In a rural part of the Mystic Ruins, Sonic and Sally met up with the shaman Mary had set them up with. A beautiful grey wolf dressed in traditional gown sat across the table from Sonic and held his hands over the tabletop. Sonic stared back at her as she kept her eyes closed, deep in meditation. After a few moments, she let go of his hands and opened her eyes. "So, what did you see?" he probed.

She folded her arms over the table delicately. "This spirit—it's ancient," she answered. "It ebbs and flows like the tide feeding and sleeping."

"So…that means it's awake and I'm lunch?" Sonic deduced jokingly.

"It wants power and you're powerful." she concurred. "Right now, it's caught between the world of the living and…wherever it was originally trapped."

"Was trapped?" Sally repeated.

Lupe nodded. "Yes, it broke free."

"Okay, so how do we get this thing off my husband?" Sally inquired.

Lupe stroked her chin as she contemplated her methods. "Purification could work…unless it comes back, but the best option is you'll have to send this thing back to sleep."

Sonic raised a confused brow. "Huh, what do you mean?"

"Spirits are just another form of power. They can be channeled, deflected, or blocked." She reached for the long beaded necklace around her neck, adorning three different types of leaves and different skeletal bones. "This necklace keeps me safe," she pointed. "They prevent any and all spirits from infecting my head. I could purify some for you and adjust them to your condition, of course," she offered.

Sonic nodded, complying with the idea. "Yeah, all right, let's do it."

"Very well, but in order to sever the link, you're going to have to bury the beads at the root of this creature's power."

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, but how do I do figure out where that is?"

"Is there any place that it has manifested itself before?"

Sonic scratched his head, trying to think back, before remembering something important. "Oh, my friend Mighty mentioned an abandoned house on Angel Island. This thing lured kids there attacked them, and attacked him there as well."

Sally stood up from her seat. "Alright, then let's end this."

Lupe nodded, getting out of her seat as well. "I'll get started on my end."

Sonic and Sally watched as Lupe left the room to start her purification. "Once she's done with those beads, let's head there babe," Sally urged

Sonic reached for Sally's hand as she turned to leave the room. "I can't let you go with me, it's too dangerous."

She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. "Hey, I don't take orders from you. I'm going."

With that, she pulled her hand out of his and tried to walk off, but he grabbed her forearm and pulled her in for a kiss. Sally closed her eyes, relishing in the smooth kiss until they pulled apart. She looked into his eyes as he looked back into hers lovingly. "Please," he whispered. "Stay here so I know you're safe," he ordered softly.

Damn him, Sonic always knew how to swoon and win her over. He was so protective of her and deep down; she knew his intentions were well. She softened and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but just don't get into any more trouble. Okay?"

"Promise," he pledged.

•~•

Back downstairs, Shadow remained bound to the seat he was being held in. It was quiet and he was left with his thoughts. What were Infinite's motives in the first place? Was it merely playing a game or just flexing it's power and influence?

"…Mercy is for the weak," a masculine and familiar voice whispered from behind him, the voice, reverberating in his ears.

Shadow closed his eyes for a moment, praying that it wasn't the person he thought it was. He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes only to come face to face with his father. Coal was there, in the flesh, and walked around him, standing directly in front of him. "I assume you would have run like the pathetic, sniveling coward that you are if you weren't tied up like a filthy dog," he spat in disgust.

Shadow scowled as he looked up at him. "And I assume I have the misfortune of meeting Infinite," he droned dryly.

"You know I am not your father?" he questioned in surprise.

"Of course, Amy put my father down once and for all. Clearly, you're Infinite trying to play some sort of sick game," Shadow deduced and looked away.

"Clever boy. You are right, you address no one," he smirked wickedly. "I am only here in your mind." Suddenly he appeared directly behind him, causing Shadow to gasp from his quick and elusive tricks. "I can see your worst fears like the father that you loathed, the terror that this is how your daughter will perceive you one day," he alluded.

