Crippled [INFIDGET]

Chapter Five: Phase Two (Part 1)

A/N: Ah, dubstep will always have a sacred place in my heart. This song will be stretched between part 1 and 2 of Phase Two, as Phase Two is quite long so it needs split up.

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It was a long day, a very long day.

While I was recovering from my head injury, I overheard Sonic and the others taking about what to do next and I was desperate to get my voice heard.

So, I pushed the call button on my bedside table and waited for someone to come in - since I was bed bound, I wasn't allowed to move around much. Sonic was the one to come in this time around since it was always Amy who brought me food and water.

"What's up, Gadget?" Sonic asked and sat at the edge of the bed.

"I want to get my voice heard, I think I know how to destroy the ruby without getting severely injured myself" I explained, sitting up.

"Okay, well, we can gather them in here and we'll have the meeting here so you can hear it all and have your voice heard" Sonic hummed. "Actually, I'll go call them all now, be right back!" he sped off swiftly.

It was only a few minutes later did everyone arrive, albeit the recovery room was quite small so everyone was squashed together but it worked and was only temporary until I fully recovered.

"So, you want to say something?" Knuckles commented, facing me directly with his arms crossed. "Well, let's hear it"

I gulped, "I was thinking about luring Infinite to a grave site we made together of his squad, if he can remember how those graves got there then that will give me time to smash the ruby as he'll be lost in thought" 

"You made graves for his squad?" Shadow grunted.

"Yes." I snapped, having enough of Shadow's bullying towards Zero. "We built them together"

"That's sweet" Amy and Rouge cooed.

"Well, it might work" Silver shrugged. "But how are you going to lure him to there? He'd kill you on the spot"

"He hasn't killed me yet" I interjected. "Therefore that shows that he isn't bothered about my life - he thinks I'm just another mobian" I shrugged.

"Just be careful" Sonic frowned. "We already have enough on our hands, and we can't risk you getting killed"

"Let me work with him, don't interfere" I explained. "I need him to follow me, there can be no distractions or the plan won't work"

"We can do that" Knuckles nodded. "I'll divert all troops away from the site, uh, where is the gravesite?" he asked.

"It's behind my apartment block, hidden from public view" I glanced around at the others, Shadow didn't look particularly interested - but I know he's listening.

"And your injury?" Knuckles questioned.

"I'll worry about that later, I need to get out there because the longer I wait more lives are at stake, I need to do this quickly and effectively" I sighed before throwing my feet off the bed and onto the ground.

I put on my boots, gloves, earpiece and belt. I could sense their worry about me going out while I'm injured but I can't sit here any longer.

"Well, good luck" Knuckles sighed.

"Thanks, I'll need it" I flashed a smile before running out of the base, I quickly grabbed my wispon and left.

The outside world looked a lot different from a few hours ago.

There was raging fires in buildings that stretched to the sky, people were screaming for help, the emergency services were spread thin all over the place and it really looked like an apocalyptic movie. I felt a tinge of guilt that I couldn't help those in need at the moment, but when I reform Infinite, I'll stop this second wave of destruction and together we'll destroy Eggman's cursed machine.

I exhaled shakily before venturing out into the destruction in order to find the destroyer.

It was hot, hot as in the sun was beaming down upon the cracked pavements, sucking up every last bit of life on this forsaken planet and leaving behind nothing but ashes and dust.

There was no one about. It was a dead place, bodies lay splattered everywhere along with their blood that was now dried up on the hot concrete.

"C'mon, where are you?..." I mumbled under my breath, my shoes shuffled along the road softly and I was sure I felt a chill along my neck.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

That was a hand.

Freezing up in shock and terror, I didn't move a muscle. The large hand snaked around my small neck like a python suffocating its prey.

"I found you." The huskey voice echoed in my ear, and I knew just who it was.

"Infinite" I glanced back at the looming jackal, "What do you want?" I played along with my lure.

"Did you really think I'd let you go that easily?" He chuckled before removing his hand that clasped my neck, I calmed down from that and actually turned around so I could face him. "We are just beginning"

I smirked, "Then I assume you can catch me then?" I pulled out my grappling hook and swung away, swinging from building to building towards the apartments, the rush of wind on my face was exhilarating. However, my adrenaline stopped when I seen Infinite flying beside me, I could see it in his one orange eye - he was smirking.

I swung into the private gravesite and dropped beside his squad's graves, my grappling hook retracted back into my glove and I dusted myself off. "If you're really Zero, you'll remember these" I crossed my arms and watched as Infinite lowered to the ground, I could see his confusion but I seen sadness too as he looked at the graves.

"Wh-how did you-?" he stammered, quite frankly lost for words.

"We created these to remember your squad and give them rest, don't you remember?" I asked, dropping my guard slightly as Infinite walked to the graves.

Infinite was silent as he looked over each grave. I didn't know if it was a good silence or a bad silence but I kept my hand on my wispon just in case. His hand traced each name engraved on the individual stones, he sighed deeply before turning to me, I gripped my wispon tensely.

"I-" he stammered, clutching his head, "G-Gadget?"