Eventually, they managed to lose the Vultures, though the Schnee hounds had not given up. They rendezvoused at an abandoned manor in Old Atlas. Ever since Atlas had been resettled, recovery work had begun on Mantle and the former floating city, though, as of now, only Mantle had been fully restored whilst a good portion of Old Atlas remained flooded. The ground floor of the manor still had a foot of freezing water that they had to wade through.

Soon, Blake arrived and was informed of what had happened. She also made sure to punch Yang hard. Afterwards, they all stared at Penny warily.

"So," Ruby began, "You're a robot?"

Penny smiled, "I suppose that is one way to describe me. From what information I have in my memory, I am an artificially created autonomous entity designed to produce aura."

Blake sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "What in the name of God are the Schnees researching?"

"I'm afraid I have no answer for that question, Blake."

Ruby grabbed Blake's arm, turning to Yang and Jaune, "Guys, could you keep Penny company? Blake and I need to have a talk." Ruby pulled Blake away and whispered, "Well, what are we going to do now?"

Blake was silent for a moment, before replying, "We tell Adam."

Ruby shook her head, "No, that's a terrible idea. We have no idea how he'd react, and if there's anyone I don't trust having a robot who can punch a wall down and produce aura other than the Schnees, it's him."

"Well, what can I tell him? He knows that this project was big and really important, he's not going to forget about it."

"And if you give her to Adam, who knows what he'll do with her? Brainwash her? Pick her apart and make more? The streets will run red with blood; the city's about to explode just as it is!"

Their ruminations were cut short when they heard an innocent giggling. Glancing back, both women saw that Yang and Jaune had made something of a theatre, using the headlights from their bikes to perform shadow puppets for Penny. The automaton seemed quite entertained, laughing childishly and clapping at the display being afforded to her. It was then that they realised that, despite her intelligence and physical ability, she had all the wisdom and experience of a newborn, and both the human and the faunus agreed: Adam cannot know about Penny.

"That still doesn't help me figure out what to tell him," Blake continued, covering her face with her hands, "He'll know I'm hiding something, he's too suspicious even of me, and at that point all of us will become targets."

"I…" Ruby unsurely began, "I don't know what he's like. Maybe you could say the operation was a failure and we were caught?"

Blake shook her head, "He'll see right through it, ask for more details, and, at that point, I'll back myself into a corner."

Ruby glanced at Penny, still gleefully enjoying the shadow performance, then back at Blake with a resolute expression, "I'll leave that to you. I'll take Penny back with me and do my best to hide her until we can figure out what to do next." She grabbed the faunus by the shoulders with a tight grip, "If Adam finds out, do not hesitate to distance yourself, say I went rogue and kept Penny to myself or something."

"I-" the hacker began, but cut herself off, looking sullen, "Alright."

Ruby smiled, then turned to her robotic acquaintance, "Hey, Penny!" she called, approaching, "The bad guys are still looking for you, so you're going to have to hide at my place until it's safe."

Penny regarded her with a smile, "Ruby, what do the bad guys want with me?"

"I… don't know. However, these guys have hurt a lot of people, and continue to hurt a lot of people. It's safe to say that what they want isn't good."

"How long until it will be safe, Ruby?"

"Again, I don't know. Blake and I will figure something out, I can promise you that. But, for now, we need to lay low," the runner extended her hand, "Do you trust me?"

Penny eagerly shook it, practically bouncing on the spot, "Of course I do, Ruby, my friend. I trust you to keep me safe."

Ruby could not help but grin at the display, the gynoid's infectious enthusiasm spreading to her. "Yang, could Penny borrow your hoodie? She needs something to cover her face."

Her elder sister nodded, "Sure, here. I have a spare face mask that she can use, too."

"Thanks, Yang. I'll be sure to return it," the silver eyed woman said, helping Penny with the clothing.

Yang waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, Rubes. Just keep that girl safe, ya hear? She's a precious little thing, and I don't like the idea of Schnee experimenting on innocent girls."

Ruby smiled in gratitude, and said her farewells. Guiding Penny by the hand, she led the automaton out of Old Atlas towards her home. "Keep your hood up and mask on," she quietly reminded her as the streets became busier and busier, "I'm letting go of your hand, now, so stick close. If we can get by without drawing attention to ourselves, the better."

"I understand, Ruby."

As they walked, Ruby began racking her brain for how she was going to support the two of them. A variable wardrobe for Penny might be a good idea, she thought, as it might make her less easy to identify. There was also the matter of maintenance, as Penny probably needs a tune-up every now and then just as how organics need exercise to stay healthy. Speaking of which, there was the matter of food, did Penny eat like a normal person? Did she need dust or some other fuel? Or was her body entirely self-sufficient? "Hey, Penny, what do you…" Ruby turned around, only to find that Penny had stopped moving a few metres back. The robot girl had stopped in front of a store, staring at the droids modelling in the window. "Penny?" the runner called again.

