A.N. It's been awhile but I'm back again with this story. I was mostly waiting for Volume 4 to come out and college and that jazz had me busy, but I wanted to see how it was going to play out that way this story can stay a little bit closer to canon. At least in the form of what our heroes are up against, so apologies for the wait, but with that quick note enjoy the chapter^^

Chapter 4

"Looks like we should find a different path out of the city. There's no way we can make it through that." Pyrrha noted, before the former huntress lay the ruin street that once lead north out of Vale. There were other ways out of the city of course, but this street would have brought them in the right direction towards Atlas. Several buildings had caught fire during the attack, and the larger buildings quickly collapsed covering the street in their debris. Pyrrha could still see smoke rising from the rubble that covered the area.

"I don't believe the east exit was blocked off we could try there." Penny piped up, Pyrrha humming in agreement before changing direction. As they walked Pyrrha idly twirled her new weapon in her fingers. Not being able to sleep or tire turned out to be quite useful when modifying a weapon. Plus it helped to have a companion that seemed to be also like an encyclopedia when it came to all forms of machinery and mechanics.

Just as Penny had asked, Pyrrha had spent the last day modifying Penny's old sword to more suite Pyrrha's needs. The result was the fairly well made spear Pyrrha now wielded. While not as versatile as Milo had been Pyrrha was fairly content with the new weapon. Penny's sword made the spear tip longer than most, and once Pyrrha had access to better tools she would have to reinforce the staff of the spear. Otherwise after testing the weapon out on a few Grimm that were still left in the city Pyrrha was satisfied that the weapon would do for now. Plus with the heavy modifications it was nearly unrecognizable as Penny's sword, except for the blade that still was clearly the old blade. Pyrrha didn't want the extra reminder of what she did.

Although Pyrrha didn't admit it out loud Penny had been right about letting her aura rest and replenish. Pyrrha didn't feel quite as strained, and while the events of Beacon still weighed heavily on her. Pyrrha didn't feel like collapsing under the strain of it all. Even better it seemed her aura could protect her new metal body from harm. Earlier Pyrrha had just been so drained that it couldn't even muster anything to protect her from Ironwood's soldiers. Now though Pyrrha could feel the invisible barrier protecting her from harm.

They had left the safe zone in order to leave the city and started heading towards Atlas. Pyrrha managed to find a usable backpack, just in case she found anything they might need to carry. Plus it was a safe place to tuck Penny's core away so she didn't need to hold it constantly. Penny had explained that if any damage were to come to her core it would be as fatal as any mortal wound would be to a flesh and blood person.

Heading to the eastern exit as Penny suggested Pyrrha began to take note of the subtle differences with her new metal body. Despite knowing she was now several hundred pounds heavier than before Pyrrha didn't feel heavy. In fact she felt lighter than ever, though that might be because she had no muscles to tire from lifting weight.

Her vision was better, whether dark or distant, it didn't seem to matter to her mechanical eyesight. Pyrrha was able to focus on whatever she desired, and her vision would adjust to allow her to see it better. If something was far away it would narrowed in on the object. If it was dark her vision would brighten, or even switch to night vision to allow her to see.

Small things that now seemed like a stark contrast to her human body. Pyrrha didn't want to dwell too long on such thoughts as it would only distract her to focus on what she's lost. She had a goal now, a mission, she had to get Penny back to Atlas.

"Pyrrha?" Speaking of Penny, the synthetic girl spoke up drawing Pyrrha attention. The former huntress hummed to show she was listening so Penny continued.

"What do you think happened to all of our friends? Team RWBY and your own team." If Pyrrha had a heart it would have skipped a beat. She had been so absorbed in her own despair that she had not even cast a thought about her team and Team RWBY. Vaguely Pyrrha remembered hearing Ruby's voice on the top of the tower before she was struck down, and Jaune was sent to safety when she shoved him in the locker.

Jaune, Pyrrha prayed he didn't try anything stupid when he landed. It was so strange, Pyrrha had thought that the last thing she'd ever do was kiss him then fight till her death. Pyrrha had no delusion in believing she could have survived that battle. Maybe at full strength, maybe if Cinder didn't have the Fall maiden's aura, but it was too late for maybes. Pyrrha was dead, kind of, she still wasn't sure.

"I….don't know, I hope they're okay." Pyrrha hesitated in her stride for a moment, she could head back to the safe zone. There was a chance one of her friends might be there recovering from the battle. What would she do if she found the rest of Team JNPR though? She couldn't speak to them, and they wouldn't recognize her. Perhaps it would be better if they believed her dead.

"I believe they are, but I am concerned for their safety." Pyrrha nodded in agreement at Penny's statement, their friends were strong they had to be okay. So Pyrrha kept moving not looking back, she just kept moving forward.

Traversing the ruined city of Vale wasn't the most uplifting thing to do. Every crumpled building, every fire still burning made Pyrrha cringe thinking of the cause of all this destruction. Lucky for her Penny didn't seem to let the depressing atmosphere get to her. She remained as cheerful as every, and her happy demeanor echoed through her aura keeping Pyrrha's spirit off the ground.