"—A depraved demon sputtering psychoanalysis?" he snapped back with amusement. "Do you speak from personal experience?" Shadow craned his neck, looking back at him, showing no fear. "Did you come from a broken home, too?" He questioned. "Did daddy drink too much or mommy never love you?" he mocked in a feigned compassionate tone.

Coal slugged him across the face, making Shadow's face snapped to the side. Stupefied for a moment, Shadow shook his head, and spit out some blood from the attack. He knew Coal was a figment of his imagination, but he never imagined this illusion would actually be able to physically harm him. "Damn," he mused. "That actually hurt a bit."

"It'll hurt a lot more if you continue to mock me," he warned. "After all, you've seen what I can coerce you to do," he snickered.

"You're sick for making me do that, and for what?!" he barked, wishing he could lunge at him.

"Just so you know that you have absolutely no control of stopping me. When I want something done, then it shall be completed. If you don't do as I say, I'll do worse to that wench," he hissed. "Now, listen carefully, boy. I'm going to assign you your next assignment..."

Shadow growled lowly at the thought of being bossed around by this strange entity. "And just what is that?" Coal lifted his right hand up and snapped his fingers. The ropes keeping Shadow tied down unraveled and fell into a pile on the floor. Shadow moved his arms, finally free for the first time in hours. He stood and rubbed at one of his sore wrists. "You are going to locate that blue hedgehog friend of yours and kill him," he ordered.

Shadow looked mystified by the command. "I'm not going to kill Sonic," he retorted. "He's become a good friend of mine."

"It's either you or him," he rebutted. "Sonic has been assigned the same mission. Today one of you will die," he grinned sinfully.

"I see," Shadow concluded. "So he is under your influence as well. And what if we both choose not to go through with your demands?"

"Easy," he responded. "Then both of your beloveds will perish by both of your hands," he gestured.

Shadow furrowed his brows. "How am I suppose to go through with such an act when I am confined to this spell trap circle?" he challenged.

Coal looked down at the drawn chalk spell, lifted his right foot and dragged it across the spell circle, smearing it and allowing enough space for him to walk through. He knelt down and placed the palms of his hands on the circled and muttered an incantation. After a few moments, he stood upright and grinned arrogantly. "I have disturbed the spell, therefore, you are free to go…"

Shadow stepped out of the circle, amazed and impressed by his sorcery. "You just undid another witch's trap spell like it a mere chore, impressive."

"Enough feigned accolades. Go before I turn off that humanity again," he threatened.

"Fine." With that, Shadow used his vampire speed to rush out of the home before he was detected missing by his family. He didn't need them involved or potentially used as collateral damage. The lesser they knew, the better.

•~•

Driving back to camp, Sally's phone started ringing. Quickly, she answered it and put it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Sally, it's Amy. Are you busy at the moment?"

Sally continued to steer with one hand, while she held the phone with the other. "Not really, I'm just driving back to camp. What's up?"

"I was just calling to find out if Sonic had been experiencing anything strange since last night?"

"It's so weird that you mention that. He has been seeing some stuff lately," she replied. "We actually just visited a witch doctor to help him out. He thinks this spirit may have attached itself to him."

"Damn it," Amy muttered. "Shadow's been having something similar happening to him. Where is Sonic right now?"

"He's on his own working on severing the link to the spirit," she answered. "Why?"

"Let me get back to you on that," Amy replied. "Try to get in contact with Sonic," she urged before hanging up.

Amy turned to look at Silver. "This can't possibly be good…"

Silver shook his head, agreeing with her after eavesdropping in on their phone call. "Not at all, we need to notify Shadow about this."

•~•

Finally getting back to camp, Sally attempted to get ahold of Sonic for the fifth time, but for whatever reason, he was not answering his phone. "Damn it, Sonic…" she cursed. Just then, she spotted a familiar pick up truck pull into camp. She smiled when she saw the dingo hop out of his van.

Caleb waved in her direction as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Long time no see!"

Momentarily forgetting about the crucial situation, Sally ran over to greet him and gave him a friendly hug. "Hey there, how are you?"

