Hey readers,
Firstly thanks for the support, and sorry for the delay in chapters. Just a heads-up that the story rating is being bumped up to M here in the near future, but we'll be trying to avoid focusing on lemons so the story doesn't dissolve into smut.
SPOILER ALERT!
Also for those of you heavily committed to White Rose, I would like to assure you that it will be present in this fic, we're just setting up for it.
Carry on, hope you enjoy, and please drop a Review below, they motivate my pal Jolt T.R.H, and I to keep writing.
...
Station Square very much resembles the aftermath of a Warzone, which it is. Some buildings are leveled by the larger Grimm such as Deathstalkers, Nevermore, and King Taijitu. Anyone from Remnant would be well familiar with the sight of carnage left in the wake of Grimm.
What is unfamiliar however are the White Fang. Most associate them with terrorism on their home planet, but here on Mobius the citizens are meeting them for the first time. Tired, and scared survivors are provided with food, shelter, warm blankets, and protection. The White Fang have set up admirable defenses around the city, and don't hesitate to lay waste to any Grimm on sight.
Adam Taurus walks the streets calmly, sword in hand. He makes his way to an old parking garage at the edge of town, the top level of which is cleanly removed by a Nevermore, leaving a jungle of cement pillars.
He stands in the center of them, and looks up where dozens of flying orb-shaped robots monitor him with camera lenses from high above. A red light on one of them indicates the duel is now being streamed live, something for the world to see.
Shadow warps in, looking around. Whenever he spots a citizen, he motions for that person to leave quickly. He then turns to Adam.
Adam smiles at him, "I see you got my message."
"Yes. However I come here of my own free will. GUN did not order me to come, and as such your offer to fight the best GUN soldier still stands, should you win or lose." Shadow says simply.
"Are you saying they have a better fighter than you? Given our last encounter I find that hard to believe."
Shadow changes the subject. "So then, how were you able to absorb my Chaos Blast? That's a lot of power to simply suck up."
Adam thumps a fist to his chest, "I'll tell you after we fight, you have my word."
"Hmph." Shadow warps in front of Adam suddenly, kicking Adam in the chin.
Adam follows the momentum into an axe-kick that knocks shadow back to the ground.
Shadow bounces, curling up and turning the bounce into a Homing Attack.
dam leaps into a roundhouse kick, and knocks Shadow away through a cement pillar. Shadow growls, warping behind Adam and performing a fiery Axe Kick.
Adam kneels, bowing his head as he catches the kick on his sword, and turning. Then he pulls the trigger of his sword, using the close-range impact knock Shadow off balance in midair before knocking him away with a corkscrew kick.
Adam retakes his stance, sheathing his sword completely, "Still relying on old tricks... Tell me Shadow, have you ever had to face someone with your own powers?"
"Of course. And guess who won." Shadow warps to his feet, smirking. "I just feel that I have no need to introduce anything new yet."
Adam smirks, "In that case, allow me."
Suddenly Adam warps in front of Shadow in a flash of red light, kicking him upwards in the jaw. Then he warps behind him, kicking his legs out from under him, and then warps to the side to put him right-side up in midair. Adam doesn't stop there, lashing out with his sword eight times before pressing his sheath to Shadow's chest.
Then Adam pulls the trigger, sending Shadow across the entire level, and slamming him into a concrete divider as Adam sheathes his sword.
"Ack! Fuck!" Shadow curses, sitting up and shaking rubble from his quills. "How...?!"
Adam faces Shadow, and starts walking towards him, "Aura, Shadow. Every warrior of Remnant be they Human, or Faunus can use it. So every single member of the White Fang is Chaos Sensitive."
He stops a few yards away, "And guess who is training them..."
Shadow blinks before his eyes widen. "No..."
Adam jumps forwards, lifting Shadow by his chest fur, "Thank you Shadow, for showing me the power that will when my kind our freedom at long last."
He throws Shadow at a pillar, and rams him with his horns, embedding him there. Then Adam grabs his quills with his sword hand, and starts punching Shadow in the gut with his free one.
"You and I are much alike Shadow," Adam says.
WHAM!
"We've both known pain, suffering... Loss."
WHAM!
"And we've dealt more than our fair share of it out."
WHAM!
