I had decided months after I had woken up that I was just Shadow. I wanted to forget any doubts. The people around me called me by that name, so it must be mine. Sonic saw me as the original, Rouge is questionable but she treats me as though I were any one else. So why not believe them? The problem was that I didn't feel reassured. I needed someone to out right tell me that I was really Shadow, that I was real. I had all the attributes of a real hedgehog. I have a brain, a mind of my own, I feel pain, I bleed. I have emotions, though they are rarely ever exposed. Every one I knew have these features I myself have. So why did I continuously ask myself the same question? It was unnerving to think about and I needed someone to personally guarantee that I was indeed real.
Though it puzzled me as to why, I was heading to the Doctor's base. It was the only place I had ringing in my mind. The Doctor and I had an on and off type of relationship. One moment I'd be helping him out with just about anything, the next I'd be going against him with Sonic and his friends. In a way, even now, it doesn't really matter what side I'm on. We had some understanding though, that we could go to each other if we needed any help.
The new base was underground. I don't remember his old one, but recently he informed me his "new base" was located in the northern part of the island we resided on. I don't remember the old base. I have a feeling that the older one was up during the time the real Shadow was still around. I wonder what the old base was like. At the moment I saw a long pole protruding from the ground, I had a feeling that was it. It was my first time visiting. As I got closer, I recognized the symbol that was on basically everything the Doctor created. There was a button right below it and a sign below that saying "press for service." I could see the Doctor was just being funny. I hesitated at that point. Regardless of his IQ, this was the Doctor. He would either give me a straight answer or he'd bullshit me. For a good couple of seconds I didn't care, thus I pressed the button. Right after, I instantly regretted doing so. There was no sound once the button was pushed. A huge rounded patch of grass to the right of the pole rose up. It was a transparent capsule big enough to fit up to three people. A small television set was positioned just above the closed door. It began to blink to life and the Doctor's face appeared, looking quizzically down at me.
"Ah, Shadow! What brings you to my lovely home?" He grinned. I gave him a nod back to return the hello.
"I have a question for you Doctor. May I come in?"
"Of course! Come on inside." The TV then shut off. The door below it slowly slid open. Like the outside, the inside was also see-through; A glassy metal that distorted the view behind it. I walked inside and the door slid shut. The capsule slowly sank back down into the ground. Once it was fully submerged within the Earth, the door slid open again. The same material was laid out in the long hallway before me. I began walking. The floor had slowly moved downward diagonally as the ceiling remained completely horizontal. I'd say the distance from the capsule to the end of the hall was about two hundred feet.
At the end of the hall was a door, which had opened automatically once I arrived. I wasn't surprised to see a variety of robots moving all around this humongous room. From working the computers, to dusting off the walls, to vacuuming the walls, to just lazing around, the robots were everywhere. The Doctor had so much free time. Straight ahead I could see huge monitors showing pieces of the city. So many screens, no wonder there were so many robots observing them. The Doctor must've had some plant the cameras around the city. It puzzles me that they weren't found. The Doctor was just before these screens, not on his high seat, which was in the middle of the room. He was standing next to Metal Sonic, dusting him off with some feather duster I wouldn't have thought he'd have. The Doctor's taste was… somewhat disagreeable. He had a coffee mug that said "I hate Mondays". So, the Doctor disliked a certain day of the week?
"Nice to see you drop by," He said smugly. I waited for him to turn to me and give me all his attention, but he kept dusting off Metal Sonic as though it were a trophy. "You don't come by as often as before. Been busy?" That struck me. The Doctor already knew I hadn't come by at all. Since awakening, this was my first time coming to his place. All other times, he'd meet up with me somewhere, or send me some sort of letter. Was he mocking me?
"No, actually. I haven't." I replied. He finally turned to me and sipped his drink.
"Well what's this question you want to ask?" He set the feather duster down, Metal Sonic turned in my direction. At that moment I remembered I wasn't the only "look-a-like" here. I didn't want to ask at that point. I felt I was just a much better model than the piece of scrap metal that stood a foot away from me. Of course, the Doctor was all about robotics and machinery. None of these things had souls in his eyes. Maybe to him, I was like Metal Sonic, only more realistic. That pissed me off. "Well?"
"Uh… it has to deal with me as—"
"An android, yes I know you are one." He quickly responded.
"No. that's not what I was going to ask. Doctor, am I the real Shadow?" He lowered his mug. There was silence, then a shrill laugh. The Doctor found this amusing. How the hell did I know? I was curious as to why, even though it annoyed me. Either he found it funny, or there was an obvious answer that I wasn't seeing.
"What do you think? Are you the real Shadow? Or did I create you myself? Hmm, now that I'm unsure of." As I thought, he was bullshitting me.
"I don't know if I am, that's why I'm asking you."
"I can't guarantee that my answer is even accurate! If you are the real Shadow and don't remember anything, then I suppose there's not much I can do about that. Or, if you are just a clone of the original, I honestly can't say." He was grinning. I couldn't take his words seriously. I was becoming even more pissed.
"Then never mind. I just… I was hoping you could give me your honest opinion on this. I don't know if I'm the real Shadow or if I'm just the perfect clone of him. I thought you'd have the answer." The Doctor was in a daze. His face was mixed with triumph and embarrassment.
"You're making me blush! Ha ha, I'm flattered you came all the way over here just to ask me such a question. I seriously can't say though. To me, whether you are the real Shadow or just one of my clones, you're the same which ever way it goes."
Meaning? I mentally asked. Instead I outwardly glared at him.
"Thank you for your time." I said reluctantly and turned to leave. As I walked away, I felt my ears twitching at the horrid sound of the Doctor's heinous slurping.
