"Dad!" Yang screamed as her father pulled Dr. Marcin out by his collar.
"Yang?" he asked, confused. Dr. Marcin took the momentary reprieve to break out of Taiyang's grasp and scramble behind Yang.
"Ms. Xiao Long," he squeaked, "Could you please calm your father down? He doesn't seem particularly interested in what I have to say." Taiyang glared at the old man, then shifted his gaze to his daughter accusingly. His stare turned to shock as he noticed her arm.
"Father! Are you alright? Did Mr. Xiao Long harm you?" Penny asked, fearing the powerful hunter had damaged her much weaker father. If at all possible, Tiayang's shocked visage grew even more perplexed, desperately looking to Yang for answers.
"Uhm, yeah," Yang said sheepishly, " I guess we have a lot to talk about dad, want to go inside?"
As Yang and her father wandered toward the house, Weiss turned her attention to the old man dusting himself off in front of her.
"So, can I assume you are Penny's creator?" She asked pointedly.
"Hmm? Oh yes, though I prefer father. My girl is no simple machine."
"True, my apologies. I was wondering sir, may I see your lab."
"Absolutely!" The old man said happily, he never got a chance to show off his work. He looked at his lab and sagged slightly upon seeing the damage, "I'd get the door, but it seems Yang's father already took care of that." Weiss stepped gingerly over the wreckage of the door. After she had navigated the debris, Weiss looked expectantly around...and came face to face with a gaping chest cavity.
"AAAAH!" Weiss was attempting to push her back through the wall as she screamed. Blake appeared, Gambol Shroud in hand, but could only stare in disbelief at the sight. Strapped to an inclined operation table was what appeared to be a dead Neopolitan. Markings and cuts decorated her skin, The flesh above her ribs pulled aside and pinned to reveal her innards. However, after the initial shock, both girls realized that instead of guts Neo had complex machinery. Weiss and Blake looked at the doctor, who was still clutching his chest from the shock of having Weiss scream in his ear, for an explanation.
"Ah yes," he finally managed to say, " I should have warned you about 87. My apologies, girls."
"What is this?" Weiss demanded, somewhat embarrassed that she had lost her composure so easily.
"Well, it's difficult to say. I guess the closest description is that she's Penny's sister," The doctor went on the explain Android 87's unique situation and how Penny had eventually managed to send her back to him. "Suffice to say it's been slow going. The only other example of aura intertwined with technology like this is Penny, and even they differ so greatly that this repair will revolve almost entirely in unexplored science. I'm honestly not sure if I can fix her. I lack resources and manpower. I don't know if I even should. The ethics of this alone are a headache. As she is, 87 is in a way her own person. Violent and erratic, but a person none the less. However, if I separate her properly I can save 87 as well as her aura donor, who has been comatose since the infusion," the doctor sighed heavily. There simply was no right answer, " But I'll cross that bridge when, if, I come to it. I at the very least need to see if their is a possibility of saving her." Blake silently walked over to the old man, pulling him to a tight embrace. She knew the pain of losing family, and she saw that the doctor certainly considered this to be his daughter. Weiss stared blankly at the android for a moment before turning back to the visibly distraught science."
"Well sir, I came here with an idea in mind; this has only cemented it," Weiss strode over, handing the old man a business card. "Contact my father, Schnee Dust could certainly use someone of your caliber. Based on what I've seen here, my father would be glad to aid you in your search if you aided our R&D teams occasionally. "
"R-Really?" The old man asked in disbelief. Weiss simply smiled.
"Sir, your technology is at least twenty years ahead of anything in Remnant. Frankly, I'm shocked that the Atlesian military let you escape. Show my father this and you should have no issues when it comes to manpower." The doctor pulled Weiss into his hug with Blake, tears streaming down his face.
''' "Thank you, Ms. Schnee."
Yang stared expectantly at her father as he attempted to process everything she had told him. He stared silently at Yang before shifting his attention to her new appendage. Yang had gone into detail about her adventures, how she had saved her faunus friend. How she had killed. That was something Taiyang had prayed she never had to do, and it had because he wasn't there to help her. He had left her alone for months, and now she had this thing on her. He had put her on a waiting list for a prosthetic, but nothing like this. Was Yang ready for this? How could she? A sentience, attached and dependent on her at all times. She seemed happy now, but the agreement with the doctor had changed her life irreversibly, for better or worse.
"Mr. Xiao Long? Is something wrong?" Penny asked innocently. Taiyang shook himself out of his thoughts and plastered on a smile.
"No Penny, it's nothing. I have to say though, all of this comes as a bit of a shock. Oh, and apologies for trying to kill Marcin."
"All is forgiven, I am sure," Penny said happily. Taiyang kept up his smile and turned his attention back to his daughter.
