A little more than 20 and a half before Sonic Forces, nearly 20 years before the "Incident" at Aqua Road

Infinite- Age 8

"Infi-Boss!" Amara came running into my den, small hills of dirt forming under her feet as she stopped.

As the squad grew, we moved from the outcropping that Amara and me found two years ago into a larger one, one where we could dig dens into the dirt surrounding it. We now had six jackals, that's a lot of mercenaries for me to handle.

Although I've begun to learn how to mask it, I'm really thankful for Amara. I looked up from my sword, which I had stolen from an armory that was experimenting with new weapon technology, and changed my focus to her.

She had begun to mess around with a tougher style, silver hair pulled into a tight ponytail, a red tank top and black pants that went to her knees. Simple gloves now covered her paws instead of the bandages that she was wearing when we met.

"What do you need, Amara?"

"Some grown guy wants you. Says it's important." Amara placed one of her hand on her hips and leaned in that direction, her thug undertone becoming more apparent as she got older.

I walked towards her, pushing the pile of assorted fabrics that made my sleeping area closer to the back wall. "Got your blade?"

"As always." She smiled as she motioned to the sharp dagger attached to a belt on her hips.

"Alright then, let's see what this guy wants." Amara led me to where the others were.

"I suppose you're the leader of this mangy group?" A snarling voice met me as I walked onto the outcropping.

"Who wants me?"

Amara snarled a little and pointed to a grown wolf, black with yellow eyes, who had Hunter climbing on him, seeing if he posed a threat to me.

"Hunter! Off!" The words boomed from my mouth.

He dropped to the ground as soon at the words reached him.

The wolf looked at me, his cold yellow eyes providing anything but a welcome. "You're the so-called Infinite, I assume?"

I stood taller, trying to keep him from treating me like a child. "I am."

He chuckled, snarls vibrating with his amusement. "I see." His snarling chuckle continued. "Your reputation and crime record are bigger than you are.... I expected someone older."

"That a compliment," I motioned for Amara and the others to prepare their weapons. "or a threat?"

A look of surprise flickered on his face as if he didn't expect children to be holding daggers, swords and loaded guns. "Children, please!" He slowly pushed Hunter's gun down with the tip of his finger then looked at Amara, dagger still raised to strike.

The newer members of my squad, Quickstrike and Marauder, kept their weapons out too; they both wielded axes

My squad had every right to point their weapons at the older criminal, since he was in our territory, but he seemed appalled that we drew them in his presence.

"Do you want a job or not?!"

                                                                                     ~~~~

We followed the wolf, Reznor was his name, out of Bloodpool Canyon.

I felt a bit unsettled as we got increasingly closer to civilizations, where the chance that we could be arrested and separated skyrocketed.

Amara snarled, louder this time, as we continued to follow Reznor. "Why do you think that we're being brought close to people?"

"Maybe our job is out here."

Reznor entered a clearing where a fire had burned recently, covered in dead vegetation.

A red she-wolf with short hair, a spiked choker and a bloodstained blade sat on a burnt log. She stood up once she saw us approach. "Reznor!" Her voice was vicious and cruel. "You take forever to get some decent mercenaries and then you bring me kids?! You're such an idiot!" She slapped him hard, Hunter snickered behind me.

"Clawzie. I asked our proven contact and he said that these kids are going to be a force to be reckoned with as they grow. I was just as displeased as you when I met them."

The wolf named Clawzie snarled, blade shimmering in the burnt landscape, the light bright in my eyes. "Then why didn't you bring someone else?!"

"The contact told me to get these kids, I got these kids!"

"Well they better be good..." She looked towards us, turning her blaring voice our direction. "Which one of you worthless furballs is supposedly in charge?!"

I snarled as Amara clenched her fists.

We were not worthless!

Reznor pointed at me, almost like he was accusing me. "That one. The male with the scarred face and different colored eyes."

"His name is Infinite!" Amara stood in front of me, snarling at Clawzie and Reznor.

Clawzie's face gleamed with all her cruel beauty. "Oh, how sweet, the little female's protecting him...."

Her voice, up until that moment in the sentence, was dripping with sarcasm and held a light-hearted tone, but her voice went back to its original, harsh attitude in the middle of her thought. "Just wait till he gets older, you won't mean much more to him than the kids you produce. You won't be the only female he claims either."

It was my turn to protect Amara, but I knew that fighting against the wolves wouldn't end well for us. I also wasn't sure what exactly she was talking about, so there goes trying to talk back. I stepped out from my squad and looked straight at Clawzie, appearing to be unafraid. "I was told you had a job for us?"

She smiled, seeing that our little fight hadn't distracted me. "Of course, get your little group together and we'll talk."

I turned around and motioned the others to come, Amara seemed both delighted in my actions and annoyed.

"Why didn't you fight back?" She muttered, snarling. "There's only two of them and six of us!"

"It wouldn't work, Mara, they've been committing crimes for years, longer than we've been alive."

"So?"

"We're not going to win a fight between them and us, not yet at least." I sat down in front of another burnt log where Clawzie had sat down with Reznor.

"First off, we'd like to train you. This is a very delicate mission that we'd planned for older mercenaries, so you're going to need some training before we send you out."

Reznor pulled out a file and quickly showed it to the Jackal Squad.

Remy's face lit up. "Woah! Picture in a paper-shaped box! But it's not a box!"

Clawzie crossed her arms. "Have you kids seriously not seen a file folder?"

All of us shook our heads.

"You're sure that our contact told you to get these... mutts?"

I crossed my arms. I am not a mutt!

She's the mutt!

All of the Squad began muttering to each other, our young voices mixing as we whispered.

I stood up, they joined me as we looked at Clawzie. "If you're not going to do anything but insult us, we'll be going."

It was a bold move.

They could lash out at us, hurt us badly.

People might not want to hire us if we walk away from an offer.

Clawzie bit her lip; it was obviously hard for her to say something that wasn't an insult.

We had just begun to turn our backs and walk off when she spoke.

"Well if you want to learn rare skills and techniques, you'll stay."

I turned around, signaled the others to stop, then looked at her. "Now we're getting someplace...." The Jackal Squad nodded at each other, then nodded at me, waiting for my word.

"whatcha got to teach us?"