When Shadow came to, it was to find himself in a completely unfamiliar room with a few electrodes attached to him. Growling he ripped himself free and stood up. He was on a table in a very white room. It reminded him of the medical bay on the GUN headquarters.

He'd HATED the medical bay.

He looked round for someone guarding him and found…no one. He frowned. A trick, obviously. He headed to the door and kicked it open.
There was a screaming. That was more like it.

"Excuse me!"
A blue blur suddenly appeared in front of him. Sonic.

"What did that door ever do to you?" The other asked, tone light.

Shadow looked suspiciously around. "Where are the guards?"

"No guards, my friend. This is a hospital."

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "I hate hospitals." He growled.

Sonic nodded. "Well, you're not alone there. However most people don't kick a door down, so maybe chill on that?"

Shadow frowned. "Chill?"

"Geez, it's like another Knuckles." Sonic mumbled, then slung an arm round Shadow in an attempt to be friendly. Shadow glared at him and Sonic removed his arm quickly. "And no contact. Fair enough, I can work with that. How are you feeling after the whole 'kaboom' thing?"

No answer.

"Oo-Kay, I'm going to assume you're fine. Maddie's been monitoring your heart rate anyway, and she seems fairly happy. You wanna come meet her?"

Shadow frowned. "Maddie?"

"Yeah, basically my mom. You know my dad, you punched him in the chest, remember?" Sonic's eyes narrowed.

Shadow averted eye contact. "Ah. I didn't mean to hit HIM. He reminded me of someone I used to know." An awkward silence while Shadow searched his memory for something that Maria might have done in this situation. Ah, got it. "How is he?"

"Well he's got a broken arm and his ribs are broken, aside from that he's fine, I guess? Thanks for asking. Here, come on. The others are this way-"

Shadow allowed himself to be guided outside. Of course he was on his guard, this was probably a trick. After all he had nearly killed the blue ones guardian, it was entirely reasonable they'd take revenge. However outside their were only two people and two aliens.

"Ladies and gentlemen-" Sonic paused and waved his arm towards Shadow. "This is Shadow-"

Shadow - sensing the movement - automatically reached out and grabbed Sonic's arm, flipping the blue hedgehog onto the ground.

"-He has trust issue." Sonic said, somewhat groggily.

Maddie shook her head. "Hello Shadow…" She said, hesitantly. "Are you going to do that every time someone approaches you?"

"Until I am sure they're not a threat, yes."

A loud laugh startled Shadow as the red alien walked towards him. "You are my sort of warrior! I won't shake your hand - I have been banned from doing that - but I welcome you to the team anyway!"

"No, no." Sonic moved his hand again, miming beheading. Shadow was intrigued. "He's not staying, remember? We need to find somewhere for him to go. Like Lilo and Stitch? Find the place where he belongs?"

"That might be a bit hard, Buddy." Shadow's eyes were drawn to a chair where the guy he had hit was sitting on it. "The only place I can think of who might want living weapons are the sort of people who shouldn't have living weapons."

Shadow had been in earth long enough to know when he wasn't wanted. "There is no need for you to pity me." He said. "I have no desire to belong with anyone. The only family I have known is gone." He stated, then frowned as everyone looked at him. "Why is everyone looking at me?"

Maddie and the-man-Shadow-had-hurt had a quiet conversation.

"What are they doing?" Shadow asked.

"Parent meeting." The small fox said, easily. "They have them fairly often. I'm Tails."

"I am Knuckles." The red one boomed.

Shadow nodded.

Maddie walked back over and knelt down so she was on the same level as Shadow. "Ok, sweetie, here's what we're going to do. You must be hungry? Well give you some food and you can stay in our spare room overnight and then we'll decide what to do in the morning. How does that sound?"

Shadow blinked, confused as to why she was asking him rather than telling him. "Er…sounds ok." He dredged his memories again for another example of what Maria would do in this situation. "…Thank you?"

He must have done something right because Maddie smiled at him.

He liked that.