In a white, padded room that felt alien in comparison to the rest of the Death Egg, Silver sat blindfolded with his arms chained to opposite walls. So much of his fur was stained red with glimpses of bluish purple shined through as he physically looked exhausted. Seeing him in such a submissive form and in such a battered state reminded Sonic of himself, where he was also reminded of just how cruel their captor could be. 

"ALL RIGHT, THEN! GET IN THERE AND DO YOUR THING!" Eggman cackled while patting his lifelong enemy hard on the back. "You can't be serious..." he rebutted as he looked through the window at his friend, feeling incredibly uneasy about the entire thing. 

"He's chained to the floor so you can reach him better, you're welcome," the mad scientist pointed out as rudely, "now go jump his bones already so I can start collecting the data." Sonic squirmed uncomfortably as the entire situation made him feel sick to his stomach, "I can't just---you don't think that I can...."

The rounded doctor wasted no time in dramatically coming up with as many quips as possible at the blue hedgehog's hesitation and sudden case of shyness, "What? You can't perform anymore? No more juice in the drive train? Do you need some mood music? Maybe a little happy pill to get the ball rolling? I think I have some scented candles somewhere if you want to cozy up the atmosphere." 

Sonic shot him an unamused stare before finally letting out a big sigh. Infinite asked him to do as Eggman ordered, but was there really no way out of this? He stood up from the robotic wheelchair and placed his hands on the glass of the door. As he moved in closer, he couldn't help but see his own reflection, a shell of who he used to be. The sight honestly disturbed him since he never imagined he could ever look like this. Death was definitely creeping around the corner and if he wanted to evade its clutches, he had to do what was necessary...but maybe, there was another option he could try? 

As he started to push the door open, Eggman tapped him on the head, "Oh by the way, that mechanism on the white rat's head is fitted to negate his psychokinesis and is also armed with an explosive should anyone try to remove it without my authorization. So if you or your whore try any funny business, his head will pop off like a firecracker. Just thought I'd let you know in advance."

The fallen hero grimaced at his foe's flagrant disregard for Silver' life or welfare before limping into the padded cell. Inside, he noticed cameras and strange devices mounted in each corner of the room. It was strange how both comfortable and suffocating the astmosphere felt, but whether this was from the cell's design or from Sonic's anxiousness about what he had to do was anyone's guess. "Wh-who's there?" the white hedgehog questioned, sensing the presence of a stranger in his captivity. Eventually standing in front of the kneeling time traveler, Sonic couldn't figure out what he should do. In his madness, he remained silent and didn't hesitate in groping his friend, ravaging his body, and indulging his carnal urges to the max. The images of it all turned his stomach, and as he looked into the face of his friend, he couldn't bring himself to do what was expected of him. Instead, he knelt down and gently removed Silver's blindfold. 

Blinking hard in order to compensate for the change in light, Silver was shocked to see Sonic in front of him. HE LOOKED TERRIBLE! The white hedgehog's reaction was a flood of exclamations and questions that didn't seem would ever end, "SONIC!!! HOLY CHAOS!!! YOU'RE ALIVE?!?! BUT LOOK AT YOU!!! YOU LOOK AWFUL!!! WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!?! WHERE ARE WE?!?! HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?!?! WAIT TILL EVERYONE HEARS ABOUT THIS!!! THEY'LL NEVER BELIEVE IT!!!"

The blue hedgehog was only half prepared for the naive one's exhuberant outburst, but was otherwise speechless. In response to such an excited reunion, all he could muster was "It's good to see you too, Silv." 

"It's been absolute hell without you," he began, "Eggman started a war of conquest on Earth with that guy Infinite leading the campaign. Knuckles, Amy, and everyone else banded together to form a rebellion against him, but it seems to only have been slowing him down. In these last six months, he's already conquered the majority of the planet."

"6--months?" Sonic repeated, "it's only been 6 months?" The former hero slumped onto his bottom as he began rubbing his forearms, thinking about how it all felt so much longer than the reported time. "How--how is everyone?"

