OP: heavenly blue by Kalafina (Aldnoah Zero)

One "story"/"scenario" is one chapter, so these are REALLY long. Sorry, but doing individual stories is not my thing.

Many stories and dimensions are based on existing material.

XO

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE EGGMAN EMPIRE. LEGIONIZATION INTO THE EGGMAN EMPIRE ARMY IS MANDATORY FOR ALL RESISTANCE MEMBERS. THOSE WHO FAIL TO COMPLY WILL BE MERCILESSLY KILLED. WE URGE FOR YOUR COOPERATION. THANK YOU.

"Shit…" I duck as Buzzbombers soar overhead, eyes scouring the landscape for any Resistance stragglers. I see one; a female bird who is immediately shot, falling down onto the ground with blood oozing from the shot wound in her head. Normally, death doesn't bother me. I can look death in the face and not be fazed but my body cringes, almost trembles, at the sight of the corpse. It's not like me to be scared. No, I'm not scared. Me? Scared? Yeah, right. Now in the clear, I run. I don't know what is going on in this world anymore. Dr. Eggman suddenly attacks with one clear goal: to conquer the world. His troops are more powerful, almost infinite in number. I hear screaming from one of the centers of the city, but by the time I head there, I get beaten to the punch by the one person who always has one up on me, as much as it hurts me to say that. Sonic. Of course. He IS the hero after all. Tails is there too, shielding a bunch of civilians who cheer as Sonic destroys the Egg Pawns that were about to fire. Tails winks.

"Thanks for the save. Cutting it kind of close though, huh pal?"

"Uh, yeah! That's how I roll!" He turns to Dr. Eggman, who is watching earnestly in his pathetic little Eggmobile. He doesn't even look unsettled, not even annoyed. He looks almost…coy. "Alright, let's settle this Egghead!" He spin-dashes at the Doctor, who barely flinches at the hedgehog speeding forward at him in full-on attack mode, only to get reflected back by a purple blast of energy. I'm surprised to see a copy of myself in front of Sonic, his aura glitchy and not natural, alongside copies of Metal, Chaos and Zavok. What the hell!? They're not real, obviously, but they look real enough. Almost perfect copies, but my copy's eyes are soulless and blank, as well as the white part of my irises being absent from his dead stare. Not only that, but a new figure levitates down to the ground, his one single eye, which burns with a vengeful amber flame, staring at him almost in scrutiny. Something about him is familiar. By his ear shape, tail and body-type, he's a jackal. He has black fur with white fur around his neck and dreadlocks flowing behind his back like ponytails. His hands are clawed and his tail whips side-to-side with anticipation. He has some jewel on his chest, one that glows an alluring magenta. His face is covered with a silver metallic mask. What for? Hmph, coward. Sonic seems to like the idea of someone new to fight as he flicks his nose and boosts, only for the jackal to easily dodge, leaving Sonic speechless. It leaves me speechless as well. This creep is fast. Supersonic fast.

"This guy's faster than Sonic!" Tails exclaims, mostly to himself. Yeah, we know Sherlock. The jackal hovers and shoots lasers from his hand, only for Sonic to dodge and he attempts a spin-dash in mid-air, only to get comboed and gets kicked into a wall, making me naturally cringe. This is the very first time I've seen Sonic in a bad situation but running to help isn't going to help. This jackal guy…even I can't take him on alone, even with Sonic I'm no match for him. Tails then thinks, pulling out a screen to do some "tests". "No, it's something else. Need to scan him and figure this out." Very soon, Sonic's being beaten up like a rag doll but manages to get to his feet, albeit unsteadily. He's breathing heavily and I can imagine his vision must be blurry.

"Tails! I need to know what's goin' on with this guy!"

"I'm trying Sonic but the data is all messed up! It doesn't make any sense!" Eventually, the commanders get in on the action and Sonic eventually gets leveled. He's too weak to get back up and collapses, eyes rolling back into their sockets before he goes limp. I'm about to run over to kick the jackal's face in when Tails screams and flees, terror eating him up. Can't say I blame him. He'd get killed if he tried to assist. I hate to admit it, but I'd probably suffer that sort of fate as well. After all, Sonic's like a brother to the kid, so I can't say I don't understand why he's gone off the deep end. I'll have to track him down later. With a laugh, a claw emerges from Eggman's spherical ship and grabs Sonic. He's badly bruised and bloodied and, from a distance, he doesn't even look alive. The commanders leave, but the jackal stops Eggman, his eye examining Sonic's unconscious form in glee. That sick, sadistic glee you get when you see others' suffering and pain.

"If I may ask…" He begins, his voice echoing. "…what is the plan now?"

"You know the plan, Infinite." So that's that bastard's name. Infinite. Not one I recognize, despite him looking really familiar somehow. "We lock him up until our master plan is complete. I've suffered years at his hands and I'm not going to let him ruin this scheme! The Phantom Ruby is not yet complete! You're only using a highly-replicated prototype! To craft the perfect Ruby AND get everything set up for our master plan will take 6 months at least, if not more!"

"I could always instill some terror into the blue child if that will suit your desire, Doctor."

"…What have you got in mind?"

"Hmph. A little dose of torture should do the trick. Even if he were to break free or was rescued by the remaining Resistance forces, I doubt he would be able to face me. My face will torture him forever more, as will any force he faces in the future. His reputation will surely shatter beneath him. Violence and evil will forever plague his being." I feel sickness welling in my stomach for the first time ever. Torture? Actual torture!? This guy is beyond sick in the head. Dr. Eggman groans.

