The Ultimate Step

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The progress of Manny's group gave the semblance of an odd procession. At its head, serious and professional, was Manny himself, seconded by Mighty as Knuckles' representative. The tiny group of soldiers followed, more or less one by one, most of them keeping watch on Amy and Tails who were walking in the middle, while one of them took it upon himself to carry Moe's dead body. Anya proudly closed the column, occasionally keeping an eye on the one she identified as her personal prisoner – Amy.

The pink hedgehog was going through one of the most painful moments of her life. She had always dreaded this confrontation – yet there was nothing at all she could do now to prevent it. In addition to the emotional devastation she had suffered from her public humiliation mere moments ago, the knowledge that Anya was possibly watching her every move was oppressing beyond measure and kept her paralyzed, disabling any sense of initiative she had once enjoyed. Every step she took was a step towards her demise and went against her every instinct to survive, but she was completely unable to act otherwise, dominated by the perception of Anya's intimidating stare. This overpowering contradiction made her feel like her mind was about to explode.

After about an hour of this agonizing march, the group neared the edge of Borealis. This side of the base's perimeter was determined by a huge U-shaped hangar. The group walked past one of its two side wings, finally reaching the Islander forces' meeting place for today.

Amy immediately noticed the presence of at least a dozen troopers loosely scattered over the field, relaxing after supposedly having accomplished their duty for today. Unconcerned about resting in the open, the Islanders probably figured they already controlled the base, especially now that the rebellious Tails was captured. At a small distance from the approaching unit, one could discern three dominant figures standing on top of a small hill, engaged in a serious conversation: they were none other than the de facto triumvirate heading the force sent by the Floating Island.

Most prominent because of his conspicuous color was Knuckles, the red echidna famous for being the Guardian of the Master Emerald that kept the Floating Island in the air. However difficult it was to distinguish his expression, it was clear Knuckles did not look at his best. Though standing upright, he was not on full form as parts of his body were bandaged and he himself was rather dirty. Considering he had been recently due at the antechamber, his lackluster aspect could be a result of his possible involvement in the explosion heard earlier.

Next to him, a tall and wide bulldog overshadowed his two colleagues with his robust appearance. It was easy to guess he was probably the Captain, considering the leader of the Alpha unit was particularly known for literally barking orders at his minions. His formidable image easily confirmed Mighty's assessment that he was, in practice, the actual leader of the Islander forces.

It was the third figure that immediately grabbed Amy's attention… Slug the Machine. There he was, as silent and determined as she had seen him from afar two days ago, as cool and concentrated as she remembered him from the days of her employment on his ship, as independent and volatile as his reputation had made him.

Amy could hardly walk any further. She vividly imagined the worst. It was only a minute or two until the group was to meet Slug. The last thing she could stand was this irresistible approach towards the creature who represented her doom. If she didn't stop walking, she was done for.

Her prayers seemed answered by a temporary reprieve when the group halted at Manny's command some ten yards before meeting the leaders.

"At ease, guys," he told his men. "Mighty and I will go and give our report.. Trav," he called to the soldier who had been carrying Moe's body, "you should probably come with us. I'd rather have Knuckles and the Captain be the first to learn of Moe's death and let them handle it, than leave it to the Alpha guys to come to their own conclusions… Be sure to watch out for the prisoners, they'll probably be needed in a minute."

"Oh, we will," Anya said mischievously. "We'll keep them fresh and available for Slug to, ah, interrogate them," she assured, loud enough for Amy to hear.

The particular tone of those words aroused Mighty's suspicion; he couldn't help giving Anya a slight frown.

"Come on, Mighty," urged Manny, oblivious to (or unconcerned about) Anya's barely veiled perfidy. Relenting, Mighty left the group with Manny and Trav, while Anya watched them go with satisfaction.

Amy and Tails were forced to sit down, while a trio of Islanders kept close watch upon them. The others strolled around and socialized with their comrades who had been here before their arrival; they could catch up on the news, exchange their experiences of the day, and take a bit of time off, although they carefully avoided speaking to the ever-intimidating Alpha troopers (who had not yet noticed the death of their fellow member).

