A/N - Whew, this is a bit of a long chapter! It's the climax, so I hope you enjoy it =D Next weekend will be the last chapter for Judge!
Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows!
Chapter Twenty Two
Rouge had seen everything. The Judge launching it's attack. The exploding helicopters. Even Shadow taking that pilot to safety. If it weren't for her, they wouldn't have made it. She'd thrown off it's aim. She'd become the bait. Now it pursued her through the streets of the Beatdrop Capital's business district, completely ignoring any pleas she made to get through to it.
To say she was scared would be an understatement. The hulking killer robot rampaging after her had once been her friend. They'd joked together. Even played together. Shared banter and had each other's backs. Now it was out for her blood.
The fact she once knew him made it all the more terrifying. A familiar face that no longer knew who she was. A friend turned enemy.
She corkscrewed out of the way of its flailing arm to land a kick against the exposed wires of its shoulder. The impact caused its fingers to uncurl and drop its weapon. Those fingers instead went for her leg, fastening around it. She slipped it free before its grip could lock, and zipped upwards, wing whistling, towards the rooftops.
Bullets followed her. She twisted, spinning her way through the spiral of weapon-fire. She'd grown familiar with its attacks. Dodging them involved precise timing and knowing which way they were coming from. A combination of sights and sounds, and small disturbances in the air.
That didn't mean she'd come out of it unscathed. Raw welts ran along her limbs where bullets had skimmed her, and her right ear pulsed as fresh blood trickled down her cheek. She swiped a hand across her eye, then turned to dodge yet more machine gun fire.
"Nuisance is proving to be a challenge," said the Judge. "Requesting homing missiles."
Rouge didn't want to wait around to find out if that comment was a joke. The Judge was rampaging. Surely GUN wouldn't adhere to its request? Of course, she was one of their targets. If they knew it was for her, then maybe they'd give in?
She zipped between the lamp-posts, making her way towards the cross roads. Hopefully she'd find an open window to cut through, and lose the robot?
Two mainframers emerged from one of the forks, and a pair of blue eyes locked onto her. The twin-tailed fox reached for his gun as he looked past her.
"Turn back!" she shrieked.
A missile whistled overhead and she twisted, dragged slightly after it as she was caught in its slipstream. It struck the corner building with a mighty boom, blowing the trio and T-Pup into the road towards the Judge. Rubble clattered down before them, creating a barrier between them and safety.
Tails clambered off the wolf, swiftly satisfied she was unharmed. Although not a hint of concern was etched on his young face. Instead, T-Pup sniffed around her and helped her to her feet.
Rouge followed Tail's blank stare towards the oncoming Judge. He then nudged the wolf and pointed towards one of the buildings, now vacated of its door.
"Go," he said, reaching for his weapon. "Take T-Pup."
A railgun. Rouge remembered those, not that she'd ever been trained to use one. If that struck home, Omega would be reduced to nothing but scrap.
He followed after the wolf and T-Pup, keeping his back to them and his aim on the Judge. A shrill screech rose like a crescendo, and Rouge realized with horror that his weapon was activating.
She shot down towards him, bracing herself to shout, but her 'don't!' was cut off as hot bullets tore through her tail and skimmed her legs.
Tails leapt and rolled, firing his railgun. A blinding flash lit up the road, followed by the sound of something small slicing effortlessly through metal. Rouge blinked to clear her vision, and she spotted the Judge staggering backwards. Its right hand was crippled, missing two of its fingers. One, she was somewhat relieved to see, being its trigger finger. Its machine gun lay on the ground beneath its feet.
"Tails!" Rouge fluttered towards the fox, wincing with the effort. "Don't destroy him, he's my friend."
Tails glanced sideways at her, and leveled his railgun for another attack. "You're wounded. You should join Whisper."
Rouge tutted at that. "Please! Listen to me. He was once on my team. He doesn't remember who he is! If we can-"
"I said go and join Whisper."
"No!" Rouge folded her arms. "Distract him, and I'll grab his AI chip. I know where it is!"
"So do I. Get out of the way."
The railgun fired again.
The Judge had retrieved its weapon in its crippled hand. It used it as a shield, meeting the railgun's projectile. The impact set off the weapon, creating a spray of bullets as the Judge turned. They rained down haphazard around the wide road, scattering Tails and Rouge. The whir from its weapon intensified, and the entire thing exploded, spraying shrapnel. The Judge tossed it aside and reached with its good hand to grab its rocket launcher.
A flash of blue struck its hand, searing the surface. It turned its head towards the rooftops. Perched on a small cafe roof was a dainty wolf, but her face was hidden behind a black and white mask. She fired again, but the robot shrugged her off.
