General Ironwood's company feels very different from what I'm used to. Back at Beacon, my teammates used to be very loud – especially Ruby and Yang, who just wasted their afternoons playing videogames on their scrolls and fighting over who had won each round, despite what the screen result would say. I usually wanted to study, so I stayed in our room as much as I could until the shouting became unbearable and I had to head to the library if I was to get anything done. I hadn't really noticed how much I had grown fond of their loud tone of voice and childish fights until I was locked away in my room in the Schnee manor, all alone.

Now, however, with the streets of Atlas emptying as we move away from the city center, I think I somehow appreciate sharing this quietness. It's peaceful, and it feels almost warm despite the cold. Silence shifts from being overwhelmingly suffocating to surprisingly pleasant, and it's in the stillness that reigns over every building that seems now frozen in time; in the quietness of the streetlights' warm lights; and in the soft whisper of our breaths when they leave our lungs, that for the first time, I can appreciate the cadence of the General's steps, a little shorter when he takes the next one with his left leg.

I look at him out of the corner of my eye – his silhouette, that of a man who escorted me to safety not only once, but twice. The protector of Atlas, the headmaster of the Academy, the leader of the military. Many would call him cold, or heartless – it takes an iron temper to be able to handle it all and not break under the pressure, and, after all, half his body is made of steel. Yet, under this light, the shadows cast over his face make him look more human that ever – not more than a simple man, tired of the weight over his shoulders but always willing to make his best effort to help everybody in whatever way he can.

At one point, his steps begin to slow down little by little until he finally stops before a wooden door, and so do I.

"We have arrived." He declares, as he slowly opens the door and invites me in with a gesture of his arm. "Please, Miss Schnee, don't be scared. He's a little… eccentric, but he's a nice man." He says.

I frown back at him with suspicion, but he just returns me an indecipherable smile, and I don't respond. When I cross through the doorstep, the first thing that catches my eye is not the pile of accumulated boxes in the form of a pyramid on the corner of the room; neither it is the ceiling-height mountain of blueprints stacked one on top of each other; not even the torture-like white machine right at the center of the room – it's the head.

The very same head I unintentionally just kicked.

I stay in place frozen in horror, watching it roll all the way to the back of the room until it hits a table and just stops and faces me with its empty eyes.

"What is THAT!?" I shout and I point at the head.

"What's what?" An old man sitting on a robotic wheelchair emerges from behind the mountain of blueprints and follows with his eyes the direction of my arm. "Oh. That's just old Penny's head." He says, as if it was nothing.

"That is WHAT!?" I shout even louder.

"Penny's head." The General repeats with a soft laugh, and he places his right hand over my shoulder once more. Why is he smiling?

"I… I…" I babble, completely shocked. I'm violently shaking, and I'm about to start crying in terror.

"Weiss."

General Ironwood has leaned in just enough to whisper my name in my ear in such a tender voice that makes me shiver, and I force myself to hold back the tears just so that he doesn't see me cry. He places the bags he was carrying on the floor, right behind me. I look him in the eye – his pupils, as calm as ever. My heart, already beating fast enough, now seems to be about to explode in my chest.

"It's all right." He assures. "I promise." He stands up again, but his hand doesn't leave my shoulder, and I thank him for it – I feel calm when he does that. In a louder voice now, he says: "Please, allow me to introduce you Mister Polendina. He's… Penny's creator. Pietro, I suppose you already know who she is. Miss Schnee."

"James, you know I hate that word! I'm not her creator, I'm her father! – wait, did you just say Miss Schnee?" He asks, turning his head back at me and realizing once more that I'm here. "Oh, Miss Weiss Schnee! What a pleasure to meet you!"

"Erm… Nice to meet you too, Mister Polendina." I say, still a little hesitant, and I glance back at the head that's on the floor for a second. I hadn't realized when I accidentally kicked it, but now that he mentioned it… I think that it, indeed, looks a bit like Penny. Even the freckles are still visible. The mere sight of it gives me flashbacks of the Vytal Tournament, when Pyrrha accidentally tore her apart revealing Penny's true nature. A chill runs down my spine, as I remember the terrible feeling that filled the stadium all of a sudden. That moment, that very moment when her limbs were ripped from her body, leaving all her cables and connectors just for everyone to be seen… That was the beginning of the end. Penny… and Pyrrha… I'm starting to tremble again, so I decide to just look away.

