"Care package!" Ruby cheerfully announced barging into Jaune's room a box in hand.
"Thank the gods!" Jaune sighed looking away from the flat screen mounted on the wall. Some dull soap opera was playing in the background and he didn't hesitate to turn it off.
"What did you bring?" Penny asked her friend standing up from the chair she'd been sitting in besides Jaune's bed.
Ruby set the box down on the corner of his bed to rifle through the contents. "We got some movies, a couple board games, a deck of cards, Blake donated some books, Ren and Nora picked up the latest issues of Jaune's favorite comic books." She laid out the items on the bed for their inspection. It was a treasure trove to Jaune. The few channels the TV in his room provided weren't very engaging, Penny seemed to enjoy it however so he'd left it on for her.
"Thank you, this is more than I'll need," Jaune said looking over the small stack of comics looking at the glossy pages.
"We figured since Penny doesn't exactly sleep she'll need all the help she can get." Ruby explained.
"That is most thoughtful," Penny said, picking up one of Blake's books, it was a cheap worn paperback novel. In the short time since Jaune had been traveling with Blake from Haven Academy she seemed to have some new novel to read almost every day.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Ruby said, fishing into her pocket, "I got your new scroll!"
"Sweet!" Jaune said, graciously accepting it. He opened to find that most of his settings were already there having been backed up. After his last scroll was bricked by that giant magnet. "You're a lifesaver Ruby!"
She grinned at him. "Anything for a friend in need," she said.
"Now you've rescued us from boredom," Jaune praised, "keep it up and we'll be in debt for the rest of our lives."
"Oh stop!" Ruby giggled bashfully, turning towards the door.
"You are not staying?" Penny asked.
Ruby shook her head. "Sorry no, we still got duty escorting the trucks and we got plenty of contracts, and with you here that's two extra shifts we need to cover."
"Sorry about that," Jaune sighed. He didn't even think about how the rest of his friends would be stuck with his work.
"Don't apologize Jaune," Ruby told him, "just relax we're fine."
Jaune nodded, "Alright I will," he promised her waving at her as she left. "Have a nice day Ruby."
"You too Jaune, get well, and that goes for you too Penny!" Ruby said, returning Jaune's wave.
"I will Ruby!" Penny promised giving her a wave goodbye. The door closed and again the two of them were left alone together. So far Penny had hardly left his side since he first woke up. She explained to him that most of her remaining damage was internal and that her self repair systems were currently overworked. Her rocket boot still needed to be fixed, and many of Floating Array's blades replaced.
"What would you like to do Jaune?" She asked looking over the assortment of books and dvds and board games.
"I think I'd like to catch up on my reading," he said, picking up one of the new comic books Ren and Nora has gotten him.
Penny nodded and looked quizzically at the glossy pages observing the many colorful covers. Big muscled heroes fighting supervillains and monsters in colorful and elaborate outfits.
Jaune opened up the latest issue of X-Ray and Vav when he noticed her inspecting the covers. "Have you ever read comic books?" He asked her.
Penny shook her head no. "I have never been personally interested in them." She explained choosing one at random and flipping over the pages seeing a caped man punch a gigantic monster into orbit. "It seems these characters consistently perform physically impossible." She observed idly flipping the pages watching the panels depict fights only possible within the realms of imagination.
"That's what's so great about it." Jaune explained sitting up for her looking at the dozen or so issues. "You get heroes that are larger than life, you watch them struggle to do good with supreme power in the face of evil."
"So you read comic books because you idolize these characters?" She asked him.
"Yeah," Jaune explained. "They're strong but they use their strength to help people but they also struggle with personal problems and moral dilemmas. Plus it's just cool, ever since I was a kid I imagined what it would be like to fly, or be super strong and able to shoot las-."
Jaune laughed. A deep full bellied laugh that left Penny with a puzzled expression.
"Penny!" He said grinning at her. "You're a superhero!"
"What!? I am!?" She asked, confused by his declaration.
"You are, you're even the Protector of Mantle. I don't think I've met anyone more like a superhero than you!" He explained to her. "All the best superheroes have a city they defend from evil."
