Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was too easy to find the Wachowski house. 

Sure, it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, but once Shadow had stolen the coordinates from G.U.N. 's database (without anyone seeing him, mind you), it was easy to find. At the back of a small town in Montana called Green Hills. A little on the nose, but Shadow wouldn’t really know what else to name it since it was, in fact, surrounded by green hills. Still, the house was not difficult to locate. Honestly, they should move to a base that’s more secluded, more secure. All that stopped him from entering was a basic lock on the front door. 

Shadow walked up the front steps carefully, the wood creaking slightly under his weight. The door creaked as well, telling him that either the hinges were old or rusty. 

When he entered, he was greeted with several directions to go in. In front of him, there was a staircase and another door, and to his left and right, there were two open spaces. There was a slight problem with this: he didn’t know where exactly in the household Sonic was located. 

He supposed he would just have to search thoroughly then. 

Shadow started with his left, which seemed to be a dead end, but one could never be too certain. There was a couch, a table, and several lamps. Shelves were placed next to the windows, having various books and knick-knacks strewn about. What looked to be an odd TV sat atop another table, though it was more slim and rectangular than the ones he was used to. It looked like all of the new monitors in G.U.N. Headquarters and Robotnik’s Crab. Times had changed technology quite a bit, and he wasn’t quite used to it yet, but he would learn. He always did. 

Regardless, there was not a hedgehog in sight. Well, at least not one that wasn’t a reflection on the TV. Time to keep searching. 

On the right was what seemed to be a dining area, as it had a larger table and plenty of chairs. Six, to be exact, though that didn’t make sense to Shadow, as he could only remember five inhabitants listed on the database. Tom, Madeline, Sonic, Miles, and Knuckles. Was he missing anyone? He didn’t think so. 

There was another area on the left side of the dining room. A kitchen, with a large island countertop in the middle. Forward was-

Forward was a human sticking their head into the refrigerator. 

Shadow froze. 

The human didn’t look up from the fridge, but they did acknowledge Shadow’s presence, lifting their right hand to wave at him. “Hey Sonic,” They greeted quietly. 

It was male. It was Tom. 

This was not a part of the plan. The plan was to get to Sonic before anyone else because Sonic was the least likely to hate him now, plus, he seemed to be the one in charge, so it was the most logical. Facing the man he almost killed, AKA the most likely to hate him, was something that was supposed to be figured out by him and Sonic. 

He should teleport away, but no, the human had already noticed him and would grow suspicious if he just disappeared, as Sonic wouldn’t do that. He might think there was an intruder in the home. 

Well, technically there was. Shadow was supposed to be dead (according to G.U.N. 's database, at least), and yet he was standing in the Wachowski’s kitchen, seemingly to do some terrible things rather than simply seeking refuge. 

What should he do? Announce himself? That seemed worse somehow. 

Tom Wachowski continued, unaware of Shadow’s dilemma. “Looking for a snack, or sneaking out? Actually, don’t answer that. Never answer a cop unless you have a lawyer.” 

Shadow didn’t answer him, instead he remained silent, as he was still thinking of a plan. Well, the nonexistent plan was rendered useless as Tom simply looked up and narrowed his eyes at the hedgehog. “You okay, buddy? You’re quiet. Are you sick?”

At that, Shadow raised a brow. Tom was looking right at him, and yet he was still mistaking him for Sonic. The man must be more tired than he originally assumed. 

That’s what he thought until the human lifted his tiny TV and shined a light on him, making Shadow remember that humans couldn’t see very well in the dark. 

Tom dropped his tiny TV as soon as he recognized the hedgehog in front of him, looking at him with wide eyes. “Shit-” He muttered, fumbling to close the refrigerator door. “Shadow,”

“Tom Wachowski,” The alien greeted, voice monotone despite his uncertainty. 

“What’re you-?” He stuttered, glancing towards the back door, obviously looking for an escape route. Unsurprising, but still hurtful. “You’re… alive?”

“Don’t tell G.U.N.” He pleaded, though out of his mouth it sounded more like a command. Not the approach he wanted to take. “I mean, please, don’t tell G.U.N.” 

“...Huh.” Tom said, decidedly less fearful than he should have been. Did he not remember Shadow’s attack on him? Did he receive amnesia? “Okay.”

“O… kay?” Shadow repeated. 

Tom shrugged, and it was at this point that Shadow noticed the sling around his left arm, obviously a byproduct of his actions. “So, uh, whatcha’ doing here? Looking for Sonic?”