"Nuisances will be eradicated." It stepped over Tails, who was waiting for his railgun to ready itself. "Calculation - one missile. Target - chemical warehouse."
"Chemical warehouse?" Rouge's ears swiveled back and forth and she sniffed the air.
Then her heart sank.
The warehouse was right beside them, where Tails was arming his gun. He abandoned his railgun, and dived across the road. He caught Rouge, barreling her through the window of a small factory.
The missile fired, striking the warehouse. The explosion was followed by a flash of flames that engulfed that building and the cafe beside it. Explosion after explosion shook the foundations of the factory, and cracks leapt across the ceiling.
Rouge's ears drooped as she watched them. Small puffs of dust leaked between them, and bits of plaster rained down, bouncing off her head.
She pushed herself painfully to her feet. "I don't think we're safe in here, hon."
"Affirmative."
Tails' twin-tails twirled together, and he rose into the air. The pair made their way to the back of the factory, where another window waited. It was already cracked due to the explosion. Tails reached into the back of his coat and pulled out a sharp knife. He smashed the handle against the glass, shattering it. Then he smoothed out the jagged edges.
He stood aside for Rouge to evacuate, then followed her through. The ceiling caved behind them, followed by a massive loom. Rouge flinched. It had been close.
She quickly surveyed the battlefield, now shrouded in dust and flames. The small wolf that had aided them leapt across the lower rooftops, firing her laser at the Judge. How she'd missed being caught in that, Rouge had no idea. But her weapon was having little effect.
"I think she's trying to distract it." Tails hovered beside Rouge, watching the wolf's antics. He brandished the deadly-looking blade. "Join her. I'll remove its AI chip."
"Are you serious?" Rouge asked.
"Of course. You're in no fit state to do it."
A smile spread across Rouge's muzzle. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet."
She chuckled. "What? You have doubts?"
"I've calculated a fifty-seven percent chance of success."
"Then let's try and get that closer to one hundred, eh?"
Rouge fluttered her wings and shot down towards the road to join the wolf. The Judge spotted her instantly. It brandished its missile launcher, but as a bludgeon. Rouge narrowly dodged it, pirouetting in the air before landing beside the wolf.
"Out of ammo," the wolf said quietly.
Rouge nodded. "Then let's keep him busy while Tails tries to disable him?"
The wolf nodded once and fired. The laser bounced off the wires between the joints of its good hand. It brought the missile launcher down toward them, and the pair scattered. Rouge looked back and yelped, curling into the air to avoid the missile launcher. It bounced off the concrete and smacked into the crumbling wall of the factory.
Without a weapon, the Judge was reduced to using its hands alone. It flailed, swiping at Tails as he tried to gain access to its back. The wolf's lasers bounced off its scuffed hide, doing little to draw its attention to her.
She was no threat. Tails with his metal cleaver, however, was.
Rouge flew into action, joining the wolf's side once more. The Judge ignored her, instead swatting at Tails like one would a pesky fly.
"What can we do to distract it?" Rouge asked.
The wolf fired off another string of lasers. They struck it in the elbow joint, and the wires frayed. Its crippled hand went limp as its arm bent at an unnatural angle.
Rouge's jaw dropped. "You disabled it!"
The Judge's red eyes narrowed on them. "Nuisances must be eradicated!"
It swung its good arm down, swiping at the floor. Rouge and the wolf tried to flee, but it caught the both of them in its fingers. Rouge flailed, kicking out with her wounded legs. The wolf grimaced, her sharp teeth showing around the edge of her mask. She tried to tug her arms free, but both were pinned to her sides.
The pair turned to look at Tails, but there was no sign of him. The Judge's grip tightened, and Rouge took in a sharp breath. It was a mistake. Pain shot through her ribs and she coughed. They were lifted high above it's head, then its entire body went limp. Its fist unclenched, and Rouge and her ally were dropped towards the ground.
Rouge beat her wings frantically, and grabbed hold of the wolf, lowering them both onto the tarmac.
The Judge had sagged, sat in a crouch. Tails leapt from its back, twirling his metal cleaver in one hand. In the other, he held a small black disk.
He leant against the Judge and glanced up at it. "Told you I knew how to deactivate these things."
Rouge gave him a small smile and stepped towards him. "Thanks, hon."
He held out his hand to stop her before she could shower him with sentiments. "You should find Shadow now, and get your wounds looked at."
Rouge blinked. "Wait… what?"
"You and Shadow need to get far away from here. You're both wanted."
"Aren't you and Sonic looking for us?"
"We were. But then we encountered Shadow. He tried to kill Infinite, but it was pretty clear that it wasn't actually him."
