CHAPTER 17: IT ALL BEGAN HERE

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Vale, City of Vale

Market District

May 1st, 57 AGW

Penny had discovered what she wanted to do as a career. Her time as Mister Stark's apprentice had inspired her to look to the future and towards how technological advances would change it for the better.

More specifically, she was interested in robotics and artificial intelligence. There was something intriguing about the possibility of creating an intelligence capable of sentience and autonomy. In many ways, it was like creating a new life in the form of code, wires, and metal in the most simple of descriptions.

With her path now more clear, she had to focus on the subjects that applied most to what she wished to do in her future. Therefore, it was especially important that she pay attention in school. Currently, she was taking advanced placement calculus and physics. These two classes would help her get a headstart when it came time to go to college. Nothing but the best academics would help her.

There was also the fact that Mister Stark had offered her a reference as well as a bit of financial aid, perhaps even a full scholarship. It was surprising for him to be this charitable to her. The weapons developer didn't strike the ginger-haired girl as the type to be overly charitable, but his offerings were welcome all the same.

Penny didn't realize how much time had passed until she came upon the realization that she was soon going to be an adult legally speaking. It did make her wonder how much time she had wasted in her earlier years. Honestly, she preferred not to think too hard about the past. She and her father had come to terms with the past in their own way. They would never be able to regain lost time, but they were doing their best to work on it now.

There was one small problem: the school she wanted to go to. Atlas University was the most prestigious institution of higher education in all of Remnant that specializes in technology and anything math and science-related. More than anything, she wanted to go there and earn her credentials. Nobody questioned a graduate from that school. Actually, in all likelihood, nobody would question the girl that was personally taught and trained by Tony Stark. His legend and fame were growing.

Atlas aside, Vale University was also an excellent choice. Although not geared towards highly sophisticated technologies, they did have a robust program for those looking to major in engineering. Part of this was in association with Beacon Academy not to mention that Stark Industries was headquartered in the Kingdom of Vale. There was a growing demand for people with engineering and programming skills after all.

Call it a hunch, but Penny suspected that this was Mister Stark's way of boosting his own ego by creating his own space where he could eagerly display his prowess. The man was nothing if not a showboat. That wasn't necessarily a bad trait, merely one of the most prominent ones that the media displayed.

All of these thoughts were all she could do to occupy her mind as she walked down the streets. It was unfortunate that she had no plans with her best friend.

And in her musings, she almost ran into someone running the opposite way. She did, however, see something in her peripherals falling to the ground. With reflexes that could only be called above average, she plucked the item out of the air quickly.

"Whoa!" A girl's voice called out. "Nice catch!"

"Thank you for the compliment!" Penny automatically responded to the kind words. "This must be yours then."

There was a girl with black hair ending in red with silver eyes. "Yeah, thanks! Man, I almost wasted 20 lien for that strawberry shortcake!"

"Then it was fortuitous that I was within the vicinity." Penny commented, then realized her manners. "My name is Penny Polendina. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Summer Rose!" The response was immediate and quite chipper. "Likewise!"

The two girls stared at each other for a moment longer. There was something strange going on here, an unexplainable force that made them look harder into each other's eyes. Their staring contest was becoming so intense that passerbyers couldn't help but regard them both with either curious or awkward looks.

"I think we're going to be BFFs." Summer grinned. "Of the girl variety, that is."

"I… believe you're right." Penny said in return. "It makes sense."

And just like that, two strangers became friends. To a normal person, it would make no sense, but neither of them were forming their foundation for a friendship in the sense of how everyone else did so. There was an unspeakable understanding formed between the two girls when they locked eyes, unspoken, yet clear for both of them.

"Favorite color on three." Summer declared. "One! Two! Three!"

"Green!"

"White!"

"..."

"..."

"... how could you do this to me?" Summer looked absolutely stunned. "You monster!"

"Me?" Penny was genuinely confused.

"WHYYY!?" Summer began to wail. "TRAITOR!"

The girl with green eyes wasn't sure what she was witnessing. It could be true and genuine heartache or perhaps it was an over exaggeration. She had seen Mister Stark perform feats of exaggerated antics enough to understand that highly inflated traits could exist out there somewhere. Maybe this was one of them.

