Hi everyone, welcome back. Before we begin, I have a few things to say. I am very excited for the premiere of the second Sonic movie coming out next week, and I'm sure many of you are too. But I would ask that you please refrain from saying any spoilers in your reviews for those who aren't able to see it right away. I hate spoilers and they will not be tolerated here. Thank you.
Also, I'm aware of the upcoming RWBY anime spin-off "Ice Queendom" but I'm going to say that it will likely not have any impact on my current story, key word being 'likely'. I'd need to see the anime before I make any plans. I know it's considered 'canon adjacent', as in it fits with the current story as it introduces new characters and even new Grimm with its own unique story, but as I said, I gotta see it in its entirety before I make any plans. However, I am not making any promises that I will include elements from it into this story.
Thanks for understanding.
With all that being said, let's get started.
Badges, Burdens, and Bonds
It was the middle of the night as the half-shattered moon shined over the mountain range that separated the Kingdom of Vale from the wilderness of the Sanus continent. And at the base of the mountains, multiple explosions erupted as a battle appeared to be taking place.
A streak of black and red dashed past a pack of Beowolves, moving with such speed and ruthlessness, they were all cut down before they even had a chance to retaliate, explosions of yellow energy erupting along the line that was carved through the pack, blowing the survivors away before the one in the back was knocked down and had its skull crushed by a hover-skate worn by the Ultimate Lifeform.
"Mindless beasts." Shadow grunted in disgust as he saw the remains of all the Grimm he killed disintegrate into nothingness. He looked upward to see a Nevermore flying straight down toward him. Shadow responded by running up the side of one mountain to close the distance before leaping outward just as the Nevermore snapped its beak at him. While it was open, Shadow threw a Chaos Spear at the joint of its left wing to break off the limb and disorient the creature, allowing Shadow to finish it off with a homing attack straight to its head, causing it to crash and skid along the side of the mountain as Shadow performed a Spin Dash to grind its face against the mountain until there was nothing left.
As Shadow landed gracefully on the ground, he glanced up as Rouge flew above him, with four Griffons on her tail, snapping and cawing at her. She flew toward the side of one of the mountains before spinning around, perching her feet on the rocky wall before propelling herself to attack the flying Grimm. She spun around to deliver a spinning roundhouse to snap the neck of the closest Griffin before jumping to land on the back of the second, grabbing it by the wings and pulling upward to disorient it before she lifted her right foot and slammed it onto its head to send it crashing into the third, where they both slammed and broke apart on the mountain side. The fourth and final one was about to claw at Rouge, but she limboed underneath and quickly placed one of her heart-shaped bombs on its underbelly before flying away just as the whole thing exploded.
Rouge then set down near her partner as he grabbed a Beowolf by its neck, holding it up with his strength alone. Shadow glared at the struggling and snarling Beowolf before he blasted a point-blank burst of Chaos Energy from the hand around the Beowolf's throat to blast its head clean off.
"This is what, the eight pack we ran into?" Rouge questioned.
"Tenth, actually." Shadow corrected.
"Just how many of these Grimm-things are there?" Rouge complained as they heard a series of growls from behind, looking to see three Ursai charging them. However, before either could react, a rain of bullets tore through the three Ursai from behind before they were cut down after a few seconds.
"Hostiles are resilient. Heavier ordinance may be required." Omega commented, having used his machine-gun arms to gun down the Ursai. A Boarbatusk tried to come up from behind and curled its body into a ball before shooting out to obliterate the robot. But Omega quickly turned around and performed a powerful punch that not only halted the Boarbatusk's advance, but also shattered its outer armor as it was sent flying backwards before Omega finished it off with a single missile.
"All Creatures of Grimm must be eliminated." Omega declared.
"Good luck with that." Rouge replied. "Based on what we've heard from those villages we've saved; this planet is full of them! Wolves, bears, giant two-headed snakes, heck we even killed a giant Grimm elephant on the way here! Just what kind of insane place did Eggman zap us too this time?!"
"We're about to find out." Shadow said, glancing toward the mountains. "This Kingdom of Vale is on the other side of these mountain ranges."
"You think Sonic and the others are already there?" Rouge asked.
"It is most likely." Omega replied. "Based on the trajectory of our shuttle breaking apart upon entry to this planet's atmosphere, all allies would have landed relatively close to this particular Kingdom. Regrouping in a stable environment would be the logical choice."
"Then let's get going." Shadow ordered. "The sooner we regroup with the others and learn more about this planet, the sooner we can begin a counter-attack." Shadow then proceeded to literally run up the mountain with Rouge flying after him, while Omega climbed and used his jet-boosters to keep up.
Beacon Academy – Ozpin's Office
The Headmaster sat quietly at his desk, sipping from his mug as he waited for the meeting to begin. Though he appeared to be alone at the moment, he would soon get a call coming in from his built-in scroll installed into his desk. He pressed a button to activate a hologram projector that shined three holograms of the other three Headmasters across the room.
The one in the middle was a middle-aged man clad in a white suit that seemed more appropriate for a military-based environment. He had black hair, which appeared to be greying on the sides and dark blue eyes as he stood up straight. This man was James Ironwood, general of the Atlesian military and Headmaster of Atlas Academy.
The one on the right was another middle-aged man with tan-colored skin, grey hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a brown greatcoat with a matching mantle, a white dress shirt underneath his coat, and dark brown slacks and dress shoes. He also appeared to be a Faunus with lion-like features such as his beard and hair shaped similar to a lion's mane as well as a lion's tail. This was Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven Academy."
"The last one on the left was yet another middle-aged man, who appeared to be the most well-built of the group. His skin was a bit darker and more tan than the others, with short black hair, wearing a sleeveless checkered vest, an ankle-length cape colored grey and dark blue, white slacks and dark grey boots. This was Theodore, the Headmaster of Shade Academy.
"Gentlemen." Ozpin greeted his fellow Headmasters with a nod, which they all returned in kind. "I trust you've received my report."
"We have, and I have to say Oz… this is straight up crazy!" Theodore almost exclaimed. "Aliens?! If it weren't for the fact you showed us these recordings, I'd call you insane!"
"Recently, I received a report from my best team of Huntsmen specialists of a hedgehog-like Faunus with a speed-based Semblance so powerful, he broke the sound barrier." Ironwood reported. "While I do trust my men, I also found it to difficult to believe at first, assuming it was an exaggeration. But as Theodore pointed out, you've shown us recordings of this 'Sonic the Hedgehog' and his own team of similar creatures, fighting alongside your first-year students in the Emerald Forest."
"T-These beings…" Lionheart looked the most nervous as he pulled up his own scroll to look at the data again. "We've never seen anything like this before… the ability to run at the speed of sound is one thing… but the red one was able to hold back a Goliath with only his bare hands! Are you certain they don't have Semblances?!"
"I know it is incredibly difficult to believe, but I have seen it for myself." Ozpin told his colleagues. "I even attempted to unlock Sonic's Aura, and while I did sense a soul from him, I was unable to manifest anything. A being who possesses a soul while not having Aura? Even I have never seen anything like that before, ergo while it may sound fantastic, I do believe this confirms the existence of worlds beyond our own."
"It would seem so." Theodore replied. "Tell me Oz, what do you make of these guys?"
