Shadow felt a sense of satisfaction as he brushed a bit of debris from his shoulder, looking down at the robot he'd successfully dismantled. He made sure to log the moment in his memory so Maria could hear about his adventure when he found her. She always loved a good story, especially one that was exciting or magical. She would listen with bated breath to his tale, even though he wasn't much of a storyteller himself.

He looked up and met the gaze of the first Mobian he'd seen since awakening… or rather, since his creation, he realized. She didn't look like the kind of woman who needed to be saved very often, carrying herself confidently as she approached him with a mature twinkle in her eye. But this day, she found herself in peril, and he was grateful he could be there to help her escape the villainous human.

Shadow knew that overlanders were capable of evil. Despite some – like his family – having the ability to show love and compassion for others, there were also some who seemed to enjoy causing pain – like the scheming man he'd just driven away – or who were selfishly focused on their own agenda – like the scientists. That knowledge made him wonder what the bat's intentions were, what morals she possessed, and why she was in a territory that seemed to be controlled by humans. Was she a sort of prisoner, too?

She smiled at him, resting a hand on her hip as she came to a stop a few yards away. "Nice moves. It was noble of you to help a girl out like that."

Shadow noticed the way her eyes briefly flicked down his figure; he took her compliment as thanks for his deed, giving the lady a nod. "I'm well-versed in combat. I simply act when I see someone in trouble."

He left out the painful memory that'd been unlocked by seeing her in danger. The one he realized made him want to protect others: how he'd tried to help Maria escape… something. Something they'd been running from. He had that vague feeling that running hadn't been enough, and that he hadn't fought as he could've.

"Hm, reminds me of someone," Rouge said quietly, seeming to think of something fondly while lifting her free hand to tap the index finger against her cheek. Then she asked, "So, action star, tell me: what brings you out here?"

Shadow was quiet for a moment, looking to the side and thinking of how he should answer that. She wasn't acting like someone trapped there against her will; could he trust her with the truth?

He looked back at her, the woman's expression intrigued and expectant, replying, "Shouldn't we introduce ourselves if we're to be learning about each other?"

One of her white brows arched downwards and her shiny lips pulled into a small smirk. "So formal. Fine." She put a hand to her chest. "I'm Rouge the Bat, professional super spy and world-famous treasure hunter."

So, she wasn't normally a damsel in distress. Shadow thought she must have a great deal of skill as a spy. And a treasure hunter… perhaps there was something of value in the area that would explain her presence there.

Before she got to ask his name, the crackle of a radio sounded out from the winged woman. "Rouge, come in, Rouge." It was Topaz's voice cutting through the air. "Answer your radio, agent!"

Rouge rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, retrieving the radio and speaking into it. "You're mad I didn't check in, aren't you, Lieutenant?"

"At least I know you're alive. We need you to report back to the chopper."

"Hm," Rouge hummed to herself, looking over at the pile of busted bot.

Meanwhile, Shadow was growing slightly suspicious of her and this 'Lieutenant' she was in communication with. It seemed her spy work wasn't done alone or for her own wants – she was working for someone. Were they Mobian too? Human? Or some other type of being he had no familiarity with?

Though, she didn't act suspicious, speaking to her superior clearly right in front of him. "Actually, I think you should come my way. I had a nasty little run-in with Eggman and one of his pawns. He did some damage to the wildlife out here, and there's some parts from the doc's robot we could probably use."

Turquoise eyes looked his way and she gave him a little smile, shrugging as if to say, "This happens all the time."

The crackling radio spoke, "Fine, send your coordinates and we'll head over."

The bat put the device away, switching to a high-tech pager; Shadow took a step towards her while she typed on the small screen. "Who was that? Who is coming here?"

Her gaze dragged up from the coordinates, her mouth pinching into a curious pout. Then she smiled again. "I thought you wanted us to introduce ourselves before asking questions? You haven't told me your name yet, sugar."

