Chapter Text
“So,” Shadow asked, his expression pulled down in a frown. “Why am I here?” He shifted on his feet and tapped his foot against the metal ground as he looked around the round table. Rebel, Knucks, and Nine were all seated at different spots around the table- some of the most important members of the rebellion. Rebel herself, the main leader of the rebellion had come to tell him to attend this meeting- that he needed to attend, which had not exactly been what he expected, for several reasons.
Not the least of those reasons was the fact that he knew for a fact that the rebellion was suspicious of him. He knew he near-constantly had eyes on him- he could feel it. His appearance was just very convenient. A stranger falls from the sky, strong and willing to help the rebellion, with no prior knowledge of them, their name, or anything about them or who they were. Hailing from some other place where, compared to this, there were pretty much no real and consistent problems, and yet still had a wealth of in survival, stealth, and combat experience. It was all just so convenient- convenient enough that it was suspicious.
That made him really doubt the rebellion would trust him with any big jobs until he had proven himself loyal and they trusted him a little more. But she had said he needed to come- that it was important to the rebellion, and he doubted all of the major players of the rebellion that he knew of would be here if it wasn’t anything big, even with someone considered suspicious like he was- even one rebellion leader could handle themselves.
“You’re here because we need you- or, rather, your muscle- for a new mission we’ve got. It’s a heist on one of the chaos councils warehouses.” Rebel explained, her wings pulling in close to her. Shadow had been made to go through several grueling tests to find out his upper limits, so the rebellion could see what they could possibly use him for. He supposed this must be the reason why. They had gauged him worthy of being… the muscle. Great, he thought, almost bitter. Now I know what Knuckles feels like.
He stepped closer to the table, placing a hand on the empty chair. “So?” He asked. “I’m going to need details to be able to help you all.” Nine was watching his actions very closely, judging him, examining his body language. He was clearly extremely intelligent- another thing the two-tailed fox had in common with Tails. Sonic would probably like this kid. He thought, bemused. And where was Sonic? He would think that Sonic would be all over trying to save a place like this. Maybe he just doesn’t know about this place? Sonic. The thought was almost a growl. That hedgehog was always in the middle of everything, whether he was messing things up or making them better.
There was no doubt in his heart that Sonic would show up here eventually, whether accidentally or on purpose. That guy was a magnet for danger and always ended up getting himself into the worst situations in the worst places and usually ended up dragging Shadow into it too. It was absolutely infuriating that nobody could see Sonic for what he truly was- an idiotic troublemaker. A faker. A fake hero, who caused the problems just to fix them all up.
Knucks and Rebel exchanged a glance. “We’ll be sending you for a reconnaissance mission with Nine. You’ll be there to learn the mapping of the place, find out the schedules of the guards, things like that. You’ll be mostly there to protect Nine, though you are talented at stealth in your own right, Nine could do this on his own.” Knucks was the one who spoke up, interrupting the rapid pace of his thoughts. “And, beyond that, we trust Nine much more than we will likely ever trust you.” Rude. Fair, but rude.
He nodded as he sat down in the chair, glancing over them. Rebel’s wings were pulled in close to herself protectively. Knucks was leaning forward, pressing himself against the table, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Shadow. He looked about ready to leap over the table and attack him if he found it necessary. Those two wore their hearts on their sleeves- they were easy to figure out. In a direct contradiction, Nine’s expression was nearly unreadable. That’s a major difference between Tails and Nine. Shadow thought. Sonic’s little brother was never quite so guarded, even around me.
“That sounds reasonable.” Shadow confirmed out loud. “Sure, I’ll definitely help you in this.” The air crackled with tension. He knew none of those people trusted him, and Nine probably didn’t think too highly of him either, and he doubted the fox ever would. “Give me as many details as you feel are necessary, or you feel I deserve to know, and I’ll do my best to help.”
“Good.” Rebel’s wings relaxed as she spoke, trusting him just a little more. She reminded him a lot of Rouge, someone he loathed to admit was his… friend. Though, Rebel was definitely a lot more serious than Rouge. He couldn’t help but wonder if they were related somehow. They certainly looked related. They were nearly identical. But Rebel held herself much differently than Rouge. And Rouge would’ve told him if she had a sister. “Nine will be the leader of your group. You both know sign language, so for the purposes of stealth, the two of you will communicate mostly through that, no loud noises. There’s not much we can tell you- this is the first time we’ll ever be in that warehouse, after all. You just need to trust Nine to lead you.”