Adam steps back, and raises a hand as red energy sparks, then grows in his palm. "You, and I have both looked into the abyss, Shadow, however there is one key difference between us."
Adam leans towards Shadow, and says in a low tone, "When the abyss looked back into us... You blinked."
Then Adam slams his energy-filled palm into Shadow, blasting him through several pillars with an intense Chaos Lance.
Shadow screams in pain, blood shooting out of his chest as he falls to the ground clutching his stomach.
Adam walks calmly over to him, and kneels as he turns him over. "I'm not going to kill you Shadow, I owe you that and more for making me who I am. So in return I'm going to do you a service. Every time we clash we make each other stronger, smarter, faster, and in the end no matter who wins the fight we both achieve victory."
He carefully lifts Shadow, "So live, get stronger, and come back so we can fight again. And you have my word that the day you can grow no stronger... Then I'll kill you."
Shadow hisses, but opens one eye, smirking. "You promised you'd tell me how'd you absorbed the Chaos Blast..."
"I emptied myself of energy," Adam replies. "I drain my aura down as much as I need to absorb the incoming energy, and often times it overflows. I simply redirect the excess back at my foe in a single stroke."
Adam looks down at him, "Now then, where can I take you for trusted medical attention?"
"The hospital." Shadow coughs blood.
Adam nods, "Chaos Control."
...
Oobleck stares at the television screen for a good few minutes, and then turns to Commander Towers. "And here I thought /we/ were the ones making /you/ more dangerous... I've never seen such power in the hands of a single person on Remnant."
Towers had his hands clenched on the table, threatening to break it.
Sonic and Rouge were nearby, Rouge almost in tears while Sonic's eyes were wide.
"...Damn." Sonic blinks.
Oobleck puts a hand to his forehead, "This would explain how Torchwick may take over... With fifty Chaos Users in Station Square he could easily hold whoever returns there hostage. But I doubt anyone will see it that way... Those who have witnessed the horrors of Grimm will undoubtably flock to such power for protection."
Sonic grits his teeth. "Not if I have anything to say about it." Before he can run away, Rouge grabs his arm.
"Take me to Shadow." Rouge orders, wiping tears from her eyes.
Sonic nods solemnly, grabbing her and shooting away.
Oobleck straightens, "I'll inform the girls if they don't know already."
"I think they do." Towers finally states, looking directly at Penny.
Penny nods, "I patched Omega into a live feed... Or rather I offered to, he had an easier link through a GUN communications satellite."
"In short, they should know all they need to know." Towers frowns. He stands. "I'm sending EMS to Shadow's location."
Oobleck frowns, "Pardon, sending what?"
"I'm sending my emergency paramedics." He sighs.
Oobleck sighs, "Just making sure..."
...
Back in Station Square Adam sits in a chair in the hall, guarding the room where Shadow is resting.
Sonic skids to a halt, Rouge glaring at Adam. "Can I help you?"
Adam looks up, and stands. "I assume you're here to take him home. Be careful, he's a little more breakable at the moment." He opens the door for them.
Sonic studies Adam as Rouge rushes into the room.
Adam doesn't seem to pay Sonic much attention as his gaze follows Rouge to the prone Shadow. Shadow isn't restrained, and as it turns out he heals rather quickly so he's fully conscious because the sedatives burned out in his systems too fast.
"Shadow..." Rouge grabs his hand worriedly.
"I'm fine." Shadow smirks softly. "He got off a few lucky hits."
"Yeah, with a semi." Rouge retorts.
Adam leans in the doorway, and crosses his arms, "If you want to leave nobody is going to stop you."
Shadow snorts. "I can wait."
"Hmph," Adam turns away, sitting in his chair again. He looks up though as Torchwick comes down the hall. Beside him is Neo with a new umbrella. Neo stops in the doorway to smile at Rouge while Torchwick grins at Sonic.
"Well well well," Torchwick chuckles. "Sonic... Fancy seeing you here." He takes a cigar out of his coat, and pauses as he starts to put it to his lips. Instead he offers it to the blue speedster while Neo leans in the doorjam.
"Thanks, but if I'm dying to anything, it's from too much chili dog fat." Sonic smirks. "Which reminds me, I never got my order."
Roman smirks as he puts the cigar between his teeth, lightning it. "I do love your sense of humor. Since we're all friends here I don't see a problem treating you to lunch if you're planning on staying a while."