“Y- Yes.” Shadow replied, confused as to why everything was seemingly fine when it shouldn’t have been. “I figured…” He trailed off, unsure of what to say as he wasn’t exactly sure why he was here. 

When he made it back to Earth, his first instinct was to find the other hedgehog. It made illogical sense, as he knew Sonic had worked with G.U.N. in the past and knew for a fact that Shadow was dangerous, which would lead him to the obvious conclusion that Shadow should be put back in stasis until the end of time. And yet, here he was, in Sonic’s home, all because… 

Because he had a feeling that Sonic wouldn’t.

But feelings had steered him wrong before. 

“Okay, I’ll-” Tom ran a hand down his face and sighed. “Look, I know it's probably urgent or something, but do you think it could wait till morning? Sonic is… impossible to wake up peacefully, especially in the middle of the night.”

Shadow nodded. “There’s no urgency, Wachowski. I’m only here to discuss where to go from here, and I figured Sonic might have some sort of mission he needs assistance with.”

Tom just nodded, looking like he had no idea what Shadow was talking about. “R- Right. Well, you can… sleep on the couch, I guess. At least until we get you a proper bed.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the human, but didn’t argue, he simply followed the man around the house as he gathered a pillow and a blanket and set them up on the aforementioned couch. He kept glancing back at Shadow, as if he wanted to make sure he was still there, or like he didn’t understand why he was following him, but the hedgehog didn’t say a word. 

“Okay, well, get some rest. Maddie usually has breakfast done at ten, since Sonic likes to sleep in, so I hope you like pancakes.” There was an awkward pause. “...Yep. See you.”

“Wait,” Shadow started, a little unsurely. “Why… Why are you… like this?”

Tom just clicked his tongue. “I get asked that a lot in this house.”

The alien rolled his eyes. “I mean, why are you not afraid of me? I tried to kill you, remember?”

“Yeah, well, you thought I was Commander Walters, to be fair. Plus, you did kind of save the world? So I assume you’re probably not gonna kill me right now. Probably.”

Shadow shook his head. “You’re too… trusting. You should watch your back more, Wachowski.” 

“Is that a threat or advice?”

“...Advice.” He decided. 

Tom did not look convinced, but did not argue with him. “Alright, well, sleep well.”

With that, Tom Wachowski flicked a lamp light off and made his way out of the room, and Shadow could hear his steps travelling up the staircase. 

The human… didn’t hate him. 

…Okay. 

<><><>

Tom sighed as he crawled into bed, laying himself face down into his pillow. 

“Everything okay?” Maddie asked sleepily, lazily flopping her hand around until it found Tom’s back. 

“Yeah,” He said, muffled by the pillow before he turned his head to the side so his wife could hear him. “But I think we have a new kid.”

Chapter Text

Shadow did not sleep. 

How could he? The last time he was asleep, it was because he was in stasis, forced to relive the memory of Maria’s fate over and over again for fifty years. So, yeah, he wasn’t exactly fond of the hobby. 

…Knuckles was the first one to wake up. 

He seemed surprised when he saw the hedgehog, but did not seem angry. He seemed glad, in fact, as a smile spread across his face as soon as he processed the other’s presence. 

“Dark Hedgehog!” He greeted, voice alight with glee. “You are alive!”

Shadow nodded. 

Knuckles laughed. “At last! We must have a rematch! I have been training for a moment like this.”

“I’m… not here to fight,” Shadow explained. “I’m just here to-”

“Ah,” Knuckles immediately dropped his fist, looking disappointed. “That is a shame; I have improved much since our last battle, and am confident I could best you this time!”

Shadow just narrowed his eyes, not believing him for a moment. 

“Still, I am confused.” The red one continued. “How are you here, and not in the great battleground in the sky? After all, you died so honorably.”

The hedgehog shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it ‘honorable’, but-” He paused, mind reeling. “I- I don’t understand. Why are you not… angry?” 

He lifted a brow. “Angry that you are alive? No, I suppose I am not. But Sonic did tell us of your great sacrifice for our home, so that has quelled most of our ‘bad blood’ as they say on Earth.” 

Shadow furrowed his brows, but chose not to say anything in retort. He simply stared at the echidna until he glanced around the room uncomfortably. “Speaking of Sonic, is he… awake?”

Knuckles frowned. “No, I’m afraid not. The blue hedgehog does not like to wake until hours after the sun has risen. He won’t be up for a few hours longer.”

