The Dragon Of Beacon

"Creation sings, the universe dances." That reality is known to some, and in a universe where the song is distorted, where a simple soul will play the most critical note, The Guardian of Everything shall become the fan that will feed the flame of the simplest soul.

Aura Research Center, the City of Atlas, Kingdom of Atlas.

"Well, what do you think?"

"Honestly? It was far more impressive to see her live. I must say Miss Schnee was considerably more proficient than expected."

Those were the words of the guest of the researcher who was testing Weiss Schnee. The researcher was an ordinary man with brown hair, a round face, and rectangular-rimmed glasses, wearing, as usual, a white lab coat covering a blue dress shirt and the top of his black pants, with black shoes completing his outfit.

"Well, I have to say that with the generous funds Jacques Schnee granted us for letting him use our facilities to test his daughter, our research will be able to bear fruit."

"Yes, Jacques seems to be like that. He'll throw money away to remove any obstacles. Anyway, I guess I'll go now, I'll be waiting for a copy of your findings as soon as..."

"And what are you doing here?"

Said Weiss Schnee as she reached the Control Room, interrupting the visitor.

"Well, Miss Sneeze, I know you're aware of what I do."

Replied said visitor, who was dressed in a dark green tuxedo jacket covering his white dress shirt, and again the top of his crimson pants, black dress shoes finishing off the, undoubtedly tacky attire.

"Antagonizing Father, that's what you do! You're a scoundrel and a bad man who..."

Weiss replied to his polite remark in an aggressive and indignant tone, especially after the derogatory nickname he used to address her, preventing him from responding by carrying on.

"Now, I want to know what you're doing here. My father assured me that this test would be private."

The young man smiled at the heiress, bearing the brunt of her contempt as he said.

"And so it was, your 'performance' was witnessed just by the researchers - that is, us - and was recorded for Jacques to watch at his leisure, and let me tell you that it was a far more impressive performance than the ones you've performed singing, dear Miss Sneeze."

Of course, as he said that, he offered a handkerchief to Weiss, who took it rudely and wiped the blood from her eye and face. Yet, the visitor only looked at the researcher next to him before waving with two fingers and moving towards the exit, completely ignoring the angry Miss Schnee.

???? Research Lab, the City of Atlas, Kingdom of Atlas, A couple of days later.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

Said a man as he saw his companion. This man had black hair with white temples, blue eyes, and a strong bearing, dressed in an immaculate white uniform with bright blue and red tie, so General James Ironwood, General of the Army and Headmaster of the Atlas Combat Academy told someone, who replied.

"You already know the answer to that question, James, sorry, General."

Said companion, a dark-skinned young man that was wearing the strangest outfit: black tennis shoes, red sweatpants, and a white shirt, all complemented by a green lab coat, which was revealed to us as he stood up while offering his right hand to the general, who shook it in an unmistakable gesture of friendship.

"Sure, but I still think I should try to convince you to study at Atlas and go to Vale during the Vytal Tournament."

"Of course General and my answer will remain no. If I am to fulfill my mission. I must be where things will happen, and for this universe, that place is Beacon."

The answer surprised the general; after all, until that moment, the young man had never said how important Beacon was to his plans, yet he continued.

"Besides, I still have to visit Pietro and prepare some things before I leave for Patch. So, if you'll excuse me, General."

And the young man let go of General Ironwood's hand, took his scroll, and started walking towards the exit of the lab, only to hear the general say.

"Poncho, wait. What are you going to Patch for?"

"There's someone I need to see before I meet with Ozpin, James, besides, you need to get the Council's approval to renew the Atlesian Technology."

And with that said, the so-called Poncho left the lab, ready to get on with what he had to do.

-I love Mantle, it looks a lot like home, the buildings aren't big, and the atmosphere is... homey, and I find the climate quite pleasant, I think that's part of what attracts Pietro, well, besides escaping from stuffy Atlas.-

Poncho thought as he walked through the streets of the city of Mantle, the brown buildings showing the history of the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Mantle, noticing how the people despite not being as affluent as the Atlesians seemed to live better, yet when he reached his destination he couldn't help but greet a passer-by before entering.

