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)

13. Mountain Glenn

Hi everyone, welcome back! Dang, who would have guessed that I would be updating this story the very same day that "Sonic Frontiers" would be released? I certainly didn't. (No, really. I had no control over it, it was purely a coincidence). Speaking of which, please, for the sake of everyone who hasn't been able to play the game, don't say anything about "Sonic Frontiers" in your reviews. No spoilers. Please. No comments on the game till after New Years, just to be safe.

Please and thank you.

With that being said, let's get started.

Mountain Glenn

"This was your plan." Ironwood stated firmly as he, Ozpin, and Glynda met with Teams Sonic and Dark in the headmaster's office to review what had happened the previous night.

"It was." Sonic confirmed.

"And it failed." Ironwood placed his hand on the desk.

"I wouldn't say it failed…" Sonic tried.

"Did you capture the spy?! No!" Ironwood interrupted. "She not only escaped, but apparently accomplished what she needed to do! And we know nothing about her!"

"She is one point eight meters tall." Omega reported, getting their attention. "She appears to have black hair and amber colored eyes. Her Semblance is heat-based, allowing her limited pyrokinesis as well as the ability to superheat whatever tools she has." Everyone looked to Omega in surprise. "Your statement was incorrect." He said to Ironwood specifically. "We know more about her than you believe."

"Do you know her name? Anything that could be of value? At all?!" Ironwood questioned.

"James, that is enough." Ozpin told him, standing up from his desk. "Yes, the plan didn't quite work the way we hoped. So instead of focusing on what could have been done differently, let's turn our attention to what we can do now. Shall we?"

With reluctance, Ironwood backed down, allowing Shadow to step forward and place the needle-like device on Ozpin's desk, the very one that was recovered from the battle.

"This is a data drive." Shadow revealed. "It was deployed by Metal Sonic during our battle, likely carrying a virus or a similar program which is now likely in CCT's system."

"And you believe this woman that was with the machine to be the same one we encountered along with Torchwick?" Glynda asked Sonic.

"Based on what I heard, yeah. The same one we chased on the motorcycle a bit back ago." The blue Hedgehog answered.

"She is no amateur fighter." Knuckles said. "She's not like Torchwick or most of the White Fang's forces; she's been trained and trained well. Using her Semblance in perfect sync with her weaponry. You don't just do that. That has be practiced. Learned."

"Which means there is somebody else involved in all this." Amy added.

"And you believe this could also be connected with the Schnee Dust Company?" Ozpin asked.

"You had a chance to look at that data we gave you, the irregularities with all that Lost Dust." Rouge pointed out. "There is no way the White Fang alone could pull something like that off. There's definitely somebody else involved here."

"And it's not just Eggman." Tails added. "He is capable of doing it, but it's not his style. He's more likely to just straight-up take over the SDC than do something as subtle as this."

"Is there anyone in particular you can think of?" Shadow asked Ozpin's group. "Someone who could potentially infiltrate the SDC and use the White Fang, both factions that utterly despise one another, and still find a way to use them to their advantage?"

There was only one brief instance where Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood shared eye-contact. It was so brief that nobody else would notice. However, Shadow did, as did Sonic, and all their friends.

"I can't necessarily give a definitive answer." The headmaster of Beacon replied. "Remnant has had many dangerous individuals with grand ambitions, but without anything to go off of, I'm afraid we're at a bit of a loss."

"You got at least have some idea. A guess, maybe?" Sonic asked.

"We can't exactly make a move based off guesses." Ozpin responded. "It is best that we have a solid grasp of what we're dealing with as opposed to charging in blindly."

"Yeah… guess that makes sense." Sonic replied. Still, this did more-or-less confirm a theory Sonic and his friends had about Ozpin. But they can talk more about that later.

"Getting back to point…" Ironwood got their attention. "You believe that there is now a virus in this tower's systems?"

"More than likely." Shadow confirmed.

"I think I might actually be able to do something about that, though." Tails said. "Give me some time, and I can whip up an anti-virus program that can find and isolate any malware Eggman might have uploaded. Not only will it give us an idea of what Eggman's planning, maybe we can use it to track him down."

"How long do you think it will take to make such a program?" Glynda asked.

"Maybe about a week." Tails answered.

"A week?!" Ironwood questioned.

"Remnant's computer systems aren't exactly like what we've got on our world." Tails explained. "I got to take the time to understand the CCT's data a bit more. If I just upload a program based off our world's computer data, it could just scramble everything and make it an even bigger mess. I need the time to develop a program that can work your data. Otherwise, it would be like trying use a different kind of fuel for a car that only runs on Dust."

"That makes sense." Ozpin accepted.

"Even if it does, do we have the time to wait for a program like that to be developed?! Do we even have a week?!" Ironwood stated.

"Calm down, general. You're gonna give yourself an ulcer." Rouge said to him.

"How can you be so cavalier about this?!" He questioned.

"Because we know Eggman!" Amy told him. "We know what kind of person he is and that alone tells us a lot. It even gives an idea of when he's going to make his move!"

"And when do you believe that will be?" Ozpin asked.

"The Vytal Festival." Sonic answered. "It's pretty much the biggest event on the planet, right? Everyone on Remnant, all the Kingdoms, are going to be tunning in. And they tune in through the CCT, right?"

"Yes…?" Glynda tried to follow along.

"Eggman doesn't want to just conquer the world. He wants to be seen doing it." Sonic explained. "Pretty much everyone from all the Huntsmen academies, including the Atlas military, is going to be there. That's when he's gonna move. He wants all of Remnant to see him beat this world's strongest. He wants an audience. Eggman's a diva, and the Vytal Festival is opening night."

"…This does seem to match all the reports you've given us about him." Ozpin seemed to understand. "Perhaps the Vytal Festival is indeed his target."

"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Ironwood questioned. "Do we simply wait for him to make his move?"

"Of course not." Knuckles shook his head. "We're not just playing defense here, we'll be going on the attack as well."

"The anti-virus program is only a counter-measure for any program that Metal Sonic may have installed." Omega added. "We will locate Eggman before he makes his move."

"Do you know where he is?" Glynda asked.

"We might actually have an idea." Rouge explained as Tails pulled out his Miles Electric and showed a map of the Kingdom of Vale and the surrounding area. "We were able to infiltrate a meeting between Eggman and the White Fang and we learned that they have a base in the southeast outside the kingdom. That general direction gives us an idea of where he might be… such as this abandoned city in the mountain rage." She pointed to said spot on the map that Ozpin recognized.

"Mountain Glenn." The headmaster of Beacon had a grim expression at the mere mention of that failure.

"That settles it." Ironwood said. "We're sending as many troops as we can to Mountain Glenn, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."

Shadow scoffed. "I can't decide as to whether or not you are impatient to get rid of the problem, or simply stupid."

"Excuse me?" The general turned to the Ultimate Lifeform questionably.

"We said where he 'might' be." Shadow told him. "We're not saying he is guaranteed to be hiding in Mount Glenn, only that it's likely. And even if Eggman is held up there, you have absolutely no idea what weapons of mass destruction he has at his disposal! Weapons that can easily surpass your military! Sending your troops with no intel would only invite destruction and death! Not to mention the ensuing panic would draw in hordes of your Grimm! What you are suggesting is the equivalent of trying to perform surgery with a sledgehammer!"

Ironwood's fists clenched, not appreciating the tone he was addressed in. He and Shadow narrowed their eyes at one another, neither willing to back down. The tension between the two was so thick, one could cut it with a knife.

"So, we do nothing?!" The general questioned.

"No. We'll go." Sonic quickly came in-between Shadow and Ironwood to prevent any sort of escalation. "Look, Shadow's right. We don't know for sure if Eggman's there, and if he is, we got no clue what kind of weapons he's got. We'll go and search the area. Heck, you might not even need to send your army. If we can take Eggman down before he becomes a problem, then isn't it better to risk as few lives as possible?"

"They have a point, James." Ozpin agreed. "I too would love to end this situation once and for all and as quickly as possible, we can't so bold and risk the spread of panic. I can arrange for one of my Huntsmen to accompany and guide them through Mountain Glenn, but as Eggman is their enemy, we should allow this to be handled by those that know him. Is that alright with you?" Ozpin asked the two hedgehogs.

"Fine with me." Sonic accepted as Shadow only gave a single nod. Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, and Omega also seemed to agree. Sonic then noticed the tense look on Ironwood's face. "Look, James… can I call you James? Listen, I get it. You want to protect your world, you wanna get it down quickly so people don't get dragged into it. But Eggman is more dangerous than anything you've probably faced before, and we can't afford to be reckless with him. I've been reckless, I've let my guard down around him, and it's always come back to bite me in the butt. If it gets too out of hand then I promise I'll call you for back-up, but you have to let us handle it our way."

