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Infinite looked completely out of place, and only had moments to blend in.
The apron was a little small on him; he was taller than the average Mobian. But that meant that it better covered the top of his chest, where the ruby rested.
He had stumbled into a kitchen. He had noticed the cashier and the seating beyond it resembled that of a fast-food establishment. This wasn’t his first choice, but it was his only choice. He had crash-landed, knocked out of the sky. The ruby’s power failed again, countered by that ruby prototype his enemies were carrying around to apprehend him. It seemed to siphon Infinite’s power away, rendering him unable to call upon it. The first time it was used against him, the ruby had collapsed in on itself. He had barely survived, hiding in null space, hardly able to control the ruby, not knowing how much time had passed. But he had returned to retake his place in the world. Eventually.
He spied a dispenser of plastic gloves, and quickly tore more than he needed out of it. He discarded all but two and started the process of getting them on. Already wearing his black gloves, it was difficult to wriggle his fingers into the stretchy plastic without it repeatedly catching and bunching up. He pulled and stretched. Multiple fingers tore the plastic at the end and poked out.
With his defeat, the world had gone back to its mundane, pitiful, business-as-usual existence, rather than the glorious desolation Infinite craved. But he was still alive and uncaptured. He needed to test his powers again, to prove that they still worked.
Unfortunately, trying to raze a small town had immediately alerted the resistance. The prototype ruby was immediately on hand to counter Infinite, and he had been knocked what must have been a half-mile away to the next town over. The resistance was surely right on his tail, trying to locate him, with the prototype that would incapacitate him immediately if he tried to use his powers.
So he had to hide. Thinking of the plan on the fly, he had barged through the door in front of where he’d landed, the back of the kitchen. Only then did he realize his mask was still on. He had popped it off, which caused some mental anguish. But it was necessary for the time being. Then he had slid it under a nearby sink, and now he was dressing up like a fast food worker.
The sound of a bell from the front entrance caught his ear. He tried to take a peek without being obvious, pleading that it wasn’t Sonic, or one of his aggravating friends.
It was the fox with two tails.
He cursed himself.
There was no time to readjust his gloves. He saw a free hairnet. He grabbed it and crudely shoved some of his hair upwards, but realized it would take far too long to cram all of it up there, so he just stretched the net down so that it covered to the base of his neck. His locks of hair extended downwards, still relatively free.
The fox went to the front counter, where he was greeted by a worker. Infinite made out a few words. “...Can I ask around?”
Seeing the fox, Infinite considered the possibilities. Maskless, he was less recognizable, but simply being a jackal with dark fur would catch his attention. He needed a better disguise.
An idea suddenly sprung to mind. He could turn a potential giveaway into an alibi.
His left hand flew to his yellow eye, as if he had gotten something in it. He quickly looked around for something he could cover in a non-suspicious manner. He could feel the fox’s gaze moving past the worker at the front, searching the kitchen. Infinite found a refrigerator and opened it, blocking him from view for a moment. He found an ice pack, and put it over his left eye, the yellow one. Then he realized that this looked more like he was injured, which might attract more attention than he wanted. One step further away was a towel on a rack. He grabbed it and dabbed at his left eye, holding it there. He sighed.
Calmly, he closed the refrigerator door. He could still see out of his right eye, the blue one. More importantly, this was the only eye anybody else could see.
Infinite moved back over to his position near the trays, though now only having one usable hand, couldn’t do much. He was about to turn back to move deeper into the kitchen, but then…
“Excuse me?”
The fox’s voice found him. He stopped, unable to pretend he couldn’t hear it.
Infinite very slowly turned around. He did not speak.
The fox looked at him. “...Did you hear anything loud from outside in the last minute or two?”
Infinite was silent for a few more seconds. Then, he pitched his voice up an octave. “N-no, I don’t recall anything like that...” he said, genuine nervousness helping his act. “It’s...always noisy in the kitchen.”
The two-tailed fox studied him. Infinite tried to smile, but had forgotten how to do it in a non-threatening manner, so hit the brakes about halfway up his face. He simply looked weird and bewildered.
He felt a bead of sweat trickling down the bridge of his nose. He flicked the towel slightly to the side to capture it. The fox was still reading him. For a moment, Infinite thought he saw recognition on his face. But then it seemed to slip back into uncertainty.