Rouge raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"
"He's a puppet with something pulling his strings. When he came to his senses, he panicked and fled." Tails sheathed his blade and pushed himself back from the robot. "I'm not going to arrest an innocent man. If I turn him over now, GUN will kill him. And they'll kill you, too, for being an accomplice."
"So what… you're telling us to leave the Beatdrop Capital?"
"And tell no one where you are going, yes."
"All right." She nodded towards the robot. "But what about Omega?"
"The cleaners will come for it."
She shook her head, eyes widening. "No! That's unacceptable. He's my friend. I thought he was gone for good. If we can save him-"
Tails stared at her, unmoved.
Rouge sighed and her shoulders sagged. "He gave his life to save mine and Shadow's. The least I can do is save his, right?"
"It's a robot."
"Maybe to you. He's more than just a robot to me."
Tails' arm fell at his side and he shrugged. "Fine. I'll take it back to my warehouse and see if I can find any data that can be redeemed, that is no threat to Mainframe. But I'm promising nothing."
"I believe something of him is still on there." Rouge nodded to the data chip.
"GUN usually erase all personality data for rebellious robots."
Rouge smirked and folded her arms, meeting the fox's eyes. "Why do I feel like there was going to be a 'but' following that sentence?"
"GUN robots don't usually malfunction." Tails twirled the data chip in his fingers as though he were examining it. "This whole thing suggests conflicting personality data."
"Okay. Well if you're a genius, then I have faith you can restore him." She winked. "And Shadow and I will return to collect him."
"If I can restore it, it will find you itself."
"The Chaos Network will be the safest way to get him out of the Beatdrop Capital unseen. I mean, people are gonna recognize this guy."
"I know what I'm doing. Now go."
Rouge pouted playfully. "No need to be so cold."
She laughed and took off, waving farewell.
Tails watched her go, then pocketed the AI chip. Sonic landed beside him and dropped a grinning Tangle onto the floor. The hedgehog let out a long whistle as he eyed the disabled Judge.
"How did you manage to take this guy down?" he asked.
"I had some help," said Tails.
"Oh?"
"Rouge and the Guardian Angel."
Tangle let out a loud squeal and grabbed Tails by both hands. "She was here?!"
Tails removed himself from her and brushed her off. He pulled his computer from his pocket and summoned the Tornado. Strapping Omega to his plane was the only way to feasibly carry it back to his workshop.
"What about Whisper?" Tangle went on. "Wasn't she with you?"
"I'm here…" Whisper poked her head out from the building she'd been hiding in. T-Pup stood at her feet, tail wagging.
Tangle bounced over to her. "Did you see her?!"
Whisper looked away and shook her head.
"Oh man!" Tangle threw her arms in the air. "Both times she's shown up you've missed her!" She turned her grinning face to Tails. "So tell me! How cool was she this time?"
Tails ignored her, and the lemur's grin fell. She shook her head and went off in a huff, ranting. Tails looked up as Whisper moved over to him, looking up at Omega with fake curiosity. She caught Tails' stare and grimaced, turning her face from him.
"You know?" she whispered.
He nodded and returned to tracking his plane.
"Please don't tell anyone?" Whisper pleaded.
"Why would I?" he said flatly.
At her feet, T-Pup beamed up at her, tongue lolling, and his tail turning into a blur behind him.
...
Rouge zipped through the underground tunnels, lit faintly by the lights leaking in from the maintenance tunnels. Shadow was just ahead of her, sprawled on the steps of a derelict subway station. He looked up when he heard her wing whistling, and she landed beside him, glancing around at the crumbling platform and weeds sprouting around the train tracks.
"It's been a long time since we hid out here," she said.
Shadow grunted and ran his hands over his face.
"After this place got stormed by GUN soldiers, I thought we'd never see it again," Rouge went on. "It still feels a little eerie. Why here of all places?"
"Because GUN are too preoccupied with events above ground." Shadow's voice was muffled by his hands. "And I don't think they'd ever expect us to return here after last time."
"Well, if that's the case, you were on a track record to proving them right." She flopped down on the stairs beside him. "You look rattled. What's happened?"
Shadow lowered his hands and sighed. "I ran into the Judge. I probably would have beaten it too if I hadn't got distracted by some wounded fighter pilot."
Rouge's jaw went slack. "You saved someone?"
"I wasn't just gonna let him die, was I?" Shadow jammed his thumb into his chest. "I'm the reason that Judge is here in the first place!"
Rouge shook her head. "But Shadow, he could have tagged you."
"You don't think I didn't check?" Shadow shook his head and leant back on his hands. "That would have been some thanks for saving his life."