The shorter of the two looked down to the ground, feeling dejected almost. He supposed he should have expected this, as G.U.N. ‘s database did list Sonic as ‘unreliable’ among a few other things. Still, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he would have to wait for a few more hours to get the answers he so desperately needed. 

Knuckles seemed to pick up on this, as he rested a (very large) hand on top of Shadow’s shoulder, to the hedgehog’s unease. He knew that technically he could take the echidna in a fight, but he didn’t really want to destroy the Wachowski house or its inhabitants, as that would alert G.U.N. that something was wrong. “Don’t fret, young hedgehog! You may come to warrior training with me and my protege, Wade Whipple, if you so desire. That way, by the time we return, Sonic will have already awoken!”

“I’m… over fifty years old.” Shadow corrected, gently shaking Knuckles’ fist off of his shoulder. “And no, but… thank you. I’ll just wait for him here.”

The taller nodded, seeming to understand Shadow’s commitment to seeing the other hedgehog. “Very well. I shall see you at breakfast then. Fare well, Dark Hedgehog!”

Knuckles did not seem to hear Shadow correcting him on his name, as he simply made his way out of the front door without another word, already in the zone for warrior training.

The next to wake up was the other human, Madeline.

“Oh my god!” She exclaimed, having just looked up from her tiny TV long enough to see the hedgehog sitting patiently on her couch. 

Shadow clenched his fists silently. This was Tom’s wife, the closest person to the human he almost killed. If anyone was going to hate him for it, it would be her. 

“S- Shadow?” Madeline asked, voice higher in frequency than Shadow preferred. “What’re you- How are-” She cut herself off and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “Of course the evil hedgehog is alive. Get with the program, Maddie.” She said to herself, opening her eyes as soon as she was finished. “Hello, hedgehog-who-almost-killed-my-husband. Why are you in my house?”

Shadow just looked up at her inquisitively. “Didn’t Tom tell you? I’m here for Sonic.”

“No, Tom did not tell me that you were in our house. I will have to have a word with him.” She said offhandedly. “What do you want with Sonic exactly? Because, trust me, if you’re plotting something, I can get G.U.N. here in two seconds flat-”

“No!” Shadow cut in, standing with his hands going up to try and dissuade the woman. “I’m not- Please, don’t tell G.U.N.” He pleaded. 

The human paused at this, though Shadow was unsure why. She had no reason to actually believe him, as the last time they encountered each other was over Tom’s unconscious body, so he was a little unsure as to why she wasn’t already calling G.U.N. in at this very moment. Regardless, Shadow needed to take advantage of the few seconds he was given. “I’m just here to talk to Sonic, that’s all. I’m not… associated with any of the Robotnik’s anymore.”

Madeline just nodded slowly as she absorbed the boy’s words. “Well… okay, fine, sure, you’re not with a Robotnik. Sonic did tell us that you helped stop that lazer. I’m just confused on how you’re… alive?”

Shadow stood up straighter. “I am the Ultimate Life Form, a simple cannon cannot best me.”

“Mhm, yeah. Totally.” She said in an odd tone. “Well, uh, Sonic won’t be up for a while, so if you really do want to talk with him, you’ll have to wait.”

The hedgehog nodded. “I am aware. Thank you, Madeline Wachowski.”

The woman just took another deep breath. “Okay,” 

Madeline went on to go start preparing breakfast, leaving Shadow to wait in the living room. Every so often, she would peek her head out from the kitchen, like she thought Shadow had left or something. But no, since Sonic had yet to wake, Shadow remained. That did not seem to ease her nerves, if anything, it made them worse. Why wouldn’t it? Shadow had gravely injured her husband, and had done nothing to earn her trust back. Of course she would be on edge. 

After the third time she peeked her head in, she made her way to the staircase and silently went upstairs, leaving Shadow confused. Was she calling G.U.N.? Has she changed her mind? It took a couple of minutes, but when she returned, she had the small yellow fox with her. 

“Oh wow, you really are alive.” Miles said, blue eyes widened. 

Shadow’s eyebrows creased together at the insult to his skill level, but didn’t comment. 

“Hey, just so you know,” Madeline started, crossing her arms. “I tried to wake Sonic - and Tom - but neither would get up yet. Sorry.” 

Shadow nodded once. “I understand. Thank you.”

Both Madeline and Miles looked baffled by his response for some reason, but he said nothing else, simply watching as they both awkwardly walked towards the kitchen once more. Miles sat at the dining room table, watching Shadow warily, as though he were about to explode or something, and occasionally whispering something to Madeline, though Shadow didn’t care to listen. 