He parted from her embrace. "A lot better," he answered. "I really needed that alone time after Andrew's death. How have things held up since I've been gone?"

Sally's smile faded, quickly remembering their predicament. "Uh, about that…" she trailed off. "Let me fill you in."

•~•

Back at the house, Amy headed downstairs to inform Shadow of her last phone call, however, when she neared the bottom of the stairs, something didn't feel right. It was too quiet. "Shadow, I just got off the phone with Sally and there's something you need to know…" Amy announced. When she heard nothing in return, she rounded the corner only to grow alarmed by Shadow's disappearance. The ropes keeping him held down were all over the floor, and the spell circle keeping him trapped was messed up in places, almost like someone had used their foot to wipe away at it. "Shadow!"

Hearing her panicked voice, Blaze and Silver came rushing down to see what the commotion was. "What's going on?" Silver questioned.

"He's gone, Shadow's gone," Amy replied.

"What?" Blaze gawked. "That's impossible, that spell circle should have kept him contained unless I undid the seal."

Silver knelt down and touched at the chalk-drawn spell circle. "It looks like someone was messing with it."

"Well, it wasn't me," Amy proclaimed. "Has anyone else been down here?"

Blaze shook her head. "We've all been upstairs, and Faith's been under our supervision. This doesn't make any sense, how did none of us hear him leave the house?"

"No clue," Silver rebutted, feeling something fishy with the incident. "Either way, we've now got a dangerous hybrid out on the loose. We need to track him down and get him back here before he hurts someone else or himself…"

Amy bundled her quills and put them up into a short ponytail. "I'll find him."

"Amy, are you sure that's a good idea?" Silver questioned with reluctance. "After all, you were the last person he tried to hurt."

"I'll be fine," she assured.

Silver grabbed her by the forearm. "There's no way I'm letting you go on your own, I'm going with you."

Amy began ascending the staircase. "Then let's go. We're losing light and time."

•~•

At the werewolf camp, Sally and Caleb walked side by side through the woods as she filled him in on everything that had happened. The dingo felt a heaviness consume him by all the things going on in camp. "Sounds like a lot of shit's been happening since I've been outta town. Why didn't you call me about the hunters? I would have been home in a flash!"

Sally kept her hands in her jean pockets while they strolled through a beaten down a trail. "Sonic and I knew you needed that alone time and we didn't want to bother you. We figured we could handle it ourselves," she justified.

He stopped in his tracks looking dismal at the thought. "If I had found out something had happened to you while I was away, I don't think I could live with myself.

She bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but if it makes you feel better. The hunters coming after me have seemed to have ceased."

"Well, that's good to hear." He tilted his head at her as he remembered something else. "And what happened to Nicole again?"

She sighed. "All we know is this cult wanted to sacrifice children. Nicole got caught up in it and when she tried to get out, she couldn't. Sonic and I went to her for information but she ended up killing herself."

"This doesn't make any sense. Why is someone recruiting werewolves into a witch cult?"

"That's why I came to you, Caleb. You know this pack better than anyone. If you know of anything strange, let me know. These people seem to obsess over a specific image. It's some sort of infinite looking square."

Hearing the description described to him, Caleb's ears perked. "…Say that again," he repeated.

"You know, like an endless amount of squares," she expressed.

Growing serious, Caleb nodded his head, signaling her to follow him. "In that case, there's something you need to see."

•~•

Meanwhile, with Shadow, the ebony hedgehog walked the streets of Station Square in no particular hurry or urgency. He briskly walked past locals and tourists' window-shopping on the busy sidewalks. Eventually, he turned down a secret alleyway, known only to few, to help navigate around the busy crowds. Feeling someone following him, Shadow stopped momentarily knowing exactly who it was. "Are you lost?" he questioned, spotting Infinite disguised as his father, following closely behind.

"It's been hours and it seems like you're merely stalling," he noted. "Are you unable to sniff out that blue werewolf?"

Shadow rolled his eyes and began walking again. "You might not like my methods, but that's not up to you. I'll find him, eventually."