"They're holding their own, but if we're going to turn the tide, we need to get back to Earth!" he exclaimed quietly, knowing that they're most likely being monitored. "This thing on my head is blocking my powers, can you break these chains with a spin-dash?"

Sonic shuffled on his seat as he broke eye contact from his friend, agonizing over what he had to say, "I...I can't..." It was strange hearing those words come from his idol and friend, but in viewing the multiple wounds concealed within the bandages all over his body, Silver got the picture and figured he was too injured to pull off such a feat. "Oh...hmm...maybe there's something in the room that we can use? If I can get loose and get this device off, I know I can get us out of here!"

The blue hedgehog automatically scooted backwards until his back was against the wall as he cupped his knees to his chest silently. Sonic couldn't remember the last time he tried to escape. There were very few opportunities since his jailers kept him restrained and confined on a regular basis, but during those small windows when he attempted to fight back, to run, to break out, things never ended well for him. It seemed like each escape attempt was punished even more severely than the one prior until he learned to stop trying and just submit. "It's no use, Silver," he finally said with no emotion whatsoever, "you have to accept this place is your home now."

Silver's eyes widened at the statement. It came from so far left field that he had no way to wrap his mind around it. Thinking about his own experiences on the Death Egg, he started to realize that the enemies must have gotten to him. "Sonic..." he began in a calm voice, "I've only been here a couple of weeks at best from what I can gather, but if you have been here this entire time, all these months, I can't imagine what you've been through....so, I can't blame you for being scared. I know if you could, you would have busted out of this place long before things got this bad."

The blue hedgehog sniffed and wiped his tears as his friend's kind words reached him. He definitely felt unworthy of his kindness, but nevertheless, he grabbed as much of it as he could to alleviate some of his own stigma. 

"These creeps are sick!" The time traveler continued, "The things they try to do to break you is beyond belief--they actually---" he stopped short as he noticed Sonic wriggling in his secluded space, starting to tremble and hyperventilate. Suddenly, the images of that time came flooding back to the white hedgehog's mind. That small glimpse he had of blue quills laying on the floor behind him sent a jolt through his core, making him realize who was really responsible. The more he thought about it, the more clearly he remembered every detail. The sensations, the pain, the cries, and the sounds. Before, he never thought they could be Sonic--Sonic was gone, but in hindsight, everything was apparent.

"SONIC!!!" he shouted without provocation, "IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT?!?! ---I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT TO ME!!! " The fallen hero's silence only added fuel to the naive one's anger as he began to belt out his thoughts without restraint. "EVERYONE THINKS YOU'RE DEAD!!! BUT YOU'RE HERE--FUCKING PRISONERS?!?!?!-- WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!"

The blue blur curled in tightly, the tears had been streaming from his eyes for a while now. How could he possible justify his actions? There was no excuse for his behavior or what he did! He was no longer the hero he used to be as that mantle along with everything else altruistic about him seemingly existed in a past life. Still, he felt guilty for his actions, so in a way, he hadn't lost everything. He owed his friend an apology, but finding the words to make amends was almost an impossible task. 

"Silver...you...you didn't deserve it" he whimpered with his head buried in his forearms, "...I wish I didn't...I hate that...I'm...I'm sorry....I'm so, so sorry, Silver...". The incredible sadness poured out of him in sputtering bundles as he couldn't stop himself from crying profusely, allowing the self-loathing to overtake him. Silver looked on confusingly. He never saw Sonic cry before and wasn't sure what to think. He always viewed him as this indestructible hero, an icon for everyone to follow, an inspiration to never give up no matter how hopeless the situation was. Regardless of what they faced, Sonic would tackle every obstacle without hesitation, beat the odds, and come out on top. He always put a positive spin on everything, and would brandish his famous smile especially when the chips were down. Now, he was a wreck. Sniffling and choking on tears. His voice cracking under the gravity of his guilt while he physically looked nothing like the one the white hedgehog used to admire. He appear malnourished, weak. Bandages were littered over his entire body as he sat there slumped over, unable to even look Silver in the eye. While part of the time traveling hedgehog felt very angry that he had been violated and was disappointed in what had become of his idol, mostly, the kind, naive one felt sympathetic. The coolest guy he had ever known was sitting in front of him weeping, mentally and physically abused, and now wallowing in self-odium for deeds he would never had done otherwise. It was heartbreaking. 

