Chapter 1
Flesh of Steel
The world was filled with darkness. The trees blocked the light of the shattered moon from reaching the leaf-strewn ground. The broken barn before her seemed to suck in light as well, like a void consuming everything. Everything except for pinpricks of red and gold.
Eyes.
Glimmering, shimmering, eyes. Filled with violence and hate. Malice and spite. Destruction and terror. But they weren't alone. The eyes moved, exiting the barn and bringing with them inky black fur and white bone. Monsters, beasts.
Grimm.
The barn unleashed a deluge, wolf after wolf, larger and larger. Each rushed forward, spreading their aura of malice throughout the world. She raised her tiny arms, trying to keep the beasts at bay, but they did not stop.
They cared not as they leapt at her.
As their claws shredded her skin.
As their teeth tore her flesh.
Again and again, they struck, ripping her defenceless body apart, piece by piece. Blood flew as jaws clamped around her head and-
She woke up.
Tears ran freely down her face as she sat up in bed to cradle herself. Another nightmare. Another terror. Another several minutes spent calming herself down. It was all too common for her. But… she recovered as she always did. She couldn't get back to sleep, so she got out of bed.
The room was large and full. It had black carpet and walls with red curtains. Pictures hung from nails, showing happy times. Her bed was big and could easily fit two adults with plenty of room spare, with blankets and sheets that matched the walls and curtains. There was a desk against a wall with a computer, dressers and wardrobes, and a couch facing a wall-mounted screen projector for the TV.
A fantastic room; the envy of many, or so she'd heard.
She sighed and moved over to the couch, flopping down amongst the comfy cushions. The girl was only clad in red underwear and a massively oversized white shirt. Her thin, almost dainty hands grabbed a nearby remote scroll and used it to turn on the projector, then the gaming console. She then swapped the remote into controller mode and booted up one of her favourite games that she'd started replaying recently, Xenosword Chronicles Two.
She still hadn't managed to get MOS-KOS, and the RNG continued not to favour her.
An hour of running sidequests and rolling for game waifus passed in the blink of an eye, ending when the door to the room opened.
"Salutations Ruby! How are we today?" Penny Polendina, Ruby's closest friend, greeted with a grin. She was wearing her usual dress and had her hair in curls.
Ruby smiled weakly and sat up on the couch, brushing down her oversized shirt and pushing her long hair, which reached just past her shoulders, out of her face. "Hey, Penny… I um… didn't get a good sleep. But I'm alright now. How are things?"
Penny smiled as she walked over to the couch. "Oh, it's going great! Father said your new body was almost ready! It just needs a few adjustments, so he needs you to test it."
"Ah, right." Ruby nodded and stood up. "I… a new body…" She bit her lip in worry.
Penny nodded. "It looks great, Ruby. I think you're going to be very happy with it. And if you aren't, Father can fix it! It will only take a few minutes and I'll be right there!"
Ruby swallowed. "Alright." She reached out a hand, which Penny took without hesitation. Being led out of the room by her closest friend was much better than leaving by herself. Passing out through the door, they entered a white corridor with a few side rooms. Each contained controls to modify this space and transform it however she pleased.
This was the place she spent a lot of time in the last few years, so it had been important that she be able to make it feel… as livable as she wanted. She didn't venture into them that often these days. Everything was just how she liked it.
They came to the end of the hall, where another small room sat. Inside were two pod-like beds. With a bit of reluctance, Ruby let go of Penny's hand and got into the pod to her left as Penny entered the other one. The see-through door came down and she drifted off once more…
There was a cool breeze, a low beeping, a feeling of weightlessness, and then…
A body. A real body. Ruby took a moment to just… feel. The slight breeze within the lab. The lights focused on her and their warmth. The crisp air that entered her nose. A small smile played across her face.
"Welcome back, Ruby," Pietro Polendina, in a way her second father, greeted her. Ruby opened her eyes and saw the room. It was once a stark white, but when she'd complained about it hurting her eyes one time several years ago Pietro had it painted a softer grey. There were machines all throughout the lab room, from arms to computers to a few old model Atlesian Knights, which slowly and cumbersomely carried a few boxes around.
Ruby sat up in the seat and looked at herself. For the first time in years, she had… skin. Not real skin, but faux skin. It felt right though, from what her hands could feel when she rubbed her arms. She was wearing a simple shirt and shorts, white and grey respectively. Her body looked… as she'd imagined it. There were a couple of slight differences from the body she had in the other world, but that was okay. It was just a few marks here and there. The lack of her facsimile of sleep deprivation around the eyes for example, or a minor increase in muscle for another.
Well, not real muscle of course. Fake muscle designed to hide the machinery beneath.
She revelled in the ability to feel, to smell, to hear. The first time in oh so long that she could truly… use those senses. She slowly pulled her legs to the side of the bed and, with apprehension, stepped down. The floor was cold, causing her to recoil for a moment. Ruby smiled and planted her feet down again, enjoying the chilly flooring now that she wasn't shocked by the sudden change. She stretched, feeling her body out as much as she could.