After an interminably long pause, the fox looked back at the worker at the counter, a quokka. “Just...be on the lookout for anybody wearing a mask and who has a ruby on his chest...and do not engage with him in any way, he’s dangerous. Use this instead.” The fox pulled a small device out of his pocket. He signaled to the reluctant jackal to come over. “If you’re less busy, you can hold this. It will send a distress signal to the resistance if you push the button.”
He pressed the device into Infinite’s torn plastic glove. Infinite stared at it.
The fox nodded to them both, but mostly the more receptive quokka. “Be safe.”
The quokka nodded with determination. “Of course, we won’t- we’ll do our- we will be on alert!”
Infinite noticed the slight cringe from the worker as the fox walked away. As for himself, he took a deep breath, mind clearing.
It had worked. The fox hadn’t recognized him. The apron and gloves helped, but the eye color trick...it was a stroke of genius. He clearly wasn’t the jackal the fox was looking for, he had blue eyes. Oh, it was such a cunning move, one that only an extremely capable, superior being such as himself could-
“83’s ready!”
Infinite didn’t really process the new voice in his ear. But it had an annoying quality.
“Hey! Take the tray!”
Infinite’s head snapped to the turquoise nutria. His nametag said, Dave. He was giving him an annoyed glance.
“Come on! Is this your first shift? The sooner we get through this rush, the sooner we all go home.”
Infinite’s jaw hardened. He removed the towel from his left eye. For several seconds, they stared at each other.
Making a low growl, Infinite extended an arm. He picked up the tray of food. Then, he started walking towards the front.
Slowly, he approached the edge of the counter, setting the tray down. He stood there behind it, eyes darting around.
“Say the number!” came Dave’s voice.
Infinite stumbled over his words. “Ei-eigh-eight-eighty-eight...eight...”
“I got it,” the quokka said, handing a receipt to a patron, then taking a quick step to Infinite’s side to look at the number. “Eighty-three!”
Infinite looked at the quokka. Barry was written on their name tag. They smiled at a customer as they came to pick up their tray. “Enjoy!” Barry said.
They then turned their smile to Infinite. “Guessing you’re new here? First day jitters? I’ve definitely been there before.”
Infinite was tense. He looked down at the quokka, smiling like they were trying to ease his nerves. “...Yes.”
“Don’t worry too much about Dave. When it’s the end of a shift, he starts acting bossy because he’s ready to go home.” The quokka checked on the register to make sure there were no waiting customers, then turned back to Infinite. Their eyes lingered on his chest for a split second longer than Infinite would have preferred before going to his eyes. “So...what’s your name?”
Infinite had briefly thought they had spied the ruby underneath his apron, but they were really just looking for his name tag, he realized. “My- my name...” Infinite stuttered, then trailed off. “My name... is...Zero.”
“Huh! Cool name,” Barry said. “Don’t think we’ve met, but I’m Barry. Nice to be working with you, Zero!”
Infinite had no interest in mingling with the commoners. But the fox was still in the area, probably with allies, certainly with the prototype, so he couldn’t run off yet. He had to give it a few more minutes so that the coast was clear.
Not getting a response, Barry looked to the side, awkwardly. Then, they walked over to a hat rack, pulling a visor from it. They held it out for Infinite, trying to be helpful. “Normally, we wear these. Especially in customer-facing positions.”
Infinite had embarrassed himself enough. He did not want to put on the hat. His eyes flashed with murder for a moment, but he knew he had go along with it if he wanted to keep his cover. He traded his hairnet for the visor.
“Looking good!” Barry said, with a thumbs up. They looked back at the register. “Seems like our line is dying out. Say, can I get a look at whatever that guy handed you?”
Infinite nervously looked down at the device in his hand, but held it a little higher for Barry to see. It looked like a walky-talky but without a speaker. It had a button on the side, and a tiny stub of an antenna. It was yellow with white trim.
“Wow! Pretty neat. Hope we don’t have to use it, though.”
Infinite drew a long breath. “I don’t expect to.” He put it into a small pocket in his apron.
Barry nodded. Then they stepped around Infinite’s side. “How’s the drive-thru looking?” they called.
“I wish it was moving faster,” came Dave’s voice. “Someone kept asking for extra sauces, built the line up.”
“But it’s moving?”
“It’s moving. I think the rush is over. We should be able to start closing soon.”
Was it more suspicious to leave now? If the place was closing soon, maybe he would just stay a little longer, then slip out with everyone else. Then, back into hiding. The thought disgusted him...but he knew if he just regrouped and thought through a plan, he would be back to his world-conquering ways.
