Hi everyone, welcome back. I've been looking forward to these next few chapters for quite some time. The action finally kicks back up as Teams Sonic and Dark begin their search for Eggman, with RWBY and JNPR tagging along for the ride. How are things going to go down for our group of heroes? Let's find out.
Oh, and I normally don't do this, but a friend of mine requested that I put the word out for a story he is writing. A crossover between RWBY and Mortal Kombat titled "RWBY: Realm Wars" written by "deathwing17". I'm not exactly a fan of Mortal Kombat, but I do see potential in this idea and am spreading the word now. But again, I don't normally advertise other people's stories (I'd make exceptions to a few friends if I can, but don't always count on it), so please don't ask me in your reviews or PMs to advertise any works you have. I want to focus on my stories. Please and thank you for understanding.
Now, with that being said, let's get this chapter started!
Investigations and Discoveries
All four teams had agreed to meet up in the dorm room that Team Sonic would be occupying during their stay at Beacon once the classes ended for the students. They and Team Dark were already inside, along with most of JNPR, Jaune was about to enter with the rest of his team when he noticed Weiss coming down the hallway.
"Oh, hey Weiss." He leaned against the wall, trying to act cool. "Fancy seeing you here."
"This is where we agreed to meet up after class." She reminded.
"Right… so eh… you doing anything later?" Jaune asked. "Cause I was thinking, once we're done with this thing… maybe we could…"
"No." Weiss interrupted.
"Y-you didn't even know what I was going to say." Jaune stated.
"You were going to ask me to a dinner and/or movie, but I'm not interested." Weiss told him. "We have an important job and Sonic and the others expect our full support, so focus on that."
"Well yeah, of course I will." He quickly said. "I'm just saying that maybe once we're done…"
"Not. Interested." She repeated before walking past him and entering the dorm, causing Jaune to lightly bang his own head against the wall in defeat before entering the room soon after.
"Alright, is everyone here?" Sonic asked as all four teams had gathered together, the students donning their respective Huntsmen attire and armed with their weapons along with Teams Sonic and Dark.
"All present and accounted for." Pyrrha replied.
"Today's the day, everyone! The investigation begins!" Ruby cheered.
"Take this seriously." Shadow said to the girl flatly, unimpressed with Ruby's child-like behavior.
"Hey, we got a plan." Yang stated. "That's… moderately serious." This only caused the Ultimate Lifeform to roll his eyes in annoyance.
"Right, now onto said plan. Tails?" Sonic said to his friend.
The young fox pulled out his Miles Electric and pressed a few buttons to generate a holographic map of the entire city of Vale. "Thanks to Blake's own experience and intel, we've narrowed down two possible places where the White Fang could meet up. One is near the shipping docks, the other in a more… slum-like area of Vale."
"I didn't know Vale had slums." Jaune said.
"Vale's the only kingdom in Remnant that has its own natural defenses against the Grimm, so I imagine a lot of people would rather live here than most other places." Rouge explained. "Unless you're rich, then you can live in the floating city of Atlas… but not a lot of people are rich."
"A tightly compact and overpopulated area of the city would be a logical choice for groups like the White Fang to hold up." Ren pointed out.
"Agreed, so we'll have two groups investigate each area." Knuckles said. "Blake, Rouge, and I will take the area near the docks, JNPR and Omega will go to the slums."
"I should be able to infiltrate one of those meetings with little trouble." Blake added before turning to JNPR and Omega. "But if there happens to be a meeting at your location, how do you plan to enter? A walking war-machine like Omega will certainly stand out."
"Ren's a total ninja." Nora said with a grin. "He can slip in and out, no problem."
"In the meantime, Ruby and I will to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies." Weiss said. "Seeing I'm the company heiress, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Be sure you look into what's been going on with the other Kingdoms, not just with Vale, even Atlas itself." Amy reminded. "This could be bigger than we think, and we don't want to miss anything crucial."
"I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale." Yang said. "Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard."
"Especially since you have Shadow accompanying you." Sonic pointed out with a knowing grin.
"Eggman is willing to recruit the White Fang and the likes of Torchwick, it is possible he may have an informant there. Or even this friend of yours could be involved." Shadow himself added.
"In the meantime, Sonic, Amy and I will scour the city." Tails said. "Sonic can comb through the streets in a matter of hours at the most, while Amy and I get a bird's eye view from the Cyclone."
"Great, we'll all meet back up at Beacon tonight to go over what we found." Ruby smiled.
"However, if any of you run into Eggman, do not engage him." Shadow told the whole group. "Contact the others immediately."
"Right. Let's do this." Sonic grinned.
"Hold it." Rouge raised her hand and stopped everyone from moving out. "We should take care of the eavesdroppers first."
Before anyone could ask what she meant by that, Rouge briefly flew out the window. Less than a second later, she came back, carrying the shocked Sun and Neptune in her hands and throwing them inside, much to everyone's surprise. Immediately, Omega aimed his machine-guns at them.
"Intruders detected! Safeties removed!" Omega looked ready to gun them down at a moment's notice.
"Whoa! Whoa! It's cool! We're cool!" Sun exclaimed as he and Neptune both raised their hands in shock.
"Sun, what are you doing here?" Blake questioned.
"Trying not to get shot!" Sun replied.
"Hold it, Omega!" Sonic stood in front of the armed robot. "They're not intruders!"
"Were they invited on this meeting?" Omega queried.
"Well… no… not really." Sonic answered.
"Have you granted them permission to join us?" Omega queried again.
"Technically no but…" Sonic replied with a wince.
"Then they are intruders by definition." Omega insisted.
"Omega, it's alright." Rouge told her robotic teammate. "Monkey boy was at the docks when we fought Eggman, remember?"
"And the other is a friend of his." Ruby quickly added. "We met him a little bit before. They're students from Haven, they're not bad guys."
Omega paid one glance to Shadow, who gave a reluctant nod, resulting in Omega lowering his weapons and causing Sun and Neptune much relief.
"Sun, what are you doing here?" Blake asked.
"We're here to help you guys. Finally getting back at that Eggman-guy, right?" Sun responded.
"Do you always make it a habit of intruding on other people's business?" Knuckles questioned.
"Geeze, what sort of impression do you have of me?" Sun replied.
"You could have just knocked on the door." Weiss told him irritably.
"Yeah, that way you wouldn't have been held at gunpoint." Amy added.
"Where's the fun in that?" Sun replied with a grin.
"It wasn't fun for me." Neptune said.
"How'd you know I was even out there?" Sun asked Rouge. "I'm usually pretty good at surprising people."
"My ears do more than frame my face, pal." She told him. As a bat, Rouge's hearing was the most acute out of all her friends and allies. "When it comes to spying, you're honestly quite a noob."
"Hey, look I just wanna help." Sun said to everyone. "What's so wrong with that?"
"Your assistance is not required and unnecessary." Shadow told him. "We already have eight children to manage, we do not need any more. You'll get in the way."
"What he means to say is… we have enough people to manage this." Pyrrha said in a more understanding tone. "We thank you for your wanting to assist, but I think we can handle it."
