Not quite knowing how to talk to Shadow yet, the three friends chatted tentatively on their way to the lunch hall. The only small talk Shadow had managed to initiate himself was simply, "Do they serve toast in this hall?", and when the answer had been affirmative, though not without odd looks from Amy and Sonic, Shadow had resumed his awkward silence.

Here, Shadow was far away from the Doctor's world of stability. Though it had been of Shadow's own will, leaving the consistency of routine and being told what to do was no less daunting, and Shadow was nervous as he walked with these almost-strangers, wondering how on earth he fit into their group – and if he even fit in at all. At least with the Doctor he knew where he stood, unlike now, where everything felt awkward and slightly scary.

But despite his nerves, Shadow was privately very happy from having helped them, and subsequently being allowed to join them- invited, even, like a dinner guest. He just wished they would trust him a little more, and that he had the confidence to assert his place among them.

The lunch hall was a core part of the Battery. This was essential, as it had to be big enough to house at least a few hundred workers at any given time and be easily accessible from most parts of the ship.

It was remarkably clean in there. Sparkling, even, with floors continually being polished by the same little robots Shadow always saw cleaning the hallway. They scuttled between the workers quickly, small and with just enough intelligence to avoid any physical interaction with the army of feet above them. The windows inside indicated that the hall was on the edge of the ship, facing the sprawl of sea ahead of the battery. There were even huge glass doorways leading out onto a patio probably large enough to fit another hundred people at a time.

In stark contrast to the base, it was a very pleasant environment indeed. Bustling with hundreds of hungry and occasionally aggressive labourers, but air conditioned and with the smell of well cooked food wafting through the entire hall. Shadow was impressed - just like Sonic had been, at first.

"Wow, it's really quiet in here today…" Amy murmured.

"Quiet?"

Tails gave a nod and 'mm' of confirmation. "There can't be more than three hundred people in here right now. And when you consider the sheer size of this place…"

Again, Shadow glanced around the giant lunch hall. The big groups, the white walls and glossy tables were all visible because of the lack of people. And yet there were still easily a few hundred people milling around getting their lunch.

"I see…" he answered quietly, as their little group joined the end of a queue for lunch.

"Eggman gives everybody a different schedule each week. Rotates us, usually, so there're people here at all times of the day," Tails continued to explain, once they'd grabbed their trays of rather bland looking food. Lunch was always a busy time of day in here, and Sonic gave a happy sigh of relief at how easy and lucky it had been getting a table, today. As Amy had said, it was one of those rare occasions when it was relatively quiet.

Shadow sat straight up, nibbling at his toast while Amy and Sonic simultaneously took to absolutely devouring their baked potatoes. Tails chuckled to the side of them, neatly severing his potato into equally sized portions. "Are you sure you didn't want anything?" he asked, giving Shadow a polite though still somewhat nervous look. "It was really hot up there and you were working hard… here, you can have some of mine if you want."

"No, I am fine." Shadow slowly pushed back the plate Tails offered to him. "Thank you."

Amy and Sonic simultaneously looked up at this, too, tuna mayo caught at the corners of their respective mouths and a very sceptical look crossing their faces.

Shadow blinked at them. "Is this a problem?"

Amy put down her fork and leaned forwards towards him, staring. Shadow's back straightened even more. Was he about to be shouted at again? "Shadow… you've just been doing work for us! In the heat! That kinda work builds up a good appetite for reason, y'know!" she insisted, incredulous.

"No, I am really fine, thank you." He was able to recognise that the food was appetising despite its bland appearance, but eating had yet to become a necessity. "I am happy just with toast."

Sonic couldn't stop eating for long enough to verbalise his surprise, but Amy looked a bit crestfallen and could only pick at her potato afterwards, guilty that they were all scoffing food In front of him. "…O…okay."

Tails looked less sceptical than the other two and more inquisitive. "Shadow- please forgive me for asking this, I know it'll probably come across really bad, but… where have you come from? We're all kinda curious."

"Yeah, stranger, where? Don't go Eggman on us either, we let you hang out with us so we gotta know!" Sonic then piped up, between mouthfuls of potato. Tails could only sigh softly, used to this kind of interjection.

It was not something Shadow had really thought about, not even independently. As far as he was concerned, his existence had properly begun from the moment the Doctor had released him from the chamber, still less than a month ago from now. It was impossible to think of a time before that because, as the Doctor had mentioned, all the old memories were gone. He liked to believe it was for a specific reason, though not one he had been made aware of yet.

As much as he wanted to be honest with his potential friends, Shadow hesitated on telling them what little he knew about himself. Until he could figure everything out for himself, it was better to be as vague as the Doctor had been. He didn't want to cause any kind of trouble, not when they were part of the Battery's development and already knew he was, if anything, on the Doctor's 'side'.

