"Dying. Dying." Infinite kept repeating to himself, unable to wrap his head around the concept that the pet he had grown so fond of was slipping away from him. There was another individual on the Death Egg that he was supposed to be attending to, but right now, he couldn't pry himself away from Sonic. Laying by his side in the infirmary, he had IV's hooked up to him in order to keep him nourished and comfortable. Seeing him in this sorry state was something he used to relish, but now, it pained him. As he stroked the sleeping hedgehog's head and nuzzled against his cheek, he began recalling their tumultuous history together and began gradually calculating how much time he had wasted. 

At first, he had only heard stories of the famous blue hero and regarded him like anyone else with a celebrity status, as arrogant trash who's not worthy of the praise they received. After his defeat at Shadow's hand, he sought more power, the power to get revenge and to change the world to suit someone like him. He had already lost everyone he had a connection with, and with nothing else to lose, chose to discard the remaining shreds of humanity he had left when he agreed to become Doctor Eggman's test subject for the Phantom Ruby, the gateway to the power he craved.  

During his integration with the gem, he was required to view recordings of his new adversary, to study Sonic's strengths and weaknesses in order to ready himself for their encounter. He couldn't help but marvel at the hero's physique, from his delicately slender yet toned frame to his charming smile and impressive athletism. 

Still, he was to be his enemy and had to be squashed. That's all he could think about while the ruby was surgically grafted to his chest, a procedure that required him to remain conscious so that its power would assemilate with his higher thought processes. It was an excrutiating ordeal as he felt his insides being ripped apart while his mind was being torn in multiple directions. The only anchor he had to hold onto his sanity was the footage playing before him, which sprouted seeds of unfounded hatred for one he never met as he poured his pain, his anger, and his determination into the destruction of the blue savior. 

When their destined meeting happened, seeing the hedgehog in person filled him with both an enraging ecstacy and conflicting lust as he summoned the copies of Sonic's notorious foes and allowed them to beat the hero senseless. He could feel what the copies felt as each of their punches landed on him. How thrilling it all was! But it wasn't enough. He ached to have him in his own claws and finished him off quickly. 

Eggman's propaganda of Sonic's demise was effective as the entire world believed their great savior was dead, leaving him to their own devices without risk of anyone bothering to mount a rescue mission. As much as Infinite wanted to ravage their new prisoner, he had to be patient and allow the one whom granted him this incredible power the privilege of having his revenge first. The jackal recalled watching from behind the cell walls, from above alcoves, and through monitors at how the blue hedgehog was tortured endlessly, yet never gave up, his tenacity, pride, and confidence unyielding. The mercenary wanted to take that from him first. 

As he rolled Sonic's head onto his arm and placed his chin on top of his feverish brow, Infinite closed his eyes, remembering that first taste. Sonic was granted reprieve that evening after 48 straight hours in the arena. He was barely able to walk due to exhaustion and had just finished his pitiful meal of stale bread slices. Despite his physical energy being depleted, his mind was as sharp as ever. "Another day down and I'm still standing," he stated to himself aloud, declaring a small victory over this situation. With his legs and wrists bound, he shuffled over to the suspended metal slab that served as his bed and hoisted himself atop of it. He could feel his muscles ache and bones crack, but he ignored the pain as he focused on keeping his spirits up. "You'll get out of here, Sonic. Someone will come soon. Just keep hanging on. One day at a time."

Infinite recalled hearing those words vividly before he entered the cell that night. It was the first time they had officially met, and yet, the jackal didn't bother introducing himself. "Huh? Well look who it is! The mystery man makes an appearance," Sonic quipped as he leaned forward with a cheeky grin, "what brings a regal guy like you to a place like this?" The mercenary didn't say a word. He just approached the hedgehog and punched him across the face, knocking him onto the floor. Sonic wasn't prepared for such an attack, and though he was a little shaken, he did his best to steady his nerves in the face of the enemy, "Okay, you're not into chatting, duely noted. But I was hoping you could answer some questions, like who are you, why are you working for Eggman, what's he planning, etc. etc." 

Infinite snapped his fingers, making the blue blur's shackles disappear before levitating him slightly above the ground. Sonic was astounded by this power, and though he struggled, there was no resisting it. Helpless, he dangled in the air, trying as he might to figure out something clever to say, "Whoa! Okay, wasn't expecting that. You've got some neat tricks, but how about those questions I asked, care to fill me in?" With that, the jackal rotated the hedgehog facedown, clasped his claws on his hips, and cooed in his ear with his deep, ominous voice that sent shockwaves through his captive's mind and chills through his body, "I'd rather fill you up." 