As much as Ironwood wanted to argue with them, he had to admit that he at least understood the logic in their choices, as well as that of Ozpin. He trusted Ozpin and had served him for years. And he would go for the situation in which they'd risk as few lives as possible. But he also didn't like it when the situation wasn't in his control, and this was on the verge of becoming out of control.

"Can you keep that promise?" He said to Sonic. "Can you promise me that if it becomes too dangerous, you will call me for assistance?"

"I promise." Sonic nodded.

With a sigh, Ironwood nodded. "Then go."

"Rouge. Omega." Shadow called his team.

"Yes, sir." She smirked as they went to the elevator.

"Where are you guys going?" Knuckles asked.

"Mountain Glenn is reported to be infested with multiple Creatures of Grimm." Omega said. "We will clear them out and prepare the way."

Before anyone could question or protest, Team Dark was already in the elevator, which closed and descended.

"They don't even wait for Ozpin's guide." Ironwood said with disapproval.

"Team Dark does things their way, and the more than capable of handling themselves." Sonic briefly said. He then turned to Ozpin. "We'll wait for your guy and head out when he's ready."

"Best of luck." Ozpin nodded as Team Sonic left the office via the elevator as well, leaving the three alone for the time being.

"Do you think they've figured it out?" Ironwood asked Ozpin. "They already suspect another party involved."

"We don't know who for certain it is." The headmaster of Beacon said.

"All signs seem to point that it's her." The general insisted. "You said it was unlikely that she and Eggman would work together, and yet this seems follow her pattern, suggesting that they are working together!"

"Perhaps they are, and I was mistaken." Ozpin granted. "However, we don't know the full picture yet, which is why we have to be careful."

"Professor, do you believe we should tell them about her?" Glynda asked.

"No, not yet." Ozpin shook his head. "As much as I want to, they're all still young, with a few apparent exceptions. I don't want to run the risk for her trying to manipulate them. If we do tell them, it will be at the appropriate time."

"You sound as if you are afraid." Ironwood noted.

"Because I am, James." Ozpin nodded. "If you had actually seen her face-to-face, seen what she can do… with her words alone… you'd be every bit as afraid as I am."

---

"So, they are hiding something?" Weiss questioned as Team Sonic met up with Team RWBY in their dormitory.

"It seems to be that way." Knuckles confirmed.

"Then why not simply ask them about it?" Ruby asked.

"Because they can just deny it, right?" Blake assumed.

"They can, but we didn't ask because we still don't have a clear picture yet." Amy explained.

"Hopefully we'll find Eggman in the southeast and get some answers from him directly." Tails added.

"Sorry I wasn't much help last night…" Ruby apologized, looking down.

"Don't apologize for something that's not your fault." Knuckles told her. "You did the best you could, and we could have captured the spy if hadn't been for Metal Sonic."

"He's right, Rubes." Sonic assured her with a smile, putting a hand on her arm. "Don't dwell too much on the past. Instead, think about what we can do now. Live and learn."

A small smile formed on Ruby's face. "Thanks, Sonic."

"Hey, I know what could help lighten things up." Yang said as she went over to a table to pick up a cylinder-shaped package.

"What's that?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know, yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together." Yang said.

"Ooh! Something from home!" Ruby squealed as she sped over to her sister, wrapped her legs around her waist and tried to reach for the package that Yang playfully kept out of arm's reach.

Yang shook the package, causing something to fall out. Something that was in the shape of a cylinder, which bounced up and down slightly before unfolding to reveal a living creature. Both Teams Sonic and RWBY looked down to see a male, black and white furred, Corgi as it gave a couple of greeting barks at the group.

Ruby, Yang, and Amy squealed in delight while Weiss and Blake gave more startled screams. Sonic and Tails looked curious yet eager while Knuckles simply raised an eyebrow in observatory fashion.

"Doggy!" Amy smiled widely with sparkles in her eyes.

"Zwei!" Ruby picked up her family's pet dog as he immediately licked her face, causing her to laugh.

"He sent a dog?!" Blake exclaimed.

"In the mail?!" Weiss also exclaimed.

"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time." Yang said.

"Your father, or your dog?" Knuckles asked. He then noticed Blake on the top bunk of the nearest bed. "Something wrong?"

"Not the biggest fan of dogs." Blake replied.

"Why, cause you're a cat?" Sonic joked, causing Blake to narrow her eyes at him.

"How did he even fit in there?" Tails asked as well.

"Awe, who's a little cutey pie?" Amy gushed as she scratched Zwei behind the ears as Ruby continued to hold him. Sonic got a good look himself.

"Eh, I don't see the appeal." The blue Hedgehog said before Zwei proceeded to lick him in the face, causing him to laugh. "Okay, okay. I see it now." He laughed.

"So you mean to tell me…" Weiss began as Zwei directed his adorable gaze at her. "That this mangy… drooling… mutt… is gonna wiv wif us foweva?" She immediately gushed herself, taking an instant liking to the little corgi. "Oh isn't he adorable!"

"Yeah, he's really cute." Tails patted Zwei's head as well.

"Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake said, still perched on her top bunk.

"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?" The announcement was made.

"So, what are you gonna do with him?" Knuckles asked, referring to Zwei as Ruby put him down. "You're going to be gone for a few days, right?" Zwei ran up to Knuckles to sniff him for a bit. Knuckles gave a small smile as he just patted the dog on the head. Zwei then spotted Blake and went up to playfully bark at her, while jumping up and down, while Blake took a defensive stance on her bunk and raised her hand in a warning fashion.

"There's a note in here." Yang pulled out a letter from the package and read it aloud. "'Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei for you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both very much, Taiyang." She dumped a more than two dozen cans of food on the floor and on top of Zwei, who poked his head out from the pile.

"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked. Yang shook the package and a can opener popped out as well.

"Okay, it should not be physically possible to fit all that in there." Tails pointed out. "And… your pet dog can use a can opener? How? He doesn't have any thumbs."

Yang gave a whistle to get Zwei's attention. "Zwei, lunch time."

Zwei gave an affirmative bark as he picked up the can opener with his mouth, gripped a food can with both his paws and placed the can opener on the top of the can. Using his tongue and precise clicks with his teeth, Zwei was able to properly use the can opener to reveal all the wet dog food inside, which he immediately proceeded to chow down.

Sonic, Blake, Knuckles, Amy, Weiss, and especially Tails looked with wide and circular eyes over what had just happened.

"Huh… I'll be darned." Sonic commented.

"We've fought aliens and literal gods and yet… something like this… just leaves me completely perplexed." Tails said, honestly having no clue what to say to any of this.

"See, he's all taken care of." Yang said to the group. "Come on everyone, Zwei will be here when we get back."

Most of the group proceeded to leave with Tails and Knuckles right behind Yang, Blake hoping from the top bunk to the table and out the exit while Amy and Weiss went up to Zwei one last time.

"Awe, you're so cute. Be a good boy, won't you?" Amy gushed.

"Oh, I'll miss you so much! We're gonna be best friends! I can't wait to see you again!" Weiss also gushed before they left too.

Sonic was the last to leave, before he turned around and saw that Ruby was still inside, staring at her dog with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You're totally gonna take him with ya, aren't ya?"

"Yep!"

---

After placing Zwei in her backpack and making her way to the amphitheater, Ruby dropped off her bag in the spot where the other students had their bags before meeting up with the rest of her team, as well as Team JNPR. The amphitheater was in quite the uproar as first year students from all four Academies were gathered together; and of course, Team Sonic sat in the seats above the other students as they saw Ozpin and Glynda step onto the stage.

"Quiet, quiet please." Glynda spoke into the microphone to get the attention of the other students. "Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."

Everyone quieted down as they listened to the headmaster of Beacon speak. "Today, we stand together, united. Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale, the four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are all aware, that is something that many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would the generations to come, and it is a trend that has held to this very day."

"They named their kids after color, huh?" Knuckles noted.

"A lot of the friends we made here do seem to be named after different colors." Tails pointed out.

"Ya know, we and a bunch of our friends do the same kind of thing." Sonic said.

"I think it's a lovely idea." Amy smiled as they continued to listen to Ozpin's speech.

"We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity, through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you'll be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days, others may work within the walls for the rest of the week…"

---

"…But no matter which path you chose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."

The speech came to an end as Rouge had it played through her own scroll while she flew just above Shadow and Omega, the former on his hover-skates while the later used his rear-boosters to keep up.

"Guy sure knows how to give a speech." Rouge pointed out as Team Dark made their way up the natural mountain path that would lead them to their destination. "You think he wrote it all down first, or was it off the top of his head?"

