"I'm really sorry, I'm closing early! Yeah, family drama…you'll be reimbursed, I swear! Have a good one!"
Amy closed the restaurant door after the last blubbering customer, panting slightly. She leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes. Almost a full day has passed since the trial, and there was no sign of Sonic. Not good.
She sighed. He must have been feeling even more guilty about being thirsty than I originally thought…ugh, this is my fault.
She put her head in her hands, despair threatening to overwhelm her. After a few minutes of silence, she straightened and raised her head with a look of defiance in her eyes. I have to find him.
She rushed in the other room and snatched her purse and communicator. She put on the communicator. However, when she unlocked it, it vibrated very hard.
She jumped and nearly tore it off her wrist, but she steeled herself and stole a look at the screen. A big yellow warning sign was pulsing on it, along with the following typed message:
Amy, I hope you get this. We're in big trouble. This clown called Infinite is brainwashing me and the others. I have no idea what he plans to do with us, but I wager that it's not good. GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN. Amy…I'm sorry -Sonic.
Amy clapped a hand over her mouth, tears silently cascading down her face. No, no, no…
A bang on her door startled her. She quickly recovered and ran to it, drying the tears on her face. "We're closed, sorry!"
"Amy, open up. It's me."
Amy heaved a sigh of relief and flung the door open. Rouge was standing in front of it, holding Chaos in one arm. Chaos didn't look like he had a care in the world. He was batting at a butterfly that was fluttering around.
"Come in!" Amy gasped, leaning to the side. Rouge swooped in quickly. Amy slammed the door behind her.
The bat faced Amy, a look of worry on her face. "Amy, what's going on?! First I hear that Silver vanished, and now Shadow's missing! Where is Sonic?"
Amy silently showed her the message on the communicator.
Rouge gasped when she had read the whole thing. Chaos tried to read over her shoulder, but she set him down before he got the chance. "Oh, no…"
Amy bowed her head. "I know…"
Rouge stayed quiet for a few seconds. Suddenly, she lifted her head, tears swimming in her eyes.
"You know that we're not going anywhere, right?"
"Oh, I'm well aware. I was just heading out to look for Sonic. That was before I saw the message."
Rouge started pacing, unaware that Chaos had stilled and was looking at her with an intelligence far too advanced for his age. "Let's think about this. How long ago did Silver disappear?"
"Um…about a week ago. I think."
Rouge nodded. "Makes sense. And the last time I heard from Shadow was at GUN, three days ago. At first, I assumed that he went on a solo mission without telling me, like he sometimes does in order to maintain confidentiality. But this is too long, which is why I got worried."
"And…the last time I saw Sonic was yesterday, after the trial!"
"The timing is too convenient…" Rouge muttered. She peeked over Amy's shoulder. "What did he say was the guy's name?"
Amy scanned the message. "Erm…Infinite."
Rouge shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can get the boys back."
Amy nodded in agreement.
Chaos watched the whole conversation with narrowed eyes.
Rouge's ear swiveled. "Wait…what did that TV say?"
Amy looked up at one of the restaurant's television sets. It was set to a news channel. She picked up the remote placed conveniently nearby, and turned up the volume.
"...massive trails of destruction throughout the entire southern area, ranging from Green Hills all the way to Soleanna. If these mysterious villains continue on their current path, they will eventually turn Sunset City into a living Hell. All we have to go off of is this photo by an amateur photographer, which will be shown now."
A rather blurry photo was pictured on the screen. It was mostly fire and building rubble. However, the most prominent figures were the four in the middle. They were completely silhouetted against the fire, but their eyes glowed clearly. Three pairs of red eyes, one pair of yellow.
Amy and Rouge gasped. Of course, they recognized three of the four.
"It's them…" Rouge whispered.
"They really were brainwashed," Amy murmured.
Neither of them noticed Chaos also staring up at the screen until he flew directly up to it. He placed a hand on the silhouette that resembled Shadow.
Amy and Rouge stared up at him. After a second, he turned to them. Fire glowed faintly in his eyes. "I want to help."
They kept staring dumbfoundedly at him until Rouge finally snapped out of it. "Absolutely not! I won't have you risk your life! This is extremely dangerous, okay?" She flew up to his level and embraced him. "We'll figure something out, okay?"