"Sonic appears to be the leader of this group." Ozpin began to explain. "Based on his interactions with the students in the Forest, he has a brash and thrill-seeking personality, and yet he also carries a calm demeanor, facing off against large number of Grimm without loosing his composure. He also displays an ability to adapt to the situation if it becomes too much for him. As for his campions, Tails appears to be the youngest and yet the most intelligent of the group, making sound and reasonable theories while also open-minded to learning new concepts. According to Sonic he 'drew up schematics for a shuttle when he was only six'."
"That has to be an exaggeration." Ironwood said.
"I thought so at first, but based on his interactions with the students, he does appear to exhibit a great deal of intelligence." Ozpin continued. "The red one, Knuckles, while appearing the physically strongest, appears the among the more serious of the group. He has taken great issue with the approach of the academies in training children to fight the Grimm."
"But that's how things work in our world." Theodore commented. "I don't know what his world is like, but…"
"Rest assured, Knuckles understands the reasoning." Ozpin interrupted. "He has proven to be open-mined as well." A small smile formed on his face. "Though, it does warm my heart to see someone with great strength and power show concern for people he hardly knows."
"And the last one?" Lionheart asked.
"Amy Rose, despite her last name she carries no relation to a certain Huntress we were all aquatinted with at one point or her family." A brief look of remorse and regret filled Ozpin's eyes before he got back on topic. "While she appears to be fast, it does not seem to be at Sonic's caliber. Though she does display excellent proficiency with her personal weapon; but I do not believe that to be her greatest strength. Based on her interactions with the students, it seems her role in Sonic's team is that of emotional support, carrying an upbeat attitude and offering advice and consolation to those who need it."
"Speed, strength, intelligence, and emotional support." Theodore looked rather impressed. "Seems like a very well-balanced team. And there are others with them?"
"Another group they refer to as 'Team Dark'." Ozpin answered. "Consisting of three members… Shadow the Hedgehog, who has speed and abilities similar to Sonic as well as some form of energy manipulation; Rouge the Bat, who appears to specialize in espionage; and E-123 Omega, a robot that has its own sentience with great physical strength and vast array of built-in weapons. Though they have yet to arrive, Sonic is confident they will be here soon."
"This is all very interesting… and these aliens seem to be rather impressive individuals." Ironwood said. "But I'm expressing more concern about their enemy that you say has come with them."
"Yes…" Ozpin got serious. "Doctor Ivo Robotnik, otherwise known as Doctor Eggman. According to Sonic, he opened a hole in space-time that allowed him to transport a fleet of airships maned by an army of his custom-built robots he refers to as Badniks, as well as a commandeered space station known as Space Colony Ark, which appears to have settled in Remnant's orbit."
"A space station that just so happens to have massive cannon pointing downward!" Ironwood stated. "If this 'Eclipse Cannon' is as powerful as your report said, why is it we haven't received any demands for surrender or submission?!"
"Sonic theorizes that the Ark was heavily damaged upon its arrival to our world." Ozpin answered more calmly. "The Eclipse Cannon has apparently never been designed for transportation, so perhaps he is taking the time to repair it."
"And what happens once he fixes it up?!" Ironwood questioned. "He could use it to wipe a continent off the face of the planet!"
"Perhaps he can, but I don't believe he will, at least not right away." Ozpin said.
"How can you be sure, Ozpin?" Ironwood questioned. "Did you meet or see this man for yourself?"
"No, I have not." Ozpin replied. "But James, while I do understand your concern, I have taken into account the data Sonic and his friends have given me as well as their own word regarding this Eggman. He is, as Sonic puts it, 'a diva'. If he were to utilize the Eclipse Cannon, he would have already broadcasted his demands to all of Remnant by now. If he were to use it, I believe it would be as a last resort if his initial plan for our world fails."
"And what do you think his plan is?" Lionheart asked nervously. "Do Sonic and his friends know?"
"No, they don't." Ozpin answered, much to the concern of the other Headmasters. "But perhaps we can take a guess based on the reports of his previous battles with Sonic. Based on first glance, it seems Eggman has a tendency to explore the paranormal and find ways of utilizing alien and mystical means to further his empire."
The hologram of Theodore showed him skimming through the data on his scroll. "Well, he seems to be creative, I'll give him that. Look at all this… weaponizing alien gravity generators, trying to harness reality warping power of these 'Chaos Emeralds', resurrecting a deity-like entity from the center of the planet…?! What in the world?!"
That last part got Ironwood and Lionheart's attention. Ozpin pulled the data up on his desk's built-in scroll, found the file Theodore was looking at and opened it. A hologram appeared in the center of the room, showing the world that Sonic and his friends called home, breaking apart, much to everyone's surprise. But what really caught the Headmaster's off guard was the massive monster that arose from the mantle core underneath the broke crust. This beast had a serpentine-like body, massively long and slender arms, glowing purple tentacles along its back, and the face of what could only be described as a demon from Hell as it roared loudly.
"What in the name of the Brother Gods is that?!" Lionheart practically screamed.
"According to this file, it is known as 'Dark Gaia'." Ozpin explained as the hologram vanished. "It dwells in the center of Sonic's world with its counterpart Light Gaia. These two beings exist in a cycle where Dark Gaia rises once every million years or so to destroy the planet, and Light Gaia puts it back together in a cycle of destruction and rebirth. But Eggman awoke Dark Gaia prematurely to try and harness its power for himself, but it proved too much to control and almost obliterated the entire planet; but Sonic and Light Gaia were able to seal it away before it came to that."
"Two god-like beings, one light and the other dark, existing in a form of balance." Theodore summed up. "That sounds familiar."
"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. Though there were some notable differences, he couldn't help but draw the parallels between Dark and Light Gaia and two other entities he knew all too well.
"But still, the fact that this Eggman risked the destruction of his own world numerous times shows just how dangerous he is!" Ironwood said. "Ozpin, I want a serious answer. Given his tendency to dabble in forces beyond his apparent control, what are the chances he may become involved with… her?"
In that moment, the temperature of the room dropped significantly. Lionheart shook like a leaf, like he was ready to have a panic attack while a grim expression formed on Theodore's face as his fists clenched. Ozpin remained silent for a moment before he finally spoke.
"Honestly James, I'd say that is a very real possibility."
"D-Do Sonic and his friends… know about her?"
"No, I have not told them." Ozpin replied.
"Do you plan to?" Ironwood asked.
"Maybe… but not right now." Ozpin answered.
"Hey, maybe this isn't all 'gloom and doom'." Theodore said. "Based on what we've read, it doesn't seem like Eggman's the type to share power. He might see her as a threat to his own empire and try to get rid of her. Heck, with a cannon that big, maybe the first continent he'll blow away will be her home turf! If he gets rid of her for us, I'd say that makes our job so much easier!"
"Theodore, while I do see those two coming to blows with each other as a likely outcome, it may not bode well for the rest of us." Ozpin said. "We all know what she's capable of with the Grimm at her command, and with an army like Eggman's, an open war between those two could put potentially millions of lives in the crossfire; it could even destroy all of Remnant. So, I do not believe the 'wait out the storm' option is the best choice for us."
"Fair point." Theodore acknowledged.
"So, what do we do, then?" Ironwood asked.
"For the moment, Eggman is outside of our reach, and Sonic is unable to get to him as well." Ozpin began. "And we don't know for sure how she will respond to this. So, at the moment, I believe our best option is to let Eggman show his hand. He seems like the type to make the first move, in the most dramatic way possible."
"So, we just do nothing?!" Ironwood questioned.