"If you're paying." Sonic smirks. "Just no milkshakes!"
Roman gestures to his female companion, "Keep an eye on them, we don't want anything happening to them."
Neo snaps a two-fingered salute before looking down at Sonic. Her eyes switch colors a few times as she blinks.
"Huh... that's only slightly creepy." Sonic tilts his head.
Roman taps Sonic's shoulder with his cane before walking down the hall. "So where to? The cafeteria here is nice, but we have managed to get a few restaurants running. All free of course, until the city gets in full swing, but we do have to ration food so no buffets sadly."
Roman looks down at Sonic, "Which reminds me, you really use these huge gold rings for currency?" He mimes a big ring by touching the tips of his middle fingers, and thumbs. "Back on Remnant we just use credits called Lien."
"Well yeah. They're a wavelength away from Chaos Emeralds, and are pretty easy to find. Since they're basically gold, we treat them like currency." He holds up a hand, and a ring appears in it. "It is stored in our body as ring energy for convenience, and when we need them again, we just make them come out again."
Roman takes it, and inspects it closely, "Huh... Does Mobius ever run out of things to surprise me with? I like it here so far." He smiles as he hands the ring back to Sonic, and they step outside.
They're surrounded by GUN personnel, aiming their guns at Torchwick.
Torchwick raises his eyebrows, "Whoa, hey, what's this? Am I under arrest for doing charity without a permit?" He smirks at then as he knocks a little ash off his cigar.
"You can be detained for interfering with government matters." Towers states, stepping from a jeep.
"Like rebuilding a city?" Roman tutts, "You know Sir, maybe if you had been more focused on the people instead of politics then maybe the White Fang wouldn't have needed to step in at all... Because the Grimm wouldn't have gotten here."
Roman shakes his head, "Instead what did you do? You spent your time focused on some shiny new toys from four girls. I ought to be given a medal I think." He dusts off his sleeve casually, leaning on his cane.
"Dude don't get into a dick measuring contest with the government. That guy will shoot you if you keep talking." Sonic walks out, stepping between soldiers.
"Oh I'm done talking with him," Roman says as he follows Sonic. "What's he going to do against the new face of charity without it blowing up in his face?"
"Shoot you, and say you were a foreigner with weapons and soldiers. Better yet, he'll shoot you, shoot all of your soldiers, and you'll never be heard again." Sonic walks into a diner.
Roman shrugs, "Meh, trust me, you haven't seen scary until you've had a lady that can summon balls of fire on a whim breathing down your neck."
"I was gonna say the same thing about a stalker that can summon hammers from nowhere."
Roman sits at a booth as a waiter takes their drink orders, and leaves them with menus, and a glass of water each. Roman raises his with a smile, "To crazy women, my they leave us the fuck alone for once."
Sonic smirks and raises his glass. "I can toast to that."
Roman sips his glass, and sets it down. "I'm glad you're here, it saves me the trouble of trying to find you again. I'm a man of business you see, not a man of conquest."
"I guess I can see that. Nice of you keeping my friends alive." Sonic drinks his water.
"Oh that wasn't me," Roman says. "Adam was the one behind the whole fight so he said he'd handle the cleanup too."
"Ah. So I assume Eggman is helping you build self defense weapons for your group?" Sonic asks, ordering a chili dog.
"He has resources," Roman replies. "I have the means, and the mind to use them. I know you'd all rather he just build some big machine you could blow up then call it a day... But on Remnant that's not how we do things." Roman orders a burger with chili cheese fries on the side, and says, "So with that in mind... What do you say you work with me on this?"
"That implies working with Eggman. And that always goes wrong. Sorry." Sonic shrugs.
Roman shrugs as well with a half smile, "Suit yourself, I'm just trying to find an arrangement where everyone wins."
"Ooh trust me, that's not happening."
"And why not?" Roman gestures out the window, "People are being protected from Grimm, the White Fang is getting some positive recognition for once, Eggman gets the credit for providing all these resources, and I'm getting filthy rich off of it all."
Their orders arrive, and Roman continues as he cuts his burger in half, "So yeah, so far everyone is winning. Why not hop on this gravy train, and forget about old scores? It's all in the past after all, plus just you saying you're on our side will do a lot to protect these people." He pauses to take a bite.