Shadow simply groaned in annoyance. Speeches don't amount to much unless you have the action to prove the ideals behind it. But he also had the sneaking suspicion that there was a hidden message behind Ozpin's speech aside from the necessity to uphold this so-called peace. It was clear that Ozpin and his group were hiding something from them, and this peace was nothing more than a façade for what was really going on.

"Hello, Earth to Shadow. You there?" Rouge teased slightly.

"Yes." He responded.

"Still thinking about what he might be hiding?" She asked.

"He likely already knew someone was involved with Eggman beforehand." Shadow responded. "His reasoning for keeping it secret can be logical to avoid causing a panic and attracting the Grimm."

"Yet he chooses to keep it secret from us as well." Omega noted. "Even if he does not tell us the truth, we will find it ourselves. This secret conflict of his will not remain hidden for long."

"Something tells me though he might not like us snooping around." Rouge pointed out. "Not saying we can't take him in a fight, but considering we got our hands full with Eggman and this little mystery of ours, it might be hard to fight two fights at once."

"We'll see what we can learn from this and figure out our next step afterward." Shadow stated as they came to their destination.

A massive wall was all that separated Team Dark from the abandoned city. It wasn't that hard to cross for them however as Shadow ran up the wall while Rouge and Omega flew over it and crossed over on the other side with little issue.

"Mountain Glenn." Rouge observed the destroyed city along with everyone else. The city looked like a mixture between a city in mid-construction, and one that was hit by a massive natural disaster. It was cold and barren, all the buildings were either in ruins or unfinished projects. There was no sign of life anywhere, human or even animal. It was something from a post-apocalyptic setting, something that Team Dark was actually used to.

"Omega, scan for Badnik signatures." Shadow instructed.

"Scanning…. No Eggman energy signature detected in the immediate area." Omega reported. "However, this abandoned city is rather large. Suggesting a thorough sweep of the entire area."

"We can take one half and leave the other half for Sonic and everyone when they show up." Rouge suggested.

"Alert, movement detected in the immediate area, twenty yards northeast of our current position!" Omega alerted.

Their attention was drawn down the ruined streets, toward an old building a dozen Beowolves and a few Ursai crawled out from the darkness inside, their glowing red eyes burning down on the three intruders that had arrived in their territory.

"Guessing they're not the tour guides." Rouge grinned as Omega primed his weapons.

Shadow drew Arondight in one hand while his other surged with Chaos Energy. "Let's get this over with."

---

Back at Beacon's Amphitheater, as the other students began to select their assignments, Ruby saw Sonic's team leave as the blue Hedgehog gave her a wink before she addressed her own team.

"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsmen working in the southeast!" Ruby beamed.

"Yeah, we'll follow em around by day and give em the slip to join our pals at night." Yang grinned.

"Let's check 'search and destroy'." Weiss suggested.

The four went over to the request board that illustrated all the 'search and destroy' missions and looked to see what their options were.

"There we go!" Ruby pointed to one particular option. "Quadrant Five needs Grimm cleared out."

"Well, it's in the southeast." Blake noted.

"Sounds perfect." Yang nodded.

Ruby selected the option and entered in her team's name. But the second she did, they were denied as the words 'mission unavailable to first year students' popped up in red capitalized letters.

"Wonderful." Weiss said sarcastically as the group looked disappointed.

"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.

"We mail ourselves there!" Ruby suggested.

"Well, that is one option." They heard Ozpin's voice as he approached them with a scroll in his hand. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first year students. Fortunately, Sonic and his friends should be more than enough to handle that. Though I'm certain you are all aware of that, given that you've been spending a great deal of time with them. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the four of you, and possibly Team JNPR as well, will make your way there to join them no matter which mission you chose."

Team RWBY looked a bit tense, with Ruby seeming the most nervous. Their talks with Teams Sonic and Dark reminded them of the possibility that Ozpin was hiding something, so this felt like something of an interrogation.

"Whatever makes you say that…?" Ruby asked, trying to seem innocent.

"I suppose it must all be a coincidence then." Ozpin said. "So, how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" He used his scroll and his own authority to override the restrictions on the mission that Team RWBY wanted, granting them the permission and authorization they needed.

"We won't let you down. Thank you, Professor." Ruby smiled.

"Do not thank me for this." Ozpin said seriously. "Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, as have the support of your new friends, but you must understand that the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory, even if your companions don't. Good luck." He said before walking away.

---

The four Huntresses-in-training walked out of the amphitheater and into the courtyard. "That wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang said.

"Well, it's the truth." Blake pointed out.

"Grimm alone are one thing, but if Eggman truly is involved, that makes it even more dangerous." Weiss agreed.

"It's gonna be tough, but I know we can do it." Ruby tried to stay positive as they met up with Team Sonic at one of the docking areas by the Cyclone. "Hey, Sonic."

"You guys in?" Sonic asked.

"Yep." Ruby confirmed.

"Great. The Cyclone's ready to go and we have the coordinates." Tails said. "We're just waiting for the Huntsman to show up."

"No need to wait further!" The group turned around to see that it was none other than Doctor Oobleck who would be their guide, much to the shock and disappointment of Team RWBY. "Now, who's ready to fight for their lives?"

"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss questioned.

"Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls." He began to relay instructions to Team RWBY, speaking in a rather fast tone and walking back and forth in front of both teams. "Seeing as how you opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now a reconnaissance mission, I can assure you that we will not be establishing a single base of operations, rather we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wastelands and making camp at any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I've packed all of our essentials myself, plotted the air-course, and ready the airship."

"Very well prepared." Knuckles granted.

"Thank you." Oobleck replied before speaking to Weiss specifically. "And it's Doctor Oobleck, Miss Schnee. I did not earn my PhD for fun, thank you very much." He then spoke toward Team Sonic. "And you must be Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. As we'll be scouting a potential hideout for your adversary, Doctor Robotnik, also known as Doctor Eggman, I expect that we'll be communicating with each other clearly as you know our potential target, and I know the territory. Communication is essential for cooperation."

"You can count on us, Doctor." Amy smiled.

"Nice to meet ya. So, you wanna get this show on the road?" Sonic asked.

"Yes, yes. No time to waste! In fact, according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind. Schedule!" Oobleck sped off to the airship that would be transporting the majority of them.

"Well alright then… looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck…" Ruby tried. "Okay, yeah. When you say it aloud it sounds worse."

"If Ozpin selected him for this mission in assisting us, then he's likely qualified." Knuckles said.

"Well, you guys wouldn't be saying that if you didn't attend any of his classes." Yang commented.

"Hold on, save the world?!" They turned around to see Team JNPR approaching them, with Nora being the one who spoke to them. "You're going Eggman-hunting without us?! I'm hurt! Sad! Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault though, Ren." She said, glaring at her partner, who simply crossed his arms and looked away.

"Well, you guys are welcome to join us." Sonic offered. "Team Dark's already there by now."

"We'd love to, but we've already got a different mission." Jaune answered.

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow a sheriff of a nearby village." Pyrrha added. "We leave tomorrow."

"Though I suspect we'll all meet up soon. Likely when everything blows up." Ren noted.

"Yeah, probably." Tails said with a wincing smile.

"Four minutes, everyone!" They heard Oobleck call out to them.

"That's our cue." Amy said as she waved to Team JNPR. "See you guys! Good luck!"

---

Tails flew his Cyclone alongside the dropship that carried Ruby, Knuckles, Amy, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Oobleck, with Sonic riding in the back of the plane. Everyone wore a pair of headsets so that they could communicate with one another as they neared their destination.

"I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter." Yang said to Oobleck.

"I admit, I fancy myself as more of an intellectual, but I can assure you that as a Huntsmen, I've had my fair share of tussles." The doctor said.

"Like the mushroom?" Ruby asked.

"Those are truffles." Amy corrected.

"Like the sprout?" Ruby asked again.

"Those are brussels." Blake corrected as well.

"Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabbling's in the archeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular… assignment." Oobleck explained.

"What does history have to do with this?" Weiss questioned.

"History is everything, Weiss." Knuckles told her. "It's not just a subject in school, it is our past itself. Every accomplishment, every failure, every conflict or catastrophe or moment of peace that's happened in past is history. If we don't know or understand our history, we're only going to repeat it. To know the past is to better prepare for the future."

"Yes! Exactly!" Oobleck agreed wholeheartedly. "History is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! And probably the kidneys if I were to wager."

"Thanks for the incredibly weird picture there, Doc." Sonic joked.

"I see where he's going with this." Tails said. "We're heading to an abandoned city after all. I imagine there's a lot of history behind it."

"Very true, young fox." Oobleck replied. "Mountain Glenn, one of the Kingdom of Vale's greatest failures."

"I've heard of it too." Yang said. "It was an expansion of Vale, but it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city."

"Correct. And now it stands abandoned, as a dark reminder." Oobleck confirmed.