The sun was still covered by clouds casting a gloomy shade over the city. The clouds were heavy and it looked like it might rain soon. Which might be a good thing in Pyrrha's mind, it would help put out the many fires still raging in the city.

As they made their way to the east exit somehow Penny had ended up excitingly telling Pyrrha about the different kinds of clouds and the weather they brought. Pyrrha didn't really need the information, but it was nice listening to Penny talk passionately about something even as silly as clouds. The synthetic girl certainly knew a lot though, and Pyrrha would bet she could put most scientists and professors to shame with her knowledge.

The rather calm moment was cut short though, making their way to the exit the sound of gunfire caught Pyrrha's attention. It sounded automatic like a minigun, but there were other shots that were clearly a different weapon retaliating.

"One sounds like a Paladin's mounted turret. We should investigate to make sure no one is in danger." Penny perked up sounding concerned, most of the mechs were destroyed, but a few survived the battle roaming the city searching for anything to destroy. Pyrrha nodded, quickly making her way to the sound of the gunfire.

Passing through a few alleyways eventually Pyrrha heard a voice call out.

"Velvet get to cover you're all out of weapons!" Pyrrha recognized that voice, silently slipping out of the alleyway to the open street confirmed it. Coco the leader of Team CVFY was currently knelt behind a destroyed car as two Atlesian paladins unleashed a hail of bullets at her. Assessing the area further Pyrrha saw Velvet crouched behind a different car that was flipped on its side after being thrown. A third paladin was lying not far from her having been destroyed by the faunus before she took cover.

"Penny," Penny's aura shifted upon being addressed. The paladins have yet to notice Pyrrha, or if they did they believed she was on their side.

"How combat ready are we again?" Pyrrha asked inwardly smiling, Penny's strangely accurate estimates were starting to grow on her. Besides Pyrrha hasn't truly fought anything since her failed battle with Cinder, she could use a confidence boost.

"We are at 81.2% combat efficiency, so we are combat ready!" Penny cheerfully noted, Pyrrha nodded adjusting her grip on her spear. Without another word she sprung into action before the paladins noticed her.

Bursting from the alleyway Pyrrha rushed forward one of the paladins turning its gaze on her. It didn't fire about to turn its attention back to Coco when Pyrrha lept, jumping onto the paladin's arm. From there Pyrrha jumped again noticing how easy the action was without muscles to tire or breath to run out of. Landing on top of the paladin's cockpit she raised her spear.

The paladin still ignored her, whatever virus affected it didn't account for another mech attacking it. When Pyrrha brought her spear down at the junction where the paladin's arm met its body the paladin jerked in what one could assume was surprise. Sparks flew from the junction, the arm flailing as the paladin lost control of it. Quickly before it could throw her off Pyrrha ran her spear through the paladin's other joint crippling both its arms.

Pyrrha jumped off the mech as it stumbled and fell to the ground. The other paladin finally registering Pyrrha as a threat trained its weapons on her. Pyrrha moved, circling around the mech avoiding gunfire. With its massive size though the mech couldn't turn fast enough to keep up with the former huntress. Before it could do anything Pyrrha dashed forward slashing one of the weaker joints on its legs.

The joint held, and Pyrrha backflipped away barely avoiding a heavy kick from the mech's other leg. The mech opened fired and Pyrrha flinched feeling the bullets be absorbed by her aura. It didn't hurt, but Pyrrha was all too aware the damage she could take if her aura gave out.

"Pyrrha, not to….I think the term is backseat drive? But your semblance is magnetism, it seems like a waste of energy to fight an opponent that has such a fatal weakness to you. " Penny's voice piped up, and Pyrrha nearly tripped almost completely forgetting about the synthetic girl in the heat of the moment. Inwardly Pyrrha slapped herself, this wasn't a person she was fighting. Nor was this a tournament match she was fighting in. With her semblance Pyrrha could easily cripple most fighters since metal was such a common material in armor and weapons. She never did though seeing it as unfair to her opponent. The only time Pyrrha had ever really used her semblance to its fullest power was her fight with Cinder. Penny was right though, why was she wasting time and energy when she had the power to defeat this machine easily.

Focusing Pyrrha stopped avoiding the gunfire, flinching slightly as the bullets hit her. It didn't matter though, focusing her semblance a subtle black glow enveloped the paladin. With a swipe of her hand the machine's arms were ripped violently away from its body. The paladin crumpling to the ground sparks shooting out of its arm sockets.

"Sensational!" Penny's cheerful voice complemented as the mech fell. Pyrrha was less than cheerful however, watching the paladin's arms be ripped from its body reminded Pyrrha too much of another event. Flashes of Penny's form being ripped to pieces in front of her appeared in Pyrrha's mind. Her body shook, she just destroyed the mech with nothing but a flick of her wrist. Just like Penny the mech had been ripped to pieces falling to the ground in a heap.

"Pyrrha," Penny's voice was gentle coaxing Pyrrha away from her darker thoughts. Pyrrha didn't say anything, but she could feel Penny's aura shifting closer to her own. She must sense Pyrrha's inner turmoil again. Only causing another wave of guilt to crash over Pyrrha for forcing Penny to be stuck with her.

