Chapter Text
This was not his usual fare. The pulsing club music and overabundance of bodies making Shadow uncomfortable. But here he was, sat in a curved booth that rested along the sides of the walls to the sunken dance floor, colorful floor lights and writhing couples in full display. His hand tightened around his drink, the condensation doing little to cool his overheating body down. If anything he was increasing the temperature of his beer with how he kept himself gripping it.
“Having any fun at all handsome?” Rouge asked from her side of the booth. Her fingers laced together under her chin as her eyes scanned the club.
“Having fun isn't part of the job,” Shadow responded, taking a first sip out of the bottle.
Rouge smirked and barely glanced at him out of her peripherals, “Drinking on the clock is frowned upon~, besides I need you sharp.”
Shadow rolled his eyes and took a longer drink out of defiance; they both knew it would take more than this to even grant him a gentle buzz.
“Unfortunately, looking the part is part of the job,” Shadow finally replied, setting the half empty bottle down and checking his phone. A prop and a trap all in one.
Rouge's laugh peeled out, “Then yes. You should at least look like you're having fun. Maybe go flirt a little at the bar.”
Shadow's distaste filled sneer was more than enough of an answer to that suggestion.
“Target has entered the vicinity, look alive in there,” a whispered voice in both of their ears buzzed from their matching comms pieces. Their sniper across the street and a rooftop away in case things went south.
Shadow and Rouge shared a quick glance before peering to the front door. Rouge directly; Shadow using the mirror above the bar. Their target entered with his entourage in full view, not bothering to hide in the club he owned.
His name was Infinite. It was doubtful that was his Chaos given name but chosen much later by associates because that's what his bankroll seemed to be. Never ending. Dirty money coming in from all kinds, a finger in every enterprise. Drugs, omega trafficking, weapons dealing, if it had a high price tag and required a lack of morals, the jackal was there. An opportunistic scavenger, feeding off the carrion of the bigger and badder fallen underworld bosses. Filling a vacuum that had been left in GUN’s wake as they methodically took out the heavy hitters. Now, it seemed, the newcomer's time had finally arrived to be picked off the list.
Shadow watched as the group settled into the VIP area, a scared waitress approaching with bottle service of the jackal's usual. Him and his pack of…well…jackals, harassing her on her exit. Rouge's eyes narrowed in disgust, adjusting her bodice before sliding out of the booth to Shadow's awaiting hand. Hunters on the prowl, agents with a mission, officially on the job.
They had their own mission tasks for this particular takedown. But the first step, gaining initial contact with the mark, didn't work if they weren't in sync. Stepping down into the dancefloor, they began to work. Rouge starting her slow grind down Shadow’s body, putting as much of a display for her own prowess as his. Her chest to his, grinding hips in time with the music, moving their way further into the crowd and at a better vantage point for the VIP table to take them in.
They were only two songs in when Rouge's ears twitched out the signal to Shadow that they had caught their mark's attention. His gaze slowly came off his faux mate to meet the mismatched eyes above them. The creep was practically salivating as he watched the two of them with a vested and obvious interest. Shadow smirked as he expertly spun Rouge's body to face the other way, her back now pressed to his front. His hands ran along her sides as she unabashedly bit her lip and made bedroom eyes to the lording wannabe gangster.
Shadow made visual contact one more time with Infinite before giving a sly nod and unhooking the collar Rouge had come in wearing. A sign for those in the know. And Infinite took the bait as he flicked a finger for one of his thugs to go fetch them from the dancefloor. The thug in question quickly hurried to leave the VIP section and head through the growing throng of club-goers. Shadow spun Rouge back to face him and locked the collar back into place.
“Oscar worthy performance, handsome,” Rouge purred as she continued on with her dance.
Shadow merely grunted in response. Both continuing on as though they weren't waiting for the invitation to the VIP lounge. They were halfway through the next song when the henchman approached them.
“My boss would like a word,” the jackal spoke, nodding towards Infinite who was speaking to his date. Shadow normally could have read his lips from this distance but they were buried deeply in a blue collared neck as they spoke. Shadow frowned. That wasn't supposed to be the jackal's date according to the dossier. Not a huge hindrance to the plan but a hiccup in their preparations to be certain.
“And if we refuse?” Rouge asked, playing coy as she wrapped her arms around Shadow's neck, “I’m having a fine time right here. Who is your boss anyway?”