Anya remained with the three troopers guarding their precious captives, seemingly engaging them in conversation. "Hmmm... Knuckles doesn't look too good now, does he?" she asked for anyone who cared to hear; the soldiers shrugged as a response.

After a few words, Anya turned again to her favorite victim, crouching in order to deal with her; she made certain her head was at a level above Amy's, to ensure her ascendancy over the distressed hedgehog. "So, how are you doing, my sweet?" Her eyes were meaningfully locked on Amy's, which were full of fear. "I'm sorry that little twerp interrupted us earlier, we were just starting to have fun. Oh well… Anyway, do you see these three guys over there?" Anya actually took hold of Amy's chin and pointed it towards the leading trio, forcing Amy to behold her looming nightmare. "You recognize my husband, right? It's been so long since our little boat trip, so I hope you're glad to see him again. Too bad he won't be able to, er… reciprocate that feeling."

Again, Anya's carefully chosen words caused Amy to slightly jolt, though not enough to wrestle her chin out of Anya's grasp.

"My poor baby… I don't know what's going to happen to your pretty face," Anya cooed, turning Amy's head back towards her; she tenderly stroked Amy's cheek, once again feigning benevolence and compassion.

Amy definitely didn't like the feel of Anya hypocritically caressing her face, but she didn't move a muscle; she was much too anxious about Slug's probable revenge to think about protesting against being treated like a baby doll.

Meanwhile, a tight group of a half-dozen Islanders were casually making their way towards Anya, which prompted the mercenary to release Amy and stand up. "Oh, look who's coming over! Come with me, my child, I'll introduce you to them." Though Amy certainly wasn't interested in being "introduced," she didn't have much choice: Anya grabbed her arm and effortlessly jerked her up, dragging Amy towards the six soldiers.

Amy correctly guessed they were all members of the Alpha Unit: their attire, their fighting garb were definitely more impressive than that of the regular soldiers. The way they carried themselves suggested an attitude of ruthless strength, potentially displayed in the violence and atrocities they could produce in war. It was not difficult to guess why the regular soldiers avoided socializing with them – only Anya seemed to hold enough confidence in her invincibility to address the Alpha Unit with negligence.

"Hello boys," the mercenary greeted with her habitual flirtatiousness, releasing Amy who fearfully sat down on the grass behind her.

"Hey Anya," hailed the tallest one, loosely imitated by his comrades. "Congrats on nabbing Sonic's lackey, by the way."

Anya scoffed. "Puh-lease… He's just a little kid. He probably thought he was hot stuff with that gun of his…"

The Alpha soldiers all sniggered, shooting a contemptuous glance at Tails; the kitsune was absent-mindedly sitting a few feet away, still oblivious to his surroundings. "Have you seen Moe? I thought he came along with you guys…"

Anya smiled surreptitiously. "Oh, he did… It turns out he hit a little snag along the way. He had to, ah, part ways with us."

"Huh." The tall Islander looked at his friends; they all shrugged, thinking Moe would probably come back later in the evening just like the rest of the scattered Islander troops. Of course, Anya had intentionally omitted the fact that Moe's whereabouts were not someplace in Borealis, but in the afterlife. Her statement had been technically correct, but Anya definitely enjoyed being the only one aware (save for Amy) of its irony.

"Say, whatever happened to our dear Guardian?" Anya asked. The way she phrased that question seemed to indicate that Knuckles was as valuable to her as a cockroach. "Did he get the Ambrosian Files or what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied the tall Alpha soldier. "He just arrived, like, thirty minutes ago… He's been talking to Slug and the Captain ever since. I'm not sure what happened, but from what I hear, Sonic fought him near the chamber with the Ambrosian Files, and they were both hit by the blast of that bomb we heard earlier. I think they were saying Sonic got the full blast. You heard the bomb, right?"

"Oh, I did, sweety," Anya feverishly commented, as if the earthquake subsequent to the explosion had been one pleasant, thrilling rush.

Listening carefully to this conversation despite her constant tension due to Anya's presence, Amy was more than upset by these news. If Knuckles' sturdy body was almost maimed by the blast, Sonic's more fragile constitution could hardly have withstood this shock without any damage. Not only was Sonic's health of concern, but Amy was now confirmed he could not presently come to her aid.

