RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC16: Gold (Kip and Penny)-1

The expedition Kip and Penny were on did not find any dust on its first round of searching hills and valleys around Mistral's uninhabited areas.

They returned when they ran out of supplies, with their disgruntled team.

Kip had enjoyed the travel and getting to make friends with new people, but he felt bad that everyone else was so disappointed.

Money was only getting tighter at Argus, as they couldn't keep up with the new developments very well.

They were wondering if they'd make it through the next year.

Penny knew this and tried to explain it to Kip. He didn't get it very well, but he got that it was bad.

"We were hoping that your mother's devices would help us find dust fast enough..." she said. "But I'm sure we can try again."

Winter told them that would be difficult.

"At most we might have enough for one more attempt, or we'll have to wait till next year," she said.

"What if we took less people?" Penny said. "We didn't have too much trouble with Grimm out there. Ruby and Qrow cleared out a lot of them for us, too. Or...could you send Mercury with us?"

"Hmpfh," Winter muttered. "Well, he might benefit from getting a little distance from Argus...but it's risky."

"But don't we need to take a risk?" Penny said. "You said things are bad."

"I don't mean to worry you..." Winter still thought of Penny as basically a kid, though her actual age was hard to determine mentally, and her robot body didn't really indicate her maturity level.

"I just want to help," she said. "This is what we can do."

"If they were willing to risk it..." Winter said, "just a team of 7 might be possible. Perhaps if you left after the bulk of harvest is over.... Let's see...that should be at the end of October."

"That's when Ruby's birthday party is," Penny said.

Ruby was turning 18 that year, to her father and Qrow's great remorse, and Yang had insisted that they have a party for this one, since her 17th had kind of been a small affair and Yang had missed it because she was on the road and couldn't get back in time.

Ruby was kind of excited about being a legal adult finally but also intimidated.

Anyway, all her friends were invited to attend if they wouldn't be working.

Also she was coming to Argus, because it was easier for her and Tai to take their two--three, counting Caiden--people to Argus than for the dozen people in Argus to get to Vale.

"Yes...just after it, I'd say," Winter agreed with Penny.

"That sounds good." Penny gave her a thumbs up👍 --she still did this kind of awkwardly.

"Yes," Kip agreed.

* * *

Penny rather thought Mercury would be happy to be assigned to them, as she didn't quite understand that he didn't like people that much--and that included robot or cyborg people.

But his lack of enthusiasm kind of went over her head.

Kip's not so much.

"I think the idea is pointless," Mercury told them both. "But I can't really turn it down. Stuck on the wild goose chase."

"It will be fun," Penny said, cheerfully.

"Are you scared?" Kip didn't know how else to account for Mercury's sour mood.