“Someone you don't want to upset, Omega,” came the reply with a slight snarl.
Shadow's haunches raised at the insinuated tone but was secretly pleased their ruse was working. The two detangled and followed the jackal towards the VIP lounge. Phase one having gone off without a hitch and a full twenty minutes ahead of schedule. Maybe Shadow would have enough time to get out and have a decent evening to himself after all.
Rouge and him were ushered into the velvet roped area. The noise of the club somehow deafened to the background. Infinite’s lip curled in interest as he saw his new playthings confounded expressions.
“Welcome to my den,” Infinite spread out his arms in greeting, resting them on the bench he sat on, “I don't believe I've seen you two around here before.”
“No, we're new,” Rouge greeted before sliding effortlessly onto the edge of the curved bench. Shadow opted to stand next to her, a measured and possessive hand on her shoulder that didn't go unnoticed, “My alpha and I have heard great things about this club from an omega friend of ours. Thought we would come see for ourselves.”
Infinite's smile only grew as his eyes flicked between the dark hedgehog and the white bat. Both dressed in complementary colors as Shadow wore a tailored pinstripe button down that showed off his chest fluff, tucked into tight dress pants. Rouge in a midriff revealing black and red bodice with harsh geometric cutouts, her leather skirt barely a scrap of fabric that clung to her hips. Her collar is what drew his eye more so than her heavily on display cleavage. It was obvious that they were there as a couple.
“Well I'm honored you two decided to come see my little establishment,” Infinite leaned forward and grabbed his drink off the calf high glass table in front of him, “You were putting on quite the show. I always like to see others…enjoy what's mine.”
Rouge gave a fake giggle as she slid closer on the bench towards the jackal. The innuendo was not lost to either agent. It was, after all, what their Honeypot Operation stood its foundation on. Shadow took this as his cue to sit as well.
“Introductions are in order, I think,” Infinite leaned back into his seat, gold and blue eyes raking over Shadow, “You can call me Infinite.”
“I'm Duchess,” Rouge purred and held out her hand for Infinite to take. He did and planted a kiss on the back of it, flashing his teeth.
“Fitting. And you?”
Shadow took a barely perceptible breath to steel himself before answering, “Magnus.”
It was a ridiculous name but that’s what was written in the dossier. He supposed next time he wouldn't tell Rouge he ‘didn’t give a flying fuck’ what his persona’s name would be.
“Tell me Magnus,” Infinite flicked a finger towards a by-standing member of the wait staff who scampered over, “What's your poison?”
Shadow would have preferred not to drink at all, but he had a cover to protect.
“Scotch. Neat,” Shadow suppressed the shiver as he could already taste the ghost of the foul substance on his tongue. He'd much prefer something with Kahlua, but that's not what a big, bad, knotheaded Alpha like Magnus would order.
“Man after my own heart,” Infinite smiled, motioning for two, “And for the lady?”
“Tequila sunrise, with extra grenadine,” Rouge purred, curling up into Shadow's arm, “I'm afraid I can't handle the taste of liquor as well as my Alpha here.”
“Wouldn't expect you to,” Infinite turned to the waitress and missed the silent conversation of taps each agent pressed into the other's skin.
Really? Shadow tapped out on her shoulder, disguised as him feeling up her arm.
Oh come on. Your face looked dour at that order. You can sip on some of mine, Rouge responded with presses and strokes to Shadow’s abdomen. She looked every bit the doting, flirty Omega she was portraying.
“Oh, allow me to introduce my mate,” Infinite turned back to the two. His hand reached and tightly clenched the bored looking blue hedgehog that had been sitting so quietly and still, Shadow had nearly forgotten he was there, “My little jester, Sonic. Say hello.”
“Hello,” Sonic responded, his eyes flat.
Infinite took a firmer hold of Sonic's arm and yanked him to sit closer, practically pulling the hedgehog onto his lap, “He's a little out of sorts tonight but he's still…amicable to meeting new friends. Aren't you?”
Sonic just gave a tight lipped nod, his eyes still not meeting the others sitting across from him. His stare a thousand miles away. Infinite merely rolled his own eyes before addressing the agents, “Emotional creatures, Omegas. Wouldn't you agree, Magnus? I can barely keep up with this one's mood swings.”