"Please, take a seat while I search for the new Penny's blueprints! Just… where'd I put them?" And he gets lost into the mountain of piled papers again.

Both the General and I head to the table, and I choose the furthest seat from the head, which is still on the floor. At least I can't see its empty eyes anymore – just the red hair from behind. I lean towards the General a little, and I murmur: "Penny's creator?"

"I'm sure you already knew that Penny was, well, a robot." He responds in the same low tone of voice. "Mister Polendina is one of the brightest minds here in Atlas, if not the most. I have known him for a long time, since he is the one who made this." He says, gently hitting his right arm with his knuckles. I raise both eyebrows in surprise, but I don't say anything.

"But when I became head of the military, he and I started working together more often. Some time ago I asked him for a robot prototype. Something not just anthropomorphous – we have plenty of those in the military already, as you must have seen back at Beacon. I asked him for something less scary, less cold and distant – something more… human.

» He came back to me a few months later with the finished prototype – he had built Penny from scratch, and she was fully functional already. So, we decided to give her a try at the Vytal Tournament. I think you know the rest."

I do. Very well, indeed.

"And what does he mean by 'the new Penny's blueprints', General?

"Exactly what it means. He's building another Penny."

"Is he really?" My eyes gleam in excitement for a second, but the General's darken.

"Unfortunately, yes." He sighs, resigned, and I frown a bit, confused. Isn't this supposed to be good news? "The process is complicated. I don't know the exact details – he's the engineer, not me – but from what I understand, he splits his Aura and puts it into Penny. That's what brings her to life. It's obviously not good for him, since his health weakens when he does it – split his Aura, I mean –, but he seems determined to bring her back."

"I see." I respond. Now I think I understand Mister Polendina when he said that he's not just Penny's creator. He is, in every sense of the word, her father.

"Of course, this is all supposed to be classified information." He sighs again and shakes his head a bit. "But I consider you a trustworthy person, and since I brought you here, I think that you deserved an explanation to who this man really is, at least."

"I understand, General." I say, and almost instinctively, I place one of my hand over his. "I won't say a word." I assure.

"Good. Thank you, Miss Schnee." He says, placing his other hand over mine. There it is - the warmth again, just at the tip of my fingers, even though my skin only feels his glove. We both look at each other for a couple of seconds, but a sudden slam on the table makes me jump on my seat and hide my hands under the table again. My heart is still beating fast, but I try my best to ignore it.

"I found it!" Mister Polendina exclaims, as one of his chair's robotic arms proceeds to quickly unfold the blueprint over the table's surface. "Look, James! I changed the design a bit. Isn't she precious? She said she liked her dress, so I kept it for her – I just retouched it a little. My dear child… Oh, James, how much I miss her!"

"I like the new hair." I say, tilting my head a bit so I can see the blueprint from the front.

"She's beautiful, Pietro." The General concedes. "But, as much as I'd like Penny back, you already know what I think about this. Wouldn't you try to reconsider it, please? There has to be another way."

"There isn't." He declares. "At least, not if you want her to be any different from your empty robot soldiers, James. And I do."

General Ironwood rubs his eyelids with his fingertips, and he sighs heavily once more.

"Just… call me before you do it, okay?" He says, resigned. "I would like to be here, just in case anything happens."

"I don't promise anything!" Mister Polendina laughs, and the mechanic arm folds the blueprint again and puts it into one of the robotic wheelchair's side little pockets. "C'mon, James, sit over there." He hurries, waving his arm at the torture-like machine that is in the center of the room. "Let me check your arm."

"Is something wrong with your arm, General?" I ask, slightly frowning.

"I think so, but I doubt it's anything serious. Don't worry, Miss Schnee." He smiles; then, he gets up to head to the white machine, and I do the same.

I don't know what I expected him to do - I guess I supposed that he would just fold his sleeve up to leave his metal arm exposed. What I definitely did not expect was him to casually put his uniform jacket away, take off his gloves, loosen his tie, turn around, and start unbuttoning his shirt. The fabric slides down his back like slow motion. My heart skips a beat, and I stay frozen in place when I see his right half, a perfect metallic mirror of every single one of his back muscles – more than I had ever imagined hidden beneath his always impeccable ironed clothes. I feel a lump in my throat when my eyes land on his large, darkened scar, running deep down his spine like a lightning strike from top to bottom. Whatever it was that caused him to lose half his body, it must have been so very painful that I can't even dare to imagine. I wonder how he made it out alive.