"Hello? Dr. Polendina, are you here?"

Poncho asked as he entered the "clinic" where Pietro Polendina helps Mantle with their technology problems, basically by making and maintaining prostheses, seeing how the perfectly lit room had as decorations different models of robotic prosthetics in which the genius known as Pietro Polendina operated.

"What? How? Who? Ah, it's you! Come on, come on, let's go!

Said a voice with a warmth and quality that anyone would find in a grandfather. At the same time, the noise of mechanical servos announced the arrival of a Pietro Polendina. A dark-skinned, white-haired, affable-looking man was sitting on a chair with several robotic legs, which moved the man as he extended one arm to greet Poncho, who appropriately reacted.

"And what brings you to Mantle today? Is it time already? And does James agree?"

The doctor asked with almost impossible energy for someone in his condition.

"Calm, professor, yes, it is time. As for James, he doesn't agree, but he knew that was my plan all along, as, for me, I came to have one last look at Project P. Doctor."

Of course, those answers seemed to be what Pietro expected, as he moved to the back of the store, instructing Poncho to follow him, who did so until he reached an elevator, which they both boarded.

"Are you sure we should do this?"

"Thomas, Thomas, you've seen this world as much as I have. Your Variable Weapons System would be more than useful to the little lady."

And the ringing of a bell marked the moment when Pietro Poledina and Alfonso Oogami arrived at the secret laboratory where the development of the mysterious Project P. was happening. A spacious room with a table in the center of it, on the table, Project P. had been covered. On the walls, multiple computers stood, all of them running, with several robotic arms hanging from the ceiling, inactive at the moment, but always ready to be used.

"I see that the guests I brought have been busy. Dr. Light, Dr. Wily."

Said Poncho as they met with the scientists who stopped arguing among themselves as they heard the newcomer's greeting, this at the same time that they both saw Pietro and Poncho.

"Oh? It seems our benefactor has returned, Albert."

Said a voice as Doctors Albert Wily and Thomas Light looked at Poncho and Dr. Polendina, which allowed them to see the two scientists. Thomas Light, the resident Santa Claus impersonator, was dressed in a white lab coat that covered his blue shirt and blue tie with white dots and the top of his reddish-brown pants. The brown shoes completed his outfit. Dr. Wily, on the other hand, wore his robe open, showing his black shirt and smooth red tie, his black pants, a belt with an engraved skull buckle, and brown moccasins that completed the outfit.

"Well, Dr. Light, I just came to check out Project P. one last time, since it's time for the next part of my little intrigue to begin, ask Dr. Wily, I'm sure he knows how this works."

Said the brunet young man known as Poncho as he looked at Project P.'s resting place, of course, invoking Dr. Wily's name had the expected result and the good doctor said.

"Ah yes, intrigue is good for the soul, but before you two so boldly interrupted us, I was trying to convince Thomas to add his Variable Weapons System, as it could benefit Project P. enormously."

"And, seeing that the girl has a pretty good mind for it, I was saying we could add Albert's Double Gear System."

Said Dr. Light as he looked at his colleague turned enemy turned colleague again for a moment before the hitherto silent Dr. Polendina told in a friendly voice.

"Come, come, gentlemen, I am eternally grateful for your help in finishing Penny, but I would not wish to impose, as you have proved to be brilliant engineers; besides, Penny should be more than a war machine."

"And I agree, Doctor Polendina, but I agree with Albert that we must give the little lady every advantage possible."

That was Dr. Light's response, his frank and genial demeanor shining through as he smiled at his colleagues before resuming.

"That's why I suggested adding Albert's Double Gear System instead of my Variable Weapons System; after all, Alfonso's Artificial Soul System paired with the Self-Choice System will ensure proper use of the Double Gear System. Besides, didn't you say you wanted her to be more like your Hunters and Huntresses than the Military Robots Atlas has been developing so far, Pietro?"

