From CCT Search to Hanging with Friend
Rex, Pyra, Weiss, and Ruby have arrived at the CCT within the Vale city where they are going to do the Schnee Dust Industry to get some info, but Weiss wanted to do it back at Beacon, yet Ruby suggested to do it in the city believing to be cooler.
"Woooow! I forget how big the Transmit tower looks up close!" Ruby amazed.
"You should see the one in Atlas." Weiss said.
"Oh yeah, that Transmit tower was the very first one being made before the other Kingdoms got their own." Pyra remembered studying about that.
"Correct. Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit System to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War." Weiss explained about the CCT towers' history.
"What a good way to make peace with being able to make connections with each other." Rex smiled.
"Oooh, look at me! My name's Weiss! I know facts! I'm rich!" Ruby pretended to be Weiss with a high pitch tone and acting all mighty making Pyra laughs.
"Don't be a pest! Besides, the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much! We could have just as easily made a call from the library!" Weiss said upset about that poor mimic of herself.
"Easy Weiss, we can also look at it this way that if we had done it at the library, then we would've been notice by some other students or maybe a teacher." Rex pointed out.
"Well, when you put it like that then I suppose coming here was the best move." Weiss decided to go along with this.
"Good to know that you can see reason with those beautiful blue eyes." Rex complimented.
Weiss suddenly felt her heart racing a little which was a weird feeling to her from just hearing some compliment from this boy, but she kept herself cool for they're on a mission.
"(Looks like Rex got himself a snow girl on sight.)" Pyra thought giggled.
"So, shall we head inside?" Pyra asked gesturing to the tower.
"Wait, wait, I'm going to take a picture!" Ruby said as she took out her Scroll to get it into camera mode, but suddenly the Scroll started bouncing from her hands and away from her.
"Are you for real?" Weiss sighed.
The Scroll then fell to a pair of black boots and is picked up by the owner of those boots revealing herself to be none other than Penny, and this surprises all four of the CCT tower group.
"You dropped this." Penny said holding up the Scroll.
"Penny?!" Ruby shocked.
However, instead of a cheerful greeting that she seems to do when they last saw her since the White Fang dock fight, Penny reacted confuse and surprise when Ruby called out her name.
"Where have you been? We haven't seen you since that night at the docks!" Ruby asked.
"S-Sorry. I think you're confused." Penny said, seemingly like she doesn't know Ruby for some reason. And she hiccups.
"What do mean? You were excited that Ruby and I became your friends." Rex mentioned, feeling something odd is going on with Penny.
"Uh... I've got to go!" Penny turned around and powerwalk away before she hiccups as well.
"What was that about?" Weiss asked as she and Pyra walked up to them.
"It's strange, Penny seems to be acting different than before. Almost like she's trying not to recognize us." Pyra noticed.
"Not recognizing us on purpose, but why would she do that?" Rex asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Ruby said before walking off after Penny.
"Wait, what about the tower?" Pyra asked if she's really leaving the mission right now.
"You go make your call! I'll meet up with you guys later!" Ruby responded loud while still going after Penny.
"I'm going after her too." Rex decided.
"Seriously? Penny is not our objective here, the tower is!" Weiss pointed at the CCT tower.
"I know, but I can't ignore a friend when there is something clearly troubling her and needs some friends for comfort." Rex stated strongly.
"It'll be alright, I'll stick with Weiss when she makes the call while you go with Ruby to talk with Penny." Pyra nodded, knowing how Rex can be with caring for others.
"Thank you, and I promise we'll be back as soon as we take care of Penny." Rex said.
"I know." Pyra smiled and the two kiss each other for a few seconds before Rex leaves to follow Ruby and Penny.
"Are you really okay with this?" Weiss asked.
"I trust him for doing the right thing with a big heart, and I have a feeling that he might get himself a few more girlfriends today." Pyra explained as she walks to the Vale CCT tower.
"Well, if you truly have that much faith in Rex then I suppose I can—Wait, what did you say about girlfriends?" Weiss asked shock.
(With Penny)
Penny continues walking away from those two friends she made over two weeks ago and have to pretend she doesn't know them at all, even though it makes her sad to not say hi to them again.
"Penny, wait up!" Rex called out as he and Ruby caught up to her.
"Penny! Where have you been? It's been weeks!" Ruby asked as she stood in front of her.
"There seems to be a... misunderstanding." Penny tried to get them to go away.
"But Penny, we're your friends. The first friends you ever made since coming to Vale and we're very worried about you." Rex said holding her hand.