“I do.” He was surprised to find that he meant it. He wouldn’t trust Nine as far as he could throw him- which, honestly, at his size and weight, was pretty far-, but he did trust that the fox would be able to handle leading in a misson like this. And he knew that both Knucks and Rebel trusted him, and they seemed like smart people- so he trusted the fox not to get him killed. Unless he decides trying to get me killed is the best course of action- in that case, I should definitely watch my back.
He trusted Nine in a similar way that he trusted Sonic. He trusted Nine would clean up his messes. He trusted that Nine would put his all in for the rebellion, like how he trusted Sonic would put his all in for what he believed was right, no matter the cost to himself. He could easily see that Nine was unendingly loyal to the rebellion. Nine reminded Shadow of Sonic in a lot of ways, and Shadow wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“That’s good.” Knucks responded, crossing his arms and leaning back. One of his legs rested atop the other. “You’ll need to trust him- I’m sure of that, at the very least. Trust is valuable in a mission like this. So, we’re all in agreement, then?” Shadow glanced over at Nine. Nine was still watching him like a hawk, not trusting him in the slightest. He was sure the only reason Nine had brought Shadow here in the first place was because they needed more people to stand up against the chaos council, and he weighed the risks and decided that the pros of bringing him along outweighed the possible cons, as long as the rebellion kept a close eye on him.
“Yes, we do seem to be in agreement .” Nine barely managed to growl those words out, barbed and aggressive. His eyes were narrowed in a glare. He doesn’t want me to come along. Shadow realized. He’s being made to have backup that he can sacrifice if something goes wrong- he’s not happy with this arrangement. Shadow could’ve almost laughed. I get it. If I were him, I wouldn’t want me to come along either. But I’m not going to back out of this. I need to get the rebellion to trust me, so maybe I can fix this place before Sonic gets here and puts himself in danger while crashing his way to victory. I’m sick and tired of saving his ass when he gets into trouble.
“Good.” A tight-lipped smile stretched across Rebel’s face. “Then you’re dismissed while we plan, Shadow. Get back to the dorms, or wherever you need to be. We’ll tell you when it’s time for your mission the day before, so you can make sure to get a good night’s sleep. “ He nodded, turning around to leave.
Hopefully, everything goes well with this mission. He thought. It won’t exactly look good on me if we fail. I’m sure they’ll be even more convinced I’m a traitor if the first mission I’m involved with fails. He decided, then.
This mission has to be a rousing success.
Dagger dodged underneath a falling pipe, letting out a stream of cusses. His body felt heavy and unfamiliar, exhaustion pulsing through him, and he was distracted by the clawing, empty sickness that still plagued him. He twisted to avoid another laser beam as he burst forward, barely managing to stay upright as his feet slammed hard against the ground. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
Anxiety rushed through him. The area surrounding him was deep reds and grays that made him feel even more ill as he ran, trying desperately to reach the end despite the obstacles thrown in his way. Green lit up his vision. Another beam, feint right! He dashed into a roll across the ground before he got up and started running again. His hand pushed into a pipe below him and he vaulted himself over. He whirled around and shot back at the enemies who had just appeared, and barely managed to suppress a shiver as he heard their screams. He felt like he was going to keel over and throw up at any moment.
The light from the beams dazzled his eyes, nearly blinding him, but he kept going anyway. The red lights made him feel so very sick and vulnerable, and the screams ringing in his ears added to the feeling of being hollowed out from the inside. He slammed himself to the ground as another laser shot through where he had just been, his sharp claws digging deep grooves into the pavement below him.
She’s trying to kill me! He thought deliriously, taking a right through another narrow passageway as he put on a burst of speed, feeling the ground tear beneath his powerful paws. She’s really trying to kill me! He shook his head, taking a moment to catch his breath as he pressed himself up against the wall, hoping she wouldn’t catch up with him quite yet. He could feel his non-existent heart pumping in overdrive, slamming into his ribcage over and over as he let out quick, panicked breaths.
Okay- okay. You can do this, Dagger. He took a deep, calming breath. You’ll be fine. Take stock of your surroundings. He let it out. He glanced around, taking stock of what was around him. The walls were tall- too tall to scale? He didn’t know. It was probably too tall to scale before she caught up to him. Red surrounded him, making him feel sick to his stomach. The walls were a deep grayish red, but at least the concrete floor was pure gray- not a flicker of red he could see. He had no clue why the chaos council chose red as their main color- it was a color that disgusted him to his core, though he had absolutely no clue why.