"Yeah, sorry Sun. We don't wanna get any more friends involved if we don't have too." Ruby added. "This can get pretty dangerous."
Sun gave a slight scoff. "That's dumb, you should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune."
"And we're pretty dangerous ourselves." Neptune added.
"Do you want your friends' blood on your hands?" Shadow questioned toward the Monkey Faunus.
"Man, this guy's more dark and gloomy than you." Sun said to Blake before looking toward the rest of the group. "Look, I promise we won't get in the way. We got a big bad guy that needs to be stopped and we can help you, what's wrong with having some back up?"
"Sonic?" Tails looked toward the blue Hedgehog who had yet to say anything on this regard. While Sonic always supported the idea of having his friends help him, he also didn't want to get any more people in danger if he could help it, especially when it came to Eggman. Though he did see Sun fight at the docks, he hadn't seen Neptune in action. But at the same time, he saw a bit of himself, in Sun… particularly when he was a bit younger and more arrogant, but also earnest. So, even if they said no, they'd probably get involved either way.
"Can you guys work with us?" Sonic asked the pair. "As in, can you communicate and follow our lead?"
"I think we can manage." Sun said.
"Alright, you're in." Sonic accepted with a nod.
"Yes!" Sun pumped his fist.
"However, if that is the case, what we told them also applies to you." Shadow stepped up, briefly gesturing to RWBY and JNPR. "If you can't keep up or get in the way, you're out. No arguments."
"Agreed. We do not need dead weight." Omega added.
"Fine." Sun rolled his eyes. "Killjoy."
"Does this change the plan?" Knuckles asked.
"No, just two extra players." Ruby said. "Sun will go with Blake, Knuckles, and Rouge… Neptune will go with Yang and Shadow. Everyone good?" She said as she literally pushed Neptune toward her older sister, who winked at Weiss as he passed by her.
"Actually Ruby, why don't you go with Yang and Shadow?" Weiss suggested. "She is your sister?"
"But Weiss… who would go with you then?" Ruby asked.
"Well, I guess Neptune could come with me." Weiss answered, trying to act coy.
"Eh… maybe I could come with you instead." Jaune stepped up. "I mean, I'm more familiar with Beacon than a transfer student so…"
"We are not altering this plan simply because you all cannot keep your hormones in check!" Shadow asserted, ending any and all arguments, while also causing Weiss, Jaune, Neptune, and Pyrrha (for some reason) to blush in embarrassment; while Nora, Yang, and Rouge struggled to keep themselves from laughing at that remark.
"Welp, that settles that. Let's get going." Sonic said, getting everyone back on track.
After the group split off into their respective teams, Ruby and Weiss went to the tallest building on the entire campus: the Cross Continental Transit tower. Already, Ruby was geeking out at it.
"Wow! I forget how big the Transit tower looks up close!"
"You should see the one in Atlas." Weiss said with a hint of pride.
"That was the first one, right?" Ruby asked.
"Correct." Weiss confirmed. "Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transit system to allow the four Kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War."
"Oooh, look at me. My name is Weiss, I know facts. I'm rich." Ruby teased, putting on an impression of Weiss while snickering, much to the heiress' irritation.
"Don't be a pest! Besides, the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much." Weiss reminded. "We could have just as easily made a call from the library."
"I know, but it's so cool!" Ruby was still geeking out. "Oh, I'm gonna take a picture…!" She tried to pull out her scroll, but it slipped from her hands and fell to the ground…. And happened to bounce at the feet of a certain girl.
"Ooh, you dropped this." Penny said as she picked it up and offered it back to Ruby.
"Penny?" Ruby and Weiss both looked in surprise at seeing her again, while Penny herself looked just as shocked, clearly not expecting to run into Ruby again.
"Uh…"
"Where have you been?" Ruby questioned. "We haven't seen you since the night at the docs!"
"S-Sorry… I think you're confused." Penny gave a slight hiccup, lightly tossing the scroll back to Ruby, who caught it. "Uh… I've got to go!" She quickly turned around and swiftly walked away.
"What was that about?" Weiss questioned to her partner.
"I don't know… but I'm going to find out." Ruby immediately went after Penny. "You go make your call, I'll meet you with you later!"
"Wait…!" Weiss already saw her partner was gone and gave a sigh in annoyance.
Ruby was quick to catch up with her mysterious friend and stepped in front of her. "Penny, where have you been? It's been weeks!"
"There seems to be a misunderstanding." Penny insisted as she tried to walk away again.
"What?" Ruby tried to walk alongside her and keep up. "Penny… is everything okay?" She didn't get an answer. "Penny, please stop!" Ruby quickly grabbed her friend by her wrist gently but firmly. "Look, I don't know what's wrong… but you have to listen to me. That guy we fought at the docks… we think he's up to something big… something bad! I need you to tell me why you just left that night! Please! As a friend!"
Penny gave a small and defeated sigh, briefly looking around before speaking to Ruby in a slight whisper. "It isn't safe to talk here."
Weiss had entered the lobby of the Transmit tower and swiftly made her way to the elevator, where an automatic system greeted her.
"Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?"
"I'd like to go to the communications room, please." Weiss requested.
"Absolutely. Could you place your scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?" She placed her scroll on the terminal as instructed, where it was quickly scanned. "Perfect. Thank you, Miss Schnee."
As the elevator ascended, Weiss began to think a bit about what Sonic and his friends talked about in regard to Eggman and his use of Dust. The stuff he's been using has been more in quantity than one could expect from all those robberies conducted by Torchwick and the White Fang, which would mean that Eggman was getting his supply from somewhere else and all those robberies were a false trail. But where he was getting it from wasn't the only the question; it was how he was able to do it without anyone noticing. Analyzing the info on the SDC shipments should at least give them an idea.
The elevator came to a stop and Weiss entered the communication's room where she saw many students at several different terminals, likely talking to their friends and families abroad. Weiss then walked to the front desk where a holographic A.I. resembling a woman greeted her.
"Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center. How may I help you?"
"I need to make a call to Schnee Company world headquarters in Atlas." Weiss said.
"Absolutely. If you could head over to terminal three, I'll patch you through."
"Thank you."
Weiss went directly toward the assigned terminal and sat down. She took a deep breath, hoping that it would not be her father that greets her. There was no way he'd help with something like this. She was glad to see the screen light up and that it was only a receptionist.
"Thank you for calling the Atlas… Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister, Winter, might be here as well."
"No thank you. I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list." Weiss placed her scroll in the terminal and allowed the information to be transmitted, which the receptionist began to receive.
"I see… if you don't mind, what may I ask is this for?"
Weiss looked around briefly to make sure nobody would overhear her. "Do not tell anybody about this, but I believe there is something dangerous going on. I need those files to see if it's effecting our company."
"Wouldn't it make more sense to get in touch with your father, then?"
"Not unless I know with certainty." Weiss said. "I don't want to trouble anyone if there's nothing going on, which is why I insist you keep this amicable."
"…Very well then. The data is being transferred to your scroll now."
"Thank you for your help." Weiss smiled. "Now please… let's keep it between us. Like I said, I don't want to cause a fuss if this turns out to be false."
