A/N: ...I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! BACK TO MAKE YOU ALL SUFFER AGAIN! Ya see, since it was Sonic's birthday and all recently, I didn't want to ruin the vibes and post this motherfucker during that period sO I decided to give myself a break and let you all enjoy yourselves. But I've waited long enough. Time for you all to suffer once more :3 Guys, thank you all so much for your support and reviews (last chapter got like nine reviews holy shit you guys are mad!):

Infinite's Ruby
- Thank you very much hahah! And yes! I muuuust make all of them suffer~ ;D Ohoho Eggman's shoes is probably gonna be the worst place to be in this chapter.

Schnitzelsahne - Man thank you so much for giving such great reviews every chapter despite me bugging you about it relentlessly XD Ah, you see I'm trying my best not to make anything repetitive and make sure that there's development throughout every chapter and to avoid fillers at all cost. Nothing's worse than reading something that doesn't have an impact on the plot in all honesty hahha. Nice SAW reference there tho~

ShadAmy1Fan - Ahhh dude I'm glad you're enjoying this fic lel~ It's great to hear that you're enjoying this and that I've somehow managed to deliver what you've been looking for in this hellhole! Hope I don't disappoint~

NeckBreak - Don't we all~? I see where you're coming from; I really do enjoy villains and it's really refreshing to see them win rather the cliched stuff.

Jason - Nice to see you also enjoyed last chappie too~ Ah, don't worry. I won't be touching the sexual themes or anything related to it. I'm kinda sick of seeing implements of sex in the usual torture stories or films so hopefully this fic will be refreshing for you? :'D

Sonicsis - GOOD! I HOPE IT'S BEEN TORN AND SHREDDED AND MASHED TO PIECES BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS EASILY MWAHAHHAAH! R

Guest - I can't wait either ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;D

SilverDawn2010 - Guess you're gonna have to waaaait and seeeee if the redhead lives or not hehueheu~ I've been waiting for the perfect moment to present this dilemma for Sonic and goodness was it fun to write! Thank you very much though! I didn't think much about the value for the theory but it's nice to see it's different compared to others hahah. Bah- I don't think Infinite would wanna team up with the angry hedgehog that almost tore his face apart :D

CrimsonDestroyer - Ahaha thank you so much~ It makes me super happy to know that people are loving this! Fingers crossed that I don't end up going stale ;A;


Disclaimer - In an alternate universe, out there, somewhere, I probably do own Sonic The Hedgehog...


~(x)~

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"Blue rat, open your eyes!"

Sonic's eyes snapped open with horror ebbing at his poor heart as soon as the jackal's words rippled through his mind. Instead of greeting the usual grim cell and the bite of the cold atmosphere on his injured body, the cyan teen was introduced to something new. Similar to his first week experience when he was abducted, he was surrounded by burning towers in a destroyed city. The floor was dry and caked with debris, dust and if the blue hedgehog squinted, congealed blood.

The teen pried his eyes away from the bloody mess, knowing that if he followed the trail, what he sees next would be something far from pretty. Sonic focused on the matter on hand. He seemed to be floating, soaring weightlessly like a bird and lighter than a feather. His eyes then caught the familiar black gloves with claws stretching out from the fingertips, attached to what he thought was his pair of limbs. He couldn't control his body, he couldn't move. This only meant one thing.

'That's right kid, what you're seeing right now is not a typical nightmare, but what I'm seeing now. I've linked our minds together so that you can get the perfect view of my beautiful masterpiece!' Infinite chuckled, gesturing his arms out to the red stained wonderland that both he and Eggman created. Internally, Sonic clenched his fists and if he was able to, he would've sharply turned his head away from the gruesome visual of the fallen city, tattered with lifeless bodies and fallen comrades that unsuccessfully fought for freedom. Every time he shut his eyes or blinked, the visuals were still there, as if the image itself can seep through his eyelids.

Infinite lowered himself down to the ground and began to casually walk through the disaster. Taking his mask off, he started to whistle an unfamiliar tune, a native melody, the mask held in the pits of one of his arms like a football. The brute took pleasure in knowing that his hostage wouldn't even be able to get a glimpse of his lovely face. Anger coursed through Sonic's veins but he knew better, way better than to lash out. Clearly the jackal has brought Sonic here (through mind at least) to wind him up. Hence, he remained silent.