"And the perfect place for a madman to hide." Blake pointed out.

"Well, it is the most likely place, but it's not a guarantee." Amy said. "Which is why we're scouting and checking to see for ourselves before we go in guns blazing."

"Precisely for both." Oobleck confirmed.

"Heads up everyone, looks like we're here." Sonic told them as both aircraft approached the desolate city.

After spotting a wide and open area for the group to land, Sonic leapt off the Cyclone and onto the empty street just as the Cyclone and dropship touched down. Tails converted the Cyclone into its walker-mode as Ruby, Weiss, Knuckles, Amy, Yang, Blake, and Oobleck stepped outside. Once they were off, the dropship flew back into the air and made its way back to Beacon.

"Wow, 'ghost town' doesn't even begin to describe this place." Sonic commented as the group got a good look at the surrounding area.

"Listen up everyone!" Oobleck got all their attention. "First off, while you ladies may still be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses has begun. From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say. Second off…" He directed his gaze from Team RWBY to Team Sonic. "…As I've said before, communication is key in an operation like this. So, anything you find, you tell me as soon as you can; and likewise, I will share with you anything I happen to find."

All eight of them nodded in agreement. But Oobleck noticed Ruby was still carrying her backpack.

"Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all your bags back at school."

"But… uh… you hadn't told us to listen to you yet… so I didn't." Ruby excused, earning a chuckle from Sonic.

"She's not wrong." Oobleck muttered to himself before addressing her again. "Very well Ruby, leave your bag here. We can pick it up upon our return."

"But… But I…" Ruby stuttered.

"Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important as to bring it with…"

Oobleck got his answer as Zwei popped his head out of the backpack, revealing his presence to everyone, much to the surprise of everyone else, save Sonic who simply grinned.

"…Get back in the bag…" Ruby whispered to her dog, who barked as Sonic scratched Zwei behind the ears.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle, teaming with death and hostility, and you brought… a dog?" Oobleck questioned. "Genius!" Everyone looked in surprise as Oobleck picked up Zwei in his arms and literally span around in a circle. "Canines are especially known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound! Making them excellent companions for Hunters such as us!"

Zwei barked happily.

"Dogs can be excellent trackers and even hunters themselves if they're trained right." Knuckles pointed out.

"I'm a genius!" Ruby beamed while her teammates simply placed their hands on their faces.

"You knew she brought him here, didn't you?" Amy asked Sonic unsurprised.

"Who knows?" Sonic shrugged aloofly with a knowing smirk, while Amy shook her head with a slight smile of her own.

"So, what's the plan Doctor Oobleck?" Tails asked their Huntsman escort.

"Ah, yes." Oobleck put Zwei down and began to relay instructions. "First off, we need to get into contact with this Team Dark as they've apparently went on ahead to scout the area."

"Seems like they were here rather recently though. Take a look." Knuckles got everyone's attention to the area around them. It seemed no different from the rest of the ruined city around them, except for the fact there were scorch marks, holes in the walls, and even a few small craters along the ground. Knuckles felt along the ground near one of the craters. "There was a fight here recently."

Blake's own heightened hearing happen to catch an odd sound with the wind, something that sounded like waving, almost like a flag. She followed the sound to the top of a nearby pile of rubble, where she spotted a flag sticking out at the top. "There's something over there."

Sonic was the first to move in. The flag was rather makeshift with a metal pole and a torn white cloth flowing in the wind that had a familiar logo; a red circular like emblem with curved spikes coming from the top and a single one at the bottom. It was Team Dark's symbol.

"Yeah, they were here." Sonic said to the group as they approached. Sonic then found a note tied to the pole of the makeshift flag. He took it and read it aloud for everyone. "'Sonic, we left this marker here for when you and everyone else showed up. This area's already been cleared out of Grimm, so we're going to go on ahead and scour the west side of this city; you guys take the east. Shadow thinks its best that we go under radio silence just in case Eggman is here and is listening to any form of communication. If we need to talk, Shadow will find you on your side, likewise you can find us on ours. Good luck and tell those kids to watch their step. This city probably has a whole bunch more Grimm lurking in the shadows. Rouge.'"

"Radio silence?" Ruby asked.

"It means we don't use our comns to talk to everyone." Tails explained.

"Well considering Sonic and Shadow can both run at the speed of sound, communication by messenger shouldn't be that difficult." Weiss followed along.

"Very well. We'll entrust the west half of Mountain Glenn to Team Dark, while we search the east." Oobleck began. "Let us be on our way."

"Maybe it be best if we split up." Knuckles suggested as the group made their way east. "Teams of two or more to cover more ground."

"Yes, but not too far." Oobleck replied. "All pairs must remain within eye-sight of one another as to not get separated."

"Sounds fine with me." Yang accepted.

---

From that point forward, the group spent the next several hours scouring the eastern half of the city. Though the city was huge, even if they were searching only one half of it, it was still quite a bit of ground to cover. Sonic probably could have covered it all in a short time, but given that not only was this abandoned city home to an unknown number of Grimm, but also a potential base for Eggman, even he knew to step carefully. Even when the group had to split up, they would split into groups of two at the minimum and would always be within seeing distance of everyone else.

So far, things seemed to be going smoothly. No major incidents had occurred, and any Grimm they encountered was swiftly dealt with, and nobody sustained any injuries. However, that also meant they have not yet found anything relating to Eggman.

"Another dead end, and no sign of any amusement parks." Sonic said as he pulled Caliburn out from the disintegrating corpse of an Ursa.

"Amusement parks?" Blake asked.

"Eggman's got a thing for amusement parks… it's weird." Tails explained. "Heck, our last tussle with him before we came here was fighting our way through an amusement park in space, made up from a whole bunch of small planets that he dragged across the universe!"

All of Team RWBY looked in surprise as even Oobleck raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"He dragged… whole planets… across his universe… to create an amusement park?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"That kinda sounds like fun." Ruby said.

"Yeah? Well, how about instead of fun rides, we gotta deal with hordes of killer robots and carnival themed booby traps designed to kill you? Like a rollercoasters that are actually rocket missile? Or a merry-go-round that has robot horses that shoot lasers from their eyes?" Amy told them.

"Okay yeah… that sounds less fun." Ruby quickly replied.

"Guy's gotta be off really his rocker." Yang commented.

"You have no idea." Knuckles agreed.

"Yes, this Doctor Eggman does not sound mentally stable." Oobleck said. "That being said, let us find and apprehend him quickly before he brings such mechanical terrors to our world."

"Way ahead of you, Doc." Sonic stated. "Ruby, let's scout the next block."

"You got it." She nodded as they both sped off in that direction, with the rest of the group following them.

"Hey Doc, ya know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a pro Huntsman in action." Yang said to Oobleck. "Like, fighting or at least helping us fight?"

"Ah, but I am in action!" Oobleck replied. "Scouring the ruins of this one great city for any signs of irregularity."

"He did say he was more of an intellect and a historian." Tails recalled, speaking to Yang specifically. "Not every adventure involves fighting."

"Quite correct." Oobleck said. "Sometimes a mission involves investigation and discovering. It's not always about fighting Grimm and criminals. Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it." He said to Yang, Weiss, and Blake. "I do hope you all understand that."

"Well, yeah… Of course." Yang replied, though she sounded a bit unsure, something everyone noticed, especially Oobleck.

The group went to search the next sector; Yang and Knuckles going off at a construction-site area as they cleared out a pack of Grimm relatively easily. Knuckles had brought his right Galantine axe down to split the skull of a Beowulf in one strike as Yang finished off a Boarbatusk by firing and punching Ember Celica into its exposed gut.

"Tell me, Yang…" Oobleck approached the blonde. "Why did you choose this line of work?"

"Huh?" She didn't expect the doctor/Huntsman to ask that question, but she gave her answer. "Well, to fight monsters and save…"

"Nope, that is what you do. I want to know why you do it, the honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress." Oobleck clarified. This also drew Knuckles' attention as well.

"The honest reason…" Yang began. "I'm a thrill seeker. I wanna travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, ya know?"

"I see…" Oobleck responded.

Knuckles had a serious and concerned expression himself as he too had heard Yang's explanation. But while he could tell she was speaking the truth, one look in her eyes said that there was something else to it.

Weiss and Tails were both standing in a street as the former plunged Myrtenaster into the ground, creating a large Glyph to halt three Beowolves and an Ursa in their charge, keeping them stuck to the ground. While they were stuck, Tails quickly gunned them down with his Cyclone's Volkan Canon.

"And you, Miss Schnee." Oobleck was sitting on an empty windowsill above them, writing in his notepad. "A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So, why chose this over a cushy job in Atlas?"

Weiss didn't quite answer right away. "Prof… Doctor Oobleck." She quickly corrected herself before continuing. "Is it alright if I respond to that with a question of my own?"