Maybe them choosing it as the main color that represents them is what made the color itself disgusting to me. He blinked, startled by the traitorous thought that had popped up in his brain. What-
But a nearby explosion left him no time to think and he threw his hands up just in time to protect his sensitive eyes from the debris as Rusty rocketed around the corner. It’s just like before , Dagger realized. She’s going to legitimately kill me. That panicked voice in his mind screamed again, high, shrill, and annoying . I can’t let that happen. I need to get back to him, I need- He shook his head before he focused in, reaching through the dust and rubble catching her arm in a tight grip. He stumbled as he dragged her over his shoulder, slamming her hard against the ground. What was that voice?
He pinned her against the ground on her front, quickly holding her wrists and pushing them together, preventing her from changing her claws into anything more useful- a failsafe the doctor had planned and implemented long ago on the off chance either of them were to ever go rogue and betray him because those rebels managed to worm their way into their heads.
It felt all far too real as he scrambled to grab a rock, something, anything to bash her brains in and make this living nightmare end. She twisted her head to glare up at him, murderous rage filling her eyes. The illness raged inside of him as his claw seized a stone and brought it above her head, the hate in her eyes boring into him, the fear ripping through his very bones as he-
Suddenly, a buzzer sounded almost mercifully, and he was brought back into himself. He panted as he dragged himself off of her, stumbling to his feet as the stone fell from his grip. The bracelet around his ankle that monitored his energy output felt like a weight dragging him down through his exhaustion.
He had entirely forgotten this was a training exercise to see how much of his combat skills and quick-acting battle reflexes he had retained after his death, probably because of what he could see in Rusty’s eyes both then and now- that she genuinely wanted him dead. She didn’t care how it happened, but she wanted him gone, far away, where he couldn’t bother her or show her up anymore. Well, too bad. He thought, meeting her gaze. I’m not going to go anywhere. I’m staying right here with the doctor, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.
“Bravo, Dagger.” His ears perked up excitedly at the praise as Mr. Dr. Eggman’s voice crackled out through the intercom, a smile spreading across his face. His tail wagged behind him for just a moment before the sickness hit, feeling ill at his praise. Seriously, what is up with this? I’m entirely loyal to the chaos council, and I always have been- that's what they told me, and they would never lie to me. “You did so well for me- you didn’t even get hit once, nor did you hesitate when faced with humanoid enemies in rebel uniforms. I’m proud of you, boy.”
He grinned, even though he felt more like gagging, the emptiness within him a yawning pit of endless darkness. “Thank you, sir!” he managed to pant out, allowing himself to almost entirely forget about Rusty’s sharp gaze drinking in his disheveled appearance. Almost. “Hopefully I can be of use to you again soon!” He glanced over at Rusty. Seriously, what is her problem? I’ve tried to be nothing but nice to her since I woke up. Who was I to her before I died?
“You’d like to be of use to me sooner? Hmmm…” Eggman said, seemingly considering something, but Dagger could hear the sharpness in his tone. “Well, if you want that, why don’t you come up to the chaos council's meeting room? I have an idea of what to do with you.” Dagger knew from Eggman's tone that that was in no way a suggestion. It was an order disguised as a kind-hearted question.
Something instinctual in him wanted to avoid going there like the plague, the idea of being there making him feel ill, but he was entirely and completely loyal to Mr. Dr. Eggman, so, of course, he would go. The doctor wanted him too, after all. And he lived to do anything the doctor wanted. He swallowed down the feeling and kept smiling. “Of course, I’ll be right there sir!” he replied cheerily, his tail swishing behind him.
“Wonderful,” Eggman exclaimed. “Rusty, do you mind escorting him?” Irritation and illness immediately welled up inside him- he didn’t want to be forced to be around her for a moment longer than he had to be. His smile fell and he crossed his arms, the movement of his tail shifting to a quick lash back and forth. She was the absolute worst, and the most terrible thing about working for the chaos council by far. And for some reason, the doctor had Rusty follow him around everywhere !
“Of course not.” her voice was perfectly impassive once she spoke again. She stood up, brushing the dust, dirt, and debris off of her shoulders. “It would be my pleasure to have the opportunity to carry out your will, sir.” Suck up. He wondered what that was like. Having to suck up to the chaos council to get them to like you- he must’ve really proven himself to them before, because he had never had to suck up even once to them. Mr. Dr. Eggman, at the very least, already liked him- he wasn’t sure about what the other doctors thought of him, really. Most seemed to avoid him- probably because he was an abomination.
She bowed for all the cameras to see before she turned and swept out of the room, not waiting for Dagger to catch up or letting him catch his breath. He let out a groan, throwing his arms in the air in an exasperated manner before he darted after her, pushing himself against the wall to keep himself standing despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs. He didn’t really need it, but he was feeling dramatic, and she was a bitch anyway.
