We've met up in an apartment – abandoned of course – over five minutes ago. Knuckles had called for a meet-up there. Most of the Resistance was here. Knuckles, Silver, Amy, Shadow, Junior Sonic, Vector, Charmy and Espio. They were already here when we carried an injured Tails in. It wasn't until then that I began to panic about Rouge. She isn't going to be in a happy mood when she sees me.
But I reassured myself that would work out alright, it had to. The end of the god damn world is literally happening today. We can't have any stupid fights between each other breaking out.
"What the hell?!" I hear someone shout. I look at Sonic beside me, who had turned around to see what the commotion was. I had immediately recognized the female's voice. And I was right, she was not happy.
I slowly turn around, sighing. I tightly crossing my arms, unsure what to do with them, closing myself off. Rouge was landing on the ground, dropping off Gadget below her before storming towards me. Her eyes were a mixture of emotions. Frustrated, confused, angry, relieved.
"You just ran off after Infinite! I thought you were dead!" Rouge snarls in my face, gesturing outside the building.
Rouge was standing too close for comfort. I forced myself not to give into my instinct to take a step back and stared blankly at her. Which likely looked like my glare. Neon would always ask what I was wrong and why didn't look happy when she was... alive. It was simply my neutral facial expression. I had no reason to smile, so why should I?
Someone pushes us away from each other, two gloved hands with gold rings. Shadow stood between us, glancing at both the girls on either side of him.
"We have less than an hour before we all die, and you are squabbling?" he growls. "Since you seem so upset by this, why don't we hear both sides of the story... Shall we?" His last words are like venom, pure annoyance.
Shadow takes a steps back from both of us, believing that we – Rouge – could be trusted to not escalate our fight.
Rouge shoots a dirty look at Shadow before shifting her eyes to me. She rips off the targeting device off her left eye before speaking again, face slightly less agitated.
"You... ran off, after Infinite," she speaks slowly. Rouge's voice was irritated and was obviously was trying not raise her tone. "In what dimension would that work out where you don't get killed?"
Everyone was gathering around us, I could see them in the corner of my eye, feel their presence, and smell their sweaty odours. Stiffly, I uncross my arms, reaching onto my belt, grabbing my foldable whiteboard and its marker.
I was trying to kill him. I write and show her. Rouge reads it, then looks up, face not satisfied. Rouge takes a few steps towards me, straightening her shoulders, trying to make herself taller, more authority.
"We all want him dead. Clearly it was more than that, you look like something snapped inside you. And if you were 'trying to kill him'," Rouge air quotes, "you would have when you first saw him and not frozen in place. I saw, you were scared, even if it was for one second." She was silent for a moment. "I'm an agent and spy, don't you think that I can't figure you out, little miss uncanny."
"Rouge—" Shadow tried to reason with her, voice back to monotone. He knew my background and that there was much more to the story than whatever was first assumed.
"No," Rouge cuts Shadow off. "I am done with you being all mystery and not telling us anything. You running off after the enemy, being on radio silence for an hour and making me think it was my fault you might be dead is the last strike."
Something was wrong with me. I felt a sudden rush of anger and energy. Often, I am able to keep my composure and keep my true emotions hidden. But something else was happening. "Something in you snapped", is that what is happening? I felt hate. How dare she think that I chose to be "uncanny"? How dare she think that my relationship with Infinite was that simple? Just that I wanted to "kill him"? – it's way more than that. I wanted vengeance. I don't care if Infinite let me live. That is even crueler, the fact that I must live as the lone survivor of the only family I've had.
I still haven't figured out the... incident with Null Space. Or if my theory was even correct: that he used the Ruby again after enough gathering energy and opened a portal to let us out.
I bare my teeth, growling, scrubbing away my last words, then quickly wrote my enraged thoughts down. When I was done, I shoved the board into her hands and stormed away into the corner of the room, crossing my arms and staring at the ground. The anger and fury slowly being eaten by the sadness, guilt, depression. My eyes began to burn, I raise one of my hands to my mouth, biting my fingers through my gloves, attempting to hold in sobs.