"Certainly." He allowed.

"What is your honest opinion on the Schnee Dust Company?" Weiss asked. Tails said nothing but listened closely, knowing this was a sensitive subject for Weiss.

"Hmm. Well, its founder, your grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, could be regarded as one of the greatest Huntsman these past few generations." Oobleck began. "He was not only a mighty warrior, but a kind individual. He built the Schnee Dust Company from nothing with only his bare hands. Such an outstanding achievement."

"But what about how it is today?" Weiss asked.

"Well, it certainly has grown significantly these past few years in such a short time." Oobleck continued. "However, in my personal opinion, it has adopted many methods that I do not agree with. Its reputation has become… less than what it once was."

"And that's exactly why I'm here." Weiss replied. "As a Schnee, I have a legacy that I not only need to uphold but redeem. I know what my father is doing, and I intend to set things right. Once I learned I was capable of fighting, there was no question with what I wanted to do with my life."

Tails smiled toward Weiss. That was indeed a noble goal, something Oobleck also respected as he gave a single nod. However, there was also something else, almost as if he noticed something in Weiss' eyes that told a different story.

"Interesting."

Blake sliced a door down, causing a flock of bird-like Grimm to emerge. Blake back-flipped to avoid most of their talons, allowing Amy to come in and swing her Piko-Piko and create a tornado-like effect to pull in the Grimm, allowing Blake to shoot them down with Gambol Shroud.

"And what about you, Blake?" Oobleck asked the girl as he appeared before her and Amy. "You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose."

"There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing." Blake responded. "Prejudice, inequality, corruption, someone has to stop it."

"Very well. How?" Oobleck asked.

Blake didn't quite come up with an answer right away. "Well…" She then remembered her talk with Knuckles early on, when he wanted to hear her side of the story about the White Fang. He expressed a desire to know both sides of the story before acting. "It depends on the situation. There may not be an easy answer, so… I'll try and find what the situation is, and act on it."

"Very in-depth." Oobleck noted before going off.

Amy was impressed with Blake's answer, but she noticed an odd expression on her face. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah just… thinking about old times." She looked away, but Amy was quick to reach out and gently grab her hand and give an encouraging smile, earning a smile from Blake as well.

Meanwhile, Sonic gave a snort as he saw Ruby trying to feed Zwei a whole chicken, via her Crescent Rose.

"Come on, boy! Get the chicken! Get the chicken!" Ruby played as her beloved dog hopped up and down on his hind legs to try and get the chicken.

"That is both cute and hilarious." Sonic snickered. He glanced behind to see Oobleck approaching. "Grimm in this area are dust. Hey, speaking of which, I got a question Doc."

"Yes?"

"Negative emotions like anger and fear draw in the Grimm, right?" Sonic began. "So would positive emotions like happiness repel them or something?"

"Unfortunately, that is not the case." Oobleck shook his head. "Positivity has absolutely no impact on them whatsoever. The second they see a sentient being, even if they are in a state of happiness, they will attack. Negativity only draws them in."

"Kay, got it." Sonic nodded in understanding as Ruby gave Zwei a chicken-leg to feast off, while she put the rest of it away. "So, you wanna take the next block?"

"Nope, I believe that will do for today. It's going to be dark soon." Oobleck said as he tossed his bag to the rest of the group, with Yang being the one to catch the bag. "Everyone, please set up camp in that building, and do make sure there are no Grimm inside. Sonic, Ruby, and I will do one final check with the permitter to see that it is secure. Come along." He led the two, along with Zwei, further down the road, leaving the rest to set up their makeshift camp site.

Oobleck led Sonic, Ruby, and Zwei to the farthest edge of the city, where there was a vast forest and more mountains that stretched as far as the eye can see. But the forests and mountains weren't what got their attention. No, it was the herd of giant elephant-like Grimm that walked through the forest. Even from their distance, they were rather easy to spot, showing how big they are.

Sonic gave a whistle. "Someone's been drinking their milk."

"Those are Grimm, right…?" Ruby recognized this type of Grimm. She remembered when her friends and Sonic's faced off with one in the Emerald Forest, and how Team Sonic was able to take it down.

"Yes. Goliaths. They are regarded as among the largest and strongest Grimm in recorded history." Oobleck confirmed.

Ruby took out Crescent Rose and readied its rifle-configuration. "Let's kill em."

"Not a good idea, Ruby." Sonic said, placing his hand on her weapon to lower it. "Those things look a bit beefier than the one we took down, probably don't wanna piss em off."

"Smart move." Oobleck praised Sonic for his sound instincts. "I'm afraid our weapons would do little good against them. And while you and your team defeating a Goliath is certainly an impressive accomplishment, I would not enrage a whole herd of them."

"But what if they attack us?" Ruby asked with worry.

"Fret not, Ruby. Those Goliaths are not concerned with us." Oobleck began. "Listen you two, not every Grimm is mindless. Or rather, not every Grimm is still mindless."

"Like those Alphas we heard about it?" Sonic asked.

"Exactly." Oobleck confirmed. "While Grimm are born as mindless beasts, the longer they live, the more capable they are of learning from their experiences. Those Goliaths you see before us have undoubtedly lived for hundreds of years, and they too have learned. They've learned that when they attack our boarders, they're likely to die. And what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, adaptability, and resourcefulness. And that killing one human, will only bring more."

Sonic noticed how one Goliath stopped and turned in their direction and gazed upon them with its soul-piercing red eyes. But Sonic simply narrowed his in return as he glared back at the Goliath with a serious expression.

"Then, why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?" Ruby wondered.

"Waiting." Oobleck answered ominously as the one Goliath that was staring at Sonic turned back and resumed its walk with the rest of the herd.

"Hey Doc, how long can a Grimm live for anyway?" Sonic asked. "Can they die off from old age or…?"

"No. The Grimm are not natural creatures like us or animals." Oobleck answered. "They cannot die off from old age as we can. As far as I can tell, a Grimm can only die if it is killed by another being."

"So… a Grimm can possibly live for thousands of years?" Sonic asked.

"If left undisturbed, it is a possibility." Oobleck confirmed. "Is there something on your mind, young Hedgehog?"

"I've been thinking about something…" Sonic began. "The older a Grimm gets, the smarter it gets, right? And those smart Grimm, can become Alphas, leaders. And there's also a whole continent filled with them. There are so many Grimm there that nobody can possibly live there."

"That is all true." Oobleck responded.

"What if… there's an Alpha above the Alphas?" Sonic theorized.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Like, what if there's a Grimm at the very center? Like the oldest or maybe even the original?" Sonic explained. "One that's lived since the beginning. You know how ants and bees have queens? Someone that runs the whole show? What if the Grimm got something like that, too? Like maybe the first Grimm that's lived for so long, that it's actually very smart…. And maybe it's directing all the others."

The idea of something like that made Ruby more than a little nervous while Oobleck took in everything Sonic had said.

"You are not the first to theorize a Central Alpha Grimm. Many people have thought of something like that." Oobleck replied. "But while there is no evidence to deny the existence of such a creature, there is also no evidence to confirm it either. So, I cannot say for certain, but I won't rule out the impossibility. I take it you speak from experience?"

"Eggman's not the only threat my friends and I have thought." Sonic responded. "We've gone up against all kinds of monsters that aren't all that different from the Grimm. And nearly every time, there's always something at the center. Either a bigger monster, or some kind of mastermind."

"Very interesting…" Oobleck noted. "But we'll pursue that opinion another time. We should get back to camp." He turned around, prompting Sonic and Ruby to do the same, though the girl paid one nervous glance back out toward the Goliath herd before catching up with the others, Zwei walking by her side.

"Doctor Oobleck?" Ruby got his attention. "I was wondering…"

"Wondering why I've been interrogating your teammates all day?" Oobleck assumed.

"Actually, I was wondering… why did you want to become a Huntsman?" She asked.

"Look around and tell me what you see." He gestured to the ruined city.

"Lots of old buildings… empty streets…" Ruby couldn't quite understand what Oobleck was trying to help her see, but Sonic could.

"Destruction, death even." The blue Hedgehog spoke in a serious tone of voice. "A whole lot of people probably died here." He too had seen ruined cities, even whole worlds, just like this. One in particular stuck with him: the ruined world of Silver's original future, the one destroyed by the monster, Iblis. While that timeline was erased; he remembered everything that happened, as did Shadow and Silver. That site of the destroyed world was something he would never forget. And while there was no fire here, there were monsters, and that alone was enough to remind him of that horrible future that he was now glad no longer existed.