"Ah! Over there, you see that green cat? The one with half her body busted and smashed to pieces?" Dejectedly for Sonic, he saw the horrific sight that the jackal childishly pointed out, almost spilling out the bile that built up in his stomach. "Yeah she was pretty fun to battle. Managed to survive three blows from me, only to get squashed by Robotnik's mechas. It was lovely. Seeing all her organs bursting out of that pathetic body like a balloon." Immediately, Sonic attempted to block him out, finding a way to disable the link. His body was most likely dumped in the cell at the place where he's been held captive.

'Doesn't the power of will usually break people out of this bull-' Sonic grimaced but then his thoughts were cut short by Infinite's mock chastising.
"Watch your language hedgehog, everything you say or think will be heard by me, remember?" A slippery smile was plastered on the older male's face whilst relishing the sudden burst of anger rippling within Sonic's being. "And everything you feel will be passed down to me too," Infinite added, internally cackling at the abrupt feeling of embarrassment and shock that passed through the hedgehog's body for a split second.

"Now where was I, oh that's right! Where's that brown bear I decapitated- hold on..." Infinite suddenly plastered his mask back on his face at a speed that could rival Sonic's and for a second there, said hedgehog felt a rush of adrenaline and fear phase through his veins; feelings that didn't belong to him. His attention to those fleeting emotions were swept away as Sonic noticed who exactly Infinite found.

"Amy!?" Sonic yelled but his sudden cry was a mere echo in the enemy's mind.

The sakura girl was passed out under a shattered window, probably from the fallen skyscraper a few metres away from her body. Many emotions stabbed through Infinite's heart, courtesy on Sonic. Terror, relief, hope, concern, anxiety, fear and last but not least love.

"Your significant other I assume?" Infinite grinned at the sound of utter disbelief Sonic coughed out only to be plagued by the dread the blue hedgehog was feeling. Lowering his mask back on the ground, Infinite zipped towards the damage and bent his knees down so that he could get a better look at the girl. "She's got some serious power, still breathing under all that pressure and bleeding more than those manky corpses."

"You stay the FUCK away from her if you know what's good for you!" Sonic admonished, his soul getting heavier and heavier. The flashbacks of helplessness burned through the boy's memories as he watched his good friend get shot despite the expense of two innocent people's lives.

"But that's no fun is it?" Effortlessly, Infinite flicked his wrist, causing all the debris and rubble on top of Amy to hover upwards, only to be shot away, leaving the girl bare. A trickle of pain resounded in the jackal's chest but he only brushed it off, thinking of it as Sonic's heart breaking at the pitiful sight of the girl.

"I'm warning you...step...away...from her." Sonic's uncharacteristic dip in volume and pitch in his threat didn't even phase his opponent. He was being treated as a mere child throwing a tantrum. Infinite lifted the girl into his arms, raising a brow at how small, thin and crazily soft she was.
"This...this girl managed to take down those robots with that huge hammer of hers? But she looks so weak!" The villain spat out in disbelief, sitting on his legs with the girl on his lap. If an outsider saw this gesture, they'd have mistaken them as a parent and child. However, Sonic very well knew that that was not the case.

"What are you doing!? Leave her alone!" The boy's wrath was like a fuel for Infinite's dastard actions, causing his clawed, elongated fingers to graze Amy's throat. One ounce of pressure, one scratch on her pulse and she's a dead. The pain in his heart however began to accumulate and Infinite furrowed his brows.

"How about you calm down Blue? Your crybabyness is kinda pissing me off. Say one more word and I'll kill her." Much to Infinite's dismay, the pain in his chest only aggravated and the jackal had no choice but to tune out Sonic's threats and violent words.

'Was I this hormonal when I was his age?' Infinite joked to himself and straightaway got back to the girl. She was still unconscious and her skin was getting more pale by the minute. Warm blood still oozed out of her wounds, painting the jackal's fur to a darker shade of black. She really was dying.

"Please! Let her go! At least take her to the nearest camp or whatever so that she can live!" Infinite's ears twitched with surprise at how quickly the hedgehog succumbed to begging. The pain in his chest only got heavier and heavier to the point where it had the antagonist gasping for air.

Only the weak feels pain.

Does that mean...

Infinite is weak?

The hasty thought brought out a fresh wave of frenzy through the jackal's mind and without realising, his claws dug into the half dead girl's waist like a needle stabbing a sponge. This in turn caused the girl to cough out blood in her unconscious state and her body to shake from the pain coiling throughout her frame. With a gasp, Infinite dropped the girl and clenched his chest as a sickening, agonising ache spread throughout his body like a plague.

"You bastard you bastard you bastard..." The deadly hedgehog muttered like he was chanting a mantra, his eyes clouding with white as Amy's almost lifeless body haunted his mind.