"NEVER!" Penny shouted and leaped onto her BFF. "I AM NO TRAITOR, ESPECIALLY NOT TO MY FRIENDS!"

"ARE YOU SURE?!" Summer's features were highly uncontrolled.

"I AM SURE, FRIEND SUMMER!" Penny shouted without hesitation.

"...okay!" Summer's voice returned to more normal levels.

"Sensational!" Penny didn't even flinch at this sudden tone shift.

"Best friends!" Summer returned the hug.

"Best friends!" Penny mirrored.

Their little display of affection ended up attracting quite the horde of spectators who had stopped at some point during this bizarre first encounter. Many of them had plenty enough to comment on.

"Yu-ri! Yu-ri! Yu-ri!"
"Don't look, son. It's bad for your sanity."

"It's so beautiful!"

"Um… what the hell just happened?"

"Crazy chicks."

"Now that's hot!"

It was only when the dozens of spectators were voicing their opinions on the matter did the two teenagers come to realize what sort of situation they had unintentionally created with all of their yelling.

"So yeah…" Summer desperately tried to think of something to appear more normal, for all the good it would do her. "I've got this cake…"

"What cake?" Penny asked.

The item in question had been caught in their embrace and as a result, it was now nothing more than a mashed-up paste of red and white that stained the front of their clothes.

…

…

"NOOOOOOO!" Summer crumpled to the ground, shedding tears for her fallen comrade. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME, CAKE? WAS WHAT WE HAD ALL A LIE?!"

Apparently, that strawberry shortcake was of great importance to the silver-eyed girl because nobody was capable of faking such sadness. It was, in fact, hard to watch. In fact, everyone around them seemed eager to vacate the scene.

It was more than Penny could bear as well. "I'm sorry for your loss, Friend Summer."

Stepping forward, the gingerhead reached forward to embrace the weeping individual that was her new female companion. It was very unsightly to say the least.

By this point, it was safe to say that any and all hope of there being a happy ending was all but dashed. What should have been a wonderful meeting had devolved into a twisted, ugly clutter.

It was clear that consoling the girl wrapped in the white cloak wasn't working, so the prodigy of Tony Stark happened upon an idea that just might turn this entire thing around. When in doubt, bust out something spontaneous.

Penny took a step back and before Summer could even process or question this move, the former raised her right hand and delivered a solid slap to the right cheek of her friend. The result was a very clear hand imprint and a very crisp sound.

"OW!" Summer blubbered and looked up with hurt in her eyes. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Um…" Penny hadn't given any thought to what was next. "I don't know."

There had to be a next step here. It couldn't just end like this, otherwise their friendship would be over in the blink of an eye. If only it were that easy to respond to high-stress situations like this one with a level head, but how often did such experiences come around?

"Think, think, think!" Penny desperately tried to concoct a plan of action. "What would Mister Stark do?"

"Did… you just say 'Mister Stark?'" The situation did a complete turnaround when Summer jumped up. "Did you?!"

"Yes, I did." Penny's response was soft and cautious. "Would you… happen to know him?"

"Know him?!" Summer appeared thrilled. "I work for him! I test out all of his tech!"

"That is splendid!" Now this was something Penny could talk about. "He is teaching me about engineering!"

They both gazed at each other.

They nodded to each other.

BFFs indeed.

Iron Man - - - RWBY

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Vale, City of Vale

Stark Residence

May 8th, 57 AGW

Tony wondered if perhaps he had too many friends and acquaintances that were highly abnormal in one manner or another. This question had never crossed his mind before because it simply never occurred to him that he would be in the sort of situation that he was now, the situation being two of his known contacts coming to him.

More specifically, Penny and Summer had made contact. His first thought upon this discovery was a moment of uncertainty, which was rare for him. Usually his mind was fast enough to process and return fire, but this was a unique circumstance. It could be that deep down, he never wanted any of these people to meet in the same room because the end result might be too much for the world.

