Prologue
Ironwood paced his room frustratedly, like an inpatient father waiting for his child to be born. Occasionally, he'd glance at the blueprints lay scattered across his table, some crumpled up or torn apart in bitterness. All but one had been ignored, a final blueprint lay perfectly in the centre of the table. On it, the design of a small girl, no older than 15, was designed interictally, with all her wires, paint work, hydraulics and joints drawn and labelled with care. Her face was designed perfectly, a small button nose, freckles, and green eyes, almost seeming like a real life drawing than that of a robot. A smile of innocence was perfectly drawn onto the girl's face, causing a painful smile to pass his lips. His hand traced the pencil lines of her face as he grit his teeth, feeling the pain return to his stomach from the deep set resentment. In his notes, he stated that her design must be stronger, her code would be different, her knowledge on fighting would surpass any warrior. The picture of his daughter lingered in his mind, her leading the Atlan Army against the White Fang, until his resentment was replaced with pride. Her innocence wouldn't be her weakness, she could use it, make people misjudge her before she defeats them. Above the design, "PENNY POLENDINA-2.0" was written in bold lettering. He scowled, picturing the woman who had torn his daughter apart, exposing her as a robotic being who had been crept into the battle with an unfair advantage. He'd since heard that girl had been murdered by the same woman his daughter was supposed to protect the world from. Anger burnt in his stomach, frustration that she hadn't been given a chance to step up as the huntress that would protect them. She was taken too soon, and he was going to fix that. Glancing up at his desk led his eyes to a picture besides the blueprint. Slowly, he picked it up, examining it. The picture frame had since received a variety of scratches and bumps from his outbursts, the glass replaced an uncountable number of times. The aged photograph of a younger Ironwood stood proud, taken early into his military career, a stern look on his face as he kept his posture. Besides him stood a fair woman, a soft smile on her lips, holding onto his arm, as if trying to will a smile onto his face. James smiled momentarily, as he wished he could share her embrace one more time, without needing to stay collected. His gaze slowly moved to his leg, where a small girl with golden hair stood. She stood proud next to her father, attempting to mimic his military stand, with her hands firmly by her sides. Even so, her smile shone through the photo, her eyes lit up with unmistakable pride. A tear formed on the corner of his vision, as an ache settled in his throat, threatening to drag back the dark memories of their demise.
Behind him, the door knocked three times. He jumped, turning quickly and fumbling to place the picture frame back on the table, before straightening his jacket. He placed his arms behind his back and looked up, clearing his throat. "Come in" he commanded, watching the door as two soldiers walked in. One bowed his head, stepping to the side. "She is ready" he muttered, glancing behind him. Between them, a small girl stepped forward, a soft smile on her freckled face, a bow perfectly tied in her hair and a white and green dress covered her robotic body, she gave a small curtsy and looked up. "Salutations Father!" Penny gleamed.
Chapter 1 - Empty Promises
The world could almost be described as peaceful, if you find the right places.
Silently, the leaves slowly fell to the ground in the fall months, signalled approach of the scenic winter as they gradually coated the ground in a crispy red blanket. Sweeping across the forest, the air was cool and sharp, with nothing but a light breeze to fill the silence. Dreamily, the young red red hooded female slipped through the trees, hiding her arms in her long satin cape. Smiling, the thought to herself how peaceful everything seemed, all it took was a brisk walk and you could kid yourself that everything was OK. Outside civilisation, the worries that would plague a person's conscience seemed non-existent. It was almost falsely reassuring, that if a place like this could be so peaceful, that everywhere else could seem the same. Ruby Rose noted the silence as she walked ahead. At first she assumed she was deep in thought, as she'd forgotten how long she'd been walking, but when she tried to recollect her thoughts, none came. The forests silence was so different to what she was used to, that it brought no memories to her, as she let herself be lost to the scenery. Heavy boots crushed the leaves underneath her, leaving her questioning if she was following a path, or if she was more lost than when she started. Watching the sky, to the tops of the trees, her eyes scoured the sky for hints of life. She was promised that her Uncle Qrow would guide the way, and yet she was left confused as to why she was left feeling alone, or at least, why he'd "walked ahead", as he'd assured her. There was no doubt in her mind that he had the ability to change into a bird, it was logical for her to assume that, but it still seemed silly to immediately look for a crow when she felt lost. His natural secrecy of his life had left many people, including her family, questioning his intentions, and yet it seemed that when he assured others, it left more questions unanswered. Ruby simply guessed that it was so, if he ever decided to hide, nobody would go looking for a crow, instead they'd go searching bars or clubs for him. Sighing, she shook her head, returning her gaze to the dry ground beneath her. If she was going in the wrong way, surely he'd come back to find her.
