".....I-it's....h-him...it's r-really him...." Sonic uttered, his heart pounding in his chest as he fought to keep his heavy head up, "---he's...h-here...". 
Suddenly, a strike of pain went through his chest that took his breath, made his pupils shrink to tiny specks, and rattled his mind like an earthquake. It was like his heart was going to explode! Everything in front of him was slowly bathed in a black veil while the growing pounding in his head made it impossible to process what was happening to him. 
He struggled and writhed in his pitiful state until he was brought back into the dark void of his subconscious. 

"--N-NO! NOT HERE!!! PL-PLEASE!!!! L-LET ME GO BACK!!! H-HE NEEDS ME!" 

*Who needs you?* the familiar voice resounded, standing behind the broken hero with more clarity than ever before. 

When Sonic first heard this voice months ago, it was just an echo calling from the farthest reaches of his mind, it had no form whatsoever, but it's presence was always felt as it encouraged him to perservere at times when desperation was overwhelming. 

Despite the haziness of his recent memory, he recalled it had a sort of ghostly frame during the last time he encountered it, which it used to drive away the corrupted phantoms that tormented Sonic's mind and shielded him from their reach. 

But now, it was like looking in the mirror. The voice had a solid appearance that looked identical to Sonic in almost every way...at least, in the way he looked before. 
From his overall healthy physique free of wounds, bruises, and scars to his crisp quills finely shaped in their signature style. This was the Sonic he used to be, and seeing him as he once was hurt him more than he could bear. 

*Well? Are you going to answer or should we play 20 questions?* the voice stated while leaning down, trying to look the blue hedgehog in the eye, only for him to consistently turn away as shame, sadness, and loss overtook him. *Mmmm...this is going to be harder than I thought,* the voice continued, *I mean, I really believed you were getting there, breaking free of his control....but now...I'm not so sure you can.*

Sonic studied his own body, rittled with marks that will forever be a part of him even after they heal. As the anxiety took over, he clenched his knees to his chest, his lower lip quivering in unison to the tears rolling down his cheeks, "---I'm n-not you any-m-more....y-you sh-shouldn't be h-here."

*Hmm? Where else would I be? Or how about you for that matter? You said "he" needs you---*

"I WAS WRONG!!!!" Sonic sobbed loudly as he interrupted, "--I-I'M T-TOO BR-BROKEN...TOO G-GONE. N-NO ONE W-WOULD EVER W--WANT M-ME AGAIN!!! AND WH-WHY WOULD THEY?!?!"

The voice squatted in front of him, his directness and choice of words forcing the broken hero to take into account everything he said, *You think Shadow is fighting to death for nothing? Sure, there's definitely a personal score to settle, but you know as well as I that no grudge match would ever be more important to him than you. 
As for Infinite...you're so-called "Master"...you know what he's capable of first-hand and where you rank on his board as far as what he values as important. 
So instead of 20 questions, I guess there's really only one that I need to ask...who is more important to you?*

With that, the darkness faded and Sonic found himself back in the jungle, shrouded in the brush. He heaved and gasped as his brain tried to make sense of it all, while looking at his scarred, trembling hands, covered in filth. The hands that held Shadow's so perfectly. The ones that served Infinite so willing. He knew he was going to lose one of them, or both, and the thought of that twisted his insides. He held his throbbing head, "What sh-should I do?" he questioned, swallowing hard as panic started to rise. He couldn't betray him, but he couldn't abandon him; he couldn't forsake him, but he couldn't trust him..."WHICH HIM?!" he cried as he punched the ground weakly. It hurt to think. He didn't want to think anymore. HE JUST WANTED IT ALL TO STOP! For Infinite and Shadow to go their seperate ways and leave him behind. Even if he was alone, knowing they were each alive and well would make it easier. 
Then, a blood-curdling scream pierced his ears and sent a shrill down his spine. He quickly shuffled around to see Infinite had somehow managed to put Shadow's inhibitor rings back on him and was suspending his partner mid-air with a crimson spear of energy wedged in the side of his torso. Despite the injury, the black hedgehog did refused to yield.