She didn't seem evil, obviously an enemy to the man who would recklessly destroy the forest to capture her. Forcing aside his skepticism, the hedgehog figured Rouge might be able to help him find his family. She owed him a debt now, after all. And she must have talents as a spy that would be important in tracking down Gerald and Maria. He clenched his fists and stood proudly, staring intense red eyes back at her.

"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog."

Rouge paused, the realization striking instantly with those four words. The name echoed in her head, but she didn't let the surprise show on her face, holding her smile and sending the coordinates before looking for a place to sit. She settled on a large rock rising from the ground, placing her a little closer to him as he chose to remain standing.

"Well, Shadow, it's nice to meet you. So how about you answer my question first, hm?"

She couldn't believe she'd actually found the experiment, and completely by accident! Strange, he didn't seem as destructive as the file had claimed. And he'd saved her from Eggman; wasn't this hedgehog supposed to be a bloodthirsty weapon? He was clearly strong, but how could Rouge see him as an enemy when her first impression was him being helpful and brave?

"Why are you here?" she asked, repeating her initial inquiry.

Shadow stared at her for a long moment, thinking again of the details he should leave out and the things that were safe to reveal. He had to tread carefully in the presence of a spy.

"I was transported here from the place where I was originally born. Recently, actually. I wasn't informed of the humans stationed here, and…" He paused, looking away from her before completing his thought. "They didn't end up taking too kindly to me."

Her brows raised in a display of interest, knowing his origin from G.U.N's records. He was lying, and his stone face made him good at it – if she didn't have insider knowledge, she would've been fooled.

When she didn't speak, he looked back to her and shrugged, trying to seem casual. "I've been exploring the jungle and just trying to avoid them."

"Hm," hummed Rouge. She crossed one leg over the other, then steadily rocked it up and down. "So you're not familiar with this island?"

That cleared up one thing for him; this place was an island. He shook his head, then stepped closer to stand right beside her. The monotonous bass of his voice made the woman tense up. "Now for my question: who should I be expecting to show up here?"

It was Rouge's turn to think. She knew he'd broken out of the facility, had given the scientists trouble; but he hadn't harmed either of them, right? They were both accounted for when her crew arrived. It seemed this guy just wanted to be free and now likely had no direction after being in stasis for decades. How bad could he be? And could she trust that G.U.N weren't the unsavory ones here?

"My squad. A group of agents, like myself, who work to keep the peace as best they can. I was scouting on my own for resources and found old bald 'n brash instead."

She hoped to throw him off the suspicion of her organization by diverting to the encounter with Robotnik. And she must've played it cool enough, because it actually worked.

"That man…" began the hedgehog, glancing back at the broken robot. "Is he a villain to you?"

"Mm," she replied, nodding. "Maybe 'villain' is too much of a compliment for ol' Eggy. I prefer the term 'nuisance.' He's always scheming for something to wreck up and take for himself."

Shadow was quiet for a second. He looked back to Rouge and thought again about her profession. "And what issue does he have with you?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "He's always had it out for me. Since the day I refused to work as his sidekick, he's been holding a grudge!"

Of course she couldn't tell him the real reason Eggman had tracked her to Prison Island. Shadow wouldn't trust her if he knew she was a thief. When she looked back to him, bold crimson eyes were fixated on her face. The hedgehog's gaze struck a sense of tension into her, but there was no malice in his expression. He seemed more curious than anything else, and if he was on edge, he didn't show it. In her head, Rouge chastised G.U.N for not showing her a picture of this guy. It would've been important for her to know how handsome he was; his good looks were subconsciously disarming her.

Shadow said, "You know much more about this place than I do, clearly. And I can't go back to the home I know. I don't want to cross paths with those who wish me harm, so… given how I'm already unwelcome, I think I should leave."

There was a second of silence between them. It made Rouge feel awkward at the question he hadn't blatantly asked. She replied cautiously, "Do you need a ride? If you don't have anywhere to go, we could… help you find somewhere you can stay."

