Volume 4, Chapter 6:
When she first became human, she felt the pros of it like truly feeling alive, getting to share comforting hugs, and getting to share a first kiss with the girl of her heart. Now, she was experiencing the cons of becoming human such as DYING?! Not the best thing at all, then feeling pain once in a while especially holding the special heart monitor on her chest, and her legs getting very tired from walking for so long from the medical base to the fallen kingdom of Atlas.
Penny finally made it and had to take a long breather after walking for almost an hour and in this dreaded cold weather. As she looked up to see the kingdom no more, it struck her with painful emotions and haunting memories. It could have all been prevented, it could have all been different yet it came to the worst-case scenario. Her home has been destroyed, lives were lost...her friends...Ruby...they were gone.
Penny: *wipes tears* Cmon Polendina. No time to cry, I gotta find those medications.
Penny put on her gas mask and to her surprise, she found a boat nearby. It raised concern if someone else was in the city but it could have also been someone who escaped from the collapse of the kingdom. It was the only way to search the area and got on the boat, grabbing a large boat paddle, and began to row to the remains of Atlas.
She looked around to see debris of Atlas Mantle alongside left behind items that people were perhaps trying to bring with in evacuation but dropped it in a rush. A terrifying sight came her way when she saw remains of Cybermen and Cyber Grimm but they all seemed to be dead and in pieces. An idea ran through her mind at the very moment, The Doctor.
Penny: There's no way of communications but what if...*thinks* I could find something that triggers some sort of signal for the Doctor's TARDIS to detect it. We could be rescued and taken to better medical facility.
Penny's optimism and determination grew as there was a chance for her, Dr. Simm, and the patients to be rescued and taken from this ghost kingdom. She continued row around the flooded remain until she spotted one of the larger buildings and noticed the top having the Atlas symbol and the world HOSPITAL.
Penny: Made it! Now then *pulls out a small paper* Where would the pharmacy be located though?
She rowed closer to the hospital and checked for radiation activity inside the hospital and saw it wasn't as high as around the kingdom but still deadly. She approached one of the broken windows of the hospital and made her way inside. The current floor of the hospital where she was in was flooded but from her ankles below, she couldn't imagine the horror of being the floors below where it's entirely flooded. She walked down the hallway and spotted a hospital map.
Penny: *looks around the map* Let's see...Pharmacy...where are you...Ah Ha!
She found two pharmacies remaining with the first one already flooded on the first floor but there was one in the current floor she was in and one at the very top of the hospital floor. She grabbed a pen and wrote the directions to both pharmacies behind the list of medications and began to make her way.
It didn't take long for her to reach the first pharmacy and was able to find all but one medication that she had listed down. She stacked them in her bag and crossed them out from the list. Only one remained as she looked once again but found no sign of it.
Penny: *sighs* Well, guess there will be a bit of an adventure after all...*trembles and sniffs* Y-You...would have liked an adventure...wouldn't you...Ruby...
The exact moment she saw Ruby and her friends fall is still a clear image that won't leave her head and she hated it. It was killing her more than her own death by Cinder. They were gone. They were dead. And she couldn't do anything but release her tears. She tried to keep calm but couldn't as she let out a frustrating scream which caused sharp pain from her chest which struck her momentarily as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down.
Penny: What...is the point of living...if those around you are no longer here...Why?...WHY AM I STILL ALIVE?!
Shouting out her frustration, Penny fell silent and tried to calm herself before the defibrillator on her chest causes more painful troubles. Once she was calm, she regained her composure and focused on getting that final medication on the list. She exited the current floor and looked up the long stairway she had to walk to get to the last floor on top.
Penny: *sighs in exhaustion* Let's just get this over with.
Penny began her walk to the last floor of the hospital and knew this was going to take a while. The good thing about this is she got most of the medications already and it has been an easy cruise.
