A Red Rose in the Blue Wind

by Iron117Prime

Sonic and his friends have come to a new world, one Dr. Eggman hopes to conquer. Meeting new friends? That is to be expected of our heroes. New enemies? Also to be expected. But being caught in a war between two immortals? Not the strangest thing that's happened to them, but definitely something new. (Blood and minor swears)

7. Alliances Under the Shattered Moon

Hi everyone, welcome back. I'm so pleased that my last chapter was so well-received, particularly with how I characterized Shadow and Knuckles and the sort of impact they're already leaving with our main characters. But I'm also pleased at all the reactions I got form the reveal of Eggman's alliance with Salem, and those surprised reactions were exactly what I was going for. It pleases me so in how I can surprise my readers.

But here, we get to understand just how this alliance came to be and why it's so beneficial to the both of them.

Oh, and I know I've already said this before, but at the moment I have no plans to include any content from the upcoming "Ice Queendom" RWBY spin-off. But that's not to say I'm not planning on doing anything with it at all; I just need to see how the whole thing goes before I decide to do anything with it. I still have all of Volume 2 to cover in my story, so I'm sure it'll all be revealed by the time I get to that point. We'll just have to see.

Now, with that being said, let's get started.

Alliances Under the Shattered Moon

How did it all go so wrong so fast? Just a short time ago, Eggman was on the cusp of his greatest triumph. Constructing his massive inter-stellar amusement park, dragging the Wisps' home planet and neighboring worlds from their star system across the universe, harvesting the energy of those aliens to create a mind-control ray… all that effort, only to be wasted and thwarted by his blue nemesis once again.

And if that wasn't bad enough, to add insult to injury, the resulting wormhole that had created from the overload of his machine had not only destroyed his entire park, but also sent him and his two lackies to an unknown location of space, one far away from his home world. Though he was protected by the life-support systems from his damaged and partially operational Egg-Mobile, it did little to deter his frustration and anger.

"Faster, you idiots! Faster! Put your backsides into it!" Eggman exclaimed to Orbot and Cubot as they tried to push the Egg-Mobile from outside across the void and around some of the debris that got sucked with them.

"Technically we don't have backsides, Boss." Orbot said.

"I don't care!" Eggman shouted. "Just push! We have to hurry! I already have my revenge planned out, and next time I will not fail!"

"Of course, you won't, Boss. Of course, you won't." Orbot replied. "On the bright side, a certain someone got their voice back."

"I feel like my old self!" Cubot said excitedly. "All I want to do is talk, talk, talk! Hey, remember when we were chasing all those little alien guys? What's up with those guys anyway? They sure were funny looking, hahaha! Smelled good though…!"

As Cubot continued to run his mouth, Eggman groaned as he slumped deeper into his Egg-Mobile. "Ugh. What I wouldn't give for the maddening silence of space right about now."

"Oh, I wish I had some of that sushi." Cubot continued. "I heard they started using fish. Bummer that we didn't bring any with us. Not that we could eat it since we're robots, but we could have looked at it. I love looking at stuff. Like that nice little planet with a broken moon over there. Hey, why is that moon broken anyway? Can you even break moons?"

That caught Eggman's attention as he happened to glance in a certain direction, noticing some distance away there was another planet, one that bore a similar resemblance to his own home world. Mostly blue, likely the oceans of that planet, all surrounding green continents. But what stuck out the most, was a moon that appeared to have a large chunk of it broken off, though several pieces of debris still floated around it, caught in the orbit of the broken moon as well as the planet.

"Oh, well isn't that lucky? It looks like there's a perfectly inhabitable planet right there." Orbot said. "Maybe they might have a way for us to get back home."

"Do they have sushi there?" Cubot asked. "I mean, it looks like they have oceans. And oceans mean fish. But what if they're alien fish? Oh, that means alien sushi! My mouth would be watering with excitement if I even had a real mouth to eat and droll with!"

"Shut it!" Eggman exclaimed, silencing both robots as he activated his Egg-Mobile's scanners to analyze the newfound planet. "Hmm, this planet's atmosphere is similar to our own… seventy-eight percent nitrogen, twenty-one percent oxygen… fairly breathable." That was the most Eggman could get with what he had right now, but a breathable planet that likely had food on it was the best place to settle and rest for a bit before planning on how to get home and get his revenge.

"Get me over there!" Eggman ordered his robots. "There's no gravity in space, so pushing shouldn't be that hard!"

"So, we're going to that planet over there?" Orbot asked.

"Of course, we are. The only other option is to float in space till my life ends, as does your power source." Eggman said.

"I don't wanna be dead in space! Let's get to pushing!" Cubot said as he and Orbot began to push the Egg-Mobile toward the newly discovered planet.

Under normal circumstances, Eggman could use the reserve power from his Egg-Mobile's power core, which was surprisingly still intact and fully functional even after getting zapped all the way to this part of the universe. But until he found out what kind of technology that planet had, if it had any at all, it was best to keep his only man-made power source unused for the time being and not waste it.

Now, all that was left was to wait till he got to this planet. If he could survive the hours of Cubot's endless rambling.

---

It took several hours, but Eggman and his lackies had finally made it closer toward the unknown planet. Once they were close enough, Orbot and Cubot got into the Egg-Mobile from one of it's exhaust ports, making sure not to damage it and subject their boss to an instant death from the vacuum just outside.

"So… how are we supposed to get to the surface?" Orbot asked.

"Are we gonna crash land, Boss?" Cubot asked. "Like pretty much every sci-fi movie ever made?"

"Sort of." Eggman said as he pressed a few operable key commands on his Egg-Mobile's built-in console. "I'm channeling some of my reserve power to give our engines enough of a boost to get into the planet's gravity and let it take us down. Once we're close enough, I'll activate the shields and engines again to stabilize our landing. If this isn't timed perfectly, we'll be a stain of ash on the ground."

"I don't wanna be a stain of ash!" Cubot exclaimed as he clung to Eggman.

"Get off!" Eggman shoved him off. "Hold onto something, cause here we go!"

The mad doctor pressed a button, causing the jet-boosters on the back of the Egg-Mobile to activate, rocketing toward the planet. As they got closer, Eggman noticed one continent, the one that he was closest toward, looked different from the others. It was mostly black and oddly shaped like a dragon. Given it was the one that was closest toward him, he decided to head there. And if his past experiences were any indication, anything shaped like a monster could be potentially useful for any future plans.

It didn't take long for the planet's gravity to get a hold of the Egg-Mobile, once Eggman realized that he promptly deactivated his ship's engines and allowed the gravity to take them down the rest of the way. The Egg-Mobile caught fire on the outside, entering the planet's atmosphere as it fell. Fortunately, the Egg-Mobile, despite being heavily damaged, was well-equipped for re-entry and would be able to take the intense heat.

Orbot and Cubot clung to each other in fright while Eggman kept his focus as they passed through the black cloud cover that hung over the continent. Once they passed it, they saw the landscape before them, which seemed barren and dark, but he would get a better look once they landed. Keeping an eye on his screen to see the numbers representing the distance toward the ground dropping, he knew he had to time this perfectly.

Once the mountains in the area came into view, Eggman first activated the shields around the damaged Egg-Mobile to disperse the flames from the re-entry. Then, when they were two hundred meters from the surface, he activated the emergency boosters to halt the descent, albeit roughly as all three occupants were jostled quite a bit. However, the damaged thrusters short-circuited before one on the upper right exploded, causing the vehicle to spiral as it fell.

All three yelled before the orb-like vehicle crashed on a hillside, skidding to a halt and leaving a trail behind before coming to a stop. After regaining his senses, Eggman kicked the glass canopy a couple times before it popped open, allowing him to stand out and walk outside.

"Ah, another happy landing." Eggman said as he brushed off his suit as his two robot lackies followed him out.

"I don't like this place… it's dark and scary…." Cubot shivered as Eggman got a good look at the dark and bleak landscape surrounding him.

They stood on a barren hillside that overlooked what can only be described as a baren wasteland. There were no signs of life or vegetation whatsoever. The sky was dark red with pitch black clouds scattered in all directions. Enormous dark crystals decorated the land as well. Though the average person would be nervous at such a sight, Eggman wasn't.

"Eh, I've seen scarier." He brushed off before turning back to look at the console in the damaged Egg-Mobile to get some of the system's readings. "Hmm, power core has been severely drained, but it still holds a twelve percent charge. If I can get it over the cloud cover, I can charge it back up with solar energy. Provided I can find something that can fly it up there…"

"Um Boss…?" Orbot tried to get his attention, but Eggman didn't seem to be listening.

"Hmm, maybe those crystals could serve if a use, if I can find out what their general make up is." Eggman wondered aloud to himself as he continued to work and theorize. "But I don't have the resources to perform a proper analysis…"

"Boss…!" Cubot, much like Orbot, was also ignored.

"Come to think of it, I got no idea if this planet has any technological civilization, or any civilization for that matter." Eggman continued. "But it beats being left in the void of space for eternity. Once I secure a food source, I can begin reconstruction of the Egg-Mobile and work my way from there."

"BOSS!" Orbot and Cubot both shouted.

"What?!" Eggman finally turned around in anger. "Can't you see I'm busy ruminating?!"

"I don't think those scary monster things are gonna give you the time to ruminate." Orbot pointed toward the top of a cliffside above them, where Eggman could see at least three odd-looking creatures eyeing him.