Barry was looking at him again, seeing that Infinite was just standing there. “You’ll learn fast here. I’ve been here for a month and a half, which basically makes me a lifer!” Barry chuckled. Then they saw Infinite wasn’t really understanding. “You know, that’s when this place re-opened...because of the war...”
“...The war...yes,” Infinite said, forming a line of thought. “Tell me, were you...conquered?”
Barry’s grin faded. “You mean...?”
“I am curious as to your experience during wartime...your darkest of days.”
“Oh,” Barry sighed, their face going more serious. “We spent a month evacuated...and then another month under occupation. Those robots...” he shivered. “Even though it was really just two months, there was no end in sight, so...it felt like a whole lifetime.”
Infinite nodded. “Would you say you were...afraid?”
The quokka gave a somber nod. “Everyone was. It was like living in a nightmare.”
Infinite fought to keep a grin from his face.
“But we still had hope. The resistance. Sonic. And they eventually came through!”
This caused Infinite’s grin to retreat.
“Yep, turns out there’s one hero who can save the world from anything! And his friends. I’ve heard they’re all so cool and inspirational...I hope I can meet them some day!”
The quokka still wore an endearing smile. Seeing something so pure and innocent gave Infinite the urge to destroy it.
“So...how was it for you?” Barry said. “What happened to you during the war, Zero?”
Infinite refocused, having zoned out. “My experience...I was on the front lines.”
Barry’s eyes widened in amazement. “You were part of the resistance?”
Infinite exhaled. “My...background is that of an independent fighter. A mercenary. I have...little interest in working alongside larger organized groups,” he said. “But…when the opportunity arose to obtain a new position as leader of a more established contingent...I made my ascension.”
“Wow...” Barry said, somewhat starstruck. “So you led your own group of forces?”
Infinite let a small chuckle escape his lips. “Indeed I did. A highly...efficient, successful team.”
“Did you win many fights?”
“Oh, yes,” Infinite said, crossing his arms. He smiled more broadly, not taking much care to ensure it was non-threatening. “My forces were...unstoppable.”
“Huh,” Barry said. “Wish more teams were like yours. I’m glad you did well for yourself. Too bad it couldn’t nearly stop everywhere from getting conquered.”
Infinite’s eyes narrowed. “There were some...unfortunate occurrences that prevented my total victory. I-I almost-”
He cut himself off. He was tempted to keep going, but he needed to stop before he let anything else slip.
The quokka seemed oblivious, though. “Hey, it’s- it’s alright,” they said, perhaps thinking he was having a PTSD session. “I really appreciate your service. We all do.”
Infinite looked at him. They had a kindness in their expression that just for the briefest of moments, made Infinite feel something in his cold heart. However, it was quickly replaced with a desire to snuff out their puny existence, which he had to restrain all the same. Since Infinite was misleading them, the quokka would not be so kind and smiley if they knew the truth. It was oh-so tempting to tell them…to watch them cower in fear, to watch them tremble, to wipe that smile off their face for eternity.
“You hungry, Zero?”
Infinite again had to snap out of his thoughts and refocus. Apparently he looked like he was craving something.
Infinite shook his head. “Well, not...”
Then his stomach gurgled, on cue. He looked downwards.
Barry heard it, gave a knowing look, and then went to the kitchen. “These heat lamps aren’t the best,” they said, picking up burgers wrapped in their coverings. “Would be nice if we had a microwave to heat them up. Oh well.”
The quokka took two and walked back to Infinite. “Technically I’m not supposed to do this, but I’m a big believer in free food on your first day. You can keep a secret, can’t you?”
Infinite nodded.
Barry looked up at Infinite, holding the two items. “Single or double?”
Infinite took the double out of their hand. Now that he thought about it, he was hungry. He began unwrapping the burger, clumsily through two layers of gloves. Infinite tore the sheet off, rather savagely, and took his first bite.
The quokka gave a small laugh, watching. “Haven’t eaten in a while, yeah?”
Infinite continued scarfing down the burger. It was a very processed taste, one he hadn’t had in a while, maybe ever. But it filled a need.
Barry pulled something out of their pocket. “Now that’s starting to make me hungry. That’s why I brought my sparkle gelatin!”
