When Sonic finally came around, he had a huge throb on his head that felt ten times worse than a brain freeze. "Ugh.." He groaned in pain as he got to his feet quite slowly, suddenly registering his surroundings. "Where am I?" The confused hedgehog asked himself aloud.
Sceptical and still waking up mentally, he wandered around the tiny area. A circular window caught his eye; through it you could see Mobius, and millions of stars so colourful that it contrasted heavily to the pitch-black atmosphere. His eyes widened in shock.
"How did he capture me? And I'm in space? I would've had to be knocked out hard in order for him to bring me here in time.. But..how? Ughh.. my brains foggy!" Out of the blue, a voice dashed through his mind.
"NO SONIC!" it screamed, hurt reaping throughout the voice.
"Oh yeah... oh yeah! Tails! I have to make sure he's okay!" Stressed out, he dialled up his best friend on the communicator, but nothing.
"Seriously? Eggman's a mechanical 'genius', yet he can't make reception? Lame."
He, even though worried, shoved Tails' whereabouts to the back of his mind, and attempted to gather something of his situation. All that Sonic could come up with was just running straight out of the, what he assumed to be, Death Egg.
"It's too risky though, but oh well! No time like the present!"
Determined, he began to spin dash through the metal bars. "What?" Sonic gasped, stunned. "Did they.. take my speed? How...? His pupils constricted, shaking his head in disbelief. With no other plan, and knowing that he'd never be able to pry the metal bars open with his raw strength, Sonic sat on a rotted wooden bench, his thoughts about Tails re entering to the front of his mind.
"Oh buddy, if they hurt you I will.. no.. you can handle yourself, I'm sure of it. I just hope you won't have to for too long."
Interrupting his thoughts, Sonic noticed something wrapped around his ankle. "A bracelet! It must have something to do with this!" He exclaimed in delight as he started to rip at it, hoping it would just fall off, until he got administered a shock.
"Ow! Seriously?" His eagerness to get it off was growing, until he decided on an idea. Sonic took off his shoe, and began to move it down his leg, despite the massive agony he was in due to the electrocution. Yelling in pain, he finally got it to his heels, but couldn't get it past there. "Argh! Of course it's quill tight-"
"OHOHO!" A voice boomed cheerfully.
The hedgehog stood up into a defensive position. "Eggman! You better not lay a hand on Tails or I will.."
The doctor sighed through the speakers around Sonic's cell. "I won't lay a finger on your fox friend. I'm guessing you have come to grips with your sticky situation!"
"Uh yeah, I have to admit, I'm impressed! But you seriously could stand to upgrade these cells. The spacing makes it seem as though you are on a budget and furniture could stand a makeover. The view is great though Eggy! But of course, I'm not an architect."
"Why you little!- Fine, I'll upgrade it, after all you will be here for a long time!"
Sonic's eyes rolled dramatically. "I'll bash your new base like a pinata!"
"With what, Rodent? Your speed?" Eggman chuckled as he became more condescending, the happiness and pride, leaving his voice. "You are useless to the world now. What will they do without their hero to save them?"
Trying to hide his emotion, the hedgehog's gaze fell to the floor, and after a couple seconds, he smirked back up towards the speakers. "If you're now 'king of the hill', why don't you come and face me like one? Or are you too chicken?"
"Heh, me? No, I am not. But I don't need to waste my time babysitting you when I have a toy at my disposal."
Suddenly, the mysterious stranger from before teleported right in front of Sonic, making him fall back onto the bench.
"You!" The hedgehog shouted angrily, attempting to punch the Jackal, though it got caught mid air.
"I haven't introduced you two yet, but I have a feeling that Infinite left a good impression, didn't he?"
Instead of giving a response, Sonic tried to give another blow, and again, it failed miserably, with Infinite returning the punch to his nose.
"Ack!" Sonic voiced as he wiped his nose. "Yeah, he's alright, but nothing compared to me with my speed."
"Hahaha, don't make me laugh, you blue buffoon." The Jackal's smooth voice snared.
"Oh so you do talk." The hedgehog sighed. "Great."
"You may think you can beat me, but look at you. Captured by me within a minute. And you, a weakling, were considered a great hero? Pathetic."
"Well, Infinite, you had an advantage, y'know? If we 1v1 right now, and you gave me back my power, I could destroy you!"
"Those tricks will not work on me Rodent. I am steps above you, and leaps above your league."
"What league are you in? The limited edition Halloween one? I mean, you look more like a trick or treated than a villia- OW!"
Infinite pounded Sonic's chest, knocking him back into the cell's wall, pinning him there. "I am your superior, and without your super ability, you are nothing. Understand?"
Chills ran down his spine, but Sonic acted quickly: he used his legs to kick the Jackal's stomach, freeing himself from his grasp. A small chuckle was let out by Infinite as he stared straight into Sonic's emerald eyes. "If that's how you want to be, then I'll play ball." The jackal grabbed the hedgehog's face and slammed him into the floor, stepping hard on his back. "During your imprisonment you will be disciplined heavily and will be under constant surveillance. Any sort of wrong move you make will resort in punishment."
Still restrained, the blue rat lifted his head from the concrete floor and his glace met Infinite's. It was cold, uninviting: the sort of glare that could make any classroom of behaved children listen instantly. Fear started to settle in for Sonic, but he didn't let it show.
"Yeah, sure. Punish me. Punish me with your little zombie and Spider man friends." He let out a slight snicker paired with a smile, but it faded instantly when he was pushed even harder into the concrete, the floor underneath him cracking.