Their black bodies, wolf-like appearances, and pale-white bone armor and even red eyes could be seen even from their distance. Eggman wouldn't know, but these were Creatures of Grimm, more specifically Beowolves. The one in the center gave a howl, which appeared to be a signal of some kind for other Grimm to appear, surround, and slowly approach Eggman and his robot lackies. Among them were other Beowolves, as well as Ursai, the tiger-like Sabyrs, ape-like Beringel, and even a few Boarbatusk. Glancing above, Eggman could see several flying creatures as well, such as a few Griffons and even a Nevermore, all circling above him like birds of prey.

"What are these things?!" Cubot shouted in fear as he and Orbot clung to each other in fear.

"They may be this planet's fauna! Very hostile fauna!" Orbot exclaimed.

"I've seen this on the late show!" Cubot added. "They're gonna hold us down and take turns nibbling on our innards! Then they're gonna eat our brains and leave our bodies for the buzzards!"

"But we don't have internal organs!" Orbot replied, still feeling terrified.

"No, we'll be fine." Eggman said, not even remotely intimidated.

"But Boss…!" Orbot tried to protest as Eggman walked forward toward the surrounding Grimm horde.

"If they were gonna attack us, they already would have." Eggman explained. "That's how territorial animals act anyway. But I can see there's more to these things, and I've had to deal with similar creatures to know that these are not just simple animals." Eggman approached a Beowolf that appeared to be at the head of the horde, looking at its face in observatory fashion. "Either you are more intelligent than you appear… or there's something or someone pulling your strings. Well then, my little demonic varmint, which is it? Are you smart enough to even understand what I'm saying, or are you just a puppet?"

The Beowolf said nothing in response. In truth, it understood nothing the man in front of it was saying. But it did understand the commands from the true alpha of this domain that all Creatures of Grimm obeyed instinctively. The command was to observe at first, but now it has changed.

That Beowolf, and several other Grimm near it, began to clear away and create a path prompting Eggman and his robot lackies to travel toward.

"It would appear to be the later then." Eggman grinned. "Alright, take me to your leader." He walked down the path that the Grimm cleared for him, a few of them walking alongside him as a form of escort.

Orbot and Cubot, both still frightened, remained clinging to each other and where they were. That is until an Ursa came up from behind and gave a growl, prompting them both to move on. Both robots gave startled yelps as they tried to catch up with their boss.

"Wait for us, boss!" Cubot exclaimed.

The Creatures of Grimm escorted Eggman and his robotic lackies for some time across the baren and monster-infested landscape that was known as the Land of Darkness. During this time, Eggman was able to make many observations of this land. Most notably were the black liquid pools all over from which the Grimm spawned from, which confirmed that these were not natural creatures. These monsters reminded him of the fragments of Dark Gaia after his early awakening forced the creature to break apart into millions of smaller monsters. The crystals also drew his attention, there was something about them that seemed to differentiate themselves from any other crystals he's seen. Based on his past experiences with magical rocks, his instincts told him that these crystals carried some form of power, but he would learn on that later; he suspected whomever or whatever he was meeting likely had an answer.

That's another thing he observed about these monsters. Though they weren't natural, their physical patterns such as walking and flying seemed akin to natural animals, which suggested that they weren't all that intelligent and they wouldn't have known to escort him to wherever they were taking them. Something else was controlling them. Perhaps there was a queen creature that linked them all through a hive mind, perhaps something akin to an ant queen or bee queen.

Pretty soon, Eggman found what he figured would be his destination. He, Orbot, and Cubot gazed up at what appeared to be a large structure made entirely out of vibrant dark purple crystals, but not like the ones that decorated the landscape. At first glance, one could assume it was just another crystal-structure… but Eggman knew the second he saw it that it was not the case. It was designed to be something akin to a tower or even a large castle. Truly the work of an intelligent creature and likely the one controlling these monsters now.

Once they reached the structure, Eggman and his lackies were led up a winding path of steps that went all the way around the castle before coming to a stop at what appeared to be a balcony made out of the crystal. Turning to his right, Eggman saw a flight of steps that led up to a man-made door. Eggman was about to walk up those steps when Cubot spoke up.

"Uh Boss… the monster things aren't following us…" Cubot said nervously, prompting Eggman to turn around and see that his Grimm escort was no longer following them, just sitting on the balcony.

"Because they don't need to. We're where they need us to be." Eggman said before walking up the steps.

"So, what exactly is it you hope to find here, Boss?" Orbot asked as they made it to the door, which opened up automatically, freaking out Orbot and Cubot, but not Eggman.

"Opportunity." The mad scientist responded with a grin before entering the castle with his robots right behind him.

As they made their way through the castle, Eggman found he was essentially guided to where he needed to by all the doors that opened automatically for him and his robots. He also took notice of the smaller monsters that appeared to be hiding in the ceiling and around the corner, observing his every move, but he was expecting all that.

While the outside of the castle appeared to be made mostly out of crystal, the inside was a different story, made out of stone and rock, man-made, almost like a castle from the medieval era with some gothic-style to it. Whether the crystals outside were covering the whole castle, or this was all built into the crystal was anyone's guess, but that wasn't important to Eggman.

He, Orbot, and Cubot came to a rather large door. And like the others, it opened on its own. This was the end of the trail, as the chamber on the other side appeared to be some sort of conference hall, evident by the large table and chairs all around it. The chamber was surrounded on all sides by window-walls that showed the outside of the demonic landscape. A chandelier of dark crystals hung from the ceiling while candles decorated the walls and a shrine near the back.

But Eggman's attention was drawn to the sole occupant of the room. Sitting at the end of the table, on an obsidian-like throne, was a humanoid female that bore a strong resemblance to the creatures outside. She had pale white skin and hair with black veins along her arms and up her neck and face, she wore a black dress, and even from this distance, Eggman could see her black and red eyes observing him with a calculating expression.

One look from those eyes would frighten pretty much anyone, as it is currently doing for Orbot and Cubot, but not Eggman. He too observed this being with a similar expression behind his glasses.

"You're the one in charge, huh?" He asked, testing her ability to communicate.

"You sound disappointed." She spoke in a neutral tone, continuing to gaze at him.

"Ah, so we can understand each other, good." Eggman grinned. "And I wouldn't say I'm disappointed… but believe it or not, I got similar experiences with creatures like the ones outside. And for the most part, if there's a 'queen bee' among the hive, it's usually just a bigger monster, which makes communication frustratingly difficult. So, I'm not disappointed, but rather relieved that I can actually hold a conversation now."

"And what makes you believe I'm interested in such a conversation?" She asked.

"The fact that you didn't have your pets outside maul me for starters." Eggman answered. "You had them escort me here because you find me interesting. If not, you would have just let them have me for dinner, right?"

A small smile graced her face. "I will not deny that I am intrigued by your presence. It's rare someone would venture so far into my domain, particularly how this would be the first time that one fell from the sky."

"So, there are others in this world, hmm?" Eggman asked.

That phrasing drew her attention. "What do you mean by 'this world'?"

"Well, I'm not from this world." Eggman replied, the being continuing her gaze as if she was trying to read him somehow.

"An intriguing story… but what proof do you have of such a claim?"

"So, no experience with aliens, huh?" Eggman then began to think. "Hmm, how do you prove the existence of other worlds to those who don't have experience with aliens?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handheld tablet-like device and pressed a button on it as he placed it on the table. The device turned on and shined a large three-dimensional hologram of the planet Earth.

This drew the female's attention as she observed the hologram closely.

"This is my world. And as you can see, while it does bare an ecological resemblance, there are some clear-cut differences. Primarily how our continents are shaped differently." Eggman explained as he turned off the device. "I can go over the specifics of my world and you can compare them to your own if you wish."

"There is no need." She raised her hand. "You certainly have my attention, and in my experience, I've learned to expect the unexpected. So, what brings you to my world?"

"Oh, not much, just got zapped across the universe or an entirely different one by mortal nemesis in my goal for universal domination and am now working to get back home for my revenge." Eggman summed up. "But I may have found something here, and you my demonic majesty, might be the key to getting it."

"And why would I assist you in any sort of endeavor?"

"Because you yourself have something similar planned, don't you?" Eggman asked, causing the being to gaze at him once more. "I've seen this kind of thing before, with myself and others, those who have a strong and insatiable desire for conquest and/or destruction, with some revenge thrown in along the way. This whole thing you got here says it all…" He gestured to his surroundings. "A fortress, an army of monsters outside, it just screams ambition, and I am no stranger to ambition. Tell you what, though; if you scratch my back and help me to get home and I can help you scratch yours in helping you with your endeavor."

"And what can you offer me that I can't acquire here on my world?"

"Three things." Eggman began with a grin. "First, an ally with an unparalleled genius. Second, an army of tireless robotic war machines manning an armada that can travel even into space. Third, a special collection of gemstones that together grant one ultimate power. Does that sound enticing?"

She thought about it for a moment before giving her response as she stood up from her throne and slowly made her way toward the doctor. His robots hid behind him as she came close, but he remained unphased. He's been face-to-face with beings far more powerful.

"You certainly have my attention, but before I make any sort of agreement, I'll need to know more of what you offer in detail. And, I do have associates across this world that have their own expertise, and I would like to compare what they have to offer to what you are offering me. So, for the moment, please wait until they arrive. Then, we can make a decision."

"Sure, it's not like I can really go anywhere." Eggman accepted with a shrug. "But why don't we at least start with our names. I'll go first, I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik, also known as Doctor Eggman, you can call me either one. These two are my personally made robot lackies, Orbot and Cubot."

