Equal Footing

Low voices and footsteps was the only warning Shadow got before the door to his apartment was suddenly ripped open.

As far as the hybrid knew, the apartment was supposed to be his for the day.

Omega was out planting bombs in a newly discovered Robotnik facility and Rouge had curtly told him that she was spending the day with the echidna together and he should not wait up for her.

So feeling surprised was an understatement when the very same bat strode into their shared apartment with the echidna and Sonic's brother in tow.

The kit was the first to notice him, also the only one who seemed to have an actual reaction to seeing him.

“Oh, Shadow hey!” He waved his hand excitedly before ducking behind the bat.

Shadow knew that the fox kit still sometimes struggled with interacting with him, the shared time in the void together had only partially helped his fear, but that did not mean it did not hurt when he hid himself away from the hybrid.

“Fox.” Shadow greeted the kid, moving his eyes as fast as he could away from him in order to not intimidate him further.

He curtly nodded at the other two. “Echidna. Rouge.”

The black hedgehog had not spent a lot of time with the others since their time in the void, except for the occasional run in of course.

It did not help the matter that Robotnik had been strangely quiet since they had returned and most of his social interactions normally happened during fights.

The echidna wordlessly back at him, seeming just as confused by this situation like Shadow felt. At least Shadow felt a bit reassured at that.

Rouge of course, the only one who could be responsible for all of them showing up at their apartment and also the only one with another set of keys to this place, feigned innocence as she smiled at him.

“Shadow. Good thing we've run into you!” The bat’s smile widened.

She knew damn well that he had decided to stay home for the day like most days before. Instead of humouring her, Shadow gave her a flat look, entirely unamused.

Without missing a beat, Rouge draped her hands over the echidna’s shoulders, pulling him closer and accidentally leaving the kit behind her fully exposed. “Knuckles over here needs some company.”

“Company?” Shadow exclaimed, frowning, at the same time as the echidna spluttered, “No, I don't!”

“Company, yes.” Rouge continued, acting like she had not even heard the echidna’s protests. She dropped her hands before turning to the fox. “Because the kid and I have a date to get to.”

The kit nodded as he looked very excited over whatever him and her had planned.

She grabbed the fox by the arm, already dragging him towards the door as she called out to them, “Have fun, boys!”

Shadow watched the two of them leave, already internally saying goodbye to the calm uneventful evening he had planned with himself before turning to the echidna.

For a moment they shared a long suffering look that only two people that had endured Rouge’s shenanigans could have.

Brushing past him, the echidna took a seat onto their old living room coach that had already come with the apartment. Shadow leaned against the doorframe, his eyes not leaving the other.

“Any idea what they’re up to?” Shadow asked.

Whatever the fox and Rouge had planned, it must have been better than whatever she and the echidna had planned for the day.

The hybrid wondered whether he should care more If Rouge decided to teach the kit more bad habits, but first of all the kid was none of his business and second of all he was intelligent enough to say no when things got too out of hand.

At least Shadow hoped he did.

And If he had heard during their void time correctly, then the kit already had enough bad habits to start with.

Who knew, maybe Rouge could be the voice of reason for once?

“Hm?” The other opened his eyes that he had closed just a moment before. He frowned, almost like he had already forgotten that they had been left alone before he finally explained, “Oh. They want to fly together.”

Ah.

Shadow remembered that Rouge had brought up the idea while they had been forced to watch somebody else’s lives.

He would not pretend to understand how important the idea of flying with someone else together was, since the hybrid was not actually capable of flying but even to him it seemed nice.

That did not excuse the bat dumping her special friend on him. They might have come to a silent understanding during their time in the void, and Shadow had to admit that the echidna and him seemed more alike than he had initially thought but regardless, he had still been looking forward to an evening alone.

Coming to think of it, Shadow wondered why the other had not gone with them. Had he not seen the echidna glide on one or more occasions?

Shadow hummed in understanding before asking, “And flying is not your thing?”

A strange look was sent his way. “Why would it be?” The other questioned like it had been insane for him to even think that the echidna liked spending time with the two.

Especially since he had actually argued against Rouge’s claims right in front of him just a moment ago.

If the echidna had to ask, then the other would not be impressed by the idea of watching the two fly together being interesting.

Turning every point and argument over in his head, Shadow finally came to the only point he had left. Mind you, it was not a good point, but still better than simply shrugging as a reply.

“You have a floating island.”

Silence followed as the other owlishly blinked at him, realizing that Shadow had a point.

Despite how ridiculous he found his own argumentation, the hybrid could not help but proudly smirk, turning his head away to hide his own expression.

Finally the echidna settled on, “It doesn’t float all the time.” And If Shadow did not know any better, he would almost say that the other sounded actually defensive.

The two fell silent, awkwardly avoiding each other’s gaze. Only then did Shadow remember that he had wanted to talk with the echidna about their similar pasts.

