Hello all! I'm back with another story, this time featuring my OC from Forces. Please enjoy, and refer to author's notes at the end for more explanation.

I own nothing.

I'm Not Weak

The first time he came around, Infinite knew he should've been dead.

He slumped against a wall as the factory's alarm blared in his pounding head. Blood covered and weak, Infinite tried to stand to his feet, but his shaking legs simply would not let him. He yelped in agony as he found himself trying to stop his warm life force from oozing out of the gaping hole where the Phantom Ruby had been forcibly implanted by that madman.

It was all his fault... all his fault... but then again, he agreed to it, to the experiment, to everything... so wasn't he just as much to blame as Eggman?

Infinite felt his head resting against the cold metal wall. The alarm was slowing drowning out, sounding more like white noise than anything. His breathing was harsh, pained, almost wheezing to his ears. His squeezed his eyes shut and curled his tail about his shivering body as much as he could manage. With all the blood he lost, he assumed he was going into shock.

He was about to die... just like that.

Just as the world began to tilt sideways, Infinite noticed a pair of grey shoes making their way towards him. He smiled weakly and allowed the darkness to swallow him up whole. Whoever that was, well, perhaps they would show some mercy, end him the way he deserved to be ended... if he was even worth it anymore.

The second time he came around, Infinite can't say what really happened. He felt sick to his stomach, and he wished he could stop... moving? Wait, was he moving? Why would he be moving? He wasn't standing, he hadn't been standing!

He didn't see much. Just occasional lights rapidly moving as his vision wavered in and out, in and out. He could barely make out the face saving him, barely make out anything. The something carrying him-or someone... whatever... it felt warm. Soft. Like flesh, almost.

How was he being carried? He wasn't exactly heavy, but his race was known for their thick hair and fur and that couldn't have been easy and... what the hell he was thinking about? None of this made sense!

Whywhywhywhywhy? All that raced through his lethargic mind was the one word that described how confused he felt inside.

Why..?!

Did... someone want to save him? Was he actually... no. No, there's...

Before he could linger on it any further, he blacked out altogether once more.

The third time, Infinite wasn't moving, thank goodness, but his pain intensified.

He was alive, if he wanted to call it that. He was breathing, although it hurt to take a breath. He was laying flat on his back, looking up at something. It wasn't bright, just dull enough to see without wanting to cringe. Thank goodness, because his head was spinning and he was sure he was going to throw up if he had to deal with bright lights.

His ears somehow picked up a strange sound. Someone was breathing next to him, and had a grip on his arm. It didn't feel tight, just holding it as something- he could only assume bandages- was being wrapped around it.

Infinite didn't want to move- it felt nice not feeling... well, much of anything. He hurt, but it was bearable. He closed his eyes to try and alleviate the pain throbbing heavily in his head, wanting to ask so many questions, but not sure where to start.

One thought that occurred to him as he quietly lay there- was he supposed to be happy? That he wouldn't... die alone...

His teammates were gone, murdered and he wasn't there to save them. He didn't avenge them. He failed... he failed them, he failed himself, his father hated him and his mother... they were gone, anyways. No one was left... there was nothing left to live for...

So why did this person fight to save his life? He... who was he?

Opening his eyes proved to be a harder effort than he thought. He was covered with something- something... like a jacket? The material felt like one... and it had fur lining in it, providing extra warmth he didn't want to lose.

His eyes flickered to the left. A young grey wolf, wearing a red, white and black T-shirt and grey shoes was sitting next to him, bandaging his arm. He seemed to be reaching into something out of his view of vision. Infinite wondered who he was for a moment; he knew that face from somewhere...

Then it hit him, hard. That same child whose family he cut down cruelly in front of him. That child who tried to fight him and was so terrified he fled, tail between his legs as Infinite laughed, blood covering his hands.

That same child... who defeated him alongside that damn blue hedgehog, but had given him such a pitiful look as he was pulled back into Eggman's factory and lab. He felt pity for him. He was only here because he was pitying him!

"...die..." Infinite breathed softly. He cursed his weakened state, his inability to form proper words. The grey wolf glanced up at him, confused. He paused mid way at what he was doing.

"L-Le...Let me die..." Infinite was mumbling now, sounding incoherent. A hand pressed against his forehead, presumably checking for fever. Infinite grew frustrated. Why was doing this?! Why was he CARING about him?!

Here he was, weak as a kitten, vulnerable, and he would not end the world's nightmare! He was saving him!

"LET ME DIE!" he finally screamed with all the strength he had left in him. It startled the grey wolf kid, and just as he had the energy to scare him, he became spent. His mind floated back to the warmth of the jacket that he now knew belonged to someone who should not have spared him, let alone come back for him! He craved it for some reason... why?

