Teams RWBY, SUSN and JNPR were suffering in class as they all watched the clock in desperation for it to FINALLY end professor Port's rambling, when Jaune slid over to Weiss. "Oh, here we go again." Selene said, rolling her eyes, turning back and watching the spectacle out of boredom and nothing else to do.
"So, Weiss, I was thinking maybe after this we could go grab a bite to eat." He said in high hopes. No response. "Oh, I've got two tickets to that new Bruce Willis movie if you wanna make the trip to Vail (I'm assuming that's a city in the kingdom, since they're already in the kingdom of Vale). I hear it's awesome." He tried again.
"Of course it's gonna be awesome, it's a Bruce Willis movie." Umbra said.
"So, a movie is automatically good if it has Bruce Willis in it as far as you're concerned?" Serena asked.
"Of course!" The wolf faunus repluied.
"And then maybe after that, we could study together?" Jaune continued to try.
"You gotta give him credit, he may be hopeless, but he's trying REALLY hard." Naomi said.
"I guess, but trying doesn't really mean anything if you'll never succeed." Serena said.
"Painfully true." Selene agreed.
"He's just digging that grave deeper and deeper." Umbra said, shaking her head.
The clock FINALLY hit 4 O'clock and we all started to pack up. "And then I-" Port continued until he heard the bell as well. "Oh, I timed that one wrong I guess. The stunning conclusion to that story will have to wait... until next time." He said.
"Ugh. Listening to that guy is like homework in and of itself." Selene groaned, her team nodding in agreement.
"Weiss, did you hear me?" Jaune asked as she started walking away.
"No, no, no, yes." She said, rejecting each of his offers but confirming she heard him.
"Dude, give it up, there's plenty more fish in the sea and that one's swimming WAY too far downstream for you." Serena said.
He sighed and dropped his head on the desk, as team RWBY passed, Yang gently rubbed the back of his head. "One day." She said.
Later, in Team RWBY's dorm...
PREPARATION MONTAGE! Ruby got her casual/combat clothes ready, lacing up her boots, Weiss got her rapier (it's real name is too confusing) set on her hip, Yang got her gauntlets on, cocked, locked and ready to rock (that is not a joke for the Internet to enjoy!), Blake got her ribbons wrapped around her arms, Selene strapped her tonfas to her thighs, Naomi put her sword in a guitar case and strapped it to her back, Umbra clicked her belt full of ballistic knives on and Serena tucked her small fans into sheathes on her sash and strapped her big fan to her back. "We're all ready, it seems." She said.
"I thought that class was never gonna end." Blake said.
"Right?" Team SUSN agreed together.
"Alright, guys, today is the day. The investigation BEGINS!" Ruby cheered, jumping down from her bed, scaring Weiss and posing as if she were a gymnast who just landed a big stunt.
"I'm glad to see we're taking this so seriously." Blake said sarcastically.
"Hey, we've got a plan. That's... moderately serious." Yang said.
"Exactly." Serena agreed.
"Team SUSN will split into two teams: Serena and I on one team, Naomi and Umbra on the other. We happen to know a group of people that once helped Torchwick on some of his heists and know some of the inner workings of the operation. We're gonna pay them a little visit." Selene said.
"And Umbra and I will tail the White Fang and try to find their warehouse!" Naomi said quietly, but determinedly, raising one fist.
"Then, we'll report the location and we can regroup to take 'em down!" Umbra said, howling.
"Right. You guys remember your roles?" Ruby asked her teammates.
Weiss stepped up first. "You and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other dust robberies OR inconsistencies." Weiss explained.
"Seeings as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem." Weiss added.
"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning." Blake said.
"I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows EVERYTHING going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard." Yang said.
"Great, we'll meet up later tonight near Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!" Ruby said.
"Yeah." Another voice rang out from nowhere. We all looked to the window to see Sun hanging by his tail upside down in front of the window.
"How's the blood rush?" Serena asked.
"Not bad, actually." He said.
"Sun?!" Blake asked as team RWBY backed up away from the window. "How did you get up there?!" She asked.
"It's easy, I do it all the time." He said.