"…You don't intend to kill Sonic, do you?" Coal questioned with suspicion.

Shadow stopped in his tracks and looked down at the cobblestone ground. With Shadow's lack of response, Coal grew irate getting a pretty clear answer from him. "Your father was right, you are a coward. He lost everything he loved because of your cowardice. And now, due to your pathetic fear of killing Sonic, you will suffer the same fate," he pointed.

Shadow scoffed and turned around. "More meaningless threats… Is that the extent of your power? If so, I remain underwhelmed."

Coal scowled at his mockery. "You think I'm powerless?" Within seconds, Coal rushed towards him with incredible speed and plummeted the white oak stake into his chest. Shadow cried out as he felt it pierce through him, but then within moments, the pain subsided, and he realized it was all just an illusion. Coal stood behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can make you see and feel whatever I like."

Shadow swiped his hand off his shoulder like dust. "Do your worst, I know the truth. The white oak stake is gone, Coal is dead, and you are nothing more than a bad dream."

"Then maybe I'll find my way into your daughter's dreams instead," he alluded wickedly, causing Shadow's eyes to widen in terror by the thought. Seeing his reaction, Coal knew he had gotten to his weak spot. He walked around him and stood just in front of the hybrid. "What fun it'll be to be inside her head."

Feeling his adrenaline pumping, Shadow violently kicked Coal in the chest, sending him flying down the alleyway. He stared at his still body, lying on the floor until he felt a presence loom behind him. "Ruthless, but nicely done-" Shadow didn't allow Coal to finish as he turned around and grabbed ahold of his head, breaking his neck in an instance. Coal's body, once again, fell to the floor, dead.

Shadow turned his head to the left and spotted yet another illusion of his father marching towards him, but he did not allow him to get any closer, when he grabbed him by the throat and ripped out the front part of it, leaving a large lesion. Coal gurgled on blood before falling face first into the concrete. Shadow blinked a few times, coming back to reality and seeing the real bloodshed he had caused.

All the Coals, he had killed had actually happened to be real innocent civilians walking the streets of the city. He looked down at his bloodied hands, reeling from his careless mistake. "Shit…" he mumbled.

"Yes, now imagine if I made you kill someone you cared about?" Coal retorted from behind him. Shadow spun around to face him and furrowed his brows at the deceitful spirit. "Or maybe I already have. Take another look, Shadow," he beckoned.

Shadow took another look at the innocent bystanders but felt his heart sink when he recognized one of the individuals he had slaughtered. Amy's body laid face first on the floor, with a large gash torn out from the front of her throat. A fresh pool of dark, red, blood surrounded under her chest. "No, no, no, no," Shadow said in the panic. He dropped down to his knees, looking her over. As bad as it looked, he knew she'd reanimate thanks to her vampire nature. Shadow was thanking his blessing that he hadn't ripped out any hearts, if he had, she would have been gone for good.

"That's not all you harmed," Coal tsked.

Shadow glanced over to the body that he had broken the neck of, and of course, it was none other than his own brother. "Silver, too…" he growled.

"Next time, it might even be Faith," Coal hinted.

Shadow stood up abruptly to face him. "Absolutely not!" he bellowed.

"Even if you could resist, who will stop Sonic? After all, I'm having my fun with him as well…I will make him tear through your family like you have these people," he gestured. Shadow took another glance at the dead. It seemed like this spirit really wasn't messing around. Perhaps he would have to go through with his demands after all. Seeing Shadow begin to cave, Coal chuckled. "Now, you only have the one choice, boy." He walked closer, and leaned his head in close to his ear. "Kill Sonic…or he will kill you and everything you love."

•~•

In the Mystic Ruins, Sally and Caleb sat inside his trailer as he showed something to Sally that linked his knowledge to their new threat. The two sat at his small dining room booth as he rummaged through an old box. Eventually, he found the item he was looking for and pulled out an old black journal. Blowing off the dust on the front cover, he handed it to Sally.