And then… she stood.
Wobbling for a moment, her arms whipped out to the sides for balance. She raised and lowered her feet, walking on the spot. Her legs seemed to work well. They bent and moved without real issue. Like she expected them to, like her brain intrinsically expected. The smile on her face wasn't abating at all. "Wow…"
"Enjoying yourself?" Pietro asked with warmth.
Ruby blushed and looked over at the doctor. "Oh! Sorry! Um… yes," she replied sheepishly.
He chuckled. "It's alright Ruby. I'm glad to see you happy. Are there any issues you've noticed so far?" His question was accompanied by him pulling out a large scroll, ready to write down her words.
She hummed and moved around a bit more. "Legs feel a tiny bit off… like they're a couple centimetres to the side? Feet don't land where I think they should. Arms feel good… maybe a tiny bit sluggish? Can't think of anything else yet."
"Salutations again Ruby!" Penny declared as she entered the lab. While Pietro wrote down Ruby's answers, Penny came over with a grin. "Are you ready for extra calibration?"
"Extra… calibration?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
Pietro nodded. "Oh yes. You see," he broke off to cough into his arm, "we installed a few additional tools to help you out. Penny has her weapon and its special features, but for you… well, I came up with a few extras for you. They'll just need some testing. Penny, would you mind taking her through it? I need to run some other tests."
"Of course, Father! Just through here Ruby." Penny marched to a side room, and Ruby followed. It was a testing area, usually for various weapons or such. There was a target wall set up for practice, as well as a few dummies to the side. Penny activated a holoprojector, showing several schematics. "Currently you've been outfitted with three primary tools!"
"Three of them? Like… what?"
"First of all, additional sensory modes! Normal sight, as well as thermal vision and motion detection! Additionally, inside your left arm is a grappling hook. Your right arm has a special electric shock generator that can be used to deliver a taser-like shock to anyone you grab!" Penny explained, using the projector to show off each tool.
Ruby swallowed. "That's… I have a grappling hook in my arm?"
"Yup!"
"... okay then. Um… how do I…?" She looked at her left arm. It seemed like… well a normal arm. Where was the grappling hook? How did she use it?
Penny pressed a button and switched the screen to something else, a wall of text with three letters at the top: VIA. "Introducing the latest in companion technology, V.I.A.! The Virtual Interface Administrator is designed to support control of interfaced technology, such as prosthetics. This way we don't have to rely on motion-activated controls for you to use your tools." Penny grinned as she explained.
"VIA? So… how do I use it?"
"It's quite simple Ruby. The VIA system installed in your body connects to your central core, and so it will read your mind. All you have to do is give it a command with your thoughts. For now, we set it to respond to commands like this." The screen moved again, showing a list of commands.
VIA: Initialise?
Greetings. How may I assist? A voice came from her own mind, sounding vaguely feminine while also being heavily robotic. In addition, the top left of her vision had a small black box appear with white text, reading out what the voice had said. "Umm… huh?" Ruby blinked, confused. "What… the?"
"How is it working, Ruby?" Penny asked.
"Um… well, I think? It responded quickly…"
"Perfect! We should test out your gear now! Aim at the wall and use the grapple hook."
Ruby nodded and looked over all the commands, trying to memorize them. There were quite a few, but most were for changing her… experience with VIA. For using the grapple hook…
VIA: Deploy Grapple.
Acknowledged.
Her left arm opened along the same side as the back of her hand. Small quickly machines whirred and out came a small tube. She took aim at the target wall. VIA: Launch Grapple. From the tube came a tri-hook connected to a grey cable with a sharp point that pierced the wall, deploying its three arms despite there being nothing to hook them onto. Another command, Release, caused it to pop itself out of the wall. Reel, made the mechanism reel in the metal cord till it came to rest in the tube once more.
She fired again, but this time reeled in first. The cord went taut, and then pulled her towards the wall at speed. "Wwaaa!" Ruby nearly slammed into the wall, but narrowly escaped by releasing the grapple and tapping into her Semblance. Rose petals filled the air for a moment as she twisted around the wall and landed back on the ground. "Phew…" She was far from used to using her Semblance on the go like that, so it was quite taxing.
Satisfied with the grapple hook, she commanded it to Retract and turned her attention to the taser. Using a dummy for her experimentation, she gave the command. VIA: Charge Taser.
Acknowledged. Two second charge time… ready.
Then it was as simple as grabbing the dummy to discharge the taser, using Lightning Dust to send electric shocks through it. Enough to disable someone, for a moment or two at least. It took longer to recharge each time, however, so using it again and again wasn't really an option. It needed at least an hour to reset back to normal.
Finally, Ruby looked at her other vision types. VIA: Thermal Activate.
Acknowledged. Transition occurs during blink.