In their days travelling, Ruby had failed to convince the others to trust Qrow. She'd been travelling with Jaune, Ren and Nora for the past few days, and it felt like their scepticism would never shift. In a way, she didn't blame him, her uncle's drunken snarky attitude was any reason to doubt him, even her own father was guilty of that. However, she knew she trusted him, not because she didn't have a choice, but he was who she looked up to, who she idolised. From him taking a parental role when she lost her mother, to him spending years building weapons, training and fighting together, she knew that, behind that drunken attitude, he was a dependable person. Gradually, her footsteps slowed, and she eventually she stopped walking, looking upwards. Fiery blazes filled the sky as the icy blackness overtook the trees behind her, she watched as the sun slowly set over the horizon, taking with it the only warmth the forest had to offer. A slow ache travelled from her feet up her legs, pinching at her toes,and a parched feeling twinged at her throat. Even if she didn't want to stop, she knew that if she felt like this now, the others will stop soon enough. Echoes filled the forest as a distant crow squawked through the trees, filling the silence.
Within a few seconds, she heard the sound of Nora stomping through the forest. Even if the forest was as quiet as it was, it was unmistakably her, the ground crunching under her heavy footsteps and the swing of her weapon as she swung it as she walked.
"I just don't see why we have to 'ration' out our food!" she proclaimed aloud, "If we eat it all now, then we won't go hungry for ages!" Ren sighed behind her, carrying her bag, as if to stop her temptation.
"That's not how it works, you'll go hungry in just as much time, regardless of how much you eat" he stated. Spinning on her heal, the orange haired girl turned towards him, obviously unconvinced, and went to protest until she saw Ruby standing by one of the trees. A reassured smile replaced her pout, and Ruby shook her head with a smirk, used to Nora's dead end arguments.
"So I'm guessing we're all hungry then?" Ruby questioned, scanning their faces. A groan of annoyance left Jaunes lips as he rested against a tall tree, dramatically holding and stretching his foot,
"Yes, and Nora constantly talking about food is not helping!" Qrow walked out from the trees ahead of them, smirking a little, causing his niece to jump. She sighed, deciding not to question where he'd been as they exchanged looks before returning their gaze back at the other three. "Vote for setting up camp?" she smiled, as the group slowly raised their hand one by one in defeat.
One by one, Ren, Nora, Jaune, Ruby and Qrow lay back on the grass, resting their head against their bags. Staring up at the stars, the group lay silently, admiring the night that they often missed due to the lights from Beacon. The white lights seemed to fill the inky blackness of the night sky, an uncountable sea of stars stretching beyond the horizon. Other than the flickering campfire giving a comforting glow and leaving long shadows across the ground, the shattered moon shone through the forest, leaving a milky glow through the trees. Trailing her fingers over the stars, Ruby tried to remember the last time they'd been together like this, before the events that had took place. Her memory flashed scenes of their teams together, the huge food fight, the tournament, even the night of the dance. Closing her eyes, a small smile slipped onto her face, remembering Jaune in the girly dress, and how he had tried to explain that it was one of his sisters, but could barely finish his sentence without someone giggling uncontrollably. Turning to Jaune, she saw him lying staring at the stars, but he wasn't smiling. Instead, he seemed deep in thought, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared. She lay back, realising the heartache he must be feeling, and grew frustrated at herself for forgetting what had happened as guilt grew in the bottom of her stomach like a thick snake slowly wrapping around her, leaving her feeling breathless. As quickly as that heartwarming memory began, her mind flickered to Cinder like a flame in the night, the night she'd fought her at the dance and failed to recognise her behind her black outfit, how she'd so foolishly trusted her. She sat up, balling her fists in frustration and wrapping her arms around her, as the guilt grew, causing her to gasp and grip at her corset. Images of Pyrrha's last moments flashed in her memory caused tears to sting her eyes as she fought back her need to cry. The guilt that was heavy on her heart as she failed to get there in time, only left to watch her as she shot through her heart. She remembered the horrors of the tournament, the indescribable pain from seeing Penny torn apart in front of an appalled audience, her ears rang as their voices echoed in her mind, her hands covering her ears as she helplessly tried to silence them. Her eyes opened suddenly, gasping as she attempted to regain her breath, feeling a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Ruby looked up to see Nora sat in front of her, trying to put on a brave face, yet unable to hide the worry in her eyes.
"Hey, easy there, the stars aren't that scary!" she tried to joke, smiling slightly. Ruby looked down, the droplets left on her cape as her cheeks shimmered with tears, and quickly wiped her eyes, returning an attempt of a smile.
Jaune sat up and rested on his elbows, looking at her.
"What were you thinking about?" He muttered, tilting his head slightly at her. She glanced at him, before looking at the floor, knowing she couldn't avoid the conversation.
"...Pyrrha" she sighed eventually, causing even Nora to give a saddened look, as she moved closer to Ruby on the crispy leaves that lay across the ground. Jaune looked at her, his eyes piercing the space between them as he glared at her,
"Yeah, we're all feeling pretty angry about that" he spat, a spiteful tone in his voice. Ruby hugged her knees, fighting back the urge to cry.