Penny was eccentric and excitable while Summer was hyperactive and obsessive. He could only conclude that should the two of them meet, what would result was a frenzy. It was just too much energy and youth in a single room for him to be able to contain. That was why he only dealt with them one at a time. Dealing with both in the same room…

Tony took a step back, letting his more rational side take control of his emotions. These two teenage girls practically idolized him, so keeping them from going off the rails shouldn't be a problem. All he had to do was appeal to their techie side; the two of them had that trait in spades. A co-op project together might just be what he needed to gather his thoughts and regroup so that he could work out a more permanent solution to this newly-formed friendship.

Now that he thought about it, he usually never saw Summer without the rest of her team. Then again, he wasn't privy to the lives of Team STRQ outside of the business he conducted with them, so what did he know about the life of his white-clad fangirl?

The same could be said about Penny. Sure, he knew snippets of her life based on the conversations they shared while working, but it was usually never too in-depth. The genius inventor could work with that. He wasn't exactly eager to share his life story either.

Getting back to the matter at hand, he was able to fend off their BFFness, if that was even a thing, by assigning them to see if they had any ideas to contribute to his side gigs for Stark Industries, specifically related to developing new weapon systems.

From the few minutes observing them, it was clear that whatever circumstances had them come together, they were absolutely feeding off of each other in a way that could only be described as highly volatile. A lesser person would dismiss this as nothing more than pure madness and it could very well be that.

There's a way to break this code. Tony crossed his arms in thought. I've just got to maneuver around this mindfield of… explosive emoting. That's a thing, right?

"A rifle is preferrable." Summer made her stance known. "There's no such thing as unnecessary range, accuracy, and ballistic performance."

"But a carbine is more useful." Penny disagreed with a shake of the head. "Plus, this one has more interchangeable parts and more options."

"Too many options can cause clutter." Summer cleared the weapon in her hand. "Simplicity is king in combat. The last thing you want is a weapons malfunction, especially with complicated weapons."

"This model doesn't have that many more parts." Penny examined her chosen weapon. "Also, these two systems have interchangeable parts, so it's a good thing."

"It doesn't take much to compensate in the field." Summer began a disassembly of the carbine. "Anyone with enough practice and experience can make up for the shortcomings."

"But isn't the intent to make a weapon system as user-friendly as possible?" Penny tilted her head. "Why make the firing more complicated than it needs to be?"

The arguments that both of them were making were narrow, too focused on the weapons themselves rather than their use in practical situations.

"You both do realize that either system can be used for a certain situation, right?" Tony interjected himself into the conversation. "The only real difference in effectiveness is in how they're used."

The weapon systems in question were the M16 and the newer M4. The weapons developer had made his own prototypes of both weapons for the sake of reference and to see how they could be adopted into this world. This was but a baby step into infantry armament, but just like with any military technology, it was usually ahead of the rest of the world.

And they were the current source of debate between the two teenage girls. Any normal person might consider such a scene plain weird. It wasn't often that girls talked about something more typically known to be a boy's hobby or topic of conversation, but there was always an exception to everything.

It was a small detail to notice and not at all really important to anything, but whatever.

"For the purposes of being a huntsman, more is better." Summer stated. "Yeah, they both fire the same bullet type, but range does matter and while huntsmen are known to be skilled in CQC, having options is a good thing."

"The Grimm aren't generally known to be so cautious like that." Penny argued. "Extra range is all but pointless if the enemy doesn't afford you the chance to use that strength."

"You two are missing the point." Tony raised his voice in order to silence the two of them. "We're talking about giving this weapon to the army, not huntsmen, so what you want, short stuff, doesn't really matter."

"Mister Stark?" A bewildered look came across Summer's face.

"Why do you think I'm giving your team cool shit to use?" Tony just shook his head, as if disappointed in the silver-eyed girl. "Not every weapon is meant for you. In this case, we're talking about the typical infantryman."

Summer slumped forward against the table with the appearance of defeat.

"I have a question, Tony." Penny raised her hand. "Which do you prefer?"

"Both of them." The young man gestured to all the parts on the table. "One system is built for long range while the other is built for mid to close range. Of course, the M4 is a relatively new design and it'll need more tests, but it all functions similarly, like you said before, gingerhead."

