Spirit of the Phantom Ruby

Part 17 - Stop Antagonizing the Antagonist

The group of jackals sprinted through the woods, not one of them looking behind. Mathilda still looked pained, as if she couldn't forget what had happened nearly five hours ago, and she led the team with purposeful haste.

"Alright, I think we're lost." The youngest jackal stated plainly, his green ribbons billowing out from the back of his headband.

They all gradually slowed down until they were walking and looked around. Up ahead, they could see something bright and yellow.

The daggered jackal blinked in surprise as the trees thinned out to a sea of waving strands of gold. "A wheat field?"

"What a desolate place." The jackal with a beret spoke softly, running his hand across the tips of the stalks as they treaded through.

"There's a clearing over there," as Mathilda pointed, a sudden flash of green light was seen in the grass-covered area.

The group ducked down, using the wheat to conceal themselves, and saw two familiar faces. Infinite stood still, his hands on his hips, and he looked around with a frown plastered onto his face.

"Nice scenery. How long would it take for Eggman to capture us?"

"A few hours. Unless he uses those war balloons, but I think you dealt with them back at base." Shadow responded, also looking around.

The jackals exchanged surprised looks. Eggman was... after Infinite?

"Why do these things always happen to me?" Infinite suddenly sighed, crossing his arms. "First Tails screws up and then Eggman betrays me and now my own squad thinks I've deserted them..."

"Eh, these things happen all the time." Shadow replied, shrugging with some amusement.

"I thought you killed them!" Infinite suddenly turned on Shadow, his hands in fists. "Eggman said you completely annihilated them!"

"What does it matter?" Shadow gave him an aloof expression.

Infinite's glare deepened. "Recall how I told you not so long ago, I only became what I am now only because of you?"

The dark hedgehog let out a cynical laugh, his voice echoing across the field. "Let me guess, you only became Infinite because you wanted revenge for their deaths. Don't lie to me, jackal, I know your true nature. You would have accepted Eggman's offer either way."

"That within itself is a lie." The jackal swung his arms down in anger. "They wouldn't have been around to see what I did to the world! What I did to... you!"

He suddenly launched into combat, Infinite slamming his fists repeatedly into Shadow. After a moment of no counterattacks, the jackal saw he was doing no damage and stopped, breathing hard, eyes wide and fists trembling. The hedgehog stared down at him incredulously, a sneer draped upon his face. He hadn't even uncrossed his arms.

"You never changed. You're still weak, and even with the Phantom Ruby, you cannot beat me."

The jackal's vision was blinded by a mad rage. He summoned several red energy cubes and sent them catapulting at the dark hedgehog. Shadow's grin only deepened as he dodged them with ease. He darted backwards, still facing the jackal, and they played a hostile game of cat and mouse, Shadow taunting the jackal as he grew closer and closer to actually hitting him.

Infinite finally gave up, kicking several blades of wheat at him and stomping through the long strands of wheat back over to the green area. The concealed jackals only a few feet away held their breaths as he passed by without even seeing them.

"What, was that the best you could do?" Shadow crowed mockingly, following after him with a disappointed frown. "You almost hit me that one-!"

The jackal suddenly swung around and slammed an energy cube directly into the jeering hedgehog's face, causing him to stumble in surprise. Shadow blinked, everything around him turning into various shades of red, and he squeezed his eyes shut as a high-pitched shriek suddenly pierced his eardrums. Infinite stood there silently, watching the dark hedgehog clutch at his ears, Shadow beginning to gasp for breath as the noise grew louder and more painful. After the haunting, tense moment passed, Shadow blinked through the illusion and pulled away from his ears, seeing blood on his hands. He gave Infinite a confused and horrified glare.

"What the hell was that?!"

"That was me screaming at you," the jackal replied calmly, turning away and returning to the bare part of the field where only grass grew, "to shut up."