"Um… hello." Orbot greeted nervously from behind Eggman with a wave.

"Hi there." Cubot waved in a similar manner.

"A pleasure… you can call me Salem."

---

After a few hours had passed, the rest of Salem's Inner Circle had been called to her fortress and sat around the conference table. There were four in total.

One was a young woman in a short red dress with black heels, black hair tied back in a ponytail partially covering one eye, both eyes an amber color. Sitting across from her was a middle-aged man with tan-skin and of slim build. He had black hair that was greying on the sides, a mustache, and green eyes. He wore a grey overcoat and pants with black shoes, a yellow undershirt and a black tie with a maroon-colored vest over it. Sitting next to him was a much larger man with a more muscular build. He also had slightly tan skin with hazel-colored eyes, and brown hair along with a short beard and sideburns. He wore an olive-green coat with a large belt and black pants. The final member was perched on the chair across from the large man, rather than sitting on it like a normal person. He was Caucasian with short brown hair and gold-colored eyes. He wore mostly white such as a sleeveless vest that showed his various scar and white pants with brown boots. But what stuck out the most about him, was a scorpion-like tail coming from his back.

Sitting at the head of the table was Salem herself, with Eggman standing beside her, Orbot and Cubot hovering close by. During the time it took for the Inner Circle to assemble, Salem had given Eggman a brief explanation on the planet of Remnant, the kingdoms, the Creatures of Grimm, Dust, the profession of Huntsmen, as well as the human and Faunus species. She even revealed her own status as an immortal. When the Inner Circle arrived, Eggman gave a brief explanation for them as well, where he was from and what he had to offer.

"Tch, you expect me to believe all that?" The skinny man with a mustache said skeptically. "You look rather human for an alien."

"I can say the same to you, Watts, is it?" Eggman replied. "Which only proves my point of Remnant being located in an entirely different dimension. Surely a scientist has heard of the multiverse theory… if not then, why do even call yourself a scientist?"

"Oh snap…" Cubot muttered.

A scowl formed on Arthur Watts face, while Cinder Fall tried her best to hide her smirk.

"While I found the initial story to be hard to believe myself, his claims hold validity." Salem said to Watts, as well as the rest of her Inner Circle. "Primarily in how truthful he was in knowing nothing of our world."

"Even if what he says is true, how exactly can he help us with our goal?" The large man named Hazel Rainart questioned.

"Allow me to explain then…" Eggman began as he took out his device again and showed several holograms of his Badnik army, such as individual units, or even an army of them marching back and forth. "First, how's an army of tireless robot slaves sound to you? An army that'll never tire or question you. An army that'll obey your every command, and possess countless weapons of mass destruction!"

"Our queen has no use for such trinkets. Who are you to suggest otherwise?" The man with the scorpion tail, also known as Tyrian Callows, said with a scowl to the doctor.

"Perhaps you've forgotten about the army of monsters outside?" Cinder added. "The very same monsters that outnumber humanity and live all over Remnant?"

"Oh, I don't doubt the Grimm's strength. They seem like a true force for destruction, and I've seen quite a bit of that myself over the years." Eggman responded. "But the goal is not seeing whose army can best whose, its bringing them together. My Badnik forces are truly to be reckoned with. Imagine a conjoined army of killer robots and hellish demons, side-by-side, no force on this or any other planet would stand a chance."

"And you believe your army to be advanced enough?" Watts questioned skeptically.

"Well, let's start with the fact that my technology enables us to travel to space. Can you travel to space? No. Because your precious Dust is rendered inert the second it leaves the atmosphere." Eggman said, earning another scowl from Watts. "But I've never had to deal with such a handicap. With my technological genius, the inability for you to space travel will be a thing of the past. But that's not to say Dust will be useless entirely, I can build so many deadly war machines with that stuff pretty easily; and how can you say 'no' to more destruction?"

"Such an advanced army could make it easier to combat Huntsmen." Hazel granted. "Not only that, it would instill fear into the kingdom's populace…"

"Which would further attract the Grimm to their borders." As much as Watts hated to admit it, the idea did have merit. "It would certainly make our job easier."

"Silence!" Tyrian slammed his hands on the table as he glared at the pair. "Are you two suggesting that our divine savior requires aid?!"

"If she didn't, then why are we here?" Cinder responded to Tyrian, earning a growl from him.

"Tyrian, that's enough." Salem raised her hand, causing him to stop his ranting. "I appreciate your devotion and faith, but there comes a time where I do indeed require assistance as Cinder has said. That is why you are here. You may find it difficult to believe, but Doctor Robotnik does have much to offer us. So, it wouldn't hurt to at least hear him out, correct?"

Tyrian knew better than to question his queen, so with reluctance, he crouched back down in his seat. "Forgive me, your grace."

"Now then Doctor, one such offer was this 'ultimate power' you spoke of." Salem said, looking toward Eggman. "Please, explain."

Eggman grinned. "Thought you'd never ask." He pressed a button on his tablet to display the holographic image of seven colorful gemstones. "These are the most powerful objects of my world, the seven Chaos Emeralds."

"'Chaos Emeralds'?" Cinder questioned, her eyes not leaving the holographic gems.

"As their name suggests, their power is chaotic and can change depending on their application." Eggman explained. "On one end, they can serve as a near limitless source of power for a machine, on the other… they are capable of warping time and space. One can use them to slow down the flow of time to a degree, bring a few together and you may even be able to travel through time."

"I find that difficult to believe." Watts said skeptically.

"As difficult to believe as you working for an immortal witch that can control mindless monsters all over the world?" Eggman responded.

"Should we be adding to this?" Cubot whispered to Orbot. "We've seen how those rocks work."

"Not unless the Boss says so." Orbot whispered back. "You wanna talk to the scary lady?"

"No, thank you!" Cubot immediately shook his head. Thankfully, nobody heard their whispers or just chose to ignore them.

"Please continue Doctor, you have my attention." Salem urged, finding the concept of these Chaos Emeralds to be very enticing.

"Thank you, now as I was saying…" Eggman continued. "Each Emerald individually is powerful enough on their own, and can even enhance the natural abilities of its user depending on the situation. But, if you were to bring all seven together… you'd have the power to rival or even surpass gods!"

That caught Salem's attention, as well as the rest of her Inner Circle.

"I've seen it myself. I've seen deity-like beings be brought to their knees by the power of the Emeralds." Eggman continued. "Believe me when I say, their power is unlike anything you can imagine."

"And where are these Emeralds exactly?" Cinder asked.

"On my world, but I can bring them over. In fact, I can even use their power to bring my entire armada to Remnant." Eggman revealed.

"You believe these Chaos Emeralds have the ability to destroy gods." Salem said. If that were true, she would certainly find a way to use that power and solve a certain vendetta with two individuals she hated more than anything.

"Without a doubt." Eggman confirmed. "Do you have a particular target in mind?"

"There is one individual who's been a rather… painful thorn in my side." Salem spoke with a small hint of venom before explaining. "A being who can reincarnate his soul into a new host body every time his physical form dies. He's been quite a hinderance for my plans."

"Ohohoho, so you got your own nemesis?" Eggman said with an intrigued tone of voice. "Yes, I believe the seven Chaos Emeralds can indeed rid you of this reincarnating pain in the rear. If his soul is the problem, then we can use the Emeralds to completely destroy the soul! Leaving nothing to reincarnate with!"

The thought of finally ridding herself of him really made her interested. Even Tyrian chuckled enthusiastically as he clapped his hands. While Cinder and Watts also grinned at the idea, Hazel looked down with stoic expression, yet a vengeful look in his eyes.

"That certainly sounds intriguing." Cinder commented. "Maybe we would have much to gain from this alliance."

"While these so-called Chaos Emeralds do sound enticing, there is one thing I must ask our potential partner." Watts looked to Eggman directly. "Why exactly haven't you used these gems to conquer your own world? Because from the sound of things, it doesn't appear that you have. So, you are either overexaggerating the power of these rocks, or your just not utilizing them to their fullest potential."

"How about door number three?" Eggman replied with a growl, not at Watts but at the thought of all his constant failures and who was responsible for them. "I have a nemesis of my own that has been a constant pain in my underbelly, who's even responsible for my current predicament. He may not be immortal or reincarnate, but he is not one to be underestimated."

"And who might that be?" Hazel asked.

Eggman changed the hologram, shifting from the Emeralds to an image of his blue nemesis. "He's called Sonic the Hedgehog and is believed to be the most powerful mortal of my world."

Salem observed the image of this Sonic with curiosity, as did Hazel; though Watts, Cinder, and Tyrian seemed somewhat skeptical.

"You're joking." Watts said. "You mean to tell me that this blue rat is the reason you've been unable to conquer your world?"

"That 'blue rat' is more powerful than you know." Eggman told him seriously. "I'd say he even rivals Salem here."

"Blasphemy!" Tyrian exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table. "No one can match our goddess!"

"Oh, he most certainly can." Eggman reaffirmed. "For starters, his trademark speed allows him to easily surpass the speed of sound, and he has a great deal of power behind him as well. If you don't believe me, then see for yourself."

Pressing another button on his device, the mad doctor brought up a recording of Sonic attacking the Egg-Fleet just before the Dark Gaia crisis. All five sets eyes became glued to the image of Sonic bursting his way to the deck of a metallic ship, the fires of that burst right behind him almost for dramatic effect. He stood up to face the small army of Badniks that immediately assembled to face him, as well as the massive cannons all across the outside of the ship, and all opened fire immediately. Sonic broke out into a run, easily evading every shot that came his way, big and small, leaving a trail of explosions in his wake before he came to the Badnik army, disposing of several with his Homing Attack before moving past that group and gunning for a larger robot, which Sonic easily evaded, zoomed around with his speed to trip it up and blast his way through it before picking up his speed again to burst his way through another group of robots with little effort.