"No, we prepare." Ozpin replied firmly. "I urge you all to inform your closest confidants of the situation and tell them to be ready, I've already contacted Qrow. We will wait and let Eggman make the first move, once he shows his hand and we have a better grasp of what he has at his disposal, we'll then best decide how to proceed."
Ironwood took a moment to collect himself. "I suppose that is our best and only choice, then. Alright. I'll contact the Ace Ops and Specialist Schnee right away. If needed, I'll have the military deployed."
"I-I will get in contact with my friends too." Lionheart stuttered slightly.
With that, Ironwood and Lionheart's holograms vanished, leaving only Theodore's.
"Something the matter, Theodore?" Ozpin asked.
"Oz, you know I trust you… but are you sure it's wise keeping Sonic and his friends in the dark about her?" The Headmaster of Shade asked. "Looking at these files, they've dealt with worse. If they know, and with all of us working together, we might be able to finally get rid of her!"
"While I hold out hope for that, old friend… we have to remember that her greatest strength is not her power; but her cunning, her manipulation." Ozpin said. "I don't know Sonic and his friends all that much to say for certain they can outwit her, which is why I have yet to tell them. Perhaps I may, but I need to see more of their inner character before I make that decision."
"I see…" Theodore knew they had to tread lightly when it came to their enemy. "Like I said, I trust you. I just hope you know what you're doing." His hologram vanished, leaving Ozpin alone in his office once more.
Ozpin leaned back in his seat to massage the bridge between his eyes. Just like all the times before, it was never so simple. And now, with the arrival of Sonic and Eggman, his task just became increasingly more complicated. While he did hold out some form of hope, thousands of years of defeat and betrayal have sadly tempered that particular emotion. All he could do now was observe, and like he'd always done, hope he was making the right choice.
The Next Day
Weiss slept peacefully in her dorm, the morning sun shining brightly into the room through the open window. Her eyes flickered open as she pulled herself up with a yawn, having awoken from a rather peaceful slumber…
Only to have Ruby blow a whistle loudly at her face, causing Weiss to fall out of her bed with a yelp.
"GOOD MORNING, TEAM RWBY!" Ruby shouted enthusiastically, already fully dressed in her Beacon School uniform with her titular red hooded cape.
"What in the world is wrong with you!?" Weiss exclaimed.
"Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business!" Ruby declared.
"Excuse me?" Weiss questioned, pulling herself up.
"Decorating!" Yang said, holding a cluster of knickknacks in her arms, she and Blake were also dressed in their school uniforms.
"What?" Weiss questioned again.
"We still have to unpack." Blake held up her suitcase, which accidentally opened and spilled all her contents over the floor. "…And clean."
Weiss' eyelids lowered, only to be blown back by Ruby's whistleblowing once again.
"Alright! Weiss, Blake, Yang, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission! Banzai!" The young silver-eyed girl cheered.
"Banzai!" Yang and even Blake cheered as well, while Weiss lowered her head in emotional exhaustion.
The four immediately began to decorate their dorm room. Yang began to hang up posters of boybands and movies she liked, Weiss put up portraits along the walls, after having gotten dressed in her school uniform as well. Blake put all her books in a bookshelf, making sure to keep the others from seeing her precious 'Ninjas of Love' book. Ruby tried to adjust the curtain around the window with her Crescent Rose, only to accidentally slice it with her scythe-blade.
It appeared to be finished, only for the four girls to wince at just how tightly packed their room was. Between the beds, furniture, and all their decorations, there was absolutely no room to walk. They couldn't even see the floor. In fact, their beds were all piled on top of each other.
"This… isn't going to work." Weiss pointed out.
"It is a bit cramped." Blake agreed.
"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff?" Yang said.
"Or we could ditch the beds…" An idea came to Ruby's mind. "And replace them with bunk beds!" She said excitedly.
"Um, that sounds incredibly dangerous." Weiss said.
"And super awesome!" Yang pumped her fist.
"It does seem efficient." Even Blake seemed to agree.
"Well… um… we should put it to a vote." Weiss tried.
"I think we just did." Ruby said; as she, Yang, and Blake seemed all for it, giving the bunk bed option the majority.
So with reluctance, Weiss assisted her newly formed team in constructing the bunk beds. Though it appeared to be done in record time, neither appeared structurally sound. The one on the right was supported by a stack of books on each leg; while the other had the 'top bunk' tied to the ceiling with rope and a sheet to act as a drape.
"Objective complete!" Ruby seemed pleased with their work.
"This is not structurally sound!" Weiss stated. "What if one of them collapses?! That could kill someone!"
"I may have to agree." Blake said. "It was a good idea Ruby, but we could probably do better."
"Yeah, we'll probably need to get someone to help later." Yang also said.
"Okay…" Ruby accepted. "But right now, onto our second order of business… classes." She said that last part with much less enthusiasm as she took out her schedule book. "Now, we have a few classes together today, at nine we've got…"
"What?!" Weiss suddenly exclaimed. "Did you say nine o'clock!?"
"Um…?"
"It's eight fifty-five, you dunce!" The heiress shouted before she ran out of the dorm and into the hallway to get to class, alerting the newly formed Team JNPR that resided in the room across the hall.
"Um… t-t-to class!" Ruby tried to save some face as she, Yang, and Blake ran out to catch up with Weiss.
"C-Class…?!" Jaune stuttered as he tried to run out as well, only to trip and fall, but Pyrrha quickly pulled him up. "We're gonna be late!" He, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren ran out as fast as they could as well.
Meanwhile, Sonic laid relaxing on a Beacon airship within the school's hangar. Ozpin allowed him and his friends access to it so that Tails could repair the Cyclone, even giving them access to Dust supplies if need be. But that wasn't all, Ozpin had even showed them the weapons' shop where they could make and modify any weapons they choose.
Sonic was a hedgehog of simple taste, having already made his own weapon. The shop had an assortment of basic weapons from swords, to hammers, to guns, and other similar items; it also carried a variety of tools and equipment that would allow modifications and upgrades and even some parts to construct some brand-new weapons. With someone like Tails at the helm, any new weapons they needed were constructed in no time.
And the weapon currently in Sonic's hand was a long sword. It had a double-edged silvery blade and a lighter edge. The guard was a gold circle with two small gold protuberances or 'wings' on the sides. He even had a pair of armored gauntlets tied around his waist with the scabbard of the sword to better wield it. Even though a simple sword would be enough, Sonic also wanted a certain pattern carved onto it, one that would honor the friend that he promptly named his sword after: Caliburn.
After smiling reminiscently, Sonic stood up and sheathed the sword before jumping off the airship to meet up with Tails, who was currently using welding equipment to fix up the Cyclone while Amy and Knuckles stood by. Amy still carried her Piko-Piko hammer, saying that no modifications were necessary, and Sonic didn't protest, he knew very well just how dangerous that hammer was all on its own. However, Knuckles had decided to have a custom weapon of his own.
The red echidna wielded a pair of what appeared to be twin axes, sheathed at his sides. They each had a single silver edge with two spikes attached to the lower end of the blade. He decided to name his weapon, Galatine. Sonic said nothing but mentally noted the irony.
"Yo Tails, how's the Cyclone coming along?" Sonic asked as he saw Tails stop to take a break, lifting up his welding mask to speak to Sonic.
"Pretty good so far." Tails replied. "I've already repaired most of the internal structure, and thankfully the power core was intact so we don't need to find a new power source for it. The issue here, is weapons."
"Can't you just use that Dust stuff?" Knuckles asked. "Most of these Huntsmen use it with their weapons."