"You do WHAT?!" Weiss asked in disbelief.
"I climb trees all the time." He said.
"But this isn't a tree..." Naomi said.
"So are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?" He asked.
"Well, you already know most the plan, join in." Serena said.
"WE are going to investigate the situation. As a TEAM." Blake said, stepping forward and addressing her team.
"Sorry, Sun, we don't wanna get friends involved if we don't have to." Ruby said.
"We're a special case because we're the main characters of the fanfiction." Umbra said.
He huffed at this. "That's dumb. You should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune." He said, pointing out the window.
They all poked their heads out to see Neptune clinging to the wall outside said window. "'Sup?" He asked.
"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked.
"I have my ways." He said, then looked down. "Seriously, can I come in? We're like, REALLY high up right now." He said.
After everyone was safely in the room, They rewrote the plan. "Alright. I'll go with Weiss. Sun, you can go with Blake. And Neptune, you can go with Yang, since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?" Ruby said, pushing him across the ground towards her sister with Neptune winking at Weiss as he was pushed past her.
"Actually, Ruby, maybe you should go with Yang." Weiss started, laughing nervously. "After all, she IS your sister." She finished.
"But, Weiss, who would go with you, then?" Ruby asked, Neptune leaning back and forth like a statue that just got bumped into with the sound of rubber moving as he did so, probably out of fear of what Damion would do if he touched her, but Yang then put a hand on his shoulder to keep him stable.
"Well, I guess Neptune could come with me." She said.
Ruby simply laughed at this. "Nah." She said, dragging Weiss out.
"But... But-!" The heiress tried to argue.
"No deviating from the plan!" Serena scolded.
Later...
"Well, well, well, look who it is." Serena said as She and Selene cornered their target.
"Wait, please! I don't work for Roman no more! You gotta believe me, please!" He begged.
Selene grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. "Where is the rest of the dust going?!" She demanded.
"There taking it to a warehouse and it's all going to their base somewhere outside the kingdom in the Southeast! That's all I know, I swear!" He pleaded.
"You better be telling the truth. Because if I find out you're lying, I'm gonna drink all the blood in your body, leaving you a shriveled up prune of a corpse." Serena said threateningly, throwing him in a dumpster. "Well, that was easy. My job's done. I wonder how the other guys are doing?" She wondered.
"I'm sure they're fine. Now we just wait for their word." Selene said.
With Umbra and Naomi...
They watched from a rooftop as a small group of White Fang members who were working for Torchwick as the loaded up a huge big rig trailer full of an unknown cargo. "That's them. And they're definitely bringing that stuff to Torchwick." Naomi said.
"Yeah. Come on, let's see what that Fedora-wearing freak is hiding." Umbra said as the truck started to take off, the two of them silently jumping on at the last minute.
With Weiss and Ruby...
"WOW! I forget how big the transmit tower looks up close!" Ruby said happily as she marveled at the giant tower in front of her.
"You should see the one in Atlas." Weiss said.
"That was the first one, right?" Ruby asked.
"Correct. Atlas developed the cross-continental transmit system to allow the 4 kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the great war." Weiss explained (Zzzz... Zzzz,,,, Uh, was something happening yet? No? Zzzz... Zzzz...).
"Oh, look at me. My name is Weiss. I know facts. I'm rich." Ruby mocked her partner, giggling at the end (That's better).
"Don't be a pest! The only reason we're here is because YOU like the tower so much. We could've just as easily made a call from the library." Weiss said, pointing to it.
"I know, but it's so cool! Hold on, I'm gonna take a picture!" Ruby said, quickly pulling out her scroll, but in her hurry, lost her grip, causing it to go flying, bouncing across the ground 3 times before hitting someone's foot (Damn, those things are durable! My sister got her and her boyfriend 2 of the newest iPhones and after dropping it once, her boyfriend's phone screen looks like a spiderweb of cracks).
"Oh," the girl said, picking up the scroll and holding it out, now that we see her face, we see it's Penny, "You dropped this. " She said.
"Penny?!" Ruby asked, surprised.
"Uh..." Penny said, unsure of what to do.