They then saw the recording of Eggman himself in a large battle armor land on the deck to face Sonic directly, the mech opening fire with its massive machine gun arms on the approaching Hedgehog, but Sonic easily evaded all the shots. Salem and her Inner Circle observed all this with their own expressions, taking mental notes of the Hedgehog's speed and power, which was unlike anything they have seen before, even Salem was taking this seriously as she saw the recording of Sonic evading all the missiles that were shot his way before he tried to get some distance, which Eggman didn't allow as his mech-suit reached out with its arm, stretching out via a cable attached to the main body, enabling it to catch up and grab a hold of Sonic.

"Oh, remember how I said the Chaos Emeralds can enhance the physical abilities of the user?" Eggman reminded the group. "Well, there are a select few individuals who can harness their power naturally. Sonic happens to be one of them."

He timed that statement perfectly, as the recording showed Sonic in the grip of the mech before he concentrated and the Chaos Emeralds suddenly appeared around him, much to everyone's surprise, and even more so as the Chaos Emeralds were absorbed into Sonic and he transformed into his brilliant golden state known as Super Sonic.

Now they were giving it their full and undivided attention as Super Sonic easily blasted his way through Eggman's mech. Even as Eggman's transport detached itself from the mech and tried to flee both through and from the vessel, Super Sonic gave pursuit and in doing so, destroyed the entire vessel in less than a minute, causing it to go down in flames.

Eggman stopped the hologram there. "That is only a taste of what he can do. I have more information to validate all this… but Sonic on his own can easily match an army of your Grimm, give him the Chaos Emeralds, and it's all over for you." He looked directly at Salem. "You say their power can destroy the immortal soul of your nemesis that constantly reincarnates? What's to stop Sonic from doing the same thing to you, immortality or not? I said that their power could bring gods to their knees, who do you think it was that took down those gods? And Sonic isn't the only one, he's got plenty of friends by his side who might be as strong as he is, some of them can even use the Chaos Emeralds themselves too. So, it would be wise for you to not underestimate them."

"And what makes you so certain this Sonic will come here to Remnant?" Hazel questioned.

"Oh, trust me, wherever I go he always finds a way to follow. It's like trying to scrape gum off of my shoe." Eggman replied.

"Well, if you're such a genius can't you just, oh I don't know, find a way to stop him from following you?" Watts questioned in a more spiteful tone.

"If it were that easy to outrun him, don't you think I'd already have done just that?" Eggman responded. "No matter what precautions I take, he will find a way to follow me here. But, who's to say we can't use that to our advantage."

"Explain what you mean by that." Cinder said.

"He won't know Remnant, but I will, and you all do." Eggman explained. "Home-field advantage and all that. And here is how we can scratch each other's backs. First, you help me build a way for me to get home and I will bring my armada and the Chaos Emeralds here to Remnant. Sonic will follow, probably bring a few of his friends along the way, but he'll be going in blind. We will know more about this world than he will, we'll entrap him with our combined forces and use our power to not only finally destroy him but even your own enemy all in one shot. Help me get rid of my life-long nemesis and I promise the Eggman Empire will lend all its resources for the complete conquest and/or destruction of Remnant and any other world that you see fit. Together, we may even be able to build an empire that may very well conquer other worlds as well, maybe even the entire multiverse!" He grinned as he looked at Salem once again. "So, what do you say? It's not that bad a deal, don't you think?"

Salem took the moment to contemplate. Yes, this Sonic was certainly powerful, and if he did wield these so-called Chaos Emeralds, perhaps he could be a potential threat to her. However, if he did come to Remnant and bring those Emeralds with him, Ozpin would likely see him as a potential threat to. There was no way he wouldn't see such a powerful being as otherwise. He's been trying to guide and save this ruined world for so long, the likelihood of him accepting assistance from someone so powerful was incredibly low, he'd probably find a way to take Sonic's power for himself and use him just like all the other countless poor souls he's sacrificed. If she played her cards right, she may be able to pit Ozpin and Sonic against one another; and having her army grow with the addition of Eggman's forces could bring about her goal more quickly than anticipated. There was risk to this alliance, yes. But she would have much more to gain from it if she accepted.

"Very well then, Doctor." She stood up from her throne and offered her hand. "I accept your proposal for an alliance."

"Smart move." Eggman grinned as he shook her hand. With that, their alliance was created. The rest of the Inner Circle had no choice but to accept, though Watts and Tyrian seemed the most reluctant, Hazel was neutral in the choice, Cinder saw the potential to gain more power in this alliance as well and would go along with it.

Salem turned to her Inner Circle. "Get him what he needs, we'll be helping him to build his way back home immediately."

---

It took a couple weeks, but within that time-span, Eggman and his newfound allies were able to construct exactly what they needed to send him back to his home. Outside the Evernight Castle was a large ring-shaped machine built from some Atlas tech they were able to salvage from various spots across Remnant, which Eggman was able to reverse-engineer into building what he needs.

"And how prey-tell is this device able to send you back to your world?" Watts questioned to Eggman. "Given how you said Atlas technology is rather primitive compared to whatever toys you've built. Even I'm doubtful it can breach through space-time."

"Elementary, my dear Watts." Eggman explained. "I've been working with the Chaos Emeralds for so long, I was able to copy the data from their energy wavelength, which I've inputted into this device. The main source of power for the portal will be the core salvaged from my Egg-Mobile, and fully charged from the solar energy above the clouds." As Eggman explained this, Orbot and Cubot lifted the power core and placed it in an opening at the base of the portal device. "But the key component is the Gravity Dust that I have installed. Gravity has the ability to warp time-space. Using that, as well as the data from the Emeralds, I'll be able to remotely connect to the Chaos Emeralds in my world and induce an artificial Chaos Control, one that'll send me on a one-way trip back home. Sonic was able to pull one off using a fake Chaos Emerald one time, there's no reason to say I shouldn't be able to do the same."

Watts looked away with a scowl. 'As much as I hate to admit it, that is rather ingenious. Especially in the fact he's accomplished all this in a time span of two weeks'

"A most impressive display of engineering, Doctor." Salem congratulated as she approached them with Hazel and Tyrian right behind her. "Truly, I'm impressed."

"Of course, you are." Eggman grinned. "Now where is that brat, Cinder? One would think someone as power hungry as her would be here to witness this world's first display warping space-time. That's quite the power in of itself."

"She claims to be on the trail of the current Fall Maiden alongside her team." Salem replied. "She said that she was too close to let this slip by, and I would agree. We shouldn't let an opportunity go to waste."

During the time Eggman worked on the portal, Salem had told him more of the details of her plan to tear down Remnant's current society, such as dividing the people and those in power, the Headmasters of the Huntsmen Academies under Ozpin's direction; as well as the four Maidens and the Relics hidden beneath each school. Since they were working together, it only made sense that Salem would inform of her plan as he had been open about the Chaos Emeralds as well as Sonic as well.

"That's fair I suppose." Eggman accepted.

"The portal is ready, Boss." Orbot reported.

"Time to say bye-bye to scary Kansas." Cubot said.

"Perfect timing." Eggman said as he went to the controls of the portal and began to type in the key commands to power it up. "Once this portal activates, the Gravity Dust inside will be rendered inert soon. So it's only meant for a one-way trip, but one trip will be all that we need. Once I have the Chaos Emeralds and have seized control of the Ark, I'll return with my armada soon."

"How soon can we expect your return?" Salem asked.

"Give me about a month at the most." Eggman replied. "I need to reprogram the Ark's Eclipse Cannon into a transport that can zap my entire armada into a different dimension, which has never been done before. But I will be back soon."

"We shall await with bated breath." Salem nodded.

Once the coordinates were set, Eggman pulled on the lever of the console, causing the device to hum to life. Purple energy began to shine at the edges from within the ring before bolts of energy shot out and converged on a single point in the center, which quickly expanded to create an effective portal.

"Eureka!" Eggman exclaimed. "The portal is ready, and we have a lock on my world!" As he, Orbot, and Cubot prepared to enter, Eggman turned back to his allies and gave formal bow. "I'll be back."

"Yeah, we'll be back." Cubot said as he lowered his voice and put on a pair of sunglasses before entering the portal alongside his fellow robot and master.

A few seconds after they vanished into the portal, the device shut down. As Eggman had predicted, the Gravity Dust crystals had been rendered inert, making the device now completely useless, though it did serve its purpose.

"Hmm, good riddance." Watts muttered.

"No need to be so envious, Doctor Watts. His resources will prove quite useful to our cause." Salem said.

"Your grace, forgive me… but why would you accept someone as audacious as him to be your partner?! You're equal!?" Tyrian questioned. "No one can possibly be your equal!"

"I would also advise caution." Hazel added. "If these Chaos Emeralds are as powerful as he claims them to be, what's to stop him from turning their power against us?"

"He won't, at least not right away." Salem explained. "As ambitious as he is, he knows he stands a far better chance of defeating his adversaries if our forces are united."

"And what of this Sonic-character or his allies?" Watts asked. "If he can use the power of these Emeralds…"

"Let me take care of him." Tyrian said with a chuckle, his scorpion tail waving around in a sadistic fashion. "I'll be more than happy to skin him alive for you, my queen."

