Cold Steel

Cold Steel is the femslash ship between Winter Schnee and Penny Polendina from the RWBY fandom.

Volume 7
In volume 7 chapter 2 Penny and Winter are revealed to be working together alongside Ironwood. They both reveal that Ironwood has already informed them about the relic and the winter maiden. In chapter 4 Penny, Ironwood and Winter all give teams jnpr and rwby their huntsmen licences. During Ironwood's speech Penny excitedly starts bouncing up and down in the background. Winter then puts a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down.

Penny and Winter are then seen together in chapter 7 where the two of them are anxiously waiting for Ironwood. Winter then informs him that they've all been invited to her father's house to "talk". In chapter 8 during the dinner scene with Jacques Schnee, Winter angrily accuses him of trying to buy trust just like everything else, and that you have to earn it. After her emotional outburst she leaves the room and Penny soon follows her. Penny then finds Winter standing in a hallway, and the two of them have a talk about their emotions and speaking from the heart. Penny unable to understand Winter's reasoning, eventually goes back to the dining room.

In chapter 12, in the research facility, Winter and Penny have conflicting reactions to Ruby's message and the Wanted notice, and after conversing about following James Ironwood's orders about saving the many instead of the few, they head to Fria's room. Penny and Winter then prepare Fria for the transfer of her powers while discussing how to deal with emotions and not to forget them, for that's what makes them human. They are then suddenly interrupted by Cinder, who forces her way into the room. The three then prepare to fight.

In chapter 13, Penny and Winter fight against Cinder, who violently takes the fight outside of the building in a fit of anger. There, she breaks Winter's Aura and returns to the facility while Penny saves Winter from falling to her death. Winter shocked, asks Penny why she saved her, saying her life doesn't matter, to which responds with saying "I disagree". Penny then goes in the freezing whirlwind to calm Fria down since Winter can't enter it.

Once the fight with Cinder is over Winter suggests to Weiss, Ruby and Penny to all leave if they don't want to be captured by the general. Penny gives Winter one last longing look before taking off with the others.

Fanon
Cold Steel is a rarepair in the RWBY fandom, this is mostly because these two never interacted onscreen until volume 7. Also it often gets overshadowed by other more popular ships like Snowbird and Nuts and Dolts. With that being said most people really like the dynamic between the two. Penny despite being a robot understands her emotions well and can think for herself, whereas Winter, despite being human, struggles with her emotions and almost always follows orders without question. It has a moderate sized fanbase on Tumblr.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * Their ship name comes from Winter being cold, and Penny being the steel since she's a robot and made out of metal.