And while Thomas was talking Poncho moved to one of the computers, where a screen showed the status of the artificial soul that would enhance the aura and semblance of the gynoid that rested in the center of the room, noting how the soul was acclimating to the new body beyond expectations.

"For all its worth, our work will ensure that this Penny turns out to be far superior to the one I once knew. But anyway, if I may make a suggestion, why don't we add both the double-gear and the variable-weapon systems? By modifying the latter a bit, after all, we are making a Penny Polendina, not a Mega Woman, right?"

Which made Pietro remember a little bit, to the times the original team was starting to work on Project P., how Arthur threatened to destroy them all, driving many away, really worried about the consequences of challenging the Arthur Watts, the man who single-handedly created the necessary systems for Atlas, only for the young man who introduced himself as Alfonso "Poncho" Oogami, who brought with him both Thomas Light and Albert Wily and the three of them joined the project, teaching the rest of the team many, many things. Still, the most important ones only Pietro himself learned, like the origins of the kind older men who helped Pietro and his team to create the perfect daughter for him and the first Artificial Huntress.

"If I may... What exactly is the Variable Weapons System?"

It was Pietro's question, which was, surprisingly, answered by Albert, who said.

"Well, you already know the story between Albert and me back home, how I can be considered a criminal, well, the Variable Weapon System is something that Thomas developed to counteract my reprogramming of his work robots. His robots are usually single-focused, which means they have a strength and a weakness, the Variable Weapon System allows his super fighting robot to copy the powers of the defeated Robot Masters as usually, one's strength is another's weakness.

"Of course, implementing the VWS as is might be simply impossible, after all, Penny will probably be fighting either Grimm or humans, so there's no weapon data that Penny can copy, so I'll suggest doing something a little different: Penny could record the fighting style of any hunter or huntress she sees, and then we could use some method to replicate their weapons instantly so that Penny would become a one-huntress army."

Poncho said next, as the foreign scientists rubbed their chins - Thomas rubbing his magnificent Santa's beard - before he said.

"Wouldn't the cost of energy be extremely prohibitive for that proposal of yours, Poncho?"

"I'm well aware Dr. Light I would estimate that, depending on the method we use, the cost for Penny to use her VWS would be at least three times the cost per shot that Rock has using his own VWS."

Upon hearing this, Dr. Light's eyes could not help but open in surprise, that cost of energy was unheard of, yet Poncho continued to say

"And let's not add the costs of using it with the Double Gear System, but if the data I have is accurate, I am sure that her artificial soul and power core could effectively use it as a last resort or ultimate attack, but in the end, the choice is yours, Dr. Polendina."

"OK, we've all offered our ideas, in the end, it's up to you Pietro, my friend, I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

"Well, I have nothing to add, so what will you do, Pietro Polendina?"

These were the last words of the three scientists, who looked expectantly at the man in the mechanical chair, who only said.

"Yes, let's do it. Let's add both systems and finish the building phase."

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

After finishing the final wiring, one of the doctors closed a hidden panel in the belly of the gynoid that was Penny Polendina, completing the installation of the last systems that would help the creation of Dr. Pietro Polendina to become one of the most powerful huntresses in history.

"Well, with that, we have finished our part in the birth of Miss Polendina."

It was Dr. Light's statement that caused Dr. Wily to look at the other three men with suspicion, and said bitterly.

"Well, we're done here. Now take me to my Wily Capsule and send me back home!"

"Oh, Albert..."

It was Dr. Light's lament as he saw his former friend look menacingly at the youngest of the quartet, demanding his release, that Poncho in turn said.

"That was our agreement, Doctor. You help us, and I send you back to your universe. Now, if you will walk this way..."

Then, without any warning, a new voice said.

"Sa-lu-tations!"

This made all four men look at the table, Poncho smiling for a moment before reminding Doctors Light and Wily that it was time to leave, so all three left after smiling at the young lady.