So, she blinked. When her eyes opened again, she saw things oddly. Penny and the dummies appeared in reds and oranges, while the rest of the world was in blues. It was weird to see. If she looked carefully, there were signs of heat at the walls too, like she was catching glimpses of the heat coming off the cables and pipes inside. Very strange. VIA: Motion Activate.
The next was even weirder. The world became greyscale. But when Penny waved, the movement was shown in red. Movements and motion would be all the more obvious with this mode on, that was for sure. VIA: Normal Vision.
And a final command to return to normal. She might have to mess with the commands later, but it would do for now. The main concern would be how quickly she could think them in combat…
Which was a scary thing to consider.
She'd not been in live combat before. Sparring? Sure. Simulations? Definitely. Actual, real, live, combat? Nope.
The memory of the nightmare came back for a moment. Beowolves surging, biting, clawing, tearing…
Ruby took a deep breath and calmed herself. It wasn't real. It wasn't happening. It was done. It was over. She was safe. She didn't have to worry. A hand touched hers, causing Ruby to open eyes she didn't realise she'd closed. Penny smiled at her and simply held her hand. It was… warm. Soft. Comforting. She smiled.
"Thanks…"
"No problem, Ruby! So, how do you feel about your gear?" she asked, without any worry at all. Ruby was a little envious.
"It's… weird. But useful. So… just need to get used to it."
"That's good to hear." Pietro said as he entered the room with a smile. "I finished the adjustments, so we can upload them from the terminal," he said, coughing as he finished speaking.
"Okay." Ruby nodded and returned to the main room, where Pietro had Penny plug a cable into the back of Ruby's neck, which was opened by another command to VIA. The upload was quick, only a few short seconds. Afterwards, everything seemed… perfect.
"Good. That's good. Oh, by the way, Ruby, I received a message from your father. He said that he and Qrow will be arriving next week for a visit." Pietro said.
Ruby swallowed. "... Just dad and Qrow?"
"That's what he said."
"... okay."
Penny clapped her hands together, dispelling a foul mood before it could settle. "Oh! Father! As Ruby is now ready, could we explore the city?"
"Heh?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion.
Pietro chuckled. "I figured you'd ask that, and I actually planned for it. I think it would be wonderful for you two to explore the city, but there are a few restrictions. You won't be able to leave the city's walls, and you'll need a guard. Thankfully, the General has supplied an up-and-coming Specialist to protect you both."
"Heh?" Ruby looked between the two, worried.
"That's wonderful Father! Oh, we can go shopping and paint our nails and talk about cute boys! Isn't that wonderful Ruby?"
"Heh?! Y-you want me to g-go outside!? B-but I've only j-just gotten a body… I don't…" She swallowed nervously, backing away slightly.
Penny came over to her with a smile. "It's okay Ruby! I'll be with you, and if it's too much we can always come back. But… there are going to be a lot of people when we go to school. So we have to be okay around them."
"I… you're right but… I…" Ruby glanced away, then back at Penny. Her smile was bright and soft, encouraging. "... okay… but if things get too much, we come right back, right?"
"Right!" Penny nodded enthusiastically. "Oh! We'll need to get you dressed! We have just the thing prepared." She took Ruby's hand and pulled her into a side room, where several outfits were hanging from a rack. It was mostly labcoats, but Penny opened a drawer and started pulling out a different set. "This was all made to fit you." She said, holding out the clothing.
Ruby swallowed. "Okay… I can do this…"
And so, she started getting changed.
Off came her shirt and shorts, and on went a burgundy blouse with a frill detailed trim and frill flared cuffs that covered half of her hands. Over that went a black pinafore dress that ended just above her knees with crimson triangular stripes on the lower half. She also put on a pair of thigh high black stockings and a pair of black and red shoes. Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked almost like Penny's black and red twin with longer hair.
"Did um… you pick this out or…"
"I did! Now we're matching!" Penny claimed when Ruby exited the small wardrobe. "Are you ready now, Ruby?"
Ruby looked over herself one more time. She felt self-conscious about the dress, like it should be longer. Her body was new and she was still getting used to it. There was a lingering feeling of… unsurety about it. So many years without a proper body and now… well now it felt odd.
But she'd get used to it, right?
"I… think so."
"Perfect. Let's go!"
Penny grabbed Ruby's hand and took her out of the room while shouting goodbye to Pietro. The hallway outside was mostly empty. A few other doors were here, but it was primarily an empty dead-end hallway. At the t-intersection out to the rest of the building stood three people. Two soldiers, always nearby in case Pietro needed help or the unauthorized came for a visit, as well as one other man.
He was tall, probably just over six feet, and wore the uniform of an Atlesian Specialist with a hole made for his dog or wolf tail, Ruby wasn't quite sure which. He had some kind of rifle strapped to his back and was leaning against the wall, tapping his foot as he waited. As they came out, he pushed off the wall and greeted them. "Hey. I'm Specialist Marrow Armin. I've been assigned to watch over you both today by the General. So uh… don't mind me, and just do whatever as long as you don't try to leave the city."