"If that's what you want." The receptionist signed off as Weiss took her scroll with all the accessed files. Hopefully with this, they can get to the bottom of whatever it is that Eggman is up to and stop him. But she doubted it would all go so smoothly.
Meanwhile, Sonic had scoured most of the populated area of Vale several times, it was no issue with his normal speed. He moved at a speed that was fast enough so that most people wouldn't notice him and just dismiss his passing as a gust of wind, but also at a pace that allowed him to catch details of anything that could be suspicious. But so far, he had found nothing.
At the same time, Tails' Cyclone flew in a similar search pattern, with Amy in the backseat looking out with a pair of binoculars. The young fox piloting the plane used his hooked up Miles Electric to scan for radio signals that could be between members of the White Fang, Eggman, or anything else related. He searched through every frequency, checking for police reports as well. However, just like their fast friend, there was nothing of note to be found.
Tails flew his Cyclone toward the top of a building as Sonic sped up to run up the side and meet up with his group. "Anything?" He asked.
"Nope. Nothing from the sky." Amy reported.
"Couldn't find anything with radio signals either." Tails added.
"Yeah, I found zilch, too." Sonic said. "Guess Eggman's probably got his base outside of Vale. Should have known it wouldn't be so easy."
"I'm still not used to Eggman of all people being discrete." Amy pointed out. "He hasn't made so much as a peep since that mess at the docks."
"Which means he's probably planning something big, and we don't know what it is." Tails said. "Let's hope the others are having better luck than we are."
Sonic happened to glance toward the side, noticing a small park where a bunch of people had been gathered for what appeared to be a presentation, one that had several Atlas soldiers in the area.
"Hey, what's going on over there?"
Meanwhile, Ruby had met up with Penny at a café in the same general area and the two had proceeded to walk down the street and talk.
"I wish I could help you, Ruby. But I don't know anything about this Doctor Eggman." Penny confessed.
"Well, why did you leave that night?" Ruby asked. "You said you had to go home, but we hadn't seen you since. Did something bad happen?"
"Oh no, nothing like that!" Penny quickly responded. "You know that I am from Atlas… but I've never been to another Kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but… oh, you have to understand, my father loves me very much, he just… worries a lot."
"Heh, believe me, I know the feeling." Ruby was instantly reminded of her overprotective father. She knew he loved her, and she felt the same way… but he was quite protective of her and her sister and it did get annoying at times. Penny smiled, happy at finding some common ground with her friend. "But… why not let us know you were okay?"
"I… was asked… not to talk to you." Penny confessed. "Or Weiss, or Blake, or Yang… anybody really?"
"What about Sonic or the others?" Ruby asked.
"I… was especially told not to interact with them either." Penny said, sounding confused by what she was told. Truth be told, she didn't understand why she was told not to talk to any of them, they all seemed like nice people.
"Was your dad that upset with you?" Ruby continued to ask.
"No… It wasn't my father."
Before Penny could delve further, the pair happened to come across a park where an Atlas military showcase was being held, the very same place where Sonic, Tails, and Amy were at as they continued to watch from the top of the same building.
"The AK-130 has been the standard security model of Remnant for several years." The holographic projection of General Ironwood announced to the gathered audience. Behind him were six robotic figures, the AK-130 models, all standing in front of two metallic transports. "And they have a done a fine job, wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?"
As the audience clapped, the AK-130 robots gave formal bows.
"But the Kingdom of Atlas is a Kingdom of innovation!" Ironwood continued. "And 'fine'? Well, that's just not good enough, is it?" The transports opened to reveal six new robots. They had white outer shells with black face plates and seemed much sleeker and more advanced than the AK-130 models.
"Presenting the Atlesian Knight 200!" Ironwood announced as the AK-200 models knocked down their deactivated predecessors.
"Whoa…" Sonic looked in surprise as Tails and Amy gave their undivided attention.
"Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly… a little less scary." As Ironwood said that, the robots made all sorts of cool poses such as flexing their 'muscles' or pointing to the audience in a friendly fashion. "These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone. Now, the Atlesian military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that require… a human touch."
Ruby found herself drawn in by the demonstration as well, much to Penny's concern as she, for some reason, felt a tad uncomfortable.
"So, our Kingdom's greatest minds in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company are proud to introduce… the Atlesian Paladin!"
The hologram of Ironwood was replaced with an even larger hologram of a large and heavily armed mech suit that easily dwarfed the robots present.
"Now we couldn't have any of them here for you today, but these mechanized battle-suits will be seen defending the boarders of our kingdom within the year!"
"So, they got robots and their own mech suits? Nice." Sonic grinned.
"The design looks very impressive for both." Tails looked quite impressed. "I'd love to get a closer look at each of them!"
"Maybe if you ask old James nicely, he might just say yes." Sonic said to his friend. "We do got Atlas equipment coming in for your little Plasma Dust project."
"It all does look pretty cool but…" Amy seemed a bit unsure. "Doesn't it feel a little familiar to you guys?"
"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.
"The Atlas military feels a lot like G.U.N. back in our world." Amy replied. "Primarily how they're both the only big military force that oversee the whole planet."
"Technically speaking G.U.N. has a lot more free-reign in our world, while the Atlas military only has that in their Kingdom and are on a bit of a leash with the others." Tails said. "But I do see your point, they are kinda similar."
"Yeah, in fact that Paladin does look a bit like those walker-things G.U.N. has too." Sonic added.
"In fact, Ironwood himself kinda seems similar to Commander Tower." Amy said. "And I'm sure Shadow's noticed it too."
"Tower may have been a bit… hardheaded in the past, but he's come around a long way since the Black Arms invasion." Sonic pointed out. "And even if Ironwood is pretty strict, he does seem like a good guy too."
"I didn't say he was bad… just that he might be a bit… difficult to cooperate with." Amy said.
"Well, guess we'll just have to stay on his good side." Sonic commented.
"Yeah I…" Tails glanced off slightly and spotted something that caught his attention. "Hey Ruby's here and… wait, is that Penny?"
"Huh?" Sonic and Amy both looked in the direction Tails pointed out and saw that it was indeed Ruby and Penny on the streets, observing the show themselves. Right as they said that, two of the Atlesian soldiers in the demonstration had noticed the girls' presence too. Penny then made a run for it, with Ruby right behind her, causing the soldiers to run after them.
"What's going on?" Amy questioned.
"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out." Sonic ran across the rooftops to try and catch up, Amy ran after him as well. Tails quickly pulled out a control-device for the Cyclone and pressed the button to engage the cloaking so nobody would spot it. They would come back for it later. He then flew after Sonic and Amy.
Penny had run through an alleyway with Ruby trying to catch up, and the soldiers not far behind as they saw the two crossing a street; all the while Sonic, Amy, and Tails followed from the rooftops. But as the two soldiers tried to cross, one almost got hit by a car, though the driver was able to slam on the breaks in time, it did force both to stop and slowed them down for a brief moment before running after the girls again.
As Ruby continued to follow Penny, she noticed a wooden platform with several boxes on top of it. Acting quickly, she drew Crescent Rose and sliced at the legs, causing the whole thing to tumble over and block the soldiers' way.