Rouge smiled and let out a small laugh. "Let's hope that little act of kindness swings things in your favor?"
Shadow tutted and looked away from her.
"Anyway." She shuffled around on the step to face him. "You don't need to worry about the Judge anymore. Tails and I took care of it, with the help of some mysterious wolf. It's gone."
Shadow stiffened and looked over his shoulder at her. "You destroyed it?"
"Kinda." Rouge shrugged. "Tails is gonna take it back to his workshop and try to restore Omega's memories."
"I thought Sonic and Tails were against us!"
"They were, until they saw you fighting Infinite," Rouge explained. "They know it's not you, Shadow. They're our allies."
Shadow scoffed. "Sure, for now. What if they decide to program Omega to work for them and turn us in? Then we'll have a massive robot on our tails again!"
Rouge opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She'd nothing to say to that. Perhaps he was right?
He waved towards the tunnel exit. "I say we grab Omega and reprogram him ourselves. Leave this city, find somewhere quiet. The mountains or something."
"Sure, that sounds great, Shadow. But what do you know about repairing and reprogramming a robot?"
"I spend a lot of time in the Chaos Network." He leant back against the stairs. "I can read up on it and learn something."
Rouge shook her head at that. "Really, Shadow-"
"I don't trust them." He narrowed his eyes at her. "They said themselves once I was proved innocent they'll be after us again."
Rouge stared back at him, letting his words sink in. Then she nodded. "Fine. We'll retrieve Omega. Then we'll put this city behind us."
...
Infinite yawned again, stretching so his back popped. It had been a good nap. He was no longer slumping along. No longer wildly irritable. Yet Amy still tutted at his behavior.
He looked back at her over his shoulder and paused. "Is there a problem?"
"I just think you could have rested for longer," she said. "We were safe where we were. Goodness knows where this tunnel leads."
"It's away from the sewer." He turned to continue on. "And I saw train tracks leading along it a few meters back."
Amy glanced back down the tunnel. "Well they're gone now."
"Wrong." Infinite paused beside the edge of the platform and crouched, peering over the edge into the darkness. "They're right there."
Amy tensed, ready to drop her hammer and grab him perchance he fell. But she didn't voice her worries. Instead, she inched closer to try and spot what he was looking at. He gave her a playful grin and stood back up.
"Bad night vision?" he teased. "Come on. If we keep following them, we might reach Beatdrop Station."
Amy huffed and adjusted her grip on her mallet before trotting after him. "I love how you're so sure this is going to get us there."
"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, sugar."
"You clearly don't know where you're going."
"Following train tracks." He flashed a canine at her. "Now keep it down. We might not be alone down here."
"Well there's no maintenance drones," she muttered, glancing over the cracked flooring and long-expired lights.
"That doesn't mean there's nothing lurking," he said.
They went on a bit longer, following the path until a faint light appeared ahead of them. It twinkled off the ancient metal tracks, almost leading a trail ahead of them. Infinite froze, sniffing at the air. Musty. It definitely didn't lead outside. He hugged the wall, following it until shapes emerged from the shadows. The platform widened out, rising up into a flight of stairs. They led to a bricked-up entrance that at some time or another would have led into a subway station. Stringy plants sprouted between oily gravel, clambering over the iron train tracks.
"This looks like an abandoned station," said Amy. "I didn't think any still existed-"
Infinite reached out and pressed his hand over her mouth. His eyes remained on the stairs, leering. Two figures sat there, silently. Ears pricked. Eyes searching. Infinite didn't recognize both of them, but he definitely recognized the black hedgehog.
Shadow.
The very hedgehog who had killed his friends, tried to frame him, and tried to take his life. This time, he wasn't going to get away.
Crimson energy lit up Infinite's body and he released Amy, clenching his hand into a fist. "Get back into that tunnel."
Shadow leapt from his perch and turned to face Infinite, arms spread defensively.
The bat moved to stand behind him, ready to leap into action if needed. Not that she was n any fit state to do so. Her legs were crusted with blood, some of which still dripped freely.
She blinked with surprise. "Is that-?"
"Get out of here, Rouge," Shadow told her. "I don't like that look in his eye."
The black hedgehog took a step back, keeping his focus on Infinite. The jackal advanced, rage bubbling inside him with each slow step.
"Planning to run, are you?" he sneered. "You're not getting away from me this time, hedgehog. Not until I drag some answers out of you!"
The Phantom Ruby pulsed in Infinite's ears as crimson cubes formed around his right hand.
"Answers?" Shadow's ears twitched and his eyes went to the cubes. "I don't have any. I was hoping you could tell me what's going on!"