"Indeed." Oobleck confirmed for Sonic as they continued to walk down the street. "I see lives that could have been saved. As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people. And while I am capable of doing it with traditional weaponry, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. As a teacher, I am able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all, and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my classroom. I look at this wasteland and I see lives that could have been saved. But I also see it as an opportunity, an opportunity to study these ruins and learn from this tragedy, and therefore become stronger. I am a Huntsmen Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world that I would rather be."

Sonic smiled, gaining a great sense of respect for Doctor Oobleck. He and Ruby, along with Zwei, followed him back to camp where the rest of their friends were waiting.

---

Night had already fallen as the rest of the conjoined group of Teams Sonic and RWBY had established a proper basecamp within the old building. A campfire and a sleeping area was made up on the stable second floor while Tails had the Cyclone parked on the floor beneath them.

"I can't believe we didn't find anything." Yang said in disappointment.

"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side." Blake replied.

"Only a fool relies solely on luck." Knuckles stated. "We couldn't find Eggman today and there is still the possibility that he isn't here at all."

"We can search always keep looking tomorrow. And if Team Dark happens to find him first, they'll let us know." Amy said.

"That's not what I meant…." Weiss muttered, getting everyone's attention.

"What? What are you talking about?" Yang asked.

"You're still thinking about what Oobleck asked you?" Tails assumed to Weiss.

"Yes, and I meant what I said but… there's more to it than that."

"Yeah…. No, me too." Yang added, though she sounded a bit unsure herself. "I mean… I don't know."

"I don't know either." Blake said. "I know what I want to do, and I have an idea on how to do it, but I always figured I'd take things one step at a time."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Tails quickly said. "There's nothing wrong with admitting something like that, or even if you're unsure about something. Not everyone goes at the same pace, and that's alright. Life isn't always a race or a straight shot."

The girls took a moment to think about what Tails said before Oobleck arrived with Sonic, Ruby, and Zwei.

"Ah wonderful! A textbook campfire!"

"Fire!" Ruby went up to the flames and placed her hands in front of it to catch the warm light. "So warm…"

"I didn't think it was so chilly." Sonic shrugged.

"You have fur. I don't." Ruby replied in a pouty fashion. "You two are lucky." She said to Sonic as well as Zwei, who barked in response.

"Very good. Eat your dinners and hurry to bed." Oobleck instructed. "We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, and we'll need you to each take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?"

"Yo." Sonic and Ruby both raised their hands simultaneously, much to their surprise.

"We'll both watch." Sonic said to Oobleck.

"Very good. Two heads are better than one, after all." Oobleck said before speeding off.

Sonic was the first to head out, with Ruby right behind him, but her older sister got her attention. "Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean, what did you tell him."

"Hmm, no he didn't." Ruby replied. "Weird. Oh well. Goodnight, guys." She went to join Sonic, leaving the others alone as they set up their sleeping arrangements, while the rest of Team RWBY were contemplating their own individual reasons, and the rest of Team Sonic felt concern for them.

Sonic and Ruby both sat out at an empty windowsill, getting a good view of the dark and empty city before them as Zwei curled up to Ruby's side. She smiled as she petted him, but heard the sounds of Beowolves howling in the distance.

"You think Shadow and the others will be alright?" Ruby asked. "We haven't heard or seen from them all day."

"I wouldn't worry." Sonic assured. "Trust me, those guys can handle themselves."

"Yeah…" Ruby looked away slightly. "Hey, you really think something like that might be out there?"

"Like what?" Sonic asked.

"You know… what you and Doctor Oobleck were talking about." Ruby clarified. "An… Alpha-Alpha Grimm that's in charge of everything."

"There could be." Sonic replied. "I've gone up against enough armies and hordes of monsters before to know there's always something or someone in the middle of it all."

"I… I guess I just never thought of it." Ruby said honestly, surprising Sonic.

"Really? You never asked about the Grimm? Like where they came from? How are they here?"

"They've always been around. We've lived them since before I was born. I guess… it just never occurred to me." Ruby said. "But… now that you mention it… I'm not sure I really know a whole lot about the Grimm, other than how to fight them. Now I really can't help but wonder: where did they come from?"

"We'll figure it out." Sonic told her. "Hey, Ruby can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you want to become a Huntress anyway?" Sonic asked honestly.

"It just… feels right." Ruby answered. "I can't quite explain it, but that's just what I felt I've always wanted. To be like those heroes you read about, saving the world and helping people."

"That's nice, but real life isn't always like a storybook." Sonic said to her.

"I know… but it's not just that." Ruby replied. "My whole family were Huntsmen. My dad, my uncle, my mom… they were all Huntsmen, my Uncle Qrow still is. They've done so much; I always hear story about all the good they've done and the people they've helped. I guess I just wanted to do the same thing… it's so amazing."

Sonic smiled. "Family business, huh? It's cool. So long as that's what you really want."

"It is." Ruby said without hesitation.

"So, your uncle is still a Huntsmen, but what about your parents?" Sonic asked.

"My dad retired, he's now a teacher at Signal." Ruby said before she looked down slightly. "My mom… she… she passed away when I was little."

A look of surprise and sympathy formed on Sonic's face when he heard that. "I'm really sorry."

"…Dad and Uncle Qrow keep telling me how she was the best of their team." Ruby said. "How she always saw the best in people and kept doing the right thing. I wanted to be just like her."

"Well, you seem well on your way." Sonic said. "I may not know your mom, but you're pretty good yourself. You're helping people just because you want to, and you're always trying to see the best in your friends. When we first met, you seemed a bit unsure of yourself as a leader, but I'd say you're doing a pretty good job." He gave his trademark smirk. "You've got a lot of potential Ruby, and I really see you doing some great things."

A heartfelt smile crossed her face. "Thanks Sonic."

"No problem."

"What about you? Why do you… do what you do?" Ruby asked. "I know technically Huntsmen don't exist where you're from so… why do you fight monsters and bad guys?"

"It's what I do." Sonic explained. "Just keep moving, doing good, saving folks, and living as free as the wind. I want to live my life my way and live it to the fullest. But I also want other people to experience that same kind of freedom, where they're free to live the lives they want. So when someone like Eggman tries to show up and take their freedom away, I put a stop to em."

"A freedom fighter…" Ruby said in awe.

"Pretty much." Sonic confirmed.

Ruby looked toward the blue Hedgehog before in amazement. He was always willing to stand up for people so that they can live their lives to the fullest, simply because he wanted to and that it was the right thing to do, nothing more. He carried similar traits to her beloved Uncle Qrow, but he was also just like all those heroes she read about in her books. Just like her mother.

"We're going to find Eggman and stop him." Ruby said with determination matching Sonic's. "And if you're right and there's a Super Alpha Grimm at the center of it all, we'll stop it too."

"Got that right." He grinned as they shared a fist bump.

---

Beacon Academy

General James Ironwood stood outside the academy, standing on one of the landing pads that a dropship would normally land, and stared out toward the well-lit City of Vale as well as all the hovering battleships.

"Trouble sleeping?" He turned around to see Glynda approaching him.

"Arm was acting up." Ironwood said, gesturing to his cybernetic arm, but Glynda wasn't convinced.

"Of course, so logically you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely, and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." She stated, earning a humorous chuckle from him before she spoke to him seriously. "What's wrong?"

"I've trusted him for years, we both have." Ironwood began. "I just… I can't help but feel… like he's keeping us in the dark."

"Don't be ridiculous. You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark." Glynda said.

"That makes it worse, especially in the fact that he's trusting the people that he is keeping in the dark, when we should be at the front lines." Ironwood stated. "This is our world; shouldn't we have the right to defend it?"

"Of course, we have the right." Glynda said. "That's what we're doing, but you of all people know that we can't just handle this with guns alone."

"But it's not just that anymore, it's not just Salem anymore." Ironwood said more firmly. "I know what Ozpin said, but given everything that's happened… what if she and Eggman are working together? If that's the case, then the situation has become far more dangerous than what Ozpin believes. I feel like he's not even taking this seriously."

"He is, James." Glynda told him. "Listen, I understand. You're a good person and you want to do everything you can to protect this world, I've always respected that about you. But we have to remember that Ozpin has experience the rest of us lack, and the same goes for Sonic and the others. They've gone up against Eggman multiple times, they know him, while we don't."

"…Glynda… do you think they should know about all this?" Ironwood asked. "Be honest."

"Honestly? I think we should bring them in." Glynda replied. "But it's not our call to make."

"They don't trust us." Ironwood said, still remembering the words that Shadow had spoken to him, as well as the distrustful look in his eyes. "They know we're hiding something from them, and I feel like they will find out the truth. What's going to happen if they do?"

"We'll find a way to explain it to them. But we can't tell them yet." Glynda said. "Ozpin has been around longer than any one of us, even them. I trust that he knows what he's doing, and perhaps you should show some of that trust too."

