Yang and Penny arm

When I was a little girl, I loved robots. Every day before I went to Signal Elementary for the Irationally Aggravated, I would turn on the tee vee and tire my tiny heart out trying to find anything even tangentially related to them. Small robots. Big robots. Robots so big they needed a pilot. Robots that were secretly your mom. The young Xiao Long would have been very excited to see me now.

I, however, was not excited to have a talking arm. Hell, even if it didn't talk I don't I'd welcome it with open arms. Um.. arm. I mean, it wasn't my fault that Blake decided to have a spat with her creepy evil boyfriend and it wasn't my fault he decided to cut off my arm. I liked that arm. It was my second favorite. But things don't always go our way, I suppose. I just wish she had said things besides-

"Salutations, Yang!" Yeah. That.

"Yes, Penny? Can't you see I'm thinking?"

"When will we go find Ruby?" Ah, yes Ruby, my darling litter sister. Apparently she ran off with Pyrrha's boytoy and the green and orange lesbians. Some people thought Lie Ren was a man, but I knew better. No man could have better hair than me. She's just... uh, butch.

"Penny, didn't I tell you we're not going to find Ruby?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Chipper little thing, ain't she? I think I might have found it cute if I wasn't so angsty.

"So why do you keep asking?"

"Because maybe this time you'll change your mind!"

"Ugh... Penny, please stop asking me."

If a robot arm could frown, Penny was doing it. "Aw. Alright, Miss Yang."

I mean, it wasn't that Penny was annoying per se. She was just... alright, she was annoying. She constantly asked questions, constantly bothered me while I was doing... Yang stuff, and to top it all off she could never, ever go away. She and I would be constantly connected for Yahweh knows how long. Just me, and Penny.

"...Miss Yang?"

"...yes, Penny?"

"Can we go get ice cream?"

"Sigh. Alright Penny, let's go get ice cream."

Now, I really didn't get it myself, but apparently Penny liked ice cream. She couldn't eat it, of course, she just liked touching it.  Something to do with the temperature and the texture of the cone. It was fucking weird,  but I didn't mind the excuse to get myself delicious creamy treats whenever my little buddy asked.

Of course, since I lived in the middle of nowhere, getting ice cream was just a little bit of an ordeal. It's like... an hour away. So, a lot of driving. And a lot of Penny talking.

"Miss Yang?"

"Yes, Penny?"

"Why aren't we going to find Ruby?"

"I thought I told you not to-"

"Negative, Miss Yang. You told me not to ask when we were going. You never told me not to ask why." Damn. She's got a point. Guess it has something to do with her being a robot or some shit, right?

"Listen, Penny, have you ever felt... useless?"

"I can not say I have, Miss Yang. What is it like?"

"It's like... feeling sad, but even worse. Because when you're sad, you blame the world. When you feel useless, you blame yourself." I started driving just a little faster.

"Why do you feel useless, Miss Yang?"

"Because, Penny, I'm the one they forgot about."

"But... who forgot about you?"

"Everyone, Penny. Blake, Weiss, god damn, everyone! I sacrificed my reputation and my arm for my teammates and they left me with my dad, alone."

"But what does this have to do with Ruby?" Ah, curious little Penny. Someone's pouring your heart out and all you can do is ask questions.

"Because, Penny. Ruby left me too. She saw me sad, depressed, and angry and all she can do is go leave me for Weiss. I did everything for her, y'know. I wanted to be the best big sister in the world. And look where that got me."

"But Miss Yang, you were the best big sister in the world."

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Penny."

"Miss Yang, I'm not trying to flatter you. You tried your darnedest to make your sister happy, and isn't that all that matters? Maybe she left you because she thought you could handle yourself?"

"Maybe, Penny, maybe. Or maybe she left because she didn't need me anymore. Just like all of my one night stands. Just like Blake, just like my god damned bitch of a mom!"

"Miss Yang! You're going twenty miles above the speed limit!"

I jolted back to reality. She was right. I didn't even know Bumblebee went this fast.  I slowed down. "Uh.. thanks for letting me know Penny."

"You are very welcome, Miss Yang."

"And uh, thanks for the words of encouragement, Penny. I don't agree with it, but it's nice to know someone cares. It's reassuring, y'know. And it's just nice to let it all out, I guess. Nice to just vent. I don't get to do that much anymore." It really was nice to get that all off my shoulders. And look. Just in time for ice cream.

"Yet again, you are very welcome Miss Yang. Also, Miss Yang?"

"Yes, Penny?"

"Can I get a waffle cone?"