Red vs Blue vs RWBY vs Sonic

by S.A.G.P6

You ever wondered... what would happen if Red vs Blue crossover with RWBY and Sonic... yeah me too, join the misadventures of the Reds, Blues, RWBY, and Sonic, as they try to find a way home, and fight off all sorts of villains and mayhem that is coming from their worlds. And it all started with that damn book... (Blood, Violence, Heavy Swearing, and Sex jokes.)

8. Underground Showdown

Hey there everyone, it's time we hopped back right into the main story. What happened to Simmons, Grif, and Yang? What's Metal Sonic gonna do to them? Can they ever catch O'Malley in time before something drastic occurs? Read and you'll find out!

With no interruption, time to jump into the story one again!

This is chapter 8!

Underground Showdown

Donut is standing right next to Simmons' body who is still unconscious after being knocked out from earlier. Sarge is approaching his teammates slowly, wondering what happened to his highly intellectual partner. His pink comrade was observing his body, trying to get a good look at him

"Sarge, he's over here, sleeping on the job." Donut observed.

Simmons groaned in response. "Donut, I'm not sleeping. I was drugged!"

"Sorry Sarge. He's not sleeping, he's doing DRUGS!" Donut emphasized.

"Shut up Donut!" Simmons bellowed, as he got back up. "I'm not doing drugs! We were attacked! They must've used a tranquilizer on me, and… Yang? Grif? Where are they?" He asked, his eyes looking around the cavern.

*Yoink!*

"Owwwww! What the hell!"

The group turned around to see Blake who was near Yang looking concern for her well-being. Yang is also fully awake, grunting in pain after her black bowed friend pulls out all the pink spikes that were around her entire body, and yanked out the last one that was on her rear end.

"Were you touching my butt down there?" Yang asked, weirded out by Blake.

Blake blushed, slightly jabbing her arm. "Idiot! Do you have any idea what those spikes could've done to you? They're laced with some kind of sedative—you're lucky they didn't hit anything vital!" She shot back, trying to mask her embarrassment with irritation.

Yang felt a smirk tug at the corner of her lips despite the lingering soreness. "Aww, Blake, were you worried about me? That's adorable." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, clearly enjoying Blake's flustered reaction.

Blake groaned and turned away. "You're impossible. Just… Just don't put yourself into any more trouble, okay?"

"No promises!" Yang winked, chuckling for a little bit.

The two were then shocked with wide eyes as they slowly faced the Red team, and how they were witnessing their interaction fully. They didn't know how to respond to each other, making this little event of theirs all the more awkward.

"Okay, how much did you hear?" Blake asked, clearly not in the mood.

Sarge stroked his chin theatrically, his helmet hiding any expression he might have been making. "Oh, not much. Just the part where it sounded like y'all were confessing some deep emotional connection. Makes me wished my men here could learn a thing or two about camaraderie… well, maybe except one."

Simmons was bewildered by Sarge's response. "Seriously?! We're in a crisis, Sarge! Can we focus on the fact that we were attacked and might still be in danger?"

Donut gasped dramatically, clasping his hands together. "Aww, I think it's sweet. They're like a pair of girlfriends looking out for each other!"

Yang laughed, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, he's not entirely wrong. We're both girls, and we're both friends! Isn't that right Blake?"

Blake facepalmed, she wanted to hide her face in embarrassment. "Ugh! Gods, kill me now…"

Simmons steps in. "Guys! Hello? There's also something strange going on, remember? Have any of you seen Grif? Where is he?"

"Maybe he's out scoring you junkies some more DRUGS!" Donut repeated.

"They must've taken him!" Yang guessed.

"Now who would take Grif? Garbage collectors?" Sarge asked.

"The people who ambushed us!" Simmons corrected him. "We have to find him."

"How are we going to do that?" Blake asked. "I've been wondering around the cave with Sarge and Donut, and it doesn't look like it's going to be easy finding him with how huge this place is."

"Luckily I've implanted a tracking chip in his armor." Simmons answered.

Yang raised her eyebrow. "You put a tracking chip in your teammate? That's… not creepy at all."

"It's not creepy; it's practical," Simmons retorted, folding his arms defensively. "Do you know how often Grif wanders off to avoid work? This is a necessity."

"Sounds like trust issues to me." Yang teased, nudging Blake. "What do you think?"

Blake shrugged. "It's weird, but given how disorganized this group seems, it's probably the smartest thing they've done."

Donut clapped his hands. "Oh, thank you! I do pride myself on being the brains of the team!"

"Not you, Donut!" Simmons snapped. "Look, I should be able to lock onto his signal in just a few seconds."

"A few seconds!?" Sarge exclaimed. "That sounds entirely hopeless! Well, Grif we'll miss ya! You were a good soldier. Using the broadest possible definition of 'good'… and 'soldier'…"

"Nice to know you're still great at providing support towards your beloved soldiers with care…" Blake said sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

"I got a signal." Simmons said.

"He's probably a million miles away by now!" Sarge guessed.

"Actually, he's only a tenth of a mile away." Simmons corrects him.

"But who knows what direction?" Sarge replied.

"That direction." Simmons turns towards his right and pointing with his index finger.

"Exactly!" Sarge said. "We did our best Simmons! Now, let's head back to base and call for a replacement troop! Where's my shotgun?"

"Huh, you know, I've been traveling with you for Gods know how long. And yet, I never even noticed you lost your shotgun." Blake said, now realizing he has a burst battle rifle instead. "Did you lose it during the fall?"

Sarge's helmet shifted towards her, clearly defensive. "I didn't lose it! It's just...misplaced at the moment."

"Wanna bet that the ones who knocked us out might've taken your shotgun along with Grif?" Yang smirked, teasing at the possibility.

Sarge sighed heavily. "Eugh, what direction did you say?"

"That way sir!" Simmons pointed.

"Come on let's go…" Sarge commanded, feeling a little deflated at the thought of saving Grif.

The remaining Reds sprinted forward in a rush to rescue their fat and lazy partner, meanwhile Yang and Blake were having a little discussion before they go along with them.

"By the way, why didn't you use your scroll?" Yang asked.

Blake looked over at Yang, a little confused by the question. "W-what…?"

"Your scroll? Simmons fixed all our scrolls ever since we got teleported in this world remember? Why didn't you used yours to contact us after falling into the hole underground?" Yang questioned, wondering why her friend haven't contacted her.

Blake's expression shifted from confusion to realization as Yang's words clicked. She comically face faulted onto the ground with a hard thud. Leaving her blonde friend completely in the dark.

"I forgot…"

---

Ruby, Weiss, Sonic, and Tails approached the Blue team cautiously, their footsteps crunching on the gravel beneath them. The towering tank loomed nearby, and the functional ship sat awkwardly on the rocky terrain. Up ahead, Church and Tex were deep in conversation, their tones serious and almost oblivious to the newcomers. Caboose, however, was not so preoccupied; he had just climbed out of the ship and was standing next to it, humming a tune to himself.

"Uh, should we say something?" Ruby whispered to the group, her silver eyes scanning the situation. "What are they arguing about anyway?"

Weiss crossed her arms, her icy blue gaze fixated on the Blue Team. "Arguing seems to be their natural state of being. If we wait, we might be here all day."

Sonic chuckled, hands on his hips. "Yeah, they definitely look like the 'constant bickering' type. I bet five rings that Tex is about to win whatever that argument is."

"What do you think they're talking about? The tank or the ship?" Tails asked.

Weiss sighed. "Does it matter? We need to get back home, and the longer we wait, the more time we waste."

"You're right, let's try to approach them without any problems, hopefully." Ruby agrees with optimism.

They walked towards the Blue team with steady steps, Ruby leading the way while the others followed close behind. As they got closer, they were able to hear them more clearly.

"You can't just show up here and start bossing people around, Tex! Bossing people around is my job. I put in the time!" Church stated.

"I had to leave, I've found Wyoming." Tex answered.

"Uh, excuse me?" Ruby said, while she and the rest of her group walked into their conversation. "Is this a bad time?" She asked sheepishly, waving a hand in an attempt to ease the tension.

Church sighs. "No, nothing bad is going on here Ruby. Though I doubt you're interested in what we're dealing with right now." He said, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "Tex here thinks she can just waltz back in after disappearing and start throwing orders around."

Tex crossed her arms, her piercing glare shifting to Ruby and the group. "This isn't a social call. I've been tracking Wyoming, and if I don't move fast, I'm going to lose him. Again."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Wyoming? Let me guess, not the state?"

"Hardly…" Church replied with a groan. "He's one of the Freelancers. Tex's old partner who causes nothing but trouble."

"We can relate." Weiss muttered under her breath, her eyes darting towards her leader who just smiles at her awkwardly.

"Well maybe we can help you guys?" Ruby suggested. "I mean, we were able to help takedown all the Grimm around Blood Gulch, so maybe we can help track down this Wyoming guy as well?"

"Well, that's great and all, but Wyoming's not just some dumb monster. He's a sneaky, backstabbing Freelancer with way too much tech and an annoying knack for showing up where you least want him." Church explained, remembering the times he would always mess with him and his team.

Tex nodded slightly, acknowledging Ruby's offer. "We could use an extra set of eyes. Wyoming's slippery, and we've already lost him too many times."

"Yeah, Tucker told me, what happened?" Church asked.

"I thought I tracked him back to O'Malley. But, by the time York and I got there-"

"York? Your old freelancer buddy? Was Carolina with him?" Church questioned.

"She was already dead…" Tex replied.

Tails gave her an uncomfortable look. "Dead? That sounds really messed up. Who would do such a thing?" He asked, his voice cautious yet curious.

Tex's piercing gaze shifted briefly to Tails, her tone cold. "Wyoming didn't kill her, but she got caught in a fight from way back. I can't really tell you what exactly happened, but let's just say we disbanded with each other for a reason."

"Sounds pretty barbaric if you ask me." Weiss commented.

Ruby perks her ears at the statement, her silver eyes softening with concern. "You guys used to be a team!? Why would he do that? How can someone betray their own team like that?" She said, feeling sad at the thought of someone being a traitor to their own team.

Tex glanced at Ruby, before letting out a small sigh. "It is what it is. That's just how things go in this line of work. Dwelling on it doesn't bring anyone back."

"What about Bermuda?" Caboose asked.

"That's not a state, dumbass!" Church replied harshly.

"Portland?" Caboose said, being oblivious as always.

"Shut up!" Church yelled.

"Sheesh, are they always like this Sonic?" Tails asked his blue hedgehog friend.

Sonic sweatdropped. "Heh, you be surprised…"

Weiss has a vein popping on her head. "Still hate the fact this is the kind of people I'm dealing with right now…"

"But he still had Delta." Tex said.

"Delta?" Church repeated. "The A.I.? How? I thought they took them- wait a minute, wait a minute, how was he even still alive? Don't Freelancers armors detonate themselves to self-destruct to cover their trails or something? You know, after the whole CT thing?"

"I thought it was because he was protected due to his armor and other abilities. You know all the freelancer suits had some kind of enhancement." Tex suggested.

Church nodded. "Right, like your invisibility."

"And horrible meaness." Caboose added.

"No dude, that's all natural." Church corrects him.

Tex shook her head but continued anyway. "York's was some kind of healing mechanism. It would help him recover from wounds in battle. I thought it might have kept him alive all these years. But after I found Wyoming, I knocked him out and downloaded logs from his helmet. There's somethin' going on, Church, with a lot of people working against us."

Ruby's brows furrowed at Tex's explanation, her curiosity mixing with concern. "A lot of people? Like who? And why would they want to work against you?"

Tex shifted her weight, and glancing at Church before addressing Ruby. "It's complicated. The Freelancers weren't exactly working for the good guys, and now that the program's fallen apart, everyone's looking out for themselves. It's a mess of alliances, betrayals, and hidden agendas."

"Sounds like something serious straight outta an action-packed drama movie, minus the cool unnecessary amounts of explosions, special effects, and shaky cameras of course." Sonic quipped, attempting to lighten the mood. "Let me guess, this Wyoming guy's at the center of it?"