Shadow grunted in agreement. He didn't trust his tongue not to say his words sharper than Magnus would say them. It was sickening to him the way Infinite threw the clearly distressed hedgehog around. Could he not see the raised quills and lowered ears? Or was it simply that he enjoyed those traits in a mate? Either way, it was unacceptable to Shadow…but not to Magnus.
“Magnus is just simply a saint when it comes to dealing with me,” Rouge picked back up the conversation like it wasn't a live grenade, “And I require a lot of attention.”
“I'm sure you do,” Infinite chuckled as he spread back out into his domain, “You seem like the kind of Omega that requires being told more than once. Sonic here, he's just as docile as can be.”
Shadow caught the way that blue ear twitched. As if in quiet indignation.
“He normally doesn't come out most nights,” Infinite continued speaking, “But my usual…well, let's just say her mood swings were getting to be a bit too difficult to deal with. She needed to re-learn her place. So we’ll call this a special treat for my jester tonight.”
Infinite removed the collar around the blue neck and dug his nose straight into the mussed fur immediately after. His mouth salivated and his teeth ached but he didn't bite. Instead, he handed the collar off to Shadow. Shadow removed the one off Rouge and swapped him. It made him sick to his core but as soon as the black and red leather collar snapped onto Sonic, Shadow knew the transaction was complete.
It was taboo. It was depraved. It was exactly what Shadow and Rouge had been taunting the jackal with out on the dancefloor. That they were a couple that partook in the world of kink the jackal was fascinated by. Omega swapping.
Rouge played her part beautifully. She accepted the new collar and immediately went to sit on the jackal's lap instead, straddling him. Infinite licked his lips as he practically shoved Sonic towards Shadow.
“Go,” Infinite ordered, releasing pheromones as he did, “Don't embarrass me like that last bitch.”
Sonic stood and moved to sit next to Shadow. He barely adjusted to touch the dark agent. Just a bored expression still covering his face, barely registering the swap taking place at all.
It was clear to Shadow that the other hedgehog was not enthused about the situation. But he knew what Magnus would do. There was too much to risk if he blew his cover or the jackal started asking questions about his participation level. So it was with calculated risk that Shadow went against his morals and dragged the listless blue hedgehog into his lap and held Sonic around his waist, pressing quills firmly to his chest to keep them from flaring out at him.
“I knew I liked you two for a reason,” Infinite smiled as Rouge wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled, scenting herself with him, “She’s quite the omega, you should consider yourself lucky.”
“Everyday,” Shadow responded. Though, he was mentally taking tabs on blackmail material watching his beta partner act so foolishly.
He had to admit, when GUN first tasked the two of them to this mission, he thought they were out of their minds. Surely two Betas could not pull off such a hair brained scheme. But as the few Mobian operatives GUN employed, it could only be them. Infinite didn't work with humans, flat out did not trust them. And he never dealt with business partners directly, always sending a proxy. Arresting and wasting their time with that would have only tipped off the jackal that GUN was coming after him. So instead, they decided to pimp out Shadow and Rouge to honeypot the son of a bitch.
A few scent pads and some basic behavioral training later, Shadow was made into an Alpha with his Omega by his side. The only way two strangers were going to get close to Infinite…intimately close.
Rouge would take her faux phone and upload as much of the data from Infinite's as she could. Then hot swapping the two to be able to monitor his activities. Shadow's mission was very much the same, except for the Omega Infinite normally kept by his side. The best ending to the mission would have Shadow making the jackal's sometimes mate into an ally and having her testify on the jackal's enterprise.
But that red fox was apparently missing. And in her place was a moody and disengaged blue hedgehog.
“Normal rules of engagement I'm assuming,” Infinite asked bored over Rouge's shoulder, addressing Shadow, “No collar removal, no marking, no knotting?”
Shadow merely nodded, his skin crawling as he tried to seem enthusiastic about the omega in his lap.
Infinite clicked his teeth together, “How…vanilla. I was hoping you might have a bit more bite to you.”
“What did you have in mind?” Rouge asked, stroking a hand down Infinite’s chest.
The jackal chuckled and re-adjusted her in his lap, “I'm so very, very glad you asked.”
His mouth went to Rouge’s ear as he whispered every depraved thought he had to her. Unfortunately, that was also the same ear with the comms unit in it. Shadow heard everything. Their team heard everything. It took an extremely iron will for Shadow to not stand and beat the jackal to a pulp right then and there.