He didn't sound very enthusiastic. Ruby and Penny shared a glance. "Salutations. Specialist Armin! I'm Penny Polendina."
"Um… I'm Ruby Rose."
"Thank you for helping us!" Penny finished.
"Sure sure." Marrow sighed. "Alright, the exit is this way."
The young man led the pair of girls through the massive, expansive complex. They passed soldiers and Specialists, training rooms and break rooms. The military base and Academy were linked, but they avoided the main areas used by students. Instead, they took a long, winding route out of the base and onto the streets.
The streets of Atlas were large and open, with few cars despite the city's size. Lamp posts stretched over the road, off due to the daylight filtering in between the towering skyscrapers. A few people were walking about, a couple of whom seemed to have servants. One even had a Faunus butler trailing after him.
Ruby took in the sights with a little awe. The last place she'd seen physically like this was… home. Patch. The forests and the log cabin and… that barn. So these towering buildings of metal and concrete were incredible from the sheer difference. The scale was so much larger than anything back home.
Beneath them, trains ran at speed, ferrying people and cargo around the city. Above them, small trams circled the city on the light rails, acting as simple, more leisurely transport. The advanced technology Atlas produced was on full display everywhere she looked.
Marrow began to fall back, letting Penny take the lead while he fell into more of an overwatch position behind them. With the whole city available to them, Ruby wondered what Penny had in mind.
As it turned out, it was a park.
Nestled between towering buildings was a wide open park, filled with trees, grass, and a small lake. A few families sat about on picnic blankets, enjoying the sun. Penny pulled Ruby along by the hand, taking her towards the pond. Several brightly coloured ducks of varying sizes floated around, seemingly without a care in the world.
"Woah… they're pretty." Ruby mumbled to herself.
Penny nodded with a grin. "They are mandarin ducks!"
"... Why are they named after a fruit?"
"I have no idea!"
Ruby snorted. The ducks quacked and floated over towards them, looking expectantly. "Um… are they… hungry?"
"I believe so." Penny said, releasing Ruby's hand. When she looked over to see why, she found Penny holding two bags of bread.
"Um… where were you keeping those?" Ruby asked.
"That's a trade secret!" Penny replied with a cheeky smile, barely keeping herself from laughing. Ruby's advanced ears picked up a sigh and mumble from Marrow, who was walking away to give them space. Had he given them the bread? Looking around, Ruby noticed there was a street stall selling bread at the edge of the park.
Ruby smiled and took one of the bags that Penny offered. Then, together, they tore off small pieces of bread and gently threw them next to the ducks, who quacked delightfully and dug into the offerings. For several minutes they simply stood there feeding the ducks in silence. It was… peaceful. Relaxing.
Marrow worked behind them, apparently diverting a couple of high school boys from interrupting the pair of girls, likely with awkward flirting by the look of them. One stared at Marrow's tail with annoyance, but ultimately they left. Ruby silently thanked the Specialist by throwing more bread to the ducks.
Soon after, there was another commotion. Across from the park was a building that was quite squat, compared to the towering structures around it. Instead, this was wide and decorated well, with plants and banners and the like. A crowd was coming out of it, talking loudly. Though they were too far away to be heard in detail.
"What's that?" Ruby wondered aloud.
Penny hummed for a second, likely checking online. "The last concert of one Weiss Schnee. Apparently, she is ending her singing career to pursue becoming a Huntress. Oh, maybe she'll be attending Atlas!"
"Huh… wonder why she's giving up singing…"
"That is a good question. Forums appear to be discussing that exact topic, however, information is lacking." Penny shrugged. "If she goes to Atlas, do you think we could be friends?"
Ruby pondered the question for a while. "I'm… not sure. I hope we can but… I'm… not sure I'm ready for talking to strangers…"
Penny nodded. "That's okay Ruby. We have half a year to help you get better!"
"R-right."
I hope it'll be that easy… She was far behind the curve and wasn't looking forward to trying to catch up. She didn't have much of a choice, not if she wanted to be a Huntress. Still… her desire didn't make the idea any more appealing.
Regardless of Ruby's worries, they fed the ducks for a while. Once they ran out of bread, it was time to move on. Penny had something else planned it seemed, taking Ruby down a few roads and then into an alleyway, before going into an alleyway off of the first that led to a small hole-in-the-wall place.
Unlike most buildings in Atlas, this one used a Mistralian sliding door. A sign rested just above it reading 'Shoyu Want Ramen'. Penny slid the door open and went inside. "Salutations!"
"Welcome! Find a seat and I'll be right with you!" the proprietor called back. Ruby followed her friend inside, finding the place small and tight. It was really just a long bench with chairs on one side and the kitchen on the other. That was it, the entire store.