"This journal belonged to my great-grandfather," Caleb explained. "He filled it in the months before he died. Most of it is just revolutionist garbage—plots for an uprising and what not, but more than anything, his writing is really loony."

She examined it carefully. "Really, like what?"

Caleb flipped a few pages. "Just look," he pointed to a particular page near the beginning the journal. "This handwriting is crisp and clean. He was able to form sentences and whatnot. Then…" He flipped further into the book, and stopped at one of the last few pages. "Look here."

Sally studied the page and noticed the huge difference in quality. The handwriting was more erratic; the sentences were absolutely incoherent—making no true sense. And finally, on the last page was a hand-drawn sketch of the infinite squares they had all seen painted on walls all over town. "He went crazy," Sally deduced.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah, and he ended up murdering great-grandmother."

•~•

At the house, both Amy and Silver awoke reanimated on two opposite sofas. Amy gasped as she panted and took in her surroundings. She touched at her throat, feeling it completely healed. "I-I'm back home?"

Silver groaned as he sat upright on the couch. He placed a hand on the back of his neck, feeling stiff. "Christ, you'd think you'd grow used to having your neck snapped several thousand times by now, yet, it still feels crappy when you come back."

Blaze entered the living room where the two were. "Happy to see you back with the living." She offered them each a glass of blood. "Eat up, I'm sure you're famished.

The two took a few sips and chugs of their beverage. Amy placed her glass down for a moment. "How'd we get back here in the first place?"

"Shadow brought you two back," Blaze answered. "He explained everything once he arrived." Right on cue, the black and red hedgehog sauntered into the room, but stopped just in the doorway, leaving plenty of room between them.

Amy rose from her seat and smiled at his appearance. "Shadow…" she walked towards him. "I was so worried and-"

"—Rose, don't come any closer," he shouted authoritatively causing her to halt. "I don't want to hurt you, but I can't trust myself right now."

Amy shook her head. "No, really, Shadow, it's-"

"—I said stay back," he snapped.

Obliging by his sharp tone, Amy took a few steps back, rattled from his loud and booming voice. "I'm sorry…"

He sighed hearing her apologetic tone. He wasn't doing this to be mean, he was doing it to protect her. "No, it's just…I've underestimated our foe. Infinite is more powerful than I thought. It made me see things and I could have easily killed you today by accident." Shadow glanced down at a bowl of water he had used to clean up the blood off Amy's body. When he looked at his reflection, his irises flashed red. Shadow growled at the sight and slapped the bowl of water violently out of frustration. He gripped the sides of his head. "I can feel it in my head!"

"Then let me purify you," Blaze suggested. "We're only here to help you, Shadow. Not hurt you."

He bowed his head, feeling resigned. "It won't work…"

"Then let me at least try," the cat urged.

Shadow shrugged in defeat, confirming her suggestion. Cautiously, Blaze walked over and took Shadow's hands in his. She closed her eyes and muttered and incantation, channeling her magic. In her vision, she could feel Infinite's link and tried to sever it. Shadow felt a pull on his body and closed his eyes, praying her purification spell would work. After a few moments, Blaze stopped her spell and opened her eyes. Shadow mimicked her actions looking at her, but felt his stomach drop by her grave expression. "What's wrong, did it work?"

Blaze shook her head. "No, its roots are too deep, I can't get rid of it…but I know what it wants."

Shadow swallowed the lump in his throat. "For me to kill Sonic or for him to kill me?" he assumed.

Blaze nodded solemnly. "But Shadow, if this thing is demanding a blood sacrifice it will only strengthen it."

"It's either me or him."

"Hold on a second," Silver interrupted. "Are you really considering killing Sonic, just for the sake of Infinite possibly releasing his hold over you? Can we really trust this thing with its word?" he challenged.

"That's a risk I'm going to have to take." He turned toward the front door. "Don't follow me," Shadow replied before zipping off to complete his mission.

Unbeknownst to the group, Faith watched as her father left their home, and quickly ran back upstairs to her room to devise her own plan.