For a daunting second, everything was still. Quiet. Unnaturally so.

"Ha...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Pain.

Dark.

Pain.

Black.

Bang.

Black.

Pain.

Amy.

Amy!

Ames!

"AMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Infinite couldn't stop screaming and the scorching pain within him was like a bomb detonating inside him. He couldn't tell whether it was his pain or Sonic's pain! The feeling itself was so dark, so powerful yet his body couldn't withstand it.

"The link! I need to stop the link!" The jackal gasped out, clawing at the ground whilst his knees dug into the thick puddle of blood seeping out of the girl's body. It was easier said than done though. It was near impossible trying to concentrate on the power of the phantom ruby while whatever power Sonic was bestowing right now through the link. As mentioned before, it was only near impossible.

With one more final yell, Infinite snapped the link off. His mind showing a faint glimpse of his treacherous hands tearing off the cuffs around Sonic's neck and thus relief flooded his systems.

For the next few minutes, Infinite stayed in the same crouched position, hands on his head and the loud silence of the war zone. His golden and sapphire orbs gazed at Amy Rose, who seemed to look like she was in an enchanted sleep. Her chest inflating and deflating at a sickening slow pace. 'Lucky bitch is still alive. She'll probably last for another hour or so...' He growled to himself with a pisspoor attitude. Had it not been for whatever Sonic just did now, Amy would have been nothing but a carcass. Another tragedy for the resistance that dared to oppose the great Eggman empire.

"Bzzzzz!"

"Infinite! Can you hear me!? INFINITE!" Eggman's voice pierced through the momentary tranquil peace that Infinite fought to gain. The jackal pulled a device from his matted, white hair and pressed a button.

"Yeah what is it-"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

A wedge of fright was stuck in the brute's throat due to Eggman's authoritative tone. It was like being scolded by an abusive parent.

"Wha-what?"
"GET OVER HERE NOW THIS INSTANCE!" The communicator was cut off and Infinite wasted no time in obeying. His pride obliterated and the girl he spared was now left on her own with the luck of gaia.

~(x)~

Shock was an understatement. The word did no justice to the perception that clawed within Infinite's frame and the sight before him was far too overwhelming for the jackal to soak in.

A good quarter of Egg Gate was cleanly abolished. As if some giant sword hacked off the immense machinery like a piece of fruit. Infinite deduced that a terrifyingly powerful blast was the cause of it. Meanwhile, the moon which held the prison that clutched Sonic as hostage was now covered in numerous more craters. It was a miracle that it hasn't shaken the moon off its orbit. As for the prison itself, the facility was almost completely destroyed, leaving behind a mile's worth of a section containing the frightened innocent hostages.

What on earth happened?

As if reading his mind, Eggman contacted Infinite via the communicator, ordering him to get to the main lab which luckily survived the mini apocalypse. When the male arrived, he was face to face to the grim looking doctor. The petty fear that has sewn itself into his stomach began to rise up again.

"Doctor...what happened?" Bravely, Infinite was the one to break the tension. His boss took a deep breath and sank into one of his many chairs, using two fingers to rub between his eyes.

"The negative chaos energy that was stored within Sonic's body took over and he turned into an angry Super Sonic!" Eggman barked out. "Only this time, he had no mercy, no limits, he was like a deranged animal. Screaming that wretched pink hedgehog's name over and over again and almost killed me!" He then shot his head towards the guilty looking jackal and clenched his teeth with pure white fury.

"What. Did. You. Do?"

"It was an accident!" Infinite growled back in defence, hating how he was being cornered like a child. "I didn't mean to hurt that Rose girl! I was only taunting that blue rat, that's all!" The fear within him was instantaneously replaced with exasperation and impatience. He then swiped his head away and paced, clenching his fists. "You're the one who told me to test out the mind link with him and show Sonic what we've achieved so far in his absence! You didn't tell me that I'd be in pain if he gets triggered!" Proud to have a countermeasure in the argument, the jackal crossed his arms and faced the evil genius.

"That's not the point you dimwit. If you recall from all the hallucinations and visions you gave him, that girl is the key to his downfall, his greatest weakness along with the two tailed freak! I ordered you to stay away from them both until we've completely stripped away his will."

"I didn't approach her on purpose! She was just there half dead and bleeding-"

"-Yet you couldn't push back your childish antics and tried to toy with Sonic. Right?" The silence that ricocheted against the walls was more than a confirmation for Eggman. The mad doctor stood up with his hands behind his back and walked towards the window, his miserable expression was more than an indication of his displeasure to the whole situation.

