The night outside the G.U.N. base was unnaturally still — like the world itself was holding its breath. Shadow and Will burst through the steel doors first, shadows stretching under the harsh floodlights. Alarms wailed behind them, echoing off the empty training yard. And then— A distortion rippled across the pavement. A shimmer of red. A crack in the air itself. He stepped out of it like he’d always been there. Infinite. Mask gleaming. Jackal grin hidden behind metal. Red aura pulsing like a heartbeat. Shadow moved first, a blur of pure rage. Will followed, electricity gathering between his claws. They hit him at the same time. Infinite didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t care. A single flick of his wrist sent Shadow skidding across the concrete, boots carving black lines. Will leapt, teeth bared— Infinite snatched him mid-air by the throat. “Still small. Still loud,” Infinite said lazily, lifting Will like he weighed nothing. “You’re not worth the breath it takes to fear you.” He threw him. Hard. Will slammed into a steel barrier with a crack that echoed across the yard. He struggled back up, shaking, sparks flickering weakly off his fur. Shadow was already on his feet, quills bristling, eyes burning. Chaos energy sparked under his shoes. “Touch him again,” Shadow growled, “and I tear your arms off.” Infinite tilted his head. “You should worry less about the kitsune,” he purred, aura growing, “and more about the girl I came for.” Shadow lunged again— —but Infinite saw it coming. A Reality Phantom split from his body, catching Shadow by the arm and slamming him face-first into the pavement. Another phantom hit him from behind. A third pinned him down. Shadow snarled, struggling, but the phantoms held him like iron. “Pathetic,” Infinite hissed. “You were never the Ultimate Lifeform. Just the loudest.” Shadow spat bl0_d, trying to force himself up, but Infinite stomped a boot onto his back, pinning him in place. Will dragged himself forward, limping, tails trembling. “Get away from him!” Infinite swept a hand aside. A blast of phantom force launched Will backward again — this time hard enough that he didn’t get up right away. Shadow roared, chaos energy crackling violently, but the phantoms pressed harder, grinding him into the concrete. Infinite leaned down, mask inches from Shadow’s ear. “Where is she, hedgehog?” Shadow strained, choking out— “Far from you.” Infinite chuckled, low and cruel. “No,” he whispered. “She’s closer than you think.” A wind hit the yard. Hot. Sharp. Wrong. Infinite straightened. Because a shadow — small, trembling, and furious — had stepped out of the doorway behind them. Eyes glowing. Hands shaking. Heart pounding so loud it felt like the ground vibrated. Shadie. Her breath left her in one single broken whisper: “…Stop hurting him.” Infinite’s aura spiked, delighted. Shadow’s head shot up. “No— Shadie, stay back!” But she was already walking toward them. Slow. Shaking. Haunted. Infinite opened his arms as if welcoming her home. “I knew you’d come.” Shadie didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t run. She just stared at him with a look that made the air go cold. Not fear. Not rage. Something much darker. Something Infinite did not expect. Something he should have been afraid of.
