Infinite Sadness

Playing Pretend

At the doorway to Sonic's shack, Gadget is trying to coax Sonic to come outside.

"This isn't a trap!" Gadget insists. "We could really use Team Sonic's help. Tikal really is missing, I swear, I'm not making this up!"

"Suuuure, you're not. Cause I'm gonna believe a ghost got kidnapped? Nice try Jackal Squad-goon!"

"Are you still mad about me passing up the invite to join Team Sonic?" Gadget asks, folding his arms.

"No!" Sonic lies, folding his arms as well.

"Suuuure, you're not," Gadget mocks.

Sonic's communicator beeps.

"Hold that thought Gadget," he says, then answers his communicator like an uncool dad. "Yellow? What's up, kiddo?"

"Hey so, before you say anything," Sonic hears Silver say, "I need you to use the coordinates I'm sending you to come and find us. They should appear on your communicator."

"Come and find you and who else? What's going on, Silver?" Sonic asks.

"Tell Pronto that you're well now, Fetch," they hear Zero say with enthusiasm. "Tell him we'll be together again soon."

"See you soon!" Silver tells Sonic.

Sonic is about to say something cocky but Gadget motions for him not to, and instead whisper-mouths...

"Sonic, shut it off."

Sonic follows Gadget's advice.

"Be there in a bit," he promises then shuts the communicator off. "Oh man, Rouge is not gonna be happy when she finds out that Silver joined Jackal Squad. No offense."

"He didn't," Gadget replies. "This is bad."

"How so? Fill me in," Sonic requests.

"Zero thinks you're his brother, Pronto. I dunno if you know this, Sonic, but Jackal Squad used to be a pack composed of Zero's siblings. Then they all died. I don't know the whole story but... one time Zero mistook me for one of his siblings too. I hope he's not... going crazy."

"Yikes," Sonic gulps. "That sounds serious. Sounds like I need to humor him until we figure out what's going on. We'll find them and I'll play along."

"So we're teaming up after all?" Gadget asks.

"Looks that way!" Sonic confirms then darts off. Gadget hurriedly follows closely behind.

As soon as they reach Silver and Infinite, another blast of light bursts from the cracked Chaos Emerald in Infinite's chest. It collides with Sonic, dead-on, knocking him out about thirty feet away.

Then in a flash, a caring voice speaks.

"Get up, I need you, Pronto," he hears Zero lovingly say, as he pulls him first, into his arms, and then stands him firmly. Sonic opens his eyes to the sight of Infinite holding him steady. The left side of the mask, lit so brightly, that Sonic covers his eyes with his arm.

"Whoa, jeez, put a visor on, man!" he whines.

Infinite laughs, then gives Sonic a pat on the cheek.

"That's cute. Playful as always. It may be dark in here but you still ought to look your best."

Sonic feels a tightness around his forehead.

"Um, what are you doing?" he asks.

"Tightening your green bandana, my sassy little brother. Ah, a vast improvement. Not as bloody as it looked. That puddle was misleading. You appear quite fine now."

"I do actually own a green bandana," Sonic notes, trying to ignore the comment about the blood.

"Course you do," Infinite laughs, then turns around and walks right through Gadget!

Sonic and Silver nearly freak! Gadget exchanges a "WTF?!" expression with them as Infinite motions the two hedgehogs to follow him. Gadget scurries behind Sonic and Silver, trying to find a way to talk to them without confusing Infinite.

"Come jackals, we still have two more members of our team to locate."

"One sec, boss. Bandana's lop-sided," Silver tells him.

He turns, initiating Sonic and Gadget to huddle with him.

"Freaky?" Silver whispers.

"Super freaky," Gadget whispers back.

"Gadget, for Silver's sake, I already sent a message to Shadow. Go get Tails," Sonic instructs

"On it," Gadget assures, then runs off.

Meanwhile, from Zero's perspective, in Null Space, he observes his two jackal brothers turn around and gleam with suspicious smiles.

"Sorry boss, we had to make ourselves presentable," Fetch tells him.

"Haha, yeah cause, ya know, we gotta be... professional!" winks Pronto.

"Mmhm, mmhm, what he said," Fetch agrees.

Zero rolls his eyes playfully then gets between his brothers and wraps his arms around both of them.

"You couple-ah brats," he banters. "It's so bright in here thanks to your doofiness. How I missed this!

Sonic is diggin' this avatar thing, happy to play along as the green-bandana jackal.

"This big brother vibe fits you nicely!" he beams.

Zero nuzzles his perceived jackal-sibling, making Sonic feel kinda... special. He almost wants to noogie Zero but of course, that would mean he'd be giving Infinite a noogie. He decides to restrain himself just as another male jackal appears in the space via a red blast of light. He wears a red scarf and orange gloves and shoes, his demeanor is serious. He sits up, dazed. From Zero's perspective, he seems to have come back from the dead, like the others. From everyone else's perspective, Shadow's just been hit with the same blast of light coming from Infinite's chest-emerald.

"I'm here. What needs to be done?" he asks, standing on his own.

Zero's eyes light up with excitement as he rushes to embrace another sibling.

"Roxium! I missed you!" he exclaims, "Oh, all the brothers have found each other again!" Practically bouncing with glee, Zero inspects the jackal, relieved to see him in perfect condition.

"Not a scratch even after that horrible blow to your shoulder! It's as though it never even happened!"

"Yeah Roxium, you look great!" Pronto concurs with a thumbs up.

Roxium nods at Pronto as Zero lightly punches Roxium's shoulder and giggles.

"You've certainly out-shined me as the stealthiest one of the group," Zero happily proclaims.

Roxium half smiles, trying to hide a deep sense of somberness. Meanwhile, back on Seaside Island, Gadget shows up with Amy Rose.

"I dunno why Tails wasn't in his work shop but..." before she can finish her sentence...

BLAST!

In Null Space, the gang sees their jackal sister appear within a radiant, pink light. She lies limply on the magenta, cube-bricked ground. All four jackals surround her, with Zero falling to his knees and lifting her into his arms. He cuddles her, nuzzling her face.

"Yes! We're all together again! Wake up, Jade. The pack's not complete without you."

Contrast to Null Space, Amy awakes in Infinite's arms, feeling protected and loved. Per Gadget's instructions, she knows she needs to be sweet, so she hugs Infinite back.

"Snuggles?" she asks with the sweetest tone. "Awe thanks, tough guy."