I was walking through Vale in disguise, scoping the area out for the oncoming invasion. I wore a black hoodie, black jeans, black boots. My black t-shirt had my emblem on it, and my weapons were by my side. I felt exposed without my mask. Normally, I would send scouts out and not bother going myself, but my men could be idiots (the one thing Torchwick and I agreed on).
"Damn human." I muttered after a man shoved me to get by. I honestly wanted to rip his head off, but I had to remain inconspicuous. Then, I noticed a bright orange among a sea of darkness. The red was accompanied by a familiar pink bow. I stopped in my tracks as the the crowd parted, revealing a familiar figure in familiar clothing looking around. I couldn't see her face, or seem to remember how I knew her, but I frowned and followed the girl as she continued looking around Vale. I had to figure this out. Then, as the girl walked down an alley, she stopped in her tracks.
"I know you are following me." A familiar voice announced. "So... Who are you?" I crossed my arms.
"Who wants to know?" I had to know who this girl was. Why did I know her? Why was I... Sad? The girl turned around, green eyes bright.
"Sal-u-tations! My name is Penny." The girl gave a timid smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" It was then that everything fell into place.
"Penny?" I asked. Penny frowned slightly at that.
"And, you are?" She asked. Then, she saw my weapon. "Wait, that is..." Penny's eyes widened. "No." Penny looked me in the eyes. "Adam?" Penny hadn't aged a day. I didn't understand...
"Penny, what's going on?!" I asked. "Ten years, and you're still seventeen?!" Was I going insane? I thought this girl was a figment of my childhood imagination. As I stared at the girl, my memories flooded back. Penny was real, and she vanished into thin air.
"Adam, I..." Penny let a tear race down her face. "I can't..." Then, Penny turned and ran off. I stood there for a moment, stunned, then ran after her. I chased Penny through several alleyways, shocked by her endurance. Penny hadn't stopped or slowed at all. Then, I was in the middle of a street, and a truck came at me. With a flash of red and green, Penny was between me and it, and she stopped the truck in its tracks with her bare hands, the impact cracking and breaking the concrete beneath her feet. I stared at Penny, awed as she backed away, looking down at her hands. "It just had to happen twice this week..." The girl ran again, and I followed her. Finally catching up, I grabbed Penny's arm.
"What's going on?!"
"Adam, just let me go!" Penny pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "You wouldn't understand, and knowing would put you in danger! One of my friends is already in danger, and I'm not letting you die because of me!"
"Penny..." I glared. "Tell me." Penny grew afraid.
"What happened to you?" The girl asked, eyes wide. "You've changed." That made me frown again.
"Penny-" I watched as Penny pulled a fist back and reacted, slamming the girl into a wall. She flinched, but didn't cry out as I held her in place. "Tell me what's going on, now."
"I can't!" Penny grimaced. Then, I noticed that her fists were still clenched and grabbed one. Penny fought back, incredibly strong, but due to her effort to not hurt me, I was able to open her fist. I stared, then looked up as Penny started crying. I released her as she fell to her knees.
"What are you?" I asked. Penny hugged herself, allowing a few more sobs to escape, then looked up.
"Adam..." Penny whimpered, looking at her hands. "I'm the first synthetic person capable of generating an aura... I left all those years ago because I knew you'd move on. I didn't want you to learn the truth... I'm not real."
"But..." I rooted through my memories and realized...
"I know how it feels to be different." Penny never ate, she was always energetic, her speech patterns were strange, and she hated magnets.
"Penny..." I knew what to say. "Tell me, are you kneeling here?"
"Y-yes."
"Talking to me?"
"Yes."
"Crying?"
"Yes."
"You're real." I stated. Penny stared at me in shock.
"Y-you don't think I'm just a thing created in a lab?" Penny asked. "An object? A freak?"
"No. I think you're Penny." I held a hand out. Penny slowly reached up and took it, and I helped her to her feet. Then, Penny hugged me.
"I missed you every day." Penny sighed. "I wasn't allowed outside anymore, to talk to anyone besides the soldiers, the scientists, and Father. They said that I wouldn't be safe outside... I would have called, tried to find you, but I couldn't get away."
"Then..." I pulled away. "How-?" Penny gave a small smirk.
"I convinced Father to let me participate in the tournament so I could test my capabilities."
"You tricked him into letting you go outside in explore." I translated. Penny laughed.
"Precisely."
"You haven't changed a bit."
"You have... You got taller."
"Hey..."
"And moodier."
"Watch it."
"WAY moodier."
"Penny..."
"Violent."
"Well..."
"Reckless."
"Now, that's actually wrong. I've always been this reckless."
"Hmm..." Penny considered. "Yes, I take reckless back. But you are still much taller, way moodier, and very violent." I slowly smiled, noticing for the first time that Penny's pupils were shaped like camera-shutters. "So, what are you doing all the way in Vale?"
"I'm here for the tournament, too." I quickly lied. Penny seemed to buy it, then looked at my weapon.
"I take it that your weapon works well, then?"
"Yeah... Thanks, by the way. It's saved my life a few times."
"That is why I made it. I wanted to make sure you would always be okay... You are still the only one I have ever called my best friend." Penny frowned. "Why don't you hate me? I ran away, lied, and now you know I'm..." Penny looked at her hands, at the silver metal beneath fake skin. "Why are you so calm?"
"What?"
"You just found out that I'm a robot, and you're okay with it?"
"Penny, you may be metal instead of flesh, but you've got a soul. You're still the girl who saved me in the alley when I was small."
"Aw, Adam!" Penny hugged me again. "You are the best!"
"Too... Tight..." Damn, that girl had a grip like, well, iron. Penny quickly let me go, nervous.
"Sorry!" She smiled. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms.
"Yep, a little china-doll like you definitely needs protection."