Amy could see Chaos's eyes glowing blue through his mother's arms. After a second of hesitation, he vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving Rouge hugging empty air.
Rouge gasped in fear. "No! Where did he go?!"
Amy clasped Rouge's hand when she slowly flew down, crying silently. "I'm…sure he's fine! He probably went somewhere he thought was safe. He's a smart kid. He wouldn't throw himself into danger like that."
"Amy…you don't understand," Rouge whispered. She looked up at Amy, her red eyes bloodshot and tearstained. "I might lose my husband…I can't lose my son too!"
Amy lightly hugged Rouge. "That won't happen. We will figure something out, I swear."
A vibration from Amy's communicator startled both women. They broke apart and stared at it.
The name on the communicator was Sonic.
The two looked at each other. Rouge nodded slightly. Amy took a deep breath…and pressed the answer button.
For a few seconds, there was silence. Amy and Rouge glanced at each other. Rouge bent down and hesitantly said, "Hello?"
An unfamiliar voice answered. "Come outside. We are right in front of your restaurant."
The person hung up.
Amy and Rouge exchanged a look of fear. Then, determination hardened their gazes. Rouge pulled out her laser gun and Amy brandished her hammer.
After a second of waiting, Amy slammed the door open and they ran out, weapons at the ready.
They skidded to a halt quite quickly.
There was only one person there. A jackal. It had to be Infinite. He was standing amid a cloud of dust, staring at them. His gray mask glinted faintly in the dim light, and the ruby on his chest glittered.
Rouge aimed her gun at Infinite. "Alright, bucko. You better explain what the heck is going on here, or else…"
Infinite snickered. "You may be able to hit me…but could you hit him?"
Out of nowhere, a shape jumped from the dust, landing squarely in front of Infinite, in Rouge's gun range. Rouge gasped and took a step back. The hedgehog in front of her was none other than Shadow. His blank red eyes stared up at her as he slowly raised his arms, protecting Infinite with apparently his life.
"How would you react to a pummeling?!" Amy snarled, dashing up to him, bringing up her hammer and swinging it down.
Just before it struck Infinite, an arm blocked her blow. She staggered back from the force and stared at who protected the jackal.
Sonic glared up at her, his black eyes with a red tint narrowed. His mouth was twisted in a snarl.
Amy immediately took another step back. "No…"
Suddenly, she froze. A cyan aura enveloped her. She would recognize this power from anywhere.
Silver emerged from the dust and stood next to Infinite. Sonic and Shadow slowly backed away to take their places on the other side. Silver released them.
Rouge was shaking. "Why?! What did we ever do to you?!"
Infinite snickered. "I should've expected this. You people are all the same. You want an origin story? Very well, I shall tell it to you.
"In my first lifetime, I was a mercenary for hire, sent to do other people's dirty work. It wasn't exactly the cozy lifestyle you established here, but I was getting good pay. More than enough to make a living.
"However, Dr. Eggman approached me with an offer I could not refuse. He offered to make me the most powerful being in the world. I would be able to perform illusions and manipulate whoever I wanted! How could I refuse an offer like that? I wouldn't have to live it rough. I could brainwash people to get what I want. Maybe I would be powerful enough to take down Sonic, Silver, and Shadow!
"His price? Become his test monkey. That was it. All I had to do was undergo a series of experiments he planned to use to eradicate the pesky hedgehogs that kept ruining his life, and power would be mine. For years, I was subject to every method of torture known to Mobiankind. Sometimes, I asked myself, is it worth it? However, the answer was always the same. Yes. Yes, it was worth it in the end.
"He was almost finished with me. He had just tested a yellow serum that could both hypnotize and kill someone, though, of course, he didn't try the killing part. All that was left at this point was to fully integrate the Phantom Ruby into me so I didn't have to wear it like a fashion accessory. I wouldn't have to rely on a stupid gem. It would all be me.
"Before he was done, however, he was arrested. And killed by the three that are standing beside me right now.
"They took my life away from me! They took my means to achieve ultimate power! Do you see it now? My revenge will be absolute. I shall use the three who killed the doctor to rain mass destruction on the world that turned their back on me before disposing of them. A fitting end for them, wouldn't you say?"