The robot's attention was brought back to Ruby, "Sorry, I'm coming."

"As I was saying, do you need to eat?"

Penny hummed as she began following Ruby again, "I do not require sustenance of any sort, friend. All I need to remain functional is a regular tuneup so that my joints and internal mechanisms remain limber and lubricated, otherwise, my aura fuels my motor, processing and cognitive functions."

"Well, that certainly solves one issue…"

"What do you eat, Ruby?"

"I don't have much money these days, so I mostly just have a pot noodle or beans on toast. Although, I'd really like to have a good steak…"

"It's interesting that you use a system of value and exchange to supply basic needs such as sustenance. Surely it would be more efficient to distribute food equally amongst the population."

Ruby sighed, "Well, it isn't as simple as that. After all, if you gave the government that type of power, they'd probably shut off the supply to stop people from protesting."

"But why would someone do that?" Penny asked, "That would only reduce productivity and cause negativity. An increase in negativity would not only see a rise in Grimm populations but also a breakdown in communications and government."

"Yes, well, I suppose some power hungry person might see that as a necessary sacrifice for holding onto power."

Penny hummed thoughtfully, "Being human seems difficult…" she noted.

Ruby could not help but notice the distant tone in the gynoid's voice. "Yeah, it has its problems."

The walk to the flats was quiet between the two, Penny seemingly distracted by something, so much so that Ruby had to take hold of her hand again to lead her through the twisting turns of the city.

By the time the two got to Ruby's flat, the sun was beginning to rise. Ruby threw her bag onto the floor and collapsed onto her bed, "I'm so tired…"

"Are you going to sleep, Ruby?"

"No, I can't sleep when the sun's out. I'll just go to bed early today."

A silence engulfed the two, Penny standing by the door watching Ruby. "You can have a seat, you know?" The robot immediately complied, sitting on the desk chair with an elegant poise. She also removed her face mask.

"Ruby?" Penny began, "Why did you take me with you?"

"Huh?"

"That room where we met, why were you there? Why did you bring me with you?"

Ruby tried thinking of a way to explain, "Well… You know Blake?"

"Of course, I met her a couple hours ago."

"Yeah, well, I do some… stuff for her organisation. The Schnee group don't really treat her kind right, and so she and others fight for equal treatment."

"What sort of things do the Schnee group do to faunus?"

"Well, for one thing, they usually put them in more dangerous jobs; mining, construction, things that are likely to injure or kill someone. They also don't give them high paying jobs, all the specialists and high ranking members are human. There's also a wage gap." Ruby's face fell sombre, "There have also been reports of faunus who protested… disappearing. Some, like Blake, decided enough was enough.

"As for my involvement, they pay me to do some of their… errands, and that lab you were at was one such errand. As for why I brought you with me, I guess I just thought that leaving you with the Schnee's was the wrong thing to do."

"I see. Is this to do with human and faunus rights?"

"Yeah. How do you know about that?"

"I can access the internet at will. One of the first results when I searched 'human' was an article pertaining to a human rights violation."

"Oh, that's handy. Yeah, it's pretty much common knowledge the Schnee's don't follow rights, but they've got the cops and courts in their back pocket, so no one can stop them legally."

"But then, why help me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I am not human, nor am I faunus, so the concept of human and faunus rights does not apply to an automaton such as myself." Penny stated, looking at Ruby intensely.

"Uh…" the runner was unsure how to respond, "Well, you're still a person. Just because you're made of nuts and bolts and I'm squishy guts doesn't make a difference."

"But, then, what is a person?" Penny asked, "What is it that you and I share?"

"Well, we're conscious, right? We can feel things, like joy, and we have free will."

"I see," Penny hummed, "So, are animals also people?"

"Well… No?"

"But, animals are able to display emotion too, correct? There are cases of animals expressing love towards their offspring and owners."

"You see, animals are… not as advanced? They don't think about things like what we're talking about."

"So, is personhood linked to intelligence? Is a human who has little intelligence not a person?"

"No! No! I meant as in thinking. You know, 'I think therefore I am', that kind of thing."

"So, then, what constitutes thinking?" Penny pressed.

"Huh?"

"What is it to think? The definition of thinking is either to 'have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something' or to 'direct one's mind towards someone or something; use one's mind actively to form connected ideas'. However, animals are capable of both, able to form an opinion and able to connect ideas, like a dog being able to connect affection with one human yet show hostility to another. So, what is the difference between a thinking human and a thinking dog?"

