Doctor Eggman was currently in the desert, at one of his many hidden bases around the world. Him and his assistants were studying an unknown artifact that they discovered. It was a magenta coloured jewel, small enough to fit in ones hand. When the doctor touched the object, he received vivid visions of grandeur and power. Dreams of world domination. Whatever the object was, it could connect with his thoughts and emotions.
Now he was staring at the gemstone, held up by a machine in front of him. While the bots behind him were suggesting various names for it, Eggman was trying to figure out how this new object could help his empire. His study was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. Alarms went off as he realized they were under attack. The doctor quickly mobilized his robotic army, and prepared to defend his lab.
A group of dark furred creatures rampaged through his camp, snarling as they fought. They were armed with blades and explosives, and wore minimal clothing. One of the marauders held a large crimson sword, and barked orders to the rest.
"Jackal Squad, move in! Raid the base! All that technology is sure to fetch a hefty bounty!"
Eggman was furious. He gripped the jewel as he glared at his opponents. "How dare they attack me! I should've been building up my army instead of studying this stupid rock!"
During his outburst, the object started glowing, and a large force of robots materialized around him. Eggman gaped at his sudden reinforcements, shocked. "Where did these- doesn't matter. Robot army, attack!"
Upon receiving their orders, the metallic horde charged at the thieves, gradually overwhelming them. The leader set his sights on the doctor, sitting in his hovercraft behind his army. "Take care of the robots! I'll handle the fat man!"
With that, he began cutting through the defences, making his way towards Eggman. Once he got close enough, he leapt off the ground, shouting as he prepared to swing. The startled scientist looked away and covered himself with the purple jewel. Once the blade made contact with it, another hallucination appeared, stopping the two enemies.
The world around them was covered in riches once again. While the jackal was stunned at this display, Eggman took this chance to shove him away. He fell onto the sand, and made to rise. The doctor kept some distance from him, watching the creature carefully.
By this point, the thieves were surrounded. Eggman began chuckling. He had an idea.
"Well, that was quite a fight. I think we both saw the same vision just now. You are an interesting guy. How about I make you an offer?"
The squad stayed silent, eyeing the many robots around them. While it was clear that their attack had failed, they could still manage an escape. The doctor continued. "Why not join me? I have an empire, and I could use talented people in my army. In fact, you can lead my army, you and your team. With your help, we can take over the world. I know this is a bit sudden, but what do you say?"
Some of the jackals seemed skeptical, while others looked intrigued. The head of the group pondered. He knew who the notorious Eggman was, and he wasn't sure if joining his side was wise. They were just outlaws. It was one thing to roam and plunder, but to join a tyrannical empire? He consulted his crew. Half of them wanted to leave, but the rest were interested in the job. One member, sporting a green bandana, was openly apposed to the deal.
"Boss, don't be tempted by him" he appealed. "We'll be fine on our own"
The captain saw merit in his words, but argued that they could always resign if they wanted to. After some minutes of discussion, they gave Dr Eggman an answer.
"Very well, doctor" spoke the lead jackal. "We'll hear you out"
~
For weeks the Jackal squad worked for the Eggman Empire. The doctor outfitted them with new weapons, gave them food, and used them as bodyguards. They never fought against anyone. They mainly patrolled and trained. Most of the team was satisfied with their new employment. One of them, however, was still skeptical.
Quatre was the one who initially debated with their leader. He felt that working for Eggman was unwise. They were a team, they looked out for one another. The jackals spent years building this strong bond. Eggman didn't care for them. To him, they were just mercenaries. A tool to be used and thrown away afterwards.
He often shared his views to their captain, Infinite. But the squad leader reminded him that they weren't bound to the doctor. They could leave at any time. And for now, the doc was giving them food and shelter. When Quatre argued that serving the empire was risky due to how many enemies Eggman had, Infinite assured him that the squad would overcome the perils.
To further placate his comrade, he said they would leave the empire if things got too dangerous. Though the mercenary wasn't entirely convinced, he still respected his leader enough to stand by him.
Now the team was guarding a base hidden in a jungle. The tropical facility was surrounded by canopy and rushing streams. Metallic pathways and bridges were laid, while robots marched around. The location appeared to be a storage for the doctor's army.
Amidst the thick vegetation, a dark blur zoomed around at high speed. The fast moving object rushed through the bushes and slammed into a crowd of droids. Debris flew across the platform as the unsuspecting bots were reduced to scrap. In the midst of the carnage, a dark figure stood up. Crimson eyes scanned the area, before the creature took off again. Small flames trailed behind him as he navigated through the lush environment. Alarms blared as the defenders began to mobilize.