Sonic chuckles, "You say that now."
Roman shakes his head, and swallows, "I'm not trying to blow smoke, Sonic. Ask any of your little Huntress friends, Grimm are attracted to negativity. All the negative emotions people are feeling here like sadness, despair, loneliness... It's only going to draw in more Grimm. But if the hero of Mobius is on board to protect them then it will raise spirits, drawing less Grimm, and if lets you make nice with the average Jill and Joe public."
Roman pops a fry into his mouth, "Unless there's something else you want, everybody has something they want."
"What I want is something you can't and won't give. It isn't something you can give. But people will take it for themselves if they have to."
Sonic eats his chili dog. "I met someone like you during my travels. She was very sexy, and her voice was like honey, no matter what she said people believed. Until she could no longer provide it."
He finishes his meal and drinks his water. "Your word is a ticking time bomb, Roman. You may be able to provide now, but not everyone will stay happy with you. You have to take care of everyone, but taking care of everyone doesn't take care of the individual."
Sonic stands and stretches his legs. "Freedom is something few can offer Roman. But it is taken far more than it is given. If you think Eggman will be fine with this peaceful world you're building, you're mistaken. One man's amusement park is another man's enslavement."
Roman snickers, "Freedom? Sonic, you're right that only individuals can find their own freedom, but that's because everyone is a slave to themselves. Even you, you've chained yourself down with morals, and standards just like everyone else. Some just have tighter chains than others."
Roman looks into his burger before putting a little extra ketchup on it, "As for Eggman, what he does is his business. If he chooses to try enslaving the planet, I don't plan to stand in his way. I told you before that I'm a businessman, and that means I will side with whoever will fill my pockets more."
"And that's where GUN will catch you." Sonic shrugs. "My path is like the wind. I go where I feel I'm needed, and I leave when I'm done."
Sonic leans in, becoming serious. "Oh, and tread lightly. I am no fool. Eggman knows his place, when to not mess with me. Also like the wind, when I turn violent, nothing can or will stop me. You will know when you're in trouble, and by then, you will be too late to stop me." Sonic disappears, a gust of wind knocking Roman's hat off.
Roman catches his hat with his cane, and smirks, "Whatever you say Sonic... Whatever you say."
...
Back on Angel island there is a well-oiled system going on. Ruby cuts trees, and Yang carries them back to Blake who cuts them into usable sizes.
As Yang walks off to bring back more wood Blake turns to Knuckles. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Knuckles nods, not pausing in his task of stacking logs to form rooms. "What is it?"
"I never said thank you for looming out for Yang, so... Thanks."
He smiles back at her. "You're welcome. She's pretty dependable."
Blake sheathes her sword, and looks him in the eye as she asks bluntly, "Do you like her?"
He blinks. "Well yeah. She's a good friend. Her temper's like mine, but besides that."
Blake lowers her eyebrows as she just stares at him.
Knuckles tilts his head. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"That wasn't what I meant," Blake says calmly.
Knuckles blinks again, thinking hard. Then he blushes hard, his eyes widening. "What?! You mean like-" He suddenly loses his grip on the wood he's holding, and it drops right on his foot. He cries out and hits the ground.
Blake walks over, and pushes the log aside with a foot. "Yes, I do."
Knuckles hisses, rubbing his tender foot as he curses subtly.
Blake crosses her arms, "Well?"
Knuckles blushes hard. "I... well..."
Blake taps her foot impatiently as she growls in her throat.
"Fine! Yes, okay?!" Knuckle growls, hopping to his feet and glaring at her.
Blake stops her tapping, and draws her sword. Then she just walks back to the fresh log to slice off another for Knuckes.
Knuckles blinks. He walks over to her, asking, "You... you're okay with it?"
Blake pauses, "She can handle herself, but as her friend I'm concerned." She looks down at him, and then with a sigh she pulls off her bow, twitching her ears.
Knuckles tilts his head. "You're... a hybrid..."
"Faunus," she corrects firmly. "We don't have Mobians on Remnant so my kind is a seperate race."
"And you still have a strong aura?" Knuckles tilts his head.
Blake demonstrates by slashing at the log in front of her, purple energy edging the cutting edge of her sheath which knocks the halves about a foot apart.