Unfortunately, that was not going to last long as a dark figure watched Penny make her way up from the floor she entered. It watched her from the door window until she disappeared from view and the figure slowly opened the door, slowly about to follow her and Penny does not know.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
As the dark skies of the night continues to cover Atlas, the sun was beginning to set down for the day in Vacuo. It has been a busy first day already for the Doctor and Weiss after making their return from their long search for their friends. Somehow, a lot happened in one day than 5 months out there in the universe.
They've returned to a new and improved UNIT organization; Raven Branwen has emerged from the shadows which triggered a scary side of the Doctor, the news of Vale being destroyed and taken over by Salem, then his recent confrontation with The Rani. But perhaps the biggest takeaway of today was meeting the Summer Maiden, Sora Azure who later revealed her true self to the Doctor and Weiss as someone important and close to them from the future.
So much happened but thanks to Sora, they were able to advance the search for Team RBY and Jaune as they were trapped in a pocket dimension which is the Ever After from the book, The Girl Who Fell Through the World. Now the question was how to get there and it was a very long day in the UNIT base with the smartest minds such as Whitley and Marrow trying to come up with the right calculations and solutions on how to cross through the pocket dimension but after a very long day...they decided to call it a day which the Doctor understood. These people weren't like him, they couldn't sleep as little like him nor stay awake and full of energy as long as him.
Weiss: *bumps his shoulder* You okay?
The Doctor: *smiles softly* Yeah...just thinking. Today sure was...a heavy load.
Weiss: No kidding. *yawns* It sure drained me.
The Doctor: Why don't you call it a night in the TARDIS? You deserve some good sleep as well.
Weiss: What about you?
The Doctor: You already know Time Lords rarely need sleep. I'll probably continue doing bit more research...maybe have bit of talk with Sora.
Weiss: *looks at him and pulls his ear* Don't do or say anything stupid to her considering she's from the future! You know the rules!
The Doctor: *winces in pain* Oi! Oi! Oi! Yes I know! OwOwOwOw!
Weiss: *lets go then kisses his cheek* Sorry. If you need anything just let me know.
The Doctor: *smiles and nods* Get some sleep, Ice Queen.
The lovely Schnee smiled at her soon to be husband before parting and heading inside the TARDIS to get some good sleep. The Doctor watched until he took a deep breath and rubbed his face. This was becoming too much for him and hadn't it been for him holding his regeneration in, it could have been much worse. He heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see a cup of tea being offered to him by none other than the Summer Maiden herself.
Sora: Earl Grey Tea?
The Doctor: *takes it and nods* Just how I like it. Thank you. *sips* How long have you been here?
Sora: Not long after the situation...with the Crown family here in Vacuo. Heard some pretty disturbing things that occurred and you were there to be their ultimate saving grace. They paid the ultimate price in return. It must be quite a sight, an entire march of rebellion people, easy. One Doctor, now you're begging for dear life to be saved.
The Doctor: *closes my eyes* I gave them a chance to change. Let them see and understand the suffering these people were dealing with. They refused, they only cared for power, and immortality...so I let them have it...
Sora: And now?
The Doctor: *scoffs* They're seeing what immortality can be. *Looks down* There were people I connected with...and I lost them because they were defending their home. Not a single day goes by where I think about them and the fates they've met in their ends.
Sora: You did so much more than you believe, you gave them the courage to show the people who are the true leaders of this place-
The Doctor: And I could have done more. I could have...and I didn't...
Sora's expression was filled with guilt and pain to know that this incarnation of the Doctor being the youngest has gone through some things and he continues to push himself to do better. She didn't have the guts to tell him that dark times are coming in each of his incarnations.
The Doctor: All I can do now...is try and protect this world...and these amazing, beautiful people...*looks at my hand* Before time runs out for me.
Sora looked at the Doctor's hand and noticed the low glimmer appearing. She grabbed it and took a deep breath to give him a sign of reassurance.
Sora: I can't say much especially about your fate...but just know that you are just getting started in your life. There's nothing to worry about and everyone here...are going to be okay...okay?