The jackal hugged his pet closely as he mentally relived their first connection. How hard it was to penetrate that tight little anus while his prisoner screamed, protested, and writhed to escape. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?! --STOP!!!--" he shouted while jerking and kicking to keep his private area away from his captor, "GET AWAY FROM ME!!!--LET ME GO!!!" The jackal couldn't ignored his own anxiousness. He had to have him! The heat and intensity of each thrust overwhelmed him so much that he was compelled to go harder and faster than he should have with no lubrication whatsoever other than the blood that inevitably began streaming out of the abused hole. "
----AAAGGGHHHHHH!!! PLEASE STOP!!!!" the blue blur screeched at the top of his lungs as his insides were scraped, stretched, and violated. It didn't matter though, because for the jackal, IT FELT SO GOOD!!! Not just the carnal release, but finally indulging in that which he longed for. Sonic's cries were beautiful. The way his body shivered was intoxicating. And the look of desperation, utter defeat, and humiliation in his eyes were priceless. Infinite lost count of how many times he cummed that night, but he'll never forget the first taste of those supple breasts between his fangs, the saltiness of his tears on his lips, or the heat of his saliva when he slipped his tongue down his throat, regardless of how hard the little hedgehog tried to pull away. That night lasted forever and became a goal for him to top in each time that followed. Still, he couldn't help but feel his pet deserved some credit as well. 

"You were amazing right from the start," the jackal whispered into Sonic's ear as he caressed the bandaged chest he always adored, his touch, regardless of how gentle, making the blue hedgehog wince and shuffle in his sleep. Infinite reactively removed his hand, and not wanting to cause him any discomfort, elected to cup him in his arms as sadness overtook him. The memories of their times when the mercenary was absolutely merciless were still moments he cherished, as they chipped away at what he deemed the 'obnoxious facade' and allowed him to reach the true Sonic, the one whom was destined to become his. All the horrible things he did, he did for him. To remove the fake life of the blue savior's public image, the jackal had to be ruthless. He was forced to do things that made Eggman's torture seem amateurish. His mind slowly bended and became more receptive to manipulation, to seeing the truth of how the world truly was and what he truly was. At first, being trapped between being raped relentlessly and beaten senselessly made the hedgehog wish for death, but then Infinite's slow change in tactics to showing compassion after their sessions made Sonic yearn for his company as it provided some relief in his agonizing existence. Whenever Eggman was done with him, he immediately began looking forward to seeing the jackal. Even if the mercenary tortured him more before providing kindness, the breaking hero knew that compliance yielded benefits and wanted to make the best of the situation. However, somewhere along the way, it became more than that. Infinite wasn't a fool as he knew the reasoning behind his pet's actions all along, so when that change happened, he took it to heart. Thinking back, that defining event stood out to him. 

Eggman had just removed him from the climate chamber and tossed him back in his cell, ignoring the hypothermia that had set in. Infinite had just returned from days of fighting the war on Earth and was looking forward to rewarding himself for his work. He remembered how excited he was for what he had planned for his pet, how satisfying it would be, but then his mind went blank when he looked through that cell door. 

He had no idea Sonic's peach fur could turn almost as blue as the rest of him. The paleness of his color, the dark rings under his eyes, for one who didn't know what he had been through, he appeared dead.

Infinite couldn't erase the terror from his mind when he rushing into the cell, franctically searching for a pulse while holding him like he is now. He shuddered as he felt the cold eminating from his pet's limp body, the chill even breaking through his black gloves. Although he was alive, the loss of that warmth scared the jackal beyond explanation. On instinct, he removed his mask and began licking Sonic's face, allowing his hot breath and saliva to slowly bring some color back to his cheeks while they lay entwined with one another, the jackal pressing his body heat into the hedgehog as much as possible. During the process, the blue blur eventually regained consciousness, mistakenly believing he was being groomed by his captor. He began to shiver from time to time as his body's nerves began awakening and the numbness slowly subsided. As he peered up, their eyes met. This was the first time Sonic saw his entire face since Infinite had always either kept the top part covered or blindfolded him during their sessions together. 

Despite being disoriented, he studied his features with keen observation, taking it all in as his face was something he had wanted to see for quite some time. Satisfied with his analysis, he stated with a genuine smile, "You're cute," thus making the jackal blush slightly at the unexpected remark. Unfortunately, Sonic didn't get to have a conversation after that comment as his eyelids were unbearably heavy. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures are known to force hedgehogs into hibernation and Sonic, as special as he is, was no exception to nature's design. Still, he was able to snuggle his head into master's chest before lulling to sleep, allowing the mercenary to continue to care for him in tranquil silence. 

Sonic got better that day, and no matter what Eggman or Infinite did to him, he always got better. Always.

Now, aside from the IV drip, the silence deafening. With a melancholic expression, the jackal reached down and began licking his pet's face, feeling the warmth of his flushed cheeks on his tongue as he made smooth strokes across his muzzle and beside his eyes. Sonic moaned before snuggling his head close to him just like he did before months ago. With tears swelling in his eyes, Infinite swallowed hard and clung to his hedgehog with everything in him, "I can't lose you."