"That may not be necessary. Ozpin might do the work for us." Salem said.

"What makes you so sure?" Hazel asked.

"I know Ozpin, I've known him for a long time." Salem began. "Like everyone else, he'll try and use Sonic as a weapon, much like the past Maidens and even those with Silver Eyes. But more importantly, he'll try and take the Chaos Emeralds for himself, which could spark conflict between them. If we handle this correctly, we may be able to pit Sonic and Ozpin against one another… and with Robotnik's forces combined with mine, we can easily entrap them. Perhaps even use the Emeralds for us and completely destroy Ozpin's soul one and for all, no more reincarnations, no more interference, which will only bring us that much closer to our endgame."

Salem then gazed up toward the sky and the shattered moon above her with a sinister glow in her eyes. 'Of course, it may not just be Ozpin. If those Emeralds are truly so powerful… I may be able to finally kill the Brother Gods, perhaps even undo what they've unjustly done to me. This is the beginning of the end, Ozpin. And I can't wait, to watch you and your precious masters burn.'

---

City of Vale – Present Day

All seemed peaceful in the large and culturally diverse city, even as the elderly shop owner of the Dust store 'From Dust Till Dawn' hung up the large sign that showed the re-opening of his store after it was robbed by Roman Torchwick a while back. As he climbed down the ladder however, he accidentally bumped into a certain teenage girl and was knocked down.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry. I'm not really from around here." Emerald Sustrai apologized as she helped the old man to his feet. "Um… would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?" She held out a note with a specific address on it.

The old man nodded and gave her the directions she needed.

After getting the right directions, she waved him off as she walked away, rounding the corner of an alleyway where her partner, Mercury Black, was waiting for her.

"I knew you were lost."

"Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up." Emerald offered the wallet she swiped from the shop owner when he wasn't looking.

"That's not your money." He said.

"But it could be yours, for five minutes of silence." She offered once more.

Mercury looked with a playfully thoughtful expression before responding. "No deal." He said with a grin, causing Emerald to scowl.

"Fine." She muttered as she took the lien from the wallet and walked away with Mercury right behind her.

"Whatever, you want me."

As the duo continued to walk toward their destination, they took note of the large city around them.

"So how much longer?" Mercury asked with a bored expression.

"A few blocks." Emerald answered.

"Ugh! This place is so dull!" He complained.

"Meh, I kinda like it." She spoke. "Tall buildings, diverse culture…"

"And nice dopy people who are easy to pick-pocket."

"That's every city."

Mercury then put on a bad impression of a victim of robbery. "Oooh, Emerald, master thief! Please don't take my money! I barley have enough to get by!" He said with a trolling grin, earning an annoyed growl from Emerald, who continued on her way. Mercury sighed. "You're no fun today."

---

The duo made it to the bookstore, Tukson's Book Trade, and walked inside. There were no other customers there. Good. That made their job that much easier. Mercury hung closer to the door while Emerald walked up to the desk and rang the bell to try and get the owner's attention. However, nobody came.

Exchanging confused looks with Mercury, Emerald rang the bell again, but still no response. Deciding to look in the back to sniff their target out themselves, Mercury locked the shop entrance before joining Emerald and walked past the desk and into the back room. Only to stop in their tracks in surprise at what they saw…

Their target, a Faunus man, and the owner of the shop was being held up by his neck by a certain dark blue robot with black and red eyes, one metallic hand wrapping around the man's throat as it looked like the life was being squeezed out of him.

Metal Sonic paid a small glance toward the surprised duo, as did the Faunus shop owner.

"Help… me…" He muttered before Metal Sonic pulled him closer, grabbed his head with his free hand, and in one swift motion, completely snapped his neck, dropping the dead body like a sack of potatoes.

Though surprised at first, Mercury marched to the robot with a glare. "Hey! This was our job! Don't butt into this!" Mercury pointed his finger at Metal, only to have his hand sliced at by Metal's clawed hand, causing Mercury to yelp in pain before flying out through the backdoor.

"Asshole!" Mercury called out to the silent robot, but he was already gone.

"The Doc doesn't quite peg me as the assassination type." Emerald commented as Mercury waved his sore hand. Though he was protected by his Aura, it still hurt.

"I don't really get that guy. Like at all." Mercury said.

"But you're right, this was our job. What the heck was his pet robot doing here?" Emerald questioned.

"Least it got done." Mercury said with a sigh. "Come on, let's get out of here." He made his way back up front to walk out the front door. Emerald stayed behind a few seconds to glance at the dead body of the Faunus with some remorse before walking away herself.

---

Beacon Academy – Cafeteria

It was lunch time as Sonic, Weiss, Tails, Blake, Knuckles, Amy, and Yang sat at a table and helped themselves to lunch, with Rouge, Pyrrha, Jaune, Nora, and Ren on the table across from them, also having a bite to eat.

But while most of them were eating, Blake seemed to pay more attention to her notebook, where she had taken notes and drawings on some more personal matters, such as the emblem of the White Fang, and the image of a man with his back turned and a sword sheathed on his back, with the emblem of a white rose drawn next to it.

Blake was taken out of her state of deep thought when Yang slid up next to her. "Whatcha doing?" She asked in a friendly manner.

"Is that a friend of yours?" Knuckles asked, regarding the drawing in her notes, but she quickly closed it.

"It's nothing… just private." She said.

"Alright, that's fine." Knuckles accepted, deciding not to press, as did Yang, who merely opened her mouth for Nora to launch a grape into it from her table via her spoon, which she repeated.

"Ah man… This sucks." Sonic groaned slightly as he looked at the food on his tray.

"Why, is Beacon's food not up to your standards?" Weiss asked in an irritated tone.

"No, it's just… this place doesn't have any chilidogs. I mean, come on! What kind of food joint doesn't have chilidogs?!" Sonic complained.

"I wouldn't quite consider chilidogs to be part of a well-balanced diet." Weiss commented.

"Well, you've clearly never had one." Sonic replied. "You've been missing out, Ice Queen."

Suddenly, Ruby arrived and dropped a large binder stuffed with so much paper that it shook the table upon impact. The binder read 'best day ever activities' on it in all red and capital letters.

"Ahem! Sisters and brothers in arms! Friends! And Weiss!"

"Hey!" Weiss complained while Sonic just snickered before Ruby continued.

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream…" She continued.

"This outta be good." Yang commented, completely used to her sister's antics before catching a grape-tomato in her mouth, once again, launched by Nora.

"A dream that one day, all of us would come together, not just as two teams, but as one big unit, and have the most fun anyone has ever had… ever!" Ruby announced dramatically.

"I'm on board." Sonic said.

"You don't even know what it is." Knuckles said to him.

"Doesn't mean it's not gonna be fun." Sonic replied with a grin.

"Wait a minute…" Weiss looked at the large binder and recognized it. "Did you steal my binder?!"

"What? No, this isn't yours." Ruby answered, looking confused. "It's Rouge's, she just let me borrow it."

"Rouge? Since when…" Weiss' eyes widened as she glanced toward the table where the aforementioned bat sat alongside JNPR, who merely gave a knowing smirk, earning a comic scowl from Weiss.

Amy couldn't help but giggle. "Looks like you're an unwitting accomplice, Ruby."

"I am not a crook!" She quickly exclaimed.

"Looks like you've been planning this for a while." Tails noted.

"Yeah, we're gonna kick off this semester with a bang!" Ruby grinned.

"I always kick my semesters off with a yang." The blonde tried to joke, but nobody was impressed, not even Sonic.

"Sorry… but that was just too on the nose." The blue Hedgehog commented, though he did snicker when Nora threw an apple at her, complete with a 'boo!' from her table.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks, and between more exchange students arriving, and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester's gonna be great!" Ruby said. "But classes start back up tomorrow. And yes, I know you guys aren't technically students…" She spoke to Team Sonic in particular. "But, maybe you could take a break from tracking down and fighting a mad scientist and just… ya know… have fun?"

"Beating up Eggman is fun." Sonic grinned. "Seriously, you saw our fireworks at the docs. What's more fun than blowing up stuff?"

"Yeah, that was pretty cool." Yang said before throwing her own apple back at Nora.

"Enjoyment aside, we really should be looking for Eggman." Knuckles said seriously. Blake herself looked with seriousness at the mention of that name. The fact that Eggman was using the White Fang had already made this personal for her and she would want to assist in tracking down Eggman as well.

"Shadow and Omega are already on that and they said they would let us know if we found anything." Amy added. "So, let's just take the day off and have some fun that doesn't involve life-or-death scenarios."

"Yeah, if Ruby made the effort to include us, it would be rude for us not to join." Tails was also on-board.

"Awe, thanks guys." Ruby smiled.

"Well either way, I think we should spend this day together as a group." Weiss said, standing up. "I for one think that…" Suddenly, a pair of cream pies were thrown as one impacted her face, and the other hit Knuckles in the same spot, much to the surprise of their friends and teammates.

All eyes set upon the other table where Rouge and JNPR sat. Jaune and Pyrrha looked in silent shock while Ren just face-palmed. Nora winced guiltily as she pointed towards Rouge, who maintained her own smirk while she gestured towards Nora. Turns out they both threw those pies. Though Nora intended to hit Yang, she hit Weiss by mistake. But Rouge was totally aiming for Knuckles on purpose.

"Oh boy…" Sonic winced as the pies slowly slid off the faces of Knuckles and Weiss, both looking less than pleased.