"There is no resisting me, rodent," the jackal hummed. Shadow hocked a wad of spit at the metallic mask, hoping the momentary disgust would distract his foe long for the second he needed to slip off his rings again; however, the mercenary was steely as ice and instead took his act of subversion as warranting of punishment.

"Defiant to the core. How irritating," he growled while clenching his fists, causing more red cubes to appear, "still, regardless of how long it takes, you'll eventually serve me as I desire...until then..." The cubes began pressing against Shadow's body while the ones around his limbs began pulling in all directions, twisting and contorting their victim. Regardless of his strength, he couldn't resist their force nor contain his anguish while he was being mangled under the influence of the Phantom Ruby, "GGGGAAAHHHHHAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!" 

"I will enjoy breaking every bone in your body and shredding every fiber of your sanity again and again," the merciless mercenary mused as he hovered ever so closely to his agonizing prey, "--you will beg for death until I become the only thing you live for."

Acting on instinct, Sonic screamed at the top of his lungs, "--FINNY!!!--". 
Stumbling from the green drew the attention of the jackal, whom ceased torturing his foe in the interest of the third party. 

"So you finally decided to join us..." he stated as he glared over him unamused like a child casting disgust on an unwanted toy, "I see you've regained your senses. This should make the game more interesting. I assume you've come to save your mate?"

Sonic's eyes quivered as he tried to appear steadfast, but after stumbling to his knees, he once again failed to achieve his goal.

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed the evil one as he read his pet like a book, "You can barely stand and yet you foolishly believe you can face me?" 

The blue hedgehog immediately shook his head as his fingers dug into the dirt as he built up the courage to say what he intended as clearly as possible. His mind was reeling from the effects of the tranquilizer that only compiled the weakness his body was still suffering, but before him was the one he adored and he couldn't remain silent, he couldn't falter, "I d-don't want to fight...I w-want to be with you, like the ole' days." 

The jackal was caught off guard and intrigued by his toy's earnest confession, "Is that so?" 
Was this jealousy the little blue savior was showing for Infinite's preoccupation with the Ultimate Life Form or was it some feeble attempt to rescue his partner? 
Glaring down into his gentle face, riddled with cuts and bruises, he saw sincerity shine behind those emerald eyes along with the obedience, dependence, and desire that Infinite had instilled within him that still dominated his existence. Sonic was his masterpiece, but the canine still sensed something amiss, 

"Come here then," he commanded as he lowered himself to the ground.

Sonic forced himself to his feet and ambled across the uneven sand until he stood before his master, whom gripped his chin in his claws tightly enough for the hedgehog to wince while he was directed to look upward for them to see face to face, "I trained you to never lie, but your actions are questionable, little one. You pledge your loyalty to me and yet you frolic with this vermin. Why should I trust your devotion?"

During a short pause, the broken hero remembered his conversation with his conscience before he glanced over to Shadow, his eyes becoming sadder by the second as the pained memories flooded in his distorted mind while he uttered with perfect articulation in the most melancholic tone, "One hundred thirty-six". 

The words that followed were choked by emotions that he tried to supress, but at this point, he couldn't control them anymore than anything else. The tears that welled up trickled down as he folded his arms to hold himself, hoping to not fall apart completely. The jackal and the black hedgehog listened intently as he sputtered out the defining moment of his captivity that justified his allegiance to the mercenary. 

"I c-couldn't keep track of the days on the Death Egg...s-sitting in darkness---hurting---it was all a bl-blur....b-but when Eggman took me to the con-trol r-room, I saw the date. It took one hu-hundred and th-thirty-six days before I found out n-no one was coming...th-that those I lo-loved abandoned me. It hurt more th-than anything---the loneliness---n-no hope....it was worse than any a-amount of torture. ......bu-but...I w-wasn't alone, n-not entirely........Y-you were there. Y-you got m-me through it. Hel-helped me for-get. You were m-my hero."