Ruby saw that Penny was getting further and further away, and used her Semblance to pick up her speed, running along the walls before grabbing onto Penny.
"This way!" She shot straight down one path with Petal Burst, moving as fast as she could. Sonic, Tails, and Amy were still able to keep up easily enough on the rooftops above them. However, Ruby was beginning to loose control, going too fast with her Semblance and not being used to carrying someone while it was active, this caused her to trip up and accidentally drop Penny before bouncing out onto the open street… where a large truck was about to hit her!
"Ruby!" Sonic was about to speed down and pull her out of the way…
Only for Penny to beat him to it as she pushed Ruby out of the way, and stopped the truck with her bare hands! The truck lifted up slightly and pushed Penny down, breaking the street underneath her from all the force and momentum, but Penny seemed completely uninjured.
Nobody had expected that. Sonic, Tails, and Amy both looked nothing short of shocked at what just happened… especially Ruby.
"Penny…?"
"Are you okay?" She urgently asked the driver inside, who gave a brief but shocked nod.
Penny backed away slightly, looking around to see that the whole event drew a crowd, all the people looking shocked and concerned. This was the very opposite of what she had been told to do. Feeling confused and frightened… Penny ran away, pushing past Ruby as she ran into the alleyway they came from.
She didn't get a chance to get very far as Sonic quickly appeared in front of her. "Hey, Penny are you okay?" He asked with concern.
"I… Uh…" She was about to run off in another direction, only for Tails to fly in while carrying Amy and land in front of her.
"Penny… it's okay, we're not trying to hurt you." Tails tried to assure her.
This was going against what she was told. She knew she already violated her orders when she spoke with Ruby, but now she was being talked too by three of the very individuals she was given explicit instructions not to interact with, which made her even more confused and nervous.
"Penny… Please! What is going on?!" Ruby questioned as she appeared as well. "Why are you running?! Why did you do that?!"
"Was that your Semblance? Some kind of super strength?" Amy asked.
"I… no… I don't have a Semblance…" Penny revealed, but quickly covered her own mouth in shock.
"What?! You don't have a Semblance?!" Ruby exclaimed.
"But… you stopped a speeding truck with your bare hands! And you don't even seem hurt!" Tails stated. "How… why…?"
"I… I…" Penny was looking more and more stressed by the second. She looked like she was about to have an emotional breakdown, when Sonic appeared in-between her and the rest of their friends.
"Okay… Okay…Let's calm down." The blue Hedgehog tried to defuse any sort of tension as he spoke calmly and patiently before turning to the strange girl. "Look Penny… we're not trying to scare you or anything. We're… just concerned. I don't know what's going on… but if you're upset about something… then we can help you. We want to help you, but we can't do that if we don't know what's going on."
"No… N-no... no…" Penny looked away, feeling scared and ashamed. "You wouldn't understand?"
"Try us." Sonic said. "We've seen some pretty crazy things in the past… I'm sure that whatever's going on with you, we can handle it." He slowly but confidently walked up toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I promise you can trust us. We're friends after all."
"You're my friend… you're all my friends… you all promise that you're my friends…?" Penny looked toward all four of them.
"Promise." Sonic assured.
"Absolutely." Tails nodded.
"Totally." Amy smiled in assuring fashion.
"We're your friends, Penny. We promise." Ruby also promised.
Seeing the smiles and looks of understand in each of their eyes, Penny decided to trust them.
"I… I'm not a real girl." She showed them her hands, the ones she used to stop the truck, showing that pieces of the skin were torn off… and revealing metallic parts underneath.
Ruby looked in honest shock; and while Sonic, Tails, and Amy were surprised, it didn't seem as big as one would expect.
"You're… an android?" Tails asked.
"Yes…" Penny confirmed. "I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura."
"You have Aura?" Tails looked in surprise before a smile formed on his face. "That's amazing!"
Penny did not expect to hear that. "Really?"
Tails took her hands and got a good look at her. "Your skin is synthetic but it feels so real… all around a metal endoskeleton… and it doesn't even seem the least bit damaged. On first glance, it looks far more advanced than what we saw with those other Atlas robots. What powers you?"
"I… I have my own system of cores that run on a flowing system of Dust, very similar to how blood flows through the veins and organs of people." Penny explained.
"So your design was modeled after a human's bio-system? Incredible!" Tails beamed. "I'd love to know more."
"Wait…" She heard Sonic chucklingly slightly. "That's what you're so nervous about? You're a robot and what… you thought we'd freak out or something?"
"I…"
"So, you're made out of metal, what's that gotta do with anything?" Sonic asked with a shrug.
"They're right, Penny." Ruby walked up and gently took her hands. "You said you have Aura, right? So, you have a soul. Just because you're made out of nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts doesn't make you any less real than us?"
"And it's not just your Aura. I can see it in your eyes." Amy smiled as well. "I see the eyes of an innocent girl who just wants friends, and you got em. You got all of us."
"I don't… you're all taking this… extraordinarily well…" Penny noted.
Sonic gave a playful scoff. "Like I said, we've seen some pretty crazy stuff. A robot girl isn't all that surprising in comparison, really."
"And we're not xenophobic with robots either. You met, Omega, right?" Tails reminded. "We consider him a friend."
"I also knew another robot like that… just like you, he had a soul and a heart all his own…" Amy smiled reminiscently, a slightly sad look formed in her eyes as she remembered E-102 Gamma and how he made the ultimate sacrifice.
"You're not like those robots we saw back there, or all the ones that Eggman made." Ruby assured. "You're a person to us."
"All the people that we've met, all of our friends, they're all different in their own way, but our differences also make us special." Sonic said with a genuine smile. "And you are our friend, Penny."
Penny would honestly cry if she had tear ducts, but she pulled all four of them into a hug that was strong enough to squeeze the air out of all of them. "Oh! Ruby! Sonic! Tails! Amy! You're all the best friends anyone can have!"
"Wow… good grip there…" Sonic winced.
"I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower…!" Ruby also winced as Penny let them all go.
"Oh, he is very sweet! I'm sure you would all just love him!" Penny beamed.
"Was he the one who made you? I'd love to meet him sometime." Tails said.
"You may get your chance. Mr. Ironwood is bringing him over with some special materials from Atlas." Penny revealed.
"The General?" Ruby asked in surprise. "Was he the one who told you not to talk to us? Is that why those soldiers were after you?"
"They like to protect me too!" Penny beamed.
"Got a funny way of showing it." Sonic said. "We saw that you can handle yourself pretty well, combat ready and all that."
"Mr. Ironwood isn't quite sure I'm ready yet." Penny said. "But… I would certainly like to help you in any way that I can. Maybe if we all speak to Mr. Ironwood, I can help you in fighting that dangerous Doctor Eggman."
Tails looked in serious thought for a moment there. "Hmm, I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Why not?" Ruby asked.
"Think about it, this is Eggman we're talking about." Tails explained. "If he learned what Penny was, what she can do… an android capable of generating her own Aura? What's to stop him from kidnapping her and trying to replicate her design and abilities for his Badnik army…"
"Without any regard for Penny's own well-being." Amy understood, as did Sonic. They knew that if Eggman had the chance, he'd probably tear Penny apart to understand her secrets. "Yeah… you're probably right."