"Oh were you?" Infinite let out a sadistic chuckle. "Was that what you were doing when you tried to kill me earlier?! When you killed my friends?!"
Infinite launched the cubes towards Shadow. They warped and twisted into a corkscrew spear, spinning towards him. He leapt aside, letting it glide past him to crash into the floor. Rouge let out a squeak and fluttered away from the debris, her wing whistling in the musty air.
"Rouge!" Shadow barked. "I told you to get out of here!" He looked up at Infinite as the jackal advanced. "I don't know what you're talking about! What friends?"
"Don't make me laugh," Infinite spat. "I've worked it out, Shadow. All this started after I got out of that cell! You're from the same world I am, and you're just trying to finish the job!"
He brought up another spear and slammed it down onto Shadow. It narrowly missed as the hedgehog rolled to the side and vanished over the edge of the station platform.
"Infinite, please!" Amy pleaded. "You don't need to fight him!"
"Go!" Infinite shouted over his shoulder.
He spread his arms, engulfing Amy in a pink mist. She flew backwards into the tunnel, squealing and flailing her limbs. Shadow leapt from the tracks in a spinning ball of black spikes. He struck Infinite in the side of the head, sending him sprawling over the platform. The wind whistled overhead as Rouge shot over them towards where Amy had vanished. Infinite followed her with his eye, but a punch to his jaw blurred his vision. He snapped his eye back onto Shadow's sneering face.
Infinite brought his knee up into the hedgehog's gut, causing him to keel over. Infinite threw him off himself then channeled the Phantom Ruby into a kick, sending Shadow whirling into the concrete steps. He charged after him, aiming to catch the hedgehog before he landed. Corrupt code swirled out around Shadow, but it vanished and he struck the steps hard on his back. Infinite stood over him, surrounded by crimson energy. A look of panic crossed the hedgehog's face.
Fear.
Once, Shadow had stood over him after decimating his entire troops. Now, the tables had turned.
"What?" Infinite nudged his mask back into place and chuckled. "Can't escape? Good." He picked Shadow up by his neck and glared into his eyes. The hedgehog flailed, clawing at Infinite's gloves. "Now you know how my friends felt." He tossed him aside like a ragdoll towards the train tracks.
"Stop!"
Amy raced across the platform and cut between Infinite and Shadow. She stood with her arms spread, no longer holding her mallet.
Infinite stared down at her. "Move."
"No!" She shook her head and met his eyes. "You're like a cat with a mouse! Stop this! There's nothing here that can't be sorted out with words!"
Infinite's fur bristled and he clenched his fists. "You weren't there!"
"Neither was he!"
Amy's shoulders heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Infinite glared down at her, his canines poking from his lips on instinct. Shadow slowly sat up behind her, grimacing and rubbing his shoulder.
"Your little friend's right, hon." Rouge landed beside Infinite and folded her arms. "He's not from your world. Whoever you think you're fighting, it's not him."
Infinite lifted his head and leered at the two girls. "You don't know that."
Shadow stood up and placed a hand on Amy's shoulder, scooting her aside. But his eyes never left Infinite.
"Forget it," said Shadow. "He won't listen to reason, so I might as well fight him."
Rouge shook her head. "But Shadow…"
"If I don't, he'll just be another hound on my trail," Shadow explained. "Besides, I want to know what's happening to me." He glanced at the bat. "Take his friend and hide. There's no sense in more lives being lost."
Infinite's lips curled back and he growled at Shadow. A bad choice of words.
Rouge grabbed Amy and dragged the reluctant hedgehog back towards the tunnel. Once she'd moved, Infinite noticed Shadow's left hand was glowing red. Before the jackal could blink, Shadow flicked it towards him.
"Chaos Spear!"
A crimson spear struck the ground at Infinite's feet, and it erupted beneath him. He flew back from Shadow with a grunt, landing hard on his back. When he opened his eyes, Shadow was above him, feet blazing. He struck Infinite hard in the chest, and sparks bounced off the Phantom Ruby.
Infinite grabbed Shadow's ankle and spun him away from him. The hedgehog landed in a crouch, steadying himself with one hand on the floor. He doubled back, charging towards Infinite.
The jackal rolled, letting Shadow glide past him. Infinite raised his hand, and crimson spikes leapt from the floor, spearing Shadow as he shot through them.
Shadow flinched and froze, vanishing into thin air. Wisps of computer code faded away where he'd stood. He appeared again above Infinite and struck him in the back. Then he vanished again. Over and over. Each time he reappeared, Infinite took another blow. Too quick to keep an eye on. Too quick to retaliate. Infinite had to think fast, and his strength was rapidly fading. He had to get that hedgehog to keep still.