"'Infinite murdered my entire squad six months ago, and I must live with the visual of them being butchered while I am still alive. How the hell would you feel?'" Sonic mutters, reading my words aloud.
Silence followed. No one said anything. No snappy comebacks. Nothing.
Water filled my eyes, I quickly dried them. A hand was placed on my shoulder. I don't even bother looking at who was there.
"(Y/N)," a voice whispered. Knuckles'. "I think you're too close to this..." He sighed, taking his hand off my shoulder. I turn my head to him, tears gone. "I... need... You're going to have to sit this one out."
His words were like a slap to the face. My body went numb for a moment. My eyes widen and my jaw dropped. My thoughts were blank, trying to process what he just said. That one sentence echoed in my head over and over.
"Commander, sir!" a higher voice says. Gadget rushed over to us. "W-with all due respect, do you really think that is a good idea? I mean... a field medic would be useful for the battle. And we need all the help we can get, right?"
Gadget was twiddling his thumbs, barely maintaining eye contact with Knuckles, obviously intimidated.
"Your opinion is noted," Knuckles looks back to me. "But I don't know if I can trust you on the battlefield after your behaviour and your close ties to this."
I didn't know what to say, do, or how to react. I was just told to not show up to the final battle. What... in the name of... How could he do that?!
"Everybody, head out to the Imperial Tower," Knuckles looks at the group. Most of them left hesitantly, feeling awkward with the tense atmosphere, and unsure of how to react. Espio was the first to leave, Charmy, Vector and Junior Sonic left with him.
Gadget looked like he had more to say, but he knew that he couldn't make a bigger argument. His amber eyes lowered, and he walked out the entrance of the building with everyone else.
Sonic looked nervously at me and Knuckles, Amy standing beside him, eyes worried.
"Sorry..." Sonic apologizes before slowly turning and leaving. Amy followed behind him.
I didn't really know what he was sorry for, it wasn't his fault.
Tails, Rouge, Shadow and Silver remained. Rouge stared at the words on my whiteboard, then me, face embarrassed, humiliated.
"Knuckles, are you sure—? "Tails started, but clamped his mouth shut when the commander looked at him. Silver pats the fox on his back and leads him outside, disappearing with the others.
"Jeez..." Rouge mutters, dropping the board on the ground, looking at me. "I'm sorry." She leaves.
Shadow remained, arms crossed, eyes half-glaring. It seemed like he was never going to move until he wordlessly uncrossed his arms and left. Shadow glances back at me before walking out the door.
"I'll send someone to get you," Knuckles says, walking backwards from me, to the door. But before the Commander exited, he stopped. "I really am sorry." Then he walked out.
I stand there for a moment, in shock. Unsure of what I'm going to do next. I walk over to my whiteboard and sit down next to it. Absorbing the words that were said to me.
"Sit this one out"? What the hell?! I can't do that! Infinite and Robotnik are going to be there, and there is no way in a dozen lifetimes that I am going to let that chance for revenge slip.
I pick up my whiteboard, standing up, eyes determined.
To hell with it. I'm going.
Whether they allow it or not.
...
Those pests, I think, watching the soldiers of the Resistance opposing the army that I have created.
The leader, Knuckles was at the head of them all. Stubborn, bluntly honest, a loner. I wouldn't have thought that somebody with these traits would become a leader. There are still some positive traits about the warrior, he is unmovable, stoic. Other parts of his personality clashes with that. Hotheaded, inflexible. You cannot battle an opponent and feel emotions. It will take advantage of you and cause rash decisions. According to what information I have gathered about him, Knuckles prefers to fight his battles in the field rather than sit in a safe room. That's what a true leader would do. I admire that.