"I'm sorry Penny, we appreciate the help… but I think it's best you stay away from Eggman." Tails said.
"Oh… well, I thank you for looking out for me and wanting to protect me." Penny still smiled.
"You really think Eggman would tear her apart?" Ruby asked Sonic with genuine concern for her friend's well-being.
"Oh yeah. No hesitation." Sonic confirmed seriously. "He can be really ruthless when he wants to be."
"Well, I was told that it would be my job to one day save the world." Penny informed. "I still have a lot left to learn."
"Hold on a sec… save the world?" Amy asked. "But not from Eggman? Are you being prepared to fight the Grimm or something?"
"Well… Mr. Ironwood did say the Grimm would be involved but…" Penny answered.
"They're not what he was talking about." Sonic figured out, sharing a knowing glance with Tails. "Penny, did Ironwood say who or what you'd be saving the world from? Like, did he give a name or anything?"
"No… just that there is a threat to the world and… it'll be my job to one day confront it." Penny said.
Before the conversation could continue any further, they heard the voices of incoming soldiers.
"Check down here!"
"You have to go!" Penny quickly told them, not wanting them to get into any trouble.
"Got it. See ya later." Sonic understood as he picked up Ruby and ran up the side of one building while Tails picked up Amy and flew up after him. All four landed on a rooftop and hid behind the parapet, out of sight from the arriving soldiers.
They heard Penny talking with the soldiers and making up an excuse that she was all alone, which the soldiers seemed to buy as they escorted her away.
"Well, that was something." Sonic commented.
"That's putting it mildly." Amy added.
Ruby looked away slightly. "Before… you said that there might be somebody else involved with Eggman. Do you think it's who Penny was talking about? This thing she's supposed to save the world from?"
"Maybe… but we don't have any proof to confirm or deny it." Tails said. "But this does confirm that something else is going on here."
"And Ironwood's in the middle of it… but… is he the only one?" Sonic remembered Ozpin saying that he considered the general a friend of his, it made him wonder if Ozpin was also involved in all of this. And if he is, why keep it a secret? Why not tell them?
"Sonic?" Amy asked as she and Ruby both looked toward him, wondering what he was thinking.
"Let's get back to what we're doing." He said. "If we find something, it might shed some light on what's going on. You three get back to the Cyclone and pick up Weiss from Beacon. I'll do one more sweep around the city to make sure."
"Got it." Ruby nodded as they split off.
It was getting dark outside as Shadow followed Yang on her motorcycle, Bumblebee, toward their intended destination with Neptune hanging on to the blonde. They came to a stop quickly enough.
"Is this it?" Shadow asked.
"Yep, Junior here owns the club and pretty much knows everything going on in the dark side of Vale." Yang answered.
"Every city has an underworld." Shadow commented.
"Well, aren't you just all sunshine and rainbows." Yang told the black hedgehog, who ignored her.
"So... um, how do you know this guy?" Neptune asked Yang.
"I needed some help in… looking for a certain someone." She looked away slightly before getting back on track. "Don't worry, he won't bite. Just follow my…" She turned to try and speak to Shadow, only to find that he was already gone.
The Ultimate Lifeform heard the booming music even as he walked through the halls that would lead the club. When he got to the door, he found it blocked by several mob-dressed men in suits with red sunglasses.
"No visitors allowed tonight."
"Step aside." Shadow told them. "I won't tell you again."
"Oh? And what are you gonna do if we don't, Faunus boy?" One of the guys mockingly tried to poke his nose, only for Shadow to grab his wrist and twist it the wrong way, causing him to yelp in pain before he was thrown at the door, forcing it open as Shadow casually walked into the club.
The bright lights and loud rave music were of little interest to Shadow as he walked through the club, all the armed and suited men looked at him suspiciously with glares, as well as two teenage girls dressed in flamboyant red and white dresses as they looked ready to strike him at a moment's notice. Shadow's eyes then set on a man at the bar, who appeared to be the one in charge.
"Junior Xiong. I'd like a word."
Suddenly, all the goons in the club surrounded him and aimed all their guns at him. There were more than a dozen and seemed ready to gun him down at a moment's notice.
The man at the bar, now identified as Junior, gave a laugh as the two girls walked closer to the bar with crossed arms. "You gotta learn some manners, pal. But I think I can let you off easy if you just apologize, so what do you say?"
In direct response, Shadow swiftly moved and delivered rapid punches and kicks with his speed toward all the armed goons surrounding him, sending them flying and crashing all over the club, in a matter of seconds, much to Junior's shock.
"Melanie, I think this one needs more than a lesson in manners." The girl in red said to her twin sister.
"He needs to be taught discipline, Miltia." The girl in white agreed as they drew their respective weapons.
Both girls leapt towards Shadow, Melanie having bladed heels, while Miltia wielded a pair of claws on her hands. But as they came in, Shadow vanished in a flash, causing their weapons to clash with each other, much to the twins' shock. This left them open for Shadow to appear above them, grab them by the back of their heads and slam them into the ground before throwing them at the DJ, dressed in a neon-black-and-red bear costume, crashing through the equipment and halting the music.
Junior had reached into a compartment in his bar and pulled out a rocket-launcher, but Shadow had already appeared to snatch it from his hands and throw it away before grabbing Junior by his head and slamming his face into a shot glass on the bar.
"I have questions, and you will answer them. Your honesty is a given." Shadow told him, pressing Junior's face harder into the bar.
"Who… who do you think you are… pal…?!" Junior grunted as he was unable to escape Shadow's grip.
"Someone you really don't want to screw around with." Yang walked into the club with Neptune beside her. She looked around briefly at the damage done and all the goons that had been beaten up, including the Malachite twins. "Damn… that was faster than when I last trashed this joint."
"You…!" Junior shouted.
"Hey Junior, miss me?" Yang waved in a friendly fashion.
Meanwhile, Omega and JNPR had arrived at the designated 'slums' of Vale, and it did appear to meet that description. While this area wasn't as run-down or on the verge of collapsing as one would think when the word 'slum' comes to mind, it didn't appear to be as well-kept as the rest of the city either. A lot of the buildings were much smaller and more compact, and the area itself was significant more crowded with people of both human and Faunus race sitting and standing on the streets next to their small living conditions.
One goat-Faunus man was drinking a bottle of whisker as Omega approached him. "Query, have any White Fang agents been spotted in this area?"
"What, you think just because I'm a Faunus I'm with those freaks? Go back to the auto shop you piece of Atlas trash." He threw the bottle at Omega, which shattered upon impact. Omega simply ignored him and moved on, while Pyrrha and Ren asked around as well, but got similar responses.
"Vale always seemed like such a nice place…" Jaune said with Nora right beside him. "I didn't think they'd have… something like this."
"Well, you heard what the guys said. A lot of people would want to live in this Kingdom with natural boarders and good climate." Nora said before looking away and spoke with a hint of disdain in her voice. "Unless your rich and are safe and cozy up in Atlas. But not everyone has that luxury."
"Nora… are you okay?" Jaune asked with concern.