"I don't think torture is the right course of action…" Thank god. "…but it would be the fastest way to destroy him…ugh, alright Infinite. Have it your own way. I'll set up some new equipment to assist your scheme. Follow." He flies off. What a bald BASTARD! Infinite is about to follow when…

"Hey, you." He turns. "Yeah, you in the mask. Infinite, was it?" Infinite looks at me blankly for a split second before a small humored chuckle escapes his covered mask as he floats down and stands a few feet in front of me, arms crossed, his eyes shining in a cruel delight.

"After all these months, I would never have imagined you to have tracked me down, Shadow. What an unexpected pleasure to see you once again."

"I thought you looked familiar…but I'm not sure from where." He laughs again.

"So you have forgotten me…" Infinite comes close to me, his amber iris staring straight into my own crimson eyes. "I'm not at all surprised. After all, you were the reason I am what I am. You are the reason I destroyed myself to become stronger. Without your little hero, Mobius is nothing more than a treasure waiting to be collected."

"What do you mean I made you like this?" He backs off slightly, turning away.

"Let me remind you…about the first and only encounter we had…" His voice has a sad, almost nostalgic, tone, which is a little weird seeing as this must be a bad memory if his voice sounds like it carries an inch of humanity. "…must have been 3 months ago in Mystic Jungle, which was one of the Doctor's first military bases in that region of the planet…"

XO

You had the nerve to storm into the jungle. You had the nerve to destroy the only people I saw as a family: my squad. I happened to be a mercenary under the Doctor's command. When I heard of the devastation my squad had suffered, I headed to Luminous Forest to find the source. On the way, the Doctor contacted me.

"Hey, you! I know you can hear me! You're the leader of Squad Jackal, aren't you? Your squad was useless. Go clean up their mess already!"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." I happened to see you hiding behind a rock formation, contacting your feeble allies. My fists clenched. Anger ran through me. No-one could beat me, I thought. I saw myself as the strongest person to ever live. I didn't need a mask of shame. I was proud of who I was. I may have had a scar on my face, miscolored eyes, one amber, one blue, but I was a proud individual. Those who saw my face ran in violent terror. I relished in their screams, their panic, their fear. It goes along with the one rule I always stuck by, even to this day:

Spare no-one.

"You…! You destroyed my squad. I'll show you why they call me the Ultimate Mercenary. Take THIS!" I attacked with a boost attack. Ever since I was little, I had speed on par, even surpassing, that of the so-called Blue Blur, Sonic the Hedgehog. One of my dreams was to defeat him either in a race or in battle to prove my superiority. You, unfortunately, saw me and disappeared in a teleport, proceeding to crush my assassination, making me crash into another stone pillar. You looked at me with such discontempt, like I was an insect underneath your shoe, waiting to be crushed. In a way, I was mentally glad you didn't end my life that day, but what you said stays with me always.

"Worthless. Don't show your pathetic face to me ever again." When you vanished, the words sunk into my very heart and soul. No-one had ever had the nerve to say that to me. Any other day I would have killed them for mocking me. You, however, were different. You were immortal, void of fear, impossible to intimidate. Fear is not something you are able to feel. I then looked at what I had become, what you had made me become. A weakling. A feeble mortal. Someone incapable of doing one simple thing right. I may have been proud, strong and feared but I was also fearful of my reputation. My self-esteem was extremely unstable. I always had my squad to reassure me I had done my best if I ever failed. I don't accept failure. On ANY circumstance. Without them there, my paranoia, my emotional instability, flared into life.

"I…I'm shaking. Me? Me…afraid? Pathetic? Me…he's calling ME weak!? No, I am not weak! I'm…I'm not. I am not weak. I AM NOT WEAK! URRRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" You couldn't hear my screams. My paranoia about my own strength is why I decided to rise through the Doctor's ranks. I was determined to prove you wrong. I wasn't weak. Never again would I fall at someone hands, never again would I fail anyone's wishes. It was on that day that I gave up my own unsightly face. And I let go of the old me, the me that was so weak, so I could get stronger. Then, at long last, I obtained the power. The power to make all yield to my will. I…was…REBORN!

XO

I'm just staring dumbfoundedly. So it's him. The worthless piece of nothing that tried aimlessly to ambush me when I was getting intel to Rouge. Because of that, he's a powerhouse of evil, all powered by that gaudy gemstone. I remember who he was. The leader of Jackal Squad, or Squad Jackal, whichever. I'd heard of the squad's exploits, constantly raiding temples, bases and even some GUN bunkers for technology or treasure to sell for bounty money. Their leader, who wielded a sword made from red plasma….Zero, the myths said. Zero the Slayer. Anyone who faced him died at his hands. I fought them once, Squad Jackal, but Zero was absent from the fight. I will not bring that up to him. Zero's name is feared throughout Mobius, having the largest bounty in history. Kill him or capture him and you would get 5.2 million Rings. No wonder he has more assassins after him than anyone else in the world.

"Zero…"

"I am no longer Zero!" He snaps, boosting at me and I barely dodge, only to get roundhouse-kicked into the ground. Those moves are my thing. He glaring at me intensely. "Zero is nothing more than a ghost of the past! He has been erased from my being! I have you to thank for that. Thanks to you, I have more power than before! Enough to destroy the entire planet…and not just that…even all dimensions…all will bow before me!"

"I won't let you get away with this, Infinite. You may think you've won, but you haven't. Not yet. If Sonic can't beat you, I will."

"You would defend that little blue rat? What is he to you? An annoyance?"

"…A valuable ally, actually." He doesn't pick up on my hesitation.

"Friendship is only an illusion. You only need to rely on yourself."

"Infinite!" His wrist communicator goes off. "Get here, now! I'm not waiting for you!"

