*Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock-knock!*
Rather than being awoken by the alarms from any of their Scrolls, the first sound Emerald heard was knuckles wrapping on their dorm room door. With an annoyed huff, Emerald jumped out of her bed, walking up to the door before bringing her eye up to the peephole. Her sense of annoyance was quickly washed away as she made out the familiar purple-hair of her girlfriend, who continued knocking on the door until Emerald finally opened it.
"Amethyst, what are-" Emerald began, before Scythle snapped her handcuffs onto the green-haired girl's right wrist, connecting it to Scythle's left. Emerald stared at the cuffs silently for a moment before finally looking back up at her girlfriend, already dressed in her Beacon uniform. "So when you said 'first thing,' you really meant it, huh?" Emerald asked, unsurprised by the way Scythle nodded. "Could you have at least waited until I got dressed first?"
"Nope." Scythle said, stretching out the syllables with a grin.
"… Well, guess you're helping me then." Emerald said with a shrug as she turned around, guiding her girlfriend into her dorm room as she approached the dresser.
As they entered, Scythle quickly ran her eyes across the room, before her eyes locked with the pale-blue eyes of a tanned girl, cheeks detailed with darker freckles that Scythle quickly noticed were also present on her hands as the girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "So this-" The waking girl began before letting out a yawn. "Is your girlfriend?"
"And You Must Be Emerald's Elusive Third Teammate." Scythle noted as Emerald began rummaging through her drawers.
"Amethyst, meet Eliza-" Emerald began greeting.
"Ilia." The girl corrected.
"Ilia." Emerald repeated, pulling out the first component of her Haven Uniform. "Ilia, this is Amethyst, but she probably wants you to call-" Before Emerald could finish the introduction, she was pulled away by her cuffed hand.
As Ilia stood up, she suddenly found Scythle's face uncomfortable close to her own, and the brown-haired girl almost fell back onto her bed before Scythle leaned down. Ilia's cheeks lit a bright red as she realized Scythle was staring at her chest, letting out a soft hum before she began stepping around the girl. Ilia stepped away from Scythle as she crossed her arms over her chest, unintentionally allowing Scythle a better view of her rear as Scythle's head continued to lower. As Ilia spun around, her face was almost completely red as Scythle began eyeing her legs.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Ilia stuttered out, bringing a hand up to her face as her breathing began to deepen.
With one final hum, Scythle turned back to Emerald, standing up straight before giving a thumbs up. "I Approve." Scythle said.
"I think you might have the wrong idea." Emerald responded.
"There you are, sis." Ruby said as she and her team walked down the hall, quickly approaching her twin as the groups walked into the cafeteria. "Where were you this morning?"
"With Emmy." Scythle answered, lifting their joined wrists. "We Promised We'd Spend All Day Together Yesterday, And I'm Holding Her To It."
"And hostage." Ilia commented.
"That's Their Other Teammate, By The By." Scythle said, pointing to the brunette behind her. "Her Name's-"
"Ilia?" Blake asked as her and Ilia's eyes widened.
"Blake?" Ilia asked.
"Woah, You Two Know Each Other?" Scythle asked, earning a nod from both parties. "Is She Your Secret Girlfriend Too?"
"Wha-no!" Ilia responded, quickly looking away from the raven-haired girl.
"No we…" Blake began, before looking to the three other members of Ilia's team. "We just go way back is all."
"Really, That's All?" Scythle asked, before letting out a huff as she and Emerald continued into the cafeteria. "Talk About Boring."
"Still, kinda funny you and Amethyst know someone on this team." Ruby noted, following after her sister.
"Ye-yeah, what a coincidence." Ilia said.
"Small world, am I right?" Yang interjected.
"So, anyway…" Emerald began as she and Scythle picked up their trays. "I finished moving in last night. Wanna hit the town when school gets out?"
"Oh, Emmy, I'd-" Scythle began, before her eyes widened as she took out a bowl. "Wait, Like Tonight?" Scythle asked, earning a nod from her girlfriend. "Ooh, Sorry, Can't Make It. Me, Sis, And The Harem Are Having An Outing."