"… I'm pretty sure Knuckles took Sonic back to the forest and left him there, before coming here to brief Slug and the Captain. As for the Ambrosian Files, I have no idea. I guess the Captain will let us know soon."

Amy didn't have time to feel relief at the news of Sonic's survival, because her tormentor then turned to her and patronizingly looked down at her, a vicious smile spread on her face. "Did you hear those exciting news, dearest? It sounds like that boyfriend of yours is a bit out of it… resting back in the forest with some of our troops. Oops, sorry – did I mention boyfriend? I meant ex-boyfriend, it's not like you'll actually see him again," she added, innocently fingering the same knife she had used to terrorize Amy earlier.

These last words significantly augmented Amy's panic and despair: Anya's carefully phrased statement had obviously been a reference to her earlier threat to carve out Amy's eyes. This implicit reminder was purposefully linked to the impending permanent loss of Sonic – at least from Amy's eyes, if they were to be pierced in a moment. The she-mongoose delightfully observed Amy's devastated expression at the mention of Sonic; she perfectly perceived Amy's feelings, as if she could read her mind.

"Who's that?" the tall Alpha furry bluntly asked. "Is that Sonic's girl or something?"

"Naaaaah… That can't be it. Too young, man."

"Unless Sonic is into preteens… He's probably one sick perv'…" The Islanders rudely guffawed at this comment. Their remarks would normally have prompted Amy to hotly protest that she was sixteen already, but at this point she was so frightened by her imminent doom and dismayed by the news of Sonic's defeat that she remained speechless.

"Guys, guys," Anya interjected, "this little girlie… she's that petty thief I told you about the other day."

"That kid? She's the one who nicked the cash from your boat?" Indeed, reduced to her current dismal state, Amy didn't look much like a cunning rogue at present.

"You damn right she is," Anya said, staring at the scared hedgehog, who had to endure the knowledge that all eyes were fixed upon her. "Unfortunately for her, she's now helplessly ensnared in my web…"

Amy's presence definitely seemed to excite the rowdy group of soldiers. "Whoa dude, it's not gonna be a pretty sight when Slug sees her."

"I'd like to see that man. It should be pretty spectacular. I've never seen Slug deal with his enemies before."

"Yeah," nodded another soldier, "it's supposed to be pretty bloody, even for us. You remember that village we burned to the ground last year and what we did to the townsfolk? That's nothing compared to what Slug supposedly does."

"Oh boy, I can't wait! Slug and the Captain should come over soon to interrogate Sonic's stooge, so Slug's gonna see her right then!"

While they talked between themselves about the thrill of the impending massacre, Anya once again turned to her prisoner, her eyes alight with excitement despite her cool manner. "You hear that, my love? In a minute, we'll both find out whether you get to keep the use of your eyes or not. Personally, I wouldn't bet on it. It's too bad you had to stubbornly refuse to repent… I did my best to help you, but you wouldn't accept my generosity and affection for you. Oh well… I suppose I'll just have to deal with the disturbing sight of a cute girl mutilated beyond recognition…"

"You tried to help her after what she did?" asked a bewildered Alpha soldier, having overheard Anya.

"Oh, you know me, I'm always a sucker for cute little girls… Ah me!"

"So I heard," the soldier replied, suggesting Anya's fetishism had gained a certain reputation.

"You see, I even offered her to work for us to pay her debt," Anya explained, pulling out the employment contract from her pocket. Unfolding it for her interlocutor to see, she feigned to ponder it one more time.

"You offered this to her and she actually refused?"

"Yeah, she didn't want it. Whatever. I suppose I don't need this anymore, since she'd rather deal with my husband. It's weird, I would've thought spending a little while in my company was more pleasant then being dismembered limb after limb… and subsequently buried alive…"

Technically, Anya was talking to the Alpha soldier, but her speech had been carefully articulated at Amy's intention and had produced the desired effect: Amy was now trembling uncontrollably, sinking into a void of extreme mental anguish. "Yeah, that burying thing is Slug's new hobby these days," Anya casually told the soldier. "He's experimenting, I guess. You know him, always trying to impress me somehow!"

