Rookie kept his grip on the Wispon. I should call for backup, he realized. But… then what? Would they kill him? After everything Infinite had done to him, he should be okay with that. So why wasn’t he? He looked at the Wispon, then back up at Infinite. “You really don’t remember anything?” he asked. Infinite paused. “Just… bits and pieces. I remember what I did to you.” he looked up, staring directly into Rookie’s eyes. “What… Who am I?” Rookie swallowed. What was he supposed to say? Just then, someone attacked Infinite from behind. He yelled in pain, whirling around. Sonic landed in front of him. “Tag out, Rookie! I got it from here.” He spindashed directly into Infinite, knocking him back. Infinite grunted, shoving him away. “Stop it. Just… Stop it, all of you!!” He yelled, knocking Sonic to the ground. “Why… WHY WON’T YOU ALL JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!” He flew off, and Sonic stood shakily. “You okay, bud?” he asked. Rookie couldn’t speak. He just nodded. Infinite came for a landing in a bustling city. He landed on top of a building where he was sure no one could see him. He sat down. His head began to ache, and more images flashed through his brain. “No… please… No more…” he pleaded. Suddenly, he remembered everything. Who he truly was. He remembered Crush. Shadow. The rest of his squad. Eggman. His eyes widened. “That’s right…” he said, clenching his fist. “Shadow… you destroyed my squad. I failed to destroy you before, but I intend to fix that mistake.” He stood, prepared for whatever would happen. He finally remembered who he was, and not even Sonic would be able to defeat him now! He floated into the air, laughing. His memory was restored, and now he was finally ready to complete his mission… No one could stand against him now! He looked down at the city below him. He thought about everything that had happened to him. And he laughed. Rookie was pacing. Infinite was alive. And he had had the opportunity to kill him. He could have, then and there in the woods. So why hadn't he? The question had been driving him mad for a while. Just then, Sonic walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, are you okay, man?” he asked. Rookie looked at him, forcing a smile. “Of course,” he lied. Infinite flew above the headquarters of G.U.N., an organization that he knew Shadow was a part of. He floated above the entrance, waiting. His patience was rewarded. Shadow dashed out, coming to a stop in front of him. His Air Shoes activated, lifting him up to look Infinite in the eye. “So,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s true. You survived.” Infinite struggled to keep his anger in check. It would be so easy to crush him right now, but he knew he would regret it later. It would be better to cause Shadow the same pain he had caused him. And cause him pain he would. But not yet. He smiled, looking Shadow in the eye. “Yes, I did survive. And I see you are still as arrogant and overconfident as ever, believing you can defeat me.” He leaned closer. “Tell me, Shadow, do you remember my squad? The people you killed? That day, you took everything from me.” The Phantom Ruby began to glow. “And today…” he continued, drawing his sword, “You will realize what it’s like… to lose EVERYTHING YOU LOVE!” Back in Resistance Headquarters… Sonic’s phone rang. He picked it up. “Hello?” He listened for a bit, and his eyes widened. He hung up and turned to Rookie. “We gotta go, now!” “Wait, what? Why?” Rookie asked, bewildered. “That was Rouge. Infinite’s at G.U.N. Headquarters, and he’s battling Shadow as we speak! We gotta get over there!” Rookie nodded and grabbed his Wispon. “Let’s go!” he said, looking at Sonic. Sonic grinned and threw a ring down, jumping through. Rookie leaped in after him. Shadow swung at Infinite desperately. He had already been injured several times, but he refused to be beaten so easily. He punched Infinite, causing him to stumble back. Infinite pushed his mask up and chuckled. “You’ve improved, Shadow. I will admit that much. But you can’t possibly hope to defeat me.” Shadow growled, charging at him. Infinite blocked his attack and stabbed Shadow in the leg. He yelled in pain and stumbled. Infinite kicked him to the ground. He laughed. “Who’s the weak one now, Shadow?!” he yelled. “Is it you?” someone asked. “What?” He whipped around, searching for the offender. Sonic and Rookie stood there, ready for a fight. “I said, is it you? I assume that’s the correct answer.” Sonic said, smirking.
Sonic and Rookie charged forward, only to be blasted back. Rouge shot at the mecha to no avail. Omega unleashed his ammunition, but nothing seemed to get through the defenses. Infinite lay on the ground, struggling to get up. Shadow pulled himself to his feet and glared at Infinite. “And what are you doing here?! Crumbling and drowning in your own self pity?! Pathetic! If you continue to wallow in sadness, you will become as weak as Eggman told you! You say you’re not weak, THEN PROVE IT! Or your friend’s deaths were for nothing!” Shadow yelled at Infinite. Infinite growled in anger. “I am not weak…” he said, glaring at Shadow. “I am not weak.” he repeated. Shadow stared at him with a cold expression. “I. AM. NOT. WEAK!” He yelled, yanking his mask off. He reached out to attack Shadow, but stopped. He turned to the mecha and took a deep breath. He tightened his grip on his sword and looked at the Phantom Ruby. He knelt down, picking up his mask. He placed it on and charged towards the mecha. “EGGMAN!” He shouted, coming to a stop in front of him. “I’VE COME FOR YOUR HEAD!!” Eggman smirked, gesturing at him to attack. Infinite slashed at the mecha, sending Eggman flying out. He landed in the dirt. Infinite stepped forward to finish him off, but Rookie grabbed his arm. “Infinite! The machine is still active!” He yelled, pointing towards the mecha. Infinite nodded. He turned to Rookie. “I know what I have to do. Don’t try to stop me.” “Wait, what?! Infinite, don’t do anything stupid!” Rookie exclaimed. Infinite shoved his arm off and turned to the Phantom Ruby. “What is he doing?!” Sonic yelled. Shadow’s eyes widened. “I think I see…” The closer Infinite got to the Phantom Ruby, the more the world around them flickered. Eggman’s eyes widened and he started to back away. “You fool! What are you doing?! The energy will destroy you!” “I know,” Infinite muttered. “If I can destroy the last of the Eggman Empire, so be it.” As he drew closer, the pain worsened. He yelled in pain, refusing to back down. Finally, he reached the Ruby. With the last of his strength, he lifted his sword… “This is for you, Crush.” he whispered. “Infinite! NO!” Rookie yelled. He started to run forward, and Infinite brought his sword down. The Phantom Ruby shattered, and there was an explosion that could be seen for miles. Infinite fell to the ground, dropping his sword. He didn’t move. Infinite opened his eyes. There was someone calling his name. He looked up and spotted Crush. “Crush?” he managed. “I-It’s you.” Tears came to his eyes. Crush smiled. “Yeah, boss. It’s me. You’re home.” Infinite looked around. All the members of his squad surrounded him, smiling. He smiled back, blinking tears out of his eyes. “You’re home,” Crush repeated. Infinite stood up and walked to his squad.