Knuckles blinks, impressed. "Wow." He turns away and sighs. "Yes... I think I love her. But I can't have her." He walks back to where he was and starts placing logs again.
"Why not? She chose to come back with you instead of rejoining the team, and when we finally come together she presses for a way to stay close to you."
He pauses and glances back at her. "Because... on Mobius, hybrids don't have a high survival rate. They are usually weak, sick, and die in a few weeks. If we married... our child may not live long."
"First off you're getting a little ahead of yourself there," Blake deadpans. "Second, why is the survival rate so low?"
"In our world, Overlanders don't have a Chaos Field. As such, they reduce their child's chances of having one, making the child weaker to diseases. Our powers come from our Chaos Field, and it makes us immune to most diseases. So with a weakened Chaos Field... it doesn't have much chance of surviving..." Knuckles frowns.
"A Chaos Field," Blake muses. "Well we saw yesterday on the air that anyone with Aura can use Chaos powers so... Yang does have one, so does anyone from Remnant."
"Yeah, but what does that mean for us?" Knuckles sighs. "I... don't want to break her heart if we go that far... The only reason a Guardian needs a wife is for an offspring to become the new Guardian. As such... I need someone with a strong Chaos Field, someone with great power. That would mean a full Mobian hybrid... but..." He rubs his temples. "This is why I keep my mouth shut..."
Blake smiles, and then covers her mouth as her shoulder shake with suppressed laughter.
"What?!" He snaps at her, balling his fists.
Blake wipes an eye with an uncharacteristically huge grin, "Have you seen Yang fight?"
"Of course! But I don't know how that will transfer!" Knuckles rams his head into a log angrily.
Blake shakes her head, "Does it matter? You're strong, she's strong-"
"Heads up!"
Blake looks up just in time to dodge a tree flying at them. "Case in point," she grunts.
Knuckles sighs. "It's just... what will she do if we create a child weaker than us? A pathetic little thing that can't even defend itself? Wouldn't that hurt her?"
Blake starts rolling the log to a place where she can cut it, "If I know Yang half as well as I think I do then I think your safe. She has just as much fire in her heart as she does in her fists."
Knuckles nods quietly, thinking to himself as he goes back to work. Yang walks overt the bridge with another tree, Weiss trailing behind her. Yang grunts as she drop the tree, "This enough Knux, or are you planning to build a whole hotel?"
"Depends, any more friends coming over?" Knuckles shakes away his thoughts, smirking at her.
Yang shrugs, and Weiss drops her backpack on the ground. "Speaking of friends, look what I found when I went to town to get some supplies," Weiss says, fishing a newspaper out of her backpack. On the front page is Roman surrounded by GUN soldiers in front of a hospital, Sonic at his side. The headline reads, "GUN HARASSES GOOD SAMARITAN!'
"They had better be talking about Sonic in that caption." Knuckles deadpans.
Weiss shakes her head, "No, the reporter interviewed people around the city about the incident, and Torchwick refused to comment saying the people would speak for him."
Knuckles growls, "I have half a mind to go down there and punch him in the face."
"That's not going to help," Blake says. "Torchwick was able to say a room full of human-hating Faunus into working with him with a single speech of his silver tongue. Assault him, and he'll have the entire country out for your blood."
"Fine with me. GUN can't do anything to me, and neither can the Faunus unless they want an excuse for GUN to retaliate." Knuckles growls, holding up his Chaos Emerald.
Yang puts her hand on it too, "No Knuckles, think. If you end up bringing a mob down on your own head Torchwick could easily dodge responsibility for it. Don't give him the satisfaction. And if anything happens to you... well... what happens to the Master Emerald?"
Knuckles growls. "If that pretty boy thinks he can just waltz wherever he wants with no repercussions, he is in for one rude wakeup call. I will be damn sure of it." He lowers the Chaos Emerald. "We need whoever you're working with here. We detach ourselves from GUN, and get ready to bring this man down."
"We can't detach from GUN again without Towers coming down on our heads," Blake says.
Weiss raises a finger, "Unless... We do so with his unofficial permission! If we agree to it as a group, and have Oobleck present our case..."
"But what about afterwards," Yang points out. "Suppose we bring Torchwick down, and the White Fang carry on peacefully, what's to stop Towers from coming after us?"
