Chapter -10-

"Sean, do you have any other family that you can remember? How did the Master find you? With Fang hurt I want to come home with another slave to equal our numbers."

Sean thought for a few moments and spoke. "I was taken from a cave north of here two months ago. I had a younger brother named Carson. He was out when I was taken so he could still be there as without me he would not leave. Master…can we get my brother and make him your slave…I miss him so much…he is the only other thing in my mind…no matter how hard I try to forget him I cannot."

"Sean, lead the way. Find the cave and we will bring your brother home."

Sean smiled a huge grin and we followed him into the forest again. It took over three hours before Sean finally stopped us.

"The cave is right there. My brother might be inside. What is my command? How do we do this?"

I ordered Tails to guard the exit and I followed close behind Sean as he entered the cave.

"Sean!" I heard a boy yell and then come running towards Sean. Once he saw his brother he stopped in his tracks and began to back away.

"Sean? What…what happened to you? I thought you were dead…where are your clothes…?"

"I was saved by a great Mobian and I now serve an amazing Master…I don't need the clothes anymore…they only slow me down…"

"Master? What do you mean Master? Sean…what did they do to you?" The boy cried. "Sean, don't get any closer…I can't…can't be a slave…please don't…"

Sean grabbed his brother and threw him against the cave wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Sorry brother, but I want you with me…you have to be a slave for that to happen." Sean looked at me. "Can I inject him with the serum Master? He is about as ready as he is going to be."

I allowed him to inject his brother and within a few moments the human was already standing up again, although his eyes were lifeless and empty. It seemed humans were affected differently by the serum than Mobians when first injected. The younger brother looked almost like a zombie at this point.

"Master? Is he ok?" Sean said. "Tails didn't do this when he was injected."

I walked up to Sean's brother and waved my hand in front of his face. He did not react to it in any way. I then smacked him across the face and he did not react at all.

"What is your brother's name Sean?" I asked.

"Carson. My Master, his name is Carson."

"Carson, I command you to wake up."

When I spoke to Carson, his eyes began to re-focus and within a few moments he was aware of his surroundings again.

"I hear…and obey…Master…" Carson said slowly. "What are my commands?"

Carson looked over at his brother and then back to me. "Master…my brother…am I allowed to be with my brother?"

"Yes my slave, Sean came for you. He wanted you to be part of our clan."

Carson looked back at his brother and then at himself. He then began to remove his pants and took off his shirt. The boy was well toned and tanned. He had shaggy brown hair and the grey eyes of an enslaved warrior. The boy would be a great addition to my clan.

"Master…I am more like my brother now…am I more acceptable now?"

"Carson you have always been acceptable or we wouldn't have come for your services. You are a welcome addition to my warrior clan. We will work together in order to take back the planet. You and your brother will be instrumental in taking back what is ours!"

Carson puffed his chest and his brother smiled. "Thank you Master! I am so happy that I can be with my brother for the rest of our lives!"

Sean gave his brother a long hug and then came and gave me a hug as well.

"God I love you my Master…you have made me the happiest slave ever!"

Sean nuzzled into my chest. "I will never disobey you…ever…I am yours forever!"

Tails walked into the cave and bowed to me.

"Master, there is no one outside, so I came here in order to be given new commands. I just want to be as helpful as I can be to you. For some reason I really love you and do not want to disappoint you."

Carson looked at Tails. "I feel the same way…I just really love you so much…I…I don't want to fail you…I want to please you no matter what the command is!"

Hearing Tails talk like a slave made my head suddenly begin to hurt. I shook it off for a few minutes, but the pain began to blur my vision.

"Master? Are you ok?" Sean asked.

"Y-yeah…my head…really hurts…we need to get back home."

I stumbled forward a few steps and fell over…I couldn't see straight and my head felt like it was on fire. It seemed like every time I started to really feel like I was pleasing the Master this happened!

Tails ran to me but I put my hand out to stop him. I wasn't sure why this had happened to me, but his presence had brought this on.

"Tails, I'll…I'll be fine. This has happened more than once."

The other two slaves tried to help me as well but I waved them off…I needed to deal with this on my own.

"Elias."

I heard my name, but none of my slaves said it. I looked around but I couldn't see very well from the sudden migraine.

"This isn't you. Remember. Remember who you are."

Ok…I knew I heard a voice that time.

"Sean…did you say something?" I asked.

"No, Master I wasn't commanded to speak."

Of course he wasn't…what was happening to me…

I put my hand up to my ear and contacted the Master.

"Master, I have found Tails and Sean's brother. Both are under our control."

