A/N: Hello all, so I've written a few one-shots for RWBY now, and I decided I wanted to write something a little different, and a bit longer. So because this pairing has been growing on me and because it has the absolutely silly and awesome name of Nuts and Dolts here's the first chapter for a story revolving around Penny and Ruby, I hope you enjoy.

As far as where this fits into the main story arc it's somewhere between volume 1 and 2, branching off from cannon afterwards to AU where Ruby and Penny met more often after their first encounter.

I don't own RWBY, that belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Synthetic Soul

Chapter 1: Sensational!

The PA system in team RWBY's dorm room crackled to life. "Miss Rose would you please head up to Professor Ozpin's office, he wishes to speak with you about something." Glynda Goodwitch's voice announced.

The four girls turned from their game towards the PA and then to their leader.

"What do you think Ozpin wants?" Yang asked.

"Dunno, guess I'll have to go see." Ruby replied standing, after a moment she crouched down next to Weiss. "On my next turn flip these two cards." She said separating two face down from her pile. "And if Yang does anything this one too." Ruby added separating another card.

Weiss nodded. "Sure thing."

Ruby noted Yang's devious smirk as she left the room, wearing her own devious smirk because she knew Yang would fall for the trap. She walked down the hall towards the central tower that housed Ozpin's office waving to Jaune and Pyrrha as she passed them in the hall.

Before long she was in the main office, a large circular room accented in shades of dark green that contrasted nicely with the large pieces of brass clockwork that showed through the walls and ceiling. The room was dominated by a heavy circular desk of dark wood, behind witch Professor Goodwitch sat.

Ruby stopped making sure she caught her attention. "Yes, go ahead up Miss Rose."

Ruby nodded before stepping into the glass walled brass elevator that led up to Ozpin's office. The glass sides of the elevator looked out into the clockwork that occupied most of Beacon's central tower with occasional breaks that looked right out over the school grounds and the city of Vale in the distance.

Ruby stood in silence slowly swaying from one foot to the other as she rode the elevator up wondering what Professor Ozpin wanted to speak with her about. The elevator finally reached its destination and she walked out into the small area just outside the office, she pressed the buzzer next to the door.

"Come in" Came back muffled through the door.

She walked into the office where Ozpin stood behind his desk framed by the large window behind him. Off to the side of the room stood Penny next to a few bags.

"Professor Ozpin." Ruby nodded. "Uh… hello Penny." She waved to the synthetic girl.

"Salutations!" Penny exclaimed smiling widely.

"Yes Hello Ruby." Ozpin replied setting his coffee down on the desk. "I believe you are already acquainted with Penny here."

"Yes, we're friends." Ruby replied smiling to Penny as she said friends, Penny in return smiled widely. "Uhm… If you don't mind me asking what did you want to speak to me about Sir?"

"About Penny actually." Ozpin replied walking around his desk to stand before Ruby. "I believe you are already aware of what Penny is?"

Ruby looked over to Penny who nodded. "Uh yes Sir."

"Well then as you know Penny is here to learn and grow, to that end she has asked to attend Beacon for a time." Ozpin replied.

"That sounds like a good idea, I know I've certainly learned a lot while here, but if I may ask what does this have to do with me?" Ruby asked still confused.

"Well seeing as you already know what she is I would like to place Penny on your team for the duration of her stay here." Ozpin looked at Ruby. "Of course a team is a very closely bound unit, I wouldn't force you to do anything, and five members is a lot for a team leader to manage, both in and out of combat."

Ruby looked deep in thought for a few moments. "Well it certainly makes sense to put her with us because we already know her, and I don't think anyone would have a problem with it, you'd have to tell them about who you really are, but I don't see why not."

Penny smiled rushing over and hugging Ruby lifting her off the ground effortlessly. "Oh Sensational! Thank you!"

"Excellent, now then Penny." Ozpin said getting the robotic girls attention. "Ruby is now you're team leader, understood?"

"Oh yes Sir!" She turned to Ruby saluting. "I'm combat ready!" She said smiling.

Ruby smiled in return.

"Now then I'll let you two go I imagine there will be a discussion about some of the… particulars of your stay here Penny." Ozpin said moving back behind his desk and sitting down.

Penny grabbed the bags from where she had been standing, one green and black duffel bag that she slung over her shoulder, and a black and green toolbox, walking back over to Ruby with a smile they left.

Down and walking back through the halls towards the dorm Ruby walked alongside Penny.

"So it was your idea to come to Beacon?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, after hearing you talk about it I thought it would be a good place to learn! So I asked my father about it, it took him a little while to convince Mr. Ironwood, but here I am!" Penny replied with a wide smile.