"Hey, Shoyu." Marrow greeted as he entered. "I'll take the usual."
The owner, Shoyu, was a tall buff man of Mistrali descent. He laughed as he turned to greet them and their Specialist companion. "Marrow! Been a while! Bringing kids around now eh?"
"Nah. I'm on guard duty, they came here of their own accord," Marrow replied with a shrug.
Penny sat down next to the corner seat, which she invited Ruby to sit on. Marrow sat on Penny's other side, effectively blocking anyone from talking to Ruby. Shoyu handed out some menus while he started preparing. There were all sorts of different ramen types to choose from, but eventually Ruby settled on shio ramen. It was supposed to be lighter and well… technically she hadn't eaten real food in a decade, so…
Penny meanwhile chose super spicy tonkotsu ramen, while Marrow's 'usual' was apparently tonkotsu with extra meat. Shoyu took their orders and hurried to comply. He was a wonder to watch, zipping around the kitchen like a blur, even finding the time to set them each out a fresh glass of water and ice.
Soon enough, their ramen was ready, delivered to them with enthusiasm. "Here you go, now enjoy!" Shoyu beamed.
And so, they dug in. Ruby had trained in her mental world with all manner of utensils, so it didn't take long to get the hang of chopsticks. "Mmm! Sho good!" Ruby whispered, grinning. It really was good. Heavenly, almost. The soup, the noodles, the meat and eggs…
It was fantastic.
Never before had she so enjoyed food. Was it because of how good it was, or was it because she hadn't been able to have real food for so long? Ruby wasn't sure, but she also didn't mind. Either way, she could eat now and she was going to make use of it!
She and her companions savoured every mouthful as they devoured the food. Ruby noticed Marrow's tail wagging fiercely but didn't bring it up. That'd be rude, probably.
Mid-meal, Penny poked Ruby and pulled out her scroll. After a moment to orient, they posed as Penny took a photo of them and their food. "I'll send it to you." Penny said, smiling oh so brightly.
After their delicious meal, Marrow paid the bill and they slowly walked back to the base. Overall? A fun day out, even if it was really actually quite short.
Marrow said goodbye once they returned to the hallway to Pietro's lab. "If you want to head out again, make sure you go through Pietro. General's orders."
"Roger!" Penny replied.
Ruby smiled. "Dodger!"
"Uh… right." With that, their guide and guard left.
Alone once more, they made their way back to the lab where Pietro was working on something, but he moved it out of sight once they entered. "Ah, Penny! Ruby! Welcome back. How was your day?"
"Salutations Father! It was very fun!" Penny grinned.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah. We went to a park and fed some ducks. They were… pretty cute. Then we went for food…"
"I see, I see. How was it? The food, I mean?" Pietro asked, smiling from ear to ear.
"Delicious. I… it's been so long but… I really really liked it. So… thanks again, Pietro. Without you I… I wouldn't have ever been able to taste things again. Never been able to… enjoy a day like this."
He shook his head. "No, it's alright child. I just did what any decent man would: try to save a hurting child. How was your body?"
Ruby looked down at herself. "I… think it was good? No problems. Everything felt right."
"Perfect. Though I'd like to run a few more tests to be sure."
"Okay."
For the next hour, they ran some basic tests to ensure Ruby's body was operating properly and at peak. As a machine, she was a lot stronger and tougher than normal humans before adding in Aura. With Aura, she and Penny were even more durable. It also took a lot for them to run out of stamina.
They were pretty strong, all things considered.
"Alright. That should do for today." Pietro announced with a cough. "We'll get you used to your body over the week, and then we'll begin combat training once your father and uncle arrive."
Ruby nodded. "Sounds good. I'm… kind of excited."
"Glad to hear it. Now, Penny dear, would you mind taking her to your new bedroom?"
"Of course, Father!"
"Bedroom?" Ruby asked.
"Why, we can't have you sleeping here anymore! You need your own space, and the General provided." He explained.
"I see… thanks." After a moment, Ruby gave Pietro a short hug. The man smiled warmly and returned it. "Okay. Let's see this room then."
Penny nodded and the pair said their goodbyes to Pietro. Then they headed back out into the hall and entered a different room, this being a small apartment. It had a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. After some brief exploration, they both prepared for bed, even if it was early.
The beds were very comfy, but the truly interesting thing was that they both featured a connector that, when they plugged themselves in, would send them back to the mental/digital room Ruby had spent most of her life in. Ruby plugged herself in and slowly drifted off…
Waking once more in the pod within her mental home, Ruby yawned and pulled herself out. Penny hadn't arrived yet, but that was fine. She made her way back into the bedroom and took a moment to take it in. She'd be seeing less of it now, but this place truly felt like home these days.
A light blinked from her computer, so Ruby walked over and sat down. It was a messenger app, Bonfire. Pulling it up, she found a message from an old friend of hers. Lunus.