"I was created by Gerald Robotnik many years ago," Shadow finally answered. "He was the Doctor's grandfather. I am organic, that much I know, but unfortunately I cannot offer you much more than that. Are you aware of the space colony ARK?"

Tails gasped at that. "I… am pretty sure I've heard of it, yes," he then murmured, frowning in thought. Amy and Sonic looked at Shadow blankly, an obvious indication that they had no idea at all. Oh, wait- hadn't Knuckles mentioned it like, years ago? It was such a long time ago from now…

"I think I was there for some time," Shadow said, now talking just to the two-tailed fox. "But that is all I know, I'm afraid."

"Looks like the Doc enjoys keepin' you in the dark as much as he does us," Sonic grumbled. Shadow smiled a bit, nodding in agreement. Though he couldn't help feeling Sonic hadn't been making a joke.

They seemed satisfied by his answers, though Tails seemed to keep staring at him. Shadow was quiet for a few minutes as they finished their lunch, and by the time the three of them were leaning back against their chairs with empty plates in front of them, Shadow had a question to ask in return. Even though the Doctor hadn't said much, these three had seemed more than happy to discuss things with him.

"Is there a particular reason as to why it is so quiet here today?"

"Nah," Sonic answered easily, shrugging. "S'just luck, basically. One week we'll all be down in the base, working nine 'til nine, then the next we'll be up on the deck fixin' things, while everybody else is rotating shifts all around the place too. Sometimes like today we'll do split shifts, goin' around the ship doin' different things at different times."

"Oh." That sounded like a lot of work to be doing. Nine until nine? Shadow could barely handle a few hours of walking around each day before he fell gratefully into bed. "You must be quite used to it here, then."

Sonic laughed. "When ya don't have a choice, yeah, ya get used to it. And believe me, Shadow-" he paused to look him dead in the eyes –"I hate it here."

Amy and Tails looked at each other before nodding in sombre agreement. "It's not just us, either," Sonic supplied for them. "Talk to anybody around here, and they'll either give you a great long spiel about the importance of their work - if they're scared you're some kind of inspector - or they'll just complain at you about all the shit Eggman puts us through."

The surprise of this felt like to Shadow like a smack in the face. He frowned, cross-referencing what he had been told by Emerl and the Doctor with Sonic's words and tone. Why was Sonic complaining so much? "But… you are being paid, are you not?" he reasoned.

Sonic snorted. "You are KIDDING, right?"

Even Amy and Tails looked completely stunned, holding their breath. Shadow's ears pricked backwards slightly when Sonic addressed him a little more aggressively. "If the Doc told you that we're bein' paid for all this, he's outright lying. None of us get a cent for any of this."

Shadow balked at Sonic's revelation. It made no sense at all when he considered what he'd been told before now. Why would they work here with no pay and in extreme conditions? Was it out of good will? Volunteering, just like Shadow had volunteered earlier? It didn't make any sense for them to be here without good reason!

As though reading Shadow's mind, Sonic supplied a snappy answer for him. He leaned forward across the table, lowering his voice somewhat so that Shadow had to lean forward, too. "When I told you that we don't have a choice here, Shadow, I meant it."

The words were cold and hard and fell on Shadow like weights. Perhaps… perhaps the construction of the Battery was reason enough to have these people here, working on it without pay. Shadow couldn't fathom any other way in which it would be fair to have Sonic and Amy and Tails all working here for nothing. Hadn't the Doctor said the construction was for the good of mankind? The world outside was- it was ruined, as far as Shadow knew. So surely it was, if nothing else, better for people to be safe in the Battery than out there in ruins?

They stared at one another, Shadow speechless, Sonic allowing what he'd said to sink in. Tails reached out to gently pull on Sonic's shoulder, drawing back and preventing him from saying anything else, and just as Amy was going to suggest dessert a loud bell rang throughout the lunch hall. It was an indication that their specific lunch shift was over, and with a groan the three of them immediately stood up.

"Sorry, Shadow, we've gotta get back to work," Amy sighed, offering him an apologetic smile.

"Oh… right, of course," Shadow started, suddenly not quite sure what to do with himself. "Thank you for allowing me to accompany you here."

"It was no trouble! Really, it was great having you helping us out. Makes such a change. Oh, Sonic, can you take my tray for me?" She smacked her tray into Sonic's tummy as he went to leave, only slightly winding him.

"H-HEY! What was that for?!" he yelped, but took her her tray anyway.

"Thanks!" She smiled broadly at him, and Sonic grumbled as he grudgingly went to deposit them with Tails, stifling giggles, following.

Shadow stood up, looking like he wanted to say something but struggling over the words. Amy's eyebrows lifted a little, inviting him to speak.

