Down The Rabbit Hole (Infinite x Reader)

The First Test

(Reader's P.O.V.)

    I cough up water as I sit up from the prison bed. "Finally awake I see." The jackal on the other side of the bars looks coldly at me. He kicks a tray of food under the bars. "Eat." I stare at the food. What if this is the test? What if he put something in it? "I said eat." Again I simply stare at it. Does he think I'm some kind of idiot? He hits the bars making me flinch. "I SAID EAT! I will not have you dying of starvation! If I have to go in there and force feed you, I can promise you it'll be unpleasant. So for the last time, eat." I drag the tray to the furthest corner away from Infinite and begin closely examining the contents. A bread roll and what appears to be some kind of meatloaf. Taking the plastic spork I poke at the meatloaf. "It's not poison." "Like that's supposed to make me feel better. How do I know there aren't sedatives or some kind of inedible substance in here?" "Because he'd likely kill me if I did. I can assure you I wouldn't be so foolish to get on his bad side." "Who's bad side? Eggman's? Because I'm clearly on his bad side." "I am referring to someone else. Someone who holds my heart in the palm of his hand. And for some reason, I don't know why, he has taken an interest in you. That's all I will say about that. Hurry up and finish your food. The test will start when you're finished."

(Infinite's P.O.V.)

    After leaving her cell I feel a sharp pain in my chest. "You should not have told her about me... Was that supposed to be a cry for help?" "I simply answered a question. I'm not weak, I know better than to ask help from my enemies." "But she, as of right now, is not our enemy. She is, as you call her, a test subject. Next time, if you are going to tell her about me, at least introduce me properly. I'd like the precious jewel to know I mean her no harm, even if you do." "Why hurt me if you wanted to be known?" "You're painting me as a villain. On that spectrum, I do not choose sides. I chose your side because you want revenge. I might choose her's because she wants vengeance. You two are similar in that instance. You both crave destruction to some extent. You are aware of this desire but she may not be. Perhaps using my power you might just bring to light some of these desires she hides behind facades." So he thinks we're similar. "I don't think we're as similar as you say we are. You say she craves destruction as I do but I can see it in her eyes. The only destruction she craves is self-destruction. She seeks to destroy herself." "Then you do not see what I see. If only she could hear my voice. Perhaps she would understand what you don't. That so-called 'self-destruction' you say she supposedly craves is just another façade hiding her true self. A self I hope to unveil from behind her invisible mask. You see Infinite, you can't see it because you yourself wear a mask. The reasons may be different, but in the end, my statement still stands. You two are more alike than you realize." Eventually, I tune out his words. I don't see why he's so obsessed with her. He's now trying to find similarities between us. I walk back towards the cell. It seems she finished.

(Reader's P.O.V.)

I begrudgingly finished the meatloaf. I tried to delay it as much as possible but hunger made that near impossible. After a while, I heard footsteps approach and see Infinite down the hallway in the distance. He walks into my cell and roughly grabs my arm. "Get up." He roughly pulls me to my feet and drags me down the hall. He tosses me into a room then shuts the door. I pull myself off the floor and turn to face him. "The first test starts now. I will warn you this test will look deep into your inner demons. If you have the will to fight them, you'll live to see tomorrow and you'll receive a reward for your efforts. If you are unable to fight them, obviously you'll perish. Good Luck." He leaves the room and a purplish cube floats into my vision changing the reality around me. I'm enclosed in a maze, my least favorite thing. The walls are too close together and I feel like I'll suffocate. One of my many fears is claustrophobia. I guess this maze is one of my many demons. Or perhaps it's what's in the maze. Monsters taking the form of things from my past, my fears, and my doubts. In this place, I have no weapons. How does he expect me to survive this? Is there a time limit? I run through the maze until I hit a dead end. One of the monsters finds me and corners me. Right before it attacks I hear a voice. "You were able to stop my illusions before. How is this any different? Just do what you did before. Show me that hidden ace you're hiding up your sleeve." I've never heard this voice before but somehow it feels familiar. Ace up my sleeve... Does he mean that glowing rock? I pull it from my back pocket. I hold it out in front of me, hoping that my dumb luck from the first time hasn't run out. The monster I was so afraid of vanishes. In my hand, where the gem used to be, was a sword glowing with the same light as the gem. Gripping it tightly in my hand, I hack and slash my way through the maze until I finally find the exit. I get enveloped by a bright light and when I open my eyes I'm back in the dark room. The door opens and Infinite enters. He looks pleased. "I'm impressed. I hadn't expected you to succeed. I thought you would give in to your fears and fall into despair. Since you've succeeded and are still alive I suppose I should reward you. Your reward is any question of your choice answered. No matter how personal or confidential. However, you only get to ask one question. So, before I lose patience, ask away." One question... Only one question comes to mind and it's one that's been bothering me since the start of this test. "Who was this 'he' you were referring to?"