Anya then ostentatiously pulled out a lighter from her pocket, her other hand still holding the paper. Considering the two items, she pretended not to be paying attention to Amy and simply shrugged. "Oh well… It's not of any use to anyone now. Here it goes."

Amy watched in horror as Anya produced an ominous flame from the lighter. The contract was about to be destroyed forever. Her passport to freedom, as Anya had put it earlier. The only chance for Amy to avoid mutilation and being buried alive in the immediate future. The flame was dangerously approaching the sheet of paper…

"No!"

Anya stopped her hand's motion, although the flame kept going. She subtly raised her eyebrows at Amy.

"Please, no!! Please!" Amy desperately pleaded. "Please, please, don't, please!"

"Darling, please make up your mind. You want this or not?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Anya extinguished her lighter and crossed her arms. "Tell me dear, why should I give you this chance to survive? You snubbed my generosity earlier, and I daresay I'm rather offended at your arrogant sassiness."

"I don't wanna die, Mrs. Anya," Amy wailed. "Please, please, I just want to live!!" Driven by an irrepressible force, Amy groveled pathetically at Anya's feet. She literally crawled at her boots, whimpering and begging for Anya's pity.

Her arms crossed, Anya was still standing dominantly before Amy and looking down at her imploring prey. Anya's expression remained stoic, although a neutral observer might probably notice how her scintillating eyes clearly indicated she delighted in her mastery over this girl and wished to prolong the moment. "So you do repent after all?"

Amy frantically nodded, unable to act otherwise.

Anya sighed. "All right dear. Here it is," she said, handing the paper to Amy along with a pen; Amy weakly held them, trembling from head to toe. "Normally I wouldn't give you this final chance, but it seems you've caught me in a good mood. I like you, little Amy Rose. You're very lucky that I'm so good-hearted, because worthless, traitorous vermin like the thief that you are don't deserve such a blessing."

Amy looked at Anya and then back at the contract, focusing on the spot where she had to sign.

And finally, she saw the truth.

Amy was scum. She was a sinner. Anya had uttered the word traitorous, which resonated in Amy's mind. Only this morning had she freely and deliberately backstabbed her trusting friend Joey. She was a thief. She was an ingrate. She had no morality. She was a lowlife, a despicable parasite to the world.

Not only was she scum – she was also utterly ruined, reduced to a shell, a mere ghost of the existence and fulfillment she had vainly tried to attain in Ambrosia by pursuing Sonic. Her strength had been negated, her friends neutralized, her privacy violated and destroyed, her spirit wrecked. Her dignity was gone – Anya had taken it away by abusing her in front of the troops. Amy had nothing. She was nothing, except, as Anya had meaningfully put it earlier, a lamb to the slaughter.

Next to her, Anya was the supreme incarnation of nature, the irresistible power to decide the fate of the helpless, backed by the celestial might of the creature known as Slug. Anya's deep and potent words amounted to nothing else than truth, absolute truth. Anya was virtue – Amy now realized morality was the divine will of the strong. Now at the end of her Ambrosian adventure, Amy had finally learned the ways of the world: the only thing of substance to laypeople was survival, freely granted or denied by the clement will of the powerful. In this case, Anya's will dealt the irrefutable verdict that Amy was an insignificant, pathetic child who had to face punishment for the act of stealing. Anya had been right all along: her stance had been merciful and generous, and Amy was foolishly ungrateful, not realizing until now the discrepancy between her immorality and Anya's righteous purity. From the top of her pedestal, the omniscient Anya was spontaneously and selflessly offering Amy the long and laborious path to penitence and salvation under her benevolent guidance. Amy could only accept and submit. Her transformation was complete.

Amy took the pen and willingly signed her name. To even consider refusing was not an option; Amy's obedience was now carved in stone. Sheepishly raising her head towards Anya, she handed the signed contract with a trembling hand.

Folding the paper and placing it back in her pocket, Anya smiled fondly, trying to temper her internal jubilation at having irreversibly broken Amy's will. Her ultimate victory finally reached its entirety and crowning achievement with the hedgehog girl's permanent subservience to her supremacy.

Anya used this moment to gather the Alpha soldiers' attention through a simple but clear hand gesture to indicate they should listen to her; all six of them were recovering from the disappointment of Amy's submission, which meant Slug might not display his revenge after all.