"...please... please..." he whimpered quietly. Infinite's eyes closed, and he felt dampness on his cheeks. Tears... was he crying? No... no, that couldn't be...

He was mumbling nonsense now, and yet... that grey wolf wasn't listening! Why wasn't he listening?!

A warm palm rested over his eyes, and a second one wiped his cheek. He was giving him permission to sleep... did he deserve that? Sleep meant no pain and he was far from worthy of that... he deserved... worse. He deserved to die, but... he didn't want to.

Infinite's body realized what the wolf was trying to tell him and he allowed it. Sinking into the warmth of a jacket that filled him with a very unusual sense of peace, he blacked out, praying to whoever would hear him that he would stop feeling... anything.

This just wasn't right. Why was he still being kept alive?

Finally, Infinite realized he was given a second chance.

When he awoke, his head felt a bit clearer. Not by much, but clear enough he could think straight.

He noticed that he could see stars outside, but when he blinked, he noticed a small reflection of a lightbulb. It was a window... so that meant... he was free. He wasn't there at that nightmare lab anymore.

The room felt cold, but he was buried under two blankets, so he felt... comfortable? Safe? A bit of both, perhaps.

He was propped against something soft, he noticed. Pillows, he assumed. He hadn't slept with pillows in... a very long time, if he were honest. He'd forgotten how comfortable they were.

As his vision cleared, he took more in. The room he was in was plain- just a bed, two chairs, a desk with nothing on it, and the window. The stars were beautiful, he mused to himself as he sank more into the pillows. He wanted to sleep some more, but his body decided he needed to face the world and the damage he made.

To his left, the door opened. The same child from before walked in, a soft smile on his face. Infinite just stared, lost.

Why was he smiling at him? Was he plotting some sick way to finish him off?

He felt his heart beating faster and faster, almost bursting out of his chest, and his shut his eyes tight, waiting for the final blow. But nothing happened.

Risking everything, Infinite slowly opened his eyes. The light blue hues of the child stared at him, his expression one of worry and confusion. Infinite glanced down at his arms, and saw the right one was wrapped in fresh white bandages, as was his torso. He could breathe much better, something else he failed to notice when he first came to.

Now it was Infinite's turn to be confused. "H-How long... was I out?" he asked, his voice raspy from lack of use.

The child walked over to his desk and Infinite heard light clicking before he watched the child return with a small phone in hand. He typed something quickly, then held the screen up to him.

'Just over two weeks. You had a nasty fever because of your chest, and you needed a serious blood transfusion. You broke the fever the day before.'

Infinite's eyes flickered up to the child, who had set the phone down, and was checking his fever. Two weeks...? How?! How had he gotten out? How did the child even know where he was? Why did he save him, especially after what he had done to him... to everyone?

Palm pressed to his forehead, he was close to his face- close enough that Infinite could smell his breath. It was... weird. Embarrassing. His face slowly blushed red and his eyes looked anywhere but him.

"I-I'm fine..." he mumbled. "I'm fine..."

The wolf child ignored him and stayed there a bit longer, almost muzzle to muzzle with Infinite, before he nodded in satisfaction and backed away at last, stepping over to the desk to grab something. The jackal let out a deep breath and sank back against those soft pillows. That... that was just uncomfortable. He wasn't used to others worrying about his health.

He felt a dip in the bed as the wolf child sat next to him, phone and a few medical items in arms.

For the next few minutes, as Infinite got his bandages changed, he found himself looking at the child, wondering how he could stand to be around him, how he got him out and the Resistance didn't kill him off, and more importantly, why he felt the need to save him.

"Child... why did you do this?" Infinite found his mouth moved faster than his brain. Said child stopped working and looked at him, tilting his head a little. Infinite looked back at the window, needing something to distract him from the eyes of the only one who knew he was alive.

"You could have ended me... killed me back there. So what made you come back... to save what's left of me..." He looked back at the wolf, who had not said a word but looked thoughtful. He grabbed the phone nearby and began rapidly typing. It occurred to Infinite that not once had the child actually spoken, not since he'd found him, nothing. Why was he constantly typing on that thing?

After about five minutes, the child held up the phone. Infinite's eyes skimmed over the words.

'I know you have a lot of questions. I can answer them, but after you have recovered some more. But... everyone deserves a second chance. I didn't tell the Resistance about this. They don't know you're alive... yet. They do not know where I am, or where this place is, either. So don't worry-no one will try and end you.'

Infinite's eyes widened at the second chance he was given, and stared with disbelief at the wolf. The child was just looking at him, probably giving him a bit of time to process what he was telling him.