"He's part of it." Tex admitted. "He's a loose end, just like the rest of us. But he's more dangerous because he's got resources—and a talent for making our lives a living hell."

Tails tilted his head thoughtfully. "If you've got logs from his helmet, shouldn't that give us a lead? Maybe we can figure out where he's going next?"

Tex nodded slowly. "That's the idea. But deciphering the data takes time, and I don't have a lot of that. Wyoming's a tricky bastard, and the longer we wait, the further ahead he gets."

"Well, what did Wyoming say when he woke up?" Church asked.

"He didn't, before I could interrogate him, he teleported away. One second he was there, and the next he was gone." Tex answered, not sure how he managed to do it.

"What about the second after that?" Caboose questioned, not really adding anything to the end of it all.

Tex sighs. "Can I kill him?"

Ruby steps in. "No way! I'm not letting you kill anyone, Tex. We've all had our share of tough battles, but we're here to help, not escalate things further." She said, her voice firm but kind.

"That and I'm saving him in case we ever need him for food." Church added, not caring whatsoever.

"You're not helping!" Ruby yelled.

"Does it look like I give a shit what happens to him…?" Church remarked.

Tex's patience was wearing thin. "Look, I don't need a lecture on morals from someone who probably names their weapon something cutesy. I just need to find Wyoming and put an end to this nonsense before he screws us all over."

"Hey! Crescent Rose is not cutesy!" Ruby snapped, clutching her scythe defensively.

"I dunno, Ruby." Sonic teased, grinning. "It's kinda adorable. All shiny and red, like it was made for you."

"That's because I made my precious baby all by myself!" Ruby blushed, glaring at Sonic.

Weiss sighed audibly. "Ignoring… whatever that was about. Tex, if you think this Wyoming is such a threat, then we'll help you. But only if we do this the right way. We'll fight, but we aren't going to succumb to extreme brutality."

Tex shot Ruby a look, her expression hard to read. "I'm not talking about justice; I'm talking about getting rid of a threat. Wyoming's not someone you let walk away. He's too dangerous."

Sonic stepped in, trying to ease the tension. "Yeah, but we do things a little differently where we come from. We beat up the bad guys, but we don't go around making things worse." He gave Tex a knowing look. "I'm all for taking down the baddies, but let's do it the right way, okay?"

Tails nodded. "I'm with Sonic. We don't want to turn into the same kind of people we're trying to stop."

Tex felt a little frustrated with their answers, but after a moment, she seemed to relent. "Fine. We do it your way… for now." She sighed deeply, her shoulders tense. "But if he gets away again, I'm going after him, and don't expect me to hold back."

Church looked between Ruby's group and Tex. "Let's just make sure we don't all get killed in the process, alright?" He addressed towards everyone, clearly still irritated by the whole situation but understanding they needed help. "So, Wyoming's armor lets him teleport?"

Tex shook her head. "I don't think so. I think someone grabbed him from somewhere else."

Church was confused. "How is that possible? The only technology I know that could do that is-... Wait a minute. Each freelancer had an enhanced suit of armor and an A.I., right?"

"Right!" Tex said.

"Riiiiiiight…" Caboose muttered slowly.

"Your armor was invisibility, and your A.I. was Omega." Church pointed out.

"Right." Tex repeated.

"Wrong! Oops, missed that one, can we go back?" Caboose asked, being clueless as ever.

"What was Wyoming's A.I.?" Church asked.

"Gamma." Tex replied.

Church groans, realizing the answer to it all. "Ugggggh… I gotta make a phone call…"

Ruby and her team watched as Church seemed to sink into deep thought. It was clear that something about the conversation clicked for him, but the moment of clarity left him visibly frustrated.

"Church who are you calling?" Sonic said, looking over at him with a raised eyebrow. "You got someone on speed dial or something?"

Church shot Sonic a look, annoyed but not ungrateful for the distraction. "I know what I'm doing here okay? I got this. And can y'all shut up now? I'm busy calling someone here!" He responded harshly, as he was using his radio helmet to call someone.

*Ring! Ring! Ring!*

*Ring! Ring! Ring!*

*Ring! Ring! Ring!*

*Click!*

"Hello…?"

"Hello, this is Church, Gary. Or should I call you Gamma? Have you been lying to us?" Church questioned, wanting to get it over with already.

"Lying is such a shisno concept. I mean human concept." Gary spoke with a monotone roboticized voice.

"You're a computer, I thought computers can't lie?" Church said with suspicion in his voice.

"They can if they are programmed to lie." Gary replied nonchalantly.

"Were you programmed to lie?" Church asked.

…

"No…?" Gary replied awkwardly.

"Goddammit!" Church yelled.

"I have to go, Church…" Gary said, not wanting to reveal his actual intentions.

"Wait a minute! What about the aliens! How do we-"

"Goodbye…."

*Click!*

"No! No! No! Don't hang up! Hello! Gary? Gamma? Augh, God fucking dammit!" Church cursed out loud.

Tensions were running high as Church's frustration boiled over after his call with Gamma ended abruptly. Ruby, Sonic, and the others stood by, sensing the volatile mix of emotions. Church, clearly agitated, slammed his fist into the side of the tank, muttering curses under his breath.

"Well, that went well." Sonic remarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Um, excuse me? Church?" Tails address him politely, hoping not to upset him any further. "I don't know what's going on, but it seems like that phone call didn't work out like you hoped for huh?"

"But at least now I know something's off." Church said, still feeling bitter. "Not only is he actually an A.I. called Gamma, but he's also been feeding us half-truths all along. Something big's going down, and Wyoming's just the tip of the iceberg."

Ruby frowned, her hands resting on her hips. "What do we do now? We can't just let Wyoming and Gamma run circles around us."

Sonic grinned, his usual confidence shining through. "So, we've got a bunch of shady Freelancers and at least one or two sneaky AIs. Sounds like a classic case of bad guys trying to get the jump on us where you least expected. I think we're up for it!"

Tails nodded in agreement, his mind already racing through possible strategies. "If this Gamma A.I. is involved, then tracking him down might give us a lead on Wyoming or possibly O'Malley. We need to find out who else is working with him and what their endgame is."

Weiss's eyes narrowed as she looked at Church. "You said something big is going down, Church. What do you think that is? What are we really up against?"

"To be honest, I wished I really knew." Church admitted. "Like seriously, can today get any stranger?"

*BZZT-BZZT-BZZT*

"Yello? Ring-a-ding? Blue Base, come in! Let's go! Hello! Come in!"

"Hello? Vic, is that you?" Church said, wondering why he got a call from him out of nowhere.

"Hey dude, how's it goin'? Been a while since we spoke." Vic replied with haste.

"Why're you calling me?" Church asked.

"Everything been goin' good, yeah that's great, listen, don't have much time to talk, uh been discussing things here at Blue Command, we think everything is bad, and now is the time to go attack the Red Base!" Vic commanded, acting a little off. "Turns out the Reds are up to no good, and somebody needs to kill 'em! A good way to do that might be to send some people through the caves, yeah, take 'em by surprise, anyway, can't talk, gotta go, see ya la vista!"

"Wait a second! Wait a second! Wait-a-"

*Click!*

…

"WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP HANGING UP ON ME!?" Church exclaimed at the top of his lungs, having more questions than answers. "WHAT THE HELL VIC!? Kill the Reds!? The Fuck?"

The group stood in stunned silence as Church screamed at the heavens, the weight of the mystery swirling around them.

Ruby nervously scratched her head, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, at least we're all in the same boat, right?" She said with a nervous laugh, glancing at Sonic and the others.

"Yeah, except now things are starting to make little sense than usual!" Weiss remarked, questioning the logic behind everything.

Tails tried to offer some reassurance. "Maybe this Vic guy he was talking to was just confused, or maybe he was just... uh... trying to throw us off track? Similar to the conversation he had with Gamma earlier."

"Or he's part of the problem!" Church spat out bitterly, pacing around the tank. "First Gary, who was Gamma all along, now this! I don't know who to trust anymore." He gripped the side of the tank tightly. "What the fuck was he talking about wanting to kill off the Reds!? They're not even here right now!"

"Yeah, they're busy searching for Blake and Sarge who fell underground remember?" Weiss reminded him.

"Exactly!" Ruby said. "They're not even here, Church. They have bigger problems to deal with." She placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm him down. "I may not know everything. And gonna be honest, this whole conversation is making my brain hurt in more ways than one. Like I still don't know what the A in A.I. stands for-"

Weiss gave her a dumbfounded expression. "It stands for Artificial you dolt!"

"But I know that losing your cool isn't going to help." Ruby continued.

Tex, who had been silent up until now, spoke up. "Ruby's right. This isn't about us versus them—this is about finding out who's behind all this. And I think we're all smart enough to figure it out before we end up tearing each other apart." Her tone softened slightly. "Trap or not, we need to act. Sitting around second-guessing everything in doubt isn't going to get us anywhere."

Church lets out a heavy sigh. "I don't know why I even bother talking to you guys right now."

Sonic shrugs. "Eh, besides the Grimm we took down, nothing interesting is happening all that much, so might as well try to be socially friendly in this toxic environment you got going on here."

"Still, we're far away from home." Tails explained. "We need to do everything we can to help you guys. Maybe we'll find more of our friends or any of the Chaos Emeralds if we stick together and keep moving forward."

"Ruby, what about your sister?" Church asked, wondering what happened with them. "Isn't she and the other Reds went off to go searching for their leader and Blake? Because we could probably get things done more smoothly with your team helping us."

"You don't trust us?" Caboose questioned.

"I don't trust you the most." Church said without caring. "You don't even know what we're talking about."

"Of course I do!" Caboose replied. "Let's see… ummm… It something to do with Freelancer people, and they're named from state place things like Detroi-"

"Exactly my point." Church added.

"You know now that I think about it, Yang and the others sure are taking a long time trying to find Blake and Sarge, do you think something happened to them Ruby?" Weiss asked her leader.

"Come on, this is my sister we're talking about here!" Ruby reassures. "She's the strongest member of our team, and if there's anything I know it's that Yang can handle herself in any situation! I'm sure they're just taking a little longer than expected because, you know, working with the Reds and all that. They're probably making sure everyone's okay, checking out the area, or maybe…"

---

"He's just trying to score more DRUGS to keep his habit alive!"

The Red team, along with Blake and Yang, are still venturing deep underground in the caverns, trying to search for Grif who was kidnapped. Blake got annoyed by Donut, who keeps accusing Simmons that he was taking Drugs, so she covered her bow with her hands once again. Yang on the other hand, smirked the whole way, while entertaining the idea.

"Careful Donut, who knows what else Simmons might've been doing behind our backs. He could be injecting them straight into his veins as we speak!" Yang lied, wanting to see where this would go.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Yang, seriously? You're just encouraging him to be even more annoying at this point."

Donut gasped dramatically. "Wait, you think so? Simmons could be... that deep into it? What if he's involved with selling them to the Mexican cartels!?"

Simmons shot Donut a glare that could burn through steel. "I swear, Donut, if you don't stop with this stupid shit!"

Yang, clearly enjoying the mess she was stirring up, added. "I mean, have you seen how twitchy he's been? And the way he keeps checking his watch? Like, what's that about, huh? He's definitely hiding something."

Simmons flung his arms out in exasperation. "I'm not hiding anything! And I don't have a watch! I'm checking my tracker! Grif's life is at stake, you idiot!"

Blake sighed, resisting the urge to slap a hand to her forehead. "You guys are unbelievable. Can we just focus on finding Grif? If we don't, we're the ones who'll need drugs to deal with you two."

Yang chuckled but then grew more serious, her playful smirk fading just a bit. "You're right, Blake. I'll stop… for now."

"Come on, Grif should be over here." Simmons gestures to the group to follow him.

"I'm not sure we should trust him Sarge!" Donut insisted. "Remember last month when he asked for more money? It was for DRUGS!"

"That was part of a budgetary meeting, Donut! He needed more funds for vehicle maintenance." Sarge pointed out.

"Enabler~!" Donut yelled.

Simmons stops in place. "I see something!"