---

Mountain Glenn

As Sonic and Ruby continued to keep watch; the group consisting of Yang, Knuckles, Blake, Amy, Tails, and Weiss all slept in a circle around the campfire, while Oobleck slept in the floor above with a giant hole that allowed them to communicate with each other if need be. Though it was quiet, and they all laid in their sleeping bags with their eyes shut, not many of them were truly sleeping.

"Hey Blake, are you awake?" Yang asked.

"Yeah…" She confirmed.

"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress?" Yang asked. "Like… what was he trying to say?"

"Maybe he was just curious." Blake assumed.

"You think?"

"…No."

Yang sighed. "Weiss, are you awake?"

"Of course, I'm awake. You two are talking." She stated annoyingly.

"So are the rest of us." Tails said as he, Amy, and Knuckles all sat up. "We're all kind of inches within each other, so…"

"This has really been on your guys' minds, huh?" Amy assumed.

"Of course." Weiss was the first to begin. "You all know by now how I feel about my family's company, but it wasn't always like the way it is now. My grandfather built the Schnee Dust Company from nothing, he made it into a place that could share with the rest of the world, give people opportunity to work, and he was a master Huntsmen too. He was a real hero… People even respected him like a king, and I was one of them. But he didn't care about any of that. He told me that the joy in his life was from serving others, not from becoming a king."

"That actually makes him sound like a true king, right there." Knuckles said with a smile, already respecting the man named Nicholas Schnee. "A true leader should serve and protect his people."

"But then my father took over after he died." Weiss continued. "From there, he corrupted the entire company, including our family. The whole reason he even had me and my brother and sister were to create heirs to succeed him. I've seen how far he went with my own eyes, and how much he's changed not only our company, but my family name. And he's not even a real Schnee, he married into the family. But… I didn't realize until recently that… his corruption was even worse than he thought…"

"You mean Fifer?" Tails asked.

"Yes…" Weiss looked down, the words he said to her were still fresh in her mind.

"And he's not the only one." Blake added.

"Which is why I'm here, to try and set things right." Weiss stated. "If I took a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. I'm not going to let my father destroy my family name for the sake of his own personal greed. I want to be more like my grandfather, someone who fights for the people and bring honor back to my family."

"That's a noble goal if I've ever seen one." Amy nodded with approval.

"… I think I know what that's like." Now it was Blake's turn. "All my life, I fought for what I felt was right. I wanted to fight for my people and help build a better world for them. The White Fang started out as a pacifist group, founded by my father. He refused to sink into violence, but that just made it easier for people with guns to shoot at us. Over time, more and more people wanted to fight back… and someone finally did. His name was Adam, and he became my partner, more like a mentor actually. When he started fighting back, others quickly followed him, he even gained favor with the higher ups, and that's when the White Fang began to change. My father stepped down, wanting nothing to do with all that, and someone else took his place. Someone that I looked up to, her name is Sienna Khan. She wanted to fight for our people too and I wanted to be a part of that… the last time I saw my parents, we argued. So… I ran away and joined up with the White Fang, because I thought we were starting something. But… it wasn't what I thought it was."

"Because the White Fang ended up becoming just like the people who persecuted them." Knuckles remembered her telling him her story at the coffee shop.

"He didn't want Faunus equality, but Faunus supremacy." Blake continued, her voice becoming more emotional. "He started killing people on his missions. At first he said they were accidents, and then he said it was all necessary. And it wasn't just the people he was fighting, but even innocent people who couldn't defend themselves, all because they were human! He became the very thing I thought we were fighting against! I couldn't stand it so… I left and wanted to become a Huntress. They were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world, always fighting for good. But I never really thought pass that. When I leave the academy… what will I… how can I undo so many years of hate?"

"Blake… I'm going to be blunt with you here." Knuckles told her. "There really is no answer to that."

"What?" She sat up in surprise.

"What I mean, there's no easy answer." Knuckles explained. "You know what my ancestors did and how far they went. And those consequences were felt up until this day, when they angered Chaos and that anger was still felt even in the present when he almost destroyed our world."

"He's right." Amy said. "What's been happening between the humans and Faunus has been happening long before either the SDC or White Fang, so it's not gonna all just go away overnight. It's a long and difficult process… but maybe you should take it one step at a time. You too, Weiss." Amy spoke to the Heiress. "Undoing what your father did to the SDC isn't going to be easy and it won't happen right away, but be patient and… I'm sure you'll start setting things right."

Weiss and Blake both shared eye-contact with one another, thinking what Amy and Knuckles just said, but also about their own circumstances. They both ran away from their respective factions because they wanted to change things for the better; and while there are some clear differences, the two Huntresses-in-training had a lot more in common with each other than what they first thought.

"Well at least you guys have something that drives you." Yang began as she flipped up on her front. "I just kind of always… gone with the flow, ya know? And that's fine, I mean that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for?"

"You can always ask Sonic." Tails offered. "He's actually like that himself. Moving as free as the wind, and you can be like that too."

"And I feel there is something that's driving you." Knuckles spoke up, looking directly at the blonde. "I see it in your eyes, Yang. There's something in there. There's a reason you wanted to be a Huntress."

Yang looked away slightly. "Well… it's not exactly anything big, or even trying to save the world like what Ruby wants. It's… a bit more personal." She took a deep sigh and began to tell her story. "Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island just off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad now teaches at Signal, and our mom would take on missions around the Kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was like… super mom: baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters." She smiled fondly, remembering Summer's loving face. But that smile quickly faded. "Then, one day she left for a mission and never came back. It was hard… for both of us. Ruby was really torn up about it, but I think she was just too young to really get what was going on, ya know? And my dad just kinda… shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why… Summer wasn't the first love he'd lost, she was the second. The first… was my mother." That took all of them by surprise. "Her name was Raven Branwen, but that's all I really know about her."

"You and Ruby are half-sisters?" Amy asked in surprise.

"Yep." Yang confirmed. "Guess it explains why there's not much of a resemblance, huh? Dad wouldn't tell me everything… just that they were on the same team as Summer and my uncle, Qrow. They were called Team STRQ. She left me with him just after I was born… nobody had seen her since."

"Why would she leave you?" Blake asked in honest sympathy as Weiss had an unreadable expression on her face, thinking about her own mother and how neglectful she's been.

"That question… why?" Yang's fists clenched with deep buried anger. "Nobody would tell me… but I was determined to find out! It was all I thought about…" She shuddered as she recalled a certain memory that was really painful for her. "One day… I found something… a picture of the old Team STRQ at an old hangout of theirs on the other side of Patch. I thought… maybe that's where she was… or at least there was a clue or something…! I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon and headed out. I must have walked for hours… I had cuts and bruises… was totally exhausted… but I wasn't going to let anything stop me. When we finally got there… I could barely stand, but I didn't care. I had made it." Her whole body then shook. "Then I saw them… those burning red eyes…! There we were: a toddler asleep in the back of a wagon, and a stupid girl too exhausted to even scream for help! We might as well have been served on a silver platter! But… as luck would have it… our uncle showed up just in time. My stubbornness should have gotten us killed that night…" She nearly broke down in tears.

Weiss, Blake, Tails, and Amy all had their eyes widened in shock. It was hard to imagine a kid going through something like that. Even Blake who grew up outside the Kingdoms for the most part, had at least a stable life in Menagerie.

Knuckles had a sympathetic expression on his face. "I know what that's like… to have your family just vanish." Yang turned towards him. "You all know the history of the Knuckles clan, how they angered the god named Chaos, and were all but wiped out save for a handful, who would guard the Master Emerald for generations to come. I was born into that tribe, trained from a very young age to fight and protect that sacred stone. One day, when I was young, Angel Island came under the attack from an army of marauders. Our tribe would stand their ground and protect the Master Emerald until their last breath so that nobody could ever repeat the mistakes of our ancestors again, and I was ready to fight alongside them. But my father stopped me from joining the fight… He said my moment to honor our tribe would come, but it was not this moment. Those were the last words he spoke to me. I never saw him or the others again."

As if Blake and Weiss weren't surprised enough by that, Amy and Tails looked to their friend in sympathy, already knowing the story themselves. The look in Yang's eyes however couldn't be described with words. So many feelings were in there; shock, surprise, sympathy, empathy, all rolled up in one.

"Did… were you… really alone on that island… your whole life?" Yang stuttered.

"Yes." Knuckles confirmed.

Without saying another word, Yang wrapped her arms around the red Echidna, surprising him before he patted her back. She did it not just because she felt sympathy for him, but because she knows exactly what it's like to feel alone, or to see someone you love leave and never come back.

"I'm sorry…" Yang muttered as she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"I know what you're going through Yang. Trust me, I do." Knuckles said. "Is that why you wanted to become a Huntress?"

