Hey, guys. Man, work's been kicking my butt these past few weeks... it's really not been fun, and why I haven't been able to get new chapters out to you every week like I used to. I apologize for that, and I'd like to say that I like my digital life so much more than my stupid real one. I might end up quitting soon if this stress keeps up. And I feel especially bad since it's been months since I've made any progress on my Minish Cap story.

Anyways, we're continuing the Moon Arc here. Not a lot of action, but there is some important setup here, especially near the end. I don't own RWBY or Sonic. Enjoy!

Atlesian airship over Beacon airspace, 12:30 p.m.

Shadow was the first to speak after the video was done. "So… this is why all files related to the first mission are classified…"

General Ironwood nodded. "Yes, and why the Atlesian Council forbade all other attempts to go to the moon."

"How do the Grimm even survive up there?" asked Blaze. "That doesn't seem physically possible."

Tails put a hand to his chin in thought. "Well, insects, in general, have amazing adaptability on Mobius, and I'm sure it's the same for Remnant. Maybe these Grimm have bodies that can withstand the cold temperatures and the vacuum of the moon."

"Plus, the Creatures of Grimm don't need to feed on humans at all," commented Blake. "They just choose to. Maybe they can go into hibernation."

"Can we talk about the fact that we just saw people get killed by GIANT BUGS?!" Jaune yelled. His face was very pale, and it's worth mentioning that he was doing his best not to vomit.

"At any rate," interjected Ironwood, "those who choose to go to the moon will be more equipped than my crew. In addition to your personal weapons, I will lend you two Atlesian Paladins and two Spider Droids to assist in protection."

Everyone's jaws (sans Omega) dropped when they heard this. "Sweet Chaos, isn't that overkill?" exclaimed Sonic.

Ironwood shrugged and smirked. "In the military, the grunts have a saying: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. And considering what you'll be up against, you'll be glad you have them."

Shadow laughed at that. "General, you and I are gonna get along just fine."

"Indeed," agreed Omega.

"Before you all get ahead of yourselves, the people going must undergo an intense week-long training session. I have talked with Professor Ozpin, and he told me the gravity of your situation," said Ironwood. "Therefore, your teachers will give you a reduced amount of homework."

"Sweet!" exclaimed Ruby happily.

"I wouldn't be too excited, Red," said Rouge. "Astronaut training programs are pretty intense back on Mobius, and I imagine this is no different, especially if it's only a week long."

Ironwood nodded. "You are correct, Rouge. Also, you will need to be fitted for suits." He sighed. "It's going to be a nightmare to get you Mobians fitted-"

"Actually, General, I think we're good," interrupted Sonic.

Ironwood looked at the blue hedgehog. "Excuse me?"

"We can survive in a vacuum without a suit," explained Tails. "Most of us from Mobius have experienced this phenomenon firsthand." Those who had been to Space Colony ARK nodded their heads.

"How is this even possible?"

Tails shrugged. "Scientists still haven't figured that out. We would still need to breath real air, but not for a week."

"And I'd seriously doubt we'd stay up there with giant bugs for that long," grunted Shadow.

Ironwood breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I guess this means that I need suits for you eight." He looked at Teams RWBY and JNPR.

"Um, General?" Jaune raised his hand nervously. "D-do all of us have to go?" The leader of Team JNPR was very freaked out about what he just saw though he hid it surprisingly well.

"That's for you all to decide. Keep in mind there will be limited space on the ship."

Everyone in the group looked at each other. "Well, guys? What do you think?" asked Sonic.

"I'm afraid to say it, but I think that Team RWBY should be the ones to go to the moon," said Ren. "Your weapons and Semblances will be more effective on the moon than ours."

"Awww, I wanted to go to the moon!" whined Nora. "Fine, but you'd better bring back a moon rock!"

Yang grinned. "Deal."

Jaune sagged in his chair in relief. "Oh, thank God. I'm not sure my pants would have survived if I saw those bugs in real life." Pyrrha patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Okay, so Team RWBY's going… Now which one of us should go?" asked Knuckles.

"Dibs!" shouted Sonic.

Shadow smirked. "If Faker's going, I'll go, too." Omega also reserved a spot for the mission, saying that his weapons would be needed, and he wouldn't use any air either.

"My powers will probably be useful up there," said Silver.

Tails raised a hand. "My technical expertise and flying experience will be necessary. We'll give you a full roster later this evening."

"That reminds me- what kind of ship is it that we're taking?" asked Sonic.

Ironwood smiled. "I'll show you."

Ironwood motioned the group to follow him. The general led them through the ship until they arrived at the vehicle hangar. Many Atlesian dropships were in storage here, ready to be deployed at the sign of any threat. "A little bit much for a visit, don't you think?" asked Knuckles.

"When I corresponded with Ozpin, he told me about what this Doctor Eggman could do. I don't want to take any chances. Also…" Ironwood glanced at the Mobians. "He told me about Dralux," he said in a hushed tone.