"I've only managed to get a peek at Dust's internal structure, at best I only know the basics." Tails explained. "I'd need to know a bit more before I can implement it into the Cyclone."
"How long do you think you'll need?" Amy asked. In response, Tails walked up to a large case on the side before opening it to reveal a cluster of different types of Dust crystals.
"Thankfully, Ozpin is allowing us access to what he has here at Beacon, and my equipment I should be able to get a better understanding by tomorrow, once I do I should be able to fully integreate it into the Cyclone's weapon system."
"Look at you, buddy." Sonic gave Tails a friendly noogies. "Less than twenty four hours and you're an expert with a new element? Einstein's got nothing on you."
Tails chuckled before pulling away from Sonic and got serious again. "But there is one fundamental flaw I have noticed with Dust so far."
"What's that?" Amy asked.
"It's pretty much a one-time use." Tails said. "Once the energy is exhausted, it's rendered inert. Maybe I can find a way to regulate the output, but again I need more time to analyze and study it before I have anything concrete to work with."
"I'm sure you know what you're doing." Knuckles said. "Speaking of weapons, why do we need any?" The echidna asked as he pulled out one of his axes. "Not that I'm complaining, but we can handle ourselves just fine against the Grimm without weapons."
"Hey, everyone here's got some fancy weapon." Sonic replied with a smirk. "It wouldn't be fun if we were left out, wouldn't it?"
Knuckles shook his head with a slight smile. "Somehow, I knew that was your answer."
"Well I'll see you later guys." Sonic said, preparing to head out. "Think I might take a jog around the school, maybe see how Ruby and the others are doing?"
"What is it about that girl that interests you so much, Sonic?" Knuckles asked. "I know you're the type to make friends with pretty much everyone, but you seem really interested in her."
"Is it because she has the same last name as mine?" Amy asked in a swooning-like fashion, coming very close to Sonic. "A possible sister-in-law someday?"
Sonic backed away slightly from Amy's advance. "N-No, nothing like that! It's just… I can't quite explain it. There's something about that girl that's… unique. Apparently, having silver eyes is a pretty rare thing here on Remnant."
"Silver eyes?" Tails asked.
"Yeah… something about those eyes…" Sonic couldn't quite explain it, but he felt something with those eyes, and by extension, Ruby herself. But he quickly shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just overthinking it. She's a fun kid."
"Yeah, that makes more sense." Knuckles said with an acceptant nod.
"Anyway, see ya later." Sonic then sped off.
"Monster! Demons! Prowlers of the night! Yes, the Creatures of Grimm have many names." Professor Port began to lecture his class, in which Team RWBY attended in full. "But I merely refer to them as 'prey'." He attempted at a jest but got no response from his class. If anything, he just barley woke Ruby up from her nap of being bored by his story.
"Uh… and you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy." Port continued. "Now, as I was saying… Vale, as well as the other three Kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in, Huntsmen, Huntresses…" He clicked at that last term, causing Yang to roll her eyes in annoyance. "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world!" He announced dramatically.
"Yeah!" Only one student cheered, which received stares from the other students, causing him to sink back into his seat embarrassingly.
"That is what you are training to become." Port continued. "But first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man: me."
As he began to monologue his own personal story, Weiss glanced to her left to see Ruby apparently writing something on a blank piece of paper. She was somewhat surprised at Ruby apparently taking notes at this otherwise boring story, but even more surprised at Ruby's snickering. It was revealed that Ruby had drawn a funny picture of Professor Port, making him look like a fat stinky man. While Weiss glared slightly at Ruby, Yang and Blake happened to see the picture and snickered along with her. A cough got their attention, focusing back on Port who began to wrap up his story.
"In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity. And I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high! Celebrated as a hero!" He bowed, signaling the end of his story. "The moral of this story, a true Huntsmen must be honorable, a true Huntsmen must be dependable, a true Huntsmen must be strategic, well-educated, and wise."
As he lectured, Weiss glared harder and harder at Ruby, who didn't even appear to pay attention to the lecture, if anything, she seemed more interested in her childish antics, which seemed to only spur Weiss' inner fury even more.
"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" Port asked his students. In response, Weiss immediately and aggressively raised her hand.
"I do, sir!"
"Well then, let's find out." Port said as he turned toward the side of the room where a cage containing a Grimm was stationed. "Step forward and face your opponent."
After taking the time to get changed into her Huntress outfit and quipping her weapon, Weiss made a combat stance, pointing Myrtenaster at the cage.
"Go Weiss!" Yang cheered.
"Fight well!" Blake waved a small flag that had RWBY written on it.
"Yeah! Represent Team RWBY!" Ruby also cheered.
"Ruby, I'm trying to focus!" Weiss scolded her leader, causing her to sink into her seat.
"Oh… Um, sorry…"
"Alright, let the match, begin!" Port used his own weapon to cut open the cage, setting loose the Boarbatusk Grimm inside that immediately charged at Weiss, who swiftly rolled out of the way to slice at its side, but the Boarbatusk's armored hide protected it. The creature rounded to face Weiss once more.
"Ha, ha. Wasn't expecting that, were you?" Port said to the heiress.
"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby cheered.
Weiss used a Glyph to shoot herself forward at the Boarbatusk as it charged at her, but it swung its tusks, catching Myrtenaster and tried to swing Weiss away as she lost her footing. But she quickly regained it as she tried to pry her weapon free with the Boarbatusk struggling against her.
"Bold in your approach, I like it!" Port observed.
"Come on Weiss, show it whose boss!" Ruby continued to cheer, but this distracted Weiss, causing her to lose her grip on her sword, which the Boarbatusk threw away with its tusks before knocking Weiss back with its primary weapons.
"Oh-ho. Now what will you do without your weapon?" Port asked.
Weiss gasped as the Boarbatusk charged at her, but she dodged and rolled out of the way just in time as the Grimm slammed into the wall behind her before she made a break to retrieve Myrtenaster.
"Weiss! Go for its belly!" Ruby told her. "There's no armor underneath…"
"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss yelled, causing Ruby to lower herself.
The Boarbatusk roared before rolling into a ball and spun toward Weiss at high speed, but she conjured a Glyph to break its advance, knocking it on its back. She leapt into the air where a second black Glyph was conjured to propel herself at the downed Grimm, impaling it through its underbelly, killing it.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Port nodded as Weiss took a moment to catch her breath. "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and stay vigilante. Class dismissed."
As the class ended and the students began to leave, Ruby couldn't help but look with concern and worry, at her teammate and at herself.
"Weiss!" Ruby caught up to her in the hallways.
"What?!" The heiress glared.
"What's wrong with you?! Why are you being…?!"
"What's wrong with me?!" Weiss questioned. "What's wrong with you?! You're supposed to be a leader! And all you've been so far, is a nuisance!"
Ruby scoffed. "What did I do?!"
"That's just it! You've done nothing to earn your position!" Weiss told her.
"B-But what about in the Forest with Sonic and his friends?" Ruby asked. "About, ya know, us starting a professional relationship?"
"Well perhaps you should act professional! Take this seriously!" Weiss argued. "If that's how you intend to lead this team, then I'm not sure I want to be a part of it. I studied, and trained, and quite frankly, I deserve better." She turned around with her arms crossed. "Ozpin made a mistake."
As she walked away, Ruby looked down a strong sense of hurt filling her being. She was about to walk away before…
"Wow, a real ice queen that one."