"I'm on my way now, Doctor." With a menacing hiss, he flies skyward, disappearing in a magenta-colored comet. I feel myself gulp. What in Aurora's name is going on here? Powerful or not, he has Sonic, and by the sounds of it, he's going to absolutely crush him unless someone saves him. Guess I have to be the one to save him. Imagine, me saving someone who usually saves someone else. Weird. I shake everything off and I head back to the base. Knuckles is heading the Resistance (why?), but before I get there, I'm cut off by a transmission by Rouge.

"What, Rouge?"

"Oh, hello to you too." Comes a sly reply. "What's going on? Eggman's just recorded a message that Sonic's…"

"I know. He's not, but don't tell Knuckles or anyone. Not yet. We need more information. I don't even know where the Doctor has taken him. How's the project going?"

"It'll still take some time."

"You still at our Metropolis station?"

"You bet, handsome."

"I'll be right there." I cut off, growl and I teleport to Metropolis. Looks normal enough but I guess the Doctor's forces haven't mobilized here yet. I scan my retina and the door opens. It belongs to GUN, hence the high security. Rouge is waiting for me.

"Hiya."

"No Omega?"

"You know he's been AWOL for 3 months now."

"Zero…he must have been the one who made him disappear…"

"Zero…? Who is that?"

"The one that captured Faker. Jackal in a mask. He calls himself Infinite…I battled him on that Mystic Jungle raid…I beat him and he made himself stronger using some jewel called the Phantom Ruby…he used to be Zero though. Zero the Slayer, leader of Squad Jackal."

"You making someone go crazy? Wouldn't be the first time…"

"ROUGE!"

"Sorry, Shadow. Oh, the project! Let me show you."

The project…Project: Memoria (lame name, but I was tired at the time and I don't like messing with things once they're decided). It was a project to download a person's consciousness into a lifeless body, regenerating them. The only downside is that some memories get lost or altered. What's Project: Memoria, I hear you ask? Well, considering I've been through 50 plus years of mental trauma thanks to the death of my friend Maria, me and Rouge came up with a plan. We got DNA and memories from GUN, who had been trying to do this since it happened, considering it was an accident at the end of the day, and been trying to effectively bring Maria back to life. If GUN can't do it, we can, because we're superior to them…in some ways. I still technically work for them, so I can't really diss them but hey, I'm not one to follow anyone's orders. I see the machine whirring away. Soon it will be complete. We're playing the waiting game now.

XO

6 months have passed. 6 whole months. Eggman's army has conquered 99% of Mobius in that time, despite the Resistance's best efforts. Without Sonic, it's a lost cause. Many people believe he's dead, myself included. While Sonic has a high resistance to pain, he's not mentally strong. It doesn't take much to make him sensitive or cry, much like any 15-year-old. Torture for 6 whole months can't leave you alive, surely? I'm still in our base when the machine containing Maria's new Mobian body whirs and falls silent, making Rouge excited. I'm in high spirits as well. She presses a few buttons and the machine door opens, wires that are connected to Maria retract back. She's now a golden hedgehog with a dress similar to the one she wore on the ARK and she has a dark blue headband on her head. Her boots are like Amy's but are blue and white. She also has navy rings on her gloved hands. Her quills reach her lower back and she also has bangs that flick out like a human's shoulder-cut. Her eyes flicker open, revealing them to be that rich azure that I fondly remember. She weakly sits up and looks around, eventually making eye contact with us. I wait to see if she recognizes me.

"Um…hi…?" Her voice is silvery and sounds a bit like Cream's; high-pitched and naïve-sounding. She looks at me, confusion in her eyes. "You…you look really familiar…" She's thinking but eventually, she has a eureka moment. "Shadow?"

"Yeah, yeah it's me." I nod, happiness rising in me as I rush over to embrace her, with her hugging back, tears down her face.

"Did you miss me?"

"Miss you!? Of course, I did!"

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Rouge pipes up, slightly annoyed.

"Oh, sorry. Maria, this is a friend of mine, Rouge."

"Nice to meet you Rouge." She gestures for a handshake. Rouge takes it, smiling.

"It's nice to meet you too, Maria. Shadow's told me all about you."

This could have gone further but the ground suddenly shakes, knocking Maria off balance. I hug her both in comfort and in protection as she whimpers. I grab her hand and we run out of the base as the ceiling collapses. Rouge manages to fly out too as the entrance gets blocked and choking smoke streams into our faces.

"W-What was that?" I look up.

"That." We look up. Infinite. Must have blasted near here and set off a chain reaction. He hasn't seen us. I shush Maria and we edge away, only for a laser to nearly hit us.

"You think you can run from me, Shadow? And Rouge, it is always a pleasure."

"Get lost, creep."

"And a new child among us…soul full of innocence and confusion, mind full of doubt and anxiety…interesting…your body is not your own…regenerative experimentation…I always thought that was always doomed to fail…"

"What do you know!?" Rouge yells, fists clenched. "You're the one who kidnaps unconscious hedgehogs!"

"He was a feeble mortal, doomed to die at the hands of someone stronger. There's always someone stronger, am I right Shadow?"

"Don't bring me into this."

"That cold persona of yours…I see…it is a perfect mechanism for disguising your fear, but that won't work on me. I can smell the fear off mortals like yourself. You reek of it. You saw everything I did to that little blue rat 6 months ago, so I'm glad that left an impression on you."

"Who the hell are you!?" Maria yells, though she's cowering and hiding behind me. Infinite crosses his arms and readjusts his mask.