Even as the words came out of her mouth, they felt wrong. While she was hiding the true intention behind her offer, she could think of nothing but how G.U.N would lock him up the second they got a hold of him. She felt bad that he seemed to trust her as someone who wasn't treating him with disdain, and the icky idea of turning him in to the same group he'd just escaped from was suddenly repulsive. She had to look elsewhere to push the feeling away.

"If it's possible…" the island prisoner started, his tone low and dragging like hers, "I would prefer not to be transported again." He was still looking at her, and the spy felt more tense the longer he spoke. "As I'm sure you can imagine, I have a reason to distrust people."

That point was more true than he realized she knew. Rouge wasn't just sympathizing with someone who'd been dumped by his unknown homeland and turned away by the overlanders. He was an escaped experiment, a weapon the government wanted to keep under lock and key, and he was currently being hunted. She knew his reason to avoid meeting new people was dark.

"Gotcha," she sighed, feeling less than confident about letting G.U.N take him now. "I can't promise I'll be able to help you, then."

As the caution and distrust he'd expressed was mandatory, Shadow made up his mind about disappearing before the bat's squad arrived; he would speed away from this spot and duck into a quieter place in the jungle again. So, he had to convince her to assist him before then. Even if she didn't bail on her squad, he had to get her to agree to come back for him. She wasn't someone he trusted with his life, but at this point, she was the most trustworthy person around. And she could fly – that would make traveling easier than running aimlessly.

He looked down at the rock she was sitting on, spotted a segment of space available next to her, and occupied it. Even though it put them much closer together, Shadow had to connect with her somehow, to make her feel for him enough to desire aiding him. And for that, he begrudgingly decided he needed to pull the family card. Because he had no treasure to give. And thinking more about it, a spy probably wouldn't respect 'You owe me one.' Empathy was his best bet; he just hoped she had enough of it.

Rouge was taken aback when the hedgehog took up the space beside her, instinctively leaning away when his leg bumped hers. There was no room to scoot over if she didn't want to end up on the grass. But he seemed deliberate in balancing his weight on the smaller side of the rock, and when she studied his face, it was somber. Her lips moved on their own to speak, "Are you–" before she stopped herself. The instinct was to be concerned. And she tried to suppress that, but… her curiosity about the Ultimate Lifeform was proving stronger than her commitment to G.U.N.

So she reiterated, "Are you… okay?"

Shadow closed his eyes briefly, making peace with his choice to talk about his loved ones, then let his eyes meet hers. They were a pretty shade of blue-green. "I may have somewhere to go. Somewhere I'll be welcome. I have… family… out there, but… I don't know where they are."

Rouge's eyes widened slowly. He was talking about the Professor who created him, wasn't he? The Professor that'd been dead for 50 years.

"If I can find them, I know I'll be safe," he continued. "I just need a way to track them down. You're the first I've met who knows their way around, at least here. So, you're my best chance at finding where I belong, instead of wandering without direction."

Rouge stared at him, at a loss for what to say. This wasn't good at all. She couldn't tell him his family was long gone, it might send him into a homicidal rage! But she'd be heartless to bluntly tell him no, wouldn't she? If his family were still alive, she'd help for the fun of traveling, the chance at collecting some treasures along the way, and an opportunity to learn more about this increasingly interesting being. The safest option was to agree; if G.U.N got him, the lie wouldn't matter anyway.

"My, that's quite the request," she spoke, trying to cover up her discomfort with a layer of charm. "I'll have to check with my crew, make sure they're not left high and dry, but… I could–"

She stopped short when her ears perked at the sound of a helicopter approaching. Shadow didn't hear it right away, his brows sinking in confusion at her abrupt pause.

"Rouge?"

She blinked, making eye contact again, and her lips hesitated to shape her words. "Uh…"

Then he heard it. He looked up to the sky and left his place on the rock, spotting the helicopter hovering above the trees towards their position. And when he saw the G.U.N logo on the side of the chopper…

… he froze.