Shadow steps out of his fighting stance. "There. Now you can at least Try to fight without a weapon without hurting yourself."

Ruby smiles, "Thanks Shadow!" She bends over, and opens her arms to hug him.

Shadow warps out of the way of the hug, making Ruby hug Weiss's waist instead.

Weiss blushes, "Wha- Ruby?!"

"Sorry," Ruby says, letting go, and standing up straight.

Off in a corner Penny gives a thumbs-up, "I ship it like FedEx!"

"CONFIRMED. LOGIC IS SOUND." Omega drones quietly next to Penny.

Weiss gives them funny looks, "What are you two talking about?"

Penny shrugs, "I did a wireless search over the Internet, and apparently when you think two people make a cute couple you ship it. And a comparison shows FedEx to be quite reliable, so it's a simple play on words."

"IT IS A COMMON TERM FOR PAIRINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST. MANY MOBIANS AND OVERLANDERS SHIP THEMSELVES WITH SONIC AND SHADOW." Omega drones.

Shadow shudders. "I'm done." He turns, and walks away. "Just... I'm fucking done."

Penny frowns, "I don't know, "I think I would ship Shadow with Amy better, or that Blaze girl. But I'd have to say the most likely is Rouge, but given Shadow's antisocial preferences on most days even chances of that are slim."

"YOU DO NOT KNOW THEM LIKE I DO. THERE IS A 78 PERCENT CHANCE SHADOW WILL MARRY-"

"Finish that thought." Shadow growls at him.

Omega stops there.

Penny watches Omega patiently for a minute, and then smiles at Shadow, "I wish you the best of luck."

"Hmph." Just when Shadow's about to leave, a GUN soldier runs in. "Sir! Sonic the Hedgehog is here with Agent Rouge!"

Shadow turns to the soldier. "Let them in."

"Yes sir!" The soldier salutes and runs away.

Blake snaps her book shut, and team RWBY hops to their feet. Penny watches with interest as she leans on Omega's arm.

Rouge flies in, looking around. She smiles at Shadow. "What did I miss?"

"Team RWBY leaving and coming back. With Silver and Blaze." Shadow states.

"I missed you too." Rouge kisses his cheek with a giggle.

Ruby zooms over, scooping Rouge up into a hug, "We were so worried!"

"You're not hurt, are you?" Weiss looks Rouge over with concern while Blake looks around for Sonic.

"I'm fine. And even better, Yang is fine too." Rouge smiles, allowing herself to be hugged.

Ruby nearly drops Rouge in surprise, and sets her on her feet, "You saw Yang?! Where?!"

"He's with Sonic's friends. She was helping Knuckles on his floating island." She giggles. "They're so cute together!"

Weiss facepalms, "I'm assuming this Knuckles is a Mobian?"

Rouge giggles. "The physically strongest outside of Shadow."

Weiss pinches the bridge of her nose, "I'm sorry Rouge, but are you implying they might be romantically inclined?"

"I'd ship it," Penny says.

"Stop that!" Weiss frowns at Penny, "And it's not that I have anything against the Mobians, it's just... I seriously have a hard time believing that any bond beyond friendship could work out. There are just too many differences."

"I agree with that." Sonic walks up. "I recall a past relationship with an Overlander princess... and she was creepy. I don't even remember why I was into her. But something happened... I don't remember what... and now the thought gives me shivers." He shudders slightly.

"Wow..." Ruby crouches beside Sonic with a smile. "You look so cool! I mean Shadow looks tough, but you're just plain awesome!"

Sonic blinks. "Hey, your the girl Amy told me about!"

Ruby sweatdrops, "We saw each other that day in Station Square, I just didn't get a chance to get a good look at you."

"Ooh... Cool!" Sonic smirks.

Ruby smiles, and shakes his hand, "Ruby Rose, pleased to meet you."

"Sonic the Hedgehog!" He shakes her hand with a smirk. "So, is the food horrible and freeze-dried like the movies?" He looks around.

"Not really," Ruby says. "Apparently that's just the emergecy rations for like if you're stranded in the tundra or something."

"Ah. Well, the last time I was stranded in the tundra, I was a Werehog." He shrugs. "Almost the same creatures attacking everywhere though. Only at night too..."