"Oh, I'll have to leave every now and again for maintenance, I can do some stuff myself but not everything." Penny said hefting her toolbox.

"Well I'm not sure exactly how you're made but I'm pretty handy with mechanical stuff, I might be able to at least save you the trouble of having to go so far just for basic maintenance." Ruby said.

"Really? Sensational!"

They walked a little farther.

"Did you ask to be put on my team too?"

"No, that was Mr. Ozpin's idea, although I am glad to be with you!" Penny continued smiling.

Ruby gave a small smile. "Well it does make sense for you to be with us, how do you feel about telling the others about yourself?"

Penny thought for a moment. "Well they're your friends right?"

"Yes, Yang is actually my sister."

"And you trust them right?" Penny continued.

"With my life." Ruby replied.

"Well I trust you and you trust them so that's good enough for me!" Penny replied with a smile.

"Good because as a team we've found it's a bad idea to keep secrets from one another." Ruby replied opening the door to their dorm.

"RUBY! How could youuuuuuu!" Yang cried clutching Ruby's shirt from her position on her knees.

Ruby looked around the room seeing Weiss on her back laughing and Blake trying very hard not to laugh. And almost succeeding.

"So my plan worked then?" Ruby said with a smirk.

"You monster how- oh uh hello Penny." Yang immediately changed demeanor upon noticing the red headed girl behind Ruby.

Blake and Weiss also calmed down looking over curiously.

Ruby stepped aside allowing Penny to step into the room.

"Yes about what Ozpin wanted to talk to me about, Penny wants to attend Beacon for a while and Ozpin thought she should be on our team because we already know her, as well as for another reason but we'll get to that." Ruby said a little awkwardly.

Penny smiled. "I hope you don't mind much."

The other three members of team RWBY exchanged looks before looking back to their team leader.

"Penny why don't you explain the other reason you're with us, I think it will clear up a few things." Ruby said closing the door.

Penny nodded. "Yes, well I've already told Ruby because she promised not to tell anyone, it's rather secret after all."

The three all focused on Penny wondering what the strange girls secret could be.

"Well…" She shuffled her feet a little shyly. "Well I'm not a real girl."

Yang's eyes lowered towards Penny's waist.

"No Yang not like that! You perv!" Ruby shouted booting her sister backwards.

"Was I really the only one who thought that?" Yang asked from her position on the floor.

Weiss and Blake just stared at her, Weiss with a frown of disapproval, and Blake with one eyebrow cocked.

Penny for her part looked rather confused.

"Ignore Yang, why don't you… elaborate." Ruby suggested.

"Ah yes, I was made; I am the first synthetic person capable of producing an aura."

"So you're a robot?" Yang asked springing up into a sitting position.

"It's a bit more complicated than that but essentially, yes." Penny replied.

"That's way cooler than what I was thinking!" Yang exclaimed, earning more disapproving glares.

Penny opened her mouth. "Please Penny, if you trust me, don't ask." Ruby interrupted sighing.

"Ok, I suppose if any of you have any questions I can do my best to answer them!" Penny said switching course.

"Why don't you set your stuff down and get a little settled in first." Ruby suggested.

Penny nodded and a few short minutes later they were all seated in various positions around the room, the earlier board game cleared out of the way, looking to Penny who sat in the desk chair.

"Ok, I'm sure you have some questions, feel free, I have to be honest with my friends right?" Penny said smiling.

Weiss spoke up first. "So… who made you?"

"My father with some help from Mr. Ironwood." Penny replied.

"Does your father have a name?" Blake asked this time.

Penny looked deep in thought for a moment. "Not one that I've ever heard him called by, he's just always told me to call him father."

"And Ironwood is involved, so are you part of a weapons program?" Weiss asked.

"I am combat ready, but I don't believe I'm supposed to be a military project although Mr. Ironwood probably has plans for such a thing, he and my father have worked on a lot of military projects."

"That makes sense to me, Penny seems more like a huntress rather than a soldier." Yang said.

"My father and Professor Ozpin are old friends, maybe that has something to do with it?" Penny suggested.

"You don't know yourself?" Blake asked.

"I don't know a lot of the particulars about why I was made, just that it's for some high tech research stuff." Penny replied with a smile.

"If Ironwood is involved I'd bet it's for weapons development." Weiss spoke up.

"That may be true, but I know my father didn't build me just to be a weapon." Penny said.

"You're combat abilities are impressive but like Yang said you don't seem like a soldier." Blake added.

"Ok ok my turn to ask a serious question!" Yang butted in.

"Oh boy here we go…" Weiss mumbled.

"Do you sleep?" Yang asked dead serious.

The other three members of team RWBY stopped at the rather silly question but all looked to Penny because they were no less curious to know the answer.