It took about another fifthteen minutes, but finally, finally, Sonic came down the staircase, looking like an absolute wreck. His quills were sticking in odd directions, he could barely keep his head up, and he fanned a hand over his open mouth as he yawned, clearly in no rush to be anywhere this morning. “Ah, Maddie, why’d you have to wake me up so early? I’m so tired from… actually, I have no idea what I did yesterday.”

It made Shadow angry. He had spent countless hours searching for Sonic - breaking into top secret bases that would trap him for the rest of his life if given the chance - and waited patiently throughout the night for him to wake up, and he didn’t even have the dignity to acknowledge his existence? Seriously?

Shadow wasted no time on thinking, he simply just teleported behind the hedgehog and kicked him in the head. 

Sonic fell to the ground with a thud, causing Madeline and Miles to rush into the entryway. “Ow! Knuckles, what was the sneak attack for?” He asked, muffled from face planting into the floor. 

“Shadow!” Madeline exclaimed, hurrying to help pick Sonic up. “I thought you said you were just here to talk?!”

“Talking is for people who arrive on time,” Shadow explained. “This one did not.”

“Wait, did you say-” Sonic cut himself off as he turned around, finally registering Shadow’s presence. He was quiet for a moment, but after a few seconds, his face lit up with joy. “Shadow! You’re- You’re alive!”

“I am,” He started, crossing his arms over his chest. “For a minute, I thought you were dead as well, given your resistance to waking up.”

Sonic sputtered at this. “Wha- bu- how? What about the cannon, and the explosion! The moon blew up! How did you survive?”

Shadow shrugged his shoulders. “I’m the Ultimate Life Form.”

“That… explains nothing.” 

It was at this moment that Knuckles had decided to return, opening the front door casually and waltzing in like this was a normal scene. “Sonic! You are up early today.” 

“Okay, so what if I sleep in? It’s not a crime!” He retorted. “Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that Shadow is here! What’re you doing here, buddy? I didn’t think I’d ever see you again! Why’d you kick me in the head?”

Shadow just sighed and closed his eyes, counting to ten mentally. When he was finished, he opened them back up and spoke. “I’m here to find out what we’re doing now.”

Sonic furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?” 

“What is… the goal going forward? The mission?” He asked. “What do we do now?”

“Oh. Well, I mean, there’s not really a current ‘mission’ right now, Shadow. Sure, me, Tails, and Knuckles protect the Master Emerald, but other than that, we kinda just hang out, especially since the Robotnik’s are gone and G.U.N. is off our backs.”

Shadow nodded, though he was still a bit confused. “I see. You’re just awaiting the next threat.”

“...Sure, something like that.” Sonic said, not explaining any further. “But hey, you’re welcome to join us! Right, Mom?”

Sonic looked up at Madeline, who is definitely not his mother, and his green eyes dilated, opening wider for some reason. There seemed to be a silent conversation happening between the two, an argument of some kind if Madeline’s face was anything to go by. Eventually the woman sighed and looked at the other hedgehog. “Yup. You’re free to stay here until you find out what you want to do.”

Shadow nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Madeline Wachowski.”

“Sure. Just, no more kicking anyone in the head, okay? Violence isn’t what we do around here.” 

His eyes widened, surprised, but he didn’t argue. He just nodded again. “Understood.”

“Great. Well, I am going to finish up breakfast, but why don’t you all show Shadow your room? I’m positive you guys have some fun stuff up there.”

“Ooh, good idea!” Sonic exclaimed, grabbing Shadow by the hand and dragging him up the staircase. “C’mon, Shadow! I’ll show you all my comics and games!”

Shadow followed since he didn’t really have a choice, but also because he sensed that Madeline Wachowski did not seem to actually want him there very much. It did send a pang of something through him, but he ignored it in favor of teleporting them to the top of the staircase, to Sonic’s dismay. “Oh god, I’m gonna throw up!”

<><><>

Tom smiled as soon as he smelled pancakes, making his way into the kitchen to grab a plate before Maddie stood and looked at him with her arms crossed. 

“...What?” He asked, looking around for any kind of problem. “What’d I do?”

She just sighed deeply. “Tom, is there something you forgot to tell me last night?”

He went over everything he should have said to her in his head, eventually settling on “I love you?” before Maddie just rolled her eyes. 

“Tom,” She started. “Shadow is here.”

“Oh,” He realized out loud. “No, I’m pretty sure I told you that last night.”

“No, all you told me is that we had a new kid. I thought you just meant Wade was staying the night again!”