"He's right, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to us! Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big, something bad! I need you to tell us what happened to you that night! Please... As your friends." Ruby stated with a gentle smile.
Penny took a good look at both Rex and Ruby as who cares so much for her even though they haven't gotten to know her more, but she can clearly see that these two won't let her be alone even for a day. She decided to have a chat with them as she pulls them closer to her.
"It isn't safe to talk here." Penny whispered and looked around suspiciously which confuses Rex and Ruby.
(Vale CCT Tower)
Weiss and Pyra went inside the elevator of the tower to continue with the mission.
"Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?" The AI asked.
"We'd like to go to the communications room, please." Weiss requested.
"Absolutely. Could you please place your Scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?" The AI asked and the two Huntress students showed their ID.
"Perfect! Thank you, Miss Schnee and Miss Elysium." The AI thanked.
The elevator ascend up to the communication floor and soon they exit the elevator heading to one of the desk, a hologram screen appeared and Weiss tapped on the keyboard to make the call.
Four symbols appeared on the hologram, each of them representing the four Kingdoms of Remnant then replace with a secretary.
"Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit center. How may I help you?" The secretary asked.
"I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss requested.
"Absolutely. If you could head over to Terminal 3, I'll patch you through." The secretary said.
"Thank you." Weiss thanked the secretary.
Weiss and Pyra got up moving to Terminal 3 as they walk past some other students with one calling his mom and asking how things are doing back home.
"(I wonder if I should give Dad a call, I know he would be happy to see us again.)" Pyra thought of her dad and will have to talk with Mythra about it.
They reach Terminal 3 and sat down together; Weiss let out a heavy sad sigh knowing that calling her family's company would lead to calling her father which she really hopes it doesn't come to down to that and Pyra also notice this because she heard of what Weiss' father is like from her father.
Then a woman appeared on the hologram screen with the Schnee family emblem behind her.
"Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well." Schnee Corp Operator surprised to see the young heiress.
"No, thank you! I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list." Weiss said pleasantly and plugged her Scroll into the slot of the Terminal.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Pyra asked whispering to Weiss sounding a bit worry.
"Just trust me." Weiss smiled.
"I see. If you don't mind... what may I ask is this for?" The Schnee Corp Operator asked.
"School project with my partner, Pyra Elysium." Weiss answered gesturing her hand to Pyra who waves at her.
"Elysium? As daughter of the brilliant and wise Sage Klaus Elysium!" The Schnee Corp Operator asked shock.
"That's me, now about what we came here for?" Pyra asked the employee girl.
"Oh yes, it just… Um... There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am." The Schnee Corp Operator worried a bit.
"Well, then, we'll be sure to treat them with care." Weiss nodded with a smile.
"Right... Very well." The Schnee Corp Operator nodded, and some beeping sounds are heard. "The data is being transferred to your Scroll now."
"Wonderful! That will be all, then." Weiss said as she smiles at Pyra.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?" The Schnee Corp Operator asked.
Weiss loses her smile for a second when that employee asked her to speak with her father, but she got it back to keep up the face.
"Yes, I'm sure." Weiss nodded.
"Well, then... Have a nice day!" The Schnee employee smiled before hanging up.
"You can't keep running away from your father forever, you know." Pyra placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder.
"I know, but it's not that easy consider the kind of man he is." Weiss sighed.
"Even so, you still got to be strong and show him that you're stronger than him in the heart." Pyra advised.
"That sounds like something Rex would say if he was here." Weiss commented.
"That he would, and I know he would be interested in hanging out with you." Pyra smiled.
"Oh, would he now?" Weiss asked with her cheeks having tiny blushes.
(With Rex, Ruby and Penny)
The three friends start walking together through the streets as Ruby and Rex are finally going to know what happened to Penny after stopping the heist in the dock with the Dust shipments.
"I wish I could help you, Ruby, Rex, but I don't know anything about those men." Penny said.
"Well, what happened to you that night? We were all together, and then you just disappeared! Were you kidnapped?" Ruby asked worry and concern.
"Oh no, nothing like that." Penny assured that she has been fine since then.
"But why did you disappear on us? You could've at least let us know that you were leaving for the night, and we could've said goodbye." Rex asked, feeling left out of Penny's sudden disappearance.
"I've never been to another kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but... You have to understand, my father loves me very much; he just worries a lot." Penny explained about her father.
"Believe me, I know the feeling." Ruby grinned, knowing how her own father can be at times.