Ruby turned around the corner to see Sonic looking at her with a concerned expression.
"S-Sonic… What are you doing here?"
He gave an assuring smile as he motioned for him to follow her. "Come on kid, I feel like we need to have a talk."
As Weiss made her way outside onto a balcony to get some fresh air, she happened to stumble upon the professor of her previous class. "Professor Port."
"Ah, Miss Schnee." The professor turned to greet her. "And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"
"I-I enjoyed your lecture." She told him.
"Of course you did, child. You have the blood of a true Huntress in you." Port said.
"You really think so?" Weiss asked with a hopeful smile.
"Most surely." Port confirmed, but he also noticed a far away and uncertain look in her eyes. "Hmm, something's troubling you."
"Yes, sir." Weiss said with a small nod.
"Dear girl, confess to me your strife." He encouraged her.
"Well, I think I should have been the leader of Team RWBY." Weiss said outright.
Port had listened to what she had to say, and had a response set immediately. "That's preposterous."
"Excuse me?!" Weiss questioned.
"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray." Port said.
"So, you would just blindly accept his decision, even after seeing how exceptional I am?" Weiss questioned once again.
"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude." Port criticized.
"How dare you!" Weiss exclaimed.
"My point exactly." Port nodded. "I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted."
"That's not even remotely true." Weiss said, briefly looking away as a small flash of emotional pain filled her eyes. She noticed Port raising one of his eyebrows slightly at her. "Well… not entirely true."
"So, the outcome did not fall in your favor." Port continued. "Do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision? So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader but the best person you can be. Try to keep an open mind about the rest of your teammates, you may find there's more to them than meets the eye."
As she thought about all this, a small smile formed on her face. "Thank you, sir."
Meanwhile, Sonic had led Ruby to a rooftop where the two could speak in a more private setting without any eavesdroppers. Ruby had told Sonic what had happened in her class, and he listened to every word.
"Dang, little Ice Queen's a stubborn knucklehead in her own right." Sonic commented.
"Was she right though?" Ruby asked. "Did Ozpin make a mistake in making me the leader?"
"You tell me." Sonic said. "You've only been the leader for literally one day, and you haven't even done any real missions yet. Seems a little too early to be unsure of yourself."
"But what if I make a mistake on a mission?" Ruby began. "What if something happens and I…?"
"Hold on, I'm gonna stop you right there." Sonic began. "It's good if you wanna think and plan ahead, but you gotta stop asking all this 'what if I screw up?' stuff. Don't tell yourself you're gonna do something wrong, or all you're gonna deal with is trouble. But, while she did act like a jerk, Weiss did make one good point. You're the leader of a team and that's a big responsibility, something you gotta take seriously."
"Are you a leader?" Ruby asked.
"Kinda." Sonic said with a shrug. "It wasn't put to a vote or decided or anything, it just sort of happened. Originally it was just me and Tails, then we got Amy and Knuckles and before we knew it, we had our team. But just because you're in charge, that doesn't mean you call all the shots. It means listening."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked again.
"Everyone on your team has something their good at, take a look at my team." Sonic continued. "You know I'm the fast one, Knuckles is the muscle, Tails is the brains, and Amy's the heart. I can't solve advanced calculus or lift a school bus or anything like that. Each of them contributes in their own way and they have different ideas than I do. Just because I'm the leader doesn't mean my ideas are better than theirs, some of their ideas are actually better than anything I can come up with. We talk to each other, we listen to each other, and we compromise with each other. That's what you gotta do with your team, listen to what they have to say and find a way to compromise. Don't be afraid to ask them questions if you have to. If you can't do any of that, you're never gonna get along with them and the whole team will fall apart."
Ruby had listened to every word Sonic had to say, and it did make sense. He really did sound like he spoke from experience. Weiss may be stubborn, but she did say she studied and trained, she was also older, so she probably had more experience than her. Maybe asking her for help and advice might be the best approach to at least establishing a better partnership.
A smile formed on the girl's face. "Thanks Sonic… that really helps."
"Hey, it's what I do." Sonic grinned.
Ruby then noticed the sword sheathed on his back. "You got a weapon?"
"Yep." He pulled out Caliburn. "Everyone here's got one, so might as well."
"That sword looks really cool!" Ruby beamed, looking at the sword that bore the same structure and design as the magical one he based it off of.
"Huh-uh, just a regular sword though." Sonic described. "No fancy pop up blades or built-in guns, just a sword. No offense to you Ruby, but guns aren't my style."
"None taken, I love the classics!" Ruby stated as they both stood up. "So, you gotta a cool name for it? Everyone's gotta name their weapon."
"Yep, Caliburn." Sonic confirmed.
"Caliburn?" Ruby wondered, tilting her head.
"Named after a friend." Sonic explained briefly.
"Hey, speaking of friends, you said Tails was the brains of your team, right?" Ruby asked. "Does he know anything about building bunkbeds?"
Later that night, Ozpin sat in his office once again as Sonic hopped up through the back window and dashed to skid in front of his desk. "Yo, you wanted to see me, Prof?"
"Yes, though you could have simply come in through the front door." Ozpin told him.
"Eh, not my style" Sonic said.
"To each his own then. But getting to the main reason I called you here." Ozpin began. "I was in contact with the other Headmasters, and they agreed to be ready for when your foe, Doctor Eggman, makes his move. Now all we do is wait for said move."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Sonic apologized. "I'm not a big fan of waiting to, if we had a way to get to space, we could shut down Eggman before he starts his invasion. But… that's not an option."
"No, but it is our only one." Ozpin said. "Though we do have friends who are willing to take a stand against him now thanks to your warning. Speaking of friends, I believe I may have an idea of where your other comrades might be."
That got Sonic's attention. "Really?"
"Yes, I have received reports of multiple robberies across the Kingdom of Vale." Ozpin explained. "All of them were thwarted rather swiftly, though the criminals responsible have been put in critical condition, most even needing treatment at nearby hospitals, under police guard of course. Fortunately, there are no fatalities, though many of those still somewhat conscious have claimed to see a blur of black and red before experiencing what could only be described as extreme brutality."
Sonic chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, that sounds like Shadow. He's not the type to pull his punches. Thanks for letting me know, I'll get him and the rest of his pals."
"Do you even know where to find them?" Ozpin asked.
"With my speed, I can sweep the entire city before dawn." Sonic answered. "And Shadow and his pals won't be too hard to find, just gotta listen to the sound of explosions and screams of agony." He joked before running out the window. "Later!" He gave a finger-salute as he fell backwards and ran down the side of the building.
Ozpin got up to see a trail of blue rushing through the grounds of his academy before leaving the perimeter, heading in the direction of the city of Vale, clearing a vast distance in mere seconds.
"I don't know if I'll ever get used to that." Ozpin said to himself, which says a lot given his own unique experiences.
Night had already fallen as Weiss entered her team's dorm. She was surprised to see the bunk beds they hastily constructed earlier in the morning now appeared far more stable. They weren't just stacked on top of each other or being suspended by ropes on the ceiling. There was proper construction around the posts which looked incredibly secure, like they were fixed up by a professional.
She noticed Yang and Blake sleeping on the right bunk with the later the top and former on the bottom. Weiss saw a sheet draped over the top bunk of the left bed where Ruby most likely was, with a soft light emanating from it. Lifting the drape, Weiss wasn't surprised to see Ruby asleep, but she was surprised to find her asleep with a pencil in her hand and papers and textbooks scattered around her, as well as an empty coffee mug. Had she been studying this late at night?