The Doctor remained silent, filled with mixed thoughts and emotions inside. Sora knew this was too much for him to still take in and decided to give him some alone time. When he became the Doctor to continue the legacy of the Original, he knew the risks, the difficulties, the trouble, but he didn't prepare himself enough for it especially from the trauma of the Time War.
There's only two people that know more about his future than himself and that was both Willow and Sora. And hearing their personal experiences with him, it shows that he continues to improve and becoming much stronger mentally. It was a lot to take in right now but that spark of hope in him continues to hold down all that weight.
Dalek Khan: Doctor?
The Doctor's thoughts came back to the real world and looked up to see Dalek Khan and Willow Schnee approaching him which meant it was time to reach out their secret communications.
Willow: They're ready to communicate. We'll need to head to one of the private rooms to avoid any suspicion or fear.
The Doctor: Right, then Off We Go.
The three left the main headquarters to the private room for them to have a secret conversation with an unknown partner of the Shadow Proclamation. The Doctor needed all the help he could get to get closer to bringing back Team RBY and Jaune, even if it meant working with former enemies.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
After another long and exhausting walk, this time from staircases, Penny made it to the top of the hospital floor to retrieve the remaining medication left on her list. She entered the floor to see a lot of damage from the falling impact but was enough to have a clear walkaway.
Penny: One more medication...*sighs* Then the long way back.
She continues the route she drew to the pharmacy while the dark figure watched from the window door, its hands close to opening the door and following her. Penny observed the damaged area, seeing lots of remaining equipment and medications left behind. As she continued to make her way through, she stopped and tried not to make any noise for a terrifying sight in front of her...
A Cyberman...
Her heart beating faster than she's ever experienced, truly terrified at the sight of those emotionless steel monsters and without any weapon or power, she was defenseless.
But she noticed it down and out for good. It was missing its entire bottom half and its left arm. She got a closer look at it from a safe distance and sighed in relief to see it dead. She carefully moved back and continued her way to the pharmacy.
Penny: Times like these I wish the Doctor was around to give me useful information about the Cybermen...*looks around and gasps* Yes!
At long last, Penny finally made it to the pharmacy and ran towards it, looking for the remaining medication left. A dark shadow was slowly looming in the hallway as it continued to watch Penny trying to find the last medication left. Penny stopped for a moment, sensing that eerie feeling that she was being watched and turned around immediately but saw nothing in sight. She double checked but there was nothing. She continued to calm herself and spotted something in the corner of her eye, the final medication...
She sighed in relief and smiled brightly as she found the last one and placed it in her bag. She crossed it off the list as now she had every medication needed to give Doctor Simm. She can imagine the relief on his voice to know there's going to be enough to keep his patients okay.
Penny: Time to go.
At first step, Penny feels something on her leg as she trips over it, hurting herself, dropping the bag of medications, and her gas mask falling off. Her eyes widened, held her defibrillator in pain, and held her breath as she looked back to see a hand on her leg...
It was the damaged Cyberman holding her down as wires from the missing arm, extended out and tried to wrap around her but Penny with all her strength kicked the Cyberman's head repeatedly, causing it to break free as Penny tried to grab her gas mask immediately and put it on. She didn't know if the radiation poisoning already got to her by the time the mask fell off.
Penny tried to make a run for it until the wires wrapped around her leg once again, causing her to trip as the damaged Cyberman climbed towards her. Penny struggled and she didn't know what to use to break free. In the corner of her eye, she saw a dark figure watching from afar but her vision was starting to get blurry...
She was being affected by the radiation...
Cyberman: YOU SHALL BE REPAIRED AND EVOLVED!
Penny: *grunts* LET GO!
Penny looked around her surrounding and caught a glimpse of a small boulder as she grabbed it but dropped it when a loud CRUNCH was heard and a gut-wrenching scream came out of her as the Cyberman grabbed her leg and crushed it with its grip, preventing her from getting up and running.
Penny: *grunts in pain and picks up the boulder* BITE ME!
