"NO!!! DON'T!!!" Sonic screamed as he kicked and pulled back with all his might against his restraints while the glowing orange rod neared him. "PLEASE!!! PLEASE DON'T!!!" he pleaded once more in shear, desperation to the deaf ears of his warden, whom proceeded to burn his insignia with a hot iron between the hedgehog's breasts. There was no creature on the planet that could match the screeching cry that escaped the tortured soul as his body was subjected to such torture. No thoughts went through his mind in this moment, only the the smell of scorching fur and cooking flesh filled his nose and made his eyes water from both the stench and pain. 

The jackal knew his mark wouldn't remain since the hero's healing factor had already erased his signature bites and scratches dozens of times over. His body was so unique, so special, but not just for what it could do. To Infinite, it was irresistable! The slender physique of his delicate waist, the way the hues of his fur overlapped and concealed his gently toned muscles, the complimenting position of the quills, many of which had already been brutally plucked one by one upon his capture, and of course, the voluptuous breasts that he so relished. All of it was a gorgeous shell, alluring and tasty. No matter how many times the jackal subdued him, marked him, and penetrated him, he couldn't get enough! He wanted all of him; however, his attitude required adjusting. Fortunately, the mercenary was well-versed in how to torture victims into submission, but this hedgehog whom he had become so infatuated with was proving to be a challenge. A challenge that he was more than willing to take his time in picking apart. 

He watched in delight at how fitting his symbol looked sheared into his prisoner's chest. As the once proud hero's face grimaced and tentively hyperventilated in agony, the jackal's imagination explored the endless possibilities of how to claim him. Infinite would make him perfect. 

"W-WHY?" Sonic finally mumbled, attracting the jackal's attention, "Eggman has--a--reason, a lot of reasons.... but y-you...wh-why?..." the battered one stuttered as he tried to control the affects all the brutal treatment had done to his body. Months of being traded between the mad scientist and the merciless mercenary was starting to get to him. The inhumane experiments, the mind games, the physical and sexual assualts. Day by day he was wearing down piece by piece. Some of his senses had become impaired, and though he expected they would recover, he knew he'd be stripped of them again and it would be just as painful as the first time. He couldn't tell day from night or what day it even was anymore, but he knew he had been there for a long time and his enemies weren't letting up. So much had been inflicted on him, cruelty he never imagined anyone was capable of doing, and he was powerless to stop it. 
He hated them. He hated this place. He hated how he started to feel like a stranger to himself as some of the things that were done to him, he began to enjoy. Never had he felt such strong emotions in his life, but never did he dream he would be in this position to begin with! He was on the edge of breaking, desperate to get out of there by any means necessary even if he wouldn't survive it. 

Sonic stared down at the cinged meat of his chest, shimmering red the stylized infinity figure-8 as the blisters slowly formed on the edges and where the most tender areas were exposed. The sight was sickening. Of all the injuries he had sustained since his time here, this was by far the worst as it made him feel more like an object than a living being. The deep voice of the bastard responsible for his torment resonated with each step until he leaned in and pressed his mask against Sonic's, the edges cutting him in the process, "Why, you ask?" he cooed next to his pet's cheek, holding his face so he couldn't pull away, "because you're mine." 

The hero's his eyes widened as he clenched his fists in defiance after his assumption was just confirmed--he was nothing more than a toy that had just been branded by his owner! The notion of being a slave to this depraved monster was unthinkable! "NO!" He cried out to himself while seething. As much as he wanted to shout what he was thinking into Infinite's face, the common sense for self-preservation prevented him from doing so, otherwise, it would just lead to more torture. Nevertheless, he made a vow to himself with a fierce determination that he would carry to his grave. "I WON'T LET HIM BREAK ME!--NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES-- I WON'T GIVE IN!!--I'M SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! I HAVE NO MASTER!!! I WON'T LET THIS FREAK WIN!!!! --I'D RATHER DIE!!!" 

"I'd rather die. I'd rather die."

Those words sounded so tough back then, but then again, such phrases carried little meaning to one whom survived so much in his lifetime. Sonic sat quietly on the small robotic wheelchair, tracing the invisible symbol that had long since disappeared from his chest back when he was able to heal relatively rapidly. As he mourned the loss of the mark, he remembered those days, and in addition to being confused by his contradicting feelings, he took note of when his arrogance cost him more than he realized. Time. 

