[DC] Sonic Forces: Dark Future Legacy

Chapter 6 ~ Powerless

"I. Quit."

Infinite said face to face with the Doctor. He had just resigned from the Eggman Empire because of the mentally taxing jobs and poor living quality he was forced to endure each and every day he was a part of it. And the Doctor... well, to put it simply, he was angered.

- - -

"You what!?" Eggman said in somewhat disbelief. The Empire's best warrior was resigning? This couldn't be happening.
"That is correct, Doctor," Infinite said, "I officially resign as a soldier in the Eggman Empire. You have not satisfied my conditions we agreed upon when I joined. If anything, you have completely gone against them."
"Only because you keep straying from your end of the deal!" Eggman shouted, slamming his fist on a nearby wall. "You deserve punishment for what you've done to ruin my reputation, Infinite! Say goodbye to the Phantom Ruby!"
Infinite stepped back, confused and concerned. What did the Doctor mean by that? Whatever he did, Infinite did not want to stay and find out. In a rush, Infinite dashed for the door using the Phantom Ruby. He then pushed the button to open it... but, nothing happened. He pushed it again, hoping it was just a bad press. Again, nothing happened.
"Did you honestly think you could just dash out the door?" Eggman said, snarkily. Infinite turned towards him, realizing he had cut all door controls. He had him trapped. Damn it.
How was he going to get out, now?
Observing the room, Infinite noticed an air vent with a few loose screws. Without skipping a beat, he dashed to it while the Doctor was busy and not looking, and unscrewed the screws as quietly as he could. He then crawled into the vent, and tried his best to quietly replace the vent cover. It didn't matter whether or not he was going to get lost, he was going to get out of this hellhole that was the Empire.
As he crawled into the darkness of the vent, Infinite heard Eggman shout:
"INFINITE!!! ORBOT, CUBOT, PUT THE FACILITY ON LOCKDOWN, AND QUICK! I'm not letting that coward escape his fate after what he did!"

And that... well, that was hopefully the last time Infinite would hear the screeching voice of Doctor Eggman.

- - -

Crawling through the vents, Infinite kept finding himself at dead ends and blocked off paths, unable to find an exit from the facility. It was clear the Doctor did not mess around when it came to security.
After much time, Infinite found an opening to an unguarded exit point. It was very quiet, almost too quiet. Cautiously, Infinite removed the oddly but conveniently unscrewed vent panel and set it down behind him as he exited the vent. Searching the room, Infinite noticed a control panel near the exit door that seemed to control said door. Pushing the only button on the panel, Infinite stepped to the side of the door in case someone was on the other side of it. As the door opened, light began to fill the room. Sunlight... finally. Infinite peeked around the corner, scanning the area for any patrol badniks or something similar. Nothing. This was odd, and Infinite knew it. There had to be an ambush of some sort happening... right? Or... was it really freedom? Was he finally liberated from the Doctor's grasp? If this was what Infinite truly wanted, then he was going to get it. Infinite did not hesitate to leave. He made a mad dash out the door. Finally. He was free...
... but, not without consequences, because as he got to the outskirts of the base, Infinite ran into some sort of electrical force field and fell to the ground. To his surprise, the shock actually hurt. Wasn't the Ruby supposed to absorb that sort of energy? Infinite looked down to see it flashing before glowing no more.
"Well, Infinite, I must say, you are quite the escape artist. I'm in awe you managed to escape through a full facility lockdown," Eggman said, appearing on a holographic monitor behind Infinite. The Jackal stood up, turning to the monitor, eyes filled with rage. "Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to reward you for being so stealthy, you betrayed me, meaning I have to punish you one way or another. The easiest solution? Deactivating the Ruby."
Eggman came closer to the camera. "You may have your freedom, but you won't have your power. I wish you a farewell, Infinite. Good luck in your future endeavors and may luck be on your side. You'll need it." As Eggman finished his sentence, the hologram faded away, as did the force field.
Infinite looked down to the Ruby once again. It was no longer active. Damn Doctor, damn Resistance, they all messed him up and got him to this point. Infinite was angry. Not only at Eggman and his Empire but also the Resistance and their antics. They all deserved revenge. Infinite knew what he was going to do. He just needed to figure out how.
With a march away from the fortress, Infinite let his angered mind wander, pondering the many ways he could exact his revenge on both parties for screwing up both his career as well as his reputation. The Ultimate Mercenary... Infinite needed to get that title back. How he was going to do it, he was unsure. Nevertheless, Infinite knew that he wanted revenge, and he wanted it now.

"One day, Doctor, one day... you will see the repercussions of using me as your puppet," Infinite thought. "And soon, you will be down on your knees, begging for mercy when there is none left to give. As for you, you pesky Resistance rabble, you will be given payback for your actions. I would watch your back if I were you." As he trudged along the canyon, Infinite began to laugh maniacally, thinking about the cries and agony his enemies would soon go through. It was a pleasant feeling, planning their demise.

It most certainly was.

- - -

To be continued in "Recovery"