"I see." Penny absorbed his words like a sponge. "But what will more suit the purposes of a typical serviceman in combat?"

"Since the Grimm tend to lean towards getting up close and personal, the M4 is more practical for their uses." Tony fed his own opinion. "The real issue is the ammunition itself. It uses a 5.56 mm round."

"Why that number?" Summer had suddenly recovered as if she hadn't been rejected so harshly. "And why so small?"

"The changing needs of war." The inventor supplied part of the truth. "Smaller caliber rounds means more stability and less recoil. Also, it's got less weight meaning gravity affects it less, not to mention it flies faster and crosswinds affect it far less."

"Which only augments the idea of this sort of system being more user-friendly." Penny seemed pleased by this new information. "Truly remarkable."

"For a while, but weapons technology never stays stagnant." Tony gave a small laugh. "I can guarantee you that this system might be outdated in as little as five years, but will likely see use for another twenty at least."

"Because it's expensive to replace an entire army's worth of weapons." Summer followed up with a sound conclusion. "Even if these are mass-produced to be cheaper."

"Not bad, short stuff." The young Stark patted the team leader on the head. "You ever think about getting into business?"

"The weapons business?" Summer inquired.

"Only the best." Tony knew that she was going to say that. "I might even be in the business to hire consultants."

Summer was absolutely intrigued. "Do I get free weapons?"

This girl was really a fanatic about weapons. Dare he say that he found something just as crazy if not more so than himself and his father?

"Now why would I do that?" Tony wanted to play with this. "You're already dangerous enough. If I give you more, I'd think you were plotting to kill me."

"What?! Never!" Summer now sounded genuinely offended by his suggestion. "You're a once in a generation kind of genius. I'm just a normal girl that loves weapons."

Oh, if only he could believe that.

"But don't worry, ginger snap." Tony turned to his apprentice. "You're probably going to get a job at Stark Industries."

"Spectacular!" As always, Penny didn't disappoint with her energy.

Yeah, them being together was strange, but it worked for them, he supposed. He just had to make sure that someone viewing this from the outside didn't get the wrong idea because a ton of people probably would.

But hey, enough people had the wrong idea about him and he didn't care one way of the other.

Another thing that didn't change.

RWBY - - - Iron Man

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Vale, City of Vale

Stark Residence

May 10th, 57 AGW

There were few things that could truly trip him up or make him hesitate. If there was one thing that he had learned in all of his life, even a moment of doubt could cost him an opportunity that he either wanted or needed. More often than not, simply making a decision, regardless of whether it was good or bad, was the best choice to make in any situation.

But Tony couldn't bring himself to use that decisiveness that he always used when he was working, at least not in this very moment. As was the case in the past, he would wait a minute to calm his nerves and gather his resolve. Then he would make the call to her.

Fria's number hovered on his scroll and he kept staring at it. He wasn't even sure why he was doing this to himself. The woman was a painful reminder of his late mother, yet he kept in contact with her. Of course, he kind of had to ever since Ozpin revealed some of his big bad secrets, but that was beside the point.

The point was that he had no reason to keep doing what he was doing beyond maintaining professional contact. He should really stop this while he could. His logical side warned him that keeping this up wouldn't end well when things got hairy because… that's exactly what was going to happen. It might not happen today, or tomorrow, or even this year, but it would happen.

And here I am. Tony mentally berated himself. Making calls like the dumbass I am. So much for not being nostalgic.

The man ran a hand through his hair, breathing out loudly at the same time. He already knew what choice he was going to make. It made no sense for him to delay this any further than he needed to. Hell, he was already going off into the deep end anyway. His rational side was just looking for that out, and he was fully aware that not thinking about the past was an excuse not to process it because he didn't want to do that.

Besides, after everything he had achieved on Remnant, he deserved at least a little piece of mind if only to temporarily assuage the pain that he held deep down. His mother had been his one of the only lights in his family. She actually kept things somewhat civil in the Stark household. If not for her, senior and junior would've never had any sort of relationship, not that what they had possessed any meaning in the first place.