"Ah! There's my shotgun!" Sarge shouted, as he went up between two large rocks to retrieve it in his possession. "Mission accomplished, excellent work men! Let's hang up a banner!"

"There's Grif!" Simmons stated, while pointing at his unconscious body near him.

"Oh right, and Grif… Excellent… somthin' or other… you, people… why do I even bother…?" Sarge said, feeling irritated at having Grif back on his team.

Grif got back up, moaning and groaning in pain, feeling a little disoriented. "Augh, wha-what happened? What'd you do to me…?"

"We got knocked the fuck out, and the people who did it must have taken you." Simmons replied.

"Oh, right." Grif said, trying to adjust himself. "Uh, they kept asking me questions. They wanted information."

"Information?" Blake was confused. "What did they-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, they wanted information, and they took you? Why wouldn't they take me?" Simmons asked, flabbergasted.

"What did they look like?" Sarge asked.

"Sarge, please! I was right there next to you!" Simmons stated. "If they needed information, why would they take you instead of me?"

"What're you, jealous? Jesus!" Grif groaned.

"No, I just think if you're gonna drug and torture people, you don't need to insult their intelligence too. That's just mean." Simmons questioned, his voice cracked a little.

"Yep, you're totally jelly." Yang teased, causing Simmons to sigh. She nudged Blake, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I think Simmons is a little jealous of Grif's… charm with the kidnappers."

"Besides, takin' all the fun outta interrogating." Sarge added.

Blake facepalmed. "Yang… please… can we not right now?"

"What? Afraid something else is going on? Can't handle a little bit of… yaoi between the two…?" Yang whispered to her bowed friend, causing her face turned a deep shade of red, her bow now practically pulling at her as she tried to avoid Yang's teasing.

"Yang, by the brothers, you're terrible…" Blake muttered under her breath, rubbing her temples. She knew Yang was just pushing her buttons, but the last thing she needed right now was that kind of distraction.

Yang, sensing her friend's flustered reaction, grinned even wider. "Oh, come on, Blake! You know the two of them would make an interesting pair." She nudged Blake with her elbow, her eyes practically glowing with amusement. "Besides, Simmons seems a little too obsessed with Grif, I mean they do share each other's bodies. Can't ignore the chemistry going on, right?"

Blake sighed deeply, her hands pressing over her eyes as if trying to block out the entire situation. "I shouldn't have helped Sarge, and look where it got me in the end…"

"Alright, alright." Yang said, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Cool your jets, Blake. I won't keep going, but you know, deep down, I think you secretly enjoy watching these guys squirm around with each othe-."

*SMACK!*

"Ow…"

Blake slapped her hand onto Yang's head. She yelped, while a comically large bump grew out of her head.

"Geez, Blake! I was just having some fun!" Yang pouted dramatically, but the twinkle in her eyes didn't fade. "I didn't know you cared so much."

Blake rolls her eyes, her face still flustered. "You're gonna be the death of me one of these days…"

"Dude, you two are like the weirdest people ever." Grif commented, witnessing the relation between the two, but not their entire conversation.

"Guys! Can we stop doing whatever is going on here?" Simmons exclaimed, feeling a tad impatient. "Grif, the people who kidnapped you, what happened?"

Grif was too busy shaking his head, while making some weird noise. Most likely trying to steady himself after being knocked out for so long.

"Shake it off, you big orange baby!" Sarge demanded. "What happened to ya?"

"He's been chasing the dragon!" Donut interjected.

"Donut, shut up!" Simmons demanded. "He was drugged, just like me."

"That's what I'm saying!" Donut yelled, still believing his teammates took drugs. "He fell off the wagon and shook hands with the Devil!"

"Shut up!" Simmons hushed him.

"He's been ridin' the wave and trippin' the technicolor dreamscape." Donut added. "Far out man~! Druggie loser!"

Simmons groans in anger and frustration. "Will! You! Stop! Donut!? All you're doing with your stupid anti-drug lingo is making me actually want to try drugs!"

Yang shook her head. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the nerd. You're actually getting on my nerves over here. And I'm the one who's all about fun and games."

"Oh, so now you're annoyed? This is the breaking point for you?" Blake asked, her voice full of exhaustion taking place.

Yang shrugged. "Hey, everyone have their limits at a certain point ya know?"

"Choose life, Simmons! Choose it…" Donut said dramatically, wanting to save him before it's too late.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun…" Simmons said sarcastically.

"Who knocked you out, Grif? Was it those dirty Blues?" Sarge asked, hoping to get some action.

"No, some kind of bat-person?" Grif answered weirdly.

"Bat-person!?" Sarge exclaimed.

"Sarge, I'm not sure Grif knows what he's talkin' about." Simmons said to his red leader.

"Grif doesn't know what he's talkin' about, eh? Stop the fuckin' presses." Sarge wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"No. I mean specifically right now. Whatever chemical they used to knock us out may be affecting his perception or his memory." Simmons explained.

"And it could cause undue stress to his family, and seriously impair his ability to operate a me-"

*Shink!*

"DONUT!"

The group got startled at the sudden high-pitched yell that came out of nowhere. They turned to see where it came from, and it just so happened to be Blake, her facial expression full of rage and irritation, her vein is popping out of her head, her teeth gritting really hard, and she brought out her Gambol Shroud which also made her blonde partner jumped in surprise.

Blake's sudden outburst silenced the cavern, the echoes of her yell lingering in the air. Yang backed up a step, raising her hands defensively, though her face was twisted in a mix of shock and barely concealed laughter.

"Whoa, Blake! Easy there, kitty-cat." Yang teased nervously. "Did Donut finally push you over the edge?"

Blake pointed Gambol Shroud directly at Donut, her hands trembling—not out of fear but sheer frustration. "You! I swear, if you say one more word about drugs, I will personally send you and your team back to the surface through sheer force!"

Donut froze like a deer in headlights, he was feeling fear and confusion both at the same time. "O-o-oh, uh… but Blake, I'm just trying to save Simmons from—"

"Not. Another. Word." Blake growled, her amber eyes glowing faintly in the dim cavern light.

Yang, now biting her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. "You know, this might be the first time I've seen Blake get this worked up. Congratulations, Donut. You broke her."

"I… am so… so… so… so… sorry…" Donut winced, trying his best to apologize.

Simmons, still shaken from Blake's outburst, muttered. "Jesus fucking Christ! Why do girls have to be so goddamn fucking scary!?"

Grif and Sarge awkwardly stood to the side, their expressions caught between amusement and concern. Sarge, never one to miss a chance to regain control, cleared his throat loudly, trying to redirect the group's focus.

"Alright, team! Enough of this drama! We're soldiers, not actors in some daytime soap opera! Let's focus on the mission—figuring out what kind of bat-person dared to tangle with Red Team!"

Grif glanced at his leader, leaning against a stalagmite for support. "Sarge, are we just gonna ignore the fact that Blake nearly went full-on feral back there?"

"Feral?!" Blake snapped, shooting Grif a glare that made him flinch. "I wouldn't have to go feral if you people knew how to act like adults for five minutes!"

Grif ran behind his sergeant in fear. "Holy shit! I take it back! I take it back!" He yelped, peeking out from behind Sarge like a scared child hiding from a storm.

Sarge, ever the bastion of misplaced confidence, puffed out his chest. "Grif, stop cowering behind me! A true soldier faces danger head-on, even if that danger comes in the form of a hormonal enraged female teenager!"

Blake let out a slow, deep breath, clearly trying to calm herself before she actually followed through on any of her threats. Yang, however, wasn't helping matters.

"Aw, come on, Blake." Yang teased, flashing her partner a cheeky grin. "You can't scare poor Grif to death. How else we're gonna enjoy some comic relief poking fun of the scared fat one?"

"Hey fuck you! I had enough shit to deal with all day! Okay!?" Grif exclaimed, annoyed and scared at the same time.

Blake shot her a withering look. "Comic relief? Yang, I'm starting to think I'm the only sane one in this entire cave. And I used to hang out with Sun."

Yang couldn't stop herself from laughing at that. "Touche, partner. Touche."

Donut, still trembling, cautiously stepped out from behind Sarge, raising his hands in surrender. "I really didn't mean to upset you, Blake. I just thought a little positive energy and, um, trying to help my friends out of their little drug problems would bond us closer together! You know?"

"Bond?" Blake echoed, glaring at him. "You want to bond? How about we bond over getting out of this mess without another ridiculous comment from you!?"

Simmons was starting to feel pale, as if all the colors were drained from his body. "I don't think my nerves can handle much more of this. Can we just get back to the mission already?"

"Fine." Blake said sharply, lowering Gambol Shroud but keeping it unsheathed as a silent warning. "But one more word out of line, and I'm done babysitting you people."

Yang chuckled, holding Blake's shoulder. "I think you're doing great, partner. But to be fair, what you did was still kind of out of line. I mean, taking out your weapon on Donut of all people? Blake seriously? I thought you were better than that?"

Blake stiffened at Yang's words, her grip tightening briefly on Gambol Shroud before she let out a slow, measured breath. She turned to face her partner, her amber eyes narrowing.

"Out of line?" Blake repeated, her tone calm but with a sharp edge. "Yang, I've been listening to Donut and Sarge for hours! Hours! They keep bringing up a bunch of stupid topics like 'suffering in hell' or 'my friends are on drugs' ever since I got here! We're supposed to be on a mission, trying to stay alive in a dark, unpredictable cavern underground! And get back to the surface already! Excuse me for reaching my limit!"

Yang raised her hands, palms outward. "Whoa, whoa, I'm just saying! I get it—the Reds are a lot to handle. But you're Blake Belladonna! Calm, composed, book-loving Blake. You're supposed to keep it cool."

Blake let out a dry laugh, running a hand through her hair. "You think I'm some emotionless robot, don't you?"

Yang smirked. "Not a robot. Just, you know, less likely to flip out and threaten someone with a sword."

Blake sighed, lowering her head for a moment. "Maybe I overreacted…" She admitted grudgingly. She then raised a finger with a stern expression. "I'm just… I don't know, wished things would go more smoothly without something idiotic happening twenty-four seven."

"Fair enough." Yang conceded, her smirk softening into a warm smile. "Just... maybe next time, don't go full White Fang Revolution on the guys, okay?"

Blake visibly bristled at the mention of her past. "That's not—" She began, but Yang interrupted with a gentle nudge.

"Kidding, Blake. Kidding."

Blake stared at her for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh. "You're insufferable."

"That's why you're my best friend!" Yang said with a wink, her tone dripping with playful confidence.

"Unfortunately…" Blake muttered under her breath but slightly blushed at her comment. "Let's just move forward before I regret my life choices."

Donut sidled up cautiously, keeping a respectful distance. "So... does this mean we're cool, Blake?"

Blake shot him a withering look. "You're all lukewarm at best. Don't push it."

Grif took a deep breath of relief and stopped crouching behind Sarge, thankful that the mess was sorted out at the very least. "What I was about to say, was that I wasn't hallucinating. There was some kinda crazy bat thing, and another guy, and they were talkin' about a kid. And a sword. Some kinda deal they made."

"Ho-kay, wait." Donut interrupted. "Is this a joke? This is a prank on me, right? You guys found my Harry Potter fan fiction."

"This has nothing to do with you Donut…" Grif deadpanned.

"Ho-kay, right, sure. Well, if the bat person turns out to be a sailor, and the guy turns out to be a bartender, and the sword turns out-… well, let's just say this all sounds a little too familiar." Donut waved off, thinking the connections were a bit on point with each other.

Blake's bow twitched in curiosity. "A bat-like creature and a man talking about a child and a sword? Are you sure you weren't imagining it, Grif?"

"I'm telling the truth! This really happened!" Grif remarked.

"Sure, we believe you buddy! Note to Simmons, Grif has gone mad. Need to kill him ASAP!" Sarge said to himself, even though everyone can hear what he had to say.

"I'm not crazy!" Grif exclaimed in annoyance.

"Second note to Simmons, Grif has developed super hearing. Possibly acquired from the bat people! Post-note, original plan still applies." Sarge wasn't convinced whatsoever.

