"Penny, I-I don't understand..." Ruby said, not understanding what is the big deal with having prosthetic arms.
"Most girls are born, but I was made. I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura. I'm not real..." Penny explained as she turned her head to the side, sadly thinking that she will be rejected.
"Of course you are. You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me?" Ruby replied, gently taking Penny's hands into her own.
"I don't... um..." Penny said before she leans in close to Ruby's face, "You're... taking this extraordinarily well." Penny added, feeling a little confused.
"You're not like those things we saw back there. You've got a heart, and a soul; I can feel it!" Ruby stated as she taps her chest with her pointer finger.
"Ooohh... oh Ruby!" Penny replied as she forces Ruby into a hug and shakes her back and forth, "You're the best friend anyone could have!" Penny shouted, crushing her with how tight she is squeezing.
"I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower!" Ruby groaned.
"Oh, he's very sweet! My father's the one that built me! I'm sure you would love him!" Penny replied as she was back to her usual happy self.
"Wow. He built you all by himself?" Ruby asked as she giggled.
"Well, almost! He had some help from Mr. Ironwood." Penny explained.
"The General?! Wait... Is that why those soldiers were after you?" Ruby asked, as it now makes sense.
"They like to protect me, too!" Penny explained.
"You're really strong! Don't you think you can protect yourself?" Ruby asked as she scoffed.
"They're not sure if I'm ready yet... One day, it will be my job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn. That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival. I want to see what it's like in the rest of the world, and test myself in the Tournament." Penny explained, confusing Ruby for a moment.
"Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from what? We're in a time of peace!" Ruby replied
"That's not what Mr. Ironwood said." Penny replied confusedly.
Before Ruby could ask, they heard the Atlesian Human Soldiers were coming their way.
"Check down here!" one Atlesian Human Soldier commanded, running down the alleyway.
Thinking quickly, Penny grabbed Ruby by the shoulders and lifted her above her head effortlessly.
"You have to hide!" Penny stated, walking towards the dumpster.
"Penny, wait! What are you doing? You don't have to go with them! I can help you!" Ruby said before she was thrown in the trash and lifted the lid so she can still talk.
"It's okay, Ruby. They're not bad people; I just don't want to get you in trouble. Just promise me you won't tell anyone else my secret. Okay?" Penny asked seriously.
"I promise." Ruby replies as she lowers her head into the garbage as the lid is put down, but she lifts it a little to peek at the scene outside.
"There she is!" one Atlas Soldier #1 stated.
"Sal-u-tations, officers!" Penny greeted, pleasantly.
"Why were you running? And what happened to the other girl?" The second Atlas Human Soldier asked the hidden Android.
"What girl? I've been by myself all day!" Penny lied, causing her to hiccup.
"You shouldn't cause such a scene." Atlas Human Soldier #1 lectured.
"Are you ok?" the second Atlas Human Soldier asked in concern.
"We'll..." Penny replied, showing her hands to the two Atlesian Human Soldiers.
"Well, that can be patched up. Now, please, just come with us." The second Atlas Soldier stated, knowing that they're going to get it when they get back.
"Yes, sir!" Penny replied as she was escorted away as Ruby looked on in sadness... until a rat screeched from below her feet, causing the young Huntress to fall and close the lid on herself.
Timeskip
In the ruined parts of Vale, the sound of engines were getting closer and closer until Bumblebee pulled into the street while Rex just came to a close second behind her
Yang took off her helmet as she began to cheer herself on as she said "Ha. Now you owe me a date" smirked Yang.
"You only won cause I had no clue where we were going" protested Rex.
"Well then you should rode with me. I'm sure you've would like hanging onto me as we rode through town" said Yang in a seductive way.
"Down girl" was all Rex said. Then he looked up at the building where her "friend" was. He could hear loud music playing inside it and he could tell it was probably those clubs with gang members in it.
"So this is the place, huh" said Rex.
"Yep. Owner owes me a drink so getting information should be a breeze" said Yang confidently.
"Wait, he owes you a drink" questioned Rex. "How old are you."
"17. Why, you jealous" smirked Yang.
"NO. I just found it questioning when you said a drink" said Rex.
"Yea, you're so jealous" teased Yang.
"Can you stop being a tease and let's get that information" said Rex walking past her. She just shrugged and began heading in.