As the words sunk into his brain, the jackal grew angry. He was only saved for pity? So others could see the broken, weak state he was in? So he could deal with the stares of fear, the nasty words that would be aimed at him for everything he did? This wasn't what he wanted!

"No... no, you... you should have killed me! You..." Infinite forgot about his injuries as his anger grew, aiming it at the one person who was with him. The wolf child wasn't fazed. He just looked at him, then began typing on the phone once more.

'If you believe I'm saving you because of pity or because I feel sorry for you... well, you would be partially correct. But the other reason... is because that mask, that entity... that was the Phantom Ruby. That was not you. I believe that.'

The child placed his hand on the trembling claw and squeezed lightly, offering what comfort he could. Infinite was truly conflicted, and was struggling to breathe. Keeping his hand on his, the child tapped his shoulder, catching his attention. He motioned breathing in and out by taking in a deep breath in and letting it out. Infinite couldn't do it. He felt dizzy and light-headed as his body screamed for oxygen.

A few moments passed. Infinite noticed he was staring at the ceiling again, and his chest didn't hurt past the stinging sensation of his wound. He slowly turned his head. Sitting on a chair next to him, still resting a hand over his, was the same wolf child.

It wasn't a dream. He was real... this was all real.

'Are you alright? You passed out for a moment, from hyperventilating. Were you having a panic attack?'

Infinite couldn't answer. He didn't know he'd fainted, or was hyperventilating... whatever that meant. The child smiled knowingly and finally released his hand. He typed something and then showed the jackal.

'I'm guessing you don't know either. But that's okay. You aren't exactly fully healed, so you should get some more rest. When you are ready, we will talk.'

Infinite wasn't sure if talking was a good idea. But he was conflicted, and no matter how many questions he asked himself, it came back to nothing. Nothing made sense anymore.

Perhaps this was the way to healing, he mused to himself as the child settled back in the chair. Apparently he planned on staying in the room, with him, for awhile. Infinite was beginning to... like the company. That was strange, but he wasn't complaining.

As he formed questions to ask the child when he was stronger, there was one question he needed to know and know now. "Child... why do you text like that? You never... once spoke, not even when we fought. Why is that...?"

The wolf looked at him, biting his lip as he thought, then looked down and started texting. He looked worried as he did, and Infinite felt worry begin to knaw at his gut. What was wrong? Did he say something wrong after this child just saved his ass?

Finally, the child held up his phone. '... you... slit my throat when we fought the first time. Before I was found by the Resistance. I should have died... but Tails saved my life... at the cost of my voice... I'm a mute, to put it simply.'

Infinite could've heard a pin drop at the dead silence that befell the room. The child shrugged and began typing again.

'I'm not going to kill you. Honestly... I became stronger over time because I wasn't whining about everything. I'd always been like that... a coward... but that's another story for another time. I'm not mad at you, Infinite. I learned to let it go.'

Infinite opened his mouth to say- or yell, rather- when the wound on his chest began to flare up in pain. The child quickly leaned forward and checked the bandages. They were holding up for now.

Pushing the jackal back against his pillows, the child made a stern expression and typed, 'Don't overexert your strength. Your body needs time to heal. You've just woken up; take it easy!'

Infinite finally gave in and sank against the softness of the pillows. Now, he was spent. He felt... something inside him almost... scold him for what he took away from the child. Looking at him, Infinite finally saw a faded, jagged scar that fur couldn't cover. The child must've noticed the stare and touched his hand to his throat for a brief second, then shook his head.

Infinite didn't see it. Anger, hatred, disgust... he saw none of it. Had the child... really forgiven him?

'Get some sleep. I'll be here if you need anything.'

Infinite knew he was given a second chance. He felt it around him, radiating from the child still offering his hand to him. It was completely wrong... but he didn't know what else to do but take it.

While he was pretty much an orphan, no longer hated him, the world did. He was scared and he was lost, and he wasn't sure if he would ever gather the strength to own up to his mistakes and crimes.

But this child still saw something in him. Something... good. Maybe it was worth the fight. Maybe... it was worth finding his true self.

Infinite closed his eyes as his body began to give in to the demand of sleep. He didn't know what would await him when he awoke... but for some reason, it didn't faze him. Not as much as before, anyways.

He had to face the consequences of his actions.

Infinite would prove that Shadow had always been wrong... that he himself was wrong.

He was not weak.

And complete!

So I don't know what made me write this at first. But then I decided I would make it into a small spin off after I finish my story 'Peace and War', so for now this story will be left complete. I'll add more to this after P.A.W. is complete, maybe.

Please let me know what you think for now, though. Any reviews, comments, contrastive criticism is greatly appreciated.

Until next chapter!