"I'm not sure it's a good idea," Knuckles said, looking up from the mountain of paperwork on his desk, "why the Hell do you want to go?" He asked, to which Sonic shrugged.
"He was pretty important, seems only right I'm there." He reasoned, but the red echidna looked unconvinced.
"Yeah, was. The Phantom Ruby's gone, and he's clearly losing his touch if we've found him. He's alone, and basically powerless. Not worth your time. Besides, he tortured you for months, why would you want to-" Knuckles stopped as a light bulb went off in his head, and a thin, almost cruel smile formed on his face.
"Oh I get it," he looked at Sonic right in the eyes, "you go with the mission, capture the target, and then have some... private time with him before he gets thrown in a cell? Okay Sonic, you can go, as long as you make him pay." Knuckles finished, a dark hatred in his eyes.

All Sonic could think about from that for the next two days was what he'd do when he saw that face again. The face that still haunted his nightmares, the face whose owner's name he still struggled to even say aloud.
Infinite..... he was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder, at which he nearly jumped out of his skin, much to the shock of the young soldier.
"Uh, we've pinpointed the exact location Mr Sonic, uh, Sir!" In response, the blue blur dismissively flicked his wrist and gave a small smile.
"No need for sir, just Sonic is fine." The soldier, a auburn dog with large oval ears became slightly flushed and gave a nod.

They had tracked the jackal to a remote corner of the Mystic Jungle, and if they were right, he was hiding out in a cave. About a mile from the cave, the team of Resistance fighters had set up camp in a clearing, pitching a few tents around a campfire; in fact it looked pretty ordinary save for the large metal shipping container that was to serve as Infinite's makeshift cell. Sonic had been standing against it when the small group headed out without him, at Knuckles' insistence. 

The whole thing took about fifteen minutes, the three soldiers went out, and came back with an extra Mobian. And, as promised, he was essentially thrown, handcuffed, into Sonic's arms, and the soldiers with light smirks on their faces withdrew to their tents. Sonic couldn't believe what he saw, for that jagged mask that haunted his dreams was gone. He'd never really thought of what Infinite's actual face looked like, but here it was. It was covered in cuts and bruises, having clearly tried to put up a fight, but the biggest was a much older scar that stretched down his face over his right eye. Speaking of, they were both different colours, one a brilliant azure blue, and the other an almost golden shade of hazel. Both were dim however, with dark circles surrounding them, set in a sullen and almost gaunt face, with the white fur both on his muzzle and flowing down his back from between his ears almost grey with dirt. 

An in that moment, most of Sonic's plans for the jackal fell away, and he hated himself for it, but in this state, he almost felt sorry for the war weary feind. This tired face wasn't the one he hated, and without that face, the fiery anger inside abated.
"What's wrong," Infinite began, his voice hoarse and raspy, but still recognisable "not going to ravage me after all?" He coughed slightly, at which Sonic recoiled. That voice, that horrible, awful voice. For months it had been ringing in his head, mocking him, screaming at him, making him doubt his very existence. In that moment, the anger returned.

"Shut up!" Sonic yelled, spinning round and slamming the jackal against the metal box. His breathing was heavy, and his teeth were bared as the bored into Infinite's soul, his gaze piercing furious.
"I've had that voice in my head every spare moment for nearly a year. In every dream, in every second of silence. That voice nearly broke me," he said, reaching a hand behind his back, "and now, no one is ever going to hear it again." From behind his back, Sonic pulled a large, red ball gag, smirking slightly as Infinite's eyes widened slightly.

 He pinched the jackal's nose, forcing his mouth open before shoving the gag inside.
"Hck!" Infinite choked as the large ball forced his jaw open, his tongue struggling to find a comfortable position pinned underneath it. He desperately tried to wriggle his wrists out of the tight restraints, but it was no use. As he struggled, Sonic buckled the leather strap behind his head as tight as he could, all but muting the jackal as the gag muffled his voice.

Satisfied, Sonic opened the container door and threw Infinite inside, landing on the floor with a bang, any cry of pain silenced.
"See you later." Sonic said in a smug tone as he closed the door, leaving the jackal to his new life of dark quiet. As he passed the tents, the dog from before poked his head out, surprised to see Sonic so soon.
"That was quick," he noted, looking down with a blush on his face, " me and the guys were wondering, can we all have a go with him?" The blue hedgehog smirked as he nodded.
"Sure, be my guests. Just make sure the gag stays put."

Sonic had a peaceful sleep for the first time in months that night. There had been guys in and out of Infinite's cell all night long, but Sonic hadn't even heard a whisper if the jackal's voice.
He should just be grateful I didn't use a ring gag...

THE END