Ruby could not answer. She had never extended such prolonged effort into the nature of being a person. Before now, she could tell what was and was not a person; at the lab, Penny looked like a regular girl, which is why she rescued her. When she found out that Penny was a robot, that did not seem to matter, she showed emotion and feeling and talked like any other person.

But now, it was difficult to say. What was a person? Ruby could not answer. Even thinking about it was taxing on her mind. "You know what?" she began, "I think I will go to sleep, after all."

"Have a relaxing rest, Ruby."

It was not. Whilst she had no trouble falling asleep due to her exhaustion, her rest was troubled by the same questions Penny had asked. Was personhood a right or a privilege? If the former, then to what did it apply to? If the latter, was she a person? Was there even such a thing as personhood? Due to this, Ruby's sleep was short, waking up a few hours later.

Penny was standing at the window, looking outside. She noticed Ruby's awakening and smiled, though there was distress hidden beneath it, "Good morning, Ruby."

"What time is it?"

"Thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds to noon. Your scroll sounded with a notification."

Ruby grabbed the device and stared at it with groggy eyes. Yang had sent a message, asking if the runner was available for lunch that day. Ruby glanced back at Penny, who was still looking outside, somewhat hesitant to leave her on her own.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"In some manner of speaking," the gynoid replied, "Physically, I am perfectly functional, all systems are operating in their regular capacity. But…" she stopped momentarily, "But, I am not content."

"Content with what?"

Penny continued to look outside, not even glancing at her companion, "What am I, Ruby?"

"Huh?"

"Last night, I saw those other droids in the window of that store. Am I like them? We are built from the same materials and the nature of our conception is identical, built by humans. We were not born, we were made. Their purpose was to display the products available. Yet, I do not know what my purpose is, having been stolen away from my creator. You said that the Schnee's did not have good intentions for me, and so you rescued me. But, if I am not afforded the same rights, protections and freedoms that a person is awarded, then did I even need to be rescued?"

"..."

"...It terrifies me," Penny continued, "It terrifies me that I may not deserve to be rescued because I was made rather than born. Because I am a machine and not a human."

"I'd say that is your answer," Ruby said, standing up and approaching the automaton, "The fact that you feel terror is good enough for me to say you deserve to be rescued."

"Thank you, it is reassuring to hear that. However, it still does not satisfy me. You said that even though I am nuts and bolts and you squishy guts does not make a difference, but, fundamentally, we are different. I do not think the same as you do, I am not made the same as you. A human brain does not operate the same as a series of programming and algorithms. A human body does not function the same as a CPU. I am more akin to those droids in the store than you. Yet, as you said, I can feel emotion, separating me from even them.

"So, then, what am I?"

Again, Ruby found it difficult to answer, "I… can't say for sure. But, I will stay with you and help you find the answer. It may be tough, as I'm sure the Schnee's are still after you, but I'll help, in whatever way I can."

By this point, Penny had turned to look at Ruby and a genuine smile had graced her face, "Thank you, Ruby, thank you so much. I'm so happy to have a friend like you."

A warm feeling spread through Ruby as she gazed at that smile, that comely face full of elation. "Anyway, Yang asked if we could have a meal together. It's still dangerous for you, so don't go outside and don't answer the door. Feel free to do what you want here, though."

"I understand."

Ruby showered, wiping away the grime and scent of the sewage from yesterday. She tried to avoid bathing as much as possible, the water and steam making the aches in her stumps nigh on unbearable, and the lower she could keep her water bill, the better.

After bathing and dressing in fresh clothes, the runner grabbed her coat and walked towards the door, "I'll ask Yang for ideas on what we can do once it's safe for you to go out, too."

"Thank you very much, Ruby. Have a nice evening."

"You too."

As Ruby left the arcology, she called her elder sister and organised where they would meet, a small pub downtown. Finishing the call, Ruby released an exhausted sigh, the combination of last night's events and Penny's questioning leaving her sapped of all energy.

Nevertheless, she pushed her legs forward, the stumps aching, and made her way to the pub. She had arrived there before Yang had, though did not need to wait long before the familiar yellow motorbike pulled up beside her.

"Yoohoo!" Yang sounded as she killed the engine and took off her helmet, "Waiting long, little sis?"

"No, I just got here."

"Awesome," the blonde biker stated as she locked the bike, "I try to keep Bumblebee in tip top shape, but I don't have the same head for it as you do."

"If you want, I could have a look at her over the weekend."

"Sounds like a plan." Yang stood up and wiped the dust away from her knees, "Anyway, order whatever ya like, the bill's on me today."