Of course, Fria knew nothing about any of this. As far as the Winter Maiden knew, Tony Stark kept calling her because he wanted to know more about her and what role she played in Ozpin's machinations. That reasoning assumed that she was ignorant and stupid, which the woman was most certainly not. Not only did she possess incredible power, she also held wisdom and experience. He suspected that she at least understood he kept talking to her for his own selfish reasons. If that was the case, then she did well to hide it.

He quietly imputed her number and waited for her to answer.

One ring.

Two rings.

"Hello?" That was Fria's voice.

"You know who it is." True to himself, Tony, started off as arrogant as he could. "Let's talk for a bit."

"Ah, hello again, Mister Stark." Fria seemed happy to hear him. "I wasn't aware that my company was all that interesting."

"Just doing my job." Tony played it off. "You know, with… well… you know what I'm talking about."

"Don't insult my intelligence, Mister Stark. We both know that your calls are more than just work-related." Fria was clearly not amused. "Now I wonder why that is."

"Can't I just say it's because I like talking with people?" The genius knew that this was the wrong way to converse with her, but instinct was hard to control. "Respecting my elders and all that, yeah?"

"If only I could believe that." Of course, the Winter Maiden wasn't the least bit convinced. "But if your type of crowd is anything to go by, I'm hardly good company."

"You got me." Tony conceded easily, but he wasn't willing to give his true reasons. "I'm bored and I don't want to talk to the usual suspects."

"A better explanation, yet it sounds lacking." The resignation in Fria's voice was clear. "Well, it's fortunate that you did call. I wasn't attending to anything much myself."

"What, you can't contact the others and talk to them?" He carefully chose his words. "I'd think you'd have more to talk about with them around."

"If only contacting them were that easy." Fria sighed wistfully. "Do you really think our mutual friend would allow it?"

The way they were exchanging words couldn't possibly be interpreted as anything other than secretive. This might be a secure line, but there was always a risk that someone could tap in at any time. While Ozpin may have granted the right to communicate, they still weren't allowed to speak freely.

Maybe in his own way, Tony was seeking the information he desired from a more direct source. It would make this all easier to understand once all the mystery and sneaking around the bushes was over with.

"Tell me you want me to hang up." He said, his playful tone receding slighting. "I'll do it."

"No, please don't." The elder woman sighed. "This job can get rather lonesome."

Now he had to press his advantage. "See? Was that so hard?"

Another explosive sigh from her end. "For a man with such accomplishments and genius backing him, your attitude suggests otherwise."

Although he wouldn't let it be known, Tony felt some of his old memories of his mother come back to him. It wasn't uncommon for him to be obnoxious around her, even if he did love her to pieces. More often than not, Maria Stark had the unenviable task of mediating between her husband and son and both were cut from the same vein: sarcastic, confident, and unapologetic. Even for a woman resilient as his mother, the only son of Howard Stark had to admit that her job was tough.

And right now, Fria was experiencing the brunt of his troublesome personality and she was doing an admirable job so far. She must've built up considerable patience and control during her life.

"I get it from my father." He was willing to let those words out, albeit without the slight edge that his tone adopted. "Among other things."

"I see." The woman on the other end seemed at a loss. "What about the rest of your family?"

"...I don't have a family."

"...hm… so you're a man who has everything… and nothing."

Tony gripped his scroll a little tighter and despite his best efforts to control his emotions, the reflection in front of him courtesy of the glass window displayed a face of many negative emotions. He had no words to say back, nothing that felt worth saying because aside from when he was working, he was always running his mouth. Those were the two things that kept him from thinking about things too deeply.

Overthinking often led one to dark places.

Ending the call was an option and he certainly could have done so at any moment, yet his fingers didn't move to do so. He merely stared at himself and let silence do all the talking for him. It wouldn't matter what came next if there was anything left to be said. The mood was made clear.

Mom.

Dad.

"Mister Stark?" That was Fria's voice. "Mister Stark?"

"Yeah, I'm still here." Tony's mouth moved before his brain. "Thanks for the chat, but I've got to go. You know, duty calls."