Until the void it had never occurred to Shadow that other people could relate to his experiences and to his trauma.

Rose had been sympathetic towards him. She had been the first person to listen and feel with him and Shadow was very grateful about that.

But there was just a different feeling about people that had their own traumatic experiences that rivalled his own. Even If Shadow did not wish anyone trauma, at least he felt somewhat seen like that.

Finally Shadow spoke, “How have you been since-” Only for his voice to falter when he did not know how to phrase the incident correctly.

“Since the whole trapped in a void thing and watching the lives of alternate selves?” The other finished his sentence drily.

Shadow just nodded in return.

“Strangely okay.” The echidna finally continued after a long pause, where he had thought about his feelings. “Don’t get me wrong, this whole thing was really weird and strange-”

Shadow nodded in agreement.

The Voice had not spoken to them- to him since the incident was over. It was still horrifying that something could just whisk them up from their world and bring them to a white plain of nonexistence, but still life had returned to normal.

Birds still sung, the world still turned and now they had the knowledge of alternate lives in different dimensions.

“-but it was also kind of interesting.”

Shadow sighed. “They seemed like good people.”

A little bit naive maybe, entirely unexperienced, but good people nonetheless.

As far as Shadow remembered they were just as old as them, but still acted so different.

At times they might have had similar opinions and thoughts just like their counterparts, but it was obvious how much their own experiences had shaped them.

“I still try to wrap my head around the concept that alternate selves of ourselves would go through relatively similar things.” Shadow admitted. “I would have expected their lives to be entirely different from ours.”

The echidna laughed. “That’s where the problem starts: At what point does an alternate self stop being you and start becoming a new person?”

Shadow frowned, turning the thought over in his own head a few times.

They were already their own people, Shadow knew, but still they had expected them to behave a specific way, to be like them.

“And also, they kind of have entirely different lives.” The other continued like he had not just shared the most philosophical thought Shadow had ever heard. ”My counterpart lives with Sonic and Tails. They have parents! That’s pretty different to me.”

That difference still felt entirely strange to him.

Shadow could not imagine Sonic in any kind of situation, where someone else set the rules for him. He knew that the blue hedgehog had felt similar as it had taken Sonic a long time to warm up to his counterpart having parents.

In contrast to that, the kit had seemed very excited about that possibility. But Shadow assumed that nothing much would change for the fox anyway - since he already had a parent figure in his older brother.

The echidna was right. Their counterparts were very different from them.

Still, Shadow could not help but point out, “And yet both of our counterparts fell for Robotnik.”

The other tensed at that change of topic. He seemed almost uncomfortable, but still he pulled himself together. “Just like we did.” His voice sounded strangely calm, especially since his body was still tense like a coil spring.

“We did.” Shadow echoed, sounding extremely tired.

The echidna chuckled, the noise oddly bitter. “I haven’t thought about that since-” He paused, dragging one hand across his face before sighing. “They really made us confront our own past, huh?”

“Our past…”

Images rushed past Shadow’s eyes, too fast for him actually see them but he knew them by heart nonetheless.

It hurt so much seeing his counterpart go through the same pain as him. Just like it hurt to see Sonic’s counterpart suffer. But not as much as seeing their world’s Maria die.

The memory of his own Maria shoving him into an escape pod, doing everything to keep him safe, even as she took her last breath- it had taken him a long time to not cry at remembering her. And even know the grief was still there, it had become an old friend, instead of his worst enemy.

“It’s funny, I haven’t stopped thinking about them.” Shadow admitted.

When the other turned to look at him, seeming very surprised, whether at the admission itself or that he was open enough to admit it to him, Shadow did not know.

“I wish we could have helped them.”

If Shadow had gotten the chance to be there and help them, he would have taken it in a heartbeat. He knew he was not the only one.

In that regard the void had seemed like torture. They could watch the most intimate scenes, learn new things about themselves and each other and bond, but they could do nothing as the people they had begun to like were hit over and over again.

A shaky exhale. The echidna’s face was twisted into a grimace as he mumbled, “If we could, they would not have grown on their own.”

Logically Shadow knew the other was right.

If he had been spared from his grief, If someone had swooped in and saved him, and his family, all those years ago- would he still be the same hedgehog he was today?

But his feelings told another story. He wanted to scream at the injustice of it all. If they had already gone through it, suffered through it, why did they also have to? Why could they not use their pain and the growth that had come from it, and save their counterparts from it?

“They would have suffered even more.” Shadow replied.

It might not have been instant, but Shadow still knew he was right.

If they had been able to protect them, shelter them from all harm, they would be even more vulnerable. Sheltered people did not stay safe, instead they became a target for even worse people.

“I wonder how Amy is going to be like.” The echidna tilted his head to the side, loudly thinking, “Probably just as strong as our Amy. You think she’ll bring even danger with her?”