Shadow's boot collided with Infinite's jaw, sending bloody spittle flying. Then he vanished. Infinite growled and crouched, rolling away. Shadow reappeared again where he'd been standing. Chains shot up from the ground, curling around Shadow's limbs and fastening him in place. Wisps of computer code curled from him like steam, but this time he didn't vanish. His eyes widened, fear and irritation plain on his face.
A grin split Infinite's muzzle and he charged his Phantom Ruby into his fist. He struck Shadow hard in the stomach, and he flew back from him. The chains held, and dragged him back towards Infinite like a boomerang. He struck him again with his other fist. Then with a kick. The third time, he let the chains drop.
Shadow soared across the platform, readying his Chaos Control. A swirling crimson vortex appeared behind him, and he was sucked into it. It expelled him back out behind Infinite. The jackal was waiting. He struck Shadow with a back-hand, and he crashed into the wall right beside the tunnel.
Infinite warped towards him and grabbed him by the neck, pinning him to the wall. He leant into him until they were almost nose to nose.
"You're going to tell me why you're trying to frame me," Infinite told him.
Shadow choked but he didn't back down. "Not until you tell me why I suddenly have your powers."
"Yes, and you're abusing them."
"They're controlling me!" Shadow lashed out, clawing Infinite's arms. "Or is it just you… pulling the strings?"
"You dare…?" Infinite pulled his head back, glaring into Shadow's eyes. "The way you've been taking lives isn't exactly my style, Fake!"
He tightened his grip, and Shadow flailed, struggling as Infinite raised him from the floor. Infinite leered up at him, and a low growl rose in his throat. His free hand lit up with crimson energy and he clenched it into a fist.
'Infinite…'
His eyes widened, that faint voice snapping him out of his blinded rage. Shadow flailed in his grip, clawing at his gloved hand and raising bloody welts along his forearm. The world turned hazy as Infinite saw a black hedgehog fleeing from soldiers, guns firing; racing through the sewers with a white bat in tow; watching Mainframers from the mouth of an alley with a deep longing to join them. Each flash was filled with fear. Fear as soldiers, robots, mercenaries and space pirates dogged him along the streets, through the sewers and over the rooftops. But through it all was the ringing desire for it all to stop. To be left alone. To live.
The haze faded and Infinite found himself staring up at Shadow, slack-jawed. He was still clutching him by the neck, but his grip loosened. Shadow's eyes snapped open and he lashed out, tearing at Infinite's arms, shoulders, face. His claws struck the Phantom Ruby, and Infinite's breath shot from his lungs. An equal look of surprise crossed Shadow's face as time almost seemed to stop. Infinite was blown back from him as if caught in an explosion. A huge flash lit up the platform, spanning out between them like the petals of a flower. Smaller versions of it danced across Infinite's vision, but beyond them he saw Shadow pressed into the wall by the invisible force. Then he slid down it to land hard on his bottom.
The pair stared at each other, panting, trying to work out what had just happened. Then Shadow's eyes narrowed. Crimson energy surrounded his body, and small red cubes rose around him like a swarm of bees. They turned into deadly darts and fired towards Infinite.
The jackal threw up a barrier, letting them ping off it. Each one vanished with a pop. Infinite stood, watching Shadow carefully. The constant drain he'd felt on his energy was gone. And Shadow's attack had done nothing to worsen it, either. It had definitely been the Phantom Ruby. He'd not demonstrated any attacks like that during their fight, yet it was clear he could use his powers prior. Had it really only been subconsciously? Had that contact - that explosion - done something?
Shadow seemed to be thinking the same thing. He stared down at his hands, still surrounded by crimson energy. Not like the Chaos Energy he'd used before, but the strange glowing force Infinite used on a daily basis.
Shadow looked up at him and sneered. "What? Don't want to fight anymore?"
Infinite snorted and raised his fists. Defensively. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight. He just didn't know who he was fighting anymore. Those flashes the Phantom Ruby had shown him… this wasn't the Shadow he knew. Infinite had neither seen nor felt any vehemence towards him from those memories.
Infinite's breaths came in heavy gasps, and his eye never left the hedgehog. Shadow circled to the side, backing Infinite to the edge of the platform. No longer blinded by rage, Infinite just wanted to leave and sleep off the fight. He was feeling the toll of it now. But Shadow clearly wasn't done. Oh well. Even when backed into a corner, a terrified and exhausted animal would still fight to the death, and Infinite had always had a pretty strong survival instinct.
Shadow stopped and threw his arms out to the sides. Identical clones flew out from him, surrounding Infinite. Each one wore an identical smile. Relief? Confidence? Infinite wasn't sure.
