Weiss Schnee led the charge down the busy streets of Vale, her posture perfect and her steps swift but measured. Behind her, the rest of Teams RWBY and JNPR followed closely, weapons in hand and eyes focused on their quarry: the mischievous Faunus with the golden tail who had just fled from the docks.
"Don't get too excited, Ruby," Weiss called back sharply as her team leader began to sprint ahead, Crescent Rose already half-unfolded. "Stay with the group, or you'll—"
Weiss stopped abruptly in the middle of her sentence and froze, her gaze snapping upward. Confused by her sudden halt, the rest of her friends followed suit, their momentum carrying them a few steps further before they stopped, too.
"What is it?" Yang asked, her tone urgent, violet eyes scanning the area.
"Look up," Weiss said calmly, raising her hand toward the sky.
Following Weiss's gaze, the group saw a figure rapidly descending from above—a girl, plummeting through the air as if she had fallen straight out of the clouds. Gasps of alarm rippled through the group, and Ruby cried out, "She's gonna—!"
Before anyone could finish their thought or make a move, Weiss acted. Her posture shifted ever so slightly as her mind engaged her abilities. Tapping into the infinite well of her [Omni-Manipulation], Weiss focused on her [Conceptual Manipulation], instantly increasing her body's strength. Her muscles didn't visibly bulge, nor did her form change, but the sheer power flowing through her now could have shattered mountains.
The girl continued her descent, but Weiss didn't flinch. With absolute grace and precision, she stepped forward, arms outstretched, and caught the falling girl as easily as if cradling a pillow. The impact sent a small gust of wind outward, ruffling Weiss's immaculate white uniform and scattering nearby debris, but Weiss herself didn't so much as stagger.
Her friends stared in stunned silence as Weiss slowly lowered the girl, looking down at her with an expression of calm concern.
"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, her tone warm but composed.
The girl blinked at Weiss with wide green eyes; her freckled face flushed red despite her pale complexion. Though clearly not human, with vibrant green circuitry glowing faintly around her pupils and hair that shimmered like copper under the sunlight, she blushed deeply, her cheeks practically glowing.
"I—I am fine," the girl stammered, her voice tinged with mechanical precision yet surprisingly emotional. "Thank you for catching me!"
Weiss smiled softly as she set the girl gently on her feet. "I'm glad you're alright."
The girl looked up at Weiss, her green eyes shining with admiration. A faint whirring noise, like the sound of an accelerating motor, could be heard from her chest. If one listened closely, it almost sounded like... a heartbeat.
"Sal-u-ta-tions!" the girl suddenly exclaimed, her voice bright and cheerful as her arms shot outward in a gesture of unrestrained excitement.
The sudden exclamation caused a few of Weiss's companions to flinch. Blake raised an eyebrow, and Ren tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. Even Nora, who was usually the loudest of them all, blinked in surprise at the girl's unabashed energy.
Weiss chuckled softly, a rare sound immediately drawing the group's attention. "Salutations to you as well," Weiss replied with a slight bow of her head.
The girl beamed, clearly delighted. "My name is Penny Polendina! It is a pleasure to meet you all!"
"Uh... hi," Ruby said hesitantly, stepping forward and giving Penny a small wave. "I'm Ruby Rose. This is my team: Weiss, Blake, and Yang. And these are our friends from Team JNPR—Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora."
The others offered polite greetings one by one, though their responses ranged from Blake's reserved nod to Nora's enthusiastic wave.
"Salutations, new friends!" Penny said brightly, her smile somehow growing even wider.
Yang leaned closer to Ruby and whispered, "Is it just me, or is she a little... extra?"
Ruby shrugged, but Weiss caught the whisper and shot Yang a look. "Manners, Yang," she said coolly.
"I think she's charming," Pyrrha said, offering Penny a warm smile.
Before the conversation could go any further, Jaune suddenly snapped his fingers, his eyes wide. "Wait a second!" he exclaimed. "Weren't we just chasing that monkey guy?"
A brief silence followed as everyone exchanged glances.
"Oh..." Ruby muttered, realization dawning on her face.
The group collectively turned their heads toward the docks, but by now, the golden-tailed Faunus was long gone, no doubt having disappeared into the maze-like streets of Vale.
Weiss's voice broke the silence, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "I think we should leave him to the authorities," she said, her tone light. "It's not worth the trouble."
Blake, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, nodded reluctantly. "For once, I agree," she said, her amber eyes on the ground.
Penny tilted her head, her copper hair swaying slightly. "Were you trying to catch him earlier?"
"Yes," Ren answered simply, his voice calm as always.
"And we would have gotten him, too, if we'd just been a little faster!" Nora added, clenching her fists. "I wanted to break his legs!"
"Nora!" Pyrrha admonished gently, her tone carrying a hint of exasperation. "That's not very kind."
"Well, he was stealing stuff!" Nora argued, though her voice softened under Pyrrha's reproach.
"I apologize if I caused you to lose your target," Penny said, slightly bowing.
Ruby waved her hands in a flustered panic. "No, no! It's not your fault! We were just... uh..." She trailed off, clearly unsure how to finish her sentence.
"What were you doing up there, anyway?" Yang asked, gesturing vaguely toward the sky.
At this, Penny's face lit up once more. "I'm here in Vale to participate in the tournament!" she announced proudly, placing her hands on her hips.
"The tournament?" Yang repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the Vytal Festival combat tournament?"
"Correct!" Penny said with a firm nod. "I am combat-ready!"
Yang looked Penny up and down, her expression skeptical. "No offense, but... you don't really look like the fighting type."
"Sometimes appearances can be deceiving," Blake said softly, her gaze briefly meeting Penny's.
Penny nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! I may not look like much, but I assure you, I am more than capable."
Weiss, who had been silent momentarily, smiled faintly and addressed Penny. "If you're entering the tournament, then I look forward to seeing what you can do. Perhaps we'll even face each other in a match."
"That would be wonderful!" Penny said, practically bouncing on her heels.
As the group continued their conversation, the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the city. Though their day hadn't gone quite as planned, they could not deny that it had been an eventful and interesting afternoon.
For Weiss, however, something lingered in her mind. Penny's unique presence, her warmth and cheerfulness, and the faint mechanical hum she had felt when she caught the girl intrigued her in ways she couldn't yet explain.