"Oh what? You're worried I'm not shouting any cool catch phrases, or just smashing stuff with my hammer or putting on a smile?" Nora replied in a tone that was harsher than she meant. "I'm a lot more than just smashing stuff, ya know!"
Jaune backed away in surprise. "Sorry… it's just… you're… not in the best of moods and I thought… I… sorry…. I'll just shut up now." He looked down, wondering if he had said something he shouldn't have.
Nora calmed down a bit. "Jaune… No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you. It's not your fault."
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
The pink-clad girl gave a small sigh before explaining. "I... grew up in places like this. When I was just a kid… my mom abandoned me during a Grimm attack." Jaune looked in surprise at that as Nora continued. "I ended up in Kuroyuri, a village in Mistral. I was an orphan… all alone… trying to get my hands on whatever scraps I could just to eat and survive the day. Other kids would come up and pick on me, throwing stuff at me for being dirty and different. But, Ren didn't. Kuroyuri was his home… he stood up for me, that's how I met him. But… not long after that… the Grimm attacked there too. Ren's dad was a hunter… he tried to fight off the Grimm while telling Ren to hide… the two of us hid underneath a building and… we were the only ones that made it out."
Nora shivered at that memory, still hearing the screams and roars of the Grimm, all the while Jaune looked in a mixture of shock and sympathy.
"The only reason we even survived that, was because Ren unlocked his Semblance." Nora continued. "It basically hides negative emotions and makes us invisible to the Grimm. After that, the two of us just left what was left of that village."
"Just you two…? So… what happened? Who took care of you?" Jaune asked.
"Nobody." Nora shook her head. "It was just us. We grew up together, bouncing from place-to-place… Nobody took us in, at most a few people just handed us scraps of food. Orphans were pretty common in Mistral, up to the point nobody big really cared. Seeing them every day was no different than watching the sun rise or set."
"Nora…" Jaune had no idea what to say to any of that.
"That's also the reason the two of us wanted to become Huntsmen. So that there wouldn't be any more orphans, so that people and kids wouldn't have to go through the same kind of thing we did." Nora said, clenching her fists with determination. "I know just two more Huntsmen might not make that much of a difference in the 'grand scheme of things' or whatever… but if I can save at least one family… keep another little kid from losing his parents… that's enough for me."
In that moment, Jaune had a newfound respect for Nora… but at the same time, his own self-respect dropped significantly. He wanted to become a Huntsmen because he wanted to be a hero, somebody amazing like his dad and all his ancestors. But Nora and Ren both went through hell and at such early ages… but they were able to bounce back and use that as determination to make themselves stronger. They didn't become Huntsmen for all the glory, they did it to protect people.
'This is not a game. It's not about your need for glory, it's not about you at all. It's about them.'
Once again, Shadow's words echoed in his mind. And after hearing Nora's story, it gave him a new sense of clarity.
'That's right, this isn't about me.' Jaune felt to himself. 'Becoming a Huntsmen is about protecting those who can't protect themselves. That's what the rest of my team is doing, and that's exactly what I'm going to do to.'
"Hey Nora…" He got her attention. "I'm sorry you and Ren went through all that, I had no idea. I can't imagine what that's like. But, I will say this… if you need anything, anything at all, even if it's just somebody to talk to… I'm here. I'm your leader and your friend, and I've got your back. All your backs."
She smiled as she wrapped her arms around Jaune in a surprise hug. "Thank you, Jaune. You're a good friend." He smiled as he hugged her back. "But just a friend, don't get any funny ideas." She joked.
Jaune laughed as they let go. "Don't worry, as awesome as you are, you're not my type either." He playfully and lightly punched her in the arm, and she did the same a bit harder with a grin, which ended up knocking Jaune down, but both just laughed anyway.
Meanwhile; Omega, Ren, and Pyrrha kept asking around, but none of the people they spoke with seemed to have any leads
"Thank you, anyway." Pyrrha nodded politely as they continued along the way.
"It does not appear the White Fang are here." Ren noted.
"I am also not detecting any Badnik signals. Eggman is not at this location." Omega revealed.
"Omega… can I ask you something?" Pyrrha asked.
"State your query." The robot accepted.
"You were built by Eggman, right?" She asked.
"Affirmative." Omega confirmed.
"And yet, you not only stand against him, but you also fight alongside his enemies. May I ask the reason for it?" Pyrrha requested.
"I am the last of the E-100 series." Omega began. "This line of units were programed with their own artificial intelligence, making us far superior to the drones of Eggman's Badnik horde. Our original intent was to serve as commanding units and direct Eggman's army. However, one of these units, E-102 Gamma had gone rogue. His intelligence had evolved and he sought to do the same to the other E-100 units. They resisted, Gamma had destroyed them, at the cost of himself."
"So, you were not the first to rebel against Eggman." Ren noted.
"That is correct." Omega confirmed. "I was completed shortly after that incident and around the time Shadow had made his own appearance. After averting a cataclysm that would have destroyed our world, Shadow had been captured by Eggman and placed in suspended animation. Eggman had assigned me to guard him and prevent his awakening. I would later learn that I too was imprisoned, out of fear that I would rebel as Gamma had. Rouge had infiltrated the facility and freed Shadow, as well as myself. I vowed revenge, and now I fight alongside Shadow and the rest of Eggman's enemies to see to Eggman's destruction."
"I see…" Pyrrha seemed to understand.
"Ironic, the very reason he imprisoned you is your reasoning for rebelling against him." Ren said.
"Were there any other robots that rebelled?" Pyrrha asked with curioisity.
"Two other units have been confirmed." Omega answered. "One is a unit designated Gemerl, currently residing in our world. The other is Metal Sonic."
"That robot double of Sonic that he had warned us about?" Pyrrha recalled.
"Affirmative." Omega confirmed once again.
"I remember Sonic saying how he is the most dangerous of Eggman's robots." Ren said.
"I am the strongest of the E-100 series. However, Metal Sonic is not to be underestimated." Omega warned. "When he first rebelled, he had taken over the entire Eggman Empire and almost succeeded in conquering our world. It took the combined efforts of myself, Sonic, Shadow, and all our allies, as well as the power of the Chaos Emeralds to defeat him."
That took Ren and Pyrrha by surprise.
"It seems this Metal Sonic may be even more dangerous than Eggman himself." Pyrrha said.
"Even in his base form, Metal Sonic can match the speeds of Sonic as well as Shadow. Caution is advised should we face him." Omega informed.
"No arguments here." Ren said.
At the same time, the team consisting of Blake, Knuckles, Sun, and Rouge had searched the area by the docks and had found what they were looking for. A white claw mark had been drawn on the side of one building and Blake knew its significance.
"This is it." She said to the group.
To confirm it, they looked around the corner to see two Faunus led in by one individual guarding the entrance, likely a White Fang member dressed in casual clothing.
"How we gonna get past the guy?" Sun asked.
"I'm on it." Rouge picked up a small pebble from the ground and threw it at a nearby trash can, getting the guard's attention. As he went to inspect it; the four of them quickly and quietly went in and through the door without the guard even noticing.
Once inside, Rouge pulled out three Grimm masks and handed two of them to Sun and Blake. "Here, you're gonna need these."