Shock imprinted on Shadow's face at Sonic's admission. He quickly recalled the time his counterpart spoke of as the day Eggman was conquering the final metropolis and Knuckles called him from his search to the front lines alongside the remaining of the Resistance in order to stave off the attack. He remembered word for word what the echidna said that day as the words revulsively embedded themselves in his mind, "He's not our priority." As much as it pained him to confirm, it was a fact at the time. However, if Sonic had somehow witnessed that conversation after going through months of unspeakable torment, it must have been like a hundred knives were stabbing him in the back! They abandoned him. Left him to the devices of the enemy. Forsaked him to that living hell! The black hedgehog knew from experience the lasting affects betrayal carried, and the seed of regret he had been sowing within him for having failed to save Sonic before took even deeper roots into his soul.

"I did this to him," he mumbled so softly that no one else could hear. He shut his eyes, hating himself for his part in Sonic's deterioration. Realizing this, he now knew how the jackal was able to break him--how he claimed him. Sonic had no one else. 

Infinite moved his hand to the blue hedgehog's cheek, cupping it affectionately and wiping away the tears. Seeing the Ultimate Life Form visibly distraught by this revelation, the mercenary's sick mind decided to take this exchange further. It had been quite a while since the two of them had some quality time, and if his pet truly saw him in such a light, it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"Your hero?" he chuckled lightly before leaning in with a menacing growl, "--Prove It--."

It took little effort to shove Sonic to his knees again as he towered above him, a position the blue blur was all too familiar with. 

"Well?" the jackal questioned poignantly.

Submissively, Sonic began nuzzling his master's crotch, licking the fur in long, smooth strokes until the wicked mercenary's equipment revealed itself. With closed eyes, he rubbed it against his muzzle lovingly, kissing its shaft and inhaling its musk before engulfing it with his lips, slurping and suckling the tip while taking it further in at a steady pace. Gentle moans escaped him as the large member found its way down his throat, the texture, the taste, and the smell all-consuming. His enthusiastic approach was like a ravenous animal feasting on a meal for the first time in ages. "That's a good boy," Infinite hummed while petting Sonic's head.

Shadow wriggled in the holographic cubes suspending him, the sight he was forced to view and the sounds he couldn't ignore disgusted him beyond belief. After everything they had been through together combined with everything they mean to one another, it broke his heart witnessing his damaged partner doing this!
He couldn't erase his own guilt, but neither could he dismiss the progress Sonic was making during their escape. 
The laughter they shared. The warm embraces. The remnants of his beloved that bubbled to the surface in the face of adversity. 
Was the sight of Infinite that intoxicating to him? Did he just lose him all over again or was this something else? 
Somewhere deep down, Shadow tried to convince himself that Sonic knew this wasn't the answer, and even if that weren't the case, there was no way he was going to let him go! 

Feeling the throbbing in his throat, the blue hedgehog picked up the pace, gasping and gagging as he forced himself to work harder than ever to please his master. Infinite could only laugh in-between harmoneous grunts as he was voluntarily pleasured by the lover of his greatest enemy, who was powerlessly in his grasp. 

The building ecstacy led to him grabbing his pet's head and holding it firmly against his torso while he expelled his serum into his mouth with a deep-throated groan.
"Delicious, isn't it? Go on, savor it". 
Sonic instinctively swallowed, drinking the treasure presented to him as he had done so many times before. Afterward, he carressed and licked the remains of the fluid off the cylinder until it was clean to satisfaction. "You haven't lost your touch," quoted Infinite as he massaged the soft blue ear of his endearing servant. 
Seeing it was still hard, Sonic looked up to his master with longing eyes, "M-May I?" he asked sheepishly, like a starving child hungry for seconds. 

And like icing on the cake, the jackal couldn't refuse his pitiful wonting, "Very well." 

He levitated into the air in a seated position, low enough for the weakened hero to be able to climb on his lap as he made sure Shadow got the perfect view of what was to happen next. While holding onto his master's shoulders, Sonic straddled into position and slowly pressed downward on the large member, his sore anus pulsing as it had yet to recover from the torture he endured earlier. Sweat began forming on his trembling body as he forced it to endure, gradually pushing down more and more until it was halfway inside of him before his reflexes forced him to lift up. Streams of tears were forming in his clenched eyes as he grimaced at the stinging sensations eminating from his swollen innards. 

"I'm waiting," the jackal mused, his head resting on his hand as if he were leaning against an invisible table. 