"I'm sorry, the what?" Weiss asked with a scowl.
"Well, maybe I can tag along." Emerald suggested, putting a smile back on Scythle's face.
"Eh, sorry, no can do." Ruby interrupted, drawing all attention to her. "This is a team-building thing, and you can't really… Build a team with… People who aren't on your team…"
"… It involves the Vytal Tournament?" Emerald asked.
"Oh, yeah, totally." Ruby lied as the group began picking out their breakfasts.
"Well, maybe tomorrow then." Emerald suggested.
"You two are already joined at the wrist." Mercury pointed out. "How much more time together do you need to spend."
"I Wouldn't Expect A Man With No Chance At A Relationship To Understand." Scythle commented.
"Hey!"
"Besides, they're mostly going to be sleeping through Port's class anyway." Yang pointed out.
"Hey, I'm One Of The Only People Who Bothers To Stay Aw-" Scythle began rebutting before Ilia raised her hand.
"Wait, Port?" Ilia asked as she pulled out her Scroll. "You mean you don't have History with Oobleck today?"
"… What?" Scythle asked.
"Cause… That's our class today." Ilia said, holding up her Scroll to show the cuffed pair the schedule.
"… We're not in the same class?" Emerald asked, looking back at Scythle with wide eyes.
"Why Does The Universe Do This?" Scythle asked, taking Emerald's cuffed hand in hers as she continued. "Why Does It Conspire To Keep Us Separated Like This?"
Mercury let out a slight chuckle as he watched the over-dramatic display before Emerald clasped Scythle's hand. "Hey, relax Amy, it's not the end of the world." Emerald said. "We can always hang out on the weekend."
"Yeah, But…" Scythle began, tightening her grip as she continued. "But You've Been Gone For So Long, I Just-"
"Amy…" Emerald began, bringing her free hand up to Scythle's cheek. "It's okay. This isn't the first time something like this happened." Running her thumb along the top of Scythle's cheek brought a smile to both girls' faces, and the two quickly closed the distance between their lips. The kiss was quick but sweet, and it helped keep the smile on Scythle's face.
"Seriously, I just cannot understand what's going on between those two." Weiss commented, causing the rest of her team to let out an annoyed groan. "It's like their dating or something, but it's Scythle, so that can't be right."
"Weiss, are you trying to be fallacious or something?" Ruby asked.
"Facetious." Blake corrected.
"Well, anyway," Emerald began, looking back at her girlfriend. "Let's just enjoy breakfast for now."
"Okay." Scythle nodded.
"Hey, do you guys mind ordering for me and Ilia?" Blake asked the group, gently taking the girl's wrist as she spoke. "I want to talk with her privately real quick."
"Uh… Sure, no problem." Ruby shrugged, looking to the other team to see them giving a similar response.
"If You Want, I Have A List Of Closets You Two Can Go At It In." Scythle said.
"'Go-go at it?'" Ilia asked, feeling her face beginning to light up.
"It's not like that." Blake said. "I just want to catch up with her real quick."
"Sure Ya Do." Scythle responded before Blake and Ilia left.
"Is everyone in this school like her?" Ilia asked as she and Blake stepped into a janitor's closet.
"Not in my experience." Blake answered. "Though I tend not to stand out much. Something you probably understand."
"Perfectly." Ilia said. "Though I never thought you'd take my approach to human-Faunus relations." Gingerly reaching to Blake's head, Ilia pinched onto the girl's ribbon, and gently pulled it back to expose the ebony cat ears to the air. "You look better without the bow, you know."
"I… I thought I'd never see you again." Blake said, looking down at the floor as she laced her hands together.
"So did I." Ilia responded. "Certainly didn't think I'd meet you on a field trip to Beacon." As a smile crossed Ilia's lips, her freckles became a bright pink, and the blue of her eyes became brighter.
"I just don't get it." Blake said with a shake of her head. "You seemed so dedicated to the White Fang before I left. Why did you leave?"
"Why did you?" Ilia asked back.
"Because it wasn't the White Fang I knew anymore." Blake answered.