Penny lunged the boulder at the Cyberman's face, damaging it and causing it to let her go as she tried to get up but struggled in terrible pain, collapsing to the ground again. Penny then crawled her way to the bag of medications and looking back to see if the Cyberman was down but it was still moving towards her and lifted its damaged head, a sight that terrified Penny...
The Cyberman's mask was half open from the impact of the boulder to reveal a pale and soulless Yang Xiao Long...
Yang: You...could have saved us all...and you didn't...
Penny hyperventilated at the horrifying sight at her friend being a Cyberman and the trauma of the moment Yang fell coming back to her. Penny shook her rapidly to get it out of her mind but was instead met with a face of a skull inside of the Cyberman causing a jump scare as she tried to crawl away from it.
Penny continues crawling, trying to reach the staircase where she entered as she looked back to see the Cyberman still coming after her. Her leg...crushed, her chest...in sharp pain, her mind...completely broken, she just wanted to survive at this point.
Blake: You were right there...
Penny's eyes widened before looking up to see a pale Blake Belladonna right by the doorway to the stairs. The hallucination was getting stronger and her trauma was ripping her apart.
Blake: You could have flown towards us...but you chose to stay still and focus on Cinder...now we're just ghosts to you...
Penny: *tears up* N-NO?! I...I...I was- I should have- *sobs*
Penny let her tears fall but pushed the door to the stairs and crawled towards them, she needed to crawl back down carefully...
But the Cyberman got to her once again...
And lunged her off the stairs as Penny screamed then crashed through multiple stairs, feeling her body break to pieces as she continues to roll down the stairs before crashing at a wall, and laying on the ground motionless...
Her gas mask...fell off, her defibrillator...damaged, her leg...broken, her body...twisted as Penny laid there with heavy amount of pain throughout her body and her chest as she lets out another painful and emotional scream that could be heard in all of the fallen kingdom of Atlas...
Ruby: I died in Atlas too, didn't I?...
Penny's tears fell more and closed her eyes hearing her voice, the voice of her first friend, her first best friend, her first love...she heard footsteps approaching her and tilted her head over to see the dark, shadowy figure end up being a hallucination of Ruby Rose, pale and soulless from her eyes. Penny used her remaining strength and reached her hand to Ruby...
Penny: *sobs* R-Ruby...
Ruby: Can you imagine what that's like? To be completely and utterly failed...time and again...*kneels down* by someone who meant the world to you...
Penny: *sniffs and sobs* I...I'm...so sorry...I'm so sorry...
Ruby's face turned into a skull before vanishing out of Penny's sight as she couldn't speak anymore but only make noises from her sobbing, her hand still reaching out...Ruby and her friends were truly gone...and it was all her fault...
No more...
Penny: I...don't want to live anymore...*sobs* LET ME DIEEEEE!
She heard the Cyberman getting closer as she gave up to continue and waited for her final moment to come. She was going to die...but she wasn't going to suffer anymore, physically and emotionally...
She'll finally get to reunite with her friends in a much better world...
Penny: Wait for me...Ruby...*looks over at the bag* I'm sorry...Doctor Simm...hopefully you'll come by and pick them up...and I'll be at peace...
She knew she would die, either by radiation poisoning, her heart stopping, or the Cyberman but it didn't matter anymore as Penny slowly closed her eyes and everything went pitch black...
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Back at the UNIT base in Vacuo, operations were at a low for the day was coming to an end and things were starting to go slow. But for the Doctor, he wasn't planning on stopping, he needed to find any kind of solution to break past the temporal distortion...
...even if it meant working with unexpected forces...as the Doctor alongside Willow Schnee and Dalek Khan enter a private room as Willow lowered down the lights and Dalek Khan moved forward in front of the two.
The Doctor: Are we ready?
Dalek Khan: Yes! Awaiting communications from their side.
The Doctor waited and took a deep breath. He was not there during the first Shadow Proclamation meeting between UNIT, Judoons, and them. This would be the very first time he sees them again and his mind filled with mixed thoughts...and his heart filled with fear and doubt...