Penny looked back down at the comic she held. The spandex wearing hero flying over a sprawling urban landscape. "A superhero," she said a little smile curling her lips.
"The only thing you're missing is a secret identity," Jaune joked.
"A secret identity?" Penny asked, "why would I need to keep my identity a secret?"
"To protect your friends and family, so villains couldn't target the people you care about," he explained, "that's why so many superheroes wear masks or assume alternate personalities." Jaune took one of the comics flipping the pages to show a timid bespectacled man. "Like him, when he's not fighting villains he's a mild mannered reporter. A lot of the drama stems from living a double life balancing his personal desires with his duty to others."
"I see," Penny said. "Would you mind if I read these with you?"
Jaune smiled at her. "I'd be delighted." He said motioning to the stack of comic books. Penny opened the one she held in her hands starting from the beginning scanning the pages and flipping through them quickly. Occasionally she would stop and ask Jaune for some context on a particular character or their powers. But even with him having to explain the comics to her she flew through it setting the comic down and picking up another.
"You're a fast reader," Jaune noticed watching her move to pick up a fifth comic as he finished his first.
"I am quite efficient at processing words and images," Penny explained to him opening her new comic.
"Reading isn't exactly about efficiency," Jaune told her,"are you enjoying these stories at least?"
"Oh yes," Penny said with a nod.
"That's good." Jaune set his comic down and reached for his water bottle on his bedside only to find it mostly empty. He pulled the covers away revealing his legs, one was still bandaged from the ursai trap that'd got him.
"Here I can get it!" Penny said standing up and moving for the door.
"It's alright," Jaune assured her, "the doctor said I can walk if I need to."
"You just rest, I'll get it," she insisted, stepping out before he could protest.
Jaune sighed and pulled the cover back over his legs. He sat alone in the quiet room. Penny had been beside him from the moment he first woke up. They hadn't really talked much about what had happened, some part of it had seemed taboo for some reason. Past the point where Vasily knocked him down and began punching him like his face was a speed bag things were fractured.
He wasn't quite sure how he should ask Penny for the details. Ironwood told him he'd killed Vasily, but when he tried to recall the memory, he could only conjure flashes. He had ended that fight fueled purely on adrenaline and nothing more.
He banished the thoughts. There was no point in trying to think too hard about what had happened right now. They were both alive and that was the only important thing right now. He leaned forward and grabbed the box looking through the contents.
He sifted through the DVDs, he wasn't sure where Ruby and the rest of his friends got them but their options were extensive. They had a collection of his favorite Spruce Willis action movies, some animated Mistral shows, romantic comedies, even a couple of cheesy looking horror movies. He supposed a movie marathon was in order, he wondered if Penny would enjoy his favorite actor as much as she seemed to be enjoying his comics.
The door opened and Penny stepped in greeting him with a smile. "I got you some juice and milk too," she said with a box of apple juice and a carton of milk in her hands along with a fresh bottle of water."
"Uh thanks," he said as she set the refreshments on the table next to his bed. "You didn't need to do all that."
"It is no trouble," she assured him, "I am happy to assist you."
Jaune nodded, he didn't see any reason to argue with her just trying to be helpful. "Would you like to watch a movie?" He asked her motioning to the collection of DVDs they'd been blessed with.
"Certainly," She answered.
"I'll give you first pick," he offered.
"Thank you, I think I will be happy to watch whatever you would enjoy." She told standing next to him as if waiting for him to hand her a DVD.
Jaune frowned at her. "But what would you like to watch?" He asked her.
"Um…" She looked at the assortment of DVDs laid out in front of him. "I do not want to subject you to anything you'd dislike."
Jaune shook his head. "Don't worry about me," he told her. "We're both here, we both get to pick a movie. Worst case scenario I just read through it, or take a nap or mess around on my new scroll."
Penny nodded silently looking at the various movies. She studied them carefully and Jaune suppressed his urge to laugh. He'd never seen anyone overthink picking out a movie quite so intensely.
"Would this film be suitable?" She asked, picking up one of the DVD cases and holding it up for him. It was one of the romantic comedies, an attractive couple sat together at a table with a set of wine glasses between them. The man was laughing jovially, his hands held up as if telling a wild story. The woman on the other hand looked bored resting her head in her hand supported by her elbow with only a faint smile showing interest. The cover really didn't tell Jaune anything about the story.