At this point, both Amy and Rouge were shaking with rage. Amy spoke first. "You…absolute monster. Eggman was a villain who killed hundreds of people! Sonic, Silver, and Shadow had every right to end his miserable life once and for all! That doesn't mean you take it out on the world, or them! See your mistakes and rectify them!"
Rouge snarled out, "Nobody gets to boss around my husband except for me! Release them…NOW!" She took a step forward, whipping out her gun again and pointing it at Infinite.
Infinite clicked his tongue and held up a finger. "Before you go making reckless decisions, you should know…I haven't had Sonic satiate his thirst. And I helpfully learned that the blood that most appeals to him are from these two…so…"
With a nod, Sonic snarled and ran behind Shadow, his fangs poised over his throat.
Rouge immediately took a few steps back, lowering her gun. Tears streamed down her face. "Please…no…"
Infinite chuckled. "Then you better watch your step, girl, or blood will be spilled tonight."
Amy had clapped a hand over her mouth. It seems like the life she didn't have to worry about most of all was Sonic. The lives most in danger were Silver and Shadow.
She cursed her own stupidity. One wrong move and they will die in the blink of an eye. They couldn't attack Infinite. What can they do?
A flash of bright blue light blinded Amy and Rouge for a second. They shielded their eyes. When it cleared, they blinked and reeled back.
Chaos was standing in front of them, his back to them, his wings completely unfurled. Shielding them. However, they could see the seven Chaos Emeralds glimmering in his arms.
Infinite cackled. "Ah, yes! I wondered when I would meet you, little Chaos! I saw you in Shadow's mind…you're his son, aren't you?"
Chaos glared up at him and didn't say a word.
Infinite carried on. "You're mostly at the forefront of his mind! You apparently mean a lot to him! So…how about this, kid? You want to see your father again?"
Out of nowhere, Shadow raced to Chaos and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him high in the air. Rouge screamed and tried to run at them, but Amy grabbed her and held her back.
Infinite laughed maniacally. "Yes, death at the hands of your father! This will make my day!"
Shadow's hand tightened around Chaos's throat, making the child thrash, his eyes widening. However, he didn't let go of the Chaos Emeralds.
Chaos managed to catch Infinite's eye and smirked in his direction. "Like my father, I don't go down that easily."
The emeralds glowed in his arms, and then the world exploded into light.
Again, Amy and Rouge had to shield their eyes. In their peripheral vision, they saw Shadow get thrown back into Sonic, knocking them both down.
After a few seconds, their vision cleared. Both of them gasped.
Chaos was hovering a few feet off the ground. His wings had turned into an even brighter purple and yellow streaks ran all over it. His fur had changed from white to yellow, and when he turned his head back to look at them, they could see that his eyes were blue and red, almost exactly matching Shadow's.
"Get out of here!" Chaos yelled. "NOW!"
Rouge strained for her son again, but Amy hauled her back. Something inside her made her trust the kid.
Infinite sighed. "Well, this is annoying. Deal with him." He snapped his fingers.
Silver was the first one to fly at him, but Chaos kicked him down like he was nothing. Sonic was next, running at a speed too fast for the mortal eye to track, but Chaos's eyes followed him as the vampire sprung at him, a snarl building in his throat. A Chaos Spear formed in the super's hand and he flung it at Sonic, effectively driving him to the ground.
And, last but not least, Shadow leapt at him, his blank eyes narrowing. Chaos effectively stepped to the side, seemingly letting Shadow rush past him, but at the last possible second he grabbed Shadow's hand.
Shadow snarled and attempted to dislodge Chaos, but the child held fast. A bright blue light formed and flowed through their connected hands. At first, the gray hedgehog fought back, but after a few seconds, his eyes rolled back into his head and he hung limp in the air.
A look of triumph and happiness flickered in Chaos's expression. He spotted Rouge, far below on the ground, and yelled, "Mom!" She immediately flew up to meet him and Chaos gently handed over Shadow.
"He'll be out for a little while, but I got rid of the brainwash with my mind powers. It's gone." He turned to the hedgehogs who were still being controlled. A look of annoyance had passed over Infinite's face when he saw what Chaos did, but he didn't complain.
