(NOTES:

1. In this book, you may replace "{Buddy}" with yourself or your Avatar (from Sonic Forces), and replace the pronouns accordingly.

2. "[…]" indicate a translation so that a reader can understand what is really being said in an unknown language (spoken by any one of the Phantoms). Please note that any character hearing the translated portions are hearing it in the unknown tongue, so they do not understand what is being said.)

Chapter 1

Infinite's End

After being defeated, Infinite could no longer bear his shame. He stood in a corner as the war outside was still waging on. After a while, he could feel that the doctor had been defeated, because he could no longer feel the Phantom Ruby Prototype providing him power. He knew his efforts were all done in vain at this point. As Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic, and the Mobian that Infinite greatly underestimated ({Buddy}) fought the creature that was dormant inside of the Death Egg Robot, Infinite was in deep thought.

'All this time I've wasted! For what purpose did I try? To make a new name for me? To become stronger? Was all of this worth it?', Infinite thought to himself. He realized that what he really wanted was his squad, his family, his friends. His squad was everything to him and being a mercenary was his best niche. He lost all that he tried to forget by joining some great scientist that ended up failing. Infinite truly felt weak now, he couldn't hide his face. He felt ashamed at his decisions and began to regret everything he had done. 'What could I do now?', he questioned himself in thought.

There was a long moment of silence as if the world was standing still. Infinite felt an unsettling feeling within him, yet the moment was so silent, almost serene. He knew it was over, that everything he had done was for nothing, the darkness is over. Eggman had lost and the Empire was no longer going to maintain its control. It was the end of the end and would become the beginning of something new.

After Eggman had made his way back to what remained of his Empire in ruin, he could barely maintain his sanity as his face was red with anger, for this is the side of Eggman that most (us fans) never see. The door to his base opened as a mad Eggman stomped in as Orbot and Cubot met him. He pushed Orbot out of the way and kicked Cubot, sending him spinning and rolling away. "GAGHH! I HAD THAT PESKY RESISTANCE IN MY HANDS!", Eggman yelled, as Orbot and Cubot stabilized and shook in programmed fear. Eggman made his way towards his lab as he knocked over equipment and other objects in his path; but, he noticed the figure in one of the corners of the room.

"YOU!", Eggman directed angrily at Infinite while pointing. "You! I thought you would surely be able to handle Sonic and his 'partner'! But you failed me! You let them escape, you let them take advantage! We wouldn't have lost had it not been for your actions!" Eggman took a moment to pause, waiting for a response, but Infinite did not move as he just stood there with his arms folded and head down in total silence. "So you have nothing to say in your defense? Well then, I guess this means you accept that you are just as you were before you joined me, nothing!" Enraged, Eggman ordered a command: "Eggrobos, seize Infinite, immediately!", and some Eggrobos seized Infinite and took him over to a chair, as Eggman further directed them; meanwhile, Eggman went over to a small cabinet and got a syringe and filled it with some pinkish substance before walking over to where Infinite was taken.

Infinite was too weak to do anything as the doctor strapped him down and secured him to the chair. "I have no place anymore, my name means nothing now, and I am completely ashamed of myself.", said Infinite. "As you should be! And today, you no longer are apart of the Eggman Empire, you're just a ragtag, worthless, weak, invaluable Jackal!", said Eggman, as he stuck the needle into Infinite's shoulder, injecting the pinkish substance from the syringe into him. Infinite could only listen to his words and accepted them as the truth. Infinite began to feel lightheaded and passed out as Eggman went into another section of the lab to get some tools and equipment before returning to where Infinite was. Eggman began to use the special equipment he retrieved to remove the Phantom Ruby Prototype from Infinite's chest.

After successfully removing the Phantom Ruby Prototype from Infinite's chest, Eggman went to the laundry section of his base, got a garbage bag, returned to where Infinite was, loosened the bag up, unstrapped Infinite from the chair, and bagged him up. He walked over to his garage and hopped into his Egg Mobile with the bag and started up the hovercraft as he opened the garage door, and then flew out. He flew far away and didn't near any populated areas, and eventually found a dense forest. Eggman landed his craft and tossed the bag into a bush. "Like the garbage you really are.", said Eggman; he then returned to his base.

Back at his base, Eggman stamped into his lab, went to his chair in his office, located next to the lab, and sat down to think. He wondered what to do because there was a lot of things that needed to be done and a lot of planning to do for the future. He summoned the Eggrobos and ordered them to go out into Earth/Mobius and gather all the scraps and parts of his robots and mechs. Eggman planned to recycle or repurpose the materials for new projects or for storage to be used later. He started to pace around, asking himself, "How could my greatest weapon, the Death Egg Robot fail!? I, the smartest doctor in the world became the ultimate form of life and yet I still lost! I lose every time no matter what, but why!?" He returned to his desk and sat in his chair, frustrated, then began typing up a summary of his recent failures in a document on his computer so that his next strategy and plans could be more of a success. Eggman continued his work as hours passed until it was dark outside; meanwhile after dark, far away, a new beginning was happening.

"AGH!", screamed Infinite as he tore out of the bag, maskless, staring into the dark forest around him from the bush he was in. "I guess this is it for Me. There's nothing else, my name is ruined, my squad is gone, I have nothing now.", he continued. Since it was getting late, he stayed in the bush and wrapped himself with the trash bag and went to sleep. He woke up several times as he had several nightmares throughout the night. One is the defeat of his squad, another of his recent failures, and more. The night was long for Infinite, but a new journey would begin for him in the morning.

It was morning, as Infinite awoke from a long night of torment. He stumbled out of the bushes and onto the forest floor; he had no mask and no hope, but this was another chance for him. A new beginning was starting, a new journey for the Jackal named Infinite, it was up to him to walk on a new path. He could make a new name for himself and leave all of his shame and actions behind him. What will he do? Start a new squad? Travel the world? The possibilities are endless.