It took a decent amount to get Rouge flustered, though. And what had been said to her was barely enough to fake a blush. She had far worse sent to her on a daily basis in her DMs. Still, she was a professional.
Her squeaks and squirms and flushed face looked and sounded ridiculous to anyone who knew her. Luckily, Infinite didn't and ate up every last reaction. His hands roaming indecently over her curves and grasping tightly at her ass to pull her closer.
“Well little Omega?” Infinite growled, “What do you say to that?”
Rouge shifted to look at Shadow, “I’d have to get permission from my Alpha first…”
Infinite snarled before shoving his face into her neck, nosing around her collar, “Such an obedient little thing now, aren't we?”
“What is it he wants, Dutchess?” Shadow asked calmly, as if he didn't already know.
“Yes, pet,” Infinite smiled into her jawbone, “Tell your Alpha what it is I want to do to your body.”
Rouge opened her mouth but was cut off by Shadow, “Whatever my mate wants is fine…as long as all is fair?”
Shadow really didn't want to hear those filthy remarks again, knowing Rouge would spare no details just to watch the micro expressions on his face. Besides, she had already flicked her ears out in code to tell Shadow what to say.
Infinite hesitated at Shadow’s remark, “All’s fair huh?”
The jackal's eyes roamed over Sonic. His prized jewel, the one he normally kept under lock and key. Normally not out for display or for others to touch but then Infinite thought of how much he’d like to re-carve himself into the blue hedgehog. To let him be defiled by another Alpha just to remold him. To chew on that pretty neck until it shined crimson. To hear his sweet little hedgehog call out for his Alpha to claim him again and again and make him forget about taking any other knot.
Infinite didn't like swapping omegas to get a new body underneath him. He liked swapping them for the needy Omega he got in return. And Sonic, the one Omega in his collection who hated the culture, who disliked being passed around, who took ages to break in, well wouldn't that be the sweetest reunion of them all?
“Deal,” Infinite said, rising, nearly throwing Rouge to the ground.
“D-deal?” Rouge asked, stunned. This was not in the plan. To put her actual, literal neck on the line like a chew toy. Collar removal was something Infinite had mentioned as a “never” for his partners in the message boards under a pseudonym. It was always teased about, like breeding, but was never taken seriously. Shadow could sense her hesitation.
“Yes you omega-slut. Deal,” Infinite turned to address Shadow, “Your Alpha is going to knot and breed my Omega until he comes crying back to his real master. And you…you can keep me company until he does.”
Infinite walked out of the VIP section and a panel in the wall opened automatically. A long, sloping hallway of rooms that he led the rest past before having the double doors opened at the end of the hallway for them. An opulent apartment complex, nestled in the cement walls and beneath the club. Though, from the sound proofing, anyone inside the room wouldn't even be able to tell the club was above their heads.
“We will be in here,” Infinite grabbed Rouge and yanked her inside, “One of my boys will show you where you'll be.”
With that, the apartment door was shut and Shadow was left with the static laced sounds of Rouge's ear piece. The distance from their receiver and the thick material of the sound proofing making it difficult for the equipment to function properly.
“With us, sir,” one the scrawnier looking jackals barked out and led Shadow to a room several doors down.
With the door opened, Shadow walked inside and heard Sonic yelp behind him. The hedgehog scowling at the thug who grabbed ass and snickered as he addressed Shadow, “Keep this blue bitch in line.”
The door was shut and the two were alone. The room looked like it was made up by some low-end hotel designer. Beige and cream and whites covered the walls, floor, and bedspread. A small table, a dresser, and a half bath. Immediately Shadow recognized it for the kind of room it was, a safehouse. Or a prison. A comfy prison to be sure but one meant to hold someone in indefinitely. Who knew how many of those shut doors they passed were made of rooms like this one. How many held people in them at that very moment. The thought made Shadow reaffirm his mission.
Sonic made himself at home, sitting on the bed with one leg crossed over the other. His eyes appraising the alpha in front of him.
“So, Magnus,” Sonic drew out the word, like he was testing it in his mouth, “What brings you to Casa de la little bitch?”
Shadow blanched, “Excuse me?”