"Hmmm well sort of! I go into a rest mode while I re-charge and go over all the data I've collected that day, organizing and analyzing it, it usually takes me a few hours depending on how busy of a day I've had so I usually do it overnight." Penny replied with a smile.

Ruby put her hand on her chin in thought, while Blake spoke up.

"I really doubt we have room for another bed in here…"

"I've got an idea!" Ruby exclaimed jumping up and rummaging around in one of their storage chests. "Well I've got nails, but… Hey Penny you wouldn't happen to have a hammer in that toolbox of yours would you?"

"Why do you have nails in our room?!" Weiss shouted.

"Well… I mean you never know…" Ruby trailed off the box of nails in her hand.

"Here's a hammer!" Penny said after rummaging through her toolbox.

"Perfect! Now then my idea."

-CONSTRUCTION NOISES-

"There how does that look?" Ruby asked stepping back.

Between the two bunk beds, over the desk hung a simple hammock, made of a few layers of extra bedding for support and securely fastened to the questionably secure bunk beds.

"Well, that's actually a pretty good idea." Weiss admitted. "It's out of the way but still effective."

"Plus the wall socket is right there behind the desk." Ruby added.

Penny took off her shoes and stepped up onto the desk and then climbed into the hammock poking her head up over the side after situating herself. "Sensational!"

Ruby smiled widely.

"Alright guys it's getting late and we've got class tomorrow, so we should get to sleep." Yang said.

"Why's it matter to you if we have class tomorrow? You always sleep through them anyway!" Weiss questioned.

"Because if you guys are asleep too I'll have no one to copy notes from!" The blonde replied with a confident smile.

Weiss just sighed tiredly and went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"Could you hand me my charge cable from my toolbox Ruby?" Penny asked from her position in the hammock.

"Course." Ruby knelt down and started rummaging through the toolbox. "Oh gosh there's a lot of cool stuff in here! Ah!" She stared looking through several different tools excitedly.

"Ruby!" Yang said firmly.

"Huh?" Ruby looked over, a gadget of some sort in her hand.

"Bed time."

"Awww."

"You can look through my toolbox tomorrow!" Penny said looking over the side of the hammock.

Ruby's face lifted into excitement again as she handed Penny the charging cable.

"So do you eat?" Yang asked as they walked towards the cafeteria the next morning.

"No, I need to replace certain elements that get used up every so often but I don't eat." Penny replied.

"Well don't you think that could get a little suspicious?" Weiss asked.

"I think the only people who would notice might be team JNPR, and I actually talked with Penny about it this morning." Ruby replied.

"Yes, I have an alibi! I'm touchy about eating in the morning so I eat later in the day, but then I'm not hungry by lunch so I don't eat then either, and so eat later and am not hungry at dinner time." The robotic girl replied smiling.

Weiss shrugged content with that answer.

A few minutes later they were all seated eating breakfast and talking about classes for the day, not long after team JNPR arrived sitting across from them.

Nora immediately noticed the new addition and came over. "Who's this?" The Viking asked with a smile.

"My names Penny, pleased to meet you!" The synthetic girl replied smiling.

"Nora Valkyrie!" she replied.

"She's attending Beacon for a while and she'll be with us while she's here." Ruby replied.

"Ahhh, well we'll have to have our teams get together sometime, and get to know you." The berserker said while moving back to her own table.

"I'm making all kinds of new friends!" Penny gushed excitedly.

"Yeah Nora and her team are pretty cool, just… don't get on Nora's bad side, she'll break your legs." Yang said rather matter-of-factly.

Penny looked to Ruby confused.

"Nora's a very good fighter, but she's really a fun person, you'll be fine." Ruby replied while she ate.

Penny nodded.

"I don't really see the value in that lecture…" Penny said frowning as they came out of Port's classroom. "Am I missing something?"

"No, that's just Port being Port, his class may be extremely boring but at least it isn't hard." Ruby replied stifling a yawn.

"The only note I took was that you should never antagonize an Ursa with the short end of a broken trumpet." Penny frowned at her notebook. "I feel like that isn't particularly useful."

"You really don't need to take notes in Port's class, anyone actually trying to become a hunter or huntress will have committed most of what his class covers to memory already."

"Seriously even I know where to and where not to punch a Grimm." Yang said rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yang doesn't do so well with the… academic side of things." The scythe wielder explained.

Penny nodded. "What's next for today?"

"Next we just have our designated team training time." Ruby said leading them towards the training grounds.

The training grounds were located near the edge of the forest, each team had their own designated area for practice and were expected to train at least two hours every day. The grounds themselves consisted of a large rectangle of grassy field up against Beacon's walls, against the wall was a dugout like area with a shed full of various pieces of training equipment, a small sink, and some storage lockers. In front of the dugout two large squares were marked out with white paint, inside these squares the ground was worn down to dirt.