Everyone in the group exchanged looks. "Well… I guess there's no denying that Eggman, and by extension, Dralux, pose great threats to the planet. The question is, what will you do about them?" asked Sonic. "I'm guessing you didn't bring this huge army just for giggles."

Ironwood chuckled. "Your guess would be right. While your team is on the moon, I plan to strike Doctor Eggman at his base and eliminate this threat to Remnant."

"Uh… hate to break it to you, General, but we kinda trashed the place already," said Yang.

"That was just the unintended consequence of eliminating Metal Sonic. He won't be producing Dark Badniks anytime soon," countered Shadow. He put a hand to his chin in thought. "Still, as some of the agents at GUN like to say, the best time to kick an enemy is when they're down. In the head, preferably."

"Incorrect," Omega spoke up. "I heard that it's usually in the-"

"Alright, don't finish that sentence, Omega," interrupted Rouge. "There are children present."

Ironwood stopped at a set of doors. "Alright. This is the ship." He pressed a button that opened the doors.

Inside was a sleek ship made of a dark metal with sweeping lines and huge engines at the back*. Everyone looked at it in awe. "Sweet Chaos… It's beautiful…" breathed Sonic.

Shadow elbowed him in the stomach. "You just say that because it looks fast."

The blue hedgehog glared at Shadow, then shrugged. "Yeah, you're right."

Ironwood walked up to the ship. "This is a ship the Atlesian Military shipyards built when we were still interested in going to the moon. It's been gathering dust in a hangar since the space program was shut down, and we started devoting resources to building the satellite network that we have now."

Tails approached it, his eyes sparkling at the sight of the ship. "Can it fly?"

"It can, but some of the hardware in the ship is outdated and doesn't function quite as well without the use of an Artificial Intelligence program to accomplish the different duties efficiently."

Sonic and Tails exchanged glances. "Well, fortunately for us, we have an A.I."

Aeromi projected herself on a nearby emitter. "Yay! I get to fly a ship!" she cheered.

Ironwood and the others chuckled at her enthusiasm. "We'll get the proper equipment set up for your friend here." His expression turned serious as he faced the group. "But while that's going on, the ones who are going will be trained for zero-g environments. We have a lot of work to do, and a short time to do it in."

The members of Team RWBY looked at each other, then back at Ironwood. "Well, let's get started, then," said Ruby, smiling excitedly. "This is gonna be AWESOME!"

Egg Ark, same time...

"Well… this is an interesting development," commented Cinder Fall. She was watching a hacked security feed transmitted from the ship to Eggman's base. She swiveled her chair to face the doctor himself. "Grimm on the moon… so this is why the space program was closed."

Eggman nodded. "Yes… but even more interesting is that miserable hedgehog is going to go up there with some Beacon students- ones that interfered with your plans in the past, right?"

Cinder nodded. "Indeed…" A sinister smile crossed her face. "It seems we've been given a great opportunity."

Eggman leaned towards her in his desk, listening intently.

"It would be a shame if there was an accident with the fuel cells while on the moon… They would be stuck with no way off, and if the Grimm don't kill them first, they would slowly die of asphyxiation… truly a tragic way to go."

The evil doctor grinned evilly, approving of this plan. "I'll get right on it."

Cinder's smile turned into a disapproving frown. "I think… not."

"And what makes you think you can order me around, you whelp?" Eggman glared at her angrily.

"I've lost faith in your abilities since you let those brats into your base to get rid of a robot that YOU created." Cinder stood up in front of the doctor. "Also, the subsequent destruction of the base has no doubt caused delays in the production of Dark Badniks. Your presence is needed in Mountain Glenn where the secondary production line is."

"And where Dralux's energy is being held…" Eggman sighed. "Your arguments are logical. But who else has the knowledge to sabotage the ship in the right way?"

Cinder's smile returned. "This job requires a woman's touch." The doors to the office opened, and a girl with brown and pink hair walked in. She held an umbrella with one hand over her shoulder, and she bowed gracefully to Cinder and Eggman in greeting. "Neo and I will be the ones to sabotage the ship."

Eggman looked the younger girl over. "Your associate stands out more than a little... are you sure about this?"

"Worry not, Doctor. Soon, our nuisances will be a thing of the past."

*For a good idea of what the ship looks like, search "Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Blast Off Vehicle Form".

Let me tell, you, I've been a science fiction fan for a long time, but it was kinda difficult to find the right kind of spaceship. It had to be big enough to fit 8 beings and 4 large robots, but small enough to only fit that much. In my story, space is still a difficult boundary to overcome on Remnant despite the variety of airships they have.

What's this? Neo makes a reappearance, AND she's going to be working with Cinder? You're welcome! :D

Well, leave a review if you have questions, and if you liked it or not, and I'll hopefully get another chapter out earlier. Bye!