Rouge nodded and gently flew down, holding Shadow in her arms. Amy stood up from the wall she was sheltering behind and helped Rouge lower Shadow to the ground. They looked up at the fight that still hadn't stopped.
Sonic kept rushing at Chaos, growling the whole time. Chaos kept dodging him and tried to catch him each time, but Sonic was too fast. Infinite watched the whole thing, a look of triumph in his eyes.
Chaos narrowed his eyes and formed a Chaos Spear in his right hand. He took aim carefully and when Sonic was nearly at him again, he threw it.
It hit home. Sonic froze midair and almost plummeted down, but Chaos caught him in time. While Sonic was still out for the count, he concentrated. The blue energy flowed again, releasing the hold of the mind control. After another few seconds, Sonic's eyes flew open. This time, they were pure black, not a hint of red in them.
He looked around confusedly for a few seconds and then noticed that he was dangling in the open air. He craned his neck up and spotted Chaos. His face broke into a wide grin. "Chaos!"
Chaos looked at him, confused. "I…thought you would be unconscious for a little bit, like my dad."
Sonic cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm…maybe it's something to do with the fact that he had been mind controlled for a longer period of time than me?"
Chaos shrugged. "Whatever it is, can I fly you down there? I still have Uncle Silver to deal with."
Sonic stared at Silver, who was still trying to neutralize Chaos. "Oh…right." He grinned up at his nephew. "No need to drop me off, kid. Watch me work."
He released his grip on Chaos and plummeted to earth, smashing down on it in the perfect pose. Yay, no more faces in the dirt shenanigans.
He looked around and spotted Amy's pink quills behind a wall. He rushed to her. "Amy!"
Amy looked up. "Sonic!" She immediately leapt up and embraced him. After a second, she pulled back, blubbering, "I'm so sorry, I should have stayed with you…"
Sonic gently shushed her. "It's okay, Ames. I'm here now." He noticed Rouge, who was holding Shadow's wrist. He knelt down beside his brother. "Is he okay?"
Rouge nodded. "His pulse is normal, and he's breathing fine. I don't know why he's not waking up, though…"
Sonic smirked slightly. "Maybe he needs a little encouragement…" He bent down until his nose was almost touching Shadow's. "Hey, dude. You might wanna wake up. Otherwise, who's gonna fight with me over the butter dish?"
No change. Sonic sighed.
"Okay, fine! I know something that'll get you up! Chaos is up there, alone, trying to knock some sense into Silver! I don't particularly feel like doing that alone, so I could really use your help!"
Still no change. Sonic pulled back.
Rouge had her hand over her mouth. "He's…okay, right? Being brainwashed didn't really do anything to him, correct?"
Sonic frowned and leaned in closer. "Hmm…maybe I should slap some sense into him." He raised his hand, and just when he brought it down, another hand grabbed his wrist.
"Touch me and you're dead, blue."
Sonic grinned. "Hey, Shads!"
Shadow groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. "What…happened?" Rouge flung her arms around him and he leaned his head against hers.
Sonic shrugged. "Long story short, Infinite brainwashed all of us, and now Chaos is up there in his Super form, trying to bring Silver back. So…yeah."
Shadow's eyes widened. "What?! Chaos is…Super?! No, he's too young…"
Sonic pointed up. "See for yourself."
Shadow looked up and took in the sights for himself. A smile started slowly spreading across his face. "Huh."
Sonic caught wind of quite the mouthwatering smell. His mouth overflowed with venom. He would know that smell anywhere.
He stared at Shadow. "Do you have an open wound somewhere?"
Shadow stared blankly back, and then winced as he moved his left hand. "Oh…yeah, I forgot." He withdrew his hand. A laser had torn cleanly across it, and dried blood was all over it. After the recent scuffle, it started leaking fresh blood.
Sonic abruptly turned away, glaring down at the ground. He heard Amy whisper to Shadow, "His last trial was a bust." Shadow answered with "Oh." Sonic heard Shadow try to clench his fist, and winced when Shadow hissed with pain. He heard Rouge mutter "I have gauze stored somewhere here, hold on…" and listened to the unrolling of the fabric, as well as the sound of Rouge wrapping the gauze around Shadow's hand. When the smell was diminished, he finally turned back, holding his arms tightly.
