Uprising (Infidget)

chapter 3

By the time Gadget returns from the grocery store, which amounts to a half-destroyed pile of glorified ruins in the back-alley streets, Infinite is sound asleep, curled up peacefully on the couch, knees pulled to his chest in the foetal position. His tail droops onto the floor, slight whimpers emitting as he rages, lost and desperate through his nightmares. In this position, Gadget can't help see how broken and vulnerable the animal really is. How much he has lost, and how little he still has to lose.

The radio is thrown across the room, smouldering against the wall, smashing to pieces as tiny jolts of electricity buzz around the broken appliance, the annoyingly static voice snuffed out. "That was giving me an ear ache anyway hehe"

Gadget doesn't trust him. He can't, but he can fall asleep knowing Infinite can't do anything illicit during his torpor. he Doesn't have the strength to stand up, never mind cause any disruption. So the weary soldier, who's body remains heavily abused from the torrent of battle, falls asleep on the armchair in faith that he'll wake up the next morning and things will have somehow mended themselves.

Oh, but that was too much to hope for.

*

When he wakes, Infinite is frantically wrestling with his own body, groaning and screeching in pain as he exerts himself. Pushing farther on the cushions as sweat pours from his brow. "What the heck?!" Gadget springs up, pushing him back down as his struggling arms fight. "You should be resting!"

"I'm not waiting around to be arrested and executed!"

"What are you talking about?!" He demands, forcing Infinite's arms pinned against his sides.

"I-I can't-!"

Infinite growls and snaps his teeth, trying to sink his fangs into the sensitive shoulders so well exposed and in his reach. Screaming he kicks his legs helplessly into the air. "How dare they! How fucking dare they!"

"How dare they what?!" Gadget asks forcefully, pinning down Infinite harshly against the couch. The wolf struggles against his own weakness, sobbing as his eyes water with frustration. Gadget watches him in a confused trance until his body fails, sprawling against the cousins as he weakly grips his pained chest. His wounds sting as the bandages scrape against the gaping flesh, stretching them out as the blood seeps through the gauge. He sighs, wrenching his head back to the ceiling. "What the hell happened?!"

"Just turn on the damn TV, it's everywhere!" Infinite scoffs, throwing the remote at Gadget. He fiddles with it, switching on his pitiful television. It's small and old, the radio antenna scratching the sound as the picture jumps from snow, but eventually the grainy picture focuses in on a news presenter.

"The infamous war criminal, Infinite the Jackal, has been apprehended and is now in the resistances custody-"

"What?!" Gadget gasps in incredulity. "This must be a mistake!"

"No fucking mistake," Infinite growls harshly. "How dare they ruin my good name and notoriety! They're lying to get public appraisal. Like the pigs could ever catch me,"

"But..." the colours shine and reflect in Gadget's wide eyes. "Why would the resistance claim things like that? We fight for public knowledge and-"

"Hah!" Infinite cackles, gripping the stomach that heaves with ever wheezing laugh. "You really are brainwashed! It's this kind of propaganda that made me hate The Resistance!"

"We don't spread propaganda!" Gadget screams back. The jackal raises a curious eyebrow, amused at Gadget's outburst. Even with his constant resistance and berating the wold didn't react. But mention the corruption and hypocrisy of his movement and everything becomes a deflection. It entices him to push farther... after he recovers a little more. As much as he hates to admit it Infinite is mildly dependent on Gadget. Just to keep him entertained!

"Keep telling yourself that," Infinite scoffs, turning around to cross his arm over his chest tightly in annoyance. He stares at Gadget for a few seconds, sighing to himself. "I'm hungry. What did you pick up last night?"

"I picked up soup," Gadget saunters into the kitchen to cook without feedback, not that Infinite had any anyway. The jackal smirks at this little triumph, knowing his army is the reason food is so scarce, a tiny and bitter victory pushing him to live another day.

The soup doesn't take long, and Gadget struggles to bring it back through, setting both small, steaming bowls on the scratchy wooden coffee table. "You can't feed yourself yet, can you?" he inquires in annoyance, not bothering to hide his sigh.

"Well what do you think?" Infinite raises his paws weakly, which are wrapped in bloody bandages. Gadget huffs and kneels beside him, pulling out a spoonful and carefully feeding him.

"I did rescue you, you know," he reminds resentfully. "You don't have to be so hostile. Or better yet, you could say thank you,"

"For what?" he snaps, rejecting the next spoonful. "Fucking up our entire system? Killing my men, destroying the lives of my generals, even me?!"

"You....you're a war criminal!" Gadget stands up in offence, tightening his paws into fists. "You and your army enslaved everyone! I was fighting for freedom!"

"You were still fighting," the jackal sneers, turning over on the couch, squeezing his eyes closed to escape the world outside his head. "You killed people, you wrecked people's homes. You left children without food on the table. How does what side you're on make you any different than me?"

A speechless Gadget storms out the room, onto the balcony as he drops to a crouch. Watching the city, he notes how the corners of buildings have fallen and crumbled, obscenities sprayed in bright colours on the high walls of abandoned warehouses once teaming with life and productivity. He wonders if Infinite is right. He knows what he's done. But his motives were pure, his intent was to liberate, not rule and oppress. Doesn't that count for something? Burying his head in his hands, another stream of anxiety splashes him in the face when he hears the familiar voice called from below the balcony, the streets surrounding his building.

"Gadget, hello!"

"H-Hi Sonic,"

"Hello, I have something to discuss with you!" he calls from the street. Gadget squints, trying to hear. His ears clogged with the accusations of infinite.

"What?"

"I need to speak with you, I'm coming up," Sonic skits into the building underneath, and Gadget faintly hears him ascending the stairs up each floor.

Gadget remains quiet for a few seconds, before a tsunami of anxiety crashes into him, knocking him completely off his feet. "Fuck!" he screams, rushing back into the room and breaking the balcony door as he does so. He doesn't even notice, panicked at the state of this house. His leader is quicker than most, he has less than a few seconds to fix everything!

"What's got your panties in a knot?" Infinite groans from his spot.

"Get-Get up now!" Gadget screams, hauling him roughly from the couch.

"What? What the hell?! Get off me!" the jackal complains.

"Sonic is coming!" Gadget whispers harshly in his ear, pulling him desperately through the house and pushing him into the only hiding place available; his bedroom closet. "Stay quiet, for both our sakes shut up!"

"Fuck you!"

"Sonic is coming, he'll kill you on sight!"

"Not like I have anything to live for anyway!"

"God, you're doing this now?!" Gadget spits, shoving him into it and slamming the door closed, body shaking in pure nauseating anxiety as he softly rests his own back against the door, heart forcing its way up his windpipe. "Just...just keep quiet for a while, I'll get rid of him..."

His breathing calms, but is sucked insidiously from his lungs when three knock sounds from the door.