"Same." Ilia shrugged. "If the Belladonnas didn't want anything to do with the White Fang anymore, why would anyone?"
"So you left because of me?" Blake asked, earning a nod from the brown-haired girl.
"I want to be proud of my skin," Ilia said, before her skin rolled from brown to orange, then to red and purple and blue and green and yellow before settling back to its normal color. "But I don't want to put others down for theirs."
Blake gave the girl a silent nod before glancing at the door. "Do your teammates know?"
"… They don't even know my name." Ilia said. "You won't tell them, will you?"
"I won't tell anyone." Blake said, reaching for the ribbon in her old friend's hand. "The White Fang is long behind the both of us."
As Port's class winded to a close, Scythle rested her head on top of her arms, absent-mindedly staring between the teacher and the clock between her and Weiss. The heiress, previously focused on the clock as well, took a glance towards the rest of her team and was greeted by Yang and Ruby fighting off the urge to fall asleep while Blake remained upright and still, though her eyes began to droop as well. Weiss's attention was quickly drawn to the purple-haired girl next to her. A quiet Scythle was a rare occurrence.
"Are you feeling okay, Scythle?" Weiss whispered to the girl as she recalled Scythle's phantom pains.
"I'm Going Through Emmy Withdrawal." Scythle whispered back, causing Weiss to roll her eyes. "I Was So Looking Forward To A Day With Her"
"Of course it's hormones with you." Weiss muttered, looking back down at the clock as she attempted to will it to tick by faster.
"… So, Weiss, I-uh…" Jaune began whispering, and Scythle glanced over to the boy as she listened in. "I was thinking after this, maybe we could grab a bite to eat? Ya know… Together?" Weiss didn't respond, continuing to stare at the clock. "And-um- I've got two tickets to that new Spruce Willis movie if you wanna see it. I hear it's awesome." Once again, Weiss didn't respond as the clock ticked over to 3:59, closing in on the end of the class. "And… Maybe after that, we could study together? I mean, you're smart and I'm, uh… Ya know."
'Yeesh, She's Clearly Not Interested, Dude.' Scythle thought. 'Take A Hint Already.'
Finally, the clock ticked over, accompanied by the loud ringing of the school bell. A smile finally found its way across Weiss's face before she waved the clock away. As Weiss pushed her chair back, Jaune looked up at her. "Um, Weiss?" Jaune began as Weiss picked up her school supplies. "Did you hear me?"
"No, no, no, and yes, in that order." Weiss responded as she brushed past the boy. As Scythle followed after her, Jaune let out a sigh as he leaned forward, resting his head on the desk as the rest of team RWBYS brushed past him.
"One day, squirt." Yang said, lightly ruffling Jaune's hair. "One day."
"Don't encourage him." Weiss called out
"Man…" Ruby sighed as she and her team returned to their dorm. "I thought class would never end."
"Port's Semblance has to be time control or something." Yang joked. "Because ten minutes feels like an hour in there."
"Well, it's over now." Weiss said. "Come on, guys, we need to get dressed for this."
"Why, I thought you turned down all of Jaune's dates." Yang quipped, causing Weiss to scowl.
"Oh, shut up." Weiss commented, before pointing a finger at the blonde as Yang entered the closet. "And for the love of Oum, stop encouraging him. He's annoying enough already."
"Come on, Weiss," Yang said. "You could at least let him down gently."
"He can't take a hard no," Weiss rebutted. "What makes you think he can take a soft one?"
"Alright, break it up you two." Ruby said, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder. "We have a personal mission tonight, remember."
"Whatever." Weiss grumbled as Yang came out of the closet, carrying a new outfit before Weiss stepped in with Ruby. "I am so looking forward to some time away from her. Scythle, you and Yang are each other's problem tonight."
Within a few minutes, Team RWBYS had slipped into their new outfits. Ruby pinned metal pieces to the left shoulder of her white shirt, before rolling her arm to see how the pieces would flex with the motion. Placing a hand on her hip, Ruby glanced down at her red skirt and black pinafore, the latter hiding the black imprint of her emblem on the former. She gave her outfit a smile before she turned to her and Weiss's beds. "Alright, you guys about ready?" Ruby asked.