---

Meanwhile, outside the cafeteria, Sun was with his friend and teammate who just arrived in Vale, Neptune Vasilias. He had slightly tanned skin with blue eyes and bright blue hair. He wore a red jacket over a white dress shirt with a black tie with a pair of grey jeans and black shoes. He also had a pair of yellow goggles on his head.

"Wow, sounds like a blast." Neptune said.

"So, then we were fighting side-by-side against a bunch of evil robots and a giant three-headed robot dog! I mean, that is crazy! Who's heard of a three-headed robot dog before?" Sun continued. "A bunch of them were super-fast and strong, and there was another robot there too! But he was a good robot, not a bad one, and he was like a walking arsenal!"

"Nice." Neptune continued to listen.

"And the craziest part, is that they're aliens! But that's a secret! Okay?!" Sun quickly said.

"Got it." Neptune nodded.

"And not a 'I'm-gonna-tell-Scarlet-the-second-Sun-turns-his-back' secret. I mean a secret-secret!" Sun insisted.

"Whoa, chill out man. I got it, okay?" Neptune replied. "I got it." He said that last part in a whisper for emphasis.

"You better. I just don't wanna screw this up, ya know?" Sun said. "These guys are the coolest. No offense to you guys."

"None taken."

"Okay, they're just in here." Sun said as they came to the door that led into the cafeteria. "I'm really excited for you to meet them, so be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?"

"Dude." Neptune crossed his arms with a cool smile, complete with a sparkle on his teeth.

"Good point." Sun nodded.

---

Sun and Neptune walked into the cafeteria, just as all the other students ran out, screaming and shouting 'food fight!'

Nora gave a mighty laugh as she stood on a large pile of tables with Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren standing at various parts around it with crossed arms ready for battle.

"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" Nora sung.

In the middle, Sonic stood with a grin, ready for battle with Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge forming a circle alongside him, all having serious looks on their faces.

"And so, began the war." Sonic smirked.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Ruby stomped on a table she stood on, holding a carton of milk in her hand. "Justice will swift! Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!" She declared as she crushed the carton in her hand, spilling milk everywhere.

"YEAH!" Yang, Weiss, and Blake all shouted as the food fight had begun.

"Off with their heads!" Nora ordered as she leapt to the ground where a table of watermelons had been set up before flipping it to send them flying. Ren kicked a tray to catapult three watermelons up before kicking again to send all three in the direction of both enemy teams while Jaune and Pyrrha just threw the ones they had.

Sonic and his friends exchanged nods as they split off in separate directions. He and Knuckles ran towards RWBY while Amy sped towards JNPR as Tails and Rouge flew alongside her. Rouge had a cluster of knives and forks in her hands which she threw to intercept many of the watermelons and clear a path, allowing Tails and Amy to close the gap as the former grabbed a pair of trays in his hands while the later grabbed a long piece of bread and engaged the JNPR with Rouge right behind them.

"Yang, Turkey!" Ruby ordered as they saw Sonic and Knuckles closing in on them. Yang flipped and grabbed two turkeys before clapping them onto her hands like a pair of gauntlets to throw a series of punches at Knuckles, which he parried with his own fists. However, this allowed Blake to come in from behind, grabbing two loaves of bread to dual wield and slice at Knuckles, but he easily saw it coming and swung his fist to break the loaf she tried to strike at him. Yang tried to punch him with her turkey gauntlets, but Knuckles leapt backwards towards a table, which he flipped over and punched it to send it flying at the pair, but while Blake rolled out of the way, Yang barreled through it, breaking it and engaged Knuckles in close quarters combat again.

Sonic quickly sped his way towards Ruby and Weiss, the later grabbed a sword fish and slid with a thrust toward him, but Sonic had already grabbed a loaf of bread himself and easily parried Weiss' strike, engaging in a food-sword duel which Sonic had the advantage in with his superior speed. Ruby slid on a tray on a table, grabbing a bottle of ketchup as well as mustard and squeezed them at Sonic as she slid past him and Weiss, but Sonic spun his body around to create a small blue tornado which deflected the incoming condiments, much of them splashing over Weiss before Sonic sped directly at Ruby, who gave a yelp before using her own Semblance to speed away herself, but she wasn't Sonic's target. His real target was a table lined with apples, oranges, peaches, and dozens of other hand-held fruits. He quickly grabbed many of them and threw them at a speed equivalent to a gatling gun, forcing Ruby and Weiss to flee and avoid the incoming onslaught.

Rouge kicked up a table to act as a makeshift shield and avoid Pyrrha's thrust with a loaf of bread, though it ended up shattering the table and forced Rouge on the defensive to evade Pyrrha's masterful swordsmanship. Though Rouge found a good enough counter as she spotted several cartons of juice, milk, and other drinks. She slid underneath Pyrrha's swing and spun her legs to sweep up the cartons and kicked them to splash the beverages all over Pyrrha, forcing her to close her eyes and allowed Rouge a chance to come in, swipe the bread away and use it to trip up Pyrrha and knock her down.

Tails and Amy engaged Jaune, Nora, and Ren with Tails using his trays like shields to block the long carrots Jaune used like daggers while Ren came in with whole pieces of celery. Though outnumbered, Tails flew upward to avoid the strikes and timed Jaune and Ren's advances perfectly, throwing the trays right into their path where they stepped, causing them both to trip and slide before crashing into some tables. Nora leapt up to a nearby pole and threw a cream pie at Tails to knock him down. Nora quickly broke the pole from the wall as she flipped with it, drove it into a watermelon and tried to bring it down on Tails like a makeshift hammer, but Amy came in to grab the weapon by its pole and halt her strike before jamming the blunt end into Nora's gut to force her to let go, allowing Amy to claim the weapon and swiftly strike it at Nora and send her crashing into a soda machine.

Sonic continued to run and hurl fruit and other pieces of small food at Ruby and Weiss as they used their respective Semblances to keep up with him. Weiss grabbed some of the ketchup and mustard that Ruby tossed her way, which she squirted out and fused with a Glyph she conjured to send a cloud of it to encompass Sonic, allowing Ruby a chance to get in close with a long link of sausages and snap them at Sonic, but he was able to grab the link and run fast, dragging Ruby with him before speeding toward Weiss. He circled around briefly before stopping, revealing the pair were tied back-to-back in the sausages.

"Okay, you guys got sausages, but you won't make chilidogs with them?" Sonic questioned.

"Really?" Weiss' eyelids lowered in annoyance.

"What? It's an obvious question." Sonic shrugged.

Yang continued to try and punch Knuckles with her turkey gauntlets before throwing a kick in his direction, which he blocked by crossing his fists, though the impact did knock him back a bit towards a whole pumpkin. She charged again, realing back a punch, which Knuckles saw coming with a smirk. He ducked underneath her thrust, leaving her open for him to quickly grab/punch the pumpkin and slammed it into Yang's exposed front and send her flying and crashing through the ceiling.

Though proud of his accomplishment, he looked towards the orange gourd that his fist was still embedded into. "What kind of school serves a raw pumpkin as food to its students?"

"Pretty sure it's just for decoration." Blake said as she wielded a pair of corncobs like knives and slashed them at Knuckles, which he blocked with his pumpkin as a shield.

Amy and Rouge came back-to-back, the later with her watermelon hammer and the former with tray-shields as the entire team of JNPR encircled them with whatever scraps of food they can get, the pair of anthropomorphic female animals appearing to be on the defensive as JNPR didn't give them an opportunity to counter. Soon, all four struck at the same time, knocking the two back.

"You are beaten!" Nora declared.

"Oh we weren't trying to beat you, sweetie." Rouge smirked with Amy.

"We were just the distraction." The pink Hedgehog said as she and Rouge cleared away to reveal Tails had hotwired a pair of soda-machines with a comically evil grin as he held a sparking power cable in each hand.

"Say hello to my little hotwired friends!" The fox jammed both cables together, unleashing a gatling attack of soda cans at JNPR. Jaune was the first to fall from the onslaught, ending up covered in soda, while Ren and Nora tried to block it, but they too fell. All that remained was Pyrrha, who stood still and merely grinned before spinning her hands, channeling her Polarity Semblance to magnetically grab most of the cans and spin them around her body, much to Tails' shock.

"Did you forget about my Semblance being Polarity?" Pyrrha reminded.

"No… I just didn't think it would be this strong…" Tails gulped nervously.

"You thought wrong." Pyrrha then sent all the cans his way, forcing Tails to fly away as her counterattack shredded the remaining soda machines. Pyrrha then used her Semblance to lift all the others that spilled all around her and sent them in the direction of Amy and Rouge. They tried to avoid and parry it as best as they could, but it was too much for even them and they too were swept up in a burst of sticky liquid. She then did the same, using not only all the cans of soda, but even trays and pieces of silverware to send them towards everyone else.

Quickly and effectively; Blake, Knuckles, Weiss, and Yang were swept up in Pyrrha's attack and sent crashing into the wall, while Ruby evaded the most of it with her speed. However, Sonic stood where he was with a grin of his own.

"Two can play at that game." He spun around in a circle, creating his Blue Tornado to sweep up all of Pyrrha's incoming projectiles. He then ran faster and expanded his attack to encompass Pyrrha, as well as most of the others around him. She was swept up in the intense wind and speed and unable to concentrate on her Semblance, allowing all of the gathered projectiles to strike her. "Speed beats magnets, every time."

"Really? It does?" Ruby asked as she suddenly came in with a surprise attack, nearly causing Sonic to trip up, but he ducked under her spiral from her Petal Burst and resumed his current speed, glancing behind to see Ruby rushing to catch up with him.

