What's poppin' everyone! It's your boy LilMichaelxSonikku here! Here with a new chapter, now there are 71 days till RWBY Volume 4 comes! I'm already doing character concept art for "SSKT 4"! I will post them in Tumblr so you can look at'em! Soon, I'll be doing a Freedom Planet and Sonic crossover soon once I'm done with SSKT 4 or SSKT 3. Enough of that, enjoy.
Disclaimer: Sonic goes to SEGA and RWBY goes to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum.
In a black screen, we hear alien noises and voices are heard, echoing as if through a tunnel as the voice and declaration of the evil woman had declared.
"I want to be strong."
"A beautiful ring... for a beautiful woman." A Salesman's voice said in a soft tone.
The woman rose an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"
"I want to be feared." Cinder's voice echoed.
"What!? Impossible! What did...!?" The Salesman's voice cried in shock as many sounds of feet echoed.
"She went that way!" A Man's voice said.
"I want to be powerful." Cinder's voice echoed.
"Someone, call the police!" The Woman's voice cried.
"How'd she do that!?" The Salesman asked incredulously.
Suddenly, the darkness cuts to the smirking face of Cinder Fall, seen with shorter hair and a metal version of her dual swords with arrows on her back.
"How did you do that?" Cinder Fall asked a person with interest.
The person she is talking to in the abandoned alleyway, cornered against a wall, is revealed to be Emerald Sustrai. Emerald has a ponytail instead of her usual locks and is wearing a different outfit, missing her usual white top and arm accessories. Some of the clothes' colors – gloves, pants, even her guns – are switched for different hues. She glares at this stranger while glancing around, backing away slowly and not answering. Without warning, she attempts to get her revolvers from their holsters.
"Don't. Unless, of course, you want them to hear you." Cinder referred to the sounds of footsteps behind her.
Emerald lets go of the grips. "What do you want?"
Cinder stepped forward slowly, glass anklet shifting with her footsteps. "I've already told you. And I don't like repeating myself."
"I didn't do anything! Just leave me alone!" Emerald huffed wanting Cinder to leave.
"I know my fair share of liars and thieves. Stealing is an art of patience, coordination, and in a pinch, sleight of hand. But you didn't steal the ring in your pocket. You took it right before the jeweller's eyes. And he smiled." Cinder said sinisterly with a dark smile appearing on her face.
Emerald was in surprise which turns to suspicion once more. "Who are you?"
Cinder keeps on smiling as the scene fades to black, and the voices return. "You will question everything you know."
"This is impossible."
There is a sound similar to something vanishing in a puff of smoke, and the growling instantly stops.
"I wish to take on an apprentice." The voice of Cinder Fall echoed.
A Large Man points to the mountains. "He lives in the mountains with his son."
Cinder nods. "Follow me, and you'll never be hungry again."
Emerald had a small smile as she nods to her. "Thank you…"
The darkness opens up once more on the panting, bruised and bloodied face of another familiar youth, Mercury Black. He is missing his armor and sash, and his knees are bandaged and stained with blood. There is light from a burning house dancing to his back as he stands before a confident Cinder and wary Emerald.
Mercury glared at the two. "What are you looking at!?"
"I'm looking for Marcus Black."
Mercury spits blood on the ground as he gestures back at the burning house and the white-haired man lying face down behind him. "There you go."
Emerald got up from her stance. "That's... the assassin?"
Cinder calmly looking up at Mercury. "And you're his son. We saw your fight from the treeline. He's taught you well."
Mercury wipes the blood off of his face. "Guess so."
"What's your name?" Cinder asked.
"Mercury."
Cinder nodded in approval. "Mercury... Tell me, are you anything like your father?"
The scene fades to black on her smile again.
"So what's in it for me?" Mercury's voice rang as he asked Cinder.
"We don't need him! Everything was going fine!" Emerald said not liking this, then a slap is heard, and she cries out in pain.
"Do not mistake your place." Cinder said firmly.
"My dad always said... "if you need to know a city, ask the rats."" Mercury quoted his father's words.
"Well, hello, gorgeous." A familiar voice which belongs to Roman who was chuckling darkly.
"So, let me get this straight…" A voice belonging to Adam.
Darkness cuts away to the image of Cinder standing respectfully in the center of a tent, Emerald and Mercury sitting on their knees behind her. Two members of the White Fang armed with a rifle and sword are to one side, and the Lieutenant leaning up against the other, as a man steps into view before a map of Remnant.
"You could've gone to anyone for help. You could've made a deal with a gang leader, paid off some Huntsmen that have strayed from their... righteous path... but instead, you choose to seek an audience with me." Adam said wanting to be sure he was hearing right.
"You're the one we need. Your skill, your ability to lead those beneath you. You're an exceptionally valuable man, Adam. And we've put a lot of thought into-" Cinder was about to say.