"I've been." Weiss said, placing a hand on her white peacoat dress. She tapped her thigh-high heeled boot as she glanced around the room, giving the group a light chuckle as she placed a hand on her hip. "And you guys say I take forever to get dressed."
"Never thought you'd go with something so plain." Blake said as she finished tying a white ribbon to hide her ears and hold her hair in a ponytail.
"Speak for yourself." Weiss said, gesturing to Blake's all-black outfit as Blake popped the collar of her crop shirt before turning on her heel, causing the belts along the boots to rattle as the cape around her waist flew out. As she turned, Weiss got a view of her emblem, printed on the side of the black shirt in white.
"Yeah, Blake," Yang said as she slipped on her shrug jacket, popping her arms out of the golden cuffs. "You can wear whatever you want, and you go with something that plain?" Yang asked as she trapped the jacket into place overtop her cream vest, which barely hid her black skirt.
"I'm supposed to blend in, not stand out." Blake rebutted as Yang began adjusting the garter belts connected to her stockings, allowing the purple fabric hanging from her belt to sway as she did so.
"Yeah, Guys, Blake Actually Has The Right Idea." Scythle said, bringing up a hand wearing a purple fingerless glove that went up her entire arm. "Besides, If She Went With The White Shirt, That Would Become Her Most Prominent Color." Clipping a black shoulder strap of her purple corset into place, Scythle spun around on the heel of her thigh-high black boot to look at the group as she placed her hands on her black leather skirt, connected to her corset by black straps and a purple belt. Scythle leaned towards the group, allowing the emblem hanging off her choker to shine in the light. "Do You Really Want Her Stealing Your Look, Weiss?"
"Rich coming from the girl who plays twinsies with Rubes." Yang said, before quickly looking up and down Scythle's outfit. "Speaking of, kinda surprised you and Ruby aren't wearing the same outfit."
"What? We're Our Own Girls." Scythle shrugged, reaching for a set of black magnets before strapping them under her wrists. "'Sides, You And Me Are Going Clubbing. Need To Dress Appropriately."
"I'm pretty sure Junior doesn't run that kind of club." Yang said. "You look like you're about to bang five people behind a KF-Actually, that kinda suits you."
"What, You Expect Me To Hide A Bod This Good?" Scythle said, running her hands down her waist as she swayed her hips before turning to the hanging beds. Before Ruby could take down her red cloak, Scythle quickly snatched it herself. "Hey Sis, Why Don't We Swap Capes For The Night?" Scythle began, holding the cape over her shoulder as she spoke. "It Sounds Fun, Doesn't It?"
"Um… I don't know, sis." Ruby said as she looked between her sister and the purple cape hanging off the bed. "I don't think your cloak will work with my outfit."
"Nonsense, You'll Look Damn Fine." Scythle said as she clipped her sister's cape to her corset's straps. "Purple And Red Go Great Together. Besides, I Needed A Third Color, And White's Overused."
"Well… If you say so." Ruby said with a shrug, before taking the purple cloak down and wrapping it around her neck like a scarf. "It's just some colors I guess. So, you guys ready to go now?" Team RWBYS nodded as they each picked up their weapons. "Okay, once we get our intell, Intruder should meet up with Psycho and Hunter before heading to the randevu with me and Snowpea. Understood?"
"I Hear You Loud And Clear, Slayer." Scythle said, giving her sister a playful salute.
"What?/Who?/Huh?" Blake, Weiss, and Yang all asked as they looked between Ruby and Scythle, seeing the latter girl nodding.
"Didn't we go over the code-names?" Ruby asked, seeing the rest of the group shake their heads. Ruby let out a sigh before she began pointing to the rest of her team. "Blake will meet with Amethyst and Yang, and then you guys come meet me and Weiss." Ruby explained.
"What will I be doing?"
"Well, Sun, you'll be-" Ruby began, before her eyes widened as she and her team turned to the window. Sure enough, Sun was right outside, hanging by his tail before he waved at the group. Each member of Team RWBYS took a step away from the blond as they tried to process what they were seeing and how to react.