“Metal Sonic arrived with Rose.” Shadow reminded him. “That could become dangerous.”

“An army of them too.” The other chuckled. “Don’t know If Sonic would agree with you on that.”

Before the projections, none of them would have considered Robotnik to be an actual danger either.

Shadow completely ignored the small quip, instead replying, “There’s still a lot more people our counterparts need to meet.”

“You’re right.” The echidna nodded. “If they’re going to meet everyone, there’s going to be a lot more projections than we initially thought.”

He snickered. “Remember when we thought there was only one?”

“Stopping at three would have made sense too.” Shadow huffed in amusement.

Then the other groaned. Shadow frowned in confusion, but the other was already explaining himself, “And Eggman. He’ll probably be back to destroy more lives.”

“Or to have another dance scene.” The hybrid rolled his eyes.

The echidna grimaced. “Still no idea what that was about.”

“It’s Robotnik.” Shadow shrugged. “That should be enough of an explanation.”

Now that they had finally talked about this, both felt like a weight had been lifted from them. The silence that followed between them, was not uncomfortable anymore, instead felt strangely comforting.

Shadow’s thoughts drifted to their own moustached doctor. He had not seen another attack since they had returned from the void.

“Our Robotnik has been strangely quiet lately.” Shadow stated, earning an agreeing hum in response.

“Noticed that too.” The echidna smiled. ”It would feel kind of weird to face Eggman again after seeing this other version of him.”

The black hedgehog' felt his mouth twitch in amusement. “Him and Stone.”

“And Stone. You think our Eggman has a Stone?”

Instantly the scenes of Agent Stone carefully creating latte art for Robotnik sprung into his mind.

“Maybe Stone’s a latte machine.” Shadow replied flatly.

A chuckle was the other's answer.

“Maybe we should gift Eggman a latte the next time we see him.” The echidna already looked like he was trying to figure out who the best candidate to ask was. Shadow hoped the responsibility would not fall to him. “I’d love to see his reaction.”

Probably confusion.

Shadow had never seen the doctor drink anything at all. But the professor had been a coffee addict, so maybe it stayed in the family.

He cleared his throat. “It was definitely an interesting experienced.”

“Yep.” The other nodded. “And when will we ever have the opportunity again, you know?”

“The Voice could kidnap us again.” Shadow stated drily.

The echidna froze. “…Chaos, I hope not.”

“Having a choice would be a grat thing.” He slid off the couch, taking a few steps towards Shadow and rubbed one hand across his face. Then he turned to him, grinning, “You know that Tails is trying to build a portal to their world?”

Shadow was honestly not that surprised that the kit was trying to build a gateway. He was more surprised that the kit actually took some breaks to go fly with Rouge today.

Although he supposed, Rouge and Sonic definitely had their hands in that. It looked practically like their names were written on the situation today.

“Of course.” Shadow raised an eyebrow. “How far is he?”

The echidna shrugged. “Not done, that’s for sure.”

Just then the front door opened and both perked up as they heard Rouge and Tails come in, engaged in quiet conversation with each other.

Shadow stepped away from the doorframe, instead moving into the living room and standing close to the couch as he turned around.

Rouge stopped. She peeked her head in and when she noticed that Knuckles was still there and both of them were in close vicinity to each other, she smiled.

“We’re back!” Behind her the kit also peeked around the corner, looking just as satisfied as the bat. ”Looks like you two had some fun together, huh?”

Quietly the echidna and Shadow looked at each other, both not having anything to say, so they shrugged.

Rouge laughed. “Good enough for me!”

And then the two moved on, walking away to the apartment’s kitchen.

The echidna stretched before pushing himself off the couch. He looked towards the doorway, silently telling himself in what direction the other two had moved in.

“That reminds me-” The echidna turned back to Shadow, seeming casual as he asked, “-didn’t you want to have a talk with the kid?”

The black hedgehog frowned.

He had actually wanted to talk to the kit. Just like the echidna, the fox shared a few experiences with him.

At least the reactions the kit had to his counterpart being called a ‘freak’ hit really close to home.

“Right.” Shadow gave the other a suspicious look. If Rouge had told other people about his plans, he would definitely have to get back at her. ”How do you know about that?”

A chuckle followed. “You’re more obvious than you think.”

“I think you talking to Tails is a good idea.” The echidna smiled. ”After all, we managed too, right?”

Shadow only nodded in response, his head already trying to figure out what he could possibly say to the fox.

Especially now that he was actually in their apartment, in their kitchen nonetheless, now would be a good time.

When the other wordlessly left the living room and moved to join Rouge and Tails in the kitchen, Shadow had finally come to a decision.

Shadow was just going to bite the bullet and talk to the kid now.

After all what was the worst thing that was going to happen?