"You want to watch a romantic comedy?" He asked.
"If you are alright with that," she said tentatively looking at the movie holding the case in both hands.
Jaune chuckled. "Of course we can watch it," he told her, "I grew up with seven sisters, I can watch a chick flick."
"You have seven sisters?" She asked.
"Yeah, eight of you count my sister in law," Jaune said scratching the back, "it certainly made our family weekly movie nights hell, everyone had something different they wanted to watch."
"How did you usually choose?"
"We'd narrow it down to a few choices and put it to a vote, though I was usually outvoted." He chuckled at the memory as every Friday night they gathered around with a bowl of popcorn and voted yea or nay on the movies they picked out.
"That is kind of sad," Penny said, "it must have been hard to be outnumbered like that."
Jaune shrugged. "Sometimes it was kind of hard but I never thought of it as sad, a part of family is just taking the good with the bad. And it wasn't always like that, sometimes they'd just let me pick a movie or a game for family game night, usually if I had a hard day or something. We always looked out for each other."
"I only have my father, so I would not know what it is like to have a large family." She confessed to him. "Do you miss them?"
"All the time," Jaune said, "but I don't regret leaving home, in a way I appreciate them more missing them."
Penny offered him a smile and he returned it. "That is good." She said, Jaune felt like he heard a bit of sadness in her tone.
"You still wanna watch that movie?" He asked feeling like a change in conversation would be necessary.
Penny nodded looking back down at the romantic comedy clutched in her hands. "Yes, thank you Jaune."
He silently accepted her thanks, though he didn't know what he did to earn it. He threw the covers off and moved to get up.
"What are you doing?" Penny asked, moving to him.
"I need to use the bathroom," Jaune said motioning to the little single bathroom that came with his room.
"Oh," Penny said.
"Yeah," Jaune said, his feet touching the cold floor. His knees wobbled a bit and Penny moved to hold him up. "I'm fine," Jaune insisted, taking his first step forward, "I just need a second to gather my strength, I haven't been out of that bed all day."
Penny released him letting him stand on his own and walk the simple few steps it took to reach the bathroom. Watching as he regained more strength in his legs with every step.
"Go ahead and put the movie in," he said grabbing the door handle, "I'll be out soon."
He closed the door happy that he could at least do this by himself without Penny insisting she help him. He finished his business and washed his hands. When he opened the door Penny was waiting for him, the DVD menu's music played from the TV.
She tried to help him climb back into the bed but he assured her he was fine before setting back into his hospital bed. She settled back in the chair beside him and grabbed the remote pressing play.
The movie played. It was the story of two strangers meeting on a business trip. They met and flirted and the show showed them getting into all kinds of comedic scenarios. She was cold and cynical and career oriented with lots of sharp witty lines, he was upbeat and optimistic with a more classical sense of humor about him.
The woman was trying to get a promotion at her company and arranged for the man to attend company dinners and parties with the intent to charm her superiors with his obvious charisma and charms. Naturally the two of them developed feelings for one another and formed a relationship only having to deal with a slight misunderstanding that almost ruined their chances of being happy.
The movie was a rather typical romantic comedy. It had its happy and sad moments, over dramatic music, a big first kiss between the two a PG-13 sex scene and tons of jokes.
Jaune personally didn't care for it but Penny on the other hand seemed to enjoy it watching it rather intently until the very end. She didn't take her eyes off the TV until the very end when the credits were rolling across the screen.
"Did you enjoy it?" He asked.
"Yes," Penny nodded. "Though I do not understand, if she was worried about him possibly being married why did she not simply ask him? He probably would have just explained that his former wife was unfaithful and he was getting divorced. There would have been no need for him to chase after through the airport and get in trouble with the security guards."
"She was embarrassed," he explained, "she was too proud to ask him herself, she thought it'd show weakness to admit she cared."
"But she wanted to be with him," Penny argued, "surely that is important enough to set aside pride and embarrassment."
Jaune shrugged, "people aren't always like that when they're in love, emotions aren't usually logical."