Tom shrugged. “I was tired, okay? I didn’t have the energy to fully explain, I’m sorry.” 

Maddie sighed, but her shoulders relaxed. “It's fine, I just- I got really worried when I saw him this morning, that’s all. The last time I saw him…” She trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence to Tom’s interpretation. 

He walked over to his wife and put a hand on her shoulder. “I know, but remember what Sonic said about him? He saved the world; I don’t think he’s going to harm us.”

“A Robotnik could have sent him though…”

“The Robotnik’s are dead.” He reassured. 

“That didn’t stop them before.” Maddie looked Tom in the eyes, worry creasing her face. 

Her husband sighed and moved his hand up to cup it. “He gets one chance, okay? Everyone deserves at least one. And after that, if he does anything evil or nefarious, we’ll call G.U.N.”

Maddie nodded, this compromise seeming to placate her worry. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.” 

They leaned forward and kissed each other softly, before both of them continued on with their morning routine. 

It was going to be an interesting day.

Chapter Text

Shadow truly wished that Madeline Wachowski did condone violence. 

After getting a full tour of the Wachowski family residence, the other mobians clearly didn’t know what to do with Shadow, as they kind of just stared at him for a minute before Sonic had snapped his fingers. “Hey, we should show you around town too! You’re gonna love Green Hills, trust me! We have the best neighbors here.”

Shadow just shook his head. “Not a good idea; G.U.N. might see me.”

Miles raised a brow at this. “So?”

The black hedgehog just stared at the kid like he was stupid. 

“Oh, right,” Sonic said, scratching his chin and looking up at the ceiling. “They think you’re dead.”

“And it’s better that way,” Shadow stated. “If they knew I was alive, they would just put me back in suspended animation. Or worse.”

Everyone nodded at that, muttering some form of understanding. “You did try to blow us up, to be fair,” the blue one threw in as well. Shadow winced, but decided not to defend himself for obvious reasons. 

“So, are we just supposed to hide you from them forever?” Miles asked, looking at his friends to gauge their thoughts. “That’s not exactly practical.”

“It is what we must do,” Knuckles added, fist against his chest. “For if G.U.N. knew of his status, they might do what they attempted with you and Sonic.” 

Miles frowned. “Yeah, but… what if we lie to G.U.N. and they find out? They would do the same to us!”

“Which is exactly why we all gotta stick together!” Sonic exclaimed, placing a hand on Knuckles and Miles’ shoulders. “G.U.N. 's turned on us before, remember? If we tell them we have Shadow, they won’t let us keep him! They’ll just send him back over to the stasis chamber and call it a day until another fifty years pass!”

Shadow’s eyes widened at this, a little surprised by Sonic’s response. He… He was insisting that they not tell G.U.N. …Huh.

“We’re stronger together anyways, right guys?” Sonic finished, extending his fist forward. The other two did the same, lightly tapping them all together before they all looked to Shadow expectantly. 

He simply looked back at them, baffled, when Sonic spoke up again. “It’s a power-bump! Sorry, I thought you might know that since you’ve been on Earth longer.”

“You simply put your hand into a fist and bump it against the others! Gently, though. It is not supposed to cause pain.” Knuckles explained, like he had to learn that the hard way. 

The darker hedgehog narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“It’s like a promise,” Miles said happily. “Unbreakable! It’s very serious.”

Shadow nodded. “I see. And you want… me to join?”

“Well, yeah, buddy! This whole promise is about you, after all.”

“And yet, I still don’t understand why this ‘power-bump’ is necessary,” he admitted. “You don’t owe me anything. Why promise me something like that?”

Sonic’s smile fell and he dropped his hand to his side. “Huh?”

“You don’t owe me safety,” Shadow clarified. “If anything, I owe it to you.”

The blue one looked at him like he was crazy. “Wait, what? You don’t owe me anything!”

“Don’t be foolish,” Shadow turned and crossed his arms. “I owe you everything.”

With that, he teleported back downstairs, leaving the three others to process his words. 

Sonic had no idea what he had done for him, had he?

“Jesus!” Someone startled, and Shadow turned to face them. 

Turns out, Shadow had teleported into the entryway, directly in Tom’s line of sight as he was sitting on the couch eating… something that looked good. 

“Do you… do that often?” Tom asked, looking bewildered. 

“What, my chaos control?” Shadow clarified. “Yes. It’s the most efficient way to travel.”