Ruby frowned, "No, I'll pay for my food."

Her sister responded by ruffling her hair, "Don't worry! I've got ten grand after winning that race the other night, so I can afford it. Besides, knowing you, you haven't had breakfast yet, right?" Before Ruby could respond, there was a low groan from her stomach. "See what I mean? I know you've got that debt to pay off, but, don'tcha think you should eat a little more healthy?"

Ruby brushed Yang's hand off her head, "I'm fine, Yang, my diet isn't causing any problems."

The elder sister forcefully placed her arm around Ruby's neck, dragging her into the pub, "Maybe so, but I'm still paying. Now, shut up and let's get some grub."

Five minutes later and they had made their orders, Yang was getting a plate of scampi whilst her little sister had ordered a curry with some bread. "Jeez, Rubes," Yang said, a pint of malt beer in hand, "For someone not wanting to use my money, you sure did choose the most expensive thing on the menu."

Ruby was sipping a cider, "I never said that."

"But you did imply it."

Ruby rolled her eyes in response, smiling at her sister's sunny grin, "It was your own fault for offering to pay the bill."

"Oh, that reminds me," the blonde biker fished around in her jacket's pocket before pulling out a credit chit, "A small gift from Blake."

Ruby took the chit, "What's this for?"

"Apparently that's your pay for last night's job."

"But… I didn't finish the job?"

"Little kitty did a tiny bit of wealth redistribution," Yang grinned, "The Schnee's were kind enough to… donate a little to charity."

Ruby grinned as well, placing the chit in her pocket, "Trust Blake to do something like that."

"Yeah, I'm glad that she's your partner, and not some crazy human-extermatist." A waitress arrived with their food, setting the plates down on the table before going off to deliver the next order. "Anyway, how's Penny?"

"She's… good."

"Which means?"

Ruby sighed, lowering her voice, "No one's made a move yet, so I think she's still safe. But, she was asking me questions; what is a person? what am I? It was all so hard to actually answer."

"How so, just say that she's a person and that she's Penny."

The silver eyed girl played with her food, waiting for it to cool down a little, "It's not that simple, Yang. As far as we know, she's the only one of her kind, a fully sentient, self-aware AI. That means that the context of her very existence is unique, and the human experience just doesn't apply to her."

"Ah, I see."

"But, also, I just don't know what to think," the runner admitted, "I don't know what makes a person anymore, I don't know what to make of Penny or machines in general. Obviously, the cars, trams and atms aren't alive, but what happens if we get to a point where they are sentient? Do we give them rights, or keep them as property?

"What… What do we do with life we have created?"

All Yang could respond with was a thoughtful hum, "That… is certainly something. Can't say I envy you, living with that girl."

"I promised her I'd help her find an answer, but I'm a university dropout. What do I know about life? I can barely keep my life together as it is, I don't even know what I'm aiming for. I do jobs to put food on the table and pay off my debt, but after that, what next?"

Yang's casual demeanour dropped as she stared at her sister concernedly, "Hey, hey, slow down Ruby. I get what you're saying, but you don't need some grand plan to live a happy life, you know? Sometimes, just living day by day is enough. You may not be the mega-engineer nerd you wanted to be, but you're still my sister, and I will never stop loving you."

Ruby took a deep breath and smiled, "Alright. Thank you, Yang."

"Now, stop worrying about these things and eat your food before it gets cold."

The younger woman glanced back at her curry and then started shovelling it into her mouth. It was… mild, not exactly the most flavourful dish she has eaten, barely any better than the pot noodles she eats. Still, being able to eat it with her sister as opposed to alone in her room was enough for her.

"Now, what's your plan for Penny? You can't keep her locked up in your room forever, you know? If that girl wants to find herself or whatever it was she wanted, then she needs to get out there."

"That reminds me. Do you have any ideas of what she can do? Once it's safe to go walking outside, I was thinking of showing her around town. Maybe bring Jaune, Ren and Nora, too."

Yang hummed, "Yeah, I've got some ideas. Maybe we could even have a girls' night out with Nora, too. Yeah, that could work, just let me know when you're planning on letting the bird outta her cage, you know?"

Ruby's face dropped, "Please, don't call her that. It makes me feel like I'm keeping her prisoner."

"Right, sorry."

They finished their food and chatted away, moving away from the topic of Penny onto other things, such as the race Yang mentioned and new TV shows on the air, amongst other things.

I was never satisfied with how they handled Penny, thinking that Ruby's supportive statement, whilst wholesome and nice, wasn't enough to satisfy someone like Penny.

Anyway, sorry for the wait. Assessments for the year are nearly over, so I should have more time to work on writing.