"S-Sorry," the blue hedgehog immediately replied before returning his focus to completing his task. 
Finding a rythmn, he began ascending and descending with the help of gravity and his own reaction to the pain, but he couldn't ignore the tantilizing stimulation of the warm cylinder massaging his prostate. With each motion, he was able to absorb more of the shaft, with the heat of the moment being the driving fuel for him to increase his momentum. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around the jackal in an embrace, and although he refused to return the act, Infinite permitted his servant to indulge in the comfort of his presence. Meanwhile, he remained relaxed in a cavalier sitting, enjoying the show of Shadow's livid expression beside them. 

"AH--HAH--AHHH!!" Sonic moaned as the canine's knot began penetrating him, stretching him to the point the fissures within his anal cavity reopened and tore even wider. He started to slow his rhythm, waiting for the hurt to subside or at least lessen before continuing; however, the mercenary wasn't in a patient mood. 

"You can do better than this," he scolded as he placed his hands on the hedgehog's hips to keep him going down all the way on each bounce, "we wouldn't want to disappoint our audience". The initial trembling Sonic experienced transformed into erratic spasms as the thrusts felt like they were tearing him apart! 

"GAAHHHHAHAHAHHH----AHHHHGAAHHHH!!!" 

His moans grew louder into painful screeches as every movement was forcibly guided against his will. But still, he endured. He held onto the jackal tightly, wrapping his legs around his master's waist as he begged each second to pass by faster, for some sort of relief to appear. Through watering, squinted eyes, he glanced to Shadow, whom was focused on the epicenter of the coitus with a grim expression stretching across his brooding face.
Sonic cried, wailed, and moaned as the pain intensified beyond his withstanding! 

"That's more like it. I'm glad to see I molded you well," Infinite mused as he continued to thrust, relishing in the clenching of Sonic's fingers into his back. Then, the moment came. The broken hero felt the welcomed pulsing of the jackhammer within him. The climax had been reached and the warmth of the fluid he had once craved flowed into him, seeping out slightly in creamy mixture of what looked like strawberry vanilla. 
The moment felt so much longer than it actually was as the agonizing sensations very slowly ebbed n'sync with the lightening sky that shimmered on the skim of the ocean waves behind them. The scene was so warm, so placid, it almost looked romantic.

Panting, Sonic could feel the knot wedged inside of him, irrevicably connecting him to the jackal. Adverting his gaze from Shadow's visage, the blue hedgehog gently leaned back from his master to peer into his masked face, his glowing eye staring back without emotion. 
The quietness remained for a brief time as it seemed like they were lost in each other's gaze, until in a short breath, the broken hero stuttered, "I--lo-love you". 

The thick, stillness in the air that was occupied only by the sound of the tide and gentle sea breeze was accompanied by a mix of astonishment, awkwardness, sick delight, and meek sadness by all parties present, all of which was cut incredibly short. After taking one final glimpse to his side, this time locking eyes with Shadow, Sonic knew the answer to his conscience's question and grasped both hands on the Phantom Ruby. 

Blinding hues of purple, fushia, and black blasted in all directions as energy spikes radiated from Infinite's chest while Sonic pulled with all his might. The loving position rapidly escalated into a violent wrestling match as the broken hero kept his legs firmly wrapped around his master, whom was brutally shoving and punching all parts of his body, ""GET OFF ME, YOU RAT!!!!""

"SONIC!!! STOP!!! HE'LL KILL YOU!!!" Shadow screamed as he struggled in his binds, frantically trying to break free. 

But his words fell on deaf ears as the broken hero refused to yield. Infinite's mask flew off in the frenzy as he then began sinking his teeth into Sonic's left shoulder, whipping his head violently from side-to-side while his jagged fangs ripped the muscle tissue apart. 

"YAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Sonic cried out in a blood-curdling scream, his left hand slipping off of the gem as the pain demanded the nerves to comply; however, his right held strong against the claws tearing away at his flesh, the limb's numbness that developed from months of torture had now become an asset! 