Dalek Khan: They are ready!
It was going to be the first time he sees them...since the invasion at Argus...
Holographic image began to form in front of the three as the Doctor watched on and recognized the Black Casing and Gold Orbs alongside its claw manipulator arm and a Dalek Minigun. The last thing he saw appearing was the eyestalk and now they were here...
The Doctor: Hello, Dalek Ryuk...
Dalek Ryuk: Doctor.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
In the Ever After, Team RBY were being taken by the Toy Soldiers to the Red Castle as they got a clear view of it and where they hope they would get the help of the Red King.
Yang: *grunts* He said they were indestructible to anything! And now, these guys just snapped it in two pieces. *Sighs and looks up* Uh, are we sure we should do this?
Ruby: Well, the Red King helped Alyx.
Blake: We aren't Alyx.
Ruby didn't answer and marched forward, leaving more worries from Blake and Yang. The three enter the courtyard to the castle where many toy soldiers were standing and lined up together in a pathway. One of the soldiers begins a drumroll while the others play a little music as a group of soldiers approach Team RWBY and moved aside to reveal...
A very short, child...who happens to be the Red King?...
Ruby: You're the Red King?
Red Prince: *eyes widened* How dare you! There is no King! I'm the Red Prince. Hmph! Why, I never! Coming to someone's castle without even knowing who they are, and ON MY BIRTHDAY!
Toy Guards: Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!
Red Prince: Yes, yes. A joyous occasion, thank you very much.
Blake: *whispers to Ruby* Red Prince?
Yang: The King wasn't nearly as rude, or small, or loud.
Toy Guard: *gasps* Well, if it hadn't been for your kind, the King would still be here!
Ruby: *smiles and bows* Happy birthday, Your Majesty.
Little: Happy birthday!
Yang: Ugh, happy birthday…
Blake: Happy birthday.
Red Prince: *gasps* How do you know such privileged information?! *Climbs on a soldier* You must be infiltrators! Here to steal my crown!
Yang: *sighs* You literally just told us.
Red Prince: SILENCE! You are in the presence of royalty! That's me, thank you very much. The heir to the Crimson Castle!
Toy Soldier 02: Your majesty! We have brought you a magnificent gift, befitting of the royal birthday! *kneels*
Toy Soldier 01: *hands the gift to him* It is very rare! The weapon of the greatest warrior to ever live!
Toy Soldier 02: Acquired by us and only us with no help at all.
The Red Prince jumps off in excitement and rushes over to the gift as he opened it to reveal Penny's sword, much to the Red Prince's disappointment...
Red Prince: Uh green? Why. Is. It. GREEN?!
Out of rage like a kid throwing a tantrum, the Red Prince kicks the sword away to a red hedge as Ruby tried to run and grab it but was blocked by multiple guards...leaving her even more heartbroken and gutted...
Ruby: How could you?...
Toy Soldier 02: Forgive us, your majesty! We didn't know it was green!
Toy Soldier 01: Please, please forgive us!
Red Prince: HMPH! Take them away...
Toy Soldier 01: Your Majesty, please!
Toy Soldier 02: They gave it to us!
A couple of guards grabbed the two that were now disowned by the Red Prince and dragged them behind the hedge as the girls saw the sharp axes swing down and the screaming and pleading went completely silent, leaving the three girls stunned. Ruby turned back to the Red Prince to act fast and save themselves.
Ruby: No, wait! Maybe we can help cheer you up!
Red Prince: Hm. *thinks* Beheading people does cheer me up...But, go on...
Ruby: We heard you like to play games...*smiles mischievously*
Red Prince: *grins* I do...*snaps my fingers* Bring them to my castle! And bring the prisoner as well, she'll be joining these three for our game!
The Red Prince was picked up and carried by one of the Toy Soldier's shoulders while the others push Team RBY to move forward which they do but their minds are now scrambling at the last thing that the Red Prince mentioned...
What prisoner? And who is SHE to be exact?