"Wait a second! I can prove I'm not crazy, cause of the bomb! The bomb!" Grif repeated, remembering something important he had discovered.

"Yeah, that's a good way to prove you aren't insane." Simmons said sarcastically. "Just start screaming 'The bomb! The bomb!'

"The bomb was there! That's how I could understand what was being said. They needed him to translate." Grif explained.

Blake raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "A bomb that can translate? That's… oddly specific. You're sure you're not trying to mess with us right now?"

Grif threw his hands up in exasperation. "Why does nobody ever believe me? The bomb was just sitting there, glowing or whatever, and it was talking. I don't know what they were talking about exactly, but it's one of the reasons I even know about the deal in the first place!"

"The bomb? You mean that loud-mouth guy?" Sarge suggested.

"Yeah, the enormous ball that's always ready to explode!" Grif replied.

"Bomb? Guys, what the hell are you talking about?" Yang questioned, not knowing what's going on. "You keep mentioning the bomb! The bomb! And then all of a sudden, it's a 'loud-mouth-guy!?' You're losing me here."

"Oh, Yang, sorry about that." Simmons apologized. "I guess what Grif is trying to say is that he might've overheard Andy the bomb."

"Andy the bomb?" Yang blinked, trying to process this new revelation. "So, you're telling me this talking bomb actually has a name? And it's been hanging around, having conversations with bat people!?"

Simmons nodded, his gaze serious. "Not so sure about that last part, but yeah. Andy's a… well, a sentient bomb I suppose, but he's been around for a while now. And he talks. A lot. I remember Tex built him during one of our previous missions when we were split up after being blown up by an even larger bomb that was attached to the Blue leader, long story."

Yang glanced at Blake, who is clearly just as confused as her. "A talking bomb named Andy. This is real, right? Not some kind of prank?"

Blake, her expression still a mix of skepticism and curiosity, glanced back at Yang. "I'm just in the dark as you are Yang, but judging by his tone of voice, it seems like they're serious about this after all."

Yang let out a long sigh, trying to wrap her head around everything. "Alright, so let me get this straight: we've got a bomb named Andy, who talks, translates, and apparently interacting with bat people and making deals about swords. And somehow, Grif is the only one who seems to know about this?"

Grif gave a firm nod. "That's the gist of it."

"And you somehow managed to spot him talking to these bat people while unconscious?" Blake asked, skeptical towards Grif's ludicrous statement.

"Yeah… well, it was all a blur to me at the time. I know what I saw, I'm sure the voices I heard had to do with Andy the bomb and whoever else he was talking to." Grif stated, providing information the best he can.

"Ho-okay seriously, there's coincidence, and then there's outright plagiarism! I'm gonna have to sue somebody!" Donut stated with anger evident in his voice.

Blake glares at him. "Donut, will you drop this whole stuff about your fanfiction? It seriously can not be that more important than what we're talking about right now."

"I mean… isn't all of this…?" Donut gestures to everyone and the place they're at. Almost as if he's hinting that this story they're in is coming to life in a way.

Simmons stared at him awkwardly. "Donut…? Are you having a stroke?"

"CHALA! ENCHALADA!"

*Thud!*

Donut screamed at the top of his lungs, while pointing upwards for some reason. Until he then collapses onto the ground, shocking everyone around him.

"Oh my god!" Simmons yelped in surprise.

"Didn't see that coming." Yang commented.

"Should… should we help him?" Blake asked, feeling a little worried.

"Trust me it's probably for the best." Sarge replied.

Grif sighs. "Well with that moron outta the way, here's what I think had happened while I was conked out."

---

*Flashback*

Grif was lying down on the ground, not moving at all with the effects of the spikes messing up his body. There was a small glowing greyish-brown ball with some orange lines next to him. It's trying to communicate with him despite Grif not even fully awake yet.

"Hey Grif?" The ball asked. "Just tell them where the kid and the sword is, and you can go!"

Grif couldn't see him straight. "Wha-what? A-Andy? Is that y-you…? Why are you helping monster people…?"

"Hey! Gotta make a living!" Andy replied casually, while two large blue and green armored aliens were right behind him. One of them was speaking some sort of unknown language, but Andy the bomb was able to translate it for him. "He said, someone's coming. A buncha scary ass monsters are roaming about here. They look like fucking demons made with black disgusting tar with bones or something. There's also some weird red boxer with lego shoes punching the ever-living shit outta everything and a pink toy hammer wielding crazed bitch running amok! And we gotta go! See ya Grif!"

Andy the bomb was then lifted off the ground by the green armored alien, who carried him and sprinted away from his body, along with the other alien right beside him.

"By the way! You look like shit! Zing!" Andy yelled, mocking him.

"Ugh, okay… bye… I'm gonna… to go sleeping again…" Grif groaned in pain, before returning back to his slumber.

---

*Present*

"And he was translating between the two of them, too! So, if we find Andy, he can tell us exactly what's going on!" Grif finished recounting his story.

Blake frowned, feeling unsure as she processed Grif's tale. "You're saying this talking bomb, Andy, willingly helped these... bat people monsters? And he translated their weird language for you to hear?"

Yang chuckled at his description. "Heh, heh, heh! A talking bomb told you about a red boxer with lego shoes and a pink crazed bitch with a hammer? What's next, a toaster with a grudge?"

Grif scoffed at Yang's sense of humor. "I'm being for real over here! That's what I remembered at the very least!"

"Sounds like we've stumbled across something totally diabolical! Good work uncovering the plot, Simmons." Sarge compliments his maroon soldier.

"Thank you, sir!" Simmons replied.

"Simmons!?" Grif exclaimed. "I just told you everything!"

"But Simmons was the one that led us to you after he stealthily avoided capture." Sarge pointed out.

Grif threw up his arms in frustration. "Avoided capture!? Oh, come on! I'm the one who literally got attacked by these bat-monster-alien-whatever-things! I was the one who overheard their plans! And I'm the one who remembered Andy was there!"

"I'm pretty sure I remember that Simmons was the one who was knocked out first, and probably just picked Grif at random. Because… why not?" Yang added.

"Yes. A randomness that Simmons used to save the day!" Sarge declared with pride.

"He had nothing to do with that!" Grif yelled.

"But it was Simmons that found the underground cave." Sarge explained.

"Didn't he tried to bury you alive to become leader? And I think he told me he was the one who found the hole after you and I fall into the underground after that weird earthquake." Blake questioned, remembering past events from before.

"A tactic that was clearly multi-layered! Once again Simmons' treasonous insurrection proves to be the glue that holds this unit together!" Sarge praised the only soldier he tolerates.

"Just wait 'til you hear about my upcoming assassination attempt." Simmons said.

"Oh, don't spoil it!" Sarge said, with excitement in his voice.

Grif stared at Sarge and Simmons in disbelief. "Are you hearing yourselves right now? You're actually congratulating Simmons for planning to kill you!"

"Of course!" Sarge said, puffing out his chest. "A good leader knows how to foster ambition in their subordinates! Keeps everyone sharp. Besides, I've got contingencies for at least three of his schemes already."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "And you're... okay with this dynamic?"

Yang grinned, loving the Red team mess around with each other. "Honestly? I think it's hilarious."

Grif growled. "You're all insane I should've stayed dead."

Before anyone could continue on, everyone then noticed a small black creature was crawling onto Grif's right shoulder. He doesn't seem to notice at first, due to being caught up in his frustration. Blake, however, immediately tensed, her bow twitching as her keen senses kicked in after listening to its quiet voice. Yang also notice this as well the moment the creature crawled up in plain view.

"Grif! Don't move!" She shouted, drawing Gambol Shroud in one swift motion.

"What now?!" Grif complained.

"Grif, don't be alarmed right now. But there's a weird looking bat Grimm on your shoulder right now." Yang points at him.

Grif facepalmed in annoyance. "Yang, seriously!? Again, with this shit? You know, I used to think your jokes were funny after the speeches we gave at Sarge's fake funeral, but now it's like you're actively trying to make me lose it. What's next? You're gonna tell me it's whispering sweet nothings in my ear?!"

"Grif, seriously, don't move." Blake interrupted; her voice urgent. "I think this Grimm might be a baby Ravager, they usually travel in packs, so don't draw in more of them with your negative emotions."

Grif didn't care, and thought they were just screwing with him. "Negative emotions? Blake, are you messing with me too? What? The Grimm are drawn to bad vibes or something? Do I have to be drugged up again just to become a hippie sending out peace and love and all that crap? I bet you want me to get toasted in my van too, huh?"

Blake felt irritated. "Grif, the Grimm are no joke! You already know what's it like fighting against them. Like I said, they travel in packs, or possibly even more."

Simmons paled at that fact. "Oh no. That means the rest of the pack could be nearby! We're screwed!"

"Calm down, Simmons!" Sarge barked his orders to his soldier. "If a pack shows up, we'll do what we always do: improvise wildly, blame Grif, and emerge victorious!"

Grif scowled. "Why is it always my fault?! I didn't ask for this!"

"You never ask for anything productive!" Sarge shot back. "But danger loves you, son. Like bees to honey."

Blake ignored the banter, keeping her weapon steady as her sharp eyes tracked the creature. "Grif, take slow, deep breaths. We need to stay calm. They're drawn to negative emotions, like fear, anger, and sadness."

"Saying more of that dumb crap is enough to piss me off!" Grif hissed, feeling like they're just messing with him. "Will you all stop saying stupid shit like there's bats around here!? Yang just made a poor attempt at delivering a punchline; therefore, bats don't exist here!"

"Grif, we're not messing around here. Whatever you do, don't panic!" Simmons said nervously, not wanting another Grimm situation like last time.

Yang looked at him annoyed. "Yeah, we're being serious right now. Stop getting angry, or else they'l-"

"You know what!? Fuck you all!" Grif exclaimed in anger. "You're just trying to screw with me even more! Stop trying to convince me there is a bat Grimm on me, because we haven't encountered a single one in this goddam-"

Donut got back up after his little episode from earlier. "Augh, what happened? Did I black out? Oh, hey Grif, there's a little rascal on your shoulder. Is that your new pet or something? It looks kinda cute!"

"What?" Grif froze mid-sentence, his brain finally catching up to the gravity of the situation. "Wait… you're all serious?" He asked, his voice teetering between disbelief and sheer panic.

The small black creature on his shoulder shifted slightly, letting out a faint, guttural chirp that sent shivers down his spine. Grif's eyes darted to the side, catching a glimpse of the bat-like Grimm's glowing red eyes and dark red spiked wings. It did nothing but stare and blinked at him for a few seconds. Grif did absolutely nothing but continue staring at the small Ravager Grimm, as if the soul within him already left his entire body.

The group didn't know what to do, they were all staring at him awkwardly in silence, not knowing how to handle this bizarre stand-off.

…

Simmons began to clear his throat. "So, are we going to like… take it off of him or-?"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! KILL IT! DON'T LET IT EAT ME!" Grif sudden scream shattered the tense silence as he bolted around in a full-blown panic, flailing his arms wildly. The small Ravager Grimm clung tightly to his shoulder, it opened it mouth and screeched really loud, as if it was trying to signal in the other Grimm.

"Grif, stop running!" Blake shouted, sprinting after him. "You're going to make it worse!"

"WORSE?! IT'S ALREADY WORSE! I'M GONNA DIE BECAUSE OF A STUPID BAT!" Grif yelled, weaving between the group as they tried to intercept him.

Yang groaned, stepping into Grif's path and bracing herself. "Grif, for once in your life, listen! Hold still so we can get it off!"

Grif, too panicked to listen, ducked at the last second and barreled past her. "NO WAY! YOU'RE JUST GONNA SHOOT ME!"

"What the hell!?" Yang exclaimed. "My aim's not that bad! You saw me fighting the Ursas with no sweat not that long ago!"

"DON'T CARE! NOT WORTH IT!" Grif yelled back.

Sarge loaded his shotgun, his voice booming. "Grif, stop running! That's a direct order! Face your fears like a man—or at least like a slightly braver coward!"

"It's easy to give orders when you're not the one with a bat on your shoulder!" Grif shouted back, narrowly dodging Blake's attempt to grab him.