Ruby furrows her eyebrows, and Blake asks, "Werehog?"

"Yeah yeah, I know, manpig, I heard it all before. I turned into a werewolf hedgehog when Eggman drained the Chaos Emeralds and shattered the planet. Some dark energy got inside me, which manifested as the transformation. Fixing the Chaos Emeralds fixed the planet, and me." He smiles.

Ruby scratches her head, "Planet breaking apart... Towers mentioned that when I first arrived."

Weiss sighs, "Nevermind that! We have our first lead on Yang! We need to go get her!"

Towers and Oobleck step in.

"Go then." Towers says. "That's priority one."

"Wait." Rouge frowns, motioned a time out. "You're welcome to go get her, but I don't think she's gonna come back with you."

"There is little choice," Oobleck says. "With the fate of the future resting on our shoulders she has a duty to her team. Shadow, Rouge, Omega, the commander and I have agreed you three will monitor Team RWBY for the time being."

"AFFIRMATIVE." Omega walks over.

"Yeah, you do that. I'm taking a shower." Rouge states, walking away.

Shadow nods. "Very well, we will watch them."

Blake crosses her arms, "So when do we head out?"

"Now!" Ruby bolts away in a flash of rose petals.

"I guess I'll wait for Rouge, and bring her over." Sonic smiles.

Omega clanks over. "I CAN CARRY YOU IF YOU FEEL YOU CANNOT KEEP SHADOW'S AND RUBY'S PACE." He offers to Weiss and Blake as Shadow shoots out the door after Ruby.

"Thank you," Weiss says, allowing herself to be lifted. Blake does too, but a bit awkwardly. Penny watches them leave with a small frown, putting a hand to her lower chest.

Sonic glances at her. "You know, there's no law that says you can't go with them."

Penny nods, "I know, but if something happens here, or the team is needed elsewhere someone has to be able to respond." She looks down, "Processing emotion... Jealousy?"

She furrows her eyebrows in confusion, "That makes no sense though, I know them well enough to know nothing disloyal will happen... And Omega, and I aren't even shipped... Perhaps I require a tune-up."

"Ah, love." Sonic chuckles. "Well, I'm getting food. Tell Rouge to come find me when she's ready to go." He then zips away, looking for the cafeteria.

...

Yang grunts as she drops the tree she had been carrying. "I think this is the last of the wood we need to rebuild."

Knuckles nods, slashing them into usable logs with his Shovel Claws. "You're really making this go by a lot faster than it would alone. Thanks." He starts laying them out where his house used to be, a stone foundation still there from his previous shack.

Yang shrugs with a smile, and puts her hands on her hips. "Anything else I can lend a hand with?"

"Perhaps some cement to sturdy the walls. That'll solve the roof leaking as well." Knuckles smiles. "I think I'll get to work on setting up a defense for the house so it won't get destroyed again."

Yang scratches her head, "Cement..."

He nods. "You could smash a pillar in Marble Gardens."

She smiles, "Yeah that I can do!" She hums to herself as she turns to walk off. Then she pauses, "…Did you hear something?"

Knuckles frowns, listening. Knuckles has been around enough speedsters to recognize the sound of someone approaching at high speeds. "Heads up. Brace yourself, and move out of the way of the hut." Knuckles states.

Yang does as she's told, ready for a fight...

"…yaaaaaaaAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGG!"

"Ruby? OOMPH!" Yang is tackled into a hug by Ruby at top speed.

Knuckles laughs in amusement, noting the contrast between Yang and Ruby. "I assume this is Ruby?"

"Yeah," Yang groans. "Hey sis."

"I missed yooooooouuuuu," Ruby sobs with her face in Yang's belly.

Yang strokes her head, "Easy Weeping Beauty, I'm alright."

Knuckles chuckles before frowning, turning as Shadow skids to a halt and crosses his arms, Omega stopping behind him and setting down Weiss and Blake.

Weiss heads over to pry Ruby off Yang as Blake looks Knuckles over. "You must be Knuckles," she says, eyeing his fists.

"That I am." Knuckles nods. "I assume you're one of Yang's teammates."

"Blake," she says simply.

"Blake?" Knuckles blinks.

She nods, "Yes."