"I… I do not have many friends in this place," Shadow said eventually, quiet and shy. "So thank you for talking to me and answering my questions."

"Awww, really Shadow, it's been no trouble!" Amy insisted, bright and cheerful. She waited until Sonic and Tails returned moments later, and then asked them, "Haven't you guys enjoyed having Shadow around?"

"It's certainly been a nice change from the norm," Tails agreed, smiling. Shadow seemed to give a breath of relief hearing it, but looked over to Sonic, tensing slightly again. He was aware that he was the outsider in this, even now, even after helping them and joining them for lunch. Shadow was coming to realise that so long as he was with the Doctor, and the three of them worked under his rule, it was likely that they wouldn't ever properly connect.

Sonic seemed so angry over everything and so sceptical of Shadow. It was impossible to tell whether or not Sonic truly liked him, too, which Shadow assumed to be the other key factor aside from trust in attaining friendship. And yet he was the one who'd initially invited Shadow over…

Understanding the complexities of friendships and interacting with those of a different level was more difficult that Shadow could've ever anticipated.

Sonic was rubbing his tummy a bit from he'd been so cruelly jabbed, but he came to smile at Shadow along with the other two. "You may be a lackeyhog, Shadow, but your help was awesome. For now though, we've really gotta get going."

L…lackeyhog? These names, questions and looks Sonic kept throwing at him made it even more difficult to determine his position. "Will- will you be working down at the base again?" he asked quickly, unable to suppress the certain note of hope. He was about to lose his only connection to the workers, and a chance at genuine friendship. And he still had so many questions, and their time had been so limited, and-

Sonic shook his head. "Nah, Eggman has split us up for the rest of the day, and we haven't had our schedule yet for the rest of the week." He could tell that Shadow was disappointed by this, from the way his ears pinned back and he glanced down just briefly.

"Ah."

"But hey, if you can find us, maybe we'll be able to hang out again!" Sonic offered, confidently and with another thumbs up.

Shadow brightened immediately. For all the names and assumptions Sonic seemed to pin on him, it was kind of him to suggest they meet again, and gave Shadow the hope he'd wanted that they'd be able to see each other again. "I… will do my best. Thank you again for your hospitality," he said, nodding to each of them. His eyes lingered on Sonic's, red and green opposite each other, about to go their separate ways. But it was somehow a comfortable look. A sort of mutual understanding, almost, that was passing between them in those few seconds. I don't know you, but you're interesting. And you may be helpful to me, so for now, I'm going to trust you.

Finally Sonic nodded back, the smile curling into a toothy, and what would later be known to Shadow as trademark, grin. "Catch ya later, stranger."

Faced with the backs of pink, orange and blue as they left the hall, Shadow once again found himself at a slight loss while he watched them walk away. Their invitation to 'hang out' had now expired, and with disappointment, Shadow decided he may as well explore a little before returning home. Working up there had been more tiring than he'd thought, and he had a hell of a lot to think about. A casual walk around would hopefully help him clear his head.

He had slightly more of an idea of where he stood with Sonic, Tails and Amy, and they had shown friendly like qualities to him in their invitation to lunch, and in the smiles and praise they'd given him throughout the morning. Feeling that Sonic was the leader, Shadow somehow knew that his fate as their friend depended on the blue hedgehog.

He really hoped he'd see them again soon. For all the anxiety it had brought him, hanging out had been a fun experience. And Shadow did so dearly want some friends in this otherwise lonely Battery.

"You're back early," Emerl noted, surprised to see the dark hedgehog appear at the kitchen doorway.

Shadow slumped down at the dinner table, looking about as tired as he felt. Emerl watched from the other end as the hedgehog's head lulled and his eyelids flickered between open and closed. "I am exhausted," Shadow told him softly, finally settling on keeping his eyes open and his head as upright as he could manage. It was barely 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and he was ready for bed.

"Yes, the base is exhausting. Did you have a good day?"

Shadow smiled. "I did." He looked to be collecting his thoughts, or perhaps simply absorbing the comfort of sitting in a chair. "I was able to meet some new people, and I helped them. I even met two hedgehogs, as a matter of fact."

This came as quite a surprise to the droid, whose eyes flickered as if blinking quickly. It stood from the table and went to make Shadow some well earned toast. "That was brave of you. Usually the workers prefer to avoid those who work for the Doctor." Emerl paused, and then continued quietly, "I am unable to converse with them as they assume I will attack them."

"Yes... they have a great aversion to him," Shadow said, scowling as he thought back to it. Sonic's aggression regarding Eggman had been on his mind all day and was part of why he was so exhausted now. "I don't understand. They seem to resent him for making them work, and the Doctor does not pay them, but you told me they have no prospects in the outside world, so... presumably it is better that they are here and not outside?" He'd turned in his chair to ask Emerl directly, who stood by the counter waiting for the toaster to pop.

