"For lack of thirst, the well runs over, for the unquenchable, the river is dry," Infinite recited to Shadow as the tank reservoir read empty in Sonic's chamber. The blue hedgehog's belly sagged to his knees as his head hung over the edge. With the flick of his fingers, the jackal released his bonds, which were essentially holding him in place; without them, he flopped down on the table at the full weight of gravity's will. As the phantom construct of the merciless mercenary proceeded to remove the tube from his captive's swollen anus, it was essentially like bursting a dam open! The warm white substance spewed out vigorously before slowing to a thick stream that trailed down his motionless legs and onto the floor like a waterfall. The copy couldn't hide his amusement as he then raised the limp hedgehog's head, the hazy emerald eyes of his victim were rolled so far back they were barely visible. "Time to come up for air," he chuckled before ripping the buckles off Sonic's head, allowing the tube from the broken hero's agaped mouth to fall where it may. Small muttering whimpers escaped him as the cum oozed from the sides of his bruised lips, though there were no real words trying to form. No thoughts were running through his mind. No voices. His face carried no expression whatsoever. For everything he experienced in this session of the torture, the trauma, the conflicting emotions, and the moment of clarity, there was nothing left to break. He was completely catatonic. The projection studied him with intrigue, marveling at how unique and painted his victim's face appeared, like a porcelain doll without a soul. It was something strange and beautiful at the same time, at least, in the eyes of the jackal. Curious to see how far gone he was, and in accordance with Infinite's will, the projection brutally knocked Sonic off the table into the creamy puddle with a splattering thud and inaudible grunt. The copy then circled around and began nudging his body roughly with his boot, watching for some sort of reaction; however, aside from a few moans escaping, Sonic didn't respond, nor did he even try to move on his own volition. Instead, he began to exhibit involuntary convulsions that expelled cum from both ends of him in a steady flow, allowing the distension in his stomach to slowly shrink. During these minor seizures, his eyes remained unblinking, as if the light inside of him had finally extinguished. Infinite was curious about this state, having witnessed his toy undergo many kinds of reactions in the past, including death on a few ocassions, this was rather new. "It seems there's a level beyond broken we've yet to explore," the mercenary quipped as Shadow stared hopelessly at his partner on the screen, who was shaking violently in a deepening pool of his serum. The black hedgehog's heart was in his throat. The moment he connected with Sonic HAPPENED! He saw the glimmer of his dear one through that damn monitor and he wasn't going to let that go! He had to be okay! He just had to! There was no way he was going to give up hope, not when they're so close! "Lucidity isn't a requirement for our next game" Infinite chimed as he flicked off the monitor, interrupting Shadow's train of thought with a lightning bolt of surprise, "now that we know his body can withstand such pressure, we can move on." Shadow instinctively rattled within his chains at the loss of visual contact with Sonic, his concern for his partner was only matched by his rage against their sadistic captor, but he knew not to let his anxiety get the better of him, not when seeing him distressed would only please the bastard. "What are you planning?" he growled while the jackal made his way over to the adjacent computer bearing a message with the Eggman logo flashing on screen. "You'll find out soon enough," he replied from around the corner. The black hedgehog tried to peer around to see what Infinite was up to, but the computer was just beyond his peripheral vision, making it impossible to see. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, INFINITE?!" Eggman wrote in all capital letters, "I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT YOU FOR TWO DAYS!!! THAT ECHIDNA AND THOSE OTHER BLASTED VERMIN HAVE DESTROYED MY LARGEST MANUFACTURING PLANT! NOW THEY'RE MAKING A PLAY AGAINST MY EGGFLEET! I NEED YOU AT THE FRONT LINES TO STOMP OUT THOSE PESTS ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!" With an annoyed sigh, the jackal closed the messenger and logged out of the computer. "Bothersome fool," he muttered as he strutted toward the heavily plated door behind Shadow. After inputing the code on the panel, the locking mechanism of the door began to release in a series of metallic clinking noises. While waiting for it to fully unlock, he began tracing his claws along the black hedgehog's body, purposely prodding the deepest wounds for his own sick pleasure. "We'll resume later," he stated casually as a loud clang announced the door was open. Shadow winced as the jackal scraped across his flesh one last time before turning to leave. "And to make sure you won't get lonely, my copy will take care of you like it