The quokka began eating from a small package, carefully chewing their gelatin. Infinite watched them as they did it. It looked pretty good. Infinite had an impulse to take it from them.
“I like your eyes.”
The quokka said this out of the blue. Infinite swallowed. “What?”
“Oh, uh,” Barry stumbled. “I-I just meant, you know, the two different colors...They...look good on you!”
Hardly had the sentence been finished that the quokka started choking on a bite of their gelatin. They spun around and lurched toward the nearby sink, hacking. Infinite stared as they grabbed the sides to hold on.
Barry finally stopped coughing, and shakily raised themselves back to standing. They looked at Infinite, mortified with themselves, cheeks flushed.
Then, with a quick smile, the quokka said, “...Better start closing this place down.” They promptly hurried toward the back of the kitchen.
Infinite continued to stare. He gave a sharp exhale of bemusement through his nose.
“Hey,” said Dave, suddenly poking his head out in front of him. “Flirt with your coworkers off the clock. Now help me clean this place up.”
The jackal blinked. So confused was he with everything going on that he accepted the order from the freckled nutria, brain on autopilot.
Wiping down trays, Infinite pictured how he would get revenge on his enemies. He imagined that little spot as Sonic. Wipe. Gone.
This next spot on a tray was Shadow. Wipe. Gone.
This next spot was Eggman, faithless deserter he was. Wipe. Gone.
This next spot was that dogged wolf, a nobody, with the power of friendship. Wipe. Gone.
This next spot was Dave. Wipe. Gone.
He stared a little longer at his tray.
“Is that one clean?” asked Dave, looking over at him.
Infinite’s gaze did not move from the tray. “Devoid of all the worthless stains...” he whispered.
Dave nodded. “Then that’s the last one. There’s a few more dishes, though. I’ll do them if you want to clean the last fryer.”
Infinite had a realization. “Actually...it would be my preference to do the dishes myself, and have you do the fryer.”
Dave looked at him and blinked. Infinite waited.
“You seem unsure. I believe these terms are...most permissible.”
“Uh...yeah, sure, I guess,” Dave scratched his neck. “Let’s get to it, then.” Infinite watched him walk to the fryer. Barry was coming out of another room. As the quokka walked by, Dave said to them, “This new guy must be a theater kid. Either that, or had an overbearing mother.”
Infinite gave an annoyed exhale. He began filling the sink with water.
Barry said, “What? Why?”
“Talks like a wannabe villain.”
Infinite curled his fists. He plunged them into the rising pool of water and grabbed a plate.
“I- I-” Barry nervously looked at Infinite, recognizing he was certainly close enough to overhear the conversation. “That’s your way of complementing him, right?”
“No. I said wannabe villain. Forcing it too hard.”
Infinite didn’t take much care to wash the plates. He scrubbed a little, then put one to the side. Then another, to the side. Below the sink was his mask, still hidden, lying there, waiting for him.
“Well, you’re an authority on villains, so...” Barry shrugged.
Infinite was staring daggers at both of them. The nerve of these complete and utter fools talking about him like he was a nobody...
Barry, knowing Infinite was listening, said to him, “I mean, nothing wrong with not being a villain, right?”
Infinite kept his hands in the sink to avoid showing how clenched they were. “I did not expect to be insulted on my first shift.”
“Sorry!” Barry apologized. “Well, how about this. If you wanted to be a villain, like in a play or something, you could totally pull one off. I think your voice is really good for it! You’ve got the scar, and th- the...” Infinite gave another fierce glare at them, causing them to stutter. “...the intimidation.”
“Scars are kinda overdone, to be honest,” Dave chimed in.
Barry recovered their smile at this. “Dave’s got this supervillain obsession,” said the quokka. “I think it’s a little weird that he actually seems to want to be one.”
“If I was, I wouldn’t fall victim to any one of those classic villain pitfalls, just saying. I study them.”
Infinite was done with the dishes. He grabbed a towel and dried his hands.
“Did you run into any of the big bad villains you adore during the war?” Barry asked Dave.
“I had already met Eggman. You mean that Infinite guy? No. But I’ve seen what he looks like. Strong presentation and appearance, I’ll give him that.”
Infinite’s chest puffed slightly as he placed the towel back down. His hand moved to the pocket of his apron, grabbing idly at the device the fox handed him.
Dave kept talking. “But I definitely don’t adore him. From what I hear, he had a clear case of hubris, and got defeated with a taste of his own medicine...massive aura loss. He’s honestly kinda lame.”