"That's right," it said. "Nobody wants to work for free, but they don't have a choice. They will die if they are left outside. There's nothing out there for anyone."

Shadow, utterly relieved that his deductions were correct, sighed. "Sonic said they didn't have a choice, too."

The clang of metal against the wooden kitchen counter was countered by the loud pop of the toaster, and Shadow carried on chatting. "He sounded so angry about everything, though. It's a struggle to understand the situation, when I am told one thing by one person, and then something different by somebody else." The dark hedgehog dipped his head down into his palm, rubbing at his temples. "It's enough to give you a headache."

"So, who did you meet?" Emerl asked, after a long while of slowly spreading toast. It sounded sort of hesitant.

"I met a group of three workers who I had seen around frequently. Sonic and Amy, both of whom were hedgehogs, and then Tails, a fox."

There was another clang of metal, and Shadow noticed this time that Emerl seemed to have slumped into the counter, supporting itself with both hands against it. "Are you... alright?" he asked, immediately getting to his feet.

"Yes, I am fine. Sorry." Emerl turned and handed Shadow his plate. They seated themselves once again, and the scene was exactly the same as it had been that very morning.

"It was so strange. Foxes are known for only having one tail, but Tails had two. Do such varieties really exist?"

Emerl was still and silent, as though it had been glazed over in concrete. The book it had picked up from the table dropped right out of its hands and onto the floor. Emerl looked down at itself, and as he assumed it to be thinking Shadow said nothing, waiting.

An answer never came. Suddenly the lights behind Emerl's eyes went out, and it slumped again like it had done against the counter. Its body was big and chunky, well-built and sturdy, and it crashed noisily against the table as though it was falling apart.

"Emerl?" Shadow called out to it, wondering if it had lost its power. Just as he was about to get up again to try and help, Emerl's eyes came back on, and it straightened up immediately.

The droid glanced around, its reflexes sharpened after its brief power surge. When it focussed on the dark hedgehog again, Shadow noticed that Emerl's LED eyes had changed colour. Now the light was a kind of amber, the same shade as the rest of its casing. Standby, maybe.

Emerl's joints clicked as it righted itself, and almost as though it was speaking with a different voice it then said, softly, "Sorry about that. It happens from time to time." Like it was restarting itself, Emerl's eyes turned blue again, going from standby to 'on'.

Shadow couldn't help giving a breathy laugh, relieved. Really, if the robot had broken down in front of him Shadow would probably have called it a day and jumped straight into bed. He didn't have the energy to deal with a metal meltdown on top of everything else that had happened today.

"I thought I was going to have to fix y-"

"Would you like to visit the Hot Shelter sometime?" Emerl asked him, completely out of the blue.

It was effective in silencing the dark hedgehog. He stared, wondering if he had misheard, but Emerl continued on with fierce enthusiasm.

"I can take you there tomorrow if you like. I think you would find it very interesting. If you have no plans we can go in the morning."

Shadow knew he was supposed to be excited by this, but instead he felt mildly worried at Emerl's sudden change. He hesitated. "I... I don't know. Didn't you say it was home to the Doctor's private projects?"

Fervently Emerl shook its head. "He will probably show you at some point. I think you would get a lot out of going there, Shadow. I can take you there myself. Tomorrow, we can go."

Tired as he was, Shadow couldn't deny that the Hot Shelter sounded like a hugely interesting place. But it concerned him that one, the Doctor hadn't mentioned it, and two, Emerl had so suddenly wanted him to go. Was it some kind of malfunction? But, Emerl didn't appear to be acting strangely in any other way. It was just odd that it seemed so desperate for them to go there.

I'm probably just overthinking things due to being so tired, Shadow decided. This morning I wouldn't have dreamed of passing up such an opportunity. "All.. all right then. It will certainly give me something to do tomorrow."

"You'll feel much better after a good night of sleep. And you sounded like you really wanted to go after I mentioned it." Emerl was incapable of smiling, but somehow, Shadow felt that if it could, it would. "I would not be a good friend if I didn't show you around," the droid added. "It is lonely when you are stuck here by yourself."

This absolutely caught Shadow's attention. "You consider yourself my friend?"

"Of course."

Well, that sold it to the dark hedgehog. With a bright smile which betrayed his exhaustion, Shadow accepted. He couldn't help feeling as though he was somehow going behind the Doctor's back doing this, couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right about it. But Emerl seemed ever so happy and, when it continued to read its book and normality returned to their dinner table, Shadow was overwhelmed in the warm, enveloping sensation of having made a friend.

"Thank you, Emerl."

Grateful he had something to look forward to in the morning, and a new friend to help him around the ship, going to bed early suddenly didn't seem so bad.