Inside one of the many rooms, the team of jackals were up and alert, gathering their weapons and readying themselves. Infinite gripped his sword, and began barking orders to his crew.
"Let's move out! Be careful, we don't know what we're up against!" The squad obeyed and filed out. Quatre shared a glance with his leader before complying. Infinite pulled out his communicator and began contacting Dr Eggman. After some moments, a voice came through.
"What is it? My screens telling me that you're under attack"
"We are, Doctor" the captain replied. "Orders?"
"Just go deal with it. I'll be watching the fight from here" and the call ended. Infinite quickly followed after his team, and began searching for the intruder. They eventually saw another black furred creature leap down from the rooftops. At first glance it resembled them, but the spiked appearance proved otherwise.
"There it is!" one of the jackals cried, before the whole pack rushed forward. The invader paused to observe the defence squad, but quickly moved out of the way, leaping far above their heads. Once he landed, the two parties were able to study each other. The creature had red accents trailing his body, along with gold rings adorning his wrists and ankles. He called out to them in a deep voice.
"I'm with GUN! Leave this place if you wanna stay safe!
The mercenaries were puzzled, and looked back to their leader. Infinite lowered his blade and eyed the newcomer. He knew who GUN was. They were a military organization dominated by humans. In the past, the jackal squad did their best to stay off their radar. The captain wasn't sure how to proceed. But the red eyed soldier didn't wait for them, and began walking away to resume his rampage.
Just then, Eggman called in. "Infinite, that's Shadow the Hedgehog! Intercept him! Don't let him destroy this facility!"
The bandit didn't reply immediately, as he was busy pondering. Was it worth fighting the armed forces? This was exactly what his friend had warned him about. And the agility that Shadow displayed was a cause for concern. Who knew how dangerous he was. Infinite eyed his team, and began discussing with them. "GUN is a big deal. If anyone wants to back out, nows your chance"
While the rest stayed silent, Quatre spoke up. "I say we bug out. This ain't worth it"
The others seemed indecisive, and one of them questioned Infinite. "What do you think, boss?"
A part of him didn't want to attract GUNs attention, but he figured it was just one guy. How hard could it be? Besides, they just had to knock him out. After that they could just tie him up or something. And Eggman was rewarding them. After making up his mind, he spoke.
"I'm going after him. Whoever's willing, can follow me" And he jogged after Shadow.
The rest hesitated, but still chased after him. Even Quatre went along with them. They found the hedgehog facing off against a group a robots. "Just knock him out" said Infinite, as they made their way over. One of jackals, Sei, flexed his hands and charged.
Shadow saw them and frowned.
"I warned them" he thought to himself. Before the marauder could react, Shadow rammed into him and sent him crashing to the floor with a yelp. The others saw this, and snarled. Another jackal, Cinq, raised a cutlass and moved in while the others followed his lead. The black hedgehog quickly grabbed one of the robotic parts off the ground and threw it at the canines torso, dropping him as well. He narrowly dodged a swing from his right and curled himself into a ball, before smashing into another enemy.
He continued rolling around the battlefield, as the bandits struggled to contain him. They cursed as they continued their assault. Like most folks, they knew about Sonic the Hedgehog, the legendary hero of the planet, but not Shadow. One of the mercenaries managed to cut the hedgehogs arm, causing the hedgehog to shout. He grit his teeth, and glared at the one who did it.
The assailant sported a red scarf around his neck, and was armed with small knives. Shadow furrowed his brows and suddenly vanished with a flash, surprising the jackals. He then reappeared behind one and knocked them out. Uno's eyes rolled as he fell down. Shadow didn't waste any time as he grabbed one of the blades and flung it towards Quatre, who stumbled to avoid it. Seizing the opportunity, the hedgehog skated up to him with his jet shoes, and hit his face.
Shadow quickly warped again to avoid getting slashed, and met eyes with Infinite. The captain bristled as he held his sword. The intruder had taken down half his squad. He leapt towards him and began swinging. Shadow was now on the defensive as he tried to dodge the attacks. They danced around the platforms as they battled. The hedgehog was too fast for nearby bots to target. The remaining jackals attempted to surround Shadow, gradually boxing him in. The agent realized this, and closed his eyes.
The mercenaries shared looks, and prepared to pile on him. But before they could, Shadows body began to change. A red glow surrounded his form, as he bent his knees and hugged his chest. Then, with a roar, he threw his arms out, and sent a shockwave in all directions. The blast launched the jackals into the air, sending them crashing around the facility. When the explosion ended, Shadow was hunched over and panting. The robots were destroyed, and the bandits were definitely unconscious. He took some moments to collect himself, before skating away from the scene.