Simmons aims his battle rifle and shoots at the Grimm, but kept missing with each shot, struggling to keep up. "Grif, you're not helping anyone by running around like a lunatic! You're just making it cling tighter!"

"I KNOW THAT SIMMONS, BUT PANICKING IS ALL I'VE GOT!" Grif screamed, his voice cracking as the small Ravager Grimm dug its claws into his armor.

The Grimm opened its mouth again, emitting another earsplitting screech that echoed through the air. Blake skidded to a halt, her sharp senses catching distant rustling.

Her voice was low but urgent. "It's calling for backup. Everyone, get ready! This is about to get bad."

"Backup?!" Grif screeched even louder, if that was even possible. "WHY DOES EVERYTHING WANT TO KILL ME?! I'M NOT EVEN THAT IMPORTANT!"

Yang cracked her knuckles, the sound loud and purposeful as Ember Celica's chambers rotated into place. "Calm down, Grif. You're important enough to annoy us, and we're not letting some bat things steal that privilege."

"Gee, thanks, Yang!" Grif spat sarcastically, still sprinting in erratic zig-zags. "That really boosts my confidence right now!"

*BOOM!*

"Augh!"

Sarge used his shotgun to shoot the Grimm Ravager that was on Grif's shoulder, but instead he aimed directly at his kneecaps, intentionally trying to hurt him. Grif fell down in pain, but thanks to his armor, it only knocked him down. The small Ravager flew off of Grif, hovered in mid-air, and escaped further down into the caverns.

"Sarge! What the fuck!?" Grif yelled while clutching at his legs. "You were supposed to shoot the bat Grimm!"

"Eh, it got the job done." Sarge replied, adjusting his shotgun with a satisfied grunt. "Don't worry, Grif, it was a strategic knee shot. Had to get ya to stop running somehow, like the pansy you are."

Grif's groaned in pain and disbelief. "Pansy?! You shot directly into my kneecaps, you psycho!"

"Quit complaining." Sarge snapped, walking over to him "You'll be fine. You still got them bees knees thing going on, fragile and weak, but at least you'll live to get beaten another day."

Yang snickered at his comment. "Bees knees? Oh, now you're making me feel nostalgic, Ruby first time getting transferred to Beacon Academy, you had no idea how much she wanted to just be a normal girl with normal knees."

Sarge glanced back at her. "Really? Lil red herself, the scythe swinging, rose petals bursting, monster killer, wanted to be normal? Heh, why would she want that? Normal's overrated."

"Who's Ruby?" Donut asked.

"My sister." Yang answered.

"D'aw, that's just adorable." Donut complimented. "Everyone's first day at school can always make someone nervous. You have no idea how jittery I was around the buffed frat guys during my old college days. Their hands were like ginormous enough to choke someone."

"Let's just say she thought moving up two years ahead would make her weird and would put her out of place with the rest of the students at the academy." Yang replied.

Simmons was intrigued. "She did? Wow, I'm kind of jealous, I mean, normal sounds nice. You know, not being chased by Grimm, not constantly being blown up, not having Grif panic in every single dangerous situation we come across…"

"Ah, screw you guys!" Grif said with irritation. "I'm going home… Fuck this stupid shit and… Wait, what happened to the Grimm?"

"Guys!"

Blake gathered their attention and pointed up sharply, her eyes narrowed in focus. The group turned just in time to see the small Ravager Grimm from before is now back, now with a horde of at least thirty of its own kind swarming around the Reds and two huntresses. They saw their glowing red eyes and sharp mouths that seemed to glisten with malice under the dim light, their guttural screeches echoing ominously through the air. The horde swirled like a storm cloud of terror, circling above the group, as though deciding the best way to descend and tear them apart.

Grif froze in place, his fear getting the better of him. "Oh no! No! NO! NO! This is how I die!? I always thought I died from binge eating all day while watching a documentary on how pizza is made! Not fucking this!"

Yang stepped in front of him, raising her fists. "Grif, if you don't stop whining, I might just feed you to them myself!"

Blake's voice was steady, but her grip on Gambol Shroud tightened. "Stay focused! They're testing us! We need to come up with a plan and move fast before they dive."

Simmons adjusted his rifle nervously. "Do we have a plan that doesn't involve any of us becoming bait? I don't want to almost lose my entire arm again."

"Plan?" Sarge barked, cocking his shotgun. "I've got a plan: Shoot everything that moves, especially if it's ugly and has wings. That's what America—and by extension, me—was built on!"

Donut drew his pistol and glanced up at the horde. "Um, just throwing this out there... maybe they just want to talk? Like, what if they're misunderstood creatures with—"

*SCREECH!*

The Ravagers suddenly screeched in unison and began to dive, their formations sporadic but deadly.

"Never mind!" Donut yelped, raising his weapon. "They're just as mean as they look!"

Yang leapt into action, launching herself forward with a blast from her Ember Celica, the recoil propelling her into the thick of the swarm. Her fists connected with a sickening crunch, each punch tearing through the Grimm. The force of her strikes splattered at least about six Ravagers into dark, smoky remnants.

She tried to keep punching more of them, but the swarm closed in on her, forcing her to weave and dodge. Their claws and teeth struck like daggers, cutting through the air. She spun, firing another burst from Ember Celica to create an explosive shockwave that bought her a brief moment to breathe.

"Come on, you ugly bats! I dare ya to suck my blood!" Yang shouted; her grin unwavering. She charged forward again, throwing a powerful haymaker that sent another Ravager crashing into its allies.

Blake darted to her side, Gambol Shroud whirling in elegant arcs as she cut through the oncoming Grimm, each slash of her sword and sheath carving through the Ravagers with deadly efficiency. She spun on her heel, transform it into a gun, firing a shot from her pistol mid-twirl, taking down five Ravagers that had tried to flank Yang from behind.

"Nice shot!" Yang called out, blasting herself into the air with Ember Celica and slamming down into a group of baby Ravagers. The resulting impact sent several of them flying.

Blake didn't reply, too focused on using her clones to outmaneuver an advancing trio of bat Grimm. She left an afterimage behind, confusing the creatures long enough for her to dash forward and take them out with a single, clean swipe.

"Blake, behind you!" Simmons shouted, aiming his rifle at a swarm of six small Ravagers diving toward her. He fired a few shots but only managed to graze their wings.

Blake didn't even flinch. She activated her semblance again, dodging just as the Ravagers swooped down and stabbed through all of them with her blade like some sort of kebab until they all disintegrated.

Sarge, meanwhile, was in his element. He bellowed with glee as he blasted Grimm left and right with his shotgun, his movements less about finesse and more about overwhelming firepower. "Come on, you varmints! I've got enough shells for all of ya!" He roared as he leaped into the fray, swinging his shotgun like a makeshift club, hitting a lot of them to crash against each other.

Donut danced through the battlefield with surprising agility, pirouetting around the Ravagers' strikes from their fangs and claws. He kept firing his pistol in all directions. "You know, these things would be so much cuter if they weren't actively trying to kill us!" His shots managed to hit a few Grimm, though more by luck than accuracy.

"Donut, stop flirting with the Grimm and focus!" Simmons yelled, ducking as a Ravager swooped dangerously close to his head.

"I'm just saying!" Donut replied, narrowly dodging another attack. "A little heart to heart conversation wouldn't hurt every now and then!"

Grif, predictably, was doing his best to avoid any actual fighting. He crouched behind a large stalagmite, occasionally poking his head out to fire a few lazy shots into the ongoing fight. Somehow, one of his stray bullets clipped a Ravager mid-dive, sending it crashing into another.

"Wow." Blake muttered under her breath as she decapitated another Grimm by backflipping into the air and slicing its little neck off. "Even when he's not trying, he's more effective than he should be."

"Hey!" Grif called out, offended. "I heard that! And you're welcome!"

Yang chuckled as she drove her fist into the chest of another small Ravager, its body crumpling like a soda can under the force. "Don't let it go to your head, Grif! You might accidentally get good at this!"

"That's not even close to a compliment!" Grif protested, ducking as another Grimm screeched overhead. "But thank you! I still appreciate it!"

Sarge, meanwhile, had shifted gears into full-on assault. He stood atop a rocky outcrop, unloading his shotgun at the swarm while letting out a maniacal laugh. "This is what I live for! No cover fire, just good ol' fashion carnage! And you're all invited to the party!"

"Great, I'll go get the confetti…" Grif muttered sarcastically, firing a lazy shot into the air. Too bad he misses it entirely. Shocked by this, the small Ravager swoop down towards its target really quickly. Grif let his panic get the better of him and whimpered while he crouches down in fear.

*BANG!*

The Ravager then got blasted to smithereens thanks to his intellectual red partner saving him at the last minute. Using his battle rifle to shoot the Grimm until it disintegrated into dust before having the chance to attack him.

"Grif!" Simmons shouted as he narrowly avoided being bowled over by the falling Grimm. "Will you just get out of cover and actually kill these goddamn bats! You can't just curl up into a ball like some damn scaredy cat forever!"

"Fuck that! I don't want them to devour my corpse you know!" Grif exclaimed.

"Grif! Just because you're scared of bats and they're part Grimm, doesn't mean you get to sit on your ass while the rest of us risk our necks!" Simmons snapped, firing a burst from his rifle and hitting five-winged Grimm mid-flight. The creature screeched and spiraled downward before disintegrating into ash upon impact.

"Exactly!" Grif shouted back. "If I don't do anything, there's a better chance they'll eat your corpse first, giving me time to escape!"

"You're unbelievable!" Simmons growled, slapping a fresh magazine into his weapon. "We're all going to die if you don't help!"

Meanwhile, Sarge was in the thick of it, shooting his shotgun like there's no tomorrow. "Grif! You no-good, orange waste of space!" He bellowed as he smacked a Ravager Grimm with the butt of his gun. "Get out here and fight like a soldier, or I'll shoot you myself!"

"Honestly, dying to you sounds better than being eaten by Grimm bats." Grif muttered, peeking out from behind cover. "But I really don't want either!"

"Will you just get out and actually try to help out here!?" Simmons exclaimed, while reloading his battle rifle. "I'm sick of carrying your weight! Figuratively and literally!"

Blake, meanwhile, darted through the ongoing fight. She vaulted off a rock, using her Gambol Shroud slicing cleanly through two Ravagers before transforming it into a gun, as she shot down another mid-air. She then uses her ribbon to grapple onto a nearby rock structure that propels her safely to the ground. "If we're arguing about Grif's work ethic, we might as well be dead." She said calmly, landing gracefully next to Simmons.

"Well excuse me for being scared of bats okay!?" Grif yelled.

"Why are you scared of bats then!?" Yang asked, while punching through a couple Ravager Grimm, and dodging the swarm.

"Because they're bats, Yang!" Grif shouted, peeking out from behind cover as he fired a few more shots at the swarm. "They're small, they're fast, and they have teeth!" He winced as another Ravager zoomed past, narrowly avoiding the creature's claws. "I mean, what's not to be scared of? They can fly right at you, and before you know it, bam, you're eaten alive!"

"Grif, they're not even the larger Grimm." Blake called over her shoulder as she sliced through a couple of them with both her sword and sheath. "You can't let fear get the best of you right now."

Grif shook his head, still firing at the incoming swarm. "Easy for you to say. You're all like 'Oh, I'm gonna fight these things with style and grace because I went to a school that train barbarians to hunt and kill since childhood,' and I'm over here just trying not to have a fucking heart attack!"

"Heart attack of being scared? Or that your cholesterol levels are too high?" Simmons asked sarcastically, dodging and shooting groups of Ravagers.

"Fuck you! I can't help it!" Grif shouted.

Yang, still fighting off the Grimm, glanced at Grif and smirked. "If you'd stop panicking long enough to actually help us, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess!" She taunted, throwing a punch that sent four Ravagers flying.

Sarge is busy getting excited at battling the bat Grimm. He used his shotgun to kill at least six of them, but one of them tried to swoop down from behind. He noticed this and grabbed it with his hands holding it close to his face.

