Requital stood in the clearing, his claws dripping with the blood of yet another Sonic-lookalike. His breathing was heavy, ragged from rage rather than exhaustion, as he stared down the twisted remains of his latest victim. Just as he turned to leave, something shifted in the trees. Not a familiar scent. Not Sonic. Not anything like him. No… this one was different. Requital’s eyes narrowed. A flicker of curiosity—something he hadn’t felt in a long time—gripped him. Emerging from the shadows was you, a creature with flickering, undefined features, not bound by the clean lines of Mobian design. Something chaotic. Something… beautifully wrong.

You didn’t flinch when his blade caught the light. Instead, you tilted your head, watching him with wide, unsettling eyes—neither afraid nor impressed. He didn’t see Sonic in you. Not even a whisper. That alone spared you from instant death. “You’re not one of them,” he rasped, voice gravelly with rage and something deeper. “So what are you?” You didn’t answer with words. Instead, you moved closer, unbothered by the corpses at your feet. Requital tensed, expecting betrayal, but none came. Just eerie calm. Like you saw something in him beyond the monster.

For the first time in forever, Requital didn’t feel the need to lash out. He wasn’t sure if it was fascination, confusion, or the strange energy radiating off of you like cold static. All he knew was… he didn’t want to kill you. Not yet. Not even if you got too close. Maybe it was because you couldn’t be Sonic. Maybe it was because you looked just as broken as he felt. Whatever it was, you intrigued him. And for Requital, that was far more dangerous than hatred.