The human nodded. “Seems super convenient. And cost effective. And just straight up cool.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I suppose,”

“Hey, did you get breakfast yet?” Tom questioned, and Shadow perked up a bit at the word. “The pancakes are done, obviously.”

“Am I… allowed some?” he asked cautiously, unsure if it was a trick question or not. 

Tom just looked at him funny. “Of course, bud. You need food, after all.”

Shadow worried his lip between his teeth. He was being offered food. Real food, not those protein packs that they gave him in the lab. No, this was the real deal, the kind of stuff that he could only have when Maria snuck him a treat or two. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a real meal. 

Probably because he didn’t think he ever had a full one. 

He nodded at Tom. “Thank you. I am indebted to you.”

Tom huffed at that. “No need for that, Shadow. Food is the least we can give you.”

The words confused him, but Shadow wasn’t going to argue, not when there were some ‘pancakes’ with his name on them. So, he made his way to the kitchen, choosing to walk since his teleporting seemed to throw off the others slightly. 

Maddie was no longer there, though he wasn’t sure where she went. Probably to get dressed and ready for the day. So that left him with the task of serving himself. 

Luckily, the kitchen was equipped with a step stool, so Shadow used that to look over the scene, eyeing everything with an analytical gaze. 

He spotted a plate with pancakes on top of it, and then three more empty plates set off to the side. Most likely one for each alien in the house. So where did that leave his? 

Shadow glanced around, eventually deciding on opening each of the cabinets until he found an extra plate. Perfect. He set two pancakes on top of it. 

He opened drawers until he found a fork and knife, ultimately deciding that wielding a knife in this house might leave everyone with a bad taste in their mouth, and just taking the fork. 

Shadow looked around again, eyeing the containers of various food-things. There was a red can to one side that said ‘Whip Cream’, a bottle that said ‘Syrup’, and a few bowls of berries and little brown pebbles. He didn’t know just how much he was supposed to take, so he took a few berries and put them on top of the pancakes, like how Tom’s had been. 

There. That seemed adequate. At least, it seemed like a meal?

He decided to join Tom in the living room, as the dining room was empty and he didn’t know if he was supposed to eat there or not. The human seemed surprised when he sat himself down beside him, but Shadow ignored that and the heavy feeling of anxiousness he got in his gut because of it. 

“No syrup? That’s just a crime.” Tom remarked. 

Shadow’s eyes widened just the tiniest bit. Was he supposed to put syrup on it? Was it actually illegal not to? Did he just make the worst mistake he could? 

Tom laughed a bit, stabbing his fork into his own pancakes. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. If you like it plain, then you like it plain. Don’t let me stop you. Although I could have sworn you were a chocolate chip guy.”

Shadow glared at him, but didn’t comment, instead following Tom’s footsteps and cutting into his pancake. He lifted it up to his mouth and bit it, tasting this breakfast meal for the first time. 

…It was a little plain, but it was good. Probably would have been better with the syrup, like Tom had implied, but not terrible. Definitely better than a protein pack, that’s for sure. The texture was certainly amazing though. Soft and fluffy. And it tasted better if he ate it with the little berries he supplied himself with. 

“Are they good?” Tom asked. 

“They are… adequate.” 

A moment later, Madeline and the other three aliens made their way down the stairs, most of them glancing at Shadow a bit uncomfortably, probably because of the way he stormed out earlier. 

He ignored them in favor of pancakes. 

“...You guys okay?” Tom questioned him quietly. 

He glared again, pushing the food around on his plate. “They just don’t understand what I mean.”

The human raised a brow. “What you mean?”

“They don’t-” Shadow sighed. “Sonic says I don’t owe him anything, but he’s wrong. I owe my life to him, but he doesn’t seem to want to accept that. And now they’re all looking at me like I’m crazy. I don't know, maybe I don’t understand what they mean.”

Tom seemed to ponder this for a moment, taking another bite of his dwindling pancakes before speaking again. “Why don’t you just talk to him?”

“Huh?”

“Talk to Sonic,” Tom suggested. “If neither of you understand the other, then just talk it out. Sure, it might be uncomfortable, but communication basically solves everything, so it can’t hurt.”

Shadow bit his bottom lip, thinking over the human’s words. Communication. Was it really so simple? 

“It can’t hurt,” Shadow repeated, also taking another bite. 

He had a hedgehog he needed to talk to.

<><><>

After breakfast, Tom and Madeline had left for work, and Sonic had gone on a run, leaving Shadow without a hedgehog to talk to. And he couldn’t exactly follow the guy because he didn’t want to be seen by G.U.N., so he was a little stumped for the moment. 