"Yes." Yang confirmed. "Even now, my dad and uncle haven't told me anything about my mother. They haven't said so much as a word about her! Do you have any idea how frustrating that is!"

"Maybe there's a reason for that…" Tails assumed.

"Yang… if she's really been gone for so long… then there's a possibility that she might be…" Weiss tried to find the right words.

"Dead?" Yang finished for her. "They at least told me that Summer wasn't coming back! Shouldn't they have said something if she was dead, too?!" She ranted, her eyes turning red and her hair lighting on fire; causing many of them, except Knuckles, to back away slightly before she calmed down. "I'm sorry… just venting. What I said was true… I'm a thrill seeker and I want to get out in the world and have so many adventures. But… I also want to know more about my mother. What kind of person was she? Why did she leave? If my dad and uncle won't tell me about it, I'll find the answers myself. Even if I have to scour all of Remnant just to find her grave."

Knuckles reached out and put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "I understand. After learning the truth about my tribe, I wanted to learn more too. But I didn't do it alone. I had Sonic and the others to help me out."

"Sonic's changed all our lives." Tails began. "When I was little, everyone picked on me for having two tails… they called me weird. But when I met Sonic, I saw that he was weird too. The only person in the world that can run at mach four without breaking a sweat. But he used that to help people and save the world. That made me think being weird wasn't so bad, and I wanted to be like him. So, here I am. Helping people. But I'm not helping them just because I want to be like Sonic, I'm doing it because I want to."

"Same goes for me." Amy added. "I would always follow Sonic around because I had a crush on him. But when I got caught in all his adventures, and saw what he was up against, what he had to deal with… I decided to lend a hand. Maybe at first it was to earn his approval and maybe his love… but the more I fought and the more I protected… the more I realized that being a hero isn't about proving yourself to someone… it's about taking responsibility for other people."

"I was born with incredible strength." Knuckles said as well. "At first, I only thought the purpose of that strength was to guard the Master Emerald. But I when I began to explore more of the world outside of Angel Island and saw how there were people who weren't as strong… people who couldn't defend themselves, I decided to lend my strength and help them. I felt because I had this strength, I was responsible for the protection of those without it."

Yang, Weiss, and Blake listened to every word they said, and with that, their respect for their anthropomorphic friends went up through the roof. They didn't take any jobs or anything, they were heroes because they chose to be. For whatever reasons they had, they chose to be heroes and saved their world multiple times.

"And you all have good goals, too." Tails told them. "Redeeming your family name, trying to make things better for your people or the whole world, or even just trying to learn more about your family. These are all great things to strive for, and we'll support you one hundred percent."

"Thanks, but… it's not our primary responsibilities." Weiss said. "We're Huntresses, or we're training to be. The duty of a Huntress is to protect the people, so whatever we want has to come second."

"No arguing there." Amy granted. "You have a very important job with big responsibilities, but at the end of the day… it's still just a job. You each also have personal responsibilities to yourselves. Something that Sonic has told each of us, is that we're free. We're all free to make our own choices and decide what paths we want in life. If you guys want to be Huntresses for whatever reason you want, then go ahead. But if not, if you want to back away and do something else… you can still do that. The point is, it's your own lives and you are free to live it however you want, responsibilities and all. Whatever makes you happy."

The three girls took the moment to let that all sink in. Weiss remembered what Sonic said to her at the dance, how she was free to live her life and chose her own path and her father couldn't stop her. Hearing those words again only solidified her own resolve. She was truly free. She was free to not only change the SDC from within, but live a new life for herself, and even make some new friends, like all the wonderful ones she's made so far. Blake carried a responsibility herself, but she too was free. Free from Adam's influence and the hate of the old White Fang, and now she was free to make things better for herself and the Faunus. She was free to be a Huntress and be the kind of warrior she always wanted to be. Yang was free as well. She was free to explore the world, to not only get involved in as many adventures as she could, but also free to try and find out more about her family. They were Huntresses and they had responsibilities that they would uphold, but their lives were still free.

"Thanks… all of you." Blake smiled.

"Yeah… I actually feel a lot better now." Yang smiled as well.

"I… I'm truly grateful that I met all of you." Weiss also smiled.

Oobleck had heard everything. He was happy to hear that not only had these young women found what was most important in this line of work, but also to know to not let this job consume them. It was important to find a proper balance between their duties and their personal lives, and with the support of Sonic and his friends, it seems they were well on their way to finding that balance.

---

Meanwhile, on the west side of the ruined city, Team Dark walked down an abandoned street after having dealt with a small pack of Grimm in a matter of seconds.

"How much of this area have we searched?" Rouge asked.

"We have covered approximately forty-nine point eight-six percent of the western half of Mountain Glenn." Omega reported. "Yet no Badnik signals have been detected."

"You'd think we would have found something by now." Rouge said in an annoyed sigh. "Think this whole thing might be a dead end."

Shadow thought about it for a moment. It was odd they found no signs of a base yet, but he couldn't help but get the feeling that there was something he was missing. This city was supposed to be an expansion of Vale, but how would the people travel between this city and the main Kingdom? There were no bridges that connected the area. Perhaps air travel? Or even…

The Ultimate Lifeform's eyes widened as it came to him. "Underground." That got his teammate's attention. "Transportation would be essential between this settlement and the Kingdom's capital. The only likely methods to avoid the Grimm infested forests would be air travel or underground subways."

"This world has trains, so I guess that makes sense." Rouge followed along.

Omega looked to the streets and tried to scan through it. "Error. The ground is too thick, I cannot scan any further."

Shadow spotted a manhole cover further down the road and quickly made his way to it. He threw the lid away as Rouge and Omega joined him. He was the first to leap down, followed by his teammates.

Team Dark fell quite the distance, deeper than any kind of sewer system would be. They would soon land, using their hover skates, wings, and boosters to slow their descent before touching the ground. They got a good look at the whole underground cavern before them, and it was a far cry from the abandoned and quiet ruined city above them.

What may have once been an underground settlement in the past, was now a military-like base filled to the brim with marching Badniks, all of which were being supplied with special weaponry. There were even a few White Fang agents guarding the area on large watchtowers with spotlights shinning all over the area. But what stood out was the massive holographic emblem of the Eggman Empire that was projected high in the cavern from the very center of the base.

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "We found him."

Done.

Now that was an interesting chapter. Not a whole lot of action, but I felt that's what made this chapter great. We got to know more about the personal motivations for Team RWBY and their desires to become Huntresses, as well as how Team Sonic is having an impact on each of them by sharing their own experiences and ideologies.

And yes, I took Knuckles' origin story from the movie. I felt that could have him relate a bit with Yang and what she's going through even now.

One of the things I really liked about writing this chapter was the philosophy of freedom that Sonic embodies. He wants to live his life to the fullest and free as the wind, but he also wants other people to experience that same freedom too, where they can live their lives the way they want to. He's even given former enemies second chances so that they can still experience that freedom as well. (For more emphasis, look at IDW Issue 50). That is what Sonic and everyone are trying to teach Team RWBY: that they are free to live their lives the way they want.

We see both teams becoming closer with Team Sonic acting as their mentors, which I feel is what Team RWBY truly deserved as in canon, nearly every mentor they had (including Qrow and Ozpin) had some kind of ulterior motive. But that's not Team Sonic, or even Team Dark. They're all honest and straight-forward, and I feel that Teams RWBY and JNPR need that so they can not only grow, but help to change their world, to give it the change that it needs.

Speaking of Ozpin, he is still hesitant to tell Sonic and the others about Salem and there is a reason for that: he's afraid. Despite the graver threats that they all have faced in the past, Ozpin has been fighting a losing war against Salem for literally thousands of years, and there's all the trauma that he's endured from dying so many times, as well as seeing some things that nobody should ever have to see. Ozpin feels that the protection of Remnant is his burden to bare; and while Sonic and the others are capable of defeating Salem, and a part of Ozpin does hope so, there's the more pragmatic part (which is elevated by his fear of Salem) that feels it's too good to be true.

Oh, by the way. I should also note that despite the events of Sonic 06 being erased from the main timeline: Sonic, Shadow, and Silver (who will appear later in this story) all remember everything that happened due to being in their Super forms and at the epicenter of Solaris' defeat. Think like something akin to a Flashpoint Paradox if that makes any sense. This way the events of Sonic 06 did happen, and yet it didn't, and only the Hedgehog trinity remembers. This will be brought up and come into play later in this story, I promise.

Next chapter, we're back in the action as Team Dark has found Eggman's hidden base and they will inform Teams Sonic and RWBY as well. Expect robots, Grimm, and lots of explosions in the next chapter. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.

Again, I must insist…

NO SPOILERS FOR "FRONTIERS" IN THE REVIEW SECTION UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE (around the time of New Years)! NO SPOILERS!

Thank you.