Chapter Thirty Six

The shock of everything I was just told had frozen me in place, to the point where I didn't know where I was when I left the mountain. Or more accurately, I didn't know who I was.

I struggled to find my bearings and work out where I was. I decided it didn't matter, and just made my way back to Beacon, as my semblance allowed me to see the path. I began to glide home, all the while flooding my mind with piercing questions, all of which I both didn't want to answer and couldn't stop asking.

Was I really a killer? Was I about to turn back? ...what does this mean for my team?

Every question hurt to think about, and continued to sting me as they swam around my mind. They were still there when I arrived back in the town, and I decided that, not wanting to be completely disconnected from existence, I should "walk" instead of glide. I descended down to ground level and began to move along the path, unnecessarily moving past people in order to simulate moving through a crowd.

It dawned on me how much I was craving feeling like a person again. I was doing everything in my power to simulate existing, and yet I still felt empty. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't feel my feet touching the ground. Maybe it was the fact that, my semblance being my only vision now, I could see everyone's aura, and it made them seem...fake. Maybe...maybe it was that, despite my trying to walk, I didn't have a destination. Or a purpose...

I was...

I was al-

"Hello!" I heard from behind me.

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, though it was only vague. I reasoned that, with my being like this, they weren't talking to-

"Mr Bruno? Hello?"

-me?

I turned to this voice, and found two giant green eyes staring at me. At me? Not through me or around me but...

"Can you see me?" I said, not knowing if I can even talk in this state, much less if she could respond.

"Yes!" she said. "Do you remember me?"

I looked at her for a minute, and then, after seeing the huge anomaly about her, remembered exactly who she was.

"Penny, right?"

"That's me. Thank you for remembering."

Of course I remembered, how could I forget? Penny was the only girl I've ever accidentally ran into whilst in my semblance because...she's not really a girl. I remembered her wiring when I first saw her, and the distinct difference in her aura as a result. But perhaps the biggest anomaly of all...

"Penny, how can you see me?"

She thought about it for a minute.

"I-"

"PENNY?" A voice called, causing Penny to turn in panic.

"Oh no." She said, with a robotic, but clearly scared voice.

She turned back to me and said,

"Mr Bruno, please excuse me."

Before running off. But there was no chance I was going to let her get away when she's the only one who can talk to me. Even if it means helping her escape from whoever's chasing her.

I followed her as she barged through the crowd, mumbling several "sorry"'s and"excuse me"'s as the people moved away from her. For a student she ran extraordinarily fast, and I was pretty sure that my real body wouldn't have been able to keep up.

Eventually she made her way through to an alley, knocking over several bins in an attempt to buy herself time. I had no clue who was following her, but decided that I could still be of help. I quickly scanned the area around her, examining all possible routes that both she and the assailant could take, before calculating a strategic position for Penny to evade them.

"Penny, make a right here!" I ordered.

"Yes Mr Bruno!" She responded, turning further into the back alley.

Ahead of her was another alley with two exits; one to the right, and another at the end of the alleyway to the left. I looked around and saw that there was a dumpster in the right exit. I got an idea.

"Penny, I want you to do the following: take the right exit, open the dumpster until the lid is almost all the way up, run back here and take the exit on the far left, okay?"

Without a word she obeyed, running to the right and opening the dumpster until the lid was almost completely vertical, before rushing back. The assailant was gaining on her, but hadn't turned to her alley yet.

"Penny, go!" I shouted, as she ran to the exit.

In the last second that she turned the corner the assailant arrived at the entrance to the alley and, just as I predicted, the lid of the dumpster slammed back down with an almighty THUD, prompting the assailant to take the right corner.

I rejoined Penny who was standing still by the exit.

"Okay, he's gone." I said.

"Thank you for your assistance Mr Bruno." Penny said with a smile. "I am in your debt."

"Then can you answer some questions?"

"Certainly! What would you like to know?"

"How can you see me?"

"I thought about the answer when you asked the first time, and while I lack the proper capabilities to provide you with an answer, I may be able to-" She stopped herself, slapping herself in the head for getting carried away. "I mean...I. Don't. Know."

Initially it didn't occur to me why she felt the need to correct herself like that, but then it hit me: she was trying to be normal; to fit in like everybody else...just like me.

"It's okay Penny." I said reassuringly. "It isn't your fault."

"Maybe I can repay your kindness another way?" She suggested. "I happen to be fully equipped for a battle if you so desire. Just say the word and I'm combat ready!"

"No, that's-"

It hit me. I knew exactly what she could do.

"How equipped? How many people can you take on?"

"My functions are designed to endure a heated battle against up to 10 enemies at once, though to say I could take on an army by myself is...an unreasonable assumption."

That was fair; I wasn't expecting a miracle. If I was to get her to do it, then she'd need help. But from who? Blake or Jaune were kind of tied up with dealing with the Ozpin fiasco, and were also still being watched by Cinder. Weiss was no good either; she's got her own team, and I can't risk putting her in Cinder's line of sight. I don't know who else to...

Wait. Yes I do.

"Penny, I have a way for you to return the favour."

"Oh?"

"But you'll need support. I want you to go up to Beacon and ask for Yang Xiao Long and her partner. I'll tell you what to say to them."

"Understood. But what is my primary objective?"

If I had a body I would've smiled. I'd finally found a way for me to be more than a bystander.

"Penny." I said. "We're going to rescue my team-mate Ruby."