He debated all of the things he could do, or rather, debated all of the things he was allowed to do. No one had given him any orders yet, nor had they given him any rules, so he didn’t know what he could get away with. 

He decided on cleaning. Nothing could ever be too clean, could it? Plus, no one ever seemed to want to clean, if the Professor using it as a punishment for him and Maria was anything to go by. It was perfect. It would put him in good graces (hopefully). 

Shadow started by making his bed, or tidying the couch, whatever. Same thing. Next, he picked up the random objects littered about (where does he put a crayon-shaped container of bolts?) and vacuumed. Then he cleaned the coffee table and dusted the shelves, and by the time he was washing the windows, Sonic had returned. 

“Uh, Shadow? Are you… cleaning our house?”

“Oh, you’re back.” Shadow set the bottle of ‘Windex’ down onto the coffee table. “Good, now we can talk.”

“Wait, what?” Sonic asked. “I didn’t do anything this time!”

Shadow raised a brow. 

“Oh, right, that’s Tom.” he said, making Shadow roll his eyes. “What’s up, buddy?”

He sighed. “Tom said… that because we don’t understand each other, we need to talk through this whole ‘you don’t owe me’ thing.”

“Well, yeah, we could’ve if you didn’t run away,” Sonic said, also rolling his eyes. “But, whatever, that’s fine, I get that you’re not exactly the best with these kinds of things.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Well, you only had one friend, right? This is a new experience for you, especially since it's been fifty years.” Sonic sat on the couch, gesturing for Shadow to as well. He obliged. 

“Is that backhanded, or genuine?” Shadow asked. 

“See? No sense of how to tell tone.”

Shadow glared at him. “So backhanded then.”

“Nah, but it was funnier pretending that it was so I could see the look on your face.” he smiled at him, only pissing the other off more. “So, what’s up? The ‘owing me’ thing? Yeah, that was weird. Why’d you say that?”

Shadow tried his best to stop glaring, but that was unfortunately not his strong suit. “Because I owe you.”

“You don’t though,” Sonic’s smile fell a bit. “You know that, right?”

“Clearly I don’t. Explain your reasoning.”

Sonic shrugged. “Explain yours.”

He sighed. “You’re the only reason I’m alive right now. Technically, I owe that to you, so I don’t understand why you think otherwise, or why you’re helping me so much.”

Sonic scoffed, not out of disrespect, more like he didn’t believe him. “I mean, you saved my life too, so I don’t know why you’d think that.”

“So you’re saying… we’re even?”

“What, no! I mean- yeah, we are even, but not because of some weird, transactional thing! We’re just on the same side, that’s all!”

“But we weren’t, not before.” Shadow argued. 

“Wait wait wait, are you saying that I saved your life by choosing not to kill you? I didn’t do that for you, that was something I needed for my personal character growth!”

“I said you’re the reason I’m alive, not that you saved me, dumbass.”

Sonic gaped at him. “Hey! Also, just so you know, Maddie does not condone that type of language. But also hey!”

Shadow nodded. “Noted. And also, I don't lie… Dummy.”

“Rude!”

“We’re getting nowhere, keep going.”

Sonic sighed. “Well, we’re friends, right? Friends do stuff for each other without wanting anything in return.”

Shadow frowned. “And now we’re back to point A: we weren’t friends before you decided not to kill me. And we weren’t exactly friends after, or- …or now.”

The blue one frowned at that. 

He continued. “The only reason I’m even here is because I thought you needed my help with something. And- And I’m still here because I still owe you. I can’t leave until I make sure that every loose end is tied.”

It was quiet for a long moment, and Shadow assumed that the conversation was over, so he stood to make his way towards the kitchen, as he hadn’t cleaned in there yet. He wasn’t finished in the living room yet either, but that would have to wait, as Sonic was here and he felt the need to escape right now. 

“...Did Maria expect you to do things for her, Shadow?”

Shadow froze, his eyes widening at the use of her name. “...Well, n- no, but-”

Sonic didn’t interrupt for once, instead he just sat there and listened. 

The black one slowly sat back down, not looking Sonic in the eyes. “...Maria didn’t.”

The other’s brows creased together. “But Robotnik did?”

He nodded. 

“Did you consider him your friend too?”

Shadow didn’t know what to say to that. “...It's not like he wasn’t my friend.”

“But he expected things like that from you.”

He sighed. “He saved me, Sonic-”

“So what?” Sonic asked, getting a little angrier. 