A sudden cracking noise caused Barry and Dave’s necks to swivel to the jackal. Infinite did not move, but felt the pieces of the now-shattered device in his apron pocket.
Infinite’s eyes bore into Dave, but he kept his mouth shut. It was getting so very, very hard to keep it shut.
Just another few minutes of standing near these pathetic weaklings, who did not have the slightest idea what they were talking about, and he could part ways, and blend in with the darkening dusk sky. But when he got his power back, he would be sure that he paid a visit to them both.
Infinite walked to the front counter. He leaned on it with his hands, and took a long exhale out. Blowing off just a touch of steam to prevent himself from exploding. There was one final patron still eating. Even though Infinite hadn’t really intended for it, the patron found themselves caught in his glowering. They stopped chewing. After a second, they stuffed their remaining food in a bag, and hastily exited through the door, leaving their tray. That made Infinite feel a bit better.
Barry snuck around Infinite to go pick up the tray. “Welp, think we can get to locking up! One more day ‘til my day off!” As they retrieved the tray and walked back behind the counter, they said, “When’s your next day off, Zero?”
“It’s...” Infinite wasn’t really thinking. “...tomorrow.”
“What an interesting schedule. Well prepare yourself, I might start asking you to switch shifts one of these days!” Barry said. Then, to themselves, they went on, scrubbing the tray down at the sink. “I mean, when we’re not working together, of course. Which I wouldn’t mind. Obviously.”
Infinite could just let it be now. But there was a bit of curiosity still tugging at him. The quokka seemed to have a constant monologue, be it internal or external, so he knew they would talk.
“I feel there is more you have to say,” Infinite said, crossing his arms. “Regarding our previous conversation.”
Barry froze. They looked at the jackal. “...Uhhh...”
“I could sense your fear, your apprehension...I am interested in discussing more.”
Barry took a shaky breath. “...You’re...interested in that?”
“I am indeed interested in hearing more about your experience during the war.”
“Oh,” Barry’s shoulders dropped slightly in relief, but also maybe a little bit in disappointment, for a reason Infinite couldn’t quite grasp. “You want to hear more about that?”
“Yes...I am curious as to the perspective of someone not actively engaged in combat.”
“Ah, okay...well, what do you want to know?”
“Tell me, when did you realize that this was not a typical operation of Dr. Eggman’s?”
“Uh, I guess...when we heard reports of the towns that had been conquered. And then when we realized Sonic wasn’t around. Then things started to feel different.”
“Did you hear the stories of...reality bending, being reshaped?”
“I...guess, yeah. I wasn’t sure if it was really true.”
Infinite pushed on. “And when you lived this nightmare...who was it who brought the darkness? Who was the unstoppable force you could not run from?”
Infinite put his right hand over his face, an unconscious movement. But it quickly became conscious when instead of feeling his mask, he felt the plastic of his glove on his face. He put his hand back to his side.
Barry was confused. “...Uhhh...I don’t...”
Infinite took a step to the quokka. “Tell me...when you hear the name Infinite...what does that make you feel?”
Barry’s eyes dodged the jackal’s. “Oh, uh...Infinite, yeah, I- I would say he seemed like a pretty scary guy.”
“How so? What did you hear?”
“I-I, uh heard he- could float...and that no matter what the resistance did, they couldn’t stop him.”
Infinite started to grin. “Go on.”
Barry was sensing something was going on, but clearly was not sure what. “...Erm...I don’t- it’s not like I saw him myself...”
“Of course, you didn't...his power is far too much for a defenseless creature such as yourself to take...”
Infinite managed to pull an expression that looked more eager than threatening, though he was barely concealing it. He was going to reach the point of no return if he kept questioning. But hearing the quokka answer in this manner, fear growing, was exhilarating.
Infinite grabbed one of their shoulders. “Did you ever think...did you ever have dreams about seeing him? Alone, powerless, ready for your fate?”
Barry shook their head. “N-n-no...n-not r-really...”
Dave, sweeping something off the floor, suddenly interjected, “Dreams, yeah, that’s probably the only place to be afraid of Infinite. Looks all scary, but really just a big fraud.”
Infinite snapped his head to Dave, expression becoming further unhinged. He fought to keep his voice at a normal level. “A-a fraud, you say?”
“I mean, yeah. It’s always obvious when someone’s trying to act all tough but can’t back it up.”