"But it would have been really sad if they did not get together in the end, all because of a misunderstanding," she said.
"It's just a movie, if she did just talk to him then there wouldn't be a thrilling ending with him outrunning security guards as he races through the terminal to stop her from leaving. Isn't that more interesting?" He asked.
"I suppose," she said, "I was concerned that they might be happy in the end."
"Exactly," Jaune nodded, picking up one of the Spruce Willis movies. "Alright my turn, put this one in."
Penny nodded, taking the case. "Alright, and then it is my turn to again pick a movie?" She asked.
Jaune nodded, "yup, that's how it'll go."
Penny smiled looking at the collection of movies. She opened the DVD case and moved to the player. "Good, because I think I already know what I would like to watch next."
Penny turned the page of her borrowed novel. She sat in the dark reading one of the many paperbacks Blake had surrendered to the care package, the faint light from her window was enough to read with the help of her mechanically photosensitive eyes. After a half dozen movies Jaune had drifted off to sleep resting peacefully in the bed beside her. He dozed off near the end of one of the romance movies and she turned it off to let him rest.
It felt strange having so much free time on her hands. Usually she was quite occupied protecting Mantle like one of Jaune's superheroes that he compared her too, or attending to a dozen other tasks the General had tasked her with usually only stopping to recharge her internal battery in her room here at Atlas academy along with whatever forms of standard maintenance and upkeep she required.
Back when she was in Vale she was focused on the upcoming Vytal tournament or escaping to see the city for herself. But that was a long time ago now and this was different.
The story was interesting. Like Jaune's comic books it was full of fantastical elements that could only exist in fiction. It took place in a fiction world where magic existed common to everyone. It told the story of a dethroned princess traveling across her kingdom to reclaim her throne from those that usurped her. She learned the culture of her own people in her travels learning to become a kind and competent leader to her own people. She helped organize a rebellion gathering allies and navigating politics as well as action. Penny was currently hoping a romance would blossom between her and an out of luck knight who accompanied her in their travels, a young swordsman crippled in war. But there was also a contender for the princess's affections, a spy who'd been loyal to her and saved her through the coup.
Penny had to admit the story was rather enthralling. Learning about the ins and outs of the kingdom as the characters traveled was interesting while the heroine navigated danger and intrigue and romance. Penny couldn't help but feel apprehensive as she flipped through the pages nearing the end. A part of her strangely didn't want to continue reading, she didn't want it to end too soon and instead she shut the book content to take a break and instead ponder what she'd read and predict what would happen.
Jaune snored lightly next her. She'd thought about leaving to stay in her own room but decided she had no reason to leave. She could get Jaune anything he might need whenever he woke up and she wasn't making any noise sitting still and reading through the books Blake had lent them. Besides if the General was right to believe there was reason to remain in Atlas Academy for security purposes she would be more useful to him if she remained close.
She looked at his bandaged left hand. His missing two fingers brought a kind of tightness to her chest. He would probably not be here right now if it hadn't been for her. The assassin, Vasily had been targeting her and he'd only been caught in it. It felt wrong that he was confined here, weak and nearly bedridden when she seemed almost unharmed. To any human standard she was fine with only minor internal damage needing to be repaired in the new few days.
She watched him sleep. His chest rising and falling beneath the blankets she'd pulled up for him. Her thoughts brought her back to that night, trapped beneath that wire net watching Jaune fight him, pulling out the knife Vasily had left in him, bleeding out as he faced him down. Getting tackled to the snow, getting a beating from the assassin. She was sure she was watching him die, she felt like she was dying herself feeling the razor thin wire cut into her like back at Amity Arena.
The thought was unpleasant, and the vivid clarity that she remembered it did not help. She turned away from Jaune and reopened the book. Right now the distraction of fictional conflicts and romances were welcome, she did not want to think about that night, to think about how she failed to protect him.
Hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter. Especially with all the craziness going on of late. This chapter was certainly fun to write in a challenging way. Comparing Penny to a superhero made me think of the potential of a RWBY Chibi fic with Jaune as Hunts Man. What would be Penny's superhero name? Anyways please review and share your thoughts. Thank you again MidKnightMoonglow99 I hope to resume our discussions soon.