The jackal turned on the spot, eyes widening, as he tried to keep each one in his sights. They lunged towards him, throwing blazing kicks and rapid punches. Infinite threw up a shield, but it was swiftly overpowered. He found himself keeling over the edge of the platform to land flat on his back. He let out a pained hiss as the bent metal track jabbed into his spine.
One of the Shadow clones leapt down after him, aiming a kick right at his chest. Infinite rolled, letting the clone strike the floor. Infinite swiped at it, wiping it from reality.
Interesting…
He jumped back onto the platform, cutting through two of the clones. They vanished like vapor. Hundreds of red cubes formed around the jackal and he fired them off in all directions, training them like homing darts onto the remaining Shadows. The darts picked them off, but they were quick. Infinite rolled to dodge a flying kick from one, and when he leapt back to his feet, he received a crescent kick to the chin. He went keeling backwards, back onto the train tracks. But not before cushioning his fall by turning the ground into a springy trampoline.
Infinite landed back on the platform in a crouch, just as the last dart struck the last clone.
Shadow stood panting before him, scratched up from the deadly darts.
Infinite grinned a sinister grin. "Had enough?"
Shadow sneered and lunged towards him. Infinite let out a sigh and snapped his fingers. The station flipped, leaving him stood in the same position on the ceiling. Shadow flailed his arms as he tried to regain his balance on the platform edge above him. The tunnel twisted off at either side, coiling away from the hedgehog into the ground. He staggered back from it gingerly, as if worried he was going to drop off the floor at any second. His crimson eyes were fixed warily on the tunnels.
Infinite smirked and stood up straight, lifting his arm. A deep rumble came from the tunnel, and a huge snake exploded from it. Its jaws snapped at Shadow, causing him to leap back. The gravity around him altered, making each step a sluggish effort. The snake inched closer, its venomous fangs nipping at Shadow's shoes.
Infinite laughed and shook his head. The illusion sucked away at what remaining strength he had, but it ended much sooner than he expected. The snake vanished, and the station snapped back into place around him. He dropped, landing at Shadow's feet. Infinite opened his eyes, groaning, and met Shadow's livid glare. Before Infinite could push himself up, Shadow's blazing boot struck his ribs, launching Infinite across the platform. He struck the steps, sprawling over them, and their jagged stone edges jabbed into his body. Shadow flew towards him in a blazing fury, flames engulfing his fists. Infinite lifted his arms to create a shield, but it crumpled like butter. Each punch seared away his fur, and he roared his retaliation. Roars turned into screams and yelps. He could do nothing. The Phantom Ruby's energy ebbed away with each attempt to get the hedgehog off him.
Once again he'd lost. Lost to that black hedgehog.
"Stop it!"
A loud 'pop!' cut through Infinite's frantic screams, and Shadow keeled back from him. Infinite tried to open his swollen eye, which rapidly healed back enough to see a pink blur standing over him. It wasn't easy to see beyond the blood smearing the inside of his mask, but he knew that blur.
Amy clutched her mallet in both hands, glaring down Shadow.
"Stop this right now!" she demanded.
"Get out of the way!" Shadow took a step towards her, his right hand warping into a matching mallet. Black, with crimson ornaments along its handle.
Amy lifted her mallet beside her head, ready to swing it if she needed to. "If you kill him, you'll just be proving yourself a murderer!"
Shadow's eyes flashed with rage. "He tried to kill me! Now move, before I make you move!"
"Easy there, handsome." Rouge appeared behind Shadow, pulling him aside. "I hate to say this, but Pinkie's right."
Amy lowered her mallet. "Pinkie?"
Shadow's muzzle creased and the mallet vanished. He stamped his foot, hard, kicking up sparks. Then slumped onto the steps with his head in his hands. Rouge sat beside him, placing an arm over his shoulders. But he shrugged her off.
"What am I supposed to do?!" he spat. "Let him wale on me?!"
Infinite flinched with the effort of sitting up, and wiped blood from his muzzle.
"The way I see it," said Rouge, "you're both in the wrong."
Infinite spat at that, along with Shadow. But neither of them really noticed.
Amy crouched down beside Infinite and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Infinite glanced down at his body. The burns were healing up, and fur had regenerated in most places. He nodded stiffly and adjusted his mask. The eye piece had cracked, and a huge break had appeared along the nose, uncannily in the same place it had broken when the Judge had struck him.
Shadow fixed Infinite in a crimson glare. "How can I be in the wrong when he's clearly trying to kill me?"
Infinite narrowed his eye. "You're the one trying to frame me as the murderer, hog."
"It's your powers that are the murderer!"
"Wrong!" Infinite closed his eyes and lifted a claw. "It's definitely you."