“Iwouldsayconqueringtheentireworldcountsasbackingitup!” Infinite shot.
“Psssh, whatever...” Dave said.
Infinite dug his fingers into the quokka’s shoulder, looking back to them. “Surely, you have more sense than your pathetic friend...you must have known he was the most powerful being in the universe...”
Barry finally got out a question of their own. “Wha- what are you getting at?”
“He’s still out there...plotting revenge on those who thought they could stand to him. You should be wary...and you should consider how you would act if he was in front of you.”
Barry’s eyes were wide, pupils small.
“H-how should I act?” Barry said.
Maybe the quokka was thinking that Zero had seen Infinite, and was about to pass on some helpful advice. Because the other possibility for why he was saying this was truly terrifying to them, Infinite could see it in their eyes. As it should be.
Infinite gave a short chuckle, grin fully evil. “I will tell you what you should do.”
The room began to glow red. Red blocks of augmented reality phased into existence.
“Yes...I will tell you...Barry...”
The quokka went pale.
“You should bow.”
Infinite held out his hand, and the mask flew into it. All his fast food apparel, the apron, gloves, and hat, melted off in a red glow as if they never even existed.
“And only then will you even begin to have a chance of survival...”
Infinite chuckled again. It started out with a few short laughs in the back of his throat. But they soon built up, ascending, remaining deep and growing in cruelty. He put the mask on, and his voice doubled.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa...Oh, you feeble, foolish mortals...” Infinite started to rise off the ground, arms extended upwards.
Barry’s expression was perfect. Totally, completely, terrified. Infinite drank it in. Dave was mostly just stunned, but was also frozen, staring at him as he rose.
Infinite focused on Barry. “You may have avoided coming face to face with me during the war...or should I say, the first part of the war. But you should not have let your guard down. Because now...I have come to claim my place on this planet, in this universe, once and for all! And you...will see it firsthand!”
The quokka shook. Infinite moved his hand in their direction, and the floor beneath them sunk. The quokka stumbled to their knees, as Infinite intended. They turned their head slightly away, cowering.
“You know that you are far too weak to oppose me. As...cute as you are,” Infinite said, lightly sifting through Barry’s upwards strands of hair with his fingers. At this, Barry looked more directly at Infinite, still frightened, but also somewhat perplexed.
Infinite realized he had let this sentence linger too long, and continued on. “The world thinks I have been defeated...well, they will soon see what I can really do. Those months were a mere taste of my true power. I have learned more, become even stronger...”
Barry quivered in place, eyes glued to the jackal.
“You should know, it should be burned into your very brain, that I will rule over all...and what I don’t rule, I’ll destroy...”
“So, wait, which one are you gonna do?” Dave interrupted. “Like, percentage-wise, how much are you planning on ruling, and how much are you planning on destroying?”
Infinite’s head snapped to the nutria. The walls were shaking, but they were also glitching.
“You- BUFFOON!” the jackal seethed. “You are asking for the most painful of fates in questioning me. If you do not submit to me...you will find yourself in a prison beyond your comprehension!”
Dave didn’t say anything else, and was definitely in some kind of shock, but he wasn’t quite as scared as Infinite desired.
“You are the fraud! You are the wannabe!” Infinite boomed, pointing at Dave. “And you will experience eternal agony and torment! All you KNOW will be TERROR!”
The walls and ceiling continued to shake, bathed in a red glow.
“I’ll cut you ALL DOWN IN A SECOND!”
The walls and ceiling began to collapse, Barry and Dave both covered their heads, but nothing fell on them. It all vanished in a ruby-red haze before it hit the ground. They looked around, frazzled.
Now exposed to the outside air, Infinite began to rise higher. He cackled again.
“Let me show you the FULL POWER I POSSESS!”
He kept rising, and cackling, his laughter getting louder and more deranged.
“AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! PREPARE FOR YOUR- gyack!”
He grabbed his chest and plummeted out of the sky.
The titanium handcuffs Tails had brought were working like a charm. Infinite was being restrained by several members of the resistance, and had his arms and legs immobilized with two pairs of handcuffs.
“As long as the prototype ruby is within a hundred yards of him, it will be effective,” Tails told Gadget and a few other resistance members gathered nearby. He gestured with one hand, the other one holding Infinite’s mask. “So until we find a better way to deactivate the phantom ruby’s powers permanently, we’ll have to keep him near to it.”