"I know you fear me! I can smell it, but yet you still try to prove you're 'strong'!" Anger intertwined throughout his words, rage overcoming him.
Sonic managed to reply, though he could no longer speak clearly. "You must have a bad- ugh!- smell! I don't fear you!"
He could hear Infinite say something insulting, and then.. black.
...
"I told you not to hurt him that badly! I want him to suffer, not die!". Eggman was furious.
"Doctor, he knew what he was doing."
"Exactly! He was trying to boil you up, and you let him! Ugh. Get out of my sight and start to prepare the cameras."
"Psh!" Infinite replied harshly as he teleported away, just before Sonic regained his consciousness.
Confused, and still hurting, Sonic tried to register where he was for the second time. "Ouch my head.. am I getting deja- vu?"
"Hehe, no Rodent."
"Eggman!?" Sonic got ready to fight.
"Calm down would you? Look. You need to be careful around Infinite. He's a much more... menacing Shadow."
Sonic rolled his eyes in pride. "Oh please. I can handle myself."
"Clearly not! Look at you! If you want to die right now, sure, make him want to beat you. But I'm giving you a heads up!"
"Aww.. does Eggy care about me?"
The doctor gave him a shove, nearly making the rodent fall off of the med bay bed. "Come with me." He yelled, some happiness shining through. Surprise and amazed, Sonic let out a smirk in return and followed Eggman into a room with more cameras than square foot.
"This, is your daily screen time. Here, you will watch as we rule over the world!" He let out an evil cackle, then quickly pulled his lackey aside. "Infinite, I have business to take care of on Mobius. Do not even think about knocking him out. Got it?"
"Fine."
"Good. Now give that rodent what he wants."
"Yes sir."
Eggman's egg mobile met him at the door as he hovered away. Smirking underneath his mask, the jackal secured Sonic in the chair, and swapped the camera footage every minute.
Anguish, rage, and pure disgust ran through his veins as he was forced to watch every. Single. Last. Camera: it was documenting his friends, foes, and innocent peoples' lives as they raced to shelter, forced to flee their homes.
"That monster... what has he done?" Sonic wondered aloud, his opinion of Eggman changing.
"You think that softie could of inflicted this kind of damage? No.. it was all me. Who do you think saved you from major harm two hours ago?"
"Why are you doing this!?" He shouted angrily, trying to get up from the chair but forgetting he's been restrained.
"My motives will not be questioned, rodent."
Another ten camera angles where shown, which upset Sonic even more. "Show me Tails." He demanded bluntly, the shimmer in his eyes faded away.
"You will see him soon-"
"Show him to me now!" Sonic interrupted, rage and worry filling his mind.
"I said you will see him soon. Do not yell at your superior."
"Look. I don't care about you. I want to see Tails!"
The tone of Infinite's voice got lighter. "You know what? I'm feeling generous. If you really want to see him, well here he is."
Sonic was in a state of anxiety and empathy as he saw the reaction Tails' had to the situation. "No.." the hedgehog gasped in shock as he leaned closer to the screen: the poor fox was bent over, panic and fear flowing over him like a tsunami. Amy was comforting him, but even she wasn't sure what to do. Seeing his brother in a deep state of panic made him boil past breaking point.
Filled to the brim with hate, Sonic wriggled out of the restraints and once again, attempted to pull some sort of hit on the overpowering foe, and it backfired for the third time. "You are the worst! How can you just let so many people fear for their lives!? I've never seen Tails that upset!"
"I told you rat, I am a force that require weaklings like you fear me. I will not rest until the whole universe realises how powerful I truly am." He replied, dodging every punch, to tease the hero.
"Heh," Sonic chuckled in disbelief, backing off as he held onto his chest that was flaring up from two hours ago. "No one will ever listen to a Halloween decoration."
The Jackal gave that cold. deathly glare, and it didn't affect the hedgehog one bit. "Your little fox friend has, and it's not long until the rest of Mobius does too."
"What. Did. You. Do?!" He shouted in rage as he tried to karate-kick the villain. Sonic's anger overtook him, to the point where he had no thought of what he was doing, nor did he care about any of the consequences. He was thinking off his pure adrenaline.
"I said nothing. That fear he conjured? His own weakness. Now sit back down or I will use force. It's a pity you didn't learn from last time.."
"No! I will never take orders from a monster like you! I'd rather fight to the death then sit around and obey what you tell me."
Infinite sighed, and got in an offensive position, ready to strike. Determined to at least do some damage, Sonic managed to grab the threat's hand, and twisted it similar to an Indian burn. In retaliation, the jackal used that same fist to jab the hero in the eyes.
He let out a small yelp in pain, and snapped back into focus. After making multiple tries to hurt Infinite with them all missing, Sonic had a genius idea. Mocking the foe and getting him mad, the hedgehog got himself pinned to the floor once more, but flicked his ankle up to meet Infinite's leg, and began to rub the bracelet against him, causing the shock.
It worked.
The jackal stepped off of Sonic via reaction, the glare coming from him hitting nuclear level now.
Sonic's smirk was small, but you could tell he was satisfied with his plan. As long as some damage got through to that embodiment of pure evil, he couldn't care less what happened next. "Impressed yet?" He joked, finally getting some confidence back.
"I do have to admit, even without your supernatural abilities, you do put up quite a fight, and I've had fun, but it's time to end this."
Everything around the two went red. "What's happening?" Sonic yelled, confused.
"Oh yes, I've seen your abilities, now it's time for you to meet mine."