He didn't even bother to say goodbye. He simply hung up, letting his arms hang loosely at his side. His normal self wouldn't have been so rude to someone that he considered important to him.

But none of that interested him in the least. The only thing on his mind was himself in the mirror. The more he stared at himself, the more he could see his father there as well.

What the hell do I care about Howard Stark? Irritation was permeating his thoughts. He's dead, gone, kicked the bucket, joined the choir invisible, turned to dust.

Tony Stark found a wall to lean against. One he did that, he let his gaze fall to the ground, his mood sunk.

It's time to drink.

One that thought entered his brain, he made his way to the bar. It was a good thing he had one installed in his home. It would come standard with every residency that he would purchase.

Iron Man - - - RWBY

Remnant, System Unknown

Kingdom of Atlas, City of Atlas

Schnee Mansion

May 8th, 57 AGW

Willow finally concluded that she had been acting unusual as of late. She had been exhibiting numerous physical signs that she was unwell and as time went on and the list of symptoms had only grown.

Nausea, exhaustion, mood swings, headaches, and dizziness were among the most prominent things that she felt. Although unpleasant to deal with, the former Schnee heiress did not think she needed to seek out aid of any kid. These things would go away with time and perhaps a little less to drink.

But this latest symptom, for lack of a better term, had shocked her. It had only occurred to her today and the only reason she had not discovered it sooner was because of her distraction with her other previously listed problems. Nevertheless, she came to a realization.

She had missed her period this month. She had not shed a single drop of blood.

Once Willow came to that realization, it was not hard to come to a logical conclusion, but just to be sure, she had personally procured a "special item" in order to determine if what she suspected was true. No one, not even Jacque or Klein knew she had gone out on her own. She did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble. Contrary to popular belief, she was not the "incompetent princess" that many people made her out to be.

Once the white-haired woman was safe within the confines of the bedroom, she quietly made her way to the bathroom. She carefully grabbed the small box and began reading the labels inside and out. Once she did that three times, she began the test.

…

…

…

Positive.

Willow felt her hands shake a little bit, but she could clearly read the results. Still, it was not enough. She reached for another test.

…

…

…

Positive.

The mounting proof was now slowly ebbing away any doubt, but just to be sure, she once again reached for the third and final test.

…

…

…

Positive.

Three times and all the same result.

She was pregnant.

Willow felt herself leaning against the wall, her hand dropping the test to the ground along with the other two. She was carrying a child; she was going to be bringing a boy or girl into the world, most likely by the end of the year.

That was not what made her feel fear. It was the identity of the father that made her panic.

While Jacque did not shy away when it came to matters behind closed doors, he did an abysmal job of showing any enthusiasm or interest beyond furthering his legacy and progeny. Additionally, they had been married long enough that surely something ought to have happened in that time, yet nothing did.

But the reality was that it only took one time and Mister Stark had indulged in her more than once and he had done so in rapid succession over the course of a few days. More incriminating, she had done nothing to stop it, even allowing it herself. There were plenty of times she could have turned down the weapons developer.

Actually, now that Willow considered it more, her gut and her mind kept telling her the same thing: Tony Stark was the father.

The myriad of emotions were hard to decipher. Shame and guilt were there, yet there was also happiness and excitement. She wasn't sure which side was more powerful, merely that both existed within her.

She placed a hand on her stomach, the action inexplicably calming her nerves. Her expression was unsure.

But she did manage a few words.

"Hello, little one."

I apologize that this update comes so late. Between getting to know my duty station and doing my job, things have been throw out of whack. I'm just glad I got to update this thing at all.

So yeah, Penny and Summer being friends will come with some interesting points and a sort of payoff that may surprise a few of you. Look forward to that.

And yeah, Winter was conceived and she's only the beginning. One down, four to go.

Seriously though, don't actually do the things Tony Stark does right now. Right now, if he seems like an asshole, that's because he's suppsoed to be one. We love Iron Man in the MCU, but we sometimes forget his origins.

Thoughts about this chapter? Reviews are appreciated.

Also, if you're interested in potential future stories, read the concepts on my profile page and vote on the pole.

Thanks for reading.

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

Franklin P. Jones