Eggman was talking through the base speakers, hurling insults at Shadow as he destroyed the jungle outpost. The leader of the jackal squad was lying in a bush, groaning as he struggled to rise. Infinites body was bruised and bleeding. He reached for the phone on his waist, feeling nothing. He assumed it was lost in the blast. Infinite looked around and tried to spot his team. The only member he could see was Trois, laying near a tree. Fortunately, he could see her moving slightly. He exhaled in relief.
He simply continued resting, hoping that the rest of his team was okay.
~
The canines lounged in a medical room, casually chatting amongst themselves. Yesterday's battle was a disaster. Granted, they were all alive, but most of them were injured. Eggman was generous enough to provide them with care. Infinite leaned against a wall, head down as he listened to his comrade.
"This is what I meant. It ain't worth it. We never suffered this badly back then" The captain stayed silent, allowing Quatre to continue. "We should leave this job, boss. We tested it out like you said, now we know it's not safe"
The leader finally replied. "What are we supposed to do?"
The bandana wearing bandit gave him an answer. "I say we recover, and go back to our old ways. Living underground, stealing things. I know it ain't perfect, but it's safer than working for Eggman. We can't fight against that fast guy again"
Infinite scoffed. "We were holding back. I only wanted to knock him out"
"He was holdin back as well. You know he coulda finished us off if he wanted to"
"Whatever" the captain dismissed. "We injured him too. Not by much, but it was enough to impress Eggman. He hasn't fired us yet. Plus he could give us better tools or something"
The other jackal took a moment to reflect, before continuing. "But what about the rest? What if Sonic shows up? Or more soldiers?"
"...Well, I did say anyone can back out if they want"
Quatre was silent, not sure how to respond. He glanced around at the others, before he eventually replied. "I want us to stay together. We're a team. How about we put this to a vote?"
The rest of the squad agreed, and began voicing their decisions. Most of them wanted to leave. Infinite understood. He didn't want to force them. They were his family, after all. However, he declared that he wasn't leaving yet. He would continue serving the Doctor, doing whatever he could to support the squad. After some weeks, the squad left their leader, heading back to one of their hideouts in the wild.
Eggman was a bit annoyed by the resignation, but didn't dwell on it. He continued researching his new gemstone, which he had named the Phantom Ruby. Infinite was still given food and other necessities, but nothing else. While this was fine for him, it did nothing for his team. After some time, Eggman summoned Infinite to speak with him.
"As I explained, this stone can create illusions. It can alter the environment, spawn an army, increase your strength. The perfect weapon for our empire!"
The jackal hummed and took a good look at the purple jewel. It was currently held inside of a case. "I see"
"And furthermore, I want you to use it"
This surprised Infinite. He trusted him with such power? He could simply take it and run off. But that wasn't his only concern. The doctor had been running experiments on the rock for quite some time. "Is it safe?" he questioned.
Eggman stroked his moustache. "Well, I've used it just fine thus far. No side effects. For me, anyway. But I haven't seen you wield it. Perhaps you could make better use of it than I can. What'd ya say?"
The mercenary considered the idea. Honestly, he had little loyalty to the empire. He only joined for the rewards. But so far, the doctor hasn't given him any money. But perhaps, by helping the scientist expand his territory, he could finally get something to send back to his crew.
"I'm curious, Doctor. Will I ever get paid for my service?"
Eggman raised a brow. "...That depends. As of right now, I don't have anything to give you. But, if you help me conquer the world, I'll be sure to share the spoils. But I've already given you food and shelter, what're you so worried about?"
"My crew" he answered.
The scientist understood. The outlaws were basically family. "Very well. As long as you help my empire, you'll get your pay. But as I was saying, I was hoping you could test out the Phantom Ruby"
The dark jackal eyed the mystical gem for a few moments. "...Sure"
"Excellent" the doctor grinned. "Let's begin"
Eggman began explaining to his ally how the jewel worked. All the user needed to do was connect their thoughts to the Ruby, and it would create whatever you imagined. It took a bit of practice, but soon Infinite was able to summon armies of robots, duplicates of himself, and increase his natural athleticism. The most shocking discovery, was when the object allowed him to fly. Although the first attempts resulted in some rough landings, he eventually learned to fly gracefully.
The doctor was beyond impressed with the results. With Infinite by his side, he could begin his conquest of the Earth. At some point he suggested attaching the Ruby to Infinites body. Having both hands available would be preferable, after all. The jackal agreed, and he was given a harness to secure the jewel to his chest. As a bonus, he was even offered a mask to wear during combat. It was silver in colour, with a visor which allowed him to see. Besides style, it also provided protection for his face and head.
With this new weapon added to his arsenal, Eggman began crafting a new plan. Despite his previous setbacks, he had high hopes. With luck, the world would soon be his.