How much precious time did he waste fighting back? Infinite's kindness was subtle, but it was present and it grew. "Why did I resist it so much?" The hedgehog debated as he recounted the small gestures of love and compassion his jackal gave him during their times together, how comforting he was to him after each torture session, whether they be my his own hands or Eggman's. That day when he was branded and Infinite made it clear his reasons, he was kind with him afterwards. He didn't continue the session, despite the look of disdain Sonic shot him in his mental defiance. Instead, he had the robots care for him properly, yet Sonic's disposition made him forget all that. He kept seeing the worst in everything. 
His meals were healthier= he doesn't want to fuck a skeleton. 
He's given the opportunity to shower= he doesn't want to fuck a dirty rat.
His wounds were graciously tended to= he wants to make worse ones later. 
This train of thought kept going until suddenly a switch in rails occurred and he remembered when he started to reciprocate the affection he was given. That small spark honestly disgusted him for he believed he was becoming depraved like his captor. He started to hate himself and tried to rework the feelings that were growing into something else. He began playing the role of the obedient slave, faking his gratitude and admiration out of selfishness so that he could reap the rewards for good behavior in order to survive the ordeal, to take advantage of his captor. No matter what kindness he was shown, he hated Infinite. He hated when he touched him. He hated his smell. He hated when he was inside of him. Sonic kept fueling this hatred to keep his wits about him, to prevent himself from becoming enthralled in his vulnerable state. 

Thinking back about the day it changed into something real was a time the hedgehog considered fate's last hand. He recalled vividly how the maniac scientist just threw him in his cell after he spent days in a freezer. He was so cold, numb. It was hard to breathe let alone think. Everything felt so far away and yet painfully near. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness, unable to focus on anything. His heartbeat was so slow he wasn't even sure if it was still beating. Was he dying? Could it be just that easy? No big battles or skin-of-the-teeth live-or-die scenarios? Could he, the fastest thing alive, the world's most renowned hero, just pass away in his sleep? It sounded absurd and yet appealing.  
"I should just let go," he thought. If he was lucky, he would succumb to the hypothermia and be free of this hell. 
"No one is coming," he kept repeating silently, trying to convince himself that resigning to his fate would be for the best. He couldn't help but wonder where his friends were. How come there hadn't been a rescue? Did they even know where he was? Were they even still alive? His mind trailed. Sorrow was taking root, but he was too exhausted to worry about the details anymore. No matter what was happening in the world outside of these cold steel walls, he knew he didn't want to die holding a grudge against those whom have mattered the most to him for his entire life. With one final glimpse into the void of loneliness, he took the last breath he could muster before everything went black, "Tails... Amy...ev-every-one....I'm s-sorry". 

It was that easy...and then...there was warmth. He was wrapped lovingly and cradled softly as he felt the heat thaw his frozen body, lifting his heavy limbs and stroke them soothingly. It was so tender, welcoming. He was finally receiving the peace he had wished for so desperately and the ultimate freedom he so desired! It was like a blanket of love, joy, and bliss fell over him, fighting for him. He didn't have to fight anymore, he thought. He was content, satisfied in the life he lived, and though his end wasn't ideal, it was his greatest escape. 

Sonic will never forget the moment he cracked his eyes open, expecting to see a heavenly landscape, but was instead met by a pair of shining gems, the eyes of his savior. The blue and yellow irises that sparkled in the darkness of his cell were so full and radiant. Although they were fierce as a set befitting a warrior, they were gentle and strangely coated in sadness and fear. The realization that he was still alive wasn't entirely a disappointment, as on that day, Sonic saw through the monster and instantly let go of the hatred he had been hoarding against him. From there, his feelings became sincere and he grew to love his master for what he was, he became what he wanted him to be, and together, they found happiness. Their own little slice of heaven.

"How could I ever hate him?" Sonic questioned as he looked to Infinite, whom couldn't return the gesture while Eggman sat adjacently gloating and pointing fingers. "It's true, rat, your precious jackal here is the sole reason why you're at death's door. The irony is just too good! You can't write this stuff!" 