•~•

On Angel Island, at the abandoned house, Shadow quietly opened the front door, only to see Sonic grasping a beaded necklace in one hand, and rummaging around old boxes left by the last owners. He walked inside silently, sneaking up on the blue hedgehog ready to strike, but as he got closer, he felt a gut-wrenching feeling of guilt in his stomach. He sighed internally and decided to announce his presence. "…Hello Sonic," Shadow greeted.

Sonic spun around and faced the ebony hedgehog standing several feet away from him. He looked at him apprehensively and guarded. "Shadow…what are you doing here?"

Shadow went to open his mouth to answer, but suddenly, the front door slammed shut behind him. The hybrid looked away from the sealed door and towards his new foe. "It seems neither of us is to leave until one of us dies."

Realizing what was happening, Sonic took a few steps back. "Whoa, whoa," he put his hands up in front of him. "I know you're seeing things too, Shadow, but I have a way to fix that for both of us," he promised.

Shadow took a few casual steps towards him. "And I'm to take your word for it, am I?" he replied with suspicion.

"Don't be stupid now, I don't want to have to hurt you," Sonic warned.

"I'm sorry," Shadow apologized, "But I have to do this if it'll protect my family."

"Look Shadow, you have to trust me so that we can both live," Sonic pleaded.

"How can I trust you when I know damn well it gave you the same ultimatum it gave me," he snapped.

Sonic held up a beaded necklace with feathers and bones. "Spelled beads keep me safe from this damn thing," he gestured. "If I bury these here then we're all done, get it? No need to fight."

Shadow felt his tense stance deplete slightly, that is until he noticed another spectator standing behind Sonic. It was Coal, and he stood off to the side of the blue hedgehog, eying him with caution. "He hopes to lower your guard with his lies," Coal warned. "Then he will try to kill you. These beads will do nothing! Don't be a damn fool."

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "I am no fool…"

Sonic raised a brow by his statement. "What? I never called you one, to begin with."

Shadow lunged for him, but Sonic evaded his attack at the last second. Growling in frustration by his missed attack, Shadow pounded the side of his fist on the floor. "My family won't be safe unless you're put down," he shouted.

Sonic panted as he eyed Shadow. "Damn it, Shadow. I didn't come here to fight. You're going to regret this!"

Shadow came for him again, upper cutting Sonic in the face. Sonic lifted his right leg and kicked Shadow in the chest, making him fly violently back and into one of the nearby walls. Recovering quickly, Shadow rebounded and forced Sonic into hand-to-hand combat. While Sonic and Shadow punched, and blocked each other shots, getting in a few hits every now and then, another visitor appeared, but this time it was Jax.

The blue wolverine, stood behind Shadow watching their fight unfold. "End this now, there is no other way…Think of your wife."

Sonic used quick thinking and head-butted Shadow, stunning him momentarily. Shadow stumbled backward, trying to regain his bearings but Sonic spotted the nearby staircase. He kicked at one of the railings, breaking the wood into shards. He picked one up and threw it towards Shadow. It impaled him in the right shoulder, making him cry out. "GAH!"

Once again, Coal's apparition appeared behind Shadow. "Fight you, coward! Otherwise, it'll be your daughter's life."

Shadow quickly pulled out the wood and tossed the bloody shard on the floor. He touched the spot where he bleeds, noticing a pool of blood collecting on the floor beneath him. "I won't let you hurt my child!" He tackled Sonic to the floor and the two rolled around on the ground, kicking and punching one another.

"Stop it, Shadow," Sonic bellowed. He held Shadow by the throat and shoulder, trying to keep him away. "I'm not this thing's puppet and neither are you!" He shoved him off and sat upright, trying to catch his breath. "We cannot give it what it wants, man!"

"Daddy!" a little voice cried out. Both hedgehogs looked over and seemed surprised to see Faith standing in the doorway of the home.

Shadow blinked a few times in awe, trying to determine if this was reality or Infinite playing mind games with him. "Faith…"

Faith ran towards the two and jumped into her father's arms. "Please don't hurt him, daddy, that's what it wants!"