“What is your problem with me?” He asked as he followed her down the hallway. “You seem to hate me so much. I don’t get it. I’ve been nice to you. We’re both loyal to the chaos council. We’re both cyborgs- by all accounts, we should be friends. We can understand each other more than most. And yet you seem to hate me. Why is that? What did I do to you?” The last words came out more biting than he meant them, and he chewed on the inside of his cheek anxiously.
She rolled her eyes and didn’t respond, angling her body away from him, which only really served to piss him off even more than he already was. He doubted they were being watched and he let out a growl. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?” he wondered aloud. She rarely truly showed her emotions, and even when she did, they always seemed really muted- everything except for her hatred for him was muffled. Though, of course, the anger and hatred came through loud and clear.
“What’s wrong with me? ” She finally snapped back, her eyes narrowing into a somehow even more scathing glare. “You’re what’s wrong with me, Dagger.” She hissed, her voice a low rumble. “ You are everything that is wrong with me. You are the embodiment of everything that’s ever been wrong with me.” She kept walking, though her movements were much more tense and angry now- like a python, coiled to strike. It made him feel uncomfortable and ill how many times he could’ve applied metaphors of a stealth predator lying in wait to her while having only known her for maybe a month, so he had started to avoid doing so.
“What does that mean?” He asked, his head tilting in befuzzlement. She just glared back at him before stalking off, and he had to rush to keep up with her, pushing off the wall. He wasn’t nearly as exhausted now that he got a real second to just breathe . He didn’t bother her any more than that- for one, he really didn’t like talking to her. Everything about her made him feel sick and empty- not to mention that to him her voice sounded like nails screeching as they carved gouges in a chalkboard. For another, he sincerely doubted she would give him any answers.
He blinked, startled, as they stepped through the entryway of the chaos council’s meeting room, his eyes flicking through the images in front of him. The room wasn’t that bad, but there was this deep feeling of wrongness that worked it’s way down to his bones, through his muscles. His eyes zeroed in on a table and an image flashed through his head- someone wrapping their hands around, choking, shaking him, him clawing at their hands desperately trying to get away-
He nearly doubled over from the agony and nausea as the sickness reached a fever pitch, leaning to the side and clutching blearily at the wall to steady himself. He took in shaky breaths, trying not to show just how ill he felt. The doctors don’t need to know about this- I mustn't bother them with such trivial matters. They have much better things to do with their time than worry about some random bout of sickness. It’ll go away eventually- I’m sure of it.
I’m fine. I’m fine. Just gotta keep… moving. He lifted his head, meeting Mr. Dr. Eggman’s eyes, which were watching him curiously. He couldn’t tell, but he also thought there might’ve been a bit of caution buried deep in those blue eyes of his. “I’m fine, sir.” he said before the doctor even got a chance to speak, straightening up with a smile. “Just feeling a little sick.” Dagger had always been a good liar, at least since he woke up.
“Good. We have more for you to do, after all- we need to see how much energy you can produce at your top speed.” Dagger felt like throwing up. Mr. Dr Eggman crossed one of his legs over the other, his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched Dagger with some odd emotion Dagger couldn’t place in his eyes. Suspicion? But why in the world would the doctor be suspicious of him? He was loyal, completely and absolutely. Loyalty to Eggman was the first thing he ever knew, after all.
“Of course, sir.” He nodded, an easy smile stretching across his face. He was glad the doctor wanted to measure how powerful he was after those three long years he had been dead- it showed how much the doctor cared about him. He wouldn’t want his favorite toy to be broken by the rebels once again. He thought almost bitterly before he blinked, a flash of illness settling low in his stomach. Whoa. Where had that thought come from? It was unfamiliar and felt like it was coming from an entirely different person. No, the right way to word that would be that the doctor didn’t want him dead, that he wanted him alive. So he could be of further use to him. He liked being useful, anyway- it was simple and easy. “What do you need me to do, sir?”
“I’m glad you asked.” He stood up from his chair, all elegance and power. He truly was a great leader- one who kept his people trapped in an iron fist. For their own benefit, of course- he would never do anything to harm his beloved people if it was not the best possible option because he was a genius- he knew that a happy people was a loyal people. At least, he believed that the doctor knew that. He knew that, and since he was an idiot, the doctor must know it too- because the doctor was intelligent, and he was not.
He strode over to Dagger and pressed a red armband into his hand. It made a quiet, consistent whirring noise and Dagger could almost taste the electricity coursing through it. He really hated the color red. His metallic fingers tensed around it, trying in vain to ignore the roiling nausea that plagued his stomach. He turned it over and caught sight of the Chaos Councils logo engraved onto the side. He could barely suppress a shudder. It’s another way to lay claim to you. The annoying voice came again. But he didn’t care- why would he? It doesn’t matter at all.