Silence hung in the air after Eggman's cackling finally ended. The mad genius stared at his foe, waiting for him to fall apart even further, to surrender to the facts and beg for his life once again. However, Sonic's response was far from what he expected. 

"No matter what you say, I know he would never hurt me," the fallen hero declared confidently, much to his audience's surprise. The rounded doctor raised an eyebrow to this statement, dumbfounded by how genuine and secure it was in its delivery. He looked to his general out of the corner of his eye, "You really did fuck his brains out, didn't you?"

Infinite didn't bother replying to such a statement, but rather he approached his pet until he was standing directly in front of him. Despite how frightening he appeared, Sonic could only smile as he spoke softly from the heart. "You can hit me if you want. I betrayed you and I deserve it. You can even hate me. I can live with that...or die in this case." More tears came to his eyes as he had lost control of when they fell long ago. His tears were honest, something the jackal trusted. This staring contest felt like it lasted forever as each had their own inner demons arguing amongst each other, seeking rationality in a complicated situation that stemmed from a love that made no sense. The moment his master made a move, Sonic closed his tired eyes, ready to accept whatever punishment came his way. Instead, an understanding hand was placed on his head. The gentle small strokes bringing indescribeable comfort to the sickly hedgehog, whom did everything he could to keep from completely bawling. Whether or not Infinite forgave him completely is a mystery, but he understood, which meant the world to his pet. 

Eggman twisted in his seat, trying to pry into the exchange but having no luck whatsoever.

"Grrr...if you two are done with whatever it is you're doing, supposed we get back on topic? The simple explanation is the blue rat's biology has been corrupted by the Phantom Ruby, the white rodent's the key to reversing the effects, but the only way to know for sure which would be the most effective method to fix the pesky pineapple is to run a series of tests on the two of them simultaneously...one of which, will have to involve them having intercourse again so we can see if the first time he improved was a fixed result or a random variable."

Sonic's eyes shot open. There was no way he could fathom having sex with Silver again! He knew deep down he couldn't even face him after what he did! 
He looked to his master with a lost expression, looking for him to find some sort of solution that didn't involve another betrayal against his love or his friend. Infinite could read him like a book. He saw his desperation and his anxiety, he knew he didn't want to go through with the doctor's experiments, but there were higher stakes involved. The jackal looked beyond what Sonic's expression was conveying and saw how pitiful he appeared overall. The dark bags under his eyes, the paleness of his lips, and how his muscles had atrophied to the point that even his breasts had shrunk. He was dying and time was running out. 

Infinite gritted his teeth behind his mask, mulling over how he was responsible for all of this. Lifting his pet's head in his hand, he wished he could take it all back and undo the damage he had wrought. However, this wasn't like any marking bite or scratch made in ecstasy, this was something far worse. The mercenary wanted to change Sonic, to mold him into something perfect for him to own. In his zeal for conquest over the hedgehog, he never thought of any consequences that a bandage and some TLC couldn't fix. Everything was going according to plan and they finally made it, Infinite had what he desired. He was so proud of his accomplishments that his ambition and pride blinded him to what was really happening, to the undeniable truth that stained his soul. His love was poison. His beloved little hedgehog had to pay the price for his mistakes, and if he didn't want to lose him completely, he was going to have to stomach whatever was necessary. 

"You will do as Dr. Eggman orders," he finally declared lamently, his words falling on Sonic like a ton of bricks. That was the LAST thing the fallen hero wanted to hear. His eyes searched Infinite's mask, imagining the face behind it and seeking some sort of answer besides what he was given, but alas, he found nothing. Defeated, his eyes then fluttered downward as he knew he had to concede to what was demanded of him, but confusion still held a tight grip on his mind. Was Infinite abandoning him or was he trying to save him? The kind touch of his hand left the hedgehog's cheek as his master turned to leave him to the evil scientist's machinations. 

Alone in the lab with the enemy he's known longer than anyone else, a foe who's pushed him beyond his limits, a madman who has used him as a guinea pig with sick delight, Sonic shuddered the moment he heard him speak. "So," Eggman said with a sinister grin coating a small chuckle, "where shall we begin?"