MoonBoy: "Hey, guess who just got the new Smash!"
Ruby smiled and began typing back. ScythesRUs: "Really? Awesome! We can try and play sometime. Btw… I uh… got something to show you."
MoonBoy: "Oh yeah?"
With some apprehension, Ruby uploaded the photo Penny took. Seeing… herself in real life was strange. Sure, she looked like how she made herself here. Long hair, close to what she thought she'd look like at almost fifteen. But seeing it in a real photo was something else. ScythesRUs: "I uh… got a new body. Penny took me out and took this photo. We had a lot of fun. ^_^"
MoonBoy: "Wow! That's great! And hey, you're looking good! Wish I could make the journey up there to see you."
ScythesRUs: "Well I'll be going to Atlas and the Vytal Festival is in Vale next year, right? So we can meet then."
MoonBoy: "Oh true! That's perfect then. We'll meet up and introduce our teams. So, tell me more about your day out."
Ruby, smiling, did just that. Lunus was the one friend she'd made on Patch before… the incident. And he'd stuck with her through it all. He talked with her more often than her dad or uncle, or Yang.
Which wasn't a high bar, as she hadn't talked to her sister since that day…
But Ruby didn't want to dwell on that. After saying what she could about her day, she asked Lunus about his. They didn't talk every day, as she often just couldn't get into the mood, but when they did they could go for hours catching up.
His life was far more interesting to her. The life of a normal guy. From his worries at school, to the few friends he had fighting, to his troubles on tests. It was refreshing and an escape from the isolated lifestyle she'd had for so long.
Although from what she could tell, Lunus didn't exactly have any… proper friends. Nobody he could open up to or trust, aside from her. She hoped he'd find some friends he could trust soon though. At the very least the team he'd get at Beacon. He was two years older than her, so he'd be attending this coming year.
Unlike her, he didn't need special circumstances to get in.
They talked for a while until Penny arrived, then Ruby organised for them to play some games in a few days.
MoonBoy: "See ya Ruby!"
ScythesRUs: "See ya Lunus!"
"Okay… hey Penny, what do you want to do? It's still a few hours before we should sleep so…" Ruby asked, spinning in her chair.
"Hmmm… I don't mind. You could continue the game you played this morning." Penny said, walking over to the wardrobe. There was a panel there that she used to command the system controlling this space to change her outfit, this time into pyjamas.
"Umm… it's a single player so… are you sure?"
"Yup! I don't mind watching."
Ruby smiled awkwardly. "Um… alright. Let's do that then."
The rest of the night was spent sitting beside Penny on the couch, playing a game she loved.
Over the next week, Ruby tested and trained. Getting used to her new body was vital if she was to be successful and survive her future career. It wasn't exactly intensive, but she ran obstacle courses, tested her endurance, practised dodging, trained her Semblance, and of course sparred with Penny.
Penny's Floating Array was a potent weapon, granting her wide control of a space, but Ruby had had an idea to give Penny even more options. She'd always had a fascination with certain weapons and well… Penny needed a consistent ranged option. She could of course combine three or more of her ten swords to fire lasers, increasing in strength the more blades assigned.
But Ruby and Pietro had worked together to add an additional option. Now she could combine two swords together to make a sniper rifle. Long range, high powered, Dust bullets optional, and she could control four in the air while using one in her hands. Any target she designated was likely to be turned into mush.
Two days in, Pietro revealed he had a gift for Ruby. He called her into his lab and pointed her to a table where upon sat a box. A little confused, she walked over and opened it. Inside was a compact red and black metal item. Ruby's eyes widened in surprise and she hurried to take it out, exploring its form.
It was exactly like the schematics she'd made.
With a pull of a trigger, it shifted out into a much longer form with a proper handle. Ruby grinned with giddy energy as she aimed the sniper form of her weapon. She quickly rushed off to test it out.
In the nearby testing chamber, the roar of gunfire filled the air as Ruby let loose. Originally she had wanted a sniper rifle for her long ranged option, but Pietro had had another idea. Together they'd come up with something a little more… potent. Coils of metal infused with Gravity Dust lined the barrel. When activated, they would massively increase the speed of the bullets she fired, and so their damage.
Which led to her reducing training dummies into their component atoms.
That wasn't all her new weapon had, of course. Aside from snipers, she also favoured the primary weapon of her uncle Qrow, the scythe. Another trigger pull had it expand, deploying segmented blades into position. A longer blade on one end, and two hooks on the other. It could also double as a stand to improve her aim!
Last but not least, it could collapse down into another bladed form, that of a longsword. Designed similar to that of Penny's swords, the blade was long with a bulky, boxy crossguard and a long hilt that could fit three or four hands easily. Normally it might be too bulky to wield, but the fun thing about being made of machines is that she was much stronger than her appearance let on.
With her new weapon, dubbed Crescent Rose, Ruby trained hard.