"Do I wanna know how you got those?" Knuckles asked rhetorically, knowing she stole them. Rouge only responded with a grin.
"I don't get it. If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?" Sun asked.
"The masks are a symbol." Blake explained as she took off her bow to reveal her cat ears. "Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters."
"And that's when they started to use fear as a weapon." Knuckles assumed. "I'm guessing that's when they lost their way?"
"One of many things…" Blake replied. "But it was also the people in charge that took it in that direction, such as the guy who came up with the masks."
"Hold on, there are three masks, but four of us." Sun said, quickly counting.
"We're not Faunus, so Knuckles and I will stand out pretty easily." Rouge said. "Especially since they're working with Eggman and probably know what we look like."
"Do you have a plan then?" Knuckles asked.
"Oh yes, and you're gonna love it." Rouge grinned teasingly.
The group entered the main area where the meeting would start. Already there were many White Fang agents, along with some new recruits who wore casual clothing with their Grimm masks. Blake and Sun both had their own masks as they walked in… alongside a figure clad in a hooded robe that covered both Knuckles and Rouge, the later rode on top of the former's shoulders as he walked while she wore the mask and kept the hood over the rest of her face.
"Not one of your most subtle plans, Rouge." Knuckles commented. "And why am I on the bottom again?"
"Hey, rock-paper-scissors, I won fair and square." Rouge said.
"And I still don't understand how something as weak as paper can beat something as strong as rock." Knuckles stated.
"Hey, keep it down." Blake told them as they managed to infiltrate the crowd and made their way closer toward the stage, where an upper rank member of the White Fang stepped forward and spoke up.
"Thank you all for coming! For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight… allow me to introduce to you a very special comrade of ours! Already he has given us great gifts, and I can assure you… he is the key to obtaining what we fought for, for so long!"
In that instant, several spotlights had shinned down on the stage as a trapdoor at the bottom opened, where Eggman appeared, ascending via an elevated platform as he gave a formal bow to the audience.
"Eggman." Knuckles glared, while Blake clenched her fists at the very sight of him.
But it wasn't just him, Torchwick and Neopolitan hung by the side on the stage as well, while Metal Sonic remained hidden from most eyes on a walkway near the ceiling, observing the entire crowd.
"Thank you, thank you! Yes, I am thrilled to here tonight, ladies and gents!" Eggman said, even though he was quickly met with a less-than-happy reception from many of the Faunus newcomers.
"What's a human doing here?!"
"Now, now, no need to lump me up with them." Eggman began. "Believe it or not, we all have much in common, primarily how superior we are. I might be human, but my vast genius makes me a mark above those humans who wanna put you in cages or the slaughterhouse. Let me ask you all something, why is it that humanity is so determined to keep you under their heel? Is it because they think they're the ones in power? Or that you're more akin to animals? No, that's not it at all. It's simply because... The Faunus are better. Many of you have gifts that humans can only wish for. Night vision, enhanced senses, stronger durability and mobility, I'd wager if you were allowed to evolve further… many bird-based Faunus might even develop the natural ability to fly! And you don't even need Semblances! Humanity knows this, and they're afraid. They're afraid you'll be at the top spot, so they want to keep you down as much as possible, but I'd rather not see such potential go to waste."
"Is he going somewhere with this?" Sun whispered to Rouge.
"He just loves to hear himself talk but bear with it. He'll reveal his grand scheme soon enough." She replied.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself for those who don't know me. I am Doctor Eggman, leader of the glorious Eggman Empire! I know that it might not seem much right now, but I can promise… soon everyone will be talking about it... specifically how the Eggman Empire will completely turn Remnant upside down! Uproot the current hierarchy and system that has kept you down under for so long and as it so happens… the White Fang and the Faunus as a whole… all have a place in it. How long have you all been suffering under humankind? How much have they taken from you? Not just your belongings or even homes? How many of your friends and family have been butchered at their hands just for being different?"
That earned an angry uproar from the audience, several people, including current White Fang agents, have apparently lost loved ones at the hands of humans.
"Well things might only get worse from this point forward." Eggman continued. "Did you know that Atlas has been making some pretty new toys? See for yourself." He pulled out a remote and pressed the button, undoing the cloaking field that covered an Atlesian Paladin on the side of the stage, causing many in the audience to look in surprise, even the disguised heroes.
"That's a big robot…" Sun winced.
"We've seen bigger." Rouge commented.
"That's not one of Eggman's." Knuckles said seriously.
"If it's from Atlas, how did he get it?" Blake asked.
Eggman then continued his speech. "This Atlesian Paladin here is the newest 'line of defense' against the Grimm, developed by Atlas and the Schnee Dust Company." The mention of the SDC drew an uproar of boos and hate-slang from many Faunus present. "I know, right? Those rich snobs who think they're running the world just because they live in a floating city. You all know how badly they want your kind gone, having enslaved the Faunus for their work force. That being said, how long until these Paladins start changing their targets from the Grimm… and toward all of you. How long until Atlas and the SDC decide 'hey, let's just kill em all' and decide to wipe your kind off the face of the planet?!" That earned even louder boos from the audience. "Well, as the old saying goes… time to fight fire with fire. Or in this case, an even stronger fire! You think this little Atlas trinket is impressive? Get a load of this!"
In a much more dramatic fashion, Eggman pointed his remote and deactivated a second cloaking field, revealing an even larger machine that easily dwarfed the Paladin, standing twice or even three times its own size. It appeared to be a large metallic bird-dragon hybrid, with massive mechanical wings folded downward around its armored body and a long tail. The cockpit was inside the head with guns built into the 'jaw'.
"Behold! The Egg-Wyvern!" Eggman announced as the audience looked in awe before cheering in amazement.
"Bigger robot… much bigger…!" Sun winced.
"This is more serious than we thought." Knuckles noted. "He's already built a new mech."
"What makes you think this is the only one?" Rouge asked.
"You think he has more?" Blake asked nervously.
"I'd be surprised if he didn't." Knuckles replied.
"As you can see, this beauty is far superior than anything those noobs in Atlas could develop!" Eggman began. "And this is only a taste. Come to the southeast and join the rest of your brothers and sisters in the White Fang and pledge your allegiance to the Eggman Empire, and you'll have access to advanced weapons just like this! With these at your fingertips, I can promise that within a year or two at the most… your kind will be the ones standing at the top with me!" The audience was already cheering for him. "Lions don't feel guilty when they kill gazelles, wolves don't morn when they kill rabbits, sharks don't get sad when they feast upon their aquatic prey! The time has come for the Faunus to rise as the apex predators of Remnant, even superior to the Grimm!"
The audience cheered as loudly as they could, already wanting to sign up and drawn in by Eggman's speech, charisma, and empty promises.
"Gotta admit, he gives one hell of a speech." Torchwick commented from the back. "But I could have probably done better." He said as Neo nodded in agreement.
"They totally bought it. Hook, line, and sinker." Rouge said, sounding unsurprised.
"He doesn't care about the Faunus. He just wants to use them." Blake clenched her fists so tight, that her knuckles were beginning to turn white. But Knuckles quickly reached out to gently but firmly grab her wrist.