"Where have you been?! We haven't seen you since the night at the docks!" Ruby said.
"Sorry, I think you're confused." She replied, hiccuping and causing the scroll to jump out of her grip, but Ruby caught it. "Um... I have to go." She said, quickly taking off.
"What was that about?" Weiss asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. You go make you're call. I'll meet up with you later!" Ruby said, taking off after Penny.
"Wait!" Weiss said, trying to stop her, but it was too later.
Ruby caught up with Penny as she was going down a set of stairs. "Penny, where have you been?! It's been weeks!" Ruby said.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding." Penny said simply, continuing on.
"What?! Penny!" Ruby started, sliding down the rail to the bottom of the stairs. "Is everything okay?" She asked the girl, who continued to walk past her. "Penny, please stop!" She practically shouted, grabbing onto the girl's arm. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me. Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big. Something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night. Please... as a friend." She pleaded.
Penny sighed, then walked up to Ruby, putting a hand close to the smaller girl's ear. "It isn't safe to talk here." She said.
With Weiss...
She walked through the CCT building and got in the elevator. "Hello, welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?" A woman's voice asked over an electronic device.
"I'd like to go to the communications room, please." The heiress said.
"Absolutely, could you please place your scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?" The voice asked. Weiss took out her scroll and did so. "Perfect. Thank you Ms. Schnee." The voice said. The elevator then started to go up, but as it did, we notice Weiss having a large mix of emotions, as if she was both happy about this, but regretting it at the same time.
She then got out of the elevator once it hit its stop and walked up to the holographic service woman at the desk. "Welcome to the Beacon cross-continental transmit center. How may I help you?" She asked with a smile at the end.
"I need to make a call to Schnee Comapny World Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss said in a tone as if she were on a mission (oh, wait).
"Certainly. If you could head over to terminal 3 I'll patch you through." The holographic woman said with a smile.
"Thank you." Weiss said with a smile and headed to the terminal. She sighed and frowned as she logged on.
A woman came on once Weiss had worked her smile and/or normal face back up. "Thank you for calling the-" The woman started, but stopped when she saw who was calling. "Oh! Ms. Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well." She said (She has a sister?! Let's PRAY she doesn't show up and if she does that she's not as bad as Weiss. And what's with all the W names in the family?!).
Weiss smiled and shook her head. "No thank you. I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list." She said, plugging her scroll in and sending the list.
"I see... If you don't mind, what, may I ask is this for?" She asked.
"A school project." She said (that's the best she could come up with?! I would've straight out said it. "I'm conducting a small investigation into any missing product.")
"There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am." The woman said with some worry.
"Well, then, I'll be sure to handle them with care." She said.
"Right... Very well, the data's being transferred to your scroll now." The woman said awkwardly.
"Wonderful. That will be all then." She said.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Weiss said with a worried smile (Something tells me she's got some daddy issues).
"Well, then... Have a nice day." The woman said, ending the call. As soon as the screen went blank, Weiss smile returned to a frown.
Back to Penny...
She was pacing back and forth in front of what looked to be a cafe`, when suddenly, someone put a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and was relieved to see it was only Ruby. The two girls then began to walk down the street. "I wish I could help you, Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men." Penny told her.
"Well, what happened to you that night? We were all together, then you just disappeared. Were you kidnapped?!" Ruby asked worriedly.
"Oh, no! Nothing like that!"
"Well then where DID you go?"
"I've NEVER been to another kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but..." Penny looked unsure for a moment before continuing. "Look, you have to understand, my father loves me very much. He just worries a lot."
"Believer me, I know the feeling. But why not let us know you were okay?"
"I... was ASKED not to talk to you... or Weiss... or Blake... or Yang... or team SUSN... or... anybody really."
"Wow... Was your dad really that upset?"
"No... It wasn't my father."