The week went well, but her trials were not over. The next week began with the arrival of her father and uncle…
Ruby swallowed as she looked into the mirror, nervously trying to shape her long hair into something 'presentable'. What exactly that was she had no idea, she just knew she couldn't leave it as is even though it was probably perfectly fine. But she couldn't just accept that, she had to make sure that it was!
She was once again dressed in the matching outfit with Penny. Crescent Rose was resting nearby, waiting. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this."
There was a soft bell sound, followed by the door to the living room opening. "Salutations Taiyang and Qrow!" Penny greeted brightly.
Ruby frowned. "Can I do this? What if they don't like it… what if I stumble over everything… what if I can't manage this…" Her breathing began to speed up, in and out, in and out, quicker and quicker. She tried to slow it down, but she was losing control. Faster, faster, faster, faster, faster, faster, faster, faster!
"Ruby! They're here..." Penny entered the bathroom and immediately after realising what was happening came over, taking Ruby's hand in her own. "It's okay Ruby. I'm here." They remained like that for a few minutes, maybe more. Slowly, ever so slowly, so painfully slowly, Ruby managed to slow her breathing and take control.
It took her another minute to satisfactorily hold control of herself. "Penny… I… that… I just… what if they don't… like it? What if my body is… horrible for them?"
Penny cocked her head to the side. "Then Father can make adjustments. We still have months until Atlas, so we have plenty of time to make your body better."
Ruby blinked and stared into the mirror. It felt… too simple of an answer. But perhaps… perhaps she was still thinking as someone made of flesh and bone, rather than of nuts and bolts. Made of metal as she now was, why wouldn't she be able to simply change it however she wished?
"I… okay. I think I can do this. Maybe. I hope." Ruby nodded resolutely.
"I believe in you!" Penny grinned.
"Right. Let's…" she took a deep breath, "Let's do this."
With Penny at her side, Ruby left the bathroom and entered the main living space. There, waiting patiently for her with smiles, was her father and uncle, as well as Pietro. Taiyang's eyes immediately widened and then became wet with tears.
"Ruby… it really is you." He came forward, looking her over with awe in his eyes. "I… I'm so sorry. If…" He shook his head, dispelling a dark pall that had come over him. "You look great, Ruby."
The unabashed joy to see her in his eyes made Ruby tear up too. She rushed forward and hugged him. She could feel his warmth, as well as a sense of safety. In his arms she couldn't be harmed. Nothing could get her. No Grimm or nightmares could ever reach her.
"Dad…" Something just… clicked, for them. In his arms, in this blanket of safety, Ruby felt like she could just… feel. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even know why she could cry, it wasn't exactly necessary as a robot, but she was also extremely thankful that she could. So, she hugged and cried silently for a while, enjoying the warmth that had been stolen from her for so very long.
Eventually, though, it had to end. Ruby pulled back and smiled. "Hey, Dad. Um… sorry I…"
"It's okay Ruby. I'm so, so happy to be able to hug you again." He pulled his hands away and reached into a bag he'd dropped into the floor at some point. "And I have a present to commemorate you getting a proper body." Out he pulled a red bundle of cloth and handed it to her.
Ruby took it and opened it, releasing the cloth into its true shape. A beautiful red hooded cloak. The same kind of cloak that her mother wore. The same kind that she'd lost on that day. Fresh tears filled her eyes.
"Dad you… thank you."
"Don't worry about it." He said, patting her head.
"Hey kid, I think it's about time you put it on." Qrow said with a cheeky grin. "Then we can start training. Gotta make sure you're ready after all."
"Right!" Ruby wiped her eyes and pulled the cloak on, using a pair of cross-shaped clips to attach it to her dress. She then grabbed Crescent Rose and together with Penny took them through the stark white and cold corridors of Atlas. Although they felt less cold now that she had her dad and Qrow with her. A smile came to her lips.
It didn't take them too long to reach a training room. They were the only occupants right now in the grey and blue room. Ruby and Qrow walked into the centre of the room while Penny and Taiyang stepped to the side to observe.
Qrow drew his sword and stabbed it into the ground. "Alright, kid. I'm going to be coming by once a month until school starts. You've got to train hard to build up the muscle memory you need."
"Umm… I don't have real muscles though…"
"Sure, but muscle memory also exists in the brain. It's all about training so that you can move instinctually. You've had years to learn the sword and the scythe and all that with the simulations and those old bots you used as bodies. But now? You've got to get used to this body. So… ready?"
Ruby nodded, transforming her weapon into scythe mode. "Yes!"
"Then let's start!" Qrow then dashed forward with his sword raised.
"Penny… please keep her safe for me." Taiyang asked as the two of them watched Ruby and Qrow train. His daughter was strong and skilled, but she had such a long way to go. If only I hadn't…
Penny looked up at him with a confused expression. "What do you mean, Mr Xiao-Long?"
