Soldier (Infinite/Zero the Jackal x Reader)

1

'Hole in the wall' was a pleasant way to put the inn doubling as a bar or fighting pit in the basement. (Y/n) had dark circles under her eyes on the second day from the thumping and shouting through the floor of her room, not to mention the terrible noises coming through the thin walls from the rooms next to hers.

Her own room was barely tolerable, riddled with scorch marks and rotting wood. She bought a blanket and slept by the door rather than sleep on the flea ridden bed. Not that it helped her sleep schedule, what with the rattling of the floorboards.

She preferred patrolling the outskirts of the town near Mystic Jungle, more in her element.

Or, what had become her element. Post war, and she felt like the only thing she was good at was fighting and surviving. She closed her eyes and Infinite's mask flashed behind her eyelids. Someone would bang a cup loudly in the basement and she'd be on her feet in an instant, wispon in her hands and her heart raging in her chest. The adrenaline would keep her up the rest of the night.

(Y/n) presently stared up at the ceiling of her room, hands folded over her chest. Glass shattered in the basement and one hand slid over to her wispon.

It's okay. It's over.

She sighed, turning onto her side, away from her weapon and closing her eyes, attempting to sleep, to leave her fears behind for just a few hours.

Sleep didn't come until just before dawn.

~

She was sluggish from only a couple hours of sleep and exhaustion from the day when she ran across the rooftops of the town. Badniks had come through from Mystic Jungle, but the population of the town was so low after the war that the robots often just passed through. She still stopped whatever she could, but no citizens were harmed by what she couldn't handle.

(Y/n) slowed to a stop and crouched down on the shabby wooden rooftop, ears twitching as she picked up the sounds of gears shifting and metal clanging. She charged her wispon and crept to the edge of the roof, peering down at the street. A small group of Badniks was marching through, clustered tightly together. She aimed her wispon.

A whistling sound suddenly cut through the otherwise quiet air, and she turned just in time to have the arrow bury itself in her side, just below her ribs. (Y/n) cried out, dropping her wispon and grabbing the arrow. She sucked in a shaking breath and looked up, trying to spot her assailant.

Another arrow came flying at her and she ducked, gasping as pain lanced up her torso. She fumbled for her wispon, pointing it at the general direction of the archer and firing. The shot smashed into a brick wall with an explosion of red, a figure cursing and jumping out of hiding. She stumbled towards the edge of the roof, charging her wispon for another shot. He drew back his bow.

(Y/n) fired at the same time her assailant did, her blast obliterating the arrow, though he sent two more her direction in rapid succession. Her reaction time was slowed due to exhaustion and the blood seeping down her side. An arrow grazed her arm, the second just missing her ear. She lifted her wispon, but a third arrow knocked it off course, her shot dissipating in the air beyond.

The (a/t) fell to one knee, bracing herself while keeping an eye on her assailant. She knocked an arrow off course with her wispon, firing off another shot of her own, but her opponent was swift. Her eyes widened two arrows came straight for her face, leaving her little time to dodge. She curled over, but neither arrow made contact.

There were two clangs in succession and she dared to peer out from behind her arms. Before her, with their back facing her, was a dark jackal with white hair and a white tipped tail, a curved red sword gripped in their hands.

The archer jumped onto the roof, drawing an arrow back. The jackal snarled, lifting his sword.

"This isn't your business," the archer said in a deep, distorted voice. A low growl from the jackal. (Y/n) looked quickly between the pair, blinking. What was going on?

When the jackal didn't move, the archer fired, charging forward. Her protector met him halfway, cutting his sword through the air. The archer blocked with his bow, aiming to sweep the jackal's legs. However, his opponent jumped into a roundhouse, throwing him back to the edge of the roof. His bow clattered across the wood, claws digging in to prevent himself from falling. The jackal stalked over to him, raising his blade. 

"Wait," (Y/n) said, her voice weaker than she would have liked. The jackal glanced back at her, the archer taking the chance and hauling himself up, grabbing his opponent's legs and pulling. The jackal barked furiously and spun out of reach, swinging his sword at the archer. The latter yipped in pain, scrambling away from the jackal and pressing his hands to his neck. 

"Go on," the jackal said, so quietly the (a/t) barely heard it. He stepped on the archer's bow, kicking it behind him. "Get out of here." He shifted forward, his blade twitching upwards, and the archer took his cue, turning and bounding out of sight. 

The jackal turned and stalked back over to (Y/n), dropping to his knees, his gaze fixed intently on the arrow in her side. She shied away from him and he lifted his hands.

"Are you staying nearby?" he asked quietly, again in that barely audible voice. She lifted her gaze to his; he had heterochromic eyes, one blue and one amber. There was a scar over his right eye.

"Who are you?" she asked weakly. He cast her an unimpressed glare and her ears twisted backwards. Now was not the time to be asking questions. She glanced in the direction of the inn, the jackal taking the hint and hoisting her to her feet. She sucked in a surprised breath as her feet were suddenly lifted off the ground and the jackal was running towards the inn. 

They arrived surprisingly fast, the jackal stopping briefly to ask which room was hers before swinging them both down and through the window. He set her carefully down on the bed and she pointed to where her medical kit was. 

"Who are you?" she asked again as he returned with the kit. He pulled out a cloth, one hand gripping the arrow. 

"This will hurt," he said. She barely had time to brace herself before he pulled the arrow out of her side, biting down on a pained cry and curling her fingers into the ratty blanket beneath her. 

"Stop dodging my question," she hissed through her teeth. 

"Who I am doesn't matter." 

"Why were you on the roof?" 

"Why were you on the roof?" He cleaned her wound and began to bandage it, glancing up briefly. She lifted a brow. 

"I hunt the stray Badniks," she said after a moment. "I've...never run into Mobian interference. What's left of Eggman's army is all robotic." 

"Then I suppose you were lucky I was there." He finished wrapping her wound and sat back. She leaned forward, wincing. 

"Why were you on the roof?" she asked quietly. 

"I hunt the Badniks, too." 

"You're lying. You were following me." 

"Perhaps I was. But I was also following the archer." He stood up, moving towards the window. 

"Where are you going?" 

"To find the archer." He drew his sword and pushed the window outwards, stepping onto the sill. 

"What will you do with him?" (Y/n) said, pushing herself up and limping to the window. He turned to her, his gaze unflinching. 

"What I have to do." He leaped out of the window and was gone before she could respond.