"Hey Pyrrha," Penny's voice tried again, this time there was something else in her voice that Pyrrha couldn't recognize at the moment. Her mind was spiraling again her world narrowing the paladins forgotten.

"Pyrrha did you know Atlas scientists once trained a mouse to use its aura?" Pyrrha paused, hearing Penny's question made Pyrrha focus on the words being spoken to her. Tearing her thoughts away from whatever dark place they were falling down she focused on Penny's question.

"No, I didn't. Why a mouse?" Pyrrha's voice answered after a moment. It was a challenge to focus on Penny's voice and not the voice in Pyrrha's head shouting at her. Telling the former huntress that all this destruction was her fault, that she was no hero just a destructive murderer.

"Because the rats kept biting the scientists, so they switched to something more docile. They actually let me name the mice back at the lab, though after the experiment was over the mice were given to a different department." A pause then Pyrrha let out an uncertain laugh. She wasn't sure if Penny was serious, but the synthetic girl's effort to keep Pyrrha's thought from spiraling downwards were appreciated.

"You know a little bit of everything don't you Penny. Thank you, I feel a little better." Penny' aura's shifted relaxing back in its normal spot in the back of Pyrrha's head.

"I don't believe I know everything, but thank you friend! I'm glad you're feeling better." Penny's voice happily chirped, Pyrrha felt herself relaxing no longer focusing on her more depressing thoughts. Now that she wasn't though she could now notice Coco and Velvet watching her from behind their cover.

"They're safe we should probably leave since we have no way to tell them we're on their side." Penny's aura shifted anxiously at the idea that the members of Team CVFY might attack them.

Not wasting anytime Pyrrha turned to start heading back to the east exit, but she heard Coco's heels click against the pavement as she moved. Turning her head Pyrrha saw Coco exit her cover still holding her minigun out and ready. The leader of Team CVFY was approaching Pyrrha.

"Hold it right there you piece of scrap metal." Coco called out, stopping her approach only a few feet away from Pyrrha. At this time Pyrrha heard a click turning her head Velvet had exited her cover as well. Her camera was out as she took a picture of Pyrrha. The rabbit faunus quickly joined Coco at her side.

"You're not attacking us, what's up with you?" Coco spoke her brow furrowed, though her eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses.

"Uh Coco, I don't think Atlesian knights are able to talk." Velvet pointed out looking curiously at the mech before them. Inwardly Pyrrha felt her nonexistent heart clench, there was no recognition in their eyes. Sure Pyrrha didn't interact that much with Team CVFY before, but they knew each other. Seeing someone she once knew look at her with nothing but suspicion in their eyes was an extra stab to the heart Pyrrha didn't have.

"Doesn't mean it can't understand, and this one is definitely not like the others. Someone fixed it up, and it doesn't fight like the others. The only question is, is it on our side or…." Coco's minigun's chamber began to spin in a threatening manner. Pyrrha felt Penny's aura shifting nervously.

"Don't worry Penny, Coco won't attack without reason. She just likes to show off sometimes." Thinking for a moment Pyrrha thought the best way to show she meant them no harm. Spinning her spear in her hand Pyrrha pointed the tip towards the ground planting the weapon in the ground letting go of the spear leaving it stand there. Coco stared at her for moment before she deactivated her gun. The weapon folded neatly back into a purse that Coco slung over her shoulder.

"All right then, thanks for the help there. That's two more paladins we don't have to worry about anymore. Good luck with whatever you're doing, come on Velvs let's get out of here." The rabbit faunus' ears twitched giving the odd machine a look before turning to follow Coco. Pyrrha too turned the other way heading back towards east exit. A hollow ache in her soul leaving behind someone she once knew, but now they didn't even recognize her.

"Please tell me I won't rust away." Pyrrha pleaded upon looking up at the rain falling from the sky. After their encounter with Coco and Velvet the trip out of Vale was mostly uneventful. They made it to the gate leading out of the city, nothing but vast unoccupied forests spanned outside of Vale.

"It would take quite some time before your body begins rusting. The Atlesian mechs were designed to last outside the kingdoms for long periods of. The scrap we used to we repair you however I can't be sure, I could come up with an estimate though?" Pyrrha looked up at the sky as Penny spoke. Water droplets stuck to her visor making it almost as if she were wearing goggles. She eventually shook her head telling Penny she didn't need an estimated time for when she should expect to start rusting away. The two fell into silence after that the only sound was that of the rain hitting Pyrrha's metal body. They had a long walk ahead of them.

A.N. And so the journey to Atlas begins! From here on in it will be while before we see any familiar faces as most of our main cast from RWBY is recovering from Beacon themselves. I really think the writers of RWBY missed an opportunity with killing Pyrrha off so soon after she "murdered" Penny. From what we've seen of Pyrrha she wouldn't harm a fly unless they were threatening her friends/family, so to actually murder someone even if it wasn't her fault has got to leave a lasting impact. I'm looking forward to writing Pyrrha slowly coming to forgive herself for that, but anyway enough of my ramblings. I'll see you guys next chapter, reviews are loved!