Weiss gently nudged Ruby awake, who was startled by the heiress sudden appearance. "W-Weiss! I… I was studying, and then I fell asleep and I…" The younger girl was stopped when Weiss covered her mouth with her hand.
"How do you take your coffee?" Weiss asked, removing her hand from Ruby's mouth.
Ruby looked somewhat confused at the question. "Uh… I… I don't…"
"Answer the question." Weiss insisted.
"Cream and five sugars!" Ruby quickly said, making sure to stay quiet enough to not wake up Yang and Blake.
"Don't move." Weiss told her, grabbing the coffee cup and going to a nearby coffee maker to quickly prep a new cup with Ruby's specifications and handed it to the silver-eyed girl. "Here."
"Um, thanks Weiss…" Ruby said, in a mixture of appreciation and confusion.
"I… noticed the bunkbeds seem a little more secure now." Weiss observed. "Did you fix them up?"
"No, that was Tails." Ruby answered.
"The fox who's friends with Sonic?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah. He's wicked smart." Ruby told her. "Like, maybe smarter than all the teachers here at Beacon combined. And you were right about the bunkbeds being a hazard so… I asked him fix it up."
Weiss smiled before speaking in a professional manner. "Ruby, I apologize for my earlier outburst. I did say back in the Forest that we'd start with a professional relationship. On that note, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader, and I promise to be the best teammate I can be."
Ruby returned the smile. "And, I promise to take this job seriously, and to listen to anything you might have to say. I don't mind compromising."
"Good." Weiss nodded. "With that in mind, your answer right there is wrong." She pointed to something Ruby wrote on her notes. She got down and began to walk out, but stopped at the doorway. "Oh, and Ruby…" A small child-like smile formed on her face. "I always wanted bunkbeds as a kid." She said before closing the door.
Ruby then turned back to her studies with a happy grin. Maybe things would work out between them after all.
City of Vale
Six thugs were thrown out through the glass window of a large Dust shop, causing them to crash into three black vans that were parked outside. All the vans opened up to reveal several more thugs, making up three dozen in total, all wearing the same black suits with red ties and sunglasses. They looked toward the broken window to see none other than Shadow the Hedgehog standing on the window frame with a glare.
"Get it!" One thug ordered as all three dozen of them charged forward, carrying machetes, pocketknives, or even Tommy guns. In less than a second, half of them were swept up in a black tornado before a blur of black and red shot up and hit every single one of them while they were airborne.
Those with guns tried to aim their weapons at the blur, but something swooped in to swipe all their guns away, causing them to look in surprise to see Rouge hovering in the air, all their guns in her arms before she dropped them.
"Didn't your mommies ever tell you boys not to play with guns?" She teased before going on the attack, striking both her feet into the gut of one thug to send him crashing into two others. One tried to punch at her from behind, but she easily swerved around him and dealt a kick to his back and knocked him down before flipping to land on her hands and deliver a split-kick into the faces of two oncoming grunts.
All the thugs that were airborne had landed on the hard and unforgiving ground, covered in bruises and cuts, some even had their limbs bent the wrong way, as Shadow landed in the middle of the pile, glancing to see the remaining goons attempting to pile up into one van and drive away.
However, the van didn't get very far at all as Omega landed in its path and grabbed its front with his hands, digging his feet into the ground to keep it from moving. Even with the guy at the steering wheel flooring on the gas pedal, Omega wouldn't budge. He then used his own strength to flip the entire van over himself, causing it to fly in the air before landing upside down with a crash behind him.
The four remaining thugs that were still conscious limped and crawled out from the opening in the van, only to gasp as Omega aimed their guns at them.
"Remember Omega, don't kill them." Rouge told him. "We don't know the laws around here and we don't wanna get on the bad side of any law enforcement."
"Acknowledged." Omega replied before firing his guns at the thugs' legs, causing them to fall over as they hollered in pain; their aura had been severely weakened by the crash, so their legs had been severely unprotected. "They are not terminated, though their legs have suffered critical and even permanent damage. There is only a thirty-four percent chance of them being able to walk again."
Rouge shook her head with a slight chuckle, observing the thugs Omega crippled and all the others that Shadow left in a pile, all of whom likely had most of their bones broken or dislocated.
"Who needs vigilantes when we got you two?" She joked as the two regrouped. "But seriously, this is tenth jewelry shop we've seen getting hit. And I you know I keep count for stuff like that; I get there are people who want to steal jewels…"
"As you are a former jewel thief yourself." Omega noted.
"…Guilty as charged." Rouge said with a hint of pride in her voice. "But this seems really excessive."
"Because these are not simple jewels." Shadow said, walking over to a broken case one of the thugs had when they robbed the shop. He kicked it open to reveal a set of colored crystals, picking up the red one. "The fact that items like these are sold in small stores at relatively low prices compared to anything on our world suggests this is more than simple jewelry."
Shadow handed the red Dust crystal to Omega who quickly analyzed it. "This particular crystal has a combustible element to it." Omega then performed a scan on the other crystals in the case. "Similar properties are in each of these crystals, some having an electrical charge."
"So, what people weaponize jewelry here?" Rouge questioned before scoffing. "That's rather barbaric."
"Hey guys!" Team Dark turned to the sound of a familiar voice as a blue burr appeared before them. "Glad to see you're as brutal as ever." Sonic noted the scene around them in a joking sense.
"Blue, I see you're still in one piece." Rouge smiled, while Shadow and Omega simply acknowledged his presence.
"Not the first time I fell from orbit." Sonic grinned.
"Where are the others?" Shadow asked pointedly.
"Nice to see you too, Shadow." The blue Hedgehog said to his anti-hero counterpart before giving his answer. "Don't worry, everyone's safe."
"Where is Eggman?" Omega questioned. "He must be destroyed for this transgression of space-time!"
"Best guess, he's still on the Ark." Sonic said. "And before any of you ask, no this world does not have space-travel. Their fuel stops working just before it leaves the atmosphere so we can't get to Eggman yet."
"Unacceptable!" Omege declared as Shadow looked away with a scowl, while Rouge rolled her eyes in annoyance. "This planet will develop space-travel, even if I must hold their scientists at gunpoint!"
"How about we don't do that?" Sonic suggested. "Trying not to make enemies here?"
"You still didn't answer my question." Shadow told Sonic. "Where exactly are the others? Give me a location."
"Straight to the point, huh?" Sonic noted with a raised eyebrow but was interrupted at the sound of sirens coming closer. "It'll be easier to explain if we're not in the slammer. Come on, follow me." Sonic ran off with Shadow at his tail, and Rouge and Omega close behind as well. "I'll fill you guys in on everything."
The Next Day – Beacon Academy
While most of the student body was in the cafeteria eating lunch, Teams RWBY and JNPR had met up with Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in the courtyard to show them a certain something Tails had been working on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Cyclone!" Tails showed the eight students his newly built blue plane, which looked so brand new that it even shined.
"Whoa! You built a plane!?" Ruby exclaimed excitedly.
"That looks so awesome!" Nora exclaimed in a similar fashion.
"Well, Tails actually had the Cyclone for a long time, he just had it fixed up after literally crashing here." Amy summed up.
"How old are you again?" Weiss asked Tails. "Helping to build bunkbeds is one thing, but constructing a fully operable plane at such a young age…"
"I'm twelve, but I've built the Cyclone when was I was nine." Tails answered, causing the group of students to look with wide eyes and dropped jaws.