"Aw, how adorable? You lil vermin thought you almost had me?" Sarge taunted. The bat Grimm squirmed in Sarge's iron grip, its sharp claws scratching at his forearm, but the soldier was unfazed. He brought the creature closer to his face, almost as if he's smiling like crazy beneath his helmet. "You think you can get the drop on me? You filthy little bat?" His voice filled with both amusement and raw aggression. "Well, guess what, little guy? I want you to say hello to miss Betsy right here. And by Betsy, I mean my firearm. And by firearm, I mean my shotgun! And by shotgun, I mean-"

*BOOM*

Sarge fired a single shotgun shell into the creature's face. It screeched out in pain before having its entire face blown up by his shotgun. It then disappeared into dust from his grasp.

"Your death. Heh, heh, heh!" He finished.

Grif watched the whole scene unfold witnessing his leader killing the Ravagers without any struggle. "Okay, that's it. I'm done. No more bat killing for me." He ducked back behind his cover, clutching his gun like it was a lifeline.

Simmons, still fuming and taking down Grimm with every shot, shot Grif a dirty look. "You know, Grif, you're really going to have to stop being such a damn coward. We're all in this together, and you're still being a lazy fat ass as usual!"

"You've got a funny way of looking at things, Simmons!" Grif shot back, not even bothering to aim at anything. "When a bunch of flying monsters with sharp teeth come at me, I don't care if we're in it together! I care about not dying! Why do you care about Sarge so goddamn much? He's being a total psychopath right now!"

"Because he's still our leader and helping us out!" Simmons shot back, firing off another burst to down a group of Ravagers. "And because unlike you, he doesn't need a safe space to hide behind while the rest of us actually get things done! We're all out her fighting Grif! And you're acting like a goddamn hermit!"

"How!? There's way too many of them!" Grif pointed out. "There's absolutely no way we can survive!"

"Guys!" Donut shouted, sprinting across the field while avoiding any Ravagers crashing into him. "What if we tried blowing them all up in one spot?"

"What!?" Both Grif and Simmons yelled simultaneously.

"I got some grenades on me, if we lure all of the Ravagers into a tight group, I can toss them in and boom! Bye bye bat Grimm!" Donut explained feeling a little excited and cocky.

"That's… not a bad idea Donut." Simmons said, surprise as he turned to face the pink-armored soldier, who was oddly calm amidst the battle. "But the problem is that there's way too many Ravager Grimm. It'll take hours, possibly even a whole day to clear them all."

"So, what can we do? Don't we have some kind of bait to get their attention or something?" Donut asked.

Simmons thinks for a moment. "Well, Blake and her team told us that the Grimm from their world are attracted to negative emotion. Such as fear, rage, or sadness for example. So, we need someone who's full of that right now, someone… like…" He stops and turns to stare at his orange armored partner, who's currently behind cover.

Grif noticed his gaze and immediately raised his hands defensively. "Oh, hell no. Don't you dare even think about it!"

Simmons deviously stares at him, almost as if he's smirking underneath his helmet. "You're the perfect bait, Grif! You're literally oozing fear right now. If anyone can draw the Grimm into one spot, it's you!"

"Yeah, no thanks!" Grif shot back, shaking his head vigorously. "I already have a death wish just being out here, and now you want me to make myself even more of a target? Pass."

"Oh, come on Grif!" Donut replied. "You could save all of us a lot of trouble. You'd be helping everyone and save the day!"

"By dying horribly while you all sit back and watch!?" Grif exclaimed, his voice rising an octave. "Not happening!"

"If you don't do it, I'm telling Sarge that you're refusing a direct order." Simmons threatened, while pointing at their leader who's currently shooting the hordes of Ravager Grimm while laughing.

Grif groaned, clutching his helmet. "Fuck my life…" He muttered, already regretting this decision.

---

Sarge was busy reveling in the mayhem, his laughter echoing across the cavern as he reloaded his shotgun after taking down at least seven baby Ravagers. "Ha ha ha! This is what I live for! These Rav-whatever-you-call-it, are a hell of a lot more fun than I thought! They're just as much fun as killing off those dirty blues!" He continued to fire off rounds, each blast sending Ravagers scattering or disintegrating into black smoke.

As Sarge continued his rampage, laughing maniacally and blasting Ravagers left and right, he failed to notice the shadow of a much larger Ravager creeping up behind him. Its red eyes gleamed with malice, and its wings spread wide, casting an ominous silhouette against the flickering light in the cavern.

The creature moved slowly, inching closer with every passing second.

Blake used her Gambol Shroud with both blades in each hand, as she spun around and kill off two baby Ravagers before they swoop down onto her shoulder. As she turned around, she caught sight of the approaching danger. "Sarge, look out!"

"Huh? Whuzzat Blake?" Sarge failed to listen to her on time. The large Ravager Grimm brought out its razor-sharp claws, Blake acting on instinct, immediately dashed forward with her Shadow semblance, and brought out her Gambol Shroud in gun form to use her ribbon to grapple Sarge's body and yank him out of harm's way just as the large Ravager's claws came crashing down. The Grimm's attack narrowly missed, slashing deep gouges into the ground where Sarge had stood moments before.

"Whoa! What in tarnation!?" Sarge exclaimed as he was pulled to safety, landing with a grunt a few feet away. He looked up at Blake, momentarily stunned. "Was that really necessary, pussy cat? I had that thing right where I wanted it!"

Blake rolled her eyes, quickly retracting Gambol Shroud's ribbon. "You were about to get skewered, Sarge. A little gratitude wouldn't hurt, and why do you keep calling me a cat anyway? I… don't even look anything like one!"

Sarge shrugged. "Eh, I've seen the way you land, you're kind of like a chupa-thingy where they land on all fours."

Blake raised her eyebrow. "Chupa-what? Are you talking about a Puma or something?"

Sarge sighs. "We really need to stop letting Grif tell others about made up animals."

Before they could do anything, the large Ravager let out a deafening screech, its glowing red eyes locking onto the two of them. It spread its massive wings, stirring up a gust of wind that sent dust and debris flying.

"No time for chit-chat!" Blake called out, readying her weapon. "Sarge, we need to take this thing down before it goes after anyone else!"

Sarge grinned beneath his helmet, picking up his shotgun and pumping it with a satisfying ka-chunk. "Now you're speakin' my language, missy! Let's show this flying freak what happens when you mess with the Red Team!"

The Ravager lunged forward; claws outstretched. Blake dashed to the side with her semblance, creating a shadow clone to confuse the creature, while Sarge fired off a round aimed squarely at its head. The Grimm twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the shot, but Blake was already on the move.

She used Gambol Shroud's ribbon to grapple onto a nearby stalactite, swinging around and began slashing at one of the Ravager's wings. The creature noticed this and quickly whipped around its claw lashing out toward Blake with surprising speed. She narrowly avoided the strike by releasing her ribbon mid-swing, flipping gracefully through the air, but before she could land the Ravager headbutt her, causing her purple aura to flash briefly while sending her tumbling into the ground with a few bruises.

"Blake!" Sarge shouted, his tone uncharacteristically concerned. Without hesitation, he charged forward, firing his shotgun repeatedly at the Ravager. Each shot blasting chunks off the Grimm's dark, armor-like hide.

The creature roared, enraged, and turned its attention toward Sarge, its glowing red eyes filled with malice. It lunged at him, claws outstretched once more, but Sarge stood his ground.

"Come on, you overgrown mosquito! You think you can scare me?!" He bellowed, reloading his shotgun.

Blake groaned as she pushed herself off the ground, her aura flickering but holding steady. "Sarge!" She called, noticing the Ravager preparing a powerful swipe aimed at his torso.

*SLAM!*

Unfortunately, Sarge wasn't fast enough to dodge it, instead he got slammed by the Ravager's massive claw, sending him skidding across the cavern floor. His armor sparked and groaned under the impact, but Sarge managed to roll to his knees, clutching his chest.

The large Ravager Grimm began to approach Blake. She tried to get back up, but she struggled to compose herself after taking that nasty hit that put a strain on her aura.

Yang from a far, used her Ember Ceclia to utilize her shotgun blasts against four baby Ravagers. She kept them back from a distance by killing two of them that were in front of her by dodging and weaving as the Ravagers swooped in, their claws swiping dangerously close. Her hair faintly glowing as she ducked and spun, each move graceful yet explosive with the force of her attacks.

She stopped and noticed that her partner was in danger. Blake had always been quick on her feet, but she was clearly struggling after the massive hit from the large Ravager. Yang wasn't going to let that slide.

With a fierce growl, Yang powered up her gauntlets and propelled herself with an explosive shotgun blast from her Ember Ceclia thanks to her Burn semblance, killing the baby Ravagers along the way to reach her location. The large Ravager held up its wings and unhinged its jaw, looking like it was about to bite down on her. Blake closed her eyes and held her arms to her face preparing herself for the inevitable.

*CHOMP!*

The moment it came close to biting down on her, Blake opened her eyes and confused that the Grimm didn't bite down on her. Instead, it was stopped by something else, and when she witnessed what had happened, her eyes widened and jaw agape in shock. It turns out the Ravager bit on Yang's torso due to her sacrificing herself in order to protect Blake at the last minute. Her yellow aura flashed and flared brightly as the Ravager's massive jaws clamped down on her. The creature's teeth sank into Yang's body but did minimal harm thanks to her aura.

"Yang!" Blake screamed, her heart racing as she watched her partner in agony. She reached out, but she was too far away to help. Sarge also got back up, recovering from the attack, groaning in pain but carefully steadying himself slowly.

The creature's teeth sank into Yang with a sickening crunch, but she didn't cry out. Instead, Yang's expression remained fierce and unwavering, her eyes filled with determination. The Ravager swung her around and spat her out in the air, but Yang's eyes turned red, and her hair glowed bright. She landed onto a large boulder and used her Ember Ceclia to yet again launch herself towards the Grimm, destroying the boulder in the process. The Ravager tried to slash her with its right claw, but Yang yelled with her fist hitting it upon impact, causing a large shockwave around the area.

*SNAP!*

The Grimm tried to hold its ground, but it couldn't handle her immense strength and raw power. Forcing its entire arm and wing to snap, a sickening crack echoed through the cavern. The Ravager let out a guttural roar of pain, staggering backward as its broken arm and wing hung limp at its side. Yang took advantage of this moment and blast another powerful shotgun blast; it sent both of them flying. The Ravager Grimm let out one last roar, before dissolving into nothing but dark ashes. Yang couldn't protect herself, she was flung across the hard floor, until crashing onto a large stalagmite with her back against it.

"Yang!/Goldilocks!" Both Blake and Sarge rushed toward Yang, their voices filled with panic and concern. Blake was the first to reach her, dropping to her knees beside her partner. Yang's aura flickered faintly, a clear sign that it was dangerously close to breaking. She groaned, trying to sit up, but the pain was evident in her strained movements.

"Don't move!" Blake said firmly, gently placing a hand on Yang's shoulder to keep her steady. "You've taken too many hits. Let me check."

Sarge arrived seconds later, he was relieved to see that she was okay for the most part. "Dang it, Goldilocks, you sure know how to take a hit! That was some crazy action, but—uh—don't you go dying on us, ya hear?"

Yang managed a weak grin, wincing as she leaned back against the stalagmite. "I'm not... planning on it." She said, her voice strained but still carrying her trademark humor. "Just... needed to make sure that thing was gone for good."

Blake inspected her, her sharp eyes scanning for any serious injuries. While Yang's aura had absorbed most of the damage, there were still visible bruises forming along her arms and torso. Blake sighed in relief when she didn't find anything life-threatening.

"You're lucky your aura held out." Blake stated, though her tone betrayed her worry. "But you're not invincible, Yang! You need to be more careful!"

Yang chuckled weakly. "Careful doesn't win fights, Blake. Besides..." She reached out, placing a hand on Blake's arm. "You're safe. That's what matters."

Blake's bow twitched, and she looked away, her cheeks dusted with the faintest hint of pink. "Idiot…" She murmured, but her grip on Yang's arm tightened briefly, betraying her gratitude.