“This will track your vitals and the shard energy you expend with your abilities and send them directly to our computer. It’ll really help figuring out just how much power you can give us, and how well you can serve us through the data provided. Of course, you’ve already run through these experiments before, but I need to see if your ability has increased or decreased in strength after your revival. It’s also possible that the connection to the shard energy was severed entirely-” Dagger felt his heart stop in his chest at that thought, felt it drop all the way down into this stomach, and he didn’t know exactly why. He didn’t even know what that would mean, or what the shard energy thrumming though his veins even did. Why did the idea of it disappearing- or, more accurately, never existing to him as he is now- scare him so much? “But I seriously doubt that will be the case.”
He nodded slowly, swallowing back the lump in his throat. His bones ached as he looked at the armband, frozen in place. The idea of putting it on felt agonizing- like meerkats clawing under his skin, ripping him apart from the inside out in their haste to be free from the shell that was his body. It felt like bugs scuttling through his fur with thousands of tiny legs crawling over his skin. He swallowed and slowly, slowly slipped it onto his wrist. It felt wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong , even though it fit perfectly- designed just with him in mind. But he managed it, for the doctors sake- it was his purpose to make the doctor’s life as easy as possible, after all. That was what a weapon- and above all, a servant- did.
It almost felt like a burning brand against the metal of his arm, and he flexed his fingers, trying to hide just how upset this was making him. He wasn’t sure if it would matter if he showed it- he wasn’t sure if the doctor cared. No, wait- of course I’m sure. Why wouldn’t I be sure? The doctor cares about me and wants me loyal to him. That’s always been the truth. He could tell it from the way the doctor looked at him, when he wasn’t looking at him like he had just swallowed a sour lemon, or when he wasn’t looking like he wanted to crush Dagger like a bug beneath his heel anyway.
But the doctor only looked like that when Dagger had done something wrong, something to irritate the genius. He deserved to be looked at like that when he messed up- how else would he learn he was wrong? And if one day Eggman decided to hurt him, he would deserve that too, for pushing him to that point. Because all Dagger had to do was be good and obedient, and he would lead a good life. If he couldn’t even manage that much, he was as good as useless. And useless trash deserved to be disposed of. And all useless trash deserved to be disposed of, even him. Really, he would just be lucky Eggman didn’t get rid of him if he got to that point of hopelessness.
“There we are.” Eggman reached out and rubbed one of Dagger’s ears with something that was close to affection. Dagger took a step forward instinctively, basking in his masters pride. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Eggman flashed his teeth at him in a tight lipped smile, and Dagger’s heart stopped for a just a moment. He realized how uncomfortable I was. The voice that whispered in his head was thick with fear. He wished he could shake his head to clear the thought, as he forced his mind to put on a more positive tone. He realized how uncomfortable I was! He was paying attention to my feelings!
“Sorry, sir.” He bowed his head, chewing on his lower lip anxiously. There was a moment of silence before Eggman reached out and placed a hand on his head, rubbing the metal between his ears. He couldn’t feel it, but he appreciated the gesture anyway. Parts of his mind felt like they were being slowly dragged through molasses when he tried to think too hard about why it bothered him so much. It was nagging at the back of his mind, some answer just out of his reach.
“Don’t be. It’s only natural you would be skittish around the color red after how you died.” The grin on Eggman’s face felt somehow slimy and wrong, felt like something he couldn’t wash off his skin. Everything felt wrong. His skin didn’t even feel like it fit right in most places. His stomach turned, and he almost felt like he could throw up. Something in him wanted to recoil from the touch on his head. He took a step back and straightened up, putting his hands behind his back.
“What happened when I died, sir?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking, now that the doctor had brought it up. The light streaming in through the window gleamed off his goggles as Eggman tilted his head just slightly, a tight frown spreading across his face. He couldn’t see his eyes. “And- and what did the color red have to do with it?” Eggman let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging. He suddenly looked more like a wise old sage than a leader, but Dagger supposed he was both.
“I don’t think you want to know this, Dagger. But I’ll tell you, if you’re certain.” He sat down heavily in his chair, his gaze weary and tired. Every movement Eggman made was meticulously measured and practiced, as if he had done this before. Dagger automatically sat down on his knees, placing his hands in his lap and looking up at the doctor with wide eyes. He bobbed his head in a quick nod, swallowing back the pit that opened in his stomach.
The doctor was silent for a moment, almost as if trying to figure out what to say. His eyes trailed to the nearest window and he looked forlornly through them, as if He was being made to flip through painful memories. He watched as the doctors throat bobbed in a swallow, and his lower lip trembled for just a moment before he stilled it. He’s sad about how I died the first time- he has to care about me, right? He has too.