"She should still be here today...Penny should still be here...I cant believe...shes..-" her voice got cut off as the tears slipped down her cheeks again, unable to hide her sobs as they escaped her lips. Burying her head in her knees, her cries left the group stunned, as Nora wrapped her arm around her shoulder, silently pulling her close to her. Jaune watched her, sitting up properly, but not saying a word. Nora stroked her hair reassuringly,
"Penny...I didn't know you knew her" she said in a questioning tone. Ruby looked up at her, nodding slightly.
"She...she was a close friend of mine...you could say I was her first" she smiled a little, remembering their first encounter.
"When we first met her, I don't think I've ever met anyone as happy as her. I almost didn't believe her when she told me she was a robot…" she trailed off, staring back down at her knees.
By the time she'd finished her sentence, Jaune had leapt onto his feet, towering over the two girls. "Wait, you KNEW?" he snapped, leaving echoes travelling through the trees, distant wings flapping as birds suddenly escaped the surrounding trees, causing Ruby to jump in fright. She tried to stammer for an answer, as Nora wrapped her arms around her protectively, watching the blonde boy's anger turn to disbelief. He stepped back, wrapping his arms around his head, gritting his teeth.
"This whole time...Pyrrha went to fight her and you knew what could've happened! You sat there and let it!" He turned towards her, holding his arms out as if to say "Well?". Ruby stared up at him, trying to find an answer.
"I-I didn't know they were going to fight! I tried to stop it!" she stammered.
"But you didn't, did you?" He asked bitterly. "You know, for someone whose ability is speed, you certainly miss the chance to save people a lot."
Nora rose to her feet, attempting to step up to Jaune, almost comically as she barely reached the boy's chest.
"Hey, back off!" She yelled, stepping close. "We're all upset here, but this isn't helping! It wasn't Ruby's fault Pyrrha died, or Penny died! But would either of them like to see you acting like this?" she yelled, causing Jaune to step back. He attempting to protest, when Ren stood up, raising his hand to silence the pair.
"Nora's right" Ren spoke softly, "Pointing fingers will get us nowhere. We're tired and probably still raw over what happened" Nora nodded, putting her hands on her hips with a smug smile.
"Now!" she commanded, looking up and Jaune, "Apologize!" Behind them, Qrow lay rested against a tree, his hands casually behind his head.
"Hey Toots" he yelled, causing Nora to spin around, glaring at him. He nodded his head at the empty space in which Ruby was sat. "You might want to find her first."
The kingdom of Atlas stood beyond the forest, piercing the black skies with shimmering lights. Even in the lateness of night, the nightlife of the city was surprisingly lively, with airships patrolling the skies overhead. Ruby sat at the edge of the forest, her cape wrapped tightly around her shoulders, as she watched the clockwork of the kingdom turn. Lights blurred into one another, leaving her guessing what building stood for what. Was the mix of blue lights the academy where Weiss had been taken? Was the space of darkness the Schnee Dust Company, where her family disappeared to in fear of the faunus uprising, laying in hiding? Tiredness affected her senses, causing her to close her eyes as they began to hurt against the sharp lights.
She didn't hear the slow footsteps behind her, until they tumbled clumsily through one of the bushes. Ruby didn't have to turn around as she hugged her knees tighter.
"Hey Nora." she sighed, "I'm guessing they sent you to look for me before I mess something else up?" Nora slowly stepped forward, until she slid down next to Ruby silently.
"Jaune was just upset, Ruby." she reassured her, "You know he'd never mean anything like that!" She slowly wrapped her arm around her, laying her weapon on the grass next to her. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but it's going to be ok. You said it yourself, remember?" Ruby looked away from her wordlessly, holding her arms tight. Nora continued regardless. "Qrow said so, didn't he? We're going to find Ozpin, we just need to find him and everything will be fi-"
"I lied." Ruby cut off Nora, lowering her gaze to the crisp red leaves underneath her. Nora looked at her, looking puzzled, as Ruby continued. "I never came here to find Ozpin, Nora, do you think Qrow would bring 4 students, not even full hunters, to find a potentially dead man?" Nora paused, and attempted to stuttered for an answer, before she was interrupted yet again. "I came here to find someone more important to me." Ruby muttered, watching the kingdom and wondering how many soldiers must be patrolling the streets. No doubt the usual Atlas military, the Atlesian Knight-130, and their replacements, the Atlesian Knight-200, would have been either shut down or destroyed by now, replaced with human soldiers. Nora tilted her head, following her gaze. "Wait, you came all this way to find Weiss?" she questioned eventually, causing Ruby to shake her head, refusing to think of her past partner.
"No, even if I did, I doubt her family is letting anyone near her at the moment" She stood up, her cape trailing behind her. "Penny is out there...I know she is!" Ruby proclaimed, "And I'm going to find her!"