Sarge, meanwhile, crossed his arms and gave a gruff nod. "You're both tougher than most soldiers I've seen. Never thought I say this but uh… you're both pretty damn good… you know, for a pair of girls anyway."

Blake and Yang both looked at him dumbfounded and unamused. "Nice to see you're still as blunt as ever Sarge."

*SCREECH!*

Before any of them can celebrate their victory. They were startled by the unexpected piercing scream that came out of nowhere. A group of twenty baby Ravagers flew down from the shadows above, their behavior more erratic and unstable because of their recent battle against the large Ravager.

Sarge snickered. "Heh, looks like we killed off their mama. Betcha we're next on their menu."

Blake and Yang got back up from their position, but they held their arms defensively, their bodies tense and ready for the next wave. Both of them were visibly drained from their previous battle, their auras flickering faintly, but neither was about to back down.

"They're not going to give us a break, are they?" Blake muttered, her eyes scanning the swarm of enraged Ravagers descending upon them.

Yang cracked her knuckles, her fiery determination undiminished despite the pain radiating through her body. "Let 'em come. I've still got a few punches left in me." Her gauntlets clicked as she reloaded them.

Sarge casually pumped his shotgun. "Well, don't just stand there lookin' pretty, ladies. Let's turn these overgrown bats into mincemeat!"

The horde of Ravager were about to commence their attack upon the trio, that is until they sense something else that stopped them in their tracks.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!"

The Ravagers and the other three saw that Grif from earlier, was running all over the place, with a horde of bat Grimm on his tail. The Ravagers turned their attention away from their three prey and went to chase after the orange armored soldier instead. Yang, Blake, and Sarge all watch in confusion at the Grimm's sudden interest into wanting to kill Grif.

"What is he doing?" Yang asked.

"Well, Goldilocks, it seems Grif has managed to piss off nature itself. Even the Grimm want him gone!" Sarge answered, amused at Grif's antics.

Blake sighed, clearly unimpressed by Sarge's lack of seriousness. "No, his panicking is what causing those Ravagers to chase him. Grimm are attracted to negative emotions; they'll target anyone who's the most emotionally unstable."

"Hey guys!"

They all turn around to see Donut and Simmons rushing by their side, weapons drawn. Donut waved enthusiastically with a grenade in his other hand, while Simmons tightened his grip on his battle rifle.

"I know what you're thinking, how in the gosh darn heck are we gonna tear down all those little bloodsuckers?" Donut asked with a cheery tone.

Blake and Yang exchanged wary glances. "I feel like I'm not going to like where this is going." Blake added.

"Well, you'd be very surprised at how Grif's sheer panic can be weaponized!" Donut declared with an exaggerated flourish, tossing the grenade up and catching it casually.

"What does that even mean?" Yang asked.

Simmons groaned, already anticipating disaster. "We have a plan. Since the Grimm are attracted to stuff like fear, we thought it would be best if Grif gets to be the bait so he can round up all the baby Ravagers into one spot. Then Donut will throw the grenades while I try to shoot them, causing them to explode and kill all the Grimm efficiently."

Blake blinked in disbelief. "That's… your plan?"

"Yeah!" Donut exclaimed. "I have the best throwing arm in Red team! They used to call me the pitcher back when I was trying out to be an athlete! It's because of how I always-"

"Just shut up and throw the grenades when he gets here Donut!" Simmons interrupted, not wanting to hear another one of Donut's tangential stories.

Blake pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering. "This is the most ridiculous plan I've ever heard."

Yang crossed her arms, her expression somewhere between amusement and annoyance. "I mean, it's so bad it just might work." She said with a smirk, but her tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

"Sir? What's your input on this plan?" Simmons asked his red leader. "Do you reject this or-"

"Reject? Hah! What's there to reject? You mean to tell me this plan involves killing the remaining Grimm AND we get to hurt Grif in the process? Hell yeah! Initiate the plan Simmons and Donut!" Sarge yelled passionately.

"On it sir!" Simmons replied.

"You got it Sarge!" Donut said.

Grif's distant screams of "Oh, come on!" echoed through the cavern as if he had somehow heard Sarge's approval of the plan.

Yang chuckled. "You guys really don't pull any punches when it comes to teamwork, huh?"

"Teamwork? Young lady, this isn't just teamwork; this is Red Team ingenuity!" Sarge declared, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Sure, let's call it that." Blake muttered, rolling her eyes.

The sound of Grif's panicked footsteps grew louder, accompanied by the eerie screeches of the Grimm in pursuit. Grif burst into view, flailing his arms in pure terror as he sprinted past the group.

"ANY TIME NOW!" Grif yelled, his voice cracking as he dodged a swipe from one of the baby Ravagers.

"Donut, it's all you!" Simmons shouted, taking aim at the swarm.

"Roger that!" Donut yelled enthusiastically, pulling the pin from the grenade in his hand and winding up for the throw. With an overly dramatic twirl, he launched the grenade high into the air. The grenade landed perfectly in the center of the pursuing horde.

*BOOM!*

The explosion sent a shockwave through the cavern, vaporizing a significant chunk of the baby Ravagers on impact. The remaining Grimm scattered, only for Simmons to pick them off with well accurate shots. Donut immediately readied another grenade, tossing it into the cluster of the bat Grimm circling above.

*BOOM!*

"That's three for three!" Donut declared with pride.

Blake shielded her face from the flying debris, grimacing at the sheer chaos. "Well, that's one way to handle it." She observed.

Yang smirked. "Gotta hand it to them, they sure know how to blow stuff up."

*BOOM!*

Donut threw one last grenade that soared through the air, spinning end over end before landing in the center of a small cluster of remaining Grimm. While it managed to kill off the small Ravagers, Grif tried to run away, but the blast sent him tumbling forward, his feet kicked out from under him.

"Ow! What the fuck!? You hit me that time asshole!" Grif yelled harshly as he got back up.

"Whoops, sorry Grif! You shouldn't have been standing there!" Donut replied.

Grif shot him an incredulous look. "What do you mean 'shouldn't have been standing there'? I'm literally running for my life trying to be bait for you!"

"Quit complaining, Grif!" Sarge barked. "Your panic made you a… somewhat… valuable asset to the mission!"

"Yeah, you were like… our secret weapon!" Donut added.

Simmons just shook his head. "If it makes you feel any better. You actually put in the most amount of work this time, a whole new record of over fifteen minutes instead of the usual two seconds."

Grif slumped down, feeling exhausted with everything. "I hate you all…"

"Cheer up will ya?" Yang said. "You managed to help out at the very least instead of being so bat-phobic."

"Could you blame me Yang? The Grimm are even worse! They're like fruit bats with swords for claws!" Grif remarked.

"Hmmm, maybe it's unfortunate you're orange colored. Those Ravagers sure gave you something to peel about!" Yang joked, causing everyone to groan in annoyance.

Griff huffed. "Horrible pun aside. Thanks…"

Yang smirked. "See? You do know how to feel positive instead of being down in the dumps twenty-four seven!"

"Okay, don't push it." Grif stated to the blonde brawler.

"At least the Grimm are gone." Blake steps in.

Yang grinned. "And we're still in one piece somehow. That's a win in my book."

"Whatever, at least there's no more bat Grimm because holy shit! I don't ever want to go through that again!" Grif exclaimed, scared out of his mind after what happened. "Those little demons are somehow even more fucking scary than actual bats! I'm already afraid enough as it is, I don't want to deal with those winged freaks anymore!"

"Sheesh I agree with Grif." Simmons chimed in. "Dangerous animals were one thing, but a Grimm species version that makes them even more vicious and ferocious? Yeah, I'm not scared of bats and even I think that was just too much to deal with. Thank God there's no such thing as a giant snake Grimm or something like that, right Yang and Blake?"

Yang and Blake awkwardly glanced at each other, their expression showing somewhat guilty, making Simmons feeling a bit worried.

"Wh… Why aren't you two saying anything? I just said there's no such thing as… Oh God… don't tell me…" Simmons winced at the thought.

Yang and Blake both hesitated for a moment, their expressions betraying a bit of uncertainty before they exchanged a quick glance. Yang shrugged, trying to sound casual, but there was a noticeable edge to her voice.

"Well… I wouldn't say there's no such thing as a snake Grimm." Yang started, rubbing the back of her neck. "But it's not like something like that would show up after the Rava-"

*CRASH!*

Bursting from the other side of the stone walls, a large black snake with red eyes and bone structures on the top of its head, came out of the darkness, its enormous body coiling and hissing menacingly. The serpent's red eyes glowed, casting an eerie light as it slithered toward them, its bone-like protrusions rattling with each movement. The ground trembled beneath its weight, and the ominous screech of its hiss echoed near them.

The rest of the team were startled and saw the large snake Grimm rushing forward to attack its prey.

"Aw crap not a King Taijitu." Yang said, feeling deflated.

"What the fuck!? There is a fucking snake Grimm!? Goddamn it all! Snake Grimm!? Why! Why does it have to be snake Grimm!?" Simmons screamed in fear and frustration.

"I am never falling down into another hole with you guys ever again!" Grif yelled.

"Man, I never saw anything like that in a hole! And I've explored just about every hole you can think of!" Donut pointed out, failing to realize what he just said.

"Our aura is dangerously low! Ugh, we won't survive against something like that!" Blake added, while feeling the strain on her body.

Sarge, unfazed by this, cocked his shotgun, ready for what's to come. "Men? Ladies? Today… is a good day to die!"

*Roar!*

The King Taijitu let out a devasting roar, as it leapt from its position and ready to devour its six targets on sight. They were about to fight off against the large snake Grimm with what little strength and energy they wasted against the Ravagers from before, that is until something shocking happened before their eyes.

*BAM!*

"Take this you freak of nature!"

A red blur whipped through the air, colliding with the King Taijitu's side with the force of a freight train. The serpent hissed in pain, its body recoiling from the sudden impact. For a brief moment, the team froze, stunned by the sudden intervention. A figure landed between them and the monstrous Grimm, kicking up dust and debris as they hit the ground, a fierce, determined stance taking shape.

The figure is a red echidna, has white spiky boxing gloves, and shoes with a mixture of red, yellow, and green with some sort of grey metal-like brick in the middle. He also has dreadlocks, purple eyes, and a white stripe across his chest.

"Who the hell is that!?" Grif shouted.

"I don't know!? Things just stop making sense like three chapters ago!" Donut answered.

"Will you stop talking about your weird fanfiction when we're about to die!" Simmons reprimanded him.

"Sorry! Force of habit!" Donut apologized.

"Hmmmm, whoever that red fella is, I think I'm starting to like him already." Sarge commented, appreciating the red echidna that punched the King Taijitu.

"Oh gee, I wonder fucking why?" Grif said sarcastically.

Blake observes the red anthropomorphic animal, realizing who he might actually be. "Wait, are you one of Sonic's friends?" She asks him.

"You guys know Sonic?" He questioned.

"You mean the story he told us about when you guys fought an egg dude that sent out robots and wants world domination? Then yeah, we know him." Yang continued; her tone playful but laced with curiosity. "Though I gotta admit, this wasn't exactly part of the story."

The red echidna smirked, standing tall. "Name's Knuckles. Guardian of Angel Island, treasure hunter, and one hell of a fighter. Guess Sonic left out the best parts, huh?" He flexed his spiked fists, cracking his knuckles with a sound.

"Wait, Angel Island? Treasure hunter?" Blake asked, her mind racing to connect the dots. "Sonic really didn't explain much."

Sarge groaned in annoyance. "I'm pretty sure that blue rat did that on purpose."

"Shocking." Simmons deadpanned, still clutching his rifle nervously. "Well, I guess that's another weird character to add to the insanity that is our lives."

"Seriously?" Grif replied. "Why does it feel like every time we try to deal with something, more insane stuff just piles on?"

"Hey, I'm here to save your butts! You're welcome, by the way!" Knuckles snapped, his tone impatient. "Now, how about you all let me focus so we don't become snake chow?"

"Hey! I'll have you know my butt is always safe! I always use protection for special occasions like this!" Donut interjected.

"Did not need to know that." Knuckles deadpanned with a sweatdrop.