Adam interrupts her, stepping forward with his finger raised. "Then you're clearly not thinking straight! If you truly understood me, you would know coming here was a mistake. The White Fang is not an organization for hire. We're a force of revolution!"
He makes a fist with his last word, and Emerald shares a look with Mercury, eyebrows raised.
Cinder looked unintimidated. "I believe our plan will be beneficial for all parties involved. I have... an associate in Vale. He and I are working on a revolution of our own. But we can't do it without your forces. We need-"
"What you need... is to leave. You're asking my men to die for your cause - a human cause. That is not an idea I am willing to entertain." Adam said with venom in his voice as he held the holster of his weapon "Wilt and Blush".
Cinder scowls in obvious displeasure, but makes herself bow to the White Fang leader. "Very well."
The three leave the tent and go off into the nearby woods, with Adam stepping out to look at them from behind his mask.
Blake stepping up behind him, hand on her side. "What was that about?"
"Nothing." He said walking away. "We need to finish preparing. The train will be here at dawn."
Blake follows her mentor as the scene fades to black.
"So now what?" Mercury asked.
"There's another task we must attend to." Cinder stated.
"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a friend of mine." Emerald said heading to a Innkeeper.
"Ah, yes. She was just here yesterday." The Innkeeper stated.
"Remember the plan. Exactly as discussed. Not a foot out of place." Cinder said seriously.
The darkness cuts to the overcast view of a forest, a single path with a wooden fence to either side cutting through the green. From the trees comes a lone white horse trotting along slowly, a green-cloaked rider with golden armor and her hood up on its back. The animal comes forward as the sharp sound is heard once more, and the two stop when they come across the scene of a young green-haired girl curled up and crying next to a felled bicycle. Despite the fact that another camera angle shows only a fully-grown Emerald standing there, the rider dismounts from her steed and slowly approaches the child, who looks up as the mysterious stranger kneels down to her level and smirks. The girl flinches in fright when the woman reaches into her clothes and pulls out an apple, not realizing she's only offering it to empty air. Emerald stands only a few feet away from the oblivious heroine, scrunching her face up in determination and readying to attack by grabbing her weapons and sliding a foot back. The kicked-up dust manages to be seen behind the girl even when the one who kicked it doesn't, and the woman gasps as the image of the child happily reaching for the apple suddenly disappears. Dropping the fruit and leaping back quickly as the horse turns to run away, Amber ditches the cloak and pulls out her weapon, expanding the double crystal-headed staff to full length. She sees Emerald running towards her, guns blazing green shots, each of which are deflected against the Maiden's hand. Amber twirls the spear around her body, kicking up the winds and blasting it towards her opponent, forcing Emerald to slide back. Just as she does this, Mercury comes up from the side and jumps over the fence, landing on her staff as she forces him and a returning Emerald back with another gale. Mercury simply leaps on a post and launches himself at her, forcing Amber to unleash a stream of fire from the red crystal on him, but her attacker merely curls up and lets his legs take the brunt of the damage, flames burning away the orange pants as the complex machinery and lit-up metal making up the robotic prosthetic underneath is revealed. With his artificial limbs, he continues to come forward through the fire and kick Amber on her back, only for Emerald to land on her from above, cracking the very ground underneath. She and Mercury jump back and get ready to fight again when Amber gets up, head bowed until she looks up with orange energy pouring from her eyes. The winds erupt from the Maiden, swirling around and making her enemies cover their faces from the force, when she lifts off the ground and spreads her arms to the sky, lightning now rumbling in the clouds for her to aim at the two, who barely get out of the way in time. Calling upon more of the storm, Mercury and Emerald continue to dodge each bolt as Cinder steps into view a ways back from the fight. The two ambushers fire on Amber, but the invisible shield now covers her whole body, taking each shot as she reaches to her side and clenches a fist, making the leaves rise into the air and come to her. With a raised arm, the leaves turn from green to frozen ice, and she rains the newly-sharpened projectiles down on her foes, who are unable to avoid the attack. Amber continues this assault until she senses Cinder running towards her from behind, face set in determination, and summons a fireball to launch at her third adversary, who manages to leap over the attack. Cinder slides across the ground, kicking up dirt. Cinder faces her palm to the dirt, the yellow fabric on her sleeve glowing, and coalesces the dirt into several glass shards, which she aims at the floating Maiden. Amber is knocked back from the damage, face down in the dirt, until she looks up with normal eyes just when the sharp sound is heard again. She first sees the area empty, but Emerald flickers into view for a moment, and Amber slowly realizes what's happening as Mercury also shifts into her frame of vision, with Cinder coming