"That "trigger" has reawakened his will and that power that he possesses was enough to destroy on a planetary level." Infinite's breath hitched in his throat at Eggman's words.
"Which means...?"
"He could have eradicated a portion of the solar system had he detonated. Or worse, become a deadly plague that would have consumed everything he touched in his melancholy."

The fact that the usually cocky, foul mouthed, witty and cheery hedgehog was capable of such a gruesome outcome was enough to plant trunks and branches of terror within Infinite. 'Is he a fucking boy or a spawn of Satan!?' The mongrel unconsciously clenched a fist against his chest, feeling his heart trying to burst out of his chest.

"Do not be afraid my boy-"

"First off, I'm not afraid!" Infinite might as well said that he's a cat. "Second, how the...how even...why'd he stop? Where's he now? And that pain I felt? Was that negative chaos?"

"Calm down you little carpet rug rodent I'm getting to that! Jeez, the moment I show some concern, you act like a hormonal teenage brat!" Infinite chose to ignore Eggman's remark. "Because of how we drained his energy by beating him, breaking his mind and body for the past...about two months? His body was weak hence he passed out before he could fully utilise the power that was dormant within him. Right now as we speak, my backup eggbots in the medical department are nursing to his wounds...he almost died after delivering that blast to the Egg Gate."

"You weren't able to withstand an inkling of that energy within you, am I correct? This in turn concludes why you should stay away from the chaos emeralds. As powerful as they are, your corrupted heart is no match for them and if you dared to utilise their powers, they'll in turn corrupt you and tear you apart from inside out."

Internally, the childish side of the jackal didn't want to accept this. He wanted to get all the power he can grasp. It can't be that hard, there must be other ways to utilise it, right? His more, rational side, welcomed the new information, telling his younger side to silence himself and use his brain to think of a way to improve his plan. His plan in collecting the emeralds but hiding them till he figured out what to do.

"Stay away from Amy Rose, Miles Prower, Knuckles and also if you see a chaos emerald by chance, I want you to bring it to me." For a second, the mutt thought Eggman read his mind but that soon changed to a grimace as the doctor stared blankly at a computer, showing the latest footage of the battles between the resistance and his mechs.

"Understood. And...what about Sonic? What is going to happen to him next?"
"Hm? Well, for now we just gotta wait till he wakes up. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in a coma!"
"And then? When he wakes up? Won't he use that dark power again if we end up triggering him?" Infinite's question was met with a wry smile from the doctor.

"He can't consciously use that power unless he's on a suicide mission. As for triggering him, for now, leave the torture to me. I'm going to have to break down that will of his once more..." A shiver ran down the jackal's spine as the human began to cackle his notorious laugh. The comedic tones were replaced with something far more sinister and manic. For the first time, ever, Infinite felt sorry for his blue opponent.

~(x)~

Amy might as well have the word "luck" branded on her head because just in time, a troop from the resistance found her dying body and instantly took action. They brought her to medical aid at a speed that could rival a certain hedgehog. They were all already shaken up by the gunshot wound Knuckles suffered last week but it was nothing compared to the horrendous state Amy was in when they found her. The leader of the troop, a red wolf with large glasses and knack for tools stood up with delight as soon as they received word that Amy was now safe and that she's made it through the surgery. She was guaranteed to fight for another day.

"We did it Gadget! We did it!" The wolf's effervescent teammate jumped up and down and cried with joy. Gadget almost shed a tear himself and his golden eyes sparkled.
"Gaia seems to be on our side lately. We've not only saved our commander but our lieutenant too!" He sniffed out, a pure softhearted boy inside.

"True, however don't you think it's strange? Miss Rose's whole team was wiped out without mercy and everything in that area was destroyed. Mr Silver even described it that it's similar to Crisis City," The other teammate murmured out.
"What are you getting at...?" Gadget asked.
"Why did Infinite spare her? He left his mask there too. Do you think...he's up to something?"

A thick hood of gloom was now present in the infirmary waiting room in the underground medical aid. The team shivered at the mere mention of the horrific enemy and now that there's a chance that Amy might be used as a pawn for his bigger plans only made things worse.

A sudden burst of courage ran through Gadget's frame and he stood up with his wispon in hand.

"Then we'll fight, like we always have. If we could save Miss Rose and Mr Knuckles, then we can save Mr Sonic too!" The confidence was contagious and before they knew it, the rest of the team stood up and held their wispons in the air with a cheer.

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~(x)~


A/N: :D Happy Friday The 13th lads~! Please fave, follow and review! Tell me what you think about this chappie~! Till then, b a i .