Blake shrugs, "Maybe he'll be too concerned with the White Fang? I mean, fifty Chaos Users on the loose after what Adam did to Shadow would put us low on the priority list."
"Maybe," Weiss agrees. "At least until Towers remembers we've beaten the White Fang before, and forcibly recruits us to hunt them down."
"He can't do that as long as we're on the island," Blake says. "Even if he threw all GUN's resources into one assault, the Island Defense will keep him away."
"Angel Island is its own country." Knuckles states, everyone looking at him. "I am the Guardian, the lead individual. GUN cannot touch me, or anyone that lives on my island. I made that very clear when they tried. I am also my own government, and anywhere I land my island becomes part of my country. If I don't like who lives in my country, they are forcefully deported. I also have allies in various countries who will back me up. I am under no jurisdiction, and anyone who dares try to tell me otherwise will find out why this Island is separate from everything on this planet." Knuckles cracks his namesakes.
Yang smiles, but the other two take a step back. "That's disturbing," Weiss says.
Ruby dashes up, "Hey Yang, you forgot to tell me I was done cutting wood!"
"Oops, sorry Ruby." Yang rubs the back of her neck.
"IF I MAY UPGRADE ALL OF YOUR PHONES LIKE MISS SCHNEE'S, IT WILL ALLOW COMMUNICATION TO BE MUCH SMOOTHER." Omega informs.
"Thanks," Ruby says as she, Yang, and Blake hand him their Scrolls.
Yang looks around while Omega does his thing, "So what's the plan now?"
"I need to get Tails up here, I need to set up a generator so you guys can have power in the house." Knuckles says. "Then, we see about teaching you four some Chaos Moves."
Blake perks, "That's right... The White Fang may be training to use Chaos Abilities, but we're from Remnant too so..."
Ruby beams, "You mean we get to learn cool stuff like that too?!" She gives a fangirl squeal, and zooms over to scoop Knuckles up in a hug.
Knuckles yelps, chuckling. "It's hard to master though. That Adam person got lucky and learned from Shadow, but from how it looks, he can only bend space."
Yang looks at her hand, "What was that energy blast thing he did with his hand though, I've never seen that before."
"Perhaps another of Shadow's powers," Weiss says. "He says Ivo Robotnik, aka Eggman, was the supplier for the White Fang so it makes sense to say they're partners of sorts. Given how many run-ins Eggman has had with Shadow over the years he probably has all his abilities on file."
"It's a Shadow signature, Chaos Lance. It's an upgrade of his Chaos Spear." Knuckles explains. "You channel raw Chaos Energy into a spear of Chaos, and throw it like a dart."
Yang sighs as she stares at her hand, "And we'll be learning to do stuff like that?"
"Grimm beware," Blake monotones.
"It depends on what I think you all should learn. Using these moves drain your energy, so they need to be used sparingly. Shadow can do them effortlessly because he is a conduit of Chaos." Knuckles says.
"Then how did Adam do them effortlessly too," Ruby wonders as she puts Knuckles down.
"I don't know. I think it's because his power is similar to Shadow's." Knuckles says thoughtfully.
Weiss looks down, and picks up Knuckles' Chaos Emerald where he dropped it when Ruby scooped him up. "...Any chance he may have had one of these?"
Knuckles blinks, and frowns. "...That would make more sense."
Blake takes it from Weiss, and examines it, "Interesting... How many of these are there?"
"Seven," Yang replies.
Weiss rubs her chin, "And are they all accounted for?"
Knuckles frowns. "Eggman has one, I have one, Shadow has one, Tails has one, and I assume Sonic has one."
Ruby counts on her fingers, "That's four out of seven so there's three left to be found."
"Tails might let us borrow his," Yang reasons. "And if Eggman has one then it's pretty obvious Adam has it now."
"Good luck getting it back," Blake mutters.
Weiss frowns, "What do you mean?"
Blake shuts her eyes, "Who do you think taught me to fight?"
Ruby scratches her head, "Sonic might loan us his too... Okay everyone, I have a plan! Our mission is to collect the rest of the Chaos Emeralds here on Angel Island!"
Knuckles looks thoughtful. "Sounds good. I'll stay here and look after the Master Emerald."
Omega hands the girls back their Scrolls. "I WILL INFORM OOBLECK AND PENNY OF THIS NEW EVENT."