The jackal released his clamped jaw on the hedgehog for an attempt at a second target, but despite the new injuries, Sonic was able to parry him. Infinite's face was bathed in the beaming energy, the radiating glow of his eyes paired with the  blood oozing from his exposed fangs made him appear like a ravenous devil trying to devoir his prey. Unable to sink his teeth in, he continued to claw into Sonic's torso, his arm, and just about anything else he could. 

"DIE, RODENT!!!" he yelled with demonic resonance before unleashing an explosion out of sheer desperation that shook the entire island, blowing back the tide and bending the trees in a horizontal shockwave. 

The moment the explosion sparked, the bonds holding Shadow vanished, allowing him to duck and narrowly avoid the wave as it passed over him. On half-a-breath, he sprinted into the smoke, eager to find the two who were caught in the fallout. The dust stung his eyes, but he forced them to stay open as he scanned the area.

"SONIC?!?! SONIC, WHERE ARE YOU?!?!" he shouted as he searched through the thick cloud anxiously. 

During his search, he stumbled upon the Phantom Ruby floating in the air, shattering into diamond dust before being carried off by the wind. 
Though he was relieved the powerful relic was no longer in play, it was an afterthought, as his priority was and always will be his partner. 

Instead, he came across Infinite, laying on the ground with a hole in his chest, clinging to life. 

Coughing, the jackal slowly traced his hand up his torso to feel the now hollowed spot where his precious jewel once resided. Aside from the pain, he felt empty, emotionally crippled by being robbed of what had become the most important part of him. His body felt heavy, drained of the power that had enriched him for so long and damaged from it being so violently ripped out. Still, he tried to move, to lift his head and defy the state the situation had left him in. However, a cold chill surged through him as deja vu crept up and a haunting scene from his past repeated itself. 

The Ultimate Life Form stood over him. 
His piercing crimson gaze akin to two glowing orbs of fire radiated through the dense smoke and boared into him like they did on their very first encounter, when he was too weak to hold his own against such an opponent. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, fear found its way into his heart. 

"--YOU--" Shadow growled, bearing his teeth like an rabid animal. 

Within the blink of an eye, the black hedgehog was on top of him, wrapping his fingers around the jackal's neck as he strangled the life out of him. 
The rage that had been building was finally being appeased. 
For everything he did to Sonic! For what he did to him! For all the crimes he had committed, he was paying for it by his hand! 
The futile attempts of his foe to throw him off were intoxicating, as in his mind, this was the perfect revenge. The mercenary was in a helpless position, powerless to fight back. He was experiencing the fear and hopelessnes he instilled in his victims, and as foam leaked from the side of his white muzzle and his heterochromic eyes began turning upwards, Shadow found himself almost smiling.

"D-DON'T HURT HIM!" Sonic called out, breaking Shadow from his obsessed train of thought as his partner's voice echoed from within the slowly discipating cloud. 
"P-please Sh-Shadow....don't hurt him."

"THE BASTARD DESERVES TO DIE!" Shadow argued, refusing to release his grip on their mutual enemy, whom was gasping for breath, his kicking legs beginning to fall limp.

"B-but...it's n-not who we are. J-just l-let him be....P-please--d-don't let him br-break you, too."

Shadow wanted to ignore his partner's pleas, to finish what he started and what he had vowed to do, but clarity cast its light over the wicked sensations he was relishing, and they started to frighten him. He recalled the jackal's gip on his own throat during his capture and the thought of being comparable to the bastard turned his stomach. The realization forced his hand to relax, while the sight from the corner of his eye made him automatically release his grip entirely. The jackal gasped for the air he was denied as he traced his oppressor's view inland. 
The smoke lifted and a few feet away was Sonic laying on the sand, gripping the stub of his severed right arm while clearly fighting off the shock his body was experiencing and struggling to remain consciousness because of it. 

"S-SONIC!!!" 

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Shadow leapt off of Infinite and skidded to the blue hedgehog's side. The sand beneath him was stained red, the tissue of his left shoulder was visibly mangled while what remained of the other limb rested in even worse shape. Assessing his injuries while frantically trying to find a means to stop the bleeding, Shadow continuously made eye contact with his partner, "Try to stay still," he ordered as he examined the extent of the damage. 