“So, that’s what that means, Sonic!” Shadow exclaimed. “If someone saves you, you owe them, got it? That’s common knowledge on Earth!”

“And who told you that?!”

“The Professor did!” Shadow shouted, before his eyes widened again. 

Sonic crossed his arms, though he didn’t look smug about his win, he just looked… saddened. 

Shadow took in a shaky breath, clenching his fists. “...He never lied about Earth stuff, though.”

“Well, yeah, maybe he didn’t, but only because there are some people who genuinely believe that rhetoric. But more often than not, the people who believe it only do because someone who wanted to use them taught them that.” Sonic placed a hand on Shadow’s shoulder. “It’s not true, buddy.”

He shook his head. “But, it must be. Maria would have told me if it wasn’t.”

“Did Maria even know that’s what you thought?” he asked. 

Shadow paused at that, thinking back fifty years and looking through hundreds of memories. He couldn’t remember.

“And, who’s to say Robotnik didn’t teach her that too?” Sonic added. “Wait, let’s put it this way: if Maria saved your life, do you think she would have expected things from you?”

Shadow knew the answer he wanted to say wouldn’t be true. 

“That’s just because they’re different people,” he argued. “Maria is just too nice for that, and the Professor is too-”

“Evil?”

“He’s not evil,” Shadow defended. “At least, not before- before the accident. He was good, Sonic. Sure, he could be harsh, but he wasn’t cruel, not the way you’re suggesting. And what if- what if he was someone who got taught it by someone bad, huh? What then?”

Sonic just looked saddened again. “At his age, he should have known that’s not how things worked by then. He was using you, Shadow, just like he was using you and Eggman to power the Eclipse Cannon.”

“No!” Shadow exclaimed, pushing Sonic’s hand off of his shoulder. “That’s not true! He wasn’t using me!”

“Then why did he free you from stasis?” the other countered.

“Because- Because-!”

Shadow sat there, panting harshly while Sonic just stared at him. 

He couldn’t think of a reason. He could, actually, but he didn’t really believe any of them. The only one he could believe was the truthful one. 

Because the Professor needed him. 

“...Oh my god,” he started, voice cracking. “He used me.”

Sonic bit his lip, worrying it between his teeth as Shadow’s entire worldview shifted. 

He teleported to the bathroom almost as soon as he felt the first tear drop, slamming the door shut loudly before starting to sob violently. 

He was so gullible. 

<><><>

Shadow made his way back to the living room with reddened eyes, filled with shame as he found Sonic waiting there for him, even a half hour later. 

He sat down next to the other wordlessly, waiting for him to say something. Shadow didn’t look at him, only staring at the ground in hopes that it would swallow him up. 

Sonic didn’t say anything, he just watched him for a moment before reaching forward and wrapping him in a hug. 

Shadow had never felt more humiliated in his life, and yet, the hug was… comforting. 

He did not hug back, but his chin did rest on Sonic’s shoulder, and that’s as close as he was going to get. 

When Sonic pulled back, he smiled at the other sadly. “You are my friend, Shadow. I hope you know that.”

When Shadow didn’t respond, Sonic continued. “Hey, why don’t you say we go do something fun, yeah? Maybe a video game? Or, no, you probably wouldn’t like that very much. How about something you like to do?”

Shadow raised a brow. “Something I like to do?”
“Yeah! Like, what’s something you and Maria used to do?” Sonic asked. 

He thought back again. Races? Not enough room (he wasn’t sure if he would win or not). Reading together? Sonic didn’t seem the type. Roller skating? Did the Wachowski’s have roller skates?

“...I like movies. Though, I’m sure there’s quite a lot that have come out in fifty years.” Shadow suggested, testing the waters. 

Sonic’s face lit up. “Ugh, perfect! I was really worried you were going to say ‘reading’ or something, but I love movies! And this is the perfect time to catch you up on pop culture! Tell me, have you seen any of the Indiana Jones movies?”

“No?”

“Perfect! We’ll watch them all!”

“How long will that take?” Shadow asked. 

“Let’s find out!” Sonic exclaimed, quickly running to the kitchen. “I’m making popcorn!” he shouted from a distance. Shadow rolled his eyes at him, but a movie with popcorn sounded really nice right now. Maybe he could even throw some at him, although he did just vacuum in here. 

<><><>

By the time Maddie and Tom got home, they were at The Last Crusade, and 9 hours and 6 minutes after they started, they were both asleep on the couch, tucked under a blanket that Maddie had draped over them. They did not make it past the fourth movie.