"You may call me…Infinite, in the brief moments that remain to you. No-one can stand against me. If the hero of Mobius falls to me, so will everyone and anyone in any dimension. This dimension…this world…bores me. I long for something more, someone to give me a decent challenge. That rodent was a joke. No fight, no spirit. Hearing him plead for help from his little fox brother was both adorable and worthless. In the end, he is doomed to scream in pain for the rest of his days. I will make sure of that. You've distracted me enough. I will not kill you today, Shadow the Hedgehog, but the next time we meet, I will slash you down where you stand." He darkly laughs and flies away, leaving all of us confused by his choice of words.

"How dare he talk about Sonic like that!?" Rouge rages, teeth clenched. She doesn't get angry often but when she does, it's ugly. "Like he doesn't even matter!?"

"Sonic?" Maria asks. "Who is that?"

"My arch-rival. It used to be extremely hostile but it's more neutral these days. He's seen as the hero of the planet, constantly taking down any evil that arises. Sure, he's reckless, annoying and a bit egotistical but he's the best hope anyone has when Dr. Eggman or anyone else decides to wreak havoc."

"Dr. Eggman?"

"Ivo Robotnik." When I say his name, Maria violently flinches. "What's wrong?"

"Ivo…my cousin…"

"Cousin!? Wait, you and the Doctor are actually related?" Rouge asks in alarm. I wasn't expecting that but I don't react. I figured there was some relation due to the same surname but cousins are quite close relations. Definitely same blood. Same grandparents. Gerald. Of course. Now it makes sense. When Maria nods, Rouge smirks and hovers. "Wow, that would make quite a scoop."

"Rouge, don't you even think about telling anyone; neither the Resistance nor GUN! If you do, I swear…!"

"OK, hon, settle down!

"You two, stop it!" Maria yells, glaring at us. "We need to think of something."

"She has a point." I point out. I assess the damage to the base and sigh. "We need to get back to the City. Maybe the Resistance can train Maria up a bit."

"Are we telling them about Sonic?"

"…We don't know where he is…our main priority is whittling down the Doctor's forces, get a location and then stage a rescue mission instead of going in blind and ending up as dead meat. As much as Sonic comes as a major priority, I'd rather save my hind than go on a suicide mission. I may be immortal, but I'm not indestructible."

"He has a point. Best we wait for information and then tell."

"OK."

XO

The Resistance base is underground and is fitted out with high amounts of technology and high amounts of medical, nutritional and combat supplies. New ones come in every week unless there are high amounts of raiding but we always have at least a month's backup. After all, the Resistance is made out of most of Sonic's friends. Knuckles is heading the Resistance as the main Commander and Silver is second-in-command, as he predicting the calamity and went to Knuckles for help. Amy handles communications. Tails is not here, of course. The Chaotix are a solo combat unit. Vector is the field leader, Charmy is an air scout and Espio does stealth and espionage missions, often solo. Blaze is here as well, as a backup fighter and, finally, Cream is a trained medic (she learned from the girls). Me, Rouge and Omega (who is currently AWOL following a failed mission in Green Hill Zone 3 months ago) form Team Dark, a solo strike force who, while being part of the Resistance, tend to stray solo and only answer to Knuckles on rare and important occasions. As Rouge, Maria and I enter, everyone is in a low mood from Eggman's "demoralizing" video that he continuingly broadcasts to get surrenders. It works. With no hope of Sonic's return, nearly everyone has lost hope. Only Rouge and I know better, but I know the most because I saw it happen.

"Hey, Shadow. Rouge." Amy false-smiles, eyes not looking up from the PC. Blaze is overlooking her, almost waiting to see if she messes up. That pink girl isn't the best with technology but with no Tails, she's the next best thing.

"Mr. Shadow! You have bruises!" Cream bounds up to me. She's the only one of the group I can actually STAND, mostly because she's so young and innocent. She tugs at my arm. "Let me look at you, OK? You might have other wounds."

"Alright, kid, alright." I let her drag me to the infirmary and notes a bleeding gash to my shoulder blade but at the back, so no-one has seen it yet. I naturally flinch as she places a cold wet cloth over it. Must have got scratched when our base in Metropolis caved in from Infinite's attack. "Hey, take it easy!"

"Sorry. It's gaping slightly so I have to apply pressure. Miss Rouge was right when she said you hate people hating you." Her Chao, Cheese, chirps in agreement. I roll my eyes as Cream removes the cloth and binds my shoulder with a bandage, clapping when she's finished. "There, all done Mr. Shadow! You're good as new!"

"Thanks…I guess." She doesn't notice as I mumbled the last bit but as she leaves the room, she stops, looking at me sadly.

"Is it true though? That Mr. Sonic's…?"

"I…I don't know. I haven't see the video so…I don't really know."

"Alright." She walks out, Cheese flying dejectedly on her shoulder. As I re-enter the room, everyone is huddled around Maria, asking her a million and one questions among other things. Angered, I pull her aside.

"Alright, you lot, break it up."

"We were just getting to know her!" Amy points out. I only glare and she backs off.

"She's not used to crowds, plus she's only young. Give her a break, Rose."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, I bet you are."

"Shadow, it's fine. I'm alright…though they were asking a lot of things."

"Who are you, anyway? A survivor?"

"Not exactly." She answers Blaze's question. "My name is Maria."

Gawks. A lot of them.

"Maria…as in…your Maria?" Amy gasps, eyes small in surprise. I shrug.

"Regenerative Experimentation."

"Wow…!"

"Who is Maria?" Silver asks but Blaze slaps him.

"Not a good thing to ask."

"Alright, Blaze, I was only wonderin'! Sheesh!"

"Mr. Insensitive."

"Miss Pyro."

"Mr. Rude."

"Miss Annoying."

"Lame insults, you guys!" Charmy pipes up. I face-palm. Rouge sweatdrops and Maria nervously smiles.

"Are they friends or enemies, Shadow?" Maria asks, confused. I shrug.