"Kneel," Anya ordered her new servant.

Amy automatically obliged.

At this moment, Anya intensely stared at Amy and forcefully uttered her command, her voice formal and uncompromising. "Do you, Amy Rose the Hedgehog, solemnly swear, before the almighty forces of nature, to serve me, Anya Mongoose, in any and every way I command you until I release you from my service, under penalty of torture and death should you break your oath? Say 'I swear'!"

Amy could not hesitate anymore. She had reached a point of no return. "I-I swear," she stammered.

"Say – it – louder!" Anya imperiously ordered.

"I swear!"

This time, the she-mongoose was satisfied; all of the present Alpha troopers had heard Amy pronounce her oath. "Rise."

Amy slowly got to her feet, her tense body as upright as a pole. Lord and vassal now faced each other, the latter subjugated by the mercenary's sovereignty. They were standing barely a foot apart; Amy wished to take a step back, but found herself completely unable to do anything unless Anya ordered her to. Anya's psychological ascendancy was confirmed by the few inches she held over Amy, the difference evident due to their close position.

Anya slowly stroked Amy's cheek once again; Amy didn't react, her frightened eyes penitently looking up at her mistress. Anya moved her head even closer, until she landed a significant kiss on Amy's lips.

"Good girl," Anya said after pulling away, satisfied with the she-hedgehog's docility. She had just symbolically sealed Amy's fealty forever. "Always remember your oath. If you choose to break it, you know you will endure the most painful death imaginable." Anya's firm expression slightly eased, and she fondly held Amy's head by gently pressing her hands on both of Amy's cheeks. "You will love me, my sweet child. You already do, deep in your heart, even if you don't realize it yet. You love me because you know for a fact that I selflessly chose to love, protect, and save you even though you didn't deserve it. I freely took it upon myself to show you the light and educate you as to your true submissive nature. In time, you will implore me to lovingly cradle you, allow you to kiss my feet, let you sleep with me… You will genuinely yearn for those special privileges. You know this, right?"

Completely hypnotized by Anya's powerful stare, Amy sincerely nodded her head. She believed every word her mistress uttered, for they couldn't be anything else than the truth.

"Oh, and by the way…" Anya suddenly slapped Amy's face, gently but firmly. "You don't look at me unless I give you permission to. Is that understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," Amy said shamefully, looking down.

"That's also a privilege I might grant you occasionally, if you come to deserve it – to behold my beautiful and loving figure."

Amy dutifully nodded.

"Very well," Anya concluded, releasing Amy. "I'll see what I can do with my husband. He's rather short-tempered these days, so maybe he'll kill you anyways, but at least you have a chance. A fifty-fifty chance, I guess."

"Let's hope Slug is feeling vengeful," the tall Alpha soldier said.

"Now, now, boys, be nice. I know worthless scum like Amy deserve death, but we need to be generous and understanding."

"I don't think these words are part of Slug's vocabulary," the Alpha soldier wittily replied.

Anya giggled. "Well, he owes me a bit of cash from our last poker game, so who knows."

"It sounds like you have a hard time handling him," the soldier suggested with a slight cheek.

"That's okay, dear. He certainly can't handle me, so it evens out." The mercenary and her friends started walking away, although Anya briefly turned her head back and told Amy: "go sit by your orange friend, dearie. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Amy compliantly walked over to Tails and took a seat next to him, although she failed to speak to or look at him in any way. Amy didn't feel like Tails' friend anymore; she was Anya's servant and nothing else. The only things she had left were her total devotion for Anya and her fear of Slug; as a result, Tails, Sonic, and Joey had been indefinitely torn away from her identity.

Under the spell of her capitulation, Amy was left to await with anxiety Slug's final judgment. She was terrified at its outcome, for she had no idea whether he would choose to spare her or not. Her life was in his hands and she could only hope for his divine mercy. She had no moral claim for salvation over doom – she could only passively wait and hope Slug would opt for the former in a spontaneous burst of kindness.

In a matter of minutes, she would be fixed on her fate: at best, she would remain Anya's permanent servant. At worst… Amy would endure a long and painful annihilation.