“You don't look like a Magnus,” Sonic cocked his head to the side, “It's too…old money sounding. You don't look old money.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Shadow leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. This was a completely different demeanor than the one he had seen on the club floor. And that usually spelled out a trap.
Sonic laughed, “Don't I know it.”
He stood, jumping to his feet and stretching out his arms. He looked up at the agent, “You don't mind do you?”
“Mind?”
“Don't want to pull something,” Sonic said with a sly grin and crossing an arm out across his chest, “Before I kick your ass, that is.”
Shadow blinked and the Omega's fist was coming at his face at lightning speeds. His training took over, ducking and countering with a block on his left. His right shot out to catch the hedgehog in the gut. But no contact was made. The speedy blue streak sidestepping and jumping back out to the middle of the room.
“What the hell?!” Shadow spat out, the surprise spiking his adrenaline.
Sonic just stood there, goading him with a wave of his hand forward, “I don't play nice, and no knotheaded, backwards, bastard is going to try and dominate me. Not when I have shit to do. Wouldn't mind seeing you try in my off time though, handsome.”
Sonic winked and charged at Shadow again, and again. Each time Shadow blocked effortlessly, and each time Sonic would retreat before a proper hit could be returned. Sometimes Sonic got a clip in, sometimes Shadow. The omega always trying to get Shadow to come away from the wall.
It wasn't long until the two were panting, eyes locked in battle and Shadow with no further answers as to what this hedgehog’s deal was.
“You're not half bad,” Sonic complimented, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth where a half lucky shot to his nose accumulated blood along his upper lip, “Most alphas either lose focus or make a mistake by now.”
“Well I'm not most alphas,” Shadow laughed.
Sonic narrowed his eyes, “No…You're not, are you?”
Suddenly his fists dropped before approaching Shadow. The agent barely had time to register the motion when he felt a peach mouth on his and hands wrapping around the back of his neck, fingers combing through the thick, dark fur there.
Shadow had been trained to reciprocate, trained on how to do what needs to be done. But it wasn't training that had him kissing the hedgehog back. Somewhere between the shock and adrenaline and the fighting, his chest opened up, his breathing got deeper. Lemongrass and sunshine and evergreen and iron flooded his senses.
That's not…right, Shadow's logical Beta brain thought, I shouldn't be able to smell any pheromones.
But it was quieted and drowned out by hungrier thoughts of the hedgehog in front of him. What he tasted like; what sounds could he make.
Sonic pulled away with his prize in his fists, darting over to the dresser to see the scent pads laid out in front of him. He snorted, because of course GUN would be stupid enough to have an embossed logo on their equipment, “So you idiots in the UF are finally doing something about this bitch.”
But Shadow was too far gone to answer. His pupils shot to hell. He had thought his body was warm before in the club but that was nothing compared to how he felt now. Everything was on fire. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt before just ripping the front off.
Sonic watched the display with vested interest. It was almost like the Alpha was…
“Shit,” Sonic ran over and grabbed Shadow's shoulders and led him to the bed, “What the hell? Only GUN would send an agent in heat to this cesspool.”
Shadow was led with ease, the words he was hearing not making sense over his mounting fever, “I'm not in heat…I'm a Be- an Alpha.”
“Sure you are, and my mom's a walrus,” Sonic snorted, rummaging through his quills and pulling out a small black cloth case.
He unzipped it, picking up slender vials and tapping them in the air against the light.
“Fuck, today just isn't your lucky day, Magnus,” Sonic tutted before fitting together a sterile needle and then drawing out the liquid, “This will buy you about fifteen minutes. Then it's back to your heat.”
“I'm telling you, I'm not an O-”
Shadow hissed as the needle entered his thigh, the metal piercing down into the muscle.
“Sorry not sorry but fast acting means it needs to go deep,” Sonic shrugged as he pressed the plunger.
Once the liquid had completely drained, Sonic pulled the needle smoothly back out, twisting it back into the plastic casing for later disposal.
“You're lucky I even had that,” Sonic said as he packed his case up and re-hid it in his quills, “I used most of it up last week and haven't gotten more from my handler yet.”
Shadow felt the brain-melting fever cool slightly. Catching every other word or so from the blue hedgehog, “Handler?”
“Yeah,” Sonic stuck out his hand with a goofy grin, “Nice to meet you not-so-secret GUN agent. It's about time you and your partner got here.”