"Oh? Little Red thinks she can catch up with the Blue? Let's find out." Sonic kept his grin up as he picked up his speed with Ruby chasing after him. The Blue Tornado quickly expanded to the point that it nearly encompassed the entirety of the inside of the cafeteria. Ruby quickly realized she wouldn't be able to keep up with Sonic, so instead tried to find a way to use that speed of his against him. She spotted multiple trays and broken pieces of table caught up in the wind and practically hovering within the tornado, as well as several other scraps of food.

With a serious look on her face, Ruby leapt from whatever had a good footing, remained there for a second or two to grab whatever food was nearby and throw it at wherever Sonic would be. Her own speed, while not on par with Sonic's, did allow her to at least get an idea of where Sonic would end up. Her petal burst zig-zagged all throughout the Blue Tornado, leaving streaks of red that could be seen from the outside.

Though it was a valiant effort, Sonic saw each of these attacks coming. To him, while they weren't exactly moving in slow motion, it was still slow enough for him to avoid them and even make quick and fun poses while doing so. He then repeated Ruby's tactics and leapt from foothold to foothold in his own tornado. He noticed where Ruby was going to land next, as well as a banana close to him. He swiftly grabbed it, completely peeled it as he leapt to another foothold, ate the contents before throwing the peel, which landed on a tray just as Ruby's foot touched it.

This caused her to slip up and get swept up in the tornado with a scream. Seeing this, Sonic ceased his attack. The Blue Tornado slowly vanished before the blue Hedgehog landed in the middle of the utterly destroyed cafeteria, surrounded by the defeated members of Teams Sonic (Rouge included), RWBY, and JNPR, all covered head-to-toe in colorful splashes of food.

"Last hog standing." Sonic grinned as he held out his hand to catch a can of root bear, which was somehow still intact. He opened it and gave himself a victory toast and a drink. "Victory has never tasted so good."

"I shall be avenged!" Ruby lifted her fist up in declaration, still lying flat on the ground and covered in food.

Sun, who remained by the entrance where he came in, had seen the whole thing and could only smile as he spoke four simple words. "I love these guys." He said to Neptune, who stood next to him, covered in grape soda with an irritated expression.

The doors suddenly burst open as a peeved Glynda stepped inside with a growl. She waved her crop and used her Telekinesis Semblance to begin reconstructing the cafeteria. In a manner of seconds, all the broken tables and chairs were put back together and reorganized. It looked almost as if nothing had happened by the time she was done.

Sonic gave an impressed whistle. "Not bad." He winced however as he saw Glynda's glare.

"Please. Do not play with your food."

"Eh… sorry." Sonic admitted, rubbing the back of his head as everyone else began to pull themselves back up. "Got a little carried away there…"

"Sneak attack!" Ruby suddenly came up to splash a rolled-up pile of various foods into Sonic's face. "I have been avenged!"

"So, you have…" Sonic accepted. "Bonus points for timing too."

It wasn't long however before the rest of Teams Sonic, RWBY, and JNPR erupted into laughter. That may have been the most fun they've all had together, despite being covered head-to-toe in squashed food and would likely need showers later.

Glynda looked even more irritated, however. But Ozpin came up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Let it go."

She let loose a sigh to calm herself down. "Our students are supposed to be the defenders of the world. And they are already supposed to be that for their world." She referred to Sonic and his friends specifically with that comment. "Not the best example they've been setting."

"Our students will grow into fine warriors; I have no doubt of that." Ozpin granted. "But right now, they are only children, so why not let them play the part? And I think Sonic and his companions are already setting a good example. They bare a heavy responsibility not too dissimilar from our own, and yet they also understand the importance of having levity and fun as well, not to mention they are about as young as our students, albeit a few years older or even younger. Just let them enjoy themselves." He turned around and began to walk away. "After all, they won't always have moments like these."

---

Later in the afternoon, as the sun began to set and the sky turned into its orangish-red color, the police had finished their sweep over Tukson's Book Trade, which was cornered off as a crime scene with police tape tied around the entrance as a couple of detectives ruminated over the scene with a cup of coffee.

"Poor guy's neck was snapped. Didn't even look like he put up a fight."

"He was a Faunus, right? That's like what, the sixth guy to get taken out like that?"

"I'm seeing a pattern here. Think it might be connected to the White Fang?"

"What, they're killing off their own? I know those guys are a bit in the extreme but that seems a little fanatical. What if it's humans who are 'fighting back' or something like that?"

"I don't know…" He sighed. "We don't get paid enough for this." However, his attention was caught by a brief flash of light from inside the store. "Hey, did you see that?"

"See what?"

"I think something flashed inside."

"Eh, it's probably just the sunlight reflecting off the glass or something."

However, that was not truly the case. A couple of buildings over, Shadow and Omega had appeared on the rooftop in a flash of light, courtesy of Shadow's Chaos Control with the green Chaos Emerald he still had in his possession. This had allowed them to enter the sealed off bookstore without using any known entrance as well as catching the attention of the local law enforcement, which would only make things more complicated.

"I have scanned the internal structure of the building." Omega reported. "There were no signs of a struggle, no fingerprints from any known perpetrators. The victim was likely killed instantly."

"That's not the only thing worth nothing." Shadow took out what appeared to be some kind of badge that he had found in a desk in the back of the store. It was blue and had the emblem of the White Fang on it, a white picture of a beast's face with a white circle around it.

"The victim was a Faunus of the White Fang." Omega noted.

"Yes, but look at the symbol. It's different from the ones seen on the uniform of those we've faced." Shadow explained. "This one is white, theirs was blood red with the image of claw marks as well. That was the emblem they took after Sienna Khan became their leader and they took up arms. The victim was most likely a part of their original peaceful protest movement but left after they took up arms."

"The White Fang are targeting those who they perceive as deserters." Omega assumed. "Such fanatical movements are not above those who comprise of similar organizations."

"But if the assassin was from the White Fang, there would have been more of a mess in there." Shadow said. "Even if they once acted through peaceful protest, I'd wager they at least have the capability to defend themselves. But this was too quick, too clean for a human, or Faunus, assassin to pull off."

"You suspect it was of Eggman's doing?" Omega said. "The workings of one of his machines?"

"I can think of one in particular who could pull off something quick and clean like that." Shadow instantly thought of Metal Sonic and he did see the robotic doppelgänger pulling that off. "But what's the motivation behind it? Why would the Doctor appease the White Fang's more fanatical agents? Why would he even go to the White Fang in the first place?"

"I agree." Omega nodded. "We know Eggman is not above forming alliances, but the White Fang is too small for him. He doesn't need them."

"And yet he's still employed them, but for what purpose?" Shadow looked at the White Fang badge in his hand one last time before glancing toward the horizon of the setting sun. "What is he planning this time?"

---

Later that night, Mercury and Emerald returned to the warehouse that served as their base. There, they saw White Fang agents and Egg-Pawns load and unload crates of Dust onto various forms of aircraft. They soon approached Torchwick, who looked over a map over the kingdom of Vale.

"Oh look, she sent the kids again." Torchwick teased as he jokingly and mockingly put his arms around the pair. "This is turning out just like the divorce."

Emerald groaned as she and Mercury pushed him away. "Spare us the thought of you procreating."

"That was a joke, and this…just might tell me where you two have been all day." Roman showed the note of the bookstore address that he swiped from Emerald.

"Wha…!?" She checked her pockets to find the note was gone.

"I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention, maybe you'll learn something." He took a good look at the note. "Why do you have this address?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald responded.

"Yeah, I would. Now, where have you been all day?" He questioned more aggressively.

"Well, we would be cleaning up your problems…" Mercury began before turning toward the corner to see a certain robot just standing there. "But he beat us to the punch."

"Is that right." Torchwick followed his gaze towards Metal Sonic, but turned back to the two. "We're not done yet." He turned back and made his way to the dark blue robot. "Hey, mechahog! You wanna explain something to me?"

However, Metal Sonic didn't appear to be paying attention. He was currently reviewing some of the data he recorded of the recent fight against the Egg-Cerberus. Though he already had knowledge of the combat style of Sonic, Shadow, and all their friends, he seemed more interest in that of Team RWBY. He analyzed every bit of detail recorded his memory banks, their fighting styles, the angles at which they attacked, the reaches of their weapons in close and long-ranged combat, the speed of each strike, as well as the use of their various and unique abilities. He would learn everything he could from them, so that when they did meet and fight for the first time, he would prove to all of them why he is the most powerful killing machine ever created. He would be the strongest…

"Ahem!" Torchwick snapped his fingers in Metal Sonic's face, finally getting his attention as the robot turned his glowing red gaze on the criminal. "Are your hearing circuits or whatever malfunctioning? Look, this is my city! You can't just fly off and kill whoever you want! You gotta…!"

Metal then grabbed Torchwick's wrist and swiftly flipped him over to slam him onto the ground. He then stomped his foot onto Torchwick's shoulder, holding his arm up. If he could, he would rip Torchwick's whole arm right from its socket. In fact, he might just do that right now.

Before any other move could be made however… a blade was thrusted toward Metal's face, but he grabbed it with no effort and turned his optics toward another silent individual. She was a young woman with pale skin, she wore a white jacket with a pink interior, collar, and cuffs, and a pair of brown pants with knee-high boots. But what really stuck out were her hair and eyes, her left eye was brown while her right one was pale pink, with her hair being the same dual colors on the same sides. Her weapon appeared a cross between a blade and an umbrella. This young woman was Torchwick's right-hand woman, Neopolitan.