"Call me Tai. You and Ruby are close enough," he said, smiling slightly. "I can't be there for Ruby at Atlas, so… I have to rely on you. You are her friend and I… I need you to be there for her. She's going to struggle, it's going to be an uphill battle. I'm worried that it might get too much. If I could be there to support her… but I can't. So…"
"I understand, Mr Tai. Ruby is my friend. She's my first friend, and she's…" Penny trailed off just like he had. "I'll do my best for her. We'll be learning together. When I struggle, I know I can rely on her. So I need to make sure the opposite is true too. No matter what happens, I'll make sure she's happy!"
Tai's smile grew. "Thank you, Penny."
The months before Atlas flew by. Taiyang couldn't stay, as he had to go home and look after Yang and Zwei. Qrow was apparently juggling training visits with some mission for Headmaster Ozpin, so he only came by a handful of times. For the rest of it, Ruby just trained with Penny and sometimes Specialist Marrow too.
Ruby also went on more trips into the city with Penny. They visited cafes and theatres and parks. It was relaxing and slowly Ruby was becoming more comfortable surrounded by strangers, though being talked to by them was still hard. She often froze up or found that words didn't come to her.
Penny and Marrow always helped out though.
As the date to the school year's start drew closer, Ruby finished designing her combat outfit. Sure, she liked wearing similar things to Penny, but she wanted her own style too. However, she wasn't sure about some of her original designs. They felt like they showed a bit too much. Since she still wasn't entirely sure of her body, she wanted to cover it up a bit more. Plus, the elaborate styles of her favourite Mistrali RPGs called to her.
In the end, on the day she was to head to the academy entrance, she wore a white long-sleeved blouse with puffed shoulders and flared cuffs. Over top of that was a long over-bust corseted black dress with red lace as well as a red semi-transparent skirt underneath. She also had a waist cincher, black stockings, and a pair of black combat boots with red accents. Her cloak went overtop, clipped together instead of to her dress, while her long hair was tied into a low ponytail with a red ribbon.
Overall, it felt fun and almost 'witchy'. She still retained plenty of movement, and if need be she could move her blouse to use her grapple. With her Semblance, even if it got caught she could get out easily. Her weapon hooked onto the back of her cincher, alongside her emblem which sat in the front.
Her father came to visit the day before, but on the day she went to Atlas only Qrow could be there. He grinned and petted her head before attaching something to her cloak. A long black feather pin hooked onto her left shoulder and swept back over it.
"Umm?"
Qrow grinned cockily. "It's from some crow I know. He had a big feather he needed to get rid of and I thought it'd look good on you. Plus… it's got a bit of Dust in it. If you're in danger, don't hesitate to use it. It's Hard Light so you can make a barrier to protect yourself, got it?" His tone turned deadly serious at the end.
Ruby nodded and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow."
"Heh. No problem kid. No problem…" He gave her a pat on the back. Sadly it could not last forever. "I'll see you again, at the tournament. So make sure to learn a lot, cause I can't wait to see how well you do." With that, he left.
"Penny… this year… is going to be weird and tough. But… I think we can do this." Ruby said, turning to her friend.
Penny nodded. "I believe it too!"
Ruby smiled. "Let's go… to Atlas, and our first year as Huntresses in training!"
R.U.B.Y. Project Reports
Entry: 001
Date: August 23rd
This report will set the current status of the newly formed project. Following Incident Report #90371, we have attempted many operations to save the injured girl, henceforth referred to as Subject Beta. For completion's sake, the file will be linked at the bottom, but I shall also give a compressed report here.
At 0237 hours on the 22nd, Subject Beta was brought in, requiring immediate medical attention. She suffered severe damage to her entire body, brought on by a pack of Beowolves. We attempted surgery and eventually prosthesis immediately. However, in the end, her body was too damaged to be saved and too weak to survive prosthetic rejection.
The decision was made to use P.E.N.N.Y. Project item #04, the Soul Container, to save her life. Subject Beta's life was saved, however much of her body was too damaged to survive. As of this time, her brain remains the only fully functioning organ and has been connected to the Soul Container while her consciousness is inside of a simulation to keep her mental state stable.
Several other organs are currently being worked on to see if prosthetics can maintain them, however, I am unsure if they will remain, as at this point I suspect we will need to craft a new body for her. As such, organs may be difficult to place inside. Even so, I should be able to learn much from them.
They may provide insight into improving the P.E.N.N.Y Project. If I can create a robotic body that better simulates human life, then Subject Beta and the eventual Subject Alpha will be able to lead normal, average human lives if they desire.
With how much pain this girl is going through, if I can ease it even a little bit then it is my duty to do so. I wish I could have done more to save her body.
-Doctor Pietro Polendina
A/N: And another new fic, this time featuring Roby, aka Robot Ruby. Well, sort of a robot. More like a brain in a robot body. This'll be a bit different, focusing on Atlas instead of Beacon, at least at first. It's gonna be interesting, I hope.
I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time.