"Partners. They're dating, though I question where their relationship is actually AT."

"Noted." I look at Knuckles, who hasn't said a word.

"Have you heard anything from Tails, Knuckles?" I ask him directly. He only huffs and shakes his head.

"No, he won't pick up our transmissions. Can't say I blame him. Blue's disappearance has made him lose it. I'm sure Eggman is lying as per usual. Sonic has to be alright…he just has to…but he isn't picking up either…so I'm wondering if he had gotten hurt by that creep in the mask."

"Pardon?"

"The jackal in the mask. Amy, get visual from earlier." Amy nods and brings up a video of Infinite firing lasers at a small group of innocent civilians, all of them ending up dead as their pain-filled screams cut short. He chuckles and disappears and then the video loops but Amy takes it down. My fists clench.

"Monster."

"He's definitely a monster…we're not sure if he's a creation of Eggman or one of his commanders but he's heading up Eggman's core fleet."

"The next time I see him, I'm going to kill him."

"Do that and you'll end up as dead meat." The echidna warns. "No-one can you defeat him."

"Someone has to!"

"Yes, but we need a strategy! We can't run into this blind, which is what Sonic would foolishly do if he was here. Something tells me he is the reason behind Sonic's disappearance in the first place…"

"You're right…" I half-mumble. I'm too loud.

"What do you mean, I'm right? Do you know what's going on!?" Great. Everyone looks at me in wanting for answers.

"Alright. You want the truth? Here's the truth. That jackal is known as Infinite and he is the head of the Eggman Empire's army. He used to be known as Zero, a wanted criminal and mercenary. I fought him 9 months ago when I did a mission in Mystic Jungle, but his defeat drove him insane and he bound his soul with the Phantom Ruby, the jewel he wears on his chest. 6 months ago, he beat Sonic to a pulp and captured him with the intention of torturing him. I don't know where he is or if Sonic's still alive, but there, that's the whole story."

More gawks. Tears. 7 pairs of horror-filled eyes stare at me and it's enough to make me flinch slightly.

"T-Torture…?" Espio repeats, surprisingly calm but I see alarm is in his amber irises. When I nod, he looks down. "I see…so that is why he has gone missing…"

"Esp, how are you so damn calm!?" Vector demands.

"Is there a use to getting all riled up? We have to keep focused, though our main priority is saving Sonic from…what was his name, Shadow?"

"Infinite."

"Infinite. Save him from Infinite and Dr. Eggman."

"And how are we going to do that?" Silver ponders. "We don't know where he is."

"Silver's right. Without a location, there's nothing we can actually do." Knuckles scratches his head. "At least we know more now than we did earlier. Thanks for the information, Shadow."

"Hmph."

"If I may Knuxie…" Rouge interrupts. "…we could use biotech to track Sonic's life signs…it must appear somewhere on the map…"

"We would if we had any…bio-tech is extremely scarce to come by, let alone reliable."

"Damn…" She backs off when Knuckles shoots her idea down. She taps her chin. "…we could hack into Eggman's systems and see if any transmissions between him and Infinite lead to any clues."

"That might work." Amy beams. "We would have to use a sub-wave network to avoid being detected but doing that is the easiest way to hack into Eggman's network!"

"Not a bad idea, Rouge." Knuckles comments, nodding. He's hard to please, that echidna. "Amy, can you get on that?"

"Sure, Commander!" She types line after line of code until I hear a small and repetitive beeping sound enters my ears. It's high-pitched so my ears continue to twitch in annoyance. Rouge leaves the room; her ears are more sensitive since she's a bat, one of the most sensitive species. Eventually, Amy smiles. "Transmission in progress!"

"Get audio. Now."

"On it!" She loads the transmission. "There's a 3-second delay."

"What do you mean, other dimensions!?" It's the Doctor's voice. Other dimensions? Infinite mentioned other dimensions.

"It's like I told you. This world bores me, Doctor. No challenge, no worthy opponent to fight. Tormenting the blue child is still my priority, but I figured it would be more fun to destroy any and all universes I come across."

"You're abandoning our plan!?"

"Only until the prototype is complete. Without a fully-stable Ruby, my powers are somewhat limited. I must ask this though, what is the use of a new Death Egg?"

"Death Egg?" Silver asks. Amy shudders.

"The Death Egg is an orbiting flying fortress that floats in Mobius's stratosphere. Sonic's dealt with it before but if he's rebuilt it, that's bad news for us."

"It's what powers the Ruby! You know that! Ugh, fine, if you want to conquer other dimensions, be my guest! I have a hedgehog to talk to. How has the torture gone so far?"

"Broken and shamed, just like I planned. We no longer need him alive. He'll die soon enough."

"I underestimated you. I thought it wouldn't work but it has perfectly!"

"You doubted me, Doctor?"

"A little bit, I'll admit. Fine. We'll cut off all contact and supplies. He should be dead within a few days. Not even him can survive without food and whatnot."

Amy cuts it off there. She's crying. Everyone but me, Rouge, Espio and Knuckles are.

"W-We have to get him out. Now!" Blaze alerts Knuckles, who nods.

"Agreed. Shadow, I'm leaving this mission to you and Silver."

Silver…why the hell do I have to work with Silver!? Not only do I hate his guts, but he is so…so…Silver. I can't argue with Knuckles though. I nod and I look at Silver.

"Let's do this."

"Yeah, let's."

XO

Entering the Death Egg is actually quite nerve-wracking. I'm good with stealth missions. I'm used to it. Silver, on the other hand, isn't as skilled. I have to keep one eye on him so he doesn't trip an alarm.

"We best check the imprisonment wing. Sonic will be there for sure." Silver tells me and I nod.

"Figured."

"Why do you hate me?"