"Wha-Sun?!" Blake sputtered out.
"How did you get up here?" Yang asked. "I thought our room was three stories up."
"It was." Sun said with a shrug as he pushed the window open. "But no worry, it was easy. I do it all the time."
"You do what?!" Weiss almost screamed at the boy swaying in the breeze.
"I climb trees all the time." Sun said, causing Weiss to scowl at him.
"Sun… How much did you hear?" Ruby asked as Sun swung back away from the window.
"Just about everything, I guess." Sun said as he swung to the window. Releasing his tail's grip above the window, Sun flipped into the dorm room, landing with a light thump as he looked at the group over his shoulder. "So, we messing with the White Fang again?"
"No." Blake said, shaking her head as she stepped towards the blond as he turned around. "We are going to investigate a situation as a team."
"Sorry, Sun, but we don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to." Ruby said.
"Psh, that's dumb." Sun responded. "You should always get friends involved! That's why I brought Neptune." Sun gestured to the window behind him, feeling the wind blowing against his hair and shirt before looking at the empty window. After a moment, a hand gripped onto the side of the windowsill, and Neptune slowly peeked his head out from around the corner.
"S-sup?" Neptune asked, before taking what was probably another glance too many below him.
"Okay, Sun I Can Understand," Scythle began, before pointing a finger at the blue-haired boy with a scowl. "But How Did You Get Up Here?"
"I have my ways." Neptune said with a shrug.
"… Maybe we can let them tag along?" Weiss suggested, causing the rest of her team to turn to look.
"What?" Scythle asked.
"I mean… Blake's going to the White Fang rally alone, she could use a partner." Weiss said, gesturing to the raven-haired girl as she spoke. "And if that Junior guy's as dangerous as you guys say, you and Yang might need some extra backup."
"So What, You Think Blue Top Over There's Gonna Be Of Any Help?" Scythle asked, gesturing to the blue-haired boy out the window.
"Well, in that case, maybe Ruby can go with you two." Weiss suggested. "And then maybe… Neptune can go with me?"
Scythle stared at the white-haired girl with wide eyes as she quickly realized what she was trying to do before Neptune spoke again. "So, can I come in?" He asked as he took another glance down. "It's like, a long way down."
"Why Yes, It Is." Scythle said as she approached Sun, placing a hand on his shoulder as she kept her eyes on the blue-haired boy. "And You Two Are Taking The Express Elevator!" With that, Scythle quickly blurred over to the window, shoving Sun out of it before smacking Neptune in the face, pushing him back as well. The boys' yelp was quickly silence as they hit the concrete walkway below them, and after peaking out the window to ensure they hit the ground, Scythle quickly slammed the window shut and locked it.
"Don't you think that was a bit excessive?" Weiss asked. "I mean, Sun definitely deserved it, but Neptune-"
"Also Deserved It." Scythle interrupted as she walked over to Yang. "Now Come On, Let's Get Out Of Here Before Those Two Climb Back Up."
"Oh, wow!" Ruby said as she and Weiss approached the Cross-Continental Transmit tower, placing her hands up to her cheeks as she leaned back in an attempt to see the top of it. Even if it weren't obscured by the clouds, she doubted she'd be able to without falling over. "I forgot just how big the tower is!"
"If you think this is big, you should see the one in Atlas." Weiss said, putting on a proud face as she spoke. "I swear, it's bigger than most of the skyscrapers."
"Atlas's tower was the first one, right?" Ruby asked.
"Of course it was." Weiss nodded. "The CCT system was Atlas's gift to the world after the Great War."
"'Oh, look at me, I'm Weiss.'" Ruby said in her best impression of her partner. "'I know facts and I'm rich. Everyone, adore me.'"
"Don't be a pest." Weiss said with a scowl, lightly slapping Ruby's head. "You asked, and you probably suggested we come here because you wanted to visit the tower again."
"I know, I know, but it's so cool." Ruby said, returning to her gushing. "It could only be cooler if it transformed into a giant robot, or a railgun, or a giant robot with a railgun!"