“And the better way is...?” Sonic asked, coming to the fox’s side.
“Well, I might have to reverse engineer however Eggman got that implanted in him. If it’s too difficult to destroy safely, that is. It will take some testing. But we’ll be able to either remove it or deactivate it soon.”
A resistance member asked Dave, “Are you hurt?”
Dave was a bit shaken, but not nearly as much as he realistically should have been. “No...no. He was all bark, no bite. Monologuing too much, another classic mistake. Like I said, guy’s a fraud.”
Infinite, overhearing this, thrashed and gnashed his teeth while being restrained. “I CONQUERED THE WORLD!!! I DEFEATED AND IMPRISONED SONIC!!!”
“Yeah,” snorted Dave, rolling his eyes. “For six months.”
“It was pretty clever how he gave us the slip!” said Tails. “Makes me want to write a murder mystery book: ‘The Case of the Cutthroat Heterochromic.’ Catchy, huh?”
“He outsmarted you? Say it ain’t so, buddy!” Sonic said, giving the fox a friendly elbow to the ribs.
“Well...I wouldn’t go that far,” Tails said. “I was still suspicious, but didn’t want to engage directly. I told him I was giving him a distress signal, but...that wasn’t the only capability that device had. It also could detect low readings of ruby energy in the nearby vicinity.”
“So that’s why you told us to wait around. Sorry for trying to rush away!” Sonic said.
Tails nodded. “Yep! And even though it looks like the device got smashed...” he pulled the device out of his pocket, broken into pieces. “The functionality remained! I guess I gave a good crumple zone around the sensor.”
“To be fair, when he’s up in the sky like that, you don’t really need a super-sensitive device to track him down.”
“Sure, but we might’ve left the area if I wasn’t getting those readings!”
“I know buddy. You saved the day,” Sonic said, now bumping him on the shoulder. “Oh, and thanks to our prototype-wielding friend here- I still want to call you a rookie, but I’m not sure I can at this rate! How about invaluable veteran?”
Gadget smiled and shrugged, handing Sonic the prototype.
Sonic answered for him as he took it. “Just friend will work, I suppose." He fist bumped him.
Gadget noticed Barry, sitting on the floor, chalk white. Their eyes were wide and not focused on anything.
Sonic saw where he was looking. “Yeah...that one. I tried to talk to ‘em, but it seems with everything that happened, they might need some alone time. Think they’re kind of...out of it. I made sure they were breathing!”
An armored vehicle arrived, and Infinite was loaded in.
“You’re going away for a long time,” a resistance member told him.
Infinite snarled. “This is the biggest mistake any of you will ever make...no matter how you try to restrain me, I will escape...and I will make my previous reign look like a pleasant dream by comparison. Your suffering will be excruciating, and your very souls will be annihilated, crushed into-”
“Hey Infinite!” Sonic called. The jackal stopped and looked at him. “What did the doctor say to the jackal who asked him how much rest he needed after lifting 5-pound dumbells?”
Infinite was befuddled. “What?” he angrily spat.
“He said, ‘I think you need a ‘too-weak’ break!”
The sound Infinite made was kind of hissing noise. He kicked a heel against the back of the seat he was in. “...Pathetic...” he muttered. He lost steam and went silent.
Tails rolled his eyes. “Sonic, that was terrible.”
“Had to get one more in on him,” Sonic said. “I’ll miss this type of banter. Ol’ Eggy’s still pretty good for it, but this guy...there’s something extra fun about messing with him.”
As Infinite was taken away, Sonic, Tails, and the resistance members started walking behind, following the vehicle out.
“Anything we can do to help rebuild this place?” Sonic asked.
“Hire an architectural design firm?” Tails responded.
“Oh man...my boss is gonna kill me...” Dave said.
“Don’t worry! We’ll vouch that you aren’t responsible.”
Everyone walked away. But two individuals remained.
Gadget kept looking at Barry. Now, he walked over to them. The quokka was still looking straight ahead, shivering, not focusing on anything else.
The wolf parked himself in front of their gaze. He extended a hand.
It took almost a full minute of waiting. Finally, Barry blinked, and looked the wolf in the face. He had a reserved smile and a patient look behind his glasses.
Barry took his hand. Gadget helped them up.
“Thanks,” the quokka said. “Can I ask...do you mind...walking with me ‘til I get home?”
Gadget smiled and nodded.