“There was a rebel.” He spoke after several long, tense moments of silence. “You didn’t always have the strength of willpower and knowledge that you do now- with the firsthand experience of how they’re pure evil, idiotic, both, or if neither being heavily manipulated, likely from a young age. His fur was as red as my suit, and his eyes were a bright purple. He is one of the last echidnas in existence. He broke into our base to steal a prisoner from us, and that's when the two of you met. You came to blows, of course, and you won , but for reasons I still can’t comprehend, you let him go. ” He took in a breath, keeping his voice steady.
“You were extremely competitive back then, and I’m almost inclined to believe that you let him go because he could actually challenge you and nobody could do that in a long time, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is… he came back. And you let him come back. Back then, there was barely any surveillance on you or in your room, because I trusted you.” Something in the back of his mind clawed as if it wasn’t right , but he ignored it. He trusted Mr. Dr. Eggman, after all.
“He crawled in through your window at night and whispered promises into your ears. Of doing what felt right instead of what was best, of blue skies and seas, of trees as far as the eye could see and fields with thousands of different shades of flowers. Of seeing the stars and sky at night instead of just the smog. Of a completely different life.” Dagger’s ears perked up. A part of him couldn’t help but admit that sounded… appealing, even if he wasn’t sure what most of those things were. The sky has never been blue. It’s always been gray. Why would it be blue? What would make it blue?
“He managed to manipulate you into running away with him to the rebellion. With the way you looked at him back then, I’m quite certain that if he asked you to kill me you wouldn’t hesitate before putting a bullet through my head.” The doctor’s voice cracked. Dagger's eyes widened. Why would he ever do that? He trusted the doctor implicitly and fully and was completely loyal to him. The very idea of ever betraying him felt incomprehensible! It wasn’t something that would’ve ever occurred to him- at least, as he was now. He felt a pang of bitterness towards his idiotic, foolish, manipulated former self hit him.
“You were with him for about a year before he led a heist on one of our hidden weapons storerooms with the information he likely got from you on its location. I rushed there the moment I heard what was going on from Rusty, and he saw me. You were beside him at the time. You never saw it coming, because you trusted him- you had given that cruel man all of your heart. And then he took it. He impaled his fist through your back before you could react and ripped your heart out just to prove a point to me. That anything that was mine, he could take if he tried hard enough. And then he could dispose of it when it was no longer useful.”
His breath caught in his throat. The story felt wrong, wrong, wrong, but it was Robotnik who said it- so it had to be true. Because Robotnik was a good man. He would never lie to him unless it was completely necessary. Still, though, the feeling of wrongness tugged at the back of his mind, making him squeamish. He swallowed and let out the breath he was holding. His hands trembled on his knees, the clawed tips of his metal fingers leaving small dents in the cold metal of his legs.
“I’m- I’m sorry, sir. I promise you, I’ll be smarter this time around. I won’t allow them to manipulate me. In fact, I shall not even allow them to speak to me, ever.” He drew himself up, trying to make him seem like a hero. Someone worthy of the doctor’s pride, attention, and trust. It would be a long road until Eggman trusted him again after his former betrayal, but he had to regain his trust.
Eggman smiled despite himself and reached out, patting Dagger on the head. “Yes, yes. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, dear boy.” His voice was a low, comforting rumble that Dagger could feel in his very bones. “But it’s still good to hear it. Anyway.” He rose to his feet and Dagger scrambled to follow him up. “It’s time for me to talk about the experiment I’m going to have to put you through.”
He immediately felt queasy but nodded despite the feeling that permeated deep in his bones. He trusted Robotnik- he had to trust Robotnik. Even if he didn’t trust the doctor with his life, he would still have to treat whatever the doctor said as the truth- but obviously I do trust Robotnik with my life! There’s no reason to even think about that. The doctor would never lie to me on purpose! And he would never hurt me if he had a choice, or if he knew it was going to hurt me for that matter.
“I’ll have you run at top speed in a sphere for as long as possible to see just how much energy you can generate. This means you’ll have to run as hard and as fast as you can until you pass out from exhaustion. It should give us a good estimate of the upper and lower limits of your body and abilities as they are now, and how much energy you can generate on your own with little to no extra help. Can you do that for me, Dagger?”
He didn’t want to. He really, really wanted to say no. It sounded painful, exhausting, cruel, as well as entirely unnecessary. Couldn’t he just run at his top speed until he started feeling tired? That would be easier than this and probably just as effective. Sure, he loved to run. He was sure that running was something he was born to love, something etched into his bones from the moment he began to exist. At the same time, he was sure anyone who was asked to run until they passed out from exhaustion would also not want to do it. It was a natural reaction.