Weiss holds up a finger, "Not a word of our mission, just tell them that we need them both here. If Towers knows we're after the Emeralds I bet he'll try to get in our way, or use us to get them for him."
"AFFIRMATIVE. I WILL TELL SHADOW AND ROUGE ABOUT COMING OVER HERE AS WELL." Omega stands tall, turning and clanking away.
"So..." Blake raises an eyebrow, "Any ideas for finding the last three Chaos Emeralds?"
"We can think of something as we train," Ruby says. "The point of getting them is so each of us will have an Emerald. When our training is done we'll be ready to take down the White Fang."
"Then we better start as soon as possible," Yang says.
"Alright then." Knuckles holds up his red Chaos Emerald. "Now, the Chaos Emeralds each are a different frequency of Chaos Energy, represented by their colors. Green is the most stable, while red is the most destructive. Each Emerald has it's own unique powers, but they are hard to unlock, so I will focus on those last. For now, I will teach you all Chaos Control. Who wants to go first?.
All the girls raise a hand except for Ruby who waves hers wildly over her head.
He chuckles. "Ruby, sit with me." He sits on a log, holding the Emerald out to her.
Ruby hops over next to him, and holds the emerald with both hands.
"Look into the top facet, and tell me what you see." Knuckles motions to the biggest facet.
Ruby holds her head over the Crimson red Emerald, and trains at her own reflection.
"You're looking at your reflection." Knuckles chuckles softly. "Try looking into the Emerald with your Aura."
Ruby nods, and narrows her eyes. Slowly the Chaos Emerald starts to glow softly in her hands.
"There we go!" Knuckles smiles. "Now, tell me what you see."
Ruby frowns, peering in. "I... I see... A tiny flame, like an ember, or a candle..."
He smiles, and nods. "The red Chaos Emerald is wild, like fire. It is hardest to control, but the most powerful. Anything you do with it will be the hardest you will be able to do compared to all the Emeralds. So, if you can handle the power of the red Emerald, you will be able to control the rest. Understand so far?"
Ruby nods, not tearing her eyes away from the center of the Emerald where all the glowing originates.
"Alright, now close your eyes and imagine GUN. Imagine yourself at one of the rooms, in a specific spot. Then once you have it, say Chaos Control. And then, imagine yourself back here sitting on this log before saying Chaos Control again once you're ready again." Knuckles scoots a bit away.
Weiss gives him wide eyes, "Wait, you're sending her to GUN?!"
"Chaos Control," Ruby mutters, and vanishes in a flash of red light, leaving a flurry of Rose petals behind.
"It's the only place she's been." Knuckles points out. "And probably the area she know the best."
Ruby reappears a moment later about a foot off the log. She falls on it, and falls on her back with her legs up in the air. She groans as her skirt falls open, but luckily her black leggings prevent anything from being seen. Though a close look might reveal some hidden pink...
Yang quickly pulls Ruby up, and helps make herself decent. Then she raises an eyebrow, "Wait, didn't you say nobody could teleport here except you?"
"That was a simplified explanation... I can allow anyone to teleport onto the Island, but the Master Emerald will only allow me to warp directly where the Master Emerald is." Knuckles says.
Ruby shakes her head as if to clear it, "That was... Weird... I think I kinda went into a trance or something for a second there."
Knuckles smiles. "Well, you warped. Alright, let's try something simpler. Try warping next to Weiss."
Ruby nods, and holds up the Emerald again. She shuts her eyes, and another flash of light, and rose petals she appears behind Weiss.
"How do you feel? Dizzy?" Knuckles smiles.
"A little bit," she says, taking a few steps. "I feel steady enough though."
Weiss strokes her chin, "Shadow, and Sonic are known for their ability to perform Chaos Control, and their speed... Perhaps those gifted with speed have a natural affinity for the skill."
"A nice theory. But it's more than likely it's because they can turn Super." Knuckles says.
Yang raises an eyebrow, "I heard you mention that before when I showed you my Semblance, what is it?"
"When someone collects all seven Chaos Emeralds, it is said a miracle happens. For Sonic and Shadow, when they have the seven Emeralds and fifty rings, they can turn Super. Their blue and black fur turn a shade of gold, their quills all point up, and Sonic's eyes turn red." Knuckles explains. "All of their powers and abilities increase exponentially, and they are invulnerable."