"We can't start a scene here. We need to leave and contact Sonic." The red Echidna told her.
"Yeah… that's a good idea." Sun agreed.
However, unbeknownst to any of them, Metal Sonic had looked down toward the audience and spotted the area where the heroes were hidden in. He couldn't see anyone under the robe, but he did recognize the long black hair and cat ears.
"Uh… does he normally do this?" Neptune asked as he and Yang were outside the club building, looking straight up at what was unfolding in front of them.
"I've never seen him interrogate anyone… but it does seem to fit him." Yang commented.
At the top of the fire escape that was built into the building, Shadow as standing on the uppermost platform, holding Junior over the railing by his collar with only one hand.
"Doctor Eggman, the White Fang, Roman Torchwick, what do you know about any of them?" Shadow questioned.
Junior looked unimpressed. "Hey, from one professional to another… if you're trying to scare somebody, pick a better spot. From this height, the fall wouldn't kill me."
"I'm counting on it." Shadow said before he let Junior go.
The man screamed as he fell… landing on the ground legs-first. A crack was heard upon impact as Junior rolled on the ground in pain. Neptune and even Yang winced at the sound.
"Ouch." Neptune cringed.
Shadow teleported to the ground, walked over to the near-crippled Junior, and stomped his foot onto his right leg causing him to groan even louder.
"Talk. Now."
"I don't know about this Egg-guy, okay?!" Junior said in-between groans. "And I don't know what's going on with those animals either!"
"Then Torchwick." Shadow demanded. "Those men in your club were the same as those he used to orchestrate those Dust robberies."
"You'd better say something, pal." Yang said as she walked up. "I got no idea what this guy can do and I'm not sure you want to."
"I haven't seen him since then, okay?" Junior answered. "He paid up front, I lent him my men… most ended up either in jail or the hospital, and the rest never came back."
Shadow was already aware of the first part. He personally put many of those goons in hospitalization, and Sonic's group had intercepted the others before the White Fang started showing up. As for the rest? Torchwick or even Eggman may have killed them for being useless.
"So where did they go?" Neptune asked, coming up and trying to act like an interrogator himself. Shadow as tempted to smack himself upside the head for hearing such a stupid question.
"I literally just said they never came back!" Junior exclaimed but groaned as Shadow pressed down on his injured leg even harder.
"And that's all you know?"
"Yes! Please! I'm telling the truth!" Junior quickly said, and it seemed Shadow believed him as he stepped off the near-crippled Junior and began walking away, with Yang and Neptune right behind him.
"Well, that was a waste of time." Yang commented.
"So, what's next?" Neptune asked.
"We wait until we hear from the others." Shadow answered. "At least one of them should have found something."
"Back away, slowly." Rouge whispered to her group, still sitting on Knuckles' shoulder. "Step-by-step." Slowly, and as quietly and carefully as possible; Blake and Sun stepped backwards along with Knuckles, trying to be as discrete as possible.
That is until Metal Sonic suddenly landed in front of them, knocking away several masked Faunus, and causing the disguised heroes to stop in their tracks as all eyes were diverted to the scene.
"Hmm? Something the matter, Metal Sonic?" Eggman asked his most prized creation.
In one swift motion, Metal removed the robe from the figure in front of him, revealing Knuckles with Rouge on his shoulders to everyone present.
"Crap!" Knuckles acted quickly as Rouge leapt form his shoulders, allowing the Echidna to slam his fists onto the ground and create a shockwave that blew away many of the surrounding White Fang. However, Metal had activated his Black Shield to protect himself, just as Blake, Sun, and Rouge leapt into the air to avoid getting caught in the shockwave. While airborne, Blake spotted a breaker box, and quickly shoot it to knock out the lights in the warehouse.
"Get out! Now!" Blake exclaimed as she and Sun used their natural night vision to get toward the nearest window and break through it, escaping to the outside with Rouge flying right behind them. Knuckles then smashed his way through the wall and ran to catch up to them.
As the four ran (or flew in Rouge's case) as fast as they could, Knuckles tried to get in touch with his teammates. "Sonic! Do you read me?!" He exclaimed, accessing his communications.
"I hear ya, Knux. Did you find Eggman?"
Suddenly, a larger hole was blasted through the side of the warehouse as Torchwick, operating the stolen Paladin, gave pursuit with Metal Sonic flying out after them as well. But what really caught their attention, was the now-fully active Egg-Wyvern that broke its way out from the roof of the warehouse, the metallic beast giving a mechanical roar as it flew after the fleeing quartet.
"No! More like he found us!"
Done.
And so our heroes have managed to locate their target. Now Knuckles, Blake, Rouge, and Sun are fleeing from Metal Sonic, Torchwick in the stolen Paladin, and Eggman in his newly built Dust-mech, the Egg-Wyvern. And yes, this mech is based off the one seen in Sonic 06, only it's even more dangerous as it has Dust-based weaponry.
And yes, Eggman stole an Atlesian Paladin just to compare it to his own superior devices (he was probably going to scrap it for parts later on). That's so Eggman. LOL
I'm sure you've all noticed a few things different from the canon in this chapter.
Sonic, Tails, and Amy along with Ruby are now made aware that Penny is an android and are totally acceptant of her. I mean, come on, it's Sonic, he's befriended literal gods (as Chip), a robot girl really isn't all that strange to him.
The slums of Vale are an original concept of mine and aren't present in the canon RWBY series. I needed a place for JNPR and Omega to search while everyone else went in the same areas as the canon story. Vale is considered one of the best kingdoms because it's arguably the safest from the Grimm due to its natural boarders, and it's far cheaper to live there when compared to Atlas, so it would make sense a lot of people would want to live there. The only issue is, it leads to overpopulation and crowding, which is how slums come to be. I hope that all makes sense.
I also decided to expand a bit in regards to Omega's origin as well as that of Ren and Nora. Just like in the canon Sonic series, Omega was sealed in the same room where an amnesiac Shadow as being held by Eggman and meant to guard him. But here, Eggman also did it to imprison Omega out of fear he would rebel like Gamma did, and by doing so that's exactly what Omega did (which is totally a part of Eggman's character). It would also make more sense why we don't see any more E-100 units like Omega, Gamma, or the others; because their more advanced artificial intelligence compared to the rest of the Badniks runs a greater risk of rebelling against their creator.
As for Ren and Nora, though it's never quite explained why they wanted to become Huntsmen, it can be traced back to their childhood and how they lost their homes to the Grimm at a very young age. They don't want anyone else to go through the same kind of thing they did and decided to become Huntsmen. It would seem to fit well with both of their characters. We also see a bit more depth with Nora as she is still dealing with some childhood trauma and is more than just wisecracks and hammer-strikes. I'm looking forward to delving more into her character as well as Ren later on in the story.
The next chapter is going to deal with the massive battle in which Teams Sonic, RWBY, Dark, and JNPR face off against the Egg-Wyvern, Torchwick's Paladin, and Metal Sonic. That fight is going to be something special, and it deserves its own chapter. Plus, I've got a few special surprises planned that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Get ready for a lot of explosive action as the fight begins next time! Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.