But.
But he wanted the doctor to be proud of him. He wanted Robotnik to look at him and say ‘You did a good job, Dagger.’ and he wanted him to mean it- mean that he was proud of him, that he had pleased him. It was the very least he could do after how he betrayed the doctor. Beyond that, he couldn’t question the doctor- the doctor was a super genius and so much smarter than he could ever hope to be. He had probably already thought of that alternative and had a thousand reasons as to why it wouldn’t work.
So, forcing himself to swallow back the sick feeling of anxiety that hung low in his stomach, he nodded.
I have to please the doctor. I have to make up for my past mistakes and prove my loyalty. I’ll show him that I can do this. I’ll show him that I won’t betray him again.
I’ll prove to him that he made the right choice when he brought me back from the edge of death. He won’t regret it for a moment.
She paced around her room, hissing to herself. Now that he was back, everything was quickly going back to the way it was before she managed to convince the council to send Swift on what she believed was a suicide mission. She had hoped he would be content to die a traitor, loathed by those who came after them. Yet despite that he was the council’s favorite weapon, the one they entrusted with the most important jobs all over again. Even though she was the one who was truly loyal to them! She had never even thought of betraying them. She saw their vision and agreed with it- yes, a world where everyone didn’t have a choice but to do what they were told was a world that worked much better than the mess that freedom was, and it was easier to boot. Anyone who disagreed with them clearly had to be idiotic and therefore needed to be swiftly corrected and/or dealt with before the rest of the populace got any ideas to follow in their footsteps..
But Mr. Dr. Eggman had a soft spot for Dagger. She knew it was because he raised him and Dagger was there before he even won and seized control over the land that was now New Yoke. She could see it clearly from the way that the first doctor looked at Dagger even if the doctor didn’t recognize it himself. Nobody else would notice it either, she knew- she was hyper-aware of every slight shift in the expressions of others. She saw how the doctor's eyes softened just the slightest bit whenever he saw Dagger.
That was the only thing she could honestly say she disliked about the real leader of the chaos council. His soft spot for Dagger was his one and only true weakness, other than his overblown ego. Even his ego served a purpose, though- he believed he was amazing, that he was a born leader, so he acted like one. And since he was so confident in himself, it directly caused his subjects to be confident in him and his leadership as well. Most of them, anyway.
But. His soft spot for Dagger served no purpose other than to open him up to betrayal. When she tried to comprehend why he even had it, she fell short. She had understood at least slightly before Dagger betrayed the doctor for the first time- he had been a loyal retainer back then, though she had never liked him. He had followed every single one of the doctors orders to the letter, even if he was more influenced to do that by necessity and fear than the preferable option of love and respect. He spoiled Dagger as well- he had barely even been punished for betraying him so thoroughly, while if she did the same she surely would’ve been dismantled to prove a point to his subjects.
Though she loathed to admit it, she truly was jealous of him. She was jealous of the way the doctor treated him, the way he looked at him, when he should be looking at her like that- because she was loyal, through and through. She had never even thought of betraying the council, even when she met that green tenrec rebel who actually managed to challenge her and thoughts of her wouldn’t leave her head for days. She would never allow herself to be captured by the rebellion, plus, she would absolutely never go over to their side, not in a million years -
Her thoughts were interrupted by the crackle of a transmission sent straight to her mind.
Rusty Rose.
She straightened up. “Sir?” she responded out loud, her heart rate skyrocketing. She sincerely hoped he had not caught that thought about his giant ego, but she doubted she would know until much later if he did.
You must come to the meeting room of the council immediately. We have much to discuss with you in person.
“It’s an honor, sir.” She knelt down on the ground in her room into a respectful bow, as she would do if he were here. She was nearly certain that he was watching through the cameras in her room, but even if he wasn’t she wasn’t planning to take the chance. She had learned the hard way that if her disobedience or accidental disrespect was not swiftly punished, her punishment would come at the worst possible time.
There we are. Good girl. You have certainly begun to learn your place.
“Thank you, sir.” She straightened herself up slowly before she marched down to the chaos council's meeting room, pushing all thoughts of Dagger out her mind for now. She could figure out how to get rid of him again later. Currently, what she needed to focus on was pleasing the chaos council and getting out of this meeting with her position still intact. She knew she was on thin ice, despite having done nothing wrong.