He chuckles. "I suppose I've heard weirder names. And who's the white lady?"

Weiss looks over from where she's pulling on Ruby's hood. "I'm Weiss," she grunts. Despite her, and Yang's best efforts Ruby doesn't look like she's going anywhere anytime soon.

Knuckles smiles softly. "Give them a moment. So then, why are you here? I mean, obviously to reunite with Yang."

"We came to bring her back," Blake says. "Do you know two people called Blaze, and Silver?"

Knuckles blinks. "I know Blaze."

"They came from the future warning us about Torchwick taking over," Blake says.

Yang stops struggling, and blinks, "Say what?"

Knuckles sighs, rubbing his temples. "Time travel... great."

Weiss gives up, letting go of Ruby, "For now we just need the team whole."

Yang glances at Knuckles, and then asks Shadow. "Uh... Do we really have to go back to GUN? I mean Angel Island is the safest place I've heard of since I got here..."

"Oobleck insists that the team will be together due to your obligation to it. But, that means that GUN will be where you're stationed." Shadow states.

Knuckles frowns. "Inside a military base."

Shadow nods, and Yang stands, dragging Ruby as she walks to Knuckles, "There has to be people you trust in GUN, right?"

Knuckles barks out a laugh. "Maybe if they didn't think moving the Master Emerald off the Island was a good idea. I know what they want with it, to harness it and make them gods. Well guess what, that's never happening."

Yang frowns, and raises an eyebrow at Shadow while slowly balling a fist behind her back.

"Don't even look at me like that." Shadow deadpans. "I am not the one that makes the decision."

"No, just the muscle they call in to get the job done," Yang replies in a hard tone of voice. Her teammates give her weird looks like this is out of the ordinary for her.

Shadow closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Yes."

"So how does that make you any better?" Yang narrows her eyes.

Shadow opens his eyes, looking at her. "Look at your team. Right now."

Yang gives them a quick glance, moving her feet into a stronger stance like she expects Shadow to pull a fast one on her. "Okay...?"

"They are here, are they not? They left, then came back to GUN. I could have easily stopped them, it was a direct order from Commander Towers to not let them leave the base at all." He states.

"I knew my team was tough, so don't break an arm patting yourself on the back," Yang says sourly.

"You're missing my point. I was ordered to stop them. But I didn't." Shadow deadpans.

"You're a bleeding heart," Yang deadpans. "So you're telling me that if GUN ordered you to take the Master Emerald you wouldn't do it?"

"No. It is more beneficial for it to be here. I am aware of echidnaen history." Shadow states.

Yang looks at Knuckles out of the corner of her eye, "And do you believe him?"

Knuckles says nothing, staring at Shadow. Yang balls her fists so hard her knuckles crack, ready to chase the GUN agents off the island if need be.

"I do." Knuckles finally states.

Yang blinks a few times, and then relaxes, all smiles. "Good enough for me!"

Blake is looking at Yang like she's lost her mind, "...What have you been doing all week?"

"Chilling out, and fighting Grimm," Yang replies. "They've made a few tries for the master Emerald. Knuckles here busted open a Deathstalker like it was nothing!"

Weiss looks at him in shock, "Really?!"

Knuckles nods with a smirk. "Really."

Blake smirks, "Impressive."

"Thanks." He smiles.

Yang rubs her neck, "So... I guess we could base here, right? Just... GUN can't be let too close the emerald?"

Weiss scoffs, "The future of an entire world is at stake, and your're worried about a gemstone?!"

"It's not just any gemstone," Yang defends.

"It is a gem of infinite Chaos energy. Essentially, a giant Chaos Emerald." Shadow states.

Yang pulls out her Scroll, and shows Weiss the selfie she took with it. Weiss's jaw drops, "...I retract my earlier skepticism."

Ruby looks at the picture, frowning. "Hey... how come it shows the Master Emerald over there..." she points to where the shrine was pictured, "...but it's not there?"

"Oh, we moved it underground," Yang says simply. "Knuckles has a wicked cool security system here, I doubt all the Hunstmen of Remnant combined could force their way through."

Blake raises an eyebrow, "What about teleporting in... um... Chaos Control?"

"Only I can do so. Everyone else is blocked." Knuckles states, "Security access."