He turns around and faces me again – my cheeks, rosier than ever. Mine… and his. Is he blushing, too? I part my lips in surprise, but he clears his throat and looks away again.

"I apologize for the view, Miss Schnee." He says with a small, sad smile. "I know the sight of my prosthetics can be disturbing. You can wait in the back of the room, if it's too much."

"No, General, it's okay." I gently assure, smiling a bit. "It's not disturbing."

He looks back at me and smiles again, a little wider this time, and nods his head a little.

"Okay, James, tell me. What's wrong with your arm?" Mister Polendina voice suddenly raises again breaking the atmosphere, and his chair's robotic limb gently pushes General Ironwood over the padded gurney. Turns out that the torture device was nothing more than a very powerful lamp that now blinds the General, so he raises his left arm to move it away from his eyes.

"One moment it's good, then it starts trembling for no apparent reason."

"And how long's this been happening, you say?" He asks, leaning forward a bit to examine the General's prosthetic arm, and then he lifts it up until the metallic knuckles are at eye level. He gently twists it, examining it from every angle he can.

"Since the Battle of Beacon. I think a Grimm might have broken some connector."

"Okay." He says, pulling a screwdriver out of nowhere.

He begins to check every screw, starting from the General's fingers, then all the way up his arm and finally his shoulder. With a twist of his wrist, his screwdriver changes his shape and turns into a small reflex hammer; right after that he starts gently hitting General Ironwood's hand with it.

"Hm… Strange." He murmurs. The more he works his way up again, the more his frown accentuates. Once he's finished, he leans back on the wheelchair. "I don't see anything off."

"Nothing?" General Ironwood's voice, full of disconcert.

"Nothing."

"Then what do you think could be causing this?" The General tilts his head.

Mister Polendina gently taps his lower lip with the reflex hammer, as if he was thinking of something.

"Your other arm trembles too, doesn't it?"

"It does." He frowns. "How do you…?"

"Answer's clear, then." Mister Polendina says with a wave of his arm. "Stress. It's obvious, it's all over your face. I've never seen you this tired before. Are you getting good sleep, James?"

"Not much." General Ironwood admits, and he scratches the back of his bare neck with his metal hand. "I keep having nightmares of the battle, so I wake up many times a night."

Oh. A sudden ache pierces my chest at the sight of his defeated shoulders, and I the knot on my throat becomes a little tighter. I know how he feels. I haven't been able to sleep at all since I left Beacon.

"You should rest. This much stress's not good for you."

"I know." He grunts. "But I can't. There's a lot going on at the military right now, Pietro. Couldn't you just remove the nerves from the prosthetic arm so that it doesn't tremble? I haven't even been able to shave without cutting myself lately."

So… I guess that's the reason behind his stubble.

"Then you couldn't move it at all, James."

I'm still trying to figure out what the General meant about removing his metal arm's nerves, but I don't want to ask and be invasive. He clicks his tongue, resigned, and places his elbows on his knees; then, he leans forward a bit to hide his face beneath his hands and goes silent again. I approach him slowly, and gently place my hand over his right shoulder, just like he did with me when we entered here. The steel is cold against my skin, and for a moment, I wonder if he is able to feel my touch. He must be, in some kind of way – and for some reason, it kind of relieves me – , because he raises his sight once more and looks me in the eye.

"General Ironwood. Please, take a rest. I'm sure Winter can handle everything for a couple of weeks. She won't mind."

The stars in his eyes flicker. I can only imagine the sight that can be seen from his office, but I picture it to be a perfect reflection of what lays beneath his dark blue irises – a calm, quiet night, dimly lit by twinkling lights. He places his left hand over mine, and the contrast between the cold of his prosthetics and the warmth of his skin catches me by surprise and suddenly makes my heart stop.

"Okay." He whispers, finally giving up.

I am blushing again.

He is blushing again.