Silver let out a sigh as he couldn't stay angry at his friend, especially under these extreme extenuating circumstances. While trying to make sense of everything and find the right words to respond, he recalled how Eggman's general manipulated reality to his will. This instantly made the white hedgehog believe his anger was misplaced as he found the root of all evil who was pulling Sonic's strings. "Infinite did this to you, didn't he? He corrupted you and made you do it," he remarked in the hopes his suspicions would be validated. Unexpectedly, Sonic raised his head sporting a smile under his flushed, tear-stained face, "Infinite would never hurt me," he claimed almost as though he were under a spell. However, the white hedgehog wasn't buying it, he voiced how he must be controlling Sonic somehow and he needs to fight back. Oddly, the blue blur started to relax as thoughts of his master clouded his mind, momentarily delivered him from his anxiety, and brought him peace. "He's not so bad once you get to know him," he chimed with a tiny chuckle.

This blaise comment ignited yet another outburt, warranted and expected. 

"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DEFEND THAT MONSTER?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE HE'S KILLED? HOW MANY CITIES HE'S LEVELED?!" Silver was seething with anger. He had witnessed the devastation and loss first-hand. All the explosions he couldn't prevent, the cries and screaming of the civilians as they fled in terror only to be crushed and silenced haunt him constantly. He fought against Infinite, fought with all his might, but in the end, he was defeated like so many others. Except unlike the others, he was spared. Kept alive in order to be tortured for information about the Resistance and locations of hidden refugee camps. Thinking about it all made the white hedgehog's face red with rage, "That bastard doesn't deserve to live," he mumbled behind gritted teeth.

"That's not him," Sonic replied solemnly with earnest, which seemingly only fueled the outrage of his friend. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?! I SAW HIM!!! I FOUGHT HIM!!! HE'S A COLD-BLOODED MURDERER!!!"

"People are more complicated than you know" the blue hedgehog began while gently rubbing his throbbing hands together, "When I was playing hero, I had to put on a brave face for the crowd. If anyone saw my weaknesses, then they'd give into doubt and dispair. In the end, I got so engulfed in the role that hiding my feelings and covering up my inadequacies became second-nature." He looked to his quivering fingers, the joints stiff and sore, "Not to say it was all bad, I mean, not only did I help everyone, but they all loved me for it, so it felt like it sort of balanced itself out. Anyway, the point I'm making is that you can never take someone at face-value. Some people have more to them than you can see, while others have a darkness you never realized." He looked to the security camera, knowing Eggman was watching them intently. Sonic's experiences on the Death Egg didn't just break him, they opened his eyes to a whole other world.  

Meanwhile, Silver was reeling. It was like the shocks never stopped! One thing after another kept surprising him, and this was no different. He never knew Sonic had so much internal baggage since he seemed outwardly like a pleasant, easygoing guy who just loved adventure and lived as free as the wind. Sure, he figured he had flaws like anyone else, but this was beyond comprehension. There was no way this could true! Setting his anger aside, he tried to let cooler heads prevail while reaching out to his idol. 
"Playing the hero?" he finally stated, "Sonic, you ARE a hero. The greatest hero the world had ever known and the one we always needed! I can't understand what you're trying to say, but I know that deep-down, you're still that person. They just manipulated you into thinking otherwise. You have to believe me, I know the REAL you! There's still a chance we can make everything right!"

Sonic sighed and looked into his those naive golden eyes piercing back at him with such determined fortitude. It was inspiring to see such a spark still alive in such a dark place, but blue hedgehog's heart sank inside of him and couldn't sugarcoat it any longer, "I'm tired, Silver. I don't really want to fight anymore." This statement left a look of astonishment painted across the white hedgehog's face. Staring at his friend, he did everything he could to figure out where this was coming from, and in doing so, he started to discover what lay behind the bruises and bandages. They didn't just brainwash him, there was something else going on, something dire. 

