relic of Knowledge," Vine confirmed smoothly. Pietro nodded gravely.

"James brought me into the inner circle when the global CCT networks began experiencing localized sabotage. He needed my expertise to secure the Atlas relays. Your secret is safe with us."

"Do not worry!" Penny announced proudly, striking a heroic pose.

"I am fully operational and prepared to help you fight these enemies of humanity!" Qrow let out a long, heavy breath, his tense shoulders dropping as he pulled his hand away from Harbinger.

"Well. I guess that's fair enough, considering everything that happened during the Vytal Festival. The more allies we have in the know, the better." Ruby swallowed hard, recovering her composure. She looked at Qrow and Oscar, her silver eyes narrowing with sudden, urgent focus.

"Oh, right! What about the Lamp? Is the plan working?" Qrow exchanged a sly, deeply satisfied smirk with Oscar.

"Oh, it's working flawlessly," Qrow chuckled. Oscar nodded, patting the empty space by his hip where his satchel used to be.

"We followed Nora's plan exactly. The Relic is completely secured." Nora puffed her chest out, resting her hands on her hips with a massive, arrogant grin.

"Ha! I told you I was a tactical genius! Best hiding spot in the history of Remnant!" Ren pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy sigh as he facepalmed.

"Nora, please do not gloat. We placed a divine artifact in the care of a man who complains about grocery prices. The anxiety is already killing me." Clover cleared his throat, pulling a glowing tactical tablet from his belt to refocus the Vanguard.

"Alright, everyone. The sun is setting, and the temperature is dropping. It's time to move out," Clover commanded, his voice shifting into a crisp, authoritative briefing. He pulled up a holographic map of Mantle's subterranean grid.

"As per General Ironwood's orders, we are splitting the deployment. Team JNPR and Oscar, you are to remain on the surface. You will reinforce the local Mantle patrols, protect the civilians from any encroaching Grimm, and maintain order. Team RWBY, Qrow, Penny, and the Ace-Ops will form a joint strike force. We are descending directly into the abandoned dust-mines and subterranean cyber-hubs." Clover looked around at the battle-ready faces of the Huntsmen and Huntresses.

"We locate the Grimm nest, we purge the system blockades, and we find whatever invisible assassin is terrorizing this city. Any questions?" Ruby locked her scythe into place, her silver eyes burning with absolute, unwavering resolve.

"None. Let's go save the city."