"N-no problem th-there. I'm beat." he said with a raspy chuckle. 

"THAT WAS A STUPID PLAN!!!" the black hedgehog scowled, while gently feeling the muscle tissue surrounding the bone.

"Heh, b-but it worked, r-righ...." The seriousness of the wound was getting to him as he began to fade, his body having been pushed beyond its limits and more. 

"HEY, STAY WITH ME!!!" Shadow urged as a hot idea came to mind. Without hesitation, he began generating chaos energy in his palm, "I don't know how much this will hurt, but we don't have a choice." 

Sonic looked to him with half-closed eyes and a gentle smile, curving his left hand upward to welcome Shadow's. 

"Ready?" he asked as he clasped his free hand into his partner's.
With a small nod accompanied by a short breath, the broken hero closed his eyes in preparation for the agony he knew he was going to feel. 
The Ultimate Life Form poured the intense heat of chaos energy onto the amputated limb, burning the flesh and effectively cauterizing it. 
The spark of the energy sent a surge of pain past the numbness and throughout Sonic's body, making him wince and thrall and and clench his partner's hand tightly as hoarse screams flew from his gaped mouth. 

"HANG ON, SONIC!" he shouted as he squeezed back. 
Within the blue hedgehog's damaged frame, Shadow directed the energy from the severed arm around to his mangled left shoulder, where he concentrated on the output to cauterize it as well. Although the chaos energy wouldn't replace the blood he lost, the black hedgehog knew it would help stabilize him. He channeled a less-intense amount of energy into him, supplementing some of what his body needed and kickstarting the healing process to some degree without overexcerting either of them. Within a few seconds, the deed was done. Sonic immediately fell limp, heaving, barely conscious, but grinning nonetheless that they made it. 

While catching his breath, he looked over at the defeated mercenary. Even though his eyesight was blurred, he could make out the details of the one whom victimized him. Seeing his face for the first time as it genuinely was, viewing the sadness behind his golden and sapphire eyes as he lay in such a broken state, all the misery he inflicted suddenly felt so far away and Sonic couldn't help but feel sorry for him. 

"...F-Finny...", he stated calmly as Shadow continued to work on his wounds, listening to the conversation but not making himself be a part of it. He knew Sonic needed to speak with him, to confront his captor in order to find closure. Whatever he said, even if he didn't agree with it, he would respect him.

Although Sonic could barely speak above a hoarse whisper, the strength his sincere words carried defied the laws of nature as they broke through the boundaries of advertisty, strife, and pain until they reached the attentive ears of their recepient with complete clarity.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I had t-to...I can't s-say I'll ever u-underst-stand why you did all th-that you did....but...wh-what I said earlier...I m-meant it. De-despite everyth-thing...I'm th-thankful you were there, F-Finny...and...I ho-hope you'll be okay." 

A look of surprise etched over the jackal's face as his victim's words were definitely not expected much less deserved. He couldn't figure out how to respond. He thought he had broken the little blue savior, that not only had he shattered the world's greatest hero to a point beyond repair, but he truly believed he owned his mind, body, and soul. 
He controlled him, controlled reality, controlled everything and everyone with the snap of his fingers. He was superior in every way possible! 

Now, there he was, laying on the beach, even more weak than he was before, and beatened by kindness of all things. 

With his injuries sufficiently closed to an extent to withstand the journey, it was time for them to depart. 
"I'm going to get you to a hospital," Shadow stated as he proceeded to lift Sonic in his arms, whom made a confirming noise before instinctively resting his head on his dear one's shoulder. Knowing he was going to be well-taken care of, he closed his bruised, swollen eyes with a gentle smile and began to allow himself to rest once more.

As for the jackal, whom still lay in a state of shock while watching the hedgehogs through unblinking eyes, Shadow extended one last threatening glare. 
"You're alive because of him--but he's not yours anymore." 

On the cusp of the wind, he then sped off down the coast with his partner sleeping soundly in his arms, abandoning the loathesome creature that tried to destroy them to fate's design. He intended to return here one day soon and reduce the place that held them captive to ash, but for now, this was enough. 

The sun peeped from the horizon and welcomed a brand new day.