"You're annoying and a child. End of."

"You're annoying too."

"Good. The feeling's mutual." As we sneak towards the imprisonment wing, something hits our ears. Shrill screams. Screams that makes my stomach do flips. "Holy Aurora…"

"T-That was Sonic…!? What are they doing to him!?"

"Follow me and be quick." I start running down one corridor with Silver flying alongside me. He can fly at the same speeds as Sonic and I, though he can't replicate that speed when he's running on land. As we sneak into the wing, the screams are louder, full of terror and traumatic horror. I can see a faint red light coming from around a corner that fades in and out. Infinite. I bundle Silver into the shadows as the jackal walks past. We hold our breath. He doesn't see nor sense us, thank god. I shush Silver and we continue, walking gently because the floor is metallic and would make a lot of noise. Each cell is filled with about 5 Mobians, each one bruised, bloodied and tortured, some of whom are actually dead or dying. Silver's whimpering. "Shush."

"Sorry…I-I just can't handle this."

"Guard from the air. I'll grab Faker." He nods at this and I teleported further up, hovering slightly and then lowering slowly to avoid noise. There is one single cell at the end. It's slightly bigger than the others but the bars are thicker and there is more security. There's no cameras or monitors. That's a good sign. It's almost pitch black apart from a faint cyan glow from within the cell itself. I can barely make out Sonic's form. "Sonic? Sonic, can you hear me? It's Shadow." I'm whispering. No reply. I fiddle with the lock but unlocking it causes a massive clunk to sound, making me jump and look around in slight paranoia, but no guards come running. I slide inside and I light up my hand with Chaos Energy to make a sort of lamp. My feet freeze.

Sonic's lying on the ground, cyan ring-like shackles binding his wrists and ankles. He's covered in scars, bruises, gashes and dried blood. He's skin and bone, limbs as thin as matchsticks. His quills are all bushy and unkempt and his fur is a blue-grey instead of the azure it was before. He even has untreated burns and wounds that have become infected. As I touch his arm, he's ice cold. I feel for a pulse. I luckily find one, but it's faint. As I try picking him up, he wiggles, slurred and terrified whimpers escaping his mouth. I shush him. Seeing him like this makes me want to be sick. What has Infinite done to him!? I gently pick him up. He's extremely light; unnaturally light. He's underweight, undernourished. He's…he's dying. Gritting my teeth, I run, not caring about the noise and I gesture to Silver. I activate my teleport and we're back in the City, where I immediately head to the Resistance HQ, where Rouge is guarding the entrance. As soon as she sees Sonic, her eyes grow wide and she hurries to open the door. Cream is banned from working on him due to her youth and it's Silver, Amy and Espio who hurry to stabilize him. Maria hugs me when she sees me.

"You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm more worried about Sonic." I think to what Infinite said about breaking Sonic's spirit. Physical torture wouldn't be enough…what if he's been tortured psychologically? That sort of damage is eternal; it's going to stay with him until he dies. "You don't need to worry about me."

A sudden scream comes from the infirmary, one of panic and trauma. Espio, Silver and Amy hurry out in a huddle, all alarmed.

"What?" I jog over to them. "What's wrong?"

"He just…screamed…" Amy whispers, badly shaking. "He saw us for a split second and flew into a frenzy."

"He can't be thinking straight." Silver suggests, peering into the infirmary. "I mean…considering the state he was in, he's got to be traumatized and weak, so maybe his thoughts and memories are a little foggy."

"I suppose it's possible." Espio agrees. "Shadow, maybe you should talk to him. He might open up to you." I know what he's getting at and I nod.

"Worth a shot." They move aside and I quietly enter the room. Sonic's tightly latched into a defensive ball, his form quivering underneath the sheets, quills out in defense. As I edge closer, I can hear him whimpering, hands over his ears, eyes scrunched up. I have to tread carefully. "…Sonic?" He jumps and his ball tightens. I kneel by him to make myself smaller. "It's alright." I don't touch him. That's the worst thing I can do, considering what he's been through. I'm speaking gently to avoid him freaking out. It sort-of works. He unravels and peeks at me, eyes out of focus but they try hard to latch onto me. He looks away, shaking his head almost in disbelief. He mumbles something but I can't tell what the words are. I try meeting his gaze. Almost in anger, his hand pushes me away, making me land on my back because I was too slow to dodge. He's sitting up now, huffing in effort, hands shaking. He's looking at me almost in hate, but I can see something's wrong with his eyes. They're dark and unseeing. As I stand, he watches my every move in paranoia, eyes flickering back and forth. I back away and he slightly calms down but his fur bristles. "What's wrong?" I ask, trying not to sound like I'm his enemy. He looks confused by the question. He hasn't spoken to me yet, which is a little odd. I make the mistake of stepping forward and he hisses in a feral manner, fangs bared (yes, hedgehogs do have small fangs), hands ready to claw at me. His behavior is both puzzling but, at the same time, intriguing. I inch forward again and he backs away, hissing more in warning. I back off but I bend down. Hedgehogs have a unique communication method. I begin making small animalistic noises, our native tongue. He backs down, fur falling back down to normal levels as his fear dissolves and he makes the noises back in response. He's safe to approach, but I only inch nearer. He doesn't react. As long as I don't get too close, it's all fine. "It's alright, Sonic, you can tell me what's wrong." I mutter quietly. He's conflicted, but he eventually decides to talk.

"…Y-You're n-n-not real…"

"Not real?" I cock my head to one side. Sonic's good at one thing: confusion. "How am I not real?" He looks at me as if I'm dumb.