Shadow held his daughter in his arms, still stunned and confused. "Faith, is that really you?"

"It has to be," Sonic replied. "I can see her too."

"It is me!" she exclaimed. "I came here to stop you."

Shadow stroked the top of her head. "How did you even get here on your own?"

She looked away with guilt. "I tagged you with a locator spell and then used a transportation spell to get here. Mama doesn't know I'm here right now…"

"Faith," Shadow spoke in a reprimanding voice. "Your mother is probably worried sick right now."

"For real, kiddo. You could've gotten seriously hurt," Sonic added.

While the group talked, the three remained oblivious to a dark entity beginning to form itself out of a ghastly black cloud in the next room over. It's bright yellow eyes illuminated in the dark clouds, watching its prey from around the corner.

Faith lowered her head in shame, hearing the disappointment in both their voices. "I'm sorry. I wanted to help…"

"You two should head out," Sonic waved. "I don't know about you, but I don't feel that thing inside my head any longer. Right now, it's probably safe to get her back home."

Shadow dwelled on Sonic's comment for a moment. Now that he mentioned it, he too hadn't felt the heaviness consuming his head. "You're right…I don't feel its presence any longer either."

Sonic scratched the back of his head. "I wonder where it went?"

Just then, Faith noticed something encroaching towards them while their backs were turned. She screamed as she stared at the ghostly figure making its way towards them. Shadow and Sonic spun around to see what she was looking at, only to realize it was Infinite's spirit coming towards them. It chuckled darkly and manically.

The two males stood in defensive positions in front of Faith, protecting her at all costs. "Fools!" it bellowed in a booming voice. The entire house shook from its words.

"Got a plan?" Sonic asked, and looked to Shadow.

"None," Shadow replied. "Hold tight, I think we're in for a rough fight."

Still appearing in a cloud-like state, Infinite stuck out his arms and sent both Sonic and Shadow hurtling backward. The two male hedgehogs crashed through the walls and into debris. Faith screamed in terror, seeing her father and uncle fall so easily to this being's power.

"Now it's just you and I little girl," he cackled. "But first, to gain all my power, allow me to finish off your wretched father and that stupid blue hedgehog."

Faith's brows furrowed at the idea. She glared at Infinite getting closer to its targets. "No, you leave my daddy alone!" she screamed, sending some-sort of shockwave just by her voice. The sound was too much for Infinite to handle, and he covered his ears, writhing in the pain of the sound waves. "AUGH!" His spirit dissipated into a red light, vanishing from sight.

Shadow and Sonic quickly rushed over to Faith after seeing her attack. Shadow scooped her up into his arms. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" he asked, looking her over.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling him. "I'm okay. Are you okay?"

Shadow glanced at Sonic for a moment. "I think we're both fine, wouldn't you say?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, but that was some wicked attack! What'd you do back there, kiddo?" he smiled, ruffling her bangs.

She shrugged. "I dunno. I just wanted it to go away."

"Well, whatever it was, it worked," Shadow noted. "Let's get out of here before it comes back." With that said, the three left the building.

•~•

Later that evening, back inside the abandoned home, the pool of blood collected on the floor from Shadow's injury started to grow a bright green vine with sharp thorns. It grew more and more as it drank in Shadow's sweet nectar.

Lupe walked into the abandoned home, standing before the growing vines. She smiled wickedly as she stared at the vines growing more and more. "Is this the weapon you promised you'd provide me?" she asked aloud.

Strong winds swept through the house, blowing dust any other debris around her. She heard the faint whispers of a voice carried in the wind and smiled in delight. "I understand," she replied. "So this will be able to put down an Original then? Even that hybrid?" The winds moved through the house again, sending more whispers. Lupe listened carefully, to pick up the response. "All I have to do is use these thorns to craft into a weapon then?" She pulled out a blade from her side and cut one of the vines, to study the plant. "Very well then. The next stage of the plan will be put in place," she pledged.

•~•