forward in spurts, swords raised. She attempts to slice Amber with the two blades, only for the Maiden to deflect each hit and kick the assailant away just as Mercury and Emerald come forward in her stead. The two miss their initial attacks and get kicked for their efforts, but Mercury lands a blow on her only for Amber to rush at him, not noticing Cinder connect her swords together into their bow shape and notching three arrows. Amber manages to punch Emerald and kick Mercury away right before turning around and seeing Cinder launch the arrows at the ground around her, which erupt in a high whistling noise and a burning explosion from each projectile. She feels the full force of it all, her Aura disappearing entirely from the damage. The screen is white for a moment before Cinder appears with her partners behind her, slowly approaching their target as she gets up from her hands and knees. She swipes at the three with a gust of wind that blows them all away, but Mercury races back towards her until he's blasted back by a bolt of lightning from the now burning-eyed Maiden. She suddenly turns back and sends a fireball at Emerald, only for it to disappear and the real thief to be revealed on the other side, also getting a blast of flame. With all three of her opponents down, Amber grabs her staff from the ground and uses it as support to walk over to Emerald, wincing and clutching her side all the while. Emerald only has time to look up in fear before Amber glowers and raises her weapon to finish the fight... just when a quick whooshing noise ends with a sudden thump right as she gasps in pain. Eyes wide, Amber collapses forward, an arrow sticking out from her back while Cinder lowers the bow and smiles once more. She drops her weapon and calmly comes forward, taking out a white glove as Mercury and Emerald force their defeated foe to her knees. Amber and Cinder meet eye-to-eye before the villainess lifts up her now gloved hand, the back of it marked with the red symbol of an open eye in a compass shape, broken on one side by five diamond shapes. Cinder reaches down, palm towards Amber when the white suddenly opens a small red portal, out from which a Grimm bug comes out.
Amber's pupils contracted, begging in a whisper. "Please don't…"
The creature spits out a web of black, attaching to Amber's face in a familiar pattern. When she looks up, screaming, her one free eye is blazing, a final blast of wind erupting from her as the glow fades into the inky strands, up through the glove, and into Cinder's body. Her own victorious eyes light up with power, a shower of sparks surrounding her and black-and-red circle appearing under their feet. Amber closes her eye… Then without warning, footsteps are seen racing towards the ritual, and Cinder only has a moment to look up and see Qrow Branwen swinging his sword down on them, severing the web and making the three leap back. The Huntsman grabs the unconscious Maiden before she hits the ground, and Cinder watches to her hand as the glove burns away into nothingness, leaving only a tattoo of high heels between her exposed shoulder blades. Cinder looks up with a grin, right eye now brimming with golden energy, as she gets up from her position and raises her arms, embers circling around her. Qrow can only see her shimmering face for a second before the ground under him starts to glow, and he gets himself and Amber out of the way just as it explodes. He looks back and finds that the three are gone, then turns his worried gaze to the marked and comatose face of Amber when the scene fades to black.
"The Huntsman severed the connection before it was complete. Yes. It's... an emptiness. It burns. Like hunger. I like it. Yes. I will claim what is ours. Thank you." Cinder's voice rang in the darkness.
The darkness cuts back to the White Fang camp, Adam and the Lieutenant in a different tent around a table with maps, masks, and vials of Dust all around.
"We'll find her, sir." The Lieutenant holds a hand up to his chest. "I swear on my life."
"Forget it. It's time I returned to Mistral and…" Adam sharply stated.
His sentence is cut short with the sounds of groans, explosions, and crashing are heard outside the tent flaps. The two come out of the tent, blade and chainsaw raised.
Adam's eyes widen in shock. "What is this!?" He saw destruction and his soldiers lying on the ground dead as flames rose.
"We could've gone to anyone for help. But we chose you, Adam Taurus. Our plan will be beneficial for both of us. Or one of us. So, which will it be?" Cinder asked with Emerald bring a case and kicking it as it slid to Adam which he looked at the contents which were tons of Lien, Dust, and canisters.
Adam slowly straightens up while Cinder lowers her arm, clothes going back to their regular colors as she smiles.
-Music: Animal I've Become (Three Days of Grace)-
"Yang Xiao Long wins!" Oobleck's voice cuts through the flashback.
The cheering of the crowd brings the scene back to where the story left off, in the Amity Colosseum, with Mercury's picture on the board crossed out with Yang's beside it. The final events of the previous chapter play out in flashes of scenes.
Ruby from off in the crowds. "Yeah, you did it, sis!"
"Nice job Yang!" Sonic cheered as he whistled.
Tails cupped his hands. "Way to go!"
Mercury stood up. "There's not going to be a next time, Blondie!"
He aims a sudden kick, and Yang punches him down with a shotgun shot from her Ember Celica. The applauding crowds turn to booing, and Yang is suddenly surrounded by Atlesian Knight-200 and Atlas Soldiers.