"You built that thing when you were nine years old?!" Jaune exclaimed.
"Yep." Tails said with pride.
"Awe, aren't you just the cutest little genius!" Yang teased as she playfully rubbed Tails head.
"This Cyclone looks quite impressive." Pyrrha took a good look at it, with Ruby, Blake, and Ren doing the same. "Seems very aerodynamic…" She felt her hand along the side. "A strong outer haul, this is quite an engineering feat."
"What sort of power source does it have?" Ren asked. "I've heard that you don't utilize Dust where you come from."
"It's a customized solar-powered fusion core." Tails explained. "This way it is fuel-efficient, and the core allows it to store up as much power as possible so there is little-to-no chance of it running low."
"Very nice." Blake nodded.
"Um, I have a question." Jaune raised his hand. "Why do you even need a plane? You can already fly?"
"Why do you need to use a car? You can already run." Amy responded to Jaune's question. "Everyone gets tired, this makes transpiration easier. Plus, it can fly faster than he can naturally."
"Oh? How fast does this baby go?" Yang asked eagerly.
"It was built to try and match Sonic's speed." Tails answered. "So, it can reach up to eight hundred miles per hour in less than a minute."
"Seriously?!" Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, Nora, and Blake all exclaimed.
"And it's not just a plane." Knuckles said mysteriously with a smirk and crossed arms.
This prompted Tails to climb up into the cockpit and press a few key commands, causing the Cyclone to shift and transform into its cart-mode as the wings folded inward and wheels came up from the sides.
"If I have to stay close to the ground, I can convert it into its cart-mode. But it can move just as fast here as in the air." Tails said before he smirked. "And that's not even the best part. Check this out." He pressed another key command, allowing the Cyclone to transform into its walker-mode as a pair of legs appeared to stand the Cyclone up above the heads of the surprised students.
"Whoa….!" Jaune's eyes felt like they were about to roll out of his sockets
"Cyclone battle mode!" Tails presented dramatically. "I may lose its speed-advantage here, but all its weapons are available, and it's built like a tank! Even the Grimm would have a hard time getting through this baby." He patted the side of the Cyclone with pride.
"So… it's a plane… that's also a car… that's also a battle mech?!" Ruby squealed as stars formed in her eyes. "That is the coolest thing I have ever seen!"
"What kind of weapons does it have?!" Nora exclaimed in a similar fashion. "Tell me all the ways it can make stuff go boom!"
Tails chuckled at everyone's excitement over his most beloved invention. "It's armed with a Volkan Cannon mini-gun, a targeting laser, a grappling hook, and a set of missile launchers. I've also managed to implement Dust into its weaponry too."
"I thought you were having trouble with that." Knuckles recalled Tails' dilemma the previous day.
"Until I found out that Dust can be grounded into powder, which makes weaponizing it so much easier than just using the crystals themselves." Tails explained. "Right now, I've got fire, ice, lightning utilized into most of its weaponry. Though I'm thinking I can also use hard-light dust as a shield… but keeping it up constantly would be trouble considering Dust pretty much has a one-time usage before its rendered inert."
"I might be able to help with that." Weiss offered. "Being the heiress of the largest Dust producers on the planet comes with the added benefit of being rather knowledgeable with our product."
"I've studied the structure of Dust as well, maybe I can help too." Pyrrha also offered.
"That be great!" Tails smiled. "Thanks!"
"Hey Tails, what do you say you let me take this piece of legitimate badassery out for a spin, huh?" Yang suggested with an eager grin.
"No way, Sis! I already got dibs!" Ruby ran up to her.
"Since when did you call dibs?" Yang challenged.
"Since right now! I call dibs!" Ruby argued.
"I call dibs times infinity!" Nora popped up in-between them. "Let me all the Grimm go boom!"
As the three argued over who would get a chance to drive the Cyclone first, Amy smiled while Knuckles shook his head slightly with a grin as the former looked at the other students.
"Any of you guys wanna take it out for a test drive?" The pink hedgehog teased.
"No thanks." Weiss shook her head.
"I'm good." Blake added.
"Same." Ren said.
"Yeah… I don't know how to fly a plane or a mech…" Jaune said nervously.
"It's very impressive, but I'm not familiar with the controls of such a device." Pyrrha said politely.
However, while Ruby continued to comically struggle against Yang and Nora for who would pilot the Cyclone first, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Something that was moving very fast and heading in this general direction. She knew only one thing that would go that fast.
"Hey, Sonic!" She called out as a blur shot past the group, getting everyone's attention. But the blur stopped to reveal it wasn't Sonic, but rather a black and red hedgehog that glanced back at the students with a stoic look on his face.
"That's not Sonic." Jaune observed.
"Shadow!" Tails flew toward him with Knuckles and Amy right behind. "You made it."
"Befriending children, I see." Shadow observed, glancing at the students. "Unsurprising."
"Listen, you should know that…" Knuckles attempted to explain everything to him.
"I had already discussed it with Sonic and I'm aware of the situation." Shadow interrupted. "I'm going to meet this Ozpin now."
"Where is he and the rest of your team?" Amy asked.
"Should be here in a moment." Shadow replied, before turning around, only for Ruby to dash in front of him with a friendly smile.
"Your name is Shadow? That's a really cool name. I'm Ruby, nice to meet you." She offered her hand to shake.
Shadow took a moment to observe the girl. So, this was the silver-eyed girl named Ruby that Sonic had told him and his team about. She was apparently the youngest girl in this group, advancing two years ahead of when students normally attend these Huntsmen academies. At first glance, she didn't look that impressive. But Shadow knew all too well that appearances can be deceiving, and while he didn't always get along with Sonic, he knew the blue Hedgehog was no fool. So perhaps he will have to see what she can do himself before he can make any sort of judgement, but that wasn't his priority now.
The Ultimate Lifeform dashed past Ruby and sped his way toward Beacon Tower, leaving the younger girl perplexed and her older sister a little irritated.
"What's his problem?" Yang questioned, not liking her younger sister being brushed off like that.
"Don't take it personally." Tails said. "Shadow's like that with everyone."
"Yeah, he's always straight to the point." Knuckles added.
"Well, he was certainly… interesting." Blake commented.
"Ah, so you guys met the Edgehog, huh?" They heard a familiar voice and turned to see Sonic arrive on the scene. "Yeah, he does leave that sort of impression."
"Sonic." Ruby came up to him first. "Where have you been?"
"Getting the rest of the team." He gestured behind him to see the approaching Rouge and Omega, the robot obviously drawing the students' attention.
"Whoa! Is… Is that a robot?!" Jaune exclaimed.
"Indeed. I am Omega, the ultimate E-Series robot." The former Badnik introduced as the other students gathered around him.
"I haven't seen anything this cool outside of comics!" Ruby squeeled.
"This one looks far more advanced than any of those drones Atlas has produced." Weiss observed. "It even seems to be automated, even speaking on its own."
"Omega's equipped with his own artificial intelligence, so he can think and feel entirely on his own." Tails explained.
"That is rather impressive." Blake commented.
"Very interesting." Ren noted.
"You gotta any cool weapons on ya?" Nora asked Omega.
"Affirmative." Omega confirmed as his arms opened to show the multitude of weapons that he had built in. "I am currently equipped with rotary cannons, flame throwers, missile launchers, and semi-automatic wrist cannons. I am also strong enough to live the equivalent of one hundred metric tons with additional power from my rear boosters. My outer armor is composed of a special titanium alloy that is nigh impenetrable. I am the ultimate killing machine."