"Sometimes I worry about this obsession of yours." Weiss said. "At this rate, you'll probably try to date an Atlassian Knight."
"Hold on, I'm gonna take a picture." Ruby said, quickly pulling out her Scroll before the device slipped out of her hand. As it bounced off the ground, Ruby chased after it, once again causing Weiss to roll her eyes as she watched the display.
With one final bounce, the Scroll came to a stop at a pair of black boots, before the person reached down to pick up the device. As Ruby approached the person, she froze as they lifted her Scroll to their face, drawing Ruby's attention to green eyes, ginger hair, and a big pink bow on the back of her head.
"You dropped…" Penny began, before realizing who was in front of her.
"Penny?" Ruby asked, and the girl's eyes went wide upon seeing the red-haired girl in front of her. "Where have you been? I haven't even heard from you since that night at the docks."
"U-um, sorry, I think you have me confused with-" Penny began, before letting out a hiccup, almost dropping the Scroll before catching it again. "I-I need to go, I can't talk to you right now." With that, Penny slipped the Scroll into Ruby's hands before quickly heading for a flight of stairs leading down.
"Well, that was…" Weiss began. "About as odd as Penny normally is. Come on, let's go."
"Um, actually, you can make the call without me." Ruby said, already starting to follow after Penny. "I'm gonna go talk with Penny."
"But you wanted to-"
"Maybe she can tell us something." Ruby argued, already chasing after the ginger girl. "I'll talk with you when we meet up with Hunter and Psycho, Snowpea!"
Watching her partner run off after the green-eyed girl, Weiss let out an annoyed sigh before turning back to the tower. "Didn't even get your picture." Weiss muttered to herself before coming to a stop. "What a minute, what was my codename again?!"
Ruby, meanwhile, slid down the stair's handrail, reaching the bottom before stepping in front of Penny, causing the girl to jump upon seeing her. "Penny, where have you been? I haven't seen you in weeks."
"I-There seems to be a misunderstanding." Penny said, before letting out another hiccup. "I-I really must go."
"Penny, please." Ruby said, following after the girl. "Is something wrong? You can tell me." Penny did her best to ignore the girl and continue on her way, only for Ruby to grab her wrist, finally regaining the girl's attention. "Penny, please. We think those guys from the docks are up to something big and bad. I need to-I want to know what happened to you that night." Penny remained silent, trying to pull her arm out of Ruby's grip as Ruby continued. "Penny, please. I'm you're friend," Upon hearing that final word, Penny stopped struggling before glancing back at Ruby. "If something's bothering you, I want to help."
Penny was silent for one last moment before she looked at the crowd around her. She stepped back towards Ruby as she placed a hand over the one gripping her wrist, leaning in towards Ruby's ear. "We can't talk here." Penny whispered to the girl, before taking her hand off of Ruby's, holding it out to the girl. "Can I see your Scroll for a moment." With a nod, Ruby pulled out her Scroll, and Penny quickly snatched it from the girl's hand before flicking it open. As the holographic screen glowed to life, Penny quickly pecked away at the keyboard. "Meet me at this address in about an hour. I might be able to answer your questions."
Once she was finished, Penny closed the Scroll and handed it back to her friend. As soon as Ruby took it back, Penny slipped her wrist out of the girl's grip and headed into the crowd, giving Ruby a quick and subtle wave. Looking back down at the Scroll, Ruby flicked it open and read the address Penny had given her, wondering what had gotten into her bright and chipper friend since they last met.
The sun was on the verge of setting as Penny paced back and forth in front of the coffee shop, hands folded behind her back, nervously tapping her finger on her knuckle. Her eyes darted about nervously as she turned on her heel, staring down at the sidewalk, before she quickly looked around herself, once again confirming no one was around her. Turning once more, Penny came face to face with the girl she was waiting for, startling Ruby as the girl jumped.
"Woah, Penny, you've been acting really-" Ruby began saying before Penny interrupted her.
"Ruby, I'm sorry, but I couldn't find any information on the White Fang for you." Penny said, shaking her head as she glanced down at the ground. "I tried talking with General Ironwood and my father, but Ironwood wouldn't answer and my father didn't-"
"Don't worry about that, Penny." Ruby said, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder as the two began walking down the sidewalk. "I'm more worried about you. First time we talk in weeks, and you don't act like you. What's happening?"