did the blue rat." After issuing his parting words, the giant door slammed shut with the electronic devices securely sealing Shadow inside the chamber. He knew of one of the cameras in the southeast corner, but there was no telling how many other types of sensors lined the room or if Infinite had left his robots to keep sentry in his absence. Shadow had been contained and restrained in all sorts of twisted methods since he was first brought to this facility, and though he had tried to escape multiple times before, all forms he had been subjected to were essentially fullproof....until now. Dangling from chains with weights tied to his ankles just below his inhibitor rings was the most lax form of bondage he had endured. Was Infinite becoming too confident or did he not plan on being called away so abruptly that he couldn't encase him in something more fortified? Whatever the reason, this was the moment he had been waiting for! Wriggling in the chains, Shadow could hear his broken bones cracking in his arms and legs as he held his breath to hold his fractured ribs in place during his struggle. The multiple stab wounds threatened to reopen the more he stretched, but he had to risk it. If there was even a remote possibility of breaking free, he had to try. He tried to displace his weight onto his left side in order to release some of the tension from the links on his right. Although it was an effective method, it barely afforded much wiggle room to work. Still, he kept at it, and when he felt the strain on his body get the better of him, he looked to the offline monitor, knowing that Sonic was waiting for him on the other side. As he continued to try to break free, his eyes immediately widened to the sensation of a sudden weight disappearing within him. The stagnant feeling he had that made his body unbearably heavy had vanished, receding to his wrists and ankles as he began to sense the chaos energy surge within him once again. "THAT DAMNED RUBY!" Shadow angrily muttered to himself as he made the stunning discovery. All this time, Infinite had used the Phantom Ruby to intensify the natural effects of Shadow's inhibitor rings to such a magnitude that it cut off all access he had to the energy in his body. That's what prevented him from healing! That's what kept him weak enough to remain subdued! With the mercenary and his gemstone out of range, the effects no longer held the Ultimate Life Form down. Knowing this and feeling more of his power return, Shadow immediately winched himself up and snapped the chains suspending him. "UUUUGGGGHHHH!!!" he grunted as he crumbled to the floor, gasping for breath. The return of his powers didn't automatically fix everything, as there were quite a few injuries he had to take care of manually. Moving like a snake, he reared himself up and slammed himself down on the metal floor again, effectively popping his right shoulder back into place. "GGGGAHHHH!!!" he screamed lowly, seething in pain before proceeding to do the same with his left until he was able to move his arms a bit more easily. He then turned his attention to ankles, where he yanked on the links until they split apart and finally freed himself from all forms of restraint. Now, he had to find a means escaping the chamber. Knowing he was most likely being monitored and it would only be a matter of time before his new found freedom was noticed, he had to act fast! First, he needed to heal in preparation for battle. Focusing on the most painful parts of his body, Shadow channeled his chaos energy to mend the fractured bones and damaged tissue to a manageable degree without exhausting too much power in the event he needed an edge later. Next, he studied the room. He wasn't conscious when he was brought in and only ever saw the south wall, but the chamber itself was rather small and wasn't outfitted like the one Sonic was currently enclosed in. However, it had stronger security protocols, making it more challenging for Shadow to decipher. In the end, he had to go with his instinct and use a tactic Rouge had instilled in him. "Whenever your trapped, go up," he said to himself as he glanced at the vent above his head. Meanwhile, the phantom projection of the infamous jackal ambled up the stairs in route to Shadow's chamber, humming casually as it made its way to its desination. Within its mind filtered the imagination of its creator, who had left it with instructions detailing various kinds of gruesome activities it could do with the black hedgehog. Though the construct, itself, had no feelings beyond the extension of Infinite, it was nevertheless delighted in what was in store for its captive. After opening the complex lock of the cell door, the copy quickly discovered the room was vacant. Though it clearly didn't anticipate Shadow escaping, it didn't appear rattled in the least, in fact, it disturbingly reacted with peaked interest. While examining the bloodstained chains on the ground, the projection mused, "Now where did you go?" It then peered around at every nook and cranny before finally looking up, where behind its mask, you could feel the twisted smile form on its face, "This should be fun."