The King Taijitu got back up, shrugging off and recovering from Knuckles' punch to its side. It let out another roar and lunged toward him, its massive jaws opening wide. Knuckles didn't flinch. Instead, he dashed forward, planting his feet firmly into the ground before delivering a devastating uppercut straight to the creature's jaw. The impact sent the Grimm recoiling again, its body slamming into the cavern walls.

This also causes the entire cavern to shake for a little bit, putting everyone off their balance except for Knuckles. Once it stopped, they managed to regain their footing without falling down.

"Woah! Guess we now know what caused that weird earthquake from earlier." Yang said.

"That would explain it, but never would I imagine it was because of him fighting against the Grimm underground." Blake added, pointing at the echidna.

"Jesus, just how strong are Sonic and his friends actually are!?" Simmons exclaimed.

Knuckles grinned, planting his hands on his hips. "Strong enough to save the world on a daily basis. You're welcome, by the way." His cocky demeanor was short-lived as the King Taijitu hissed again, recovering and coiling its massive body like a spring.

The Grimm lashed out, its tail sweeping across the floor like a wrecking ball. Knuckles leapt over it effortlessly, flipping mid-air before delivering a powerful downward punch that cracked the stone beneath his feet. The King Taijitu dodged, but its tail smashed into a stalagmite, sending rock fragments flying in all directions.

Before Knuckles could go in for another strike, a high-pitched voice echoed through the cavern, cutting through the tension.

"Knuckles! You better not be hogging all the fun without me!"

The group turned to see where that voice came from, there was a pink blur that shot into the scene, flipping through the air with finesse before landing in front of them. Standing confidently was a female pink hedgehog with a red headband and dress, she's wielding her pink and yellow hammer, which glinted ominously under the dim cavern light.

"Wait, who's that?" Yang asked, squinting. "Another one of Sonic's friends?"

"Yup, that's Amy," Knuckles replied nonchalantly, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his face. "And no one invited you, Amy."

"Pfft. Like I need an invitation to help out." Amy retorted with a wink, still holding her hammer. "Besides, it looked like you were having all the fun, and I wasn't about to miss this! By the way, nice pink armor you got there!" She points at Donut.

Donut gasped. "Thanks! I like your hammer; it looks so fabulous!" He said with an enthusiastic clap of his hands. "Do you bedazzle it? Because I totally would if I had one!"

Amy blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the compliment. "Uh, no… but that's a good idea. Maybe some glitter? Or stickers?"

Knuckles groaned. "Amy, focus! You can trade fashion tips after we deal with the giant murder snake!"

Amy smirked, twirling her hammer over her shoulder. "Fine, fine. But after this, the pink guy and I are definitely gonna have a conversation about accessorizing."

"Oooh, I can't wait!" Donut squealed, practically bouncing.

"So, you admit it?" Grif asked.

"What?" Donut didn't understand.

"Donut, she called you pink because of your armor." Simmons gestured to his armored body. "You kept calling it lightish red ever since you've gotten this armor. Are you now accepting that your-"

"Fellas what are you talking about?" Donut interrupted, tilting his head in genuine confusion.

Sarge steps in. "Private Donut, you've been on this whole 'lightish red' crusade, and now? That there pink hedgehog called you pink, ironic ain't it? Don't sound lightish red to me."

Donut gasped dramatically, clutching his chest like he'd been mortally offended. "I would never lie about my lightish red armor like that! Amy simply has excellent taste and clearly knows a sophisticated color when she sees one!"

"Sophisticated?" Grif repeated.

"Yes! Pink is… uh, adjacent to lightish red!" Donut said, floundering. "It's… like… a cousin color! Practically the same thing, really. Totally interchangeable!"

…

The Red team are put in awkward silence for a few seconds not knowing how to respond back. Grif then sighs realizing it's pointless to argue with someone like him. They stopped talking to Donut and focused back onto the fight at hand.

"You know what? Screw it, let's just watch the animals fight each other to death." Grif said.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna let this one go. There's no winning here." Simmons said flatly.

"Ditto." Sarge added.

"What…? What…?" Donut said, confused by the outcome of it all.

---

Back to the fight, Knuckles wasted no time diving back into the action. The King Taijitu lunged at him with its fangs bared, the massive snake's movements creating gusts of wind that knocked up loose rocks and dirt. Knuckles ducked under the serpent's attack, slamming his spiked fists into the ground with such force that shockwaves rippled outward. The ground cracked, creating uneven terrain that forced the Grimm to adjust its movement.

"Damn." Yang muttered, watching in awe despite her exhaustion. "This guy really knows how to bring the pain."

"They sure do look like they know how to coordinate with each other as a team." Blake noted.

Amy dashes around the King Taijitu, her agility on full display. She hopped from rock to rock like a gymnast, swinging her hammer in precise, elegant arcs. The Grimm tried to strike her with its tail, but she vaulted over it with ease, spinning midair and landing on the snake's back.

"Bad move, scaly!" Amy shouted, raising her hammer high. She brought it down with such force that the impact reverberated throughout the cavern, causing a section of the creature's scales to crack. The Grimm screeched in pain, thrashing wildly to shake her off.

Knuckles used the opportunity to land a devastating blow to the creature's exposed underbelly, his fists moving in rapidly. Each hit resonated with powerful blows as the serpent's armor-like scales began to give way.

"Tag team!" Amy called out, flipping off the creature as it swung its massive head toward her. She landed gracefully next to Knuckles, who smirked and cracked his knuckles again.

"Don't get cocky, Amy. This thing's tougher than it looks," Knuckles warned.

"Oh, please." Amy grinned, twirling her hammer effortlessly. "We've handled way worse than this. Still remember what Metal did to ya?"

Knuckles groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm still trying to shake off that aching headache he gave me!"

The King Taijitu hissed, its glowing red eyes locking onto the two fighters. It coiled its massive body, preparing for a powerful strike. In a blur of motion, the Grimm lunged at them, its gaping jaws aiming to crush them both in one bite.

*BAM!*

Knuckles launched himself upward with explosive power, driving another punch directly into the creature's lower jaw, slamming it shut with a crack. It was enough to send the King Taijitu skidding back, but it quickly regained its balance, hissing louder in fury.

"Alright, Amy, let's end this!" Knuckles shouted, dropping into a fighting stance.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Amy replied with a grin, holding her hammer with such speed it whistled through the air.

The King Taijitu lashed out again, whipping its tail toward Knuckles. He ducked under the attack and dashed forward, landing a thunderous punch into its body, forcing it to rear back in pain.

Knuckles dashes forward to the creature's head, grabbing hold of one of its massive fangs. "Let's make it less slippery so it won't try anything funny!" With a roar of effort, he wrenched the fang out, ichor spraying in every direction. The Grimm shrieked, its body convulsing in pain.

Amy's eyes lit up as she saw what Knuckles was doing. "Good idea!" Without hesitation, she jumped from her spot high in the air and landed in front of the Grimm's face. She swung her hammer like a baseball bat, knocking loose its other fang in a single blow. The Grimm let out a high-pitched wail, its movements growing frantic.

Knuckles tossed the bloody fang to Amy. "Think fast!"
Amy caught it with one hand, spinning it like a baton. "Oh, I've got something special for this one!"

The King Taijitu lunged again, its jaws snapping wildly, but Knuckles and Amy moved in perfect sync. Knuckles charged low, tackling its side and holding down its tail with sheer brute strength. "Now, Amy!"

Amy vaulted into the air, gripping the fang tightly. With a downward arc, she stabbed the fang directly into the Grimm's glowing red eye. The creature screeched, its body twisting violently as it tried to dislodge the weapon.

Before it could recover, Amy reeled back her hammer for a powerful swing. "Sorry little guy, I'm no one's snack." With all her might, she swung upward, slamming the hammer directly into the fang already embedded in the Grimm's eye. The combined force sent a devastating attack with the fang dove deeper into its skull.

The King Taijitu convulsed one last time before its head exploded violently, its massive body slumped lifelessly to the ground until it disintegrated into nothing, the cavern echoing with silence.

Knuckles stood, dusting himself off. "As if I'll let some amphibians get the better of me."

Amy looks at him unamused. "Reptile Knuckles… It's not a frog."

Knuckles shrugs. "Eh, so what? It's not a croc like Vector."

Amy sighed. "Do you even pay attention in biology?"

Knuckles smirked. "Nah, but I don't need a lesson to know I'm stronger than some snake."

Amy rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're good in a fight, or I'll go back to calling you knucklehead."

Knuckles crossed his arms, grinning. "Go ahead. It doesn't matter what you call me. At the end of the day, I'm still the guy who punched that snake's head off. Besides your nicknames are tolerable compared to Sonic."

Amy gave him a playful shove. Yeah, and I'm the one who made sure it stayed off. You're welcome by the way."

Knuckles chuckled. "Fine, fine. Thanks for the assist, pinky."

Amy smirked back. "Anytime, knucklehead."

From their spot nearby, the Red Team, along with Blake and Yang, gawked at the carnage, speechless.

"Wow, that… was just plain awesome!" Yang said with excitement.

"Impressive, that red echidna and pink hedgehog are capable of handling the King Taijitu on their own." Blake noticed. "Sonic and his friends make it seem so easy compared to us."

"Okay… That was the most horrifyingly badass thing I've ever seen." Grif commented.

"Seconded." Simmons added, feeling a little scared.

"Thirded." Donut chimed in cheerfully. "Also, do I look good with a hammer? Thinking about getting one for myself for… combat reasons."

"Hundred-ed!" Sarge exclaimed. "The red guy over there might just have what it takes to be part of the Red Team army! His spiky knuckles and insane power are perfect for smashing skulls and taking names! He got all the qualities of a fine soldier! Oh, I know! We've already gotten ourselves a Lil Red back at the surface. So, I'm gonna call you… Big Red!"

"Call me that again and I'll punch you in the throat!" Knuckles yelled in annoyance.

…

"With that attitude, I don't think you should be friends with our Lil Red, Big Red!" Sarge said dramatically, pointing at the red echidna.

Knuckles just awkwardly stare at them feeling a little dumbfounded towards the Red leader while Amy, Yang, and even Grif, put their hand over their mouth as they tried their best to stifle themselves from exploding into a laughing fit. Blake just shook her head, Simmons facepalmed, and Donut… well he was too busy thinking about the hammer to even care right now.

Now our gang have discovered the whereabouts of Knuckles and Amy after knowing that they disappeared along with Sonic and Tails during their little incident with Eggman. While they did find them underground, there are even more questions that they have yet to search the answers to. Did the teleporter transport the Grimm even further into the world? What will happen next? And what is going on with Ruby, Sonic, and the Blue Team on their side of the story?

---

And that was Chapter 8!

This was an interesting one because I wanted to do something different compared to the original RvB show. There, they had Simmons and Grif constantly being in fear over bats and snakes, yet there was never really much payoff instead its just the jokes are that they're scared and upset with each other over it… and that's it. Here, I made it so at least they're more involved in facing their fears in front of them, how they react, and how they handle the situation even if they weren't really the ones to fight against them all.

I did like the dynamic I did with Blake and Yang, I wanted to emphasize their teamwork and how much they care for each other when it comes to fighting the Grimm, while the opposite is the Red Team because they don't really see each other as comrades in arms since they're supposed to be idiots that are a mess and disorganize, but still stay together through the end.

Looks like Ruby, Sonic, and the others are learning more about Project Freelancer and the threat of Wyoming. Of course, as expected they're not so keen with the thought of killing someone to get rid of a threat, Ruby did seem dishearten to learn how someone who use to be an ally for a team, only to turn on their backs and betray them as if they meant nothing to them. Something that Ruby will unfortunately learn as a leader that making tough decisions can lead to such drastic results, what'll it be? Maybe the story will be told eventually.

But wait! What about Metal Sonic! What about him! He showed up in the last chapter! Why didn't we see more of him! Will that mean Eggman is also coming? It's okay, they'll still show up, but rest assure they'll appear more later in the story for an important climax.

Anyway, that's all for now, any form of criticism is welcome, review, comment, favorite, share, and I'll see y'all in the next chapter, bye!