The music from Junior's Club was getting louder once inside to show Junior behind the bar adjusting his cuffs as his Henchmen stock the bottles, carry boxes, and otherwise stand around on the dance floor, until...
"Hurry, close the door - she's coming!" a henchmen shouted as the two ran in, slamming the doors shut.
"What are you two idiots doing?!" Junior asked, walking out of the bar.
The Henchmen shouted incoherently until an explosion knocked them to the ground and forced the doors open, allowing a familiar face to walk in through the smoke, allowing a familiar face to walk in through the smoke.
"Guess who's back!" Yang shouted as she continues to smile and pose as eight guns are pointed in her face with an equal number of angry Henchmen behind them. Though this doesn't faze her, she stops and glares at the recording studio where the track is messing up until the frightened bear-headed DJ takes the needle off the record and retreated back under the table.
"Yeah, so could you define "friend" for me?" Rex asked, appearing behind her and quickly formed his Smack Hands and began punching Junior's henchman away. Then others began charging at him and Rex just punched them away. The rest that saw what rex was doing made them reluctant to go up and deal with them.
They all then decided to attack from a distance and began to shoot at them. Rex quickly saw their little gathering and formed his Block party and shielded himself and Yang from the hail of bullets. Yang looked through the clear blue shields as he put her arm on Rex's shoulders as she said,
"I knew bringing you along was a smart idea" said Yang.
"Wait until they've stopped firing then release your shields and leave the rest to me"said Yang as she readied her gauntlets.
Not even a few seconds later, the goons stopped their firing and Rex took that as the signal and released his shields and charged at the goons. But before she could land a blow, everyone heard a loud
"EEENOUUGGHH. Stop, stop! Everyone stop your shooting." Junior commanded as he cut his way to the front, straightening his tie.
"Blondie, you're here! ...Why? And is he your boyfriend?" Junior asked nervously, not wanting his club to be destroyed for the third time.
"You still owe me a drink." Yang replies as she grabs Junior by the arm and drags him to the bar through the hired guns.
Rex internally sighed as he was glad she didn't do her whole teasing motif.
"Well, I'm glad she's at least focusing" thought Rex.
Timeskip
"I'm telling you that's all I know. He came in, took some of my boys, and never showed up again" said Junior raising his hands in defense.
"So why haven't you asked anyone if they've seen them" asked Rex.
"Because I wouldn't know where to begin. All I know is that Torchwick took my boys and I guess he wasn't happy with them. Which is something I can relate to" yelled Junior as he looked at his men just lying around.
Yang grunted in anger and said "Come in Rex. Let's go."
"Did we get everything we needed" asked Rex.
"Well we got everything we can. Let's just hope the other are having more luck."
Outside
They began walking back to Yang's motorcycle and Rex was about to form his ride until Yang teased Rex by saying "do you remember the way back to Beacon."
"Yes I do." questioned Rex.
"Well, you wouldn't have found this place without me and don't forget you still owe me a date" teased Yang.
"Good grief. Yes, I know my way back" said Rex as he turned around and formed his ride.
"Admit it. You like me" teased Yang.
"I would like it if you would at least focus on the mission. Now isn't the time or place" said Rex.
"Are you kidding. With a stud like you, it's always the time and the place" smirked Yang.
"Whatever. Now let's start heading back to..."
"Beep beep"
They heard Yang's scroll calling. She opened and heard Blake saying "guys if you can here us we need..."
"HHHHEEEEELLLLPPP" yelled Sun on the line.
"It's a robot. Big. Big robot with several guys in it, I think" yelled Sun. The two of them then heard big footsteps coming from the road ahead of them and saw a giant robot running down the street chasing Sun and Blake.
They looked at each other and Rex said "We'll talk about this later" as he revved his ride and began chasing after the robot as Yang followed suit.
Blake and Sun made it to the highways, jumping down into the busy street and continuing their escape by hopping on cars while the Paladin follows them by pushing vehicles out of the way.
Sun paused to look at their pursuer's path of destruction and offer a quick "Whoa!" before leaping onto more cars, much to the anger of Roman inside the robot, his face surrounded by blue holographic screens.
Yang and Rex were able to follow the mech suit on their rides, coming up next to it as it continued to run.
"We've gotta slow it down!" Yang shouted over the Wind and Traffic.