"Ah, the Schnee ladies, always bringing you back to your senses. You're pigheaded, aren't you, James?" Mister Polendina laughs. General Ironwood snorts a laugh, too, and gets up – my hand leaves his shoulder and falls to my side. I can still feel his warmth in my fingertips – it tingles. He begins getting dressed again, and as he starts buttoning his shirt up, his steeled skin disappears under his clothes once more.

"Oh, I almost forget! I finished that thing you asked for. Do you wanna add a note? I'll have it sent tomorrow morning."

"What – oh!" General Ironwood's face lights up. "I didn't even remember. Could you bring it, Pietro, please?" Miss Polendina nods and disappears in the back of the room again. "It's such a good thing you came with me, Miss Schnee." He says, turning around to smile at me. "I'm sure you will want to add a note too."

"What is it?" I ask, now curious.

"Oh, you'll see." He responds, still smiling. A couple of minutes later, Mister Polendina comes back with a box on his lap. He hands it to the General, but he picks it up and gives it to me instead.

"Open it, please."

"Hm… Alright." And I lift the lid. It's… a prosthetic arm. At first, I don't get why he handed it to me, and I frown a little in disconcert. Why would I want to add a note to a box with a metal arm? But then, it suddenly hits me, and I open my eyes in surprise as my face lights up. "Is this for Yang!?"

"It is." He concedes. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"She will love it, General!" I exclaim – my eyes are starting to tear up. Even as busy as he is and as tired as he seems, he somehow managed to remember what happened to Yang and decided to order a new arm for her. I… I feel like my heart is going to explode in gratitude towards him, and before I know what I am doing, I run into his arms and hug him. He only has his shirt covering his chest, so I can feel both the cold of the metal and the warmth that emanates from his skin. His heart is beating fast. "Thank you so much." I murmur.

"No need to thank me, Miss Schnee." He puts his human hand over my head and gently strokes my hair. "You all fought very bravely at the Battle of Beacon; it was genuinely admirable. We wouldn't have stood a chance without your help. Your teammate… She didn't deserve what happened to her – nobody did, and… I wanted to make up for it in some way."

I stay in place for a few seconds, in an attempt to make this moment stay anchored in my memory for a long time. When I let go, Mister Polendina is looking at us with a moved look on his face.

"I'm sorry. I just got carried away." I say, blushing, and I wipe away the tears from the corners of my eyes.

"It's okay." The General responds in a muffled voice.

"Okay. Enough! You both are gonna make me cry, too!" Mister Polendina wails, as he picks a handkerchief from his pocket and blows his nose, and I laugh softly. "Let me get you a paper and a pen." His robot wheelchair tuns around and leaves – in less than ten seconds he has already come back. I take the pen and I begin to write.

"My dearest Yang:

How have you been? I hope that you are resting, and that Ruby and Blake are okay. General Ironwood had this prosthetic arm made for you. Isn't it beautiful? Knowing you, I'm sure you will master it in no time.

I'm staying at Atlas Academy at the moment, so if any of you wants to write back, please do it. I miss you all more than you can imagine.

Weiss Schnee."

"Mister Polendina." I say when I put my pen down. "Wouldn't you appear to have any spare scrolls, would you? I… I lost mine."

"And that, too, I had forgotten, of course." The General says with a sigh, gently slapping his forehead with his hand.

"I have like a hundred spare scrolls, Miss Schnee. Here, take one."

"Thank you so much, sir." I say, putting it in my pocket - because of course my new battledress had to have pockets. I will finally be able to call Ruby, and Blake, and Yang. I can't wait to hear their voices again.

When we are finally done, both General Ironwood and I head to the door. He picks all three bags full of my clothes with his right arm.

"Thank you for everything, Pietro." He says, leaning his head.

"Oh, nonsense!" He exclaims with a wave of his arm. "Do me a favor and take care of yourself, okay? Miss Schnee, I trust you to keep an eye on him."

"I will, Mister Polendina." I respond with a smile. "Thank you."

"Shall we go, Miss Schnee?"

I nod.

As soon as we close the door behind our backs, I instantly miss the pleasant temperature inside Mister Polendina's lab. The fresh breeze from the twilight has turned into a cold, freezing night. At least my new dress is warm, and the cape around me acts as a windbreaker.

"I'm afraid we will have to walk all our way up to the Academy again since your sister took the airship, Miss Schnee."

"It's okay." And I'm surprised to find that I really mean it. Walking into the night is okay as long as he's by my side.