Metal Sonic kept a firm grip on Torchwick's arm and Neopolitan's weapon, glaring at the young woman who silently glared at him. The tension was there, so much so that it even made Emerald and Mercury nervous. Out of the pair of criminals, Metal knew Neopolitan was the strongest. Why she chose to work under Roman was beyond him. She had the potential to replace and surpass him, such wasted potential. But even she was nothing compared to himself. He could kill them both right here and now, no matter what abilities Neopolitan had.

"Now, now, no need for any mutilation yet." All eyes set toward Eggman as he descended from the upper level via an elevator with Cinder right behind him. "Let em go, Metal. We still need them as annoying as they are."

Metal Sonic did as requested and released his grip from Neo's weapon as well as Torchwick's arm, allowing him to stand up and roll his arm by the joint. "Metallic freak…" He then glared at Eggman and Cinder. "You need to keep your robohog on a leash!"

"Oh, he didn't act of his own volition with that assassination, I told him to do it." Eggman revealed.

"What?! I had that under control!" Roman protested.

"A few packed bags and a one-way ticket to Vacuo say otherwise." Mercury countered.

"Mercury and I decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat." Emerald added.

"You were not assigned that task. Your hands are supposed to be clean here in Vale." Cinder said to them sternly. "You think we're not on top of the situation regarding the deserters?"

"N-no… that's not what I meant I just thought…" Emerald stuttered.

"Don't think, obey." Cinder told Emerald specifically. "You could learn a lot from Metal Sonic, specifically when not to talk back." She somehow missed the glare that Metal Sonic sent her way for that particular comment.

Emerald hung her head down. "Yes ma'am. It won't happen again."

"Well, now that all of that is settled, it's time to move forward." Eggman began.

"Forward? Are you kidding me?!" Roman exclaimed. "Look around you! Thanks to your rodent friends who tagged along with you, we barely got half the Dust we need to pull off this job! Less than even!"

"You and your goons did exactly what you needed to do." Eggman told him.

"What exactly am I supposed to do, anyway Doc?" Roman questioned. "You really haven't told me much about the specifics of your 'master plan for world domination'." Neo silently glared alongside Roman as well, not liking the idea of being led on like this either with little instruction.

"Don't you worry, you're doing an exceptional job." Eggman said. "All you need to know, is that a new world order is coming to Remnant. Vale will only be the first Kingdom to fall; Vacuo, Mistral, even Atlas, they'll all fall. And from the ashes, a new empire will rise! And you can be a part of that. If you do well, I may even give you the entire former Kingdom of Vale as your personal territory, maybe even a seat at the table with the other higher-ups." Cinder looked to Eggman questionably at that comment. "But, none of that will happen unless you do what you're told. Your next mission is to get all your stuff packed up, we're heading out." He handed Roman a disk. "Go to these coordinates, take what you think you need, we'll meet you there."

Eggman walked back up the elevator with Cinder and Metal Sonic right behind him. Metal glanced behind to see Neopolitan glaring at the robot, right before she pulled down her lower left eyelid and stuck out her tongue. Metal ignored her as the elevator ascended.

As Roman put away the disk Eggman gave him, he noticed something was missing from his pocket: his lighter. He looked around for it, only to see it was in the hands of Emerald, who stuck her tongue out at him before walking away with it.

He noticed Neo's questionable look towards him as she crossed her arms. "I know, I don't like these guys either. But you've seen what they got. Old Egghead up there's got more weapons than even those suits at Atlas got money. You really wanna pick a fight with that?" He told her.

Neo looked away, understanding the reasoning for it, but that didn't mean she'd have to like it.

"Hey, have I ever steered you wrong before?" He asked, drawing her attention. The look in her eyes said that he has never once let her down. "Exactly. Trust me, this will all work out. And soon, we'll be the king and queen of the new Vale, or whatever they decided to call it. Oh, but if we're running the joint, we get to decide what to call our new kingdom. So come on, put up that sinister smile I love."

She shook her head with a grin before it turned into one of eagerness and anticipation. Saying she was more than ready for whatever came next.

Meanwhile, as Eggman, Metal, and Cinder walked on the upper level, the mad doctor received a call from his lackies.

"Everything at Mount Glenn is ready boss. All the Dust has been secured and we've established a proper base." Orbot reported.

"Excellent." Eggman smirked.

"The Grimm haven't bothered us at all down here!" Cubot chimed in. "I guess it doesn't hurt that we're all a bunch of soulless robots!"

Eggman hung up, allowing Cinder to speak. "You really think Torchwick of all people is deserving a spot among the Inner Circle?"

"Of course not." He responded. "But all I need to do is say that he does, and he follows along hook line and sinker. That's how you get people to follow you, by giving them what they want. The White Fang want to stand a 'fighting chance' in their war with humanity? I'm giving them super weapons that puts those little toys in Atlas to shame. And all those assassinations on the so-called deserters make Taurus happy. Just like how Salem hooked you with the promise to inherit all the Maiden powers. But personally, I'm beginning to doubt your worthiness since you and your team botched your chance with the Fall Maiden."

"Branwen interfered!" Cinder exclaimed as she stomped closer to Eggman, but Metal quickly blocked her path, though it didn't stop her from speaking out. "But that doesn't matter, it's also given us the opportunity standing before us. I'll claim what's mine, Beacon will fall, and we'll retrieve the Relic, all in one fell swoop."

"Speaking of which, a gift from Lionheart." Eggman handed Cinder a large envelop, which Cinder open to reveal forged student IDs and transcripts for herself, Mercury, and Emerald. "There's one even in there for little Neo, her Semblance should make it easy to infiltrate."

"Why would I want Torchwick's lapdog on my team?" She questioned.

"Well, all these kids are grouped up in teams of four. And the rest of Salem's lackies are a little too old for high school. Adam might feel the age-range but has his masked-face is on wanted posters all over, so he's a definite no-no." Eggman revealed. "Plus, while Torchwick is a simple-minded piece of street trash, little Neo's got real potential. It's just a shame she sticks around that idiot. See for yourself and you'll understand what I'm talking about."

"Fine." Cinder accepted as she put the folder away.

"Oh, but before you go to school, let me give you one piece of advice." Eggman looked at her with a serious expression. "Do not underestimate Sonic and his friends. They're not just strong, they're smart too. Shadow is especially perceptive. They might not have seen any of your faces, but one wrong step might be your last."

"I think I can handle some oversized rodents." Cinder dismissed.

"So many others have thought that as well, and all of them fell. Just don't cause any trouble." Eggman waved his finger. "It might have been Salem's choice to make you the vessel for the Maidens, but I can change her mind if you screw this up. Partner benefits and all that, my word is just as absolute as hers, so don't you forget it… Little Miss Half-a-Maiden." He poked her nose before walking away.

Cinder glared in his direction, her eyes glowing slightly. Taking orders from Salem, the most powerful being on Remnant, was one thing. But a Doctor with no power or strength past his machines thinks he can boss her around!? He has no power over her! Why should she…?!

Metal Sonic gave a beeping noise, drawing her attention as his optics locked with her eyes. The two stared at one another, almost as if in silent combat. Cinder was no fool. Eggman's machines were certainly dangerous, especially Metal Sonic. As she was now, she knew she couldn't take him. But with the whole Fall Maiden power, that might be another story. For now, however, she would go along with the plan.

As she turned to walk away, Metal was once again left alone with his thoughts. Just like with Eggman, he knew that Remnant had presented many opportunities for him as well. While he could certainly feel hatred, he felt excitement as well, or at the very least eagerness. Eagerness for the destruction that is to come.

Metal opened his hand to produce a hologram of his organic counterpart. And though he was unable to speak, he knew his own thoughts very well.

'Just you wait, my loathsome copy. Nothing can prepare you for what will come next.' He crushed the hologram in his hand.

Done.

And thus kicks off the Volume 2 arc. As you can see, it was mostly a villain-centered chapter, though we still had that food fight with Team Sonic (and Rouge) participating and that was a lot of fun to write. Of course neither Shadow nor Omega would be in that, why are you surprised?

But more importantly, now you understand why this story takes place directly after Sonic Colors. That black hole that resulted from the explosion of negative Hyper-go-on energy at the end of the game that sucked up Eggman and sent him to an unknown location in space seemed like the perfect opportunity to have him sent to Remnant… where he met Salem and her Inner Circle some time before the canon events of the start of the RWBY series.

You can see how an alliance between the two would benefit them. It would be easier for them to entrap their enemies, with even Salem hoping to pit Sonic and Ozpin against one another, rather than fight one another. Are they going to try and backstab each other however? Oh, most certainly. Salem even admitted it to her followers. The question is, who will pull it off first? But don't expect any betrayals for a while, for now, Eggman and Salem are focused on toppling Beacon.

While Eggman may view the White Fang as unnecessary (as it's part of Salem's plan to divide Remnant's people), he is able to get them on his side with the promise of more advanced weaponry, even appealing to their more fanatical aspects by having Metal Sonic attack deserters. Eggman knows people, and it's important not to underestimate him. He may not be immortal or have any magic powers like Salem, but he is just as dangerous.

Oh, and yes, Lionheart is working for Salem like in the canon. It was never quite explained how Cinder and her group were able to infiltrate Beacon as Haven students, but given their headmaster is in cahoots with the Wicked Witch of Remnant, it would be safe to assume that he arranged it.

What's in store next for our heroes? Find out next time on "A Red Rose in the Blue Wind"!