An Atlas Soldier held his gun up pointing at Yang. "Yang Xiao Long, stand down!"
Mercury was laying there clutching his "broken" leg. "My leg, MY LEG!"
Then sand rose from the ground as the tower of sand spun as red eyes appeared in the sand. "Hanmāpanchi (Hammer Punch)!"
(A/N: People! I'll personally give you a small spoiler if you figure who uses this technique.)
Then the sand turned into a fist as the fist hits the floors as a green shock wave hits the all of the soldiers, Mercury, and Emerald back into the force field hard that got Emerald into a daze. And then senbon made out sand embedded into Mercury's injured leg as blood splattered on the arena making him scream louder in pain. And then sand covered Yang into a ball and vanished into the cracks of the arena floor. Shadow's eyes widen seeing blood leaking from Mercury's injured leg as the paramedics came to Mercury's aid
Then the Black Knight narrows his eyes and grits his teeth. "Knuckles! You went too damn far! I ought to feed you to the fucking Grimm!" Shadow thought with anger.
Ruby's eyes were widen in horror seeing the deed taking place crying. "Y-YANG!"
"We'll find your sister Rubes, and I know who did that…" Sonic said hugging his girlfriend.
Tails was shocked in horror, but then he grew angry as his three whiskers appeared on his cheeks, his canines into fangs, then his sky blue orbs that were silted into a crimson beast-like. "Why… Why did you have to do this?!"
Sonic stood up walking out. "Let's go! Tails! Shadow! We got a Knucklehead to hunt!" Shadow was the only one who noticed that his leader's hair was a darker shade of blue. Then stormed past him, then he stood as well following his teammates for Knuckles and Yang.
Meanwhile, Emerald runs alongside the two paramedics as they come across an open door with a woman in the same outfit inside.
A Woman gestured them to stop. "Here! We've got an ambulance ready to go!"
Later, the back door closes on the emergency airship they loaded Mercury in.
Paramedic sighed, then talking with the "other paramedic". "Hope they'll be okay. That girl won't leave his side."
Cinder nodded under the white cap with a red cross she's wearing. "We'll take good care of both of them."
The transport flies away from the Colosseum, and Mercury is lying on a cargo box in the back, still moaning and crying beside Emerald sitting next to him.
Mercury was laying on a cargo box as his leg was bandaged up as a blood patch was there and he was breathing pretty heavily. "...ugh!"
Emerald's eyes narrowed at Mercury. "Mercury… I'll find the bastard who did this…!"
Cinder glanced at Mercury's messed up leg. "Hm. Well that was unexpected but we must not let this stand. Who was responsible of this will pay severely…" Her eye glowed as her anger rose like wildfire.
-Music Ends-
-Music: Breakdown (Breaking Benjamin)-
TV static cutting to the Vale News Network with the combined kingdoms' symbol and a caption reading "Tournament Tragedy". "A terrible tragedy took place this afternoon in the one-on-one rounds of the Vytal Festival Tournament-"
TV static switches the channels to...
"I don't know what Beacon's Headmaster is teaching his students, but that was disgraceful! Completely uncalled for!" A Haven Tourist said in fury.
TV static switches the channel to...
A video played of several Grimm – Goliaths, Ursai, Nevermores, Boarbatusks, and Beowolves – running across Mountain Glenn towards the city. "Despite Atlas reinforcements, local authorities are still calling on any available Huntsmen to aid in suppressing the spike in Grimm activity."
The projected screen in the warehouse switches off entirely.
Mercury who was at a table with a leg cast in a table. "Hey, I was watching that!"
"Shut up!" Emerald snapped.
"Is this how you treat a patient?" Mercury sarcastically. Emerald reaches over punches his leg cast. "AH GODDAMN!"
Cinder glared at the two. "Enough. Our Mercury put through a magnificent show but the one who made him a liability must suffer."
"These things aren't exactly cheap, you know." Mercury said to Emerald with a scowl.
Emerald took a glance at Cinder. "So, what's next?"
"You and I will ensure that our next matchup goes just as smoothly." Cinder said seriously. "After that… We'll hunt our little target down…"
Mercury turns to Cinder. "What about me?"
"You get to lay low until the end. We wouldn't want people to see you on your feet and have this all be for naught, now would we? Plus, with your leg like this, you're a liability now."
Mercury looked down as he balled his fist. "Can do."
As Emerald and Cinder left, he tore off his leg cast even though it still pained him but he screws his limbs back to perfection, smiling, and the blue area under his artificial knee lights up right before the credits cut to black.
"Perfect… I'll get that fucker who pierced my leg… And he will die…" Mercury's angry voice echoed in the darkness.
To Be Continued...