" So Ruby's next huh? Part of me wants to tell you to stay, but I'd honestly feel better if she at least had her team with her," Taiyang stood up from the couch and pulled Yang into an embrace. "Just keep safe, pumpkin."
Yang strode from her house towards her friends and the doctor, who were still discussing Weiss's offer. They turned as Yang came near, standing awkwardly on the fringe of their conversation.
"Hey doc, I was wondering if you weren't to busy if you could take a look at Penny?" Marcin's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head.
"Is Penny damaged?! My god, you should have told me sooner, I -"
"No no father, " Penny interjected, " just thought you should do a quick inspection before we go back to the field."
"Oh thank goodness. Don't scare me like that again girls." Dr. Marcin led Yang into the lab and had her place Penny on a stand. Pulling out tools and scanners, he began to look for imperfections. He flipped through a series of monitors, humming in approval at the normal readings. He had the last of the instruments out scanning Penny, when he looked at it suddenly in confusion. He began to walk the instrument around Yang, then referred to a few notes.
"Is something wrong?" Yang asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Oh it is most likely nothing Ms. Xiao Long, my instrument must be miscalibrated. Here, I have a spare." Marcin again brought the monitor around to examine Yang. This time however, his confusion was mixed with a smile. "Well now, this is interesting."
"What is?" The doctor simply ignored Yang's question.
"Penny, how often have you used the cannon?" The doctor asked.
"There have been three discharges of the main cannon, father."
"Fascinating."
"Could you tell me what's going on, doc?" Yang snapped. The doctor's thoughts were interrupted as he turned to his patient.
"Ah yes, my apologies Ms. Xiao Long," the doctor cleared his throat as he prepared to explain the development, " Your aura readings are much different from the day I installed Penny. Specifically, your aura has grown much more powerful. Now normally aura growth is attributed to a person aging and growing stronger, but a jump of this size cannot be explained away like that. I've had a theory that aura can be worked like any muscle, and I think this may lead credence to it."
"How? If aura's could be grown like that, surely it would already be known by every hunter in Remnant." The doctor continued to beam.
"I do not believe so. You see, this all occurred while you were still a young hunter. The majority of hunters will train normally, grow to the point where something like a deathstalker poses little threat, and simply stop there. Nothing except other hunters or huntress would ever be able to make their aura so much as fluctuate. If a hunter takes a hit that drains as much of their aura as that cannon does for you, it would probably spell disaster. An enemy that could do that much damage in a single hit more than likely would not allow the hunter to wait around and experience their increased strength. Even now, if I had not recorded your aura before you may never have noticed. The cannon's current strength would have most likely dropped into ineffectiveness with just a few more shots. It is still just a theory, but if you allow me I would like to update Penny to be able to test this." Yang was not entirely sure what the doctor meant by all this, but she had distinctly understood the possibility for a greater aura. She also trusted him, if he said he could potentially make her stronger, she believed him. Yang nodded her consent, and the doctor immediately went to work.
Four hours later and Marcin finally put down his tools, exhausted. Penny sat gleaming, the last of her modifications complete.
"With these, my dear girls," Marcin said to them both, "Penny should be able to monitor aura, as well as manipulate it more freely. She'll collect data for me, and if I am correct she will also be able to strengthen it without necessarily draining it."
"If you're right doc, then this is exactly what we need. Thank you, again."
"Thank me when we know it works, Yang. Now then, I believe I've held you up long enough. I believe you have a leader to find."
"Right!" Yang sprang from her seat and ran to the house.
"Well it's about time!" Weiss said indignantly.
"What took so long?" Blake asked.
"The doc had some upgrades," Yang said simply. "Come on, we're already late."
"Sure thing," Weiss said, "Taiyang, it's been a pleasure meeting you." Yang didn't like how Weiss's eyes lingered.
"It was nice meeting you too, Weiss," Taiyang responded obliviously. The three made their way to the waiting hoverjet, Yang turning one last time to wave to her father as she boarded.
"You know," Weiss muttered, blushing slightly, "your father is pretty cute." Yang groaned loudly.
"I knew it, Weiss. That's just gross. Stop being weird," Yang stomped her way onto the jet, wondering why this always seemed to happen with her father.
Taiyang waved to his departing daughter through the window, smiling sadly. He hated to see her go, but she seemed determined and he couldn't protect her forever. Plus once she was with Ruby he could sleep a little easier; very little could touch those two when they had each other's back. He watched as the jet took off, quickly fading into the horizon.
"Stay safe." Taiyang muttered to no one in particular.
"I'm surprised you let her go." Taiyang smiled, but knew better than to turn around.
"What can I say, she had an idea in her head and she's as stubborn as a mule. Guess she gets that from her mother."
"Hmm." With that, Raven turned around, opening a portal into the nether. Taiyang waited until he was sure it was safe to turn around. When he did, all he could sense of his former lover was the lingering scent of her hair.