Eric Blue didn't understand what exactly was going on here, and by the look on Red's face he wasn't too sure either. Was this girl supposed to be a vital military asset? He knew some of the hunters and huntresses at the academy could do some incredible things, but this girl had to be around fifteen, couldn't be more than 5'5", and she was skinny as a rail. More than that though, she just looked too innocent. Orange hair, freckles, and big green eyes, sure, but also the way she looked at the strangers around her. Curiosity, but no fear or anxiety at all, like a child looking at a stray dog without even the consideration that it might be dangerous. It was somewhat unnerving.
"Captains," the man in the lab coat said. "I'd like to introduce Penny. Penny, this is Captain Erik Red and this is Captain Eric Blue."
The girl, Penny, took a slightly over-large step forward and held out her hand. Red took it and the girl shook it awkwardly. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" she exclaimed. She then reached for a handshake with Blue. Her grip was surprisingly strong and he wondered where she was hiding the muscle.
"Penny," the scientist said, "you have to say it twice."
"Oh, okay father." She turned back to Blue with a determined look on her face. "It's nice to meet you!" she exclaimed again, seriously.
What was with this girl?
"Sir?" Oh good, thought Blue, Red was going to ask the obvious question. "Is Penny the 'Military Asset' we're supposed to protect?"
"Yes she is, you're going to be working very closely with Doctor Polendina in making sure she is kept safe and is properly trained."
"How are we going to be training her? I mean, no offense, in what way is she an asset?"
General Ironwood smiled smugly. "She's a huntress and a soldier, aren't you Penny?"
"Yes sir!" Penny exclaimed, apparently in a perpetual state of excitement. "I'm combat ready!"
And then she fired off a salute.
A salute Red and Blue had seen thousands of times. A smooth calculated movement, exact in action and timing with a precision soldiers simply couldn't replicate. Not the living ones, anyway.
"It's not a real girl," Blue said quietly. He looked at Red who shared his bewildered expression and then to Ironwood, who was still wearing his self-satisfied smile. "It's not a real girl," Blue repeated to him. "It's a robot, you made a robot that can pass for human."
Doctor Poledina cleared his throat. He was glaring at Blue and the girl... robot... thing, whatever it was, had moved close to his side looking nervous and hurt. He knew it wasn't real, just some kind of simulated reaction but Blue still felt an almost overpowering urge to apologize to it. Before he could really consider it, he's saved by the interjection of Poledina.
"She is a synthetic person, the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura." He turned, giving a sympathetic look at Penny. "Isn't that right, dear?" Penny nodded, shyly and Poledina returned his withering gaze to Blue. "And that makes her considerably more valuable than either one of you, do you understand?"
That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the briefing.
Now they were once again in a car driving through the city, Blue once more in the front, Red again in the back, a robot (Probably not the same robot) in the driver's seat. The car itself was different, a sleek luxurious Schnee instead of the boxy utilitarian vehicle that brought them to the city. Also different was the robot in the back seat. It had been difficult getting her to leave and only the promise of frequent visits from Poledina was enough to move her. But after it stepped outside, Blue had real concerns about getting her to ever go back in.
Its eyes went wide and its mouth dropped at the sight of Triangle Plaza and it stood several seconds at the top of the stairs leading down from the entrance to the SDCHQ staring at the massive open space and the skyscrapers surrounding it. The sun was just starting to set so the sky was afire with orange and red and the buildings shone gold from the lights of offices and apartments inside. "First time outside?" Red asked.
Penny nodded. "I have never left the laboratory before. Father gave me a lot of data, but never..." It trailed off. "Nobody told me about the colors, they're..." It trailed off again, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Sensational?" Red supplied. Penny mouthed the word slowly before whispering it quietly, breaking it into syllables and feeling the word in its mouth. In the car her face was glued to the tinted windows, looking out at the city in wonder as it passed by. Red was pointing out some of local landmarks and Blue was half listening while reading through the personnel files of the supplementary guards they'd be managing. It was not a spectacular list, to be honest. Most of them were fresh out of the Academy, few of them had combat experience, and all of them had other duties they were expected to carry out in addition to their guard work. Ironwood had told them the primary effort would fall on the Ericks, but this was a little ridiculous. If he ever needed to get all these soldiers on an assignment at once, he'd have to clear it with four different officers.
"So," Blue heard from the back seat. Red was apparently trying a new tactic after failing to get a response out of the robot for the last ten minutes. "What do you think of the car?"
"Modified Schnee Luxury Cruiser L-419," it said flatly, eyes still watching the city. "Three-point-five-kay Dust-infuser, generating 400 horsepower and 370 foot-pounds of torque, capable of one hundred thirty seven miles per hour. Zero to sixty in five-point-three seconds." It turned to look at the surprised Red with a smile on its face. "The bulletproofing will probably slow it significantly however."
"Wow. You must really like cars."
"No," it said, turning back to the window, the smile quickly fading. "I was pre-loaded with many profiles on Schnee Dust Company weapons and equipment." It hesitated before continuing softly. "I never really liked machines..."
Blue turned in his seat to look at Red. He was looking back expectantly, obviously hoping Blue would have something to say to make things less awkward. That was clearly a lost cause, Blue thought. He hadn't had any luck in keeping his own foot out of his own mouth today, he was in no position to save the day now. Red seemed to get the message, but something still needed to be said. Nobody wanted to be around a moody gir-
Robot. Nobody wanted to be around a moody robot.
"Well," Red started, uncertainly. "I really like machines. I have ever since I was a kid. Used to make model airplanes and had posters of cars all over my wall. Some people see them as just gadgets or whatever, but they have real character and real beauty to them." Penny was still staring out the window, but her eyes were still and unfocused at the city that moved by them. "But you know," Red continued, seriously. "They're a lot prettier when they smile."
Penny closed her eyes briefly and smiled a soft, sad smile at Red. "Thank you," she whispered. The rest of the ride was in silence, but Penny's small smile never left her.