"It's my tuuuurn todayyyy" Yang sang as she jumped into the dugout a few moments later the sounds of blaring guitar spilled forth.

Ruby looked to Penny. "We take turns playing music each day."

They walked into the dugout storing their school supplies and changing into their combat outfits.

"Do you listen to music Penny?" Ruby asked.

"I have before, it's very strange to me, I'm not sure I quite understand it." Penny replied.

"Well if you find something you like you can take a turn choosing music for a day."

"I'll have to look into it!"

"Ok, come on let's get to training."

A few days later.

Ruby sat cleaning Crescent Rose her toolbox open in front of her as Yang and Weiss were practicing a move together, Blake appeared to be reading, but by now Ruby knew the faunus well enough to know she was also watching Yang and Weiss, accented by the fact she would occasionally call out a mistake the pair had made.

Penny was lifting one of the practices dummys Yang and Weiss had been targeting.

"Oh!" Penny exclaimed dropping the large dummy.

Ruby looked up as Penny put a hand on her side slightly slouched over. "You ok Penny?"

"I believe I may have broken something." The robotic girl replied walking over.

"Uh... well I've got my toolkit here if you want me to take a look at it?" Ruby asked rubbing the back of her head with a slight awkward blush on her face.

Penny thought about it for a heartbeat before smiling. "Ok!"

Ruby moved over clearing some space for Penny as the robotic girl lay down on her stomach. Penny pulled up her shirt revealing her back and opened her outer shell folding and sliding into her spine revealing her inner workings to a curious Ruby.

"Uhm where does it… hurt?" Ruby asked nervously but also marveling at the complex mechanisms before her.

"I think it's a servo in my right side." Penny replied.

"Ok let me see."

Ruby curiously examined the intricate mechanics in front of her, feeling a bit more confident as she recognized more and more as she carefully moved her hands around looking for the broken piece.

"You know this feels really strange." Ruby commented.

Penny thought for a few moments. "I wonder if it's how a surgeon feels when they operate."

"Huh, well it's probably pretty close." Ruby mumbled "Ah! Here it is."

Ruby pulled a few tools from her kit and after a few moments, and some whispered cursing, pulled the broken part out, a small servo motor.

"Can you fix it?"

"Yeah just give me a second" a few moments later Ruby replaced the motor securing it back into place.

"Ok how's that feel?" Ruby said leaning back.

Penny closed the panel and stood up re-adjusting her shirt as she did so, she moved around rotating her back and bending side to side.

"Sensational!" The robotic girl replied smiling.

Ruby returned the smile. "Glad I could help, would have been a shame if you would have had to leave just for that little fix."

"I'm glad you're able to help! It was my biggest concern coming here!" Penny replied happily. "I tend to suffer from fairly frequent mechanical failures like that; it's why I've never been away from my father." She added a little more somber.

"Well I'm sure I can get you straightened out whenever you need it."

Penny smiled fondly. "Thanks Ruby."

"So how was your first week at Beacon? Any issues?" The older man asked the bright haired girl on the other end of the call.

"It's been sensational!" Penny beamed smiling happily. "I did blow a servo a few days ago, but Ruby got me right back in order!"

"Ruby?" The old man asked. "Your friend?"

"Yes, I'm on her team, she's good with mechanics and she was able to fix me right up!"

"You're sure she's capable of that kind of work?" The man asked concerned.

"Yep! She's my friend and I trust her, I know she wouldn't do anything if she knew it might end up hurting me."

"Hmmm, very well, do you still plan to come in for maintenance for the weekends?"

"Well I think Ruby can take care of me if anything comes up, I'd really like to stay here..."

"Well if you think you can handle it; just make sure to send me your notes."

"They're right here." Penny replied tapping a few buttons and sending the file. "Alright my friends are waiting, talk to you soon!"

"Goodbye Penny"

Penny waved into the camera before ending the call.

"Hmmm I very much doubt Ironwood will like that, I know he wants to keep a much closer eye on her, but I know Penny needs friends, she needs this chance to be more than one of Ironwood's weapons programs." The old man mumbled to himself.

"How'd the call go?" Ruby asked as Penny jogged over.

"I'll be staying!" the robotic girl replied with her trademark smile.

Ruby smiled happy that she would be staying; Weiss and Blake also wore small smiles having grown friendly with the robotic girl.

"Sensational!" Yang shouted, causing the others to break into laughs.

With that the five headed off to Vale for the first day of their weekend.

A/N: Well there's the first chapter I hope you liked it and any feedback is welcome.

Until next time, dear readers, Thank you.

-Jknight