Ruby, Nora, and even Yang looked with stars in their eyes and wide grins as the youngest girl practically squealed; while Jaune, Weiss, Ren, Pyrrha, and Blake had circular eyes and lowered jaws.
"Pal, you and I are gonna be good friends." Yang leaned her arm against Omega's right shoulder with an eager.
"Let's go Grimm hunting!" Nora cheered.
"Affirmative. All Creatures of Grimm must be eliminated." Omega declared.
"And I'm apparently chopped liver." Rouge said with a grin and a shrug, getting the rest of the students' attention.
"Oh, sorry about that." Pyrrha apologized.
"Don't worry, a walking weapon of mass destruction like Omega is bound to get anyone's attention." Rouge assured. "Anyway, the name's Rouge."
"Nice to meet you, Rouge." Pyrrha shook her hand. "My name is…"
"Pyrrha Nikos." Rouge interrupted before pointing to each of the students, saying their names. "Ruby Rose, Lie Ren, Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao-Long, Blake Belladonna, Nora Valkyrie, and the cute little heiress Weiss Schnee."
"Yes…?" Weiss didn't particularly like how she was addressed.
"Sonic told you about us?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, but I also found out from these." Rouge flashed her hands to show each of their student ID cards in between her fingers.
"Wait… what…?!" Jaune felt along his pockets, with the others doing the same. "You stole our IDs?!"
"Swiped em while you were all gawking at Omega." Rouge smirked as she flicked each of the IDs to their respective owners. "You kids make it too easy!"
"Listen you…!" Weiss walked up to Rouge and pointed her finger at her. "I could report you for…"
"For what? A little tease?" Rouge maintained her smirk before producing Myrtenaster in her hand. "Then I better give this back, huh?"
"Wha..?! How did…?!" Weiss gasped as she looked at her sides, knowing that she just had her rapier on her, only to scowl as she swiped it back.
"Nice earrings too, by the way." Rouge opened her left hand to show Weiss' earrings, and her right hand to reveal the tiara. "Even got a little princess tiara."
"I… wha… you…." Weiss stuttered before comically scowling as she swiped her earrings and tiara back from the smirking Rouge. "Is this some kind of joke for you?!"
"It is when I get a cute little reaction like that." Rouge said. "So you better make sure you left your most precious valuable at home, princess. Otherwise they might be gone by the end of the day."
Weiss' face turned more red than a tomato, while Yang and Nora, even Ruby, stifled their laughter as Weiss looked like she was about to rant up a storm, but Knuckles put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Don't rise to it. Trust me, it'll only encourage her."
"Awe Knuckles, don't pretend we didn't have fun back in the day." Rouge continued to tease.
"You mean you stealing the most powerful gemstone in our world and the last remnant of my people, only for it to break apart and Eggman to get his hands on them?" Knuckles questioned irritably.
"I told you, I was spying on Eggman back then. I did what I did so I can get in close to him." Rouge replied. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"
"As many times as, you've tried to steal the Master Emerald afterwards." Knuckles shot back.
As the two groups began to mingle more and get to know one another, Ruby leaned in close to Sonic. "You've got pretty weird friends."
"Like you're one to talk." Sonic cracked back.
"Are you calling me weird?!" Ruby exclaimed in a comic pout.
"Yep." Sonic smirked. "But that's totally a complement."
As usual, Ozpin continued to sit in his office alone. He picked up his mug and drank his coffee, but as he set it down, he saw Shadow standing before his desk with crossed arms and a scowl that seemed permanently attached to his face. Ozpin made a mental note of how good he was, he didn't even hear him enter. He was fast and quiet, very impressive.
"I'm assuming you are Shadow the Hedgehog, correct?"
"And you, are Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, one of the four main Huntsmen schools of Remnant."
"Then I trust Sonic has informed you of the situation?" Ozpin asked.
"He has, but it's not enough." Shadow said. "I need more information."
"What information exactly do you need?" Ozpin asked.
"All of it." Shadow replied. "Information on these Kingdoms and their history, the Faunus, the Grimm, the Academies, Dust, data on the planet itself, all of it."
"While I am happy to share information with you on much of that, there is some information on the Academies that can be considered classified, and I cannot so easily share that on a whim." Ozpin said.
"What you are able to offer should suffice, I can figure it all out on my own." Shadow responded.
"Very well then." Ozpin seemed to accept as he took out a data-drive and imputed it into his computer to download all the information he had already shared with Sonic and his team. "Have the rest of your comrades arrive?" Ozpin asked as the download continued.
"Then have." Shadow confirmed with a single nod.
"Then your entire party is currently at Beacon." Ozpin said. "Though I am sure Sonic has told you this, you and your friends are welcome to use this academy as a home base in your conflict against Doctor Eggman. My colleagues and I, including the other three Headmasters, have already agreed to work alongside you when the time comes."
Shadow gave only a nod in response just as the download finished. Ozpin removed the drive and handed it to Shadow, who promptly took it and proceeded to leave.
"Is there anything else that you may require?" Ozpin asked.
"Nothing else yet." Shadow replied as he walked out onto the balcony. "If there is anything else in the future, I will say so." He then vanished in a flash of light.
From that brief interaction, Ozpin could get a general idea of Shadow's character. He seemed straight forward and to the point, preferring not to waste any time, pretty much the exact opposite of Sonic. On the positive side, all of Sonic's companions were united under a single roof and they all agreed to take a stand against Eggman together, many of them had already began to forge meaningful bonds with some of the students, RWBY and JNPR in particular. On the negative side, however, all they can do now at this point was wait for Eggman to make his move, as well as another certain player that would do whatever she could to turn this situation to her advantage.
"It looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year." The old professor muttered to himself.
Done.
So, that's it then. Team Dark has arrived at Beacon and they have been informed on the situation, also getting themselves acquainted with RWBY and JNPR. I know this chapter seems mostly the same as the canon on the RWBY side of things, just with Sonic being the one to talk to Ruby instead of Ozpin, which I think sets the tone for one of the themes of this story. Sonic and all his friends are experienced fighters at this point, while RWBY and JNPR are newbies by comparison, so there is much the students can learn from their new friends. Oh, and Tails was able to fix up RWBY's bunkbeds (LOL).
Team Sonic has also begun to make their own weapons, even though they don't necessarily need them the way the people of Remnant do, everyone is already using them so Sonic thought it be fun to be a part of the trend (LOL). Sonic and Knuckles have their own weapons directly based off Caliburn and Galatine from "Sonic and the Black Knight", but these are just normal custom-made weapons and not the real Sacred Swords from the game. Tails was also able to equip Dust into his Cyclone to make it even more powerful, and he's still got other upgrades in mind. Tails isn't the type to wield a sword or anything, but he will get a smaller weapon that he'll keep on him soon. Amy still wields the Piko-Piko, nothing to change there.
As for what Team Dark will get weapon-wise, you'll see in the next chapter, though based on what we've seen with Sonic and Knuckles, I'm sure you can all guess what Shadow will wield.
We got introduced to the other Headmasters as well, with Ozpin having told them about Eggman, while also discussing you-know-who. Trust me, I've got BIG plans for her. You'll just have to wait and see.
The next chapter is going to be an interesting one, and I'm sure you'll love what I have planned there. I'm actually rather excited to write it.
So until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.