"My father can be like that when I was younger. The man would barely let me go swimming at the beach without panicking about sharks or Grimm sharks which there weren't even any of those around." Rex remembered those embarrassing protective times.
"I bet he made you wear floaties when you didn't need them anymore." Ruby giggled.
"You got that right." Rex chuckled making Penny giggle too.
"But why not let us know you were okay?" Ruby asked.
"I... was asked not to talk to you. Or Weiss. Or Blake. Or Yang. Or Pyra. Or Nia. Or Mythra. Anybody, really." Penny answered.
"Wow, that night must've gave your father a real spook." Rex commented.
"You could say that, but it wasn't my father who was worried…" Penny said.
Before Penny could continue with her explanation, the three friends heard a commotion that appears to be coming from with some megaphone sounds and they walk to see there are a lot of people gathering at the platform and they also see a hologram of General Ironwood on the stage.
"It looks like Atlas is doing a presentation." Rex noticed.
"The AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years, and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" Ironwood asked and the audience claps.
"But... the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and 'fine'... Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Presenting... the Atlesian Knight-200!" Ironwood presented the six new robots came out from the floor.
Atlesian Knight-200 possessed a more slender, humanoid appearance than their predecessors. They were clad in white armor, with their black robotic workings' visible underneath. Their armor was thin at the midsection, neck and joints, but their chest and legs appeared well-protected.
"Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly, a little less scary." Ironwood said as the robots start flexing their robotic arms.
"These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require... a human touch." Ironwood explained smiling.
Seeing those new model robots have certainly got Ruby's attention as she leans in closer.
"Uh, Ruby?" Penny tried to get her to pull back.
"Don't worry, Ruby is always like that when it comes to weapons and apparently robots too." Rex explained.
"So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce... the Atlesian Paladin!" James showed the giant mech which got the crowd excited when seeing this robot.
"Wow, Atlas is really going all out with their robots and they're awesome!" Rex amazed.
"Thank you." Penny whispered as she blushes.
"Now, we couldn't have them here for you today, but these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!" Ironwood promised with a smile.
"Ruby? Rex? Maybe we should go somewhere else." Penny suggested as she backs away a bit.
"What was that, Penny?" Rex asked as he couldn't hear her.
Penny spotted two Atlas soldiers who have also spotted her from the side of the stage and start calling in backup, this frightens Penny and runs away.
"Penny, wait!" Rex called out as he and Ruby chase after her.
They turn around seeing the Atlas soldiers coming at them fast from far behind, they put the pieces together that Penny and those soldiers might have some connection that also include her father. Rex and Ruby hurry to Penny to help her escape.
The three friends ran across the street with the soldiers after them, but one had to stop because of a car nearly running over him and it stops when the soldier braced himself with his arms while the other is still chasing them.
Ruby look up seeing a wooden platform with some boxes, she uses her Crescent Rose to slice the platform bringing down the boxes to block the soldiers' path.
"This way!" Ruby said as she grabs onto Penny and Rex.
"Ruby, wait! We don't know if you can" But Rex's warning wasn't finish as Ruby use her Semblance to blitz away.
However, the strain on her body with carrying two people takes a big toll on her and the three fell shortly after and Ruby crashes in the middle of the street where a truck is about to run over here, but Penny push her out of the way in time and caught the truck with her hands and the collision causes the truck to be in the air with cracks beneath her feet and put the truck down.
"Are you okay?" Penny asked as the driver nodded.
"By the sea…!" Rex shocked of what he just saw.
Penny notices that a lot of people are looking at her, making her feel nervous and runs away with Rex and Ruby quickly following her.
"Penny! Come back!" Ruby called out.
Soon, they spot at an empty area with a dumpster with Penny looking so nervous.
"Penny, what in the sunken treasure chest is going on here?" Rex asked, panting of exhaustion.
"Yeah, like why the running and how did you even do that?" Ruby gestured back to the truck.
"I-I can't! Everything's fine! I-I don't want to talk about it!" Penny said while hiccupping.
"Penny, you're lying happens when you hiccup. But we can help you, let us try to understand because that's what friends do. Always be there for each other." Rex stated.
"He's right, Penny. Please, we promise to help." Ruby agreed with a gentle smile.
"Ruby, Rex… I'm not a real girl." Penny revealed her secret with hands having literal metal under the skin shocking her two friends.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
The mission starts with Rex's group going to the CCT tower only for that group to split up when Penny showed up, and now Rex and Ruby have discovered a shocking secret about Penny being more than what she is on the outside.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!