"Got it!" said Rex as his nanites began forming and made his Blaster Caster and threw it forward and wrapped around the robots legs causing it to trip and began tumbling down the road. Soon as it stopped, Roman got back up and continued his chase, even with Yang and Rex on his tail.
Rex then formed his Slam cannon and managed to take a chunk out of the road and before he could even fire it, Roman noticed the pair on his sensors and crashed into a multitude of cars with the Paladin's strong bulk, sending them flying towards his chasers.
"Look out!" Yang shouted as she swerved, leaning her bike to the side in avoidance of flying debris while Rex formed his Boogie Pack and flew higher away from the debris. Back on two wheels again, Yang fired several shots at the Paladin, causing Roman to groan at how persistent the kids were being.
Switching strategies, Rex flew in closer to the mech and managed to land on the top of the Paladin causing Blake and Sun to stop there and stop their car hoping.
"Hang on!" Sun shouted as Rex was trying his best tried to hang onto the top, but Roman kept bucking and threatened to make him fall.
Closing his eyes, Sun smashed his palms together, and from the golden Aura around him, his Semblance created two glowing outlines that copy their creator, leaping off and going back over the tops of vehicles to collide into the Paladin's front.
Weiss, Neptune, Ruby
"Guys we're in position!" Weiss stated as she and Neptune jumped off the bridge, landing on the highway in the middle of the road, holding Myrtenaster at the approaching mech.
Roman smiled as his robot charged the girl, but Weiss spun and plunged her blade into the ground, summoning a circle of ice across the pavement that causes the Paladin to slip and crash, actually flying over the young Huntress, but it managed to make both Sun, Neptune, and Rex fly off the ramp, landing further down before Ruby, already having her Crescent Rose out in scythe form.
The Paladin stood back up, and the rest of Team RRWBY, minus Rex, fell besides their leader to take up positions, causing Roman to chuckle, moving the robot slowly towards the 6.
"Freezer Burn!" Ruby shouted, commanding her teammates for their special Team Attacks as the first one is Yang and Weiss.
Ruby and Blake jump back out of the way as Weiss performs her same ice-circle trick as Yang jumped into the air and hits the epicenter with her Ember Celica, creating a wave of mist that surrounds Roman.
Immediately, the Paladin activates its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely sees the afterimage of Blake and narrowly misses the dashing Yang. A gun manages to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out of the blast comes Ruby, who slashes the metal with her blade, causing it to falter.
"Checkmate!" Ruby shouted, their next team attack of Weiss and Blake.
Blake and Weiss go in this time, each girl going for the feet.
Roman lifts the Paladin's foot to crush Blake, but Weiss summons a Glyph under her teammate to launch her backwards before the crushing blow can land.
Roman growled and fired off the missiles, but Weiss and Blake flip backwards as the explosions merely hit where they were.
Weiss's rapier, Myrtenaster, absorbed the damage, but Weiss was thrown back, so she casts a beam of light from her weapon to the ground under Blake, forming a yellow clockwork circle that's absorbed into the Faunus girl and lets her slice through each launched missile with ease in a flurry of super-fast slashes.
"Ladybug!" Ruby shouted, running into the fray as she and Blake were about to do this team attack.
Ruby shoots herself forward and cuts at the robot's legs, then turns as Blake aims herself at the giant's feet as well.
They both dash forward and attack at the same time, circling each other around the Paladin with each strike until they both launch themselves into the air and come down together on the shoulder, cutting off the left arm entirely.
Yang doesn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Seeing as he can't reach them with his remaining mechanical arm, he runs backwards through two columns and leaves her embedded in a third before backing away and turning towards her.
Just as she is falling down, the remaining arm extends a closed fist, and when it punches her, she flies through the column and doesn't get up.
"Yang!" Blake shouted, worried for her partner.
"Don't worry! With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back! That's what makes her special." Ruby explained, knowing her sister's Semblance and just began to watch the fight in anticipation.
Yang slowly got back on her feet, her hair burning a brilliant white as she clenches her fists.
Sensing victory, Roman threw a punch, but Yang caught it in her own hand (despite the ground cracking beneath her) and her red eyes appeared, destroying the last arm by using his Copy Semblance to copy Yang's "Draw Strength from Hits" Semblance or her Semblance of Rage.