Shadow was on his feet, slightly shaky but mostly okay. He walked up to Sonic's side and the two stared up at the sky.
After a few seconds, Sonic stole a glance at Shadow. "Why did it take you so long to come to your senses?"
Shadow shuddered. "I…don't know. While I was being controlled, it felt like I was sinking deeper and deeper into a murky liquid with no hope for escape. I could hear everything that my body was doing, but I couldn't do anything to stop it. When Chaos released the mind control…I stopped sinking. I was able to swim up to the surface and break free."
Sonic cocked his head to the side. "Huh…it was so easy for me. It must really have something to do with how long we were controlled individually."
"That means…" Shadow muttered. He glanced up again. "Silver will have the most trouble out of all of us."
Sonic crouched down. "In that case, I say we go help Chaos! Care to give me a boost?"
Shadow smiled slightly. "Of course."
They heard Amy and Rouge yell "Good luck" behind them and then they were flying off, powered by Shadow's rocket shoes. With the perfect trajectory, they both slammed into Silver just as the white hedgehog was about to attack the now-tired Chaos for the hundredth time.
The three were only kept aloft because of Silver's psychokinesis. Sonic tightly locked his arms around Silver, effectively pinning his arms to his side. Shadow grabbed his flailing hand and extended it to Chaos. "Hurry!"
A scream of anger echoed around them. The three whipped around to see Infinite start rocketing towards them, his fists filled to the brim with evil energy.
Shadow formed a Chaos Spear in his right hand while still holding on to Silver's hand. When Infinite had nearly reached them, Shadow threw the Chaos Spear just as Chaos grabbed onto Silver's hand.
The blue light started flowing just as the Chaos Spear struck home. Infinite let out a yell of frustration as he plummeted to the ground. After a few seconds, Silver stopped thrashing and hung limp.
The realization struck them all at just the right time. "Oh…crap," Sonic hissed.
Everyone except Chaos started falling.
Sonic released Silver and effectively shot toward the ground, landing perfectly again. Shadow grabbed Silver and held onto him. Chaos bolted to them, snagging Shadow's left hand at the last second. The gray hedgehog winced as his wound stung again, but he gritted his teeth and bore it.
Chaos lowered the two gently to the ground, where Rouge, Amy, and Sonic were waiting. As soon as they touched ground, Chaos transformed into his base form, panting slightly. The Chaos Emeralds landed on the ground beside him.
Immediately, Chaos hugged his father tightly. Shadow smiled and hugged him back with his free hand, still carrying Silver. Rouge and Amy rushed up to them.
"Is it over?" Amy asked breathlessly.
"Absolutely not," Shadow replied. "My Chaos Spear was disabling, not neutralizing. He'll recover in a little while. Hopefully giving us time to wake up Silver." He glanced down at the unmoving hedgehog in his arms.
Sonic helped him lower Silver to the ground. Silver's head lolled on his shoulder, his eyes staying closed. Rouge flew over and grasped the white hedgehog's wrist, measuring his pulse. "It's a little too slow for my liking, but hopefully he'll be fine."
Shadow stiffened. "He'll be fine, right?"
Rouge looked up at him. "Maybe. The longer I sit here, the slower his pulse gets. Maybe…we were too late."
Amy clapped a hand on her mouth and Chaos gasped. Sonic's eyes widened. Shadow completely stopped moving, staring at Silver.
Sonic knelt down beside Silver. "Nah, we just didn't give him enough time! It took a few more minutes for Shads to wake up, so maybe Silver will wake up at that time too!"
The minutes passed by silently. Rouge still gently held Silver's wrist, Amy was trying to distract Chaos, Sonic was tapping his foot impatiently, and Shadow hadn't moved an inch.
Sonic broke the silence. "Okay, he should definitely be up and about now."
Rouge shook her head sadly. "His pulse is too slow. I don't think we can save him." She withdrew her hand and looked up at Shadow. "I'm sorry."
Shadow still didn't move. His eyes were locked on Silver. However, his gaze was smoldering, burning with emotion.