The two rounded the corner and in the middle of the town square, a hologram of the General was preparing to show off the newest models of the military stuff. "Our androids have been have been the standard security model of remnant for several years. And they have done a fine job, wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" He asked as the did a polite bow and the audience clapped. "BUT, the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation! And fine? Well, that's just not good enough, is it?" He asked, looking to the audience and, at the same time, some form of display unit opened up to reveal a bunch of newer, bigger, cooler looking androids, that kicked down the older ones and used them as perches for a big, dramatic stand. "Presenting: The Atlasian knight! Smarter! Sleeker! And admittedly... a little less scary." He continued as the robots in view did various poses, the closest one to him gave a thumbs up, the next one showed off his muscles above his head and the furthest one from the general flexed his muscles at chest level. "These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlasian military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that undoubtedly require... a human touch." He continued.
Ruby looked on in amazement as Penny looked slightly nervous. "Ruby..." She said to the smaller girl.
Back with the general's hologram...
"So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company (uh-oh), are proud to introduce... The Atlasian Paladin!" He finished, the hologram of him disappearing and being replaced with a giant, two-legged mech that did look very impressive. "Now we couldn't have them for you here today, but these battle suits will soon be seen defending our borders within the year!" He said, the crowd continuing to cheer. "And that isn't the end of it, we also have a beast of both land and sky soon to be available thanks to the hard workers of BladeCorp! The Atlasian Dragon!" He said, the hologram again changing to a robotic dragon with a very unique body: a head like any normal dragon, but then the body was smaller than one would expect, maybe 10 feet long that looked like a human torso, room for one set of legs in the center of the body, 6 wings also in the center and very long tail, fully-loaded with weapons.
By this time, Ruby was awe-struck as Penny started to back away. "Ruby... Maybe we should go somewhere else..." She said. Suddenly, a couple of soldiers saw her, causing her to run off.
"Penny?! Wait, where are you going!?" Ruby asked, turning to her, then back, to see soldiers running after the two of them, so she quickly followed her orange-haired friend. They rounded a corner, followed quickly by the soldiers. They ran across the road into another alley, but when the soldiers tried to follow, one was hit by a car. No serious damage, but he had to stay behind and probably give the guy a ticket as the other one continued to chase them. Thinking quickly, Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and sliced down something, I'm not exactly sure what, but it caused a bunch of crates to fall down, blocking the soldier's path. She then jumped and ran along a wall after Penny and used her semblance, pushing herself off the wall, grabbing Penny around the waist and planting her feet on another wall, before using her semblance again to launch them all the way out of the alley. This clearly wore her out, however, as she looked exhausted before dropping Penny and rolling uncontrollably into the road. A truck then came from nowhere and barreled right towards her. She stood up and would've been smashed by the truck, but at the last minute, Penny pushed her out of the way and put her hands out, stopping the truck, shattering the road behind her and shocking the hell out of both the driver and Ruby.
"Penny?" Ruby asked fearfully.
"Are you okay?" Penny asked the driver, who shakily nodded and gave an "Uh-huh" as a reply. People began to gather in shock and awe, trying to figure out what happened and how the girl in front of them stopped a truck with her bare hands. Penny quickly ran from the scene, bumping into Ruby and knocking her out of the way.
"Penny, come back!" Ruby said, chasing after her. Penny eventually ran into a dead-end alley, allowing Ruby to catch up. "Penny, please! What is going on?! How did you do that?!" She asked frantically.
"Nothing! Everything's fine!" Penny lied, causing her to hiccup. "I don't want to talk about it!" She said, hiccuping again, hiding her hands..
"Penny, please! If you just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!" Ruby pleaded.
"No, no, no, you wouldn't understand..." Penny said, turning her back to Ruby.
"Let me try! You can trust me!"
Penny turned back and walked up, getting right in Ruby's face. "You're my friend, right? You promise you're my friend?!"
"I promise!"
"Ruby... I'm not a real girl..." Penny said, showing her hands, where the skin was now gone and instead of blood and bones, there were robotics.
"Oh..." Ruby said, unsure of how else to react...
With Umbra and Naomi...
They finally arrived at the hideout and began unloading the cargo, but even before they got in the warehouse, Umbra and Naomi already saw enough from what the were unloading from the truck. "No way... How did they get something like THAT?!" Umbra asked in disbelief, marking the location down and quickly taking off to share their findings.
"Serena and Sai are gonna be PISSED." Naomi said worriedly as she retreated along with her faunus partner.