That blue hedgehog stood beside Knuckles, along with his annoying clone on the opposite side. I know who he is, and he has done his job perfectly. The silver imbecile stood beside Sonic. It seems that I had left a mark, a large stitched line was coming down from Silver's back.
Then... him. That looming inferiority! Shadow. Images flash in my mind, rage bubbling within. I shake away the feeling and mentally command my army to charge at the enemy.
Each army clashes with one another. Notably, the Resistance fought back hard, but my army would just keep coming, time will tell how their endurance was.
My eye tracked Shadow. He was plowing through a large group of his duplicates. I willed for more of my legion to attack Shadow, though one of his aggravating friends came to assist him, a female, Rouge. From what I know about her, she is an agent who will do anything to get her way. She will die with everyone else.
I take a mental note that the juvenile mutated fox isn't present. It was likely that he is on the sidelines, too young to participate in this battle. Tails is supposed to be intelligent, unless those injuries he sustained were too much, they would not let that go to waste.
After several moments of tracking everyone's movements I realize something, that girl isn't here. (Y/N). Did she perish? That doesn't seem factual, she is a fighter, I will give her that. Dying before the final battle would not be what somebody that hell-bent on destroying me would allow.
Sonic and the others rush up to me only to stop several yards away. They are wise enough to keep their distance. I lower myself close to the ground, levitating a few inches above the dirt.
"Hey, Infinite," Sonic slows to a halt, greeting me with a sarcastic remark. "Did you miss me?"
I don't normally use sarcasm in this form, but I decide to mock him with the same tone. "Why yes, the whole thirty minutes were just too long." I withheld an eyeroll and force my gaze to stay on the "hero of Mobius" and not his black and crimson accursed comrade. "I look forward to turning this battlefield into an abattoir painted with the remains of your 'friends'." Anger began to seep into my voice, the other being was taking over. I felt its presence.
"Do you have a dictionary built into your head or something? Stop talking with your twelve-dollar words!" Sonic takes a step towards me but did not make any sudden movements.
"At least I have extended vocabulary, illiterate dimwit." Utter rage filled my entire body, the thing took over me, I was no longer in control.
I glanced at Shadow for a split second, I bared my teeth under my mask in malice. Red emanated from me, pieces of me tore apart, appearing several inches away from my actual body. With my hands in fists, I extended my arms, back arching as I let out a large burst of energy.
Pain shot through me for a second as everything around turned to blood red, but I forced myself not to show any sign of it. The fighters let out yells of surprise and pain as they were knocked back by the force. I collect my bearings and try regaining control of myself, breathing, trying to shove the anger down. Memories flash in my head, my squad. As they came, they left just as quickly.
I glare at the Resistance who stood up from the explosion I created. The thing had caused them to be pushed back several hundred feet.
Allow me to deal with these insects, the voice in my head growled with pleasure and anticipation. The very being who had turned me into a sadist.
No, allow them to live to see what their end shall be, I tell it.
Fine, just ensure that you kill that blue pest this time. We do not want another "incident" to happen, do we?
Agreed.
"I trust you're ready for oblivion?" I raise my hand as it glowed. I lower it as I look back at the fighters who have all regained their footing. I tilt my head at them. "If not... oh well."
Something catches the corner of my eye, I quickly glance to my right. (Y/N) was there, standing on a large raise of rock far away in the distance. I smile slightly under my mask. So, she did decide to take part.
I focus my attention back in front of me, hands raising as they glowed.
I heard the laser shot before I saw it. I face the sound, letting out a sound of surprise, reflex allowing me to dodge the first two green beams of energy shot at me. One nearly grazed my chest. I use some of my power to form a forcefield around my hand and deflect several shots.
A largely built robot forged of red, black and yellow landed on the ground nearby to the rest of the Resistance, right arm canon raised. I recognize him. Omega. I had thought that I had terminated him long ago.
"What?!" I mutter as I lower myself to the ground. "You have a death wish," I brush my hand over the Ruby to make sure it wasn't damaged as I glared at the robot.