"I'm afraid…" Penny began, once again looking down at the ground as she followed her friend. "After the fight at the docks, I was told I wasn't allowed back in Vytal without proper supervision. This also means I'm not allowed to talk with you or your team. Or anyone, really."
"Wow, was your dad really that mad?" Ruby asked as the pair approached a crosswalk
"No, he didn't-" Penny began before coming to a halt, reaching out to Ruby as the girl continued forward. "R-Ruby!"
Before Ruby could ask what had scared her friend, she heard a loud honk and the screeching of tires. Looking to her side, Ruby saw a large truck coming towards her, and her eyes stung as its headlights shined into her eyes. Before Ruby could even think about darting to the side, Penny quickly shoved her out of the way before turning to the truck. Quickly bringing up her palms, Penny caught the hood of the truck and got pushed back a few inches before bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. With a thump, the truck came to a rest, and Penny looked down at the dented metal around her hands.
"I'm sorry about-" Penny began, shaking her head nervously as she looked up at the driver. "About your truck. Are you alright?" After a moment, the driver silently nodded, and Penny let out a sigh before letting go of the truck.
"Penny, that was amazing!" Ruby said as Penny took her hands off the vehicle. The green-eyed girl stared at the dent in the hood before her eyes widened upon seeing the sharp edges. "I didn't know you had a super-strength Semblance! Your swords made me think telekinesis or something!" Sneaking a glance at her palms, Penny quickly closed her hands and pressed them against her overalls.
"We-well, I'm full of surprises." Penny said quickly before pushing passed her friend. "Sorry, I need to go."
"But we barely talked." Ruby said as she followed after the ginger, before realizing just how worried the girl seemed. "Penny, are you alright?"
"O-oh, perfectly fine!" Penny said, before letting out a hiccup as she pulled out her Scroll, quickly beginning to type out a message. "But I need to go."
"Penny, I know something's wrong." Ruby said, following the girl into an alleyway. "Please, talk to me."
"I-I can't." Penny blurted out, hitting the send button with her thumb before stuffing the Scroll in her pocket. "I-I don't want to talk about it." Once again, Penny let out a hiccup, further fueling Ruby's concern.
"Penny, please." Ruby said. "I promise I can help-"
"You can't." Penny almost yelled. "You-you wouldn't understand-"
"So help me." Ruby said, finally getting close enough to the ginger to place a hand on her shoulder. "You can trust me, I promise."
"You… You promise?" Penny asked, earning a nod from Ruby before looking down at her balled hands. "Ruby… You can't tell anyone about this. This needs to stay between us, okay?" Once again, Ruby silently nodded, and letting out a deep breath, Penny lifted her hands, opening her fists to reveal metal joints made of white metal under torn skin. Looking down at the exposed components, Ruby's eyes widened before she heard Penny's voice. "Ruby… I'm not a real girl."
I get the feeling chapter doesn't have as much plot progression as the others, and that's mostly because I spend the first few thousand words focusing on character interactions. Because of that, most of this chapter is just them getting ready to confront the plot. On the one hand, I would like a chapter that could better advance the story, so I probably could have cut that down. On the other hand, people would probably riot if I didn't take the opportunity to have Ilia and Blake interact.
Aside from that, I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to do Penny's robot reveal. The problem was figuring out a more organic way to implement it into the plot, given that Ruby needed to go from the CCT at Beacon to a random street in Vale for it to work. For a while, I considered cutting it from this chapter entirely and saving it for later down the line. But after a lot of thought, I think I came up with something that could work.
Speaking of, I considered cutting a lot from this chapter. I was on the edge about Port's class because I felt it didn't really add anything substantial to the story. But I decided to keep it in so that the jump from before class to after class wasn't nearly as abrupt. I mean, it's still kinda abrupt, but hopefully less so. Same kinda goes for Ruby and Weiss's scene at the tower, mostly because I felt I couldn't make it different enough.