"Infinite!" Amy gasped.
Shadow's eyes turned livid and he bared his canines. The Phantom Ruby's energy surrounded him again, and Infinite met his glare. Not so much as a tug on his energy. It had definitely been rectified.
"It's not me!" Shadow roared. "Those murders happen when I'm asleep! Something is controlling me!"
"Exactly." Infinite shrugged. "What's controlling you is your desire to get the heat off you, even for a little while. You want to fit in, to belong in this world. But GUN, Eggman, space pirates… no one will give you that chance."
The crimson energy faded and Shadow sat back against the stairs, watching the jackal dumbfounded. "How do you…?"
"The Phantom Ruby showed me," Infinite said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You want some respite, so you act out in your sleep. Why you have your own Phantom Ruby powers, I haven't a clue. But they were linked to mine, which is probably why you were unconsciously trying to pin the blame on me." He narrowed his eye. "Unconscious or not, I don't appreciate that."
Shadow clenched his fist and let out a small noise, but no words followed.
"'Were'?" Amy looked up at Infinite, confused. "Are you saying it's not draining you anymore?"
Infinite shrugged again. "Something happened. I can't explain it." He frowned at Shadow. "It's like the Phantom Ruby cloned itself, or something." He turned back to Amy. "I'm beginning to think your little wolf friend was right. I think they were trying to communicate to sort things out between themselves."
"Drawing you together like a magnet?" Amy looked between the two. "It makes sense, I guess. But why would it clone itself?"
"No idea." Infinite pushed himself up, groaning with the effort. "Let's leave. I can't stand to look at his face any longer."
Shadow snorted and dug his claws into the stone. "The feeling's mutual."
Infinite bared his canines at the hedgehog, but Amy's hand on his shoulder drew his eye away.
"All this doesn't worry you?" she asked.
"I'm too exhausted to be worried. Let's get out of here, I need a shower and a snack."
"You're just leaving?!" Shadow snapped. "After all that?! You're not even going to apologize?!"
Apologize?
Infinite's jaw stiffened and he failed to bite back a growl. "What for, exactly?"
"For all the aggro you've just put me through!"
So he wanted an apology…
Infinite turned his head towards him slowly. "I'm sorry I thought you were framing me."
Shadow tutted and balled his hands into fists. "That's it? You also accused me of killing your friends. That appeared to be your main motive for all this, not just some set-up."
Infinite snorted out air.
"Shadow's right," said Rouge. "I heard it, too."
Infinite's lips curled back in a sneer. "You might have killed my friends, but you clearly have no memory of it. Whether or not you're from my world-"
"I'm not from your world," Shadow explained. "I was made in Mainframe. I wasn't even born. I'm… just some science experiment." He spat those last words and looked away. "That's why they won't leave me alone."
Rouge placed a hand on his shoulder. "Shadow…"
"And now you…" He fixed Infinite in another glare. "With some kind of baggage, pinning it all on me! You just show up here, and- and-"
Crimson energy surrounded him again and the ground began to tremble. Infinite pulled Amy into him and eyed the ceiling as small rocks rained down from it.
"You've given me some weird powers that are only making me act out in my sleep!" Shadow went on. "Why?! What do you want with me?!"
Infinite raised a hand, and the rumbling stopped. Shadow stood panting and relaxed his fists.
"I didn't give you those powers," he said. "I also don't know why you have them, and believe me, I'd rather you didn't. They've caused a whole host of problems, and not just for me. Besides." He shrugged. "At least you can control it now, and that means no more murders."
He took Amy by the arm and began to walk away, but Shadow's voice froze him. "How can you be so sure?"
Infinite paused at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm not. But they're not bothering me anymore, so something's changed. Now let's not cross paths again. Hmm?"
He marched across the platform, keeping Amy close beside him.
"Was that a threat?" Shadow asked quietly.
Infinite froze in the mouth of the tunnel. A threat… Maybe it had been. He took in a deep breath and placed a hand on the cool stone wall.
"I'm not the one who killed your friends, Infinite," said Shadow.
"Like I said. Whether you are or not, you don't remember it." Infinite glanced back over his shoulder. Shadow wasn't looking at him. "I don't kill innocent men."
Shadow turned surprised eyes on his.
Infinite nodded once and turned from the platform. After two steps, he caught Amy's probing stare. The kind a parent might give a child who hadn't quite finished being scolded. He took in a long, steadying breath and bit his lip.
"I'm sorry," he said bluntly, drawing a surprised grunt from Shadow. "I guess I jumped to conclusions."
He picked up his pace, moving swiftly through the tunnel towards the nearest exit.
...
Thanks for reading! Please R&R! =D