The Master crackled into my ear. "Great job my Prince. Bring them home. Fang has arrived and I've put him into the healing chamber…he should be fine."

Suddenly my head began to clear at his voice. Thank god.

"Thank you Master, I will be slightly delayed as I have come down with a severe migraine that stopped us…but since talking to you it has begun to clear up."

"You are the slave of no Mobian. You are a leader of Mobians and men alike. Remember."

I wouldn't tell him the voices I had begun to hear. He'd think I was cracking up.

The line was silent for a few minutes.

Suddenly the Master replied. "Once you make it back, report to me. I'll see what is wrong with you."

"Do not obey. Run. Be free."

I shook the voice from my head. "As you command it shall be, my Master. I will get back as soon as I can."

I commanded Sean and Carson to help me up. Tails frowned at this but said nothing.

"Those boys could be far more helpful and loyal if their minds were free."

God why was this happening to me? Was I going insane?

"You could be fully freed. Then you could lead your people."

I am leading my people. The Master has given me my status as Prince back. Without the Master I would be nothing but a low class soldier.

Without the Master I was nothing dammit!

I didn't scream out loud but in my head I was screaming! "Get out of my head! Leave me in peace! I am happy as a slave and I am given more free will than any of Robotnik's servants…and my sister just kills us all off because she is inept! LET ME BE!"

The three boys stared at me as the last three words escaped my mouth.

"Sorry…sorry my slaves…that was not directed at you. I am very ill and need to get home quick before it gets worse."

"It is ok Master…we'd love you even if you didn't love us back…we cannot help but love everything about you."

Sean intervened. "Yeah! I'd love you even if you commanded me to leave and never return…but you'd never do that…I hope…I'd still love you though!"

I smiled at the craziness of Sean's thought process. His brother was the same…

Tails smiled at me which made my head hurt again. "We all love you Master…no matter what you say or do. You complete us."

"Tails used to be your brother…now…slave…which was better?"

To be honest…slave Tails was a lot easier to control.

Suddenly I realized we were home. The three boys went to the barracks and I went straight to the Master's lab.

"Run. Be free. He isn't in charge of you. Stop obeying and be free."

"M-master…h-help me…" I whimpered.

The Master's eyes widened and he grabbed me as I began to fall again.

"So…d-dizzy…" I cried. "Voice in head…won't…go away…telling me not to listen to you. Not to obey."

The Master said nothing for a few seconds then spoke. "What do you want to do Elias? Obey or be free?"

I looked up at my Master as he rubbed my tired muscles. "Obey. I am free as long as I'm here. Robotnik would make me a cyborg and I'd have no will. I have choices over my slaves…I am happy."

"You are lying to yourself"

The Master laid me down on a familiar table. "Fang, come assist me."

Fang entered the room silently. His eyes were very different. I assumed the Master had to do some fancy work to save him.

"Fang will be fine Elias. I had to reprogram him again…but I think his mind will hold this time. The new nano machines I stole from Robotnik last week have been tested and I used them in his brain."

Fang stood by the Master and awaited his command.

"Fang, I need you to go get Tai and Drago for me."

Fang nodded and left towards another part of the lab…odd…the boys should have been in the barracks…

"My slave, I have rewarded you for your hard work. I have used the new nano machines on your brothers. They will be allowed to go with you on missions now."

I was excited….

"He has betrayed you…be free…free"

"Is your head still hurting my slave?"

"Yes…horribly…mind…still wants me to disobey."

The Master began to massage my shoulders and my mind cleared a bit.

Until I saw Tai…and saw his eyes. Saw his expressionless face.

"Master…what happened to Tai? What happened to my brother?"

The Master laughed. "Nothing. He is fine. He is waiting to be awakened again by his new Master. I no longer claim command over him. As I said, you are in control of the slaves and I control you."

Tai certainly looked different. His body was much more cut and he looked a little older. His face saddened me as it was soulless looking. He did not focus on anything and I noticed his eyes were cold and glassy. His ears were also drooped and his tail limp on the ground.

"Master…he looks…like a zombie…is he going to stay like that?"

The Master growled. "I already told you…he is waiting on you to awaken him. I reprogramed him with the new nano machines. He is yours."

"This is wrong. You know it is wrong."

I moaned in pain. "Master…"

"Fang, bring me the cart by the door." The Master commanded. Fang quickly obeyed.

"Now now my slave, you will feel a slight prick in your neck. Ignore it and relax."

"No…do not fall for his tricks. It isn't too late to save yourself!"

I relaxed as the Master rubbed my shoulders and everything went black.