Yang whistles, "Whoa..."
Weiss's eyes widen, "Wait... A miracle...?"
Knuckles nods. "A miracle. Also, while Super is incredible, it's also limited. Sonic has turned Super without rings once, and the time limit was one minute. The Super energy drains your rings, and once you're out, you turn back to normal. However, you will feel refreshed and be healed, even if you were near death before."
Ruby gapes, and then stares at the Emerald in her hand, "Whoa..."
"Hello?!" Weiss grabs all their attention as she raises her voice, "Am I the only one that caught the obvious before it flew over my head?! If we get all seven emeralds then it could be our ticket home!"
The other three girls give each other troubled looks, and Weiss crosses her arms, "What?!"
"Maybe... Not all of us want to go back," Blake says, reaching up to feel her ears.
"Yeah," Yang says as she rubs one arm with her free one. "I mean, even if we did want to we couldn't just leave."
"There's a lot that needs doing here," Ruby says quietly. "Torchwick, and the White Fang aside there's hundreds of Grimm that came through the portal with us. And for all we know more could be forming every day."
Weiss looks at them in disbelief, and then shuts her eyes, "...You have a point..."
Yang puts a hand on Weiss's shoulder, "Is this about Neptune?"
Weiss clenches her jaw, and then hugs herself, "...A little..."
Knuckles takes pity on Weiss, and walks over. "Hey, Oobleck and Penny followed you guys here. That means there's a chance that more of your friends will come over too. And that means maybe they'll think of a way for you guys to freely travel between Remnant and Mobius."
"But what if they don't," Weiss says. "Neptune, and I were finally starting to hit it off after the school dance, and now... Now I might not see him again..."
Blake looks down, "You're not the only person with worries like that."
Ruby blinks, "You, and Sun?"
Blake shrugs, "Maybe... I don't know, I just felt comfortable around him. And with Torchwick, the White Fang... He always stood by me even when I was a bit cold with him."
Weiss raises an eyebrow, "Cold? Before the dance you were absolutely frigid."
"You're one to talk Ice Queen," Yang jokes, nudging Weiss with an elbow.
Blake sighs as she sits on a log, "I think about home too, and yeah a lot of the time it's Sun I worry about. I know he was really into me even though honestly I'm not sure how I felt about him. When the train crashed he... He probably thinks we all died..."
Weiss tenses, "Please, please don't say that..."
"I think they would be suspicious about the lack of Grimm. Plus, four students and an actual Huntsman? Maybe one of you, but not all of you." Knuckles points out. He then blinks. "Wait... wouldn't Penny have an emergency signal for her maker? If she was damaged, it would tell her maker she was damaged, but what about when it's completely gone?"
Weiss slowly opens her eyes, "...You're right... They probably isolated the portal... And they'll have it quarantined off, that's why he's not here yet."
"Maybe if we go back to where the portal was on our end we might find something," Blake reasons.
Ruby shakes her head, "No good, GUN already tried, and didn't find anything. Besides, that would be in Station Square. And from how Oobleck, and Penny weren't detected when they got here people probably get spit out in random locations when they get here."
Yang furrows her brow, and pulls out her Scroll, "I gotta call Tails, and get him on this right away."
Blake looks confused, "Why?"
Yang looks up, "Well if the destination is random here on Mobius then who's to say anyone that came through didn't end up in the middle of the desert, the ocean, or in a puddle of quicksand?"
The girls share scared looks as Yang holds her Scroll up to her ear.
Knuckles nods. "Good call. I'll try searching the Master Emerald again." He holds his hand out for the Chaos Emerald.
"Hello?" Tails answers.
Yang steps away to talk to Tails while Ruby returns the Emerald to Knuckles. "Hey buddy, it's Yang. Think you could do me a favor please? One that might save a few lives?"
"Well sure! What is it?" Tails asks.
"Well as far as we can figure the portal that dropped us off here drops folks at random locations. Any way you could... I dunno, anchor it down?"
"Huh... I never thought of that. I'll see what I can do!" Tails says determinedly.
"Thanks little guy, I owe ya," she says. "Keep me posted, m'kay?"
"Alright! See you later!" Tails hangs up.