"Impressive," Weiss admits. "So... I guess we better call Oobleck."

Yang blinks, "Oobleck is here too?"

"And Penny," Ruby adds.

"I suppose we'd better expand the hut, then." Knuckles sighs.

Yang groans, "Do we have to?"

"I'm not allowing everyone in the Master Emerald chamber." Knuckles says firmly. "It is an honor allowed only a chosen few."

Yang nods with a sigh, "Alright, in that case we'll need more trees."

"On it," Ruby says, unfolding her scythe with a smile. She walks off with Blake to get some. Then Yang blinks, pondering about that "honor of a chosen few" bit that Knuckles had said.

Knuckles turns, "I'll work up a spell for the new house."

Yang is pulled out of her thoughts, "Spell? I thought... Oh yeah, more advanced with magic than technology is today." She smiles as she thumps a palm to her forehead.

Knuckles chuckles. "I think it's a bit of both."

Yang sighs through her nose, and then looks over at Omega when he beeps.

"Omega," Penny's voice says over his communicator systems. "Are you equipped with a screen, or projector?"

"AFFIRMATIVE, SENDING GPS TETHER." Omega drones.

"I'm patching you in, this is a life feed. Eggman has hacked the global television networks to make a message."

But when the holographic screen comes up, it's Torchwick on international television. "Hello people of Mobius! I understand you're all very busy so I'll keep this as brief as I can."

Knuckles blinks. "...Either Eggman lost weight..."

Yang shakes her head, "No, that's-"

"My name is Roman Torchwick," Roman says, tipping his hat to the camera. "And I represent the group known as the White Fang. Now don't be alarmed, we mean you no harm."

Roman waves a dismissive hand, and on the screen appears smaller footage of airships with the White Fang symbol on the side. "This is our relief crew inbound to Station Square, where people were forced to evacuate when Grimm invaded. Grimm are terrible creatures who will stop at nothing to destroy all intelligent life."

Roman smiles at the camera, "Some people didn't make it out, and many of you want to return home. This message is an open invitation to all of you. The White Fang are prepared to defend Station Square against all Grimm Attacks, and allow you to return to your lives. All we need is a little of your help."

"He's lying through his teeth, isn't he?" Knuckles deadpans.

"I don't know," Yang mutters.

Torchwick steps aside, and Shadow recognizes Adam as he steps onscreen.

"There are few of us," he begins. "But we are strong. We of the White Fang are calling Station Square our home, and any who feel they can tolerate our presence are welcome to join us."

He runs a finger over one of his horns, "I come from a world where my kind are segregated, shunned, and abused. As I understand it, there are unfortunate "hybrids" here on Mobius. People who were born of human, and Mobian parents, likewise persecuted for the simple crime of being born."

He holds a hand to the screen as if offering it, "I ask that you join us, let us make a home for you among us, and proudly call yourself Faunus. Become part of a untied family, and help us make a better future for all."

Yang crosses her arms, "So that's his angle. He's helping the survivors of Station Square to recruit more members of the White Fang."

"Good luck to him." Knuckles frowns. "Hybrids are exceedingly rare to find healthy. Mobians depend on their connection to the Chaos Force. That connection is halved with hybrids, unless it's a full Mobian hybrid."

On screen Adam continues, "We already have the support of the reformed, sympathetic Ivo Robotnik to aid our search for Mobian Faunus. Yet I fear we may not be soon enough for many of them."

He holds up his sword, "So because I have always been a warrior at heart, I submit a personal wager to GUN. Send one soldier of your choosing to face me in honorable contest. Let the results of that Duel show my resolve to find my family here, and warn any against hunting us."

Shadow smirks, warping away.

Yang blinks at the spot where Shadow just was, and then looks back to the screen as Torchwick appears again.

"Thank you for your time ladies, and gentlemen," Roman says. "We come in peace, and all that jazz."

The transmission cuts off to a cat food commercial, and Penny ends the feed to Omega. Yang puts her hands on her hips, "Hey big guy, what's up with Stripes just now?"

"ADAM AND HE BOTH AGREED TO A REMATCH." Omega responds.

Yang blinks a few times as she processes this. "...Any chance we could get popcorn?"