"Y-You died…you all died…how are you here!? You're dead…you're all dead!" He screams, clutching his head almost in agony as he screams at the top of his lungs. As much as I know physical contact isn't going to help, I rush over and I cradle him in my arms. Sure, he screams more and violently tries to wiggle me off but I refuse. Eventually, he senses the fact I'm not going to let go and stops struggling against me but he starts wailing in anguish as well as burying his face in the pillow. Infinite's doing, no doubt. Lies and psychological torture to make him less likely to fight back. It actually worked. The world's hero…reduced to this. It's just wrong on so many moral levels.

"I'm really real, Sonic. I'm not some illusion or hallucination; it's really me." He looks up at me, teary-eyed.

"You…you are really here?" When I nod, he shakes his head. "No, you're not…"

"Yes, I am." I correct, placing a hand on his own, which makes him blink. "Hallucinations can't touch you, right?" His eyes brighten. He suddenly latches onto me, sobbing but this time in a more joyous mood. Infinite must have given him false news of the warfare; continuously saying we were dead, that we were never coming for him. Loneliness is Sonic's weakness; he depends on his friends; friendship is what keeps him going. Without them, he's a shell, devoid of heroic spirit. That sort of torture for 6 months must have destroyed his sense of reality. Judging by how much he insisted I wasn't real, he might have had continuous nightmares of us as well as hallucinations and psychotic episodes involving psychosis. Maybe he heard voices or had blackouts/flashbacks? I'm only listing the possibilities. He then lets go.

"I-If…if you're real…then the others…?"

"Are real too. No-one's dead, I promise. Everyone's alive and safe."

"Tails…I didn't see Tails…"

"He's out there somewhere but communication is scarce. He's alive, I know that much, but his whereabouts are unknown." He screams again, ferally hissing to himself as well as fruitlessly kicking and squirming until his screams grow into hoarse gasps as his throat sounds like it's raw. I stroke his quills. Hedgehogs like that. It's a calming mechanism. He slowly grows silent, breathing in a panicked way.

"My fault…" He rasps, his voice wavering and broken. "…He's gone…it's my fault…"

"No, it isn't!" I insist. "It wasn't your fault…none of this is your fault!" He doesn't listen. He scrunches back into his ball like he was at the beginning and nothing I do gets a reaction, neither physical nor verbal. Eventually, I realize he needs some time alone and I walk out of the room. I turn to the group, who look at me earnestly for information. "Everyone needs to be very cautious around Sonic right now, am I clear? He's psychologically damaged and emotionally unstable. I don't know if he'll heal but the sooner we find Tails, the better. The fact he's not here is really scary for him."

"We have scouts looking for him." Knuckles reports. "Has Sonic actually said anything meaningful?"

"The reason he screamed when Silver, Espio and Amy were in there is because, partly in thanks to the torture, Infinite managed to install the idea to him that we were dead and were never coming for him, so he had a strong belief that we were all either illusions or his hallucinations, though he doesn't think that anymore. Furthermore, he's blaming himself for Tails' vanishing act…so we need a suicide watch."

"A…A what!?"

"It's not that surprising." Espio counters Amy's exclamation. Muttering the "S" word, so to speak, is extremely rare and is usually used to describe impossible missions, usually involving Sonic and his recklessness. "Considering what he's been through, it's possible he'll try and get out through whatever means if the pain gets too much for him. Shadow's right. A regular post is needed. Charmy and Cream will be excluded from this of course. Maria also. Also Amy, seeing as I doubt she would be able to hold her nerve." Amy shrugs at this, not bothered.

"Alright, I think we should do 3 hours shifts, meaning 1 shift a day for each person. I'll start drawing up a rota." She notes, beginning to start a table document on the PC. She dedicates me, Rouge and Knuckles to night watches because we're all good with operating on little rest. Blaze and Silver are mornings and the rest the afternoon and evening. By the end, the rota looks like this:

Midnight to 3am: Shadow

3am to 6am: Rouge

6am to 9am: Blaze

9am to 12pm: Silver

12pm to 3pm: Vector

3pm to 6pm: Espio

6pm to 9pm: Fuchsia

9pm to Midnight: Knuckles

"Who is Fuchsia?" I ask, seeing the unfamiliar name.

"She's one of the newbies. I'm sure she'll help out." At that moment, the doors open and a pink cat slinks inside, a purple gun of sorts on her hand.

"God, there's so many…" She trails off mid-sentence as she sees everyone looking a bit in thought. "…um, am I missing something?" She sees me, Rouge and Maria. "Are these newbies?"

"Not exactly. This is Team Dark. Meet Shadow, Rouge, and Maria. This is Fuchsia. She's our resident rookie."

"I've told you I hate that nickname, Commander Knuckles." Fuchsia groans. She's around the same age as Espio, with purple eyes and white patches on her body. She sees the document as she goes to greet Amy. "Suicide rota? What the heck is this?" Knuckles pulls her aside and explains the entire situation. When he's finished, she's in shock but she nods. "Sure, I'll help. When do you want me to do watch?"

"We're doing 3-hour shifts. 6 to 9 in the evening is your slot. Is that alright?"

"Sounds good to me. What time is it now?"

"About…4:45?"

"Alright then…it's my shift then." Espio nods. "I'll call you at 6 then, OK Fuchsia?"

"Alright."

XO

I'm woken by an alarm. I look at the time. 5:30 in the morning. Rouge would be getting to the end of her shift. I jump up and realize the alarm isn't the emergency one. Knuckles installed an alarm in case the person on shift gets suicidal behaviour off Sonic, and the fact that very alarm is actually ringing sets me into motion. I'm the last one there. Silver's actually gone inside the infirmary and Rouge is outside, badly shaking, which is rare for someone of her personality and history.

"Rouge!?" I rush over.

"Shadow!"