"Sonic...you look so...what's happened to you?....Are you...okay?" he finally asked with sincere kindness in his voice. The former hero realized that the time traveler had took notice of his condition and decided it was pointless to try to hide it any longer, "I haven't been okay for a while. I'm almost at the finish line," he responded with a weak grin. This statement made Silver's eye widened even larger than before. HE COULD SEE IT NOW! It's not like he hadn't seen death before, but this entire time, he had been overlooking it. He never thought he'd see Sonic in such a state. When they all believed he had been killed by Infinite and Eggman, Silver imagined it was a swift demise, that he fell on the battlefield after a giving it his all. Noticing the tiny patterns of death's touch printed on his idol's face was a hard pill to swallow. 

"Tell me, how did this happen?" 

Sonic retreated behind his walls at this question. How could he possibly explain to him the complexities of his relationship with Infinite, the enemy whom Silver despised the most in the world? Even he; himself, didn't really understand how the Phantom Ruby corrupted him; he just remembered one day, he wasn't bouncing back like he used to. If he told him the cause, it would only add fuel to the fire of reasons for his friend to hate his lover, so rather than try to sort through it all, the former hero simply shook his head, "It doesn't matter. I'm just...running out of time now." 

The white hedgehog saw the sadness in his faded eyes and affirmed what he believed was the truth. Sonic hadn't given up, yet! If he was resigned to dying, then he'd be his usual confident self laughing in the face of his foes before boldly cheating death yet again. There was still hope and Silver had to push him to grab it. 

"There has to be a way to stop whatever is causing this. I'm sure we can find a solution!" 

The blue hedgehog clinched his fists at the thought of what he was supposed to do while he recalled what he did before. Last time, he wasn't in his right mind. This time, he had a choice. To betray his friend or betray his love? Even if he slept with Silver, there was no guarantee that Eggman could find a cure. If he didn't, he would be defying Infinite's orders and breaking his promise to live for him. The options leaned a certain way, but before Sonic could utter a word, the intercom in the chamber resounded with the mad scientist's overly impatient huff, "ARE YOU TWO GOING TO FUCK OR WHAT?!"

Silver and Sonic were completely caught off guard by the outburst, both of them looking towards the speaker before the white hedgehog tentatively asked, "Uh--Sonic...what's he talking about?" Sonic blushed in embarrassment, humiliation, and guilt as he was now in the position where he had to explain the situation to Silver less the crazy Egghead do so tactlessly. "The last time we were--together--there was some improvement in my health. And then when I got a blood transfusion from you, there was another brief boost. Eggman thinks that something in you can fix what's wrong in me, but he needs to run some tests to figure it out for sure." 

"You mean--the only reason you came here...you were actually going to do THAT to me, again?" This was the last straw. Their conversation had been a wild roller coaster from the start, but now that the reason he was here in this cell with him became clear, it was too much to take. "...I can't believe this....I....I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!! AND HERE I WAS FEELING SORRY FOR YOU!!! WHAT--DID YOU REHEARSE THAT SO-CALLED APOLOGY WITH THOSE PHONEY TEARS JUST TO GET BETWEEN MY LEGS?!"

"Silver--I wasn't..." the blue blur tried to explain.

"---YOU'RE NOT SONIC!!! THE REAL SONIC WOULD NEVER MAKE OTHERS SUFFER FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT!!!---YOU'RE SOME KIND OF PERVERTED FAKER!!!"

"Heh, maybe I am," the fallen hero responded just above a whisper. The words stung, but were as valid as his friend's feelings. When he noticed that Silver couldn't stand to look at him any longer, he took his cue to leave. As he hobbled towards the door, he paused for a moment, hoping to find some collection of words to salvage this exchange so that his friend wouldn't despise him, but the phrase "I'm sorry" in the most pitiful tone was all he could come up with. 

Silver scoffed at the remark as he gave one final glare at his former idol, "Everyone thinks your dead, so you should just go ahead and die--at least then you'll be honest."