Getting desperate with his armless robot, Roman immediately kicked Yang back as she flew pass Ruby and her teammates...
"Bumblebee!" Ruby shouted, commanding for another team attack as Blake and Yang began getting ready. With the command given to them, Blake and Yang unleashed their respective weapons with holding her arm out, to which Blake replied by Blake with Gambol Shroud's Kusarigama mode as she then threw it towards Yang. Yang then caught her weapon and then began running around. Blake then began to use the momentum to swing Yang around for a final hit to the robot.
Roman, however, stepped out of the way just in time to avoid complete destruction.
"We have to slow it down!" Ruby stated to her teammates.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Weiss asked her partner/leader.
"Ice Flower!" Ruby shouted, their last Team attack, that is her and her "Super Bestie better than the Restie!"
Twirling their weapons so they both point at Roman, Weiss creates a series of glyphs in front of the scythe's sniper barrel, and a single shot through the circles creates a dazzling spiral of energy that creates large icicles upon impact with the Paladin.
Ruby continues to shoot as Weiss freezes the fire, and as the ice completely envelops the robot's body, Blake then swung her partner around in a circle one more time, but with Roman unable to move, the Paladin is hit by the speed and power of Yang's fists. Roman groaned as he faced the girls again but he then noticed they were one short.
"Where's the boy" said Torchwick checking his monitors.
Goongala" said all heard as Rex jumped down with his big sword and cut part of the robot off. Roman jumped back and growled at Rex.
Team RRWBY gathered together and Blake said "what now."
Rex thought for a moment until he said "if I could get close to the robot, I could shut it down. So could you keep him distracted."
"Yea. We can do that" shouted Yang.
Weiss and Yang then made another smoke screen to where they were able to hide in the fog. Roman began searching for the girls and eventually found them and began firing at them. The girls avoided and evaded his attacks long enough for him to be distracted.
They gathered in one spot as Torchwick said "haha. Do you really think you can stop me."
"No we can't, but he can" said Ruby as she pointed up.
He looked up and saw Rex flying with his Boogie pack and he flew down and landed on the back of the robot. He put his hands on it and told his nanites to shut it down. The robot then began to shutter and shake and eventually it fell down. Rex got on top of the robot and tore open the door and pulled Torchwick out in his giant hands.
"Do you mind. This is a new suit" complained Torchwick.
"Nope. Looks like this is the end of the line for you Torchwick. No where to run. Now why don't you tell us what you're doing with these things, or I start squeezing" threatened Rex.
"Ok. I'll tell you but why don't we have a nice big bowl of Neo to pass the time."
"Why do you want ice cream...AGH" said Rex as he was kicked by a girl, standing at 4'10" wearing a white jacket with a pink interior, brown pants, black gloves, and black and white boots with very high heels. Under her jacket is a brown corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wears a multitude of necklaces, which hang haphazardly around her neck.
Her theme seems to be modeled after Neapolitan Ice Cream as it has the appropriate trio of colors in her hair and on her outfit. Her hair color is typically half pink and half brown, with white streaks on the pink side.
Her natural eye color changes between brown, pale pink, and white, and they can alternate coloration in differing combinations, with this ability apparently being entirely under her control. Because of this, she tends to temporarily have a condition known as heterochromia iridum, where the eyes of a subject have two different colors. In her case, it is complete heterochromia, where one iris in its entirety is a different color from the other.
"Well I would like to stay and chat, but I've got things to do" said Torchwick.
"Neo. If you mind" said Torchwick as the girl looked like she was getting into position
Yang charged at them and tried to hit them but they ended up shattering
"Dang. That's one powerful punch" said Rex, holding his side where Neo kicked him. They then heard her sounds and saw them getting away.
"Never mind" thought Rex.
The girls ran up close to Rex as they saw him getting away.
"Guess he got a new henchman" said Rex.
Yang ran over to him after seeing him holding his side
"Are you ok."
"Yes, Yang. I'm fine. Just give me a few minutes. The pain will go away."
"Here. At least let me help you till you get better" said Yang, trying to be helpful.
"Thanks" said Rex as he accepted the help.
The team began walking away until Ruby said "hey. Where's Sun and Neptune."
At another side of town
"They'll be alright, right" said Neptune.
"Probably" said Sun as he ate his food.