"What happened!?"

"I…I don't know…he…I don't know…I didn't see…"

"Well, what did you see?"

"Blood. A lot of it. From his neck…I…I couldn't see any weapon or anything he could have used except his nails but it was his quill. He used his quill. I couldn't stop the bleeding so I rang the alarm."

"You did what you could. We'll find out the whys later. The important thing is getting him stable."

"Already have." Silver sighs, stepping outside the infirmary with wet hands, having washed the blood of them. "He's alright."

"Thank god."

"Good thing I DID fit that alarm." Knuckles muses, not happy in the slightest. "Alright, we'll stop the watch until Sonic wakes up. What's his status, Silver?"

"Alive, thank goodness for that. I tried waking him up but got nowhere. He's not responding to anything around him."

"You mean…Sonic's in a coma?" Blaze asks fearfully. Silver dejectedly nods. The room's silent.

"Infinite…" Amy mutters, her hammer popping into existence. "I WANNA KILL HIM!"

"We all do, Amy, but if we tried we'll end getting stomped into space bits."

"Fine, Commander." She made her hammer disappear and she trudged out of the room. Everyone followed.

"Shadow…?" Maria tugs at me.

"What? What is it?"

"I feel…I feel tingly."

As soon as she says that, I get the feeling as well. My entire body feels like it's electrified and everything goes black.

XO

When I come to, I'm not in the Resistance base anymore. It's some sort of garden, with golden roses growing in silver soil. The sky is a beige-golden with white clouds and a white sun. Soft mist is swirling around me. I see Maria waking up a few inches from me, groggily rubbing her head. No-one else is here. It's just me and her.

"You alright?" I ask, helping her to her feet. She's shaky but she nods.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Welcome, mortals." Comes a new voice. Walking towards us is a golden hedgehog with extremely long quills. She's wearing a silver gown and has a tiara on her head. Her eyes are brown and she has multiple rings on each arm as well as royal gloves. She bows. "It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you to my dimension."

"Y-Your dimension?"

"That is correct, Shadow."

"You know our names."

"I do, indeed. I assure you, I mean you no harm. I have seen the devastation Infinite has inflicted upon your world. His existence is starting to harm other dimensions and alternate realities and this cannot continue, so I brought you here to help me gather the Soul Plates."

"What are Soul Plates?" Maria asks.

"Soul Plates are happiness and hope bound into a solid metallic form. There are 300 in existence. We must uncover them all."

"Why so many?"

"To discourage others from trying to collect them. The sheer number of them would drive anyone to the brink of despair."

"Look…er…"

"Aeon."

"Aeon, right. Look, Aeon, we have a crisis of our own. Infinite inflicted a large amount of pain on a friend of mine, OK? Our disappearance, mine especially, isn't going to help matters."

"I assure you, when you return to your dimension, little time will have passed."

"You can promise that?"

"I am a Time Goddess, Shadow. Manipulating time is child's play. However, Infinite threatens even here, a place few have heard of, let alone reach. This pocket of space is one of many dimensions in danger."

"OK, so how do we collect the Soul Plates?" It is Maria who inquires this. Aeon leads us inside to a massive map, each with a silver dot to represent a world. The big one in the center is ours, I can tell. Mobius Prime, our dimension, is the center of the multiverse and the others are alterations, mirrors or copies of our zone. They're called zones on Mobius. The common one I've heard of is Moebius, the "Anti-Mobius". I swear to God that we don't go there. I don't want to listen to Scourge's taunts after what has happened. There is Blaze's dimension as well as Silver's. They came to our dimension to help the war effort.

"Soul Plates linger in everyday items." Aeon explains. "They are invisible and undetectable to the naked eye but through courage and resolve, they can be unlocked. Each dimension you travel to will have a challenge or problem for you or others to face, be it battling a villain, erasing misfortune or helping a person overcome their personal challenges. Solve that problem and a Soul Plate will be your reward. I only have one thing to bestow upon you, in particular, Maria, you with no means of defense. To you, I bestow the element of water. I hope you will use it to flood misfortune and evil alike away for all eternity." A blue shard flies and embeds itself in Maria's chest, shining a rich azure as a sudden shot of water shoots from Maria's extended hand as she flicks it forward to try out her new powers.

"Thank you." She bows gratefully. Aeon chuckles and forms a bubble.

"Before each mission, I will show you a glimpse into the dimension you will enter. Behold…your first mission." We look into the ball.

I see snow. Endless snow falling from a clouded grey sky. In a snow-covered valley sits a castle made of ice and rock, a flag signifying a spiked snowflake as a symbol of the kingdom. Some ice king? Queen? Inside, I see a grey Mobian husky dressed in a dress similar to Aeon's but her tiara is made from icicles. She knocks on a door but gets no reply. I see what is in the other room. A hedgehog figure, crying. His cape is covered in icicles. With each broken sob, the castle grows colder and more covered in ice. He then loses it, a shrill scream of anguish escaping his throat. The snow gets ever heavier and the wind picks up, making the climate ever colder. I see a red-haired chipmunk with a scarred eye watching the castle in hatred, fists clenched as she draws out battle plans. I see the hedgehog rise and exit the room as he moves towards the courtyard, where a statue stands tall. I peer closer. It looks like…me. It's me. I see the hedgehog up close. Blue quills, gleaming emerald eyes.

…Sonic.

The vision fades. Aeon flicks her hand and a portal appears.

"Your mission is not timed. Take as much time as is needed but I must warn you, Infinite may find you if you delay too long. You must save this land from the endless winter that it has been consumed in. Are you ready to take on this task?" We nod and enter the portal, not really knowing what we are getting in for.

ED: SABLE by angela (M3: That Black Steel)