"Target reconfirmed," it said. "Extermination mode: initiated. Payback is inevitable."
My hands become fists as I look back at Sonic, agitated. "Is there end to these annoying parasites?" All I wanted was the dark embrace of hell. The urge to start the clock to death was almost too great. Death was so close...
I made up my mind. Or was it the other who did? I couldn't tell, nor did I care. "I will burn this world to ashes," I look towards Shadow. "And you along with it!"
It was like nothing had ever experienced before, so much energy flooded through my veins as I was lifted several feet off the ground. I let out a yell of effort as I lifted my head skyward, body glowing, a red beam shooting into the sky. I fell to my knees as everyone watched it enter the sky. I felt vulnerable. Barely any energy remaining, I forced myself to my feet, trying to seem strong even in this weak state.
A Metal Sonic clone walked up beside me and grabbed my arm, I flinch at it. The clone wraps my arm around his neck and begins to drag me back from the front line. I pull away from it.
"I'm fine," I say rudely, summoning the power that I barely had to fly and carry myself away to recover my energy.
I look up as I soar, I close my right eye to look through the darker glass for my left. The sun. The illusion I created was one of my biggest challenges this year.
But I did it. Almost half-an-hour before the original time, but it would be okay.
The sooner I perish, the better.
Oh... shit. I think, staring up at the huge illusion replicating the sun that filled the sky. That's how we're gonna die? The heat from it was already rising.
"Oh no..." Tails mutters beside me. "While we're under the control of the Phantom Ruby, that is a part of our reality."
I turn to face Tails, my jaw dropped. He had requested to meet with me here, somehow knowing I wouldn't give up that easy. Tails couldn't go into battle either, his tails unlikely to heal for another few days at least. He was supposed to serve as intelligence and feed information to the other fighters with whatever observations he has made.
I think about the Ruby in my pocket. Should I show him? Yes, if we're going to die soon, I might as well tell the full truth for once. Who knows, it could help our survival.
I reach into my pouch and pull it out. I hold it out so Tails could see, but he's still gawking at the sun. He sees I'm holding out my arm and then looks down at what's in my hand. His jaw drops.
"When did you—?" he starts but cuts himself off. "Wait, look." I look down at my palm, realizing the tingling sensation and sense of strength. The stone was glowing, the patterns inside moving.
"Can I see?" he held out his hand. I hesitate, a part of me not wanting to let go of the thing. Somehow it made me feel safe, I didn't want to give it up. But I force myself to do so.
Tails balances it in its hand, the Ruby stopped glowing and the colours dulled as soon as it left my hand. Tails seemed somewhat confused and curious at the same time.
"Eggman said something about Phantom Ruby prototypes..." Tails mutters to himself, examining the Ruby. How he could be so calm at a moment like this was a mystery.
"Huh, it is." He hands it back to me with a smile as it brightened upon contact with my hand. "Eggman said the prototypes only react to those who activated them. And this one is bound to you!"
I stare at him, unsure how this is such an advantage. Even if a "prototype" could work as well as Infinite's – since I'm supposing that Tails is going to bring up that it could be used in a similar way – I don't have any experience controlling reality.
"I bet your courage and strength are the things that triggered it!"
Those words echo in my head. "Courage and strength"? I don't have much courage, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Or at least that's how I see myself. And strength? Physically I am not superior with my smaller build because of my malnourishment, but emotionally was a different thing. I want to think that if I'm still standing here right now and not in the ground because I let the depression consume me is a sign that I am stronger than I think.
"Maybe... somehow you can use it to make that sun disappear," Tails says looking away from me and up to the sun. I follow his gaze.
How can I do that? I don't have any idea how warp reality, let alone an illusion of that size.
I glance down at the Ruby in my hand, warmth, comfort from it somehow keeping me calm. Can I pull something like this off?
I look back up at the blinding sun. It's a shot.