She pushed open the door. Deep was the first who swiveled his chair to face her. “Ah. The little pink rodent came scrambling when you summoned her.” Deep sneered, his grin sharp and biting. He was nothing like the main doctor. None of them were nearly as smart as him- they were all sharp words, cruelty and biting pain instead of sickly sweet honey that worked it’s way into your mind and changed the way you thought about the world for the better.
“Silence!” Robotnik barked at his younger clone, and Deep subsided, muttering to himself angrily about how Mr. Doctor Eggman couldn’t order him around and how he should truly be the one who was the leader. Power hungry idiots, the lot of them. Why did the doctor even need them? He could surely rule all of New Yoke by himself if he wanted to. Or he could entrust what he couldn’t handle to her! She would take good care of it! She was loyal, unlike certain other hedgehogs she loathed knowing. She heard the door close and seal behind her, not letting any sound through.
He turned his attention back to her and she immediately tensed, standing up as straight as she could. An almost imperceptibly small smile slipped onto his face for a moment, pleased. “We have reason to believe that the rebellion is going to raid one of our warehouses for supplies in the next few weeks.” He started. She blinked, taken by surprise. How could they still be that foolish? They have to know by now that their little rebellion will never be successful. Why haven’t they given up yet?
“We’ve begun work on a mech suit for Dagger to make sure that fox cannot repeat what he did before and steal him again.” One of the doctor’s legs crossed over the other. The air that surrounded them whirred with noise from the hover chair he rested on. “I doubt he shall even try, because he’ll believe he’s just another one of the robots in our employ instead of a cyborg.” How is that connected? Surely he won’t be sending him back out into the field this early.
“Once we’re finished with that, the two of you will go to guard that warehouse together. Do you understand me?” He placed his hands in his lap, tilting his head up ever so slightly to fix her with an imposing gaze. She took in a deep breath and took a step forward, raising her head to meet his eyes. His eyes narrowed warningly at her, his arms shifting to cross over his chest.
“With all due respect, sir, this truly wise? I doubt we should be sending him into the field this soon after his revival. Who knows, he may even regain all his memories when he sees those rebels. We don’t know how this works, and we haven’t done enough experiments yet-” she fell silent as the doctor got down off of his chair. She swallowed almost imperceptibly, sweat beading down her back. She ducked her head respectfully.
He paced towards her until he was towering over her, examining her thoroughly. The emotions on his face was imperceptible, even to one such as her. “My dear girl.” he growled, his voice low. He placed his hand under her chin, raising her head up to look at him again. “What could’ve possessed you to think you had the right to question my decisions, hmm? Speak.”
“I- I just thought that maybe you would want to hear my thoughts on the matter, sir. Even one as smart as you can benefit from a second opinion sometime-”
She fell to the ground as a searing pain slammed into her cheek. She hung her head, not daring to do so much as look up at him. Her heartbeat sped up, pounding in her chest. She kept her eyes down on the ground. It was nearly perfectly clean here, in the center of the capital.
“And what makes you think I would care about your opinion, you foolish girl?” He snarled. “I will remind you to never question my decisions or words under any circumstances. Learn your place. You are nothing but a tool to us, and I can get rid of you any time I wish.” She let her body go limp as he jerked her up off the ground. He raised her to eye level, her feet dangling over the floor below her helplessly. “ Do. You. Understand me? ”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.” She mumbled, knowing better than to meet his gaze at this moment. Instead, she fixed her gaze on his chest. He slowly lowered her back to the ground and raised his hand to pat her on the head. She flinched ever so slightly when his hand raised. “I understand.” She bowed with practiced perfection, her ears pinned back against her head. He knew he liked it better when she was afraid of him.
“Good girl.” His smirk was slimy and cruel, crawling across her skin and making her feel disgusting. “You can return to your chambers now- that was all I wished to discuss with the likes of you.”
She turned around obediently and walked back to her room, keeping herself entirely calm until she was back in her room. She turned to look at the mirror in the room she called her own and examined her face. Her fingers shook slightly as she reached up and touched the bright red mark on her cheek. She pulled her hand back with a hiss at the sharp sting that dug into her sensitive skin.
Maybe if I’m lucky something will go wrong with that mech suit and his body will be crushed. Then he’ll be nothing, and I will be everything. I’ll be necessary, and they’ll have to listen to what I have to say then. She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as a thought occurred to her, sharp as a lightning bolt.
…Maybe I can get the rebellion into the perfect position to capture him and get him out of my way. I got rid of him once. I can do it again. A grin slowly crawled across her face. She stepped over to the window and looked out of it, taking in all the buildings, all the different shades of gray. She leaned forward, staring out at her city. The city she had grown up in, had always known.
My city.
I wonder, if I can get rid of Dagger… can I get rid of the Chaos council as well?