Sonic recognized the look on his brother's face. He zoomed to his side. "Hey, snap out of it! I'm sure he will be okay! He's one of us, after all! With our genes, he'll be up and running in no time!"
Shadow remained silent.
"Uh oh," Sonic muttered.
After a few seconds, Shadow turned to Chaos slowly, the burning gaze never fading. "Get in his mind. Save him."
Chaos looked confused. "What?"
Shadow glared at his son. "Pull him out of the depths of his mind if you have to! Just get him to wake up!" The rest of the party flinched at the raw anger and grief in the gray hedgehog's voice.
Chaos kneeled beside Silver, shaking slightly. "Um…I'll try." He closed his eyes and grasped Silver's hand. Within seconds, a bright blue light started glowing around Silver's head and Chaos's body.
Rouge stood up and faced Shadow. "Are you okay?"
Shadow turned away, clenching his fists. "I'm fine." He glared in the direction that Infinite had fallen.
Rouge put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're going through a lot right now. Just…try to stay calm, okay?" She clearly sensed that he didn't want to talk, so she withdrew her hand and backed away.
Sonic had no such qualms. He sped to Shadow's side and elbowed him. "So, what are we doing tomorrow, big bro? Looking through cameras again? I'll admit it, it's a little fun."
"Leave me alone."
Sonic narrowed his eyes. "If this is your way of trying not to express emotion, you're doing a pretty crappy job."
Shadow finally turned to meet Sonic's gaze. The blue hedgehog nearly leapt back. Shadow's face was a mix of emotions, not hidden whatsoever. Rage, sadness, guilt, and grief all had a place. His eyes were also a whirlpool of emotions, clearly expressing the distress he was currently under.
Sonic raised his hands, taking a step back. "Sorry. I know it's hard for you. But I'm sure he'll be fine!"
"How can you be so sure?" Shadow whispered.
"I just am!" Sonic replied. "Unlike you, I look at everything as a glass-half-full kind of thing. I'm confident we will all survive this."
Shadow opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, they both heard Rouge yell, "I think it's working!"
Shadow immediately dashed to Silver's side, Sonic right behind him. They both kneeled beside him, staring at him intently. It was clear that the white hedgehog was breathing faster. Chaos's eyes were squeezed shut, trying to remain in control.
Out of nowhere, Silver's eyes slowly opened. They moved around for a bit before finally focusing on Shadow.
Chaos shakily inhaled a huge amount of air, like he had been swimming. Rouge gently picked the tired child up and carried him back.
Shadow extended a hand to Silver, pure happiness lighting his face. Already, the negative emotions were gone.
Silver took it and was pulled gently to his feet. At first, he wobbled, and then nearly fell against Sonic.
"Whoa there, bro! Take it easy!" Sonic said, throwing an arm around Silver. Shadow quickly darted to Silver's other side and mirrored Sonic so Silver was barely putting any weight on the ground.
Amy and Rouge grinned at Silver when his amber-red eyes slowly moved around, focusing on each person in front of him. Chaos weakly waved from his spot, and Silver smiled in gratitude. He then glanced from Shadow to Sonic and back again. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "It's my fault. I was so gullible, and now you all are paying the price. I hope you can forgive me."
Sonic and Shadow exchanged a glance. Shadow waited until Silver's gaze was fixed on him again. "None of this was your fault. You were manipulated, just like all of us. Now is the time to take our revenge and rid this world of a dangerous experiment once and for all." Sonic nodded in agreement.
At first, Silver was silent. Then, pure rage overtook his face. "He will pay for what he did to us."
Sonic grinned. "Couldn't say it better myself." He looked at Silver. "Can you stand on your own?"
Silver nodded. The other two let go and watched him for a second in case he lost his balance again. Luckily, the white hedgehog's strength was returning, so his stance was much stronger.
The three turned to Amy, Rouge, and Chaos. An unspoken agreement passed between all of them. Amy embraced Sonic tightly, whispering "good luck" while Rouge and Chaos hugged Shadow. Shadow bent down to Chaos's eye level. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
Chaos grinned. "It's okay. Kick Infinite's butt."
Shadow smirked back. "That I can promise."
The three took a step back, and then turned together and walked to the Chaos Emeralds, their hands extending to the powerful gems.
To be continued…
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