So Shadow works for GUN... what does Infinite do? Lay around and steal his stuff? Shed all over the furniture? I can't imagine he does much else, being the diva that he is.

hehe, well this is a loaded ask i'm gonna see if structuring this with bullet points helps me stay at a reasonable wordcount 🤪

Shadow does not work for GUN by choice, he's basically hired by them because they're at a stalemate (he's op, they need him dead/in stasis, if he works for them he's controlled but also given "freedom" so it's as fair as it gets).

Rouge is set to take over as Commander, and she's honestly doing this to keep Omega and Shadow safe. Her job is to control them for GUN, and keep tabs on their abilities/cognitive functions/emotional wellbeing while earning their trust (so they are manageable to some degree).

While she is manipulating them in a rather fucked up way, she also lets them get away with a lot and covers for them to avoid the fate depicted in 06. This is why Rouge controls their missions, and essentially hired them herself since she was the only official agent at debut; she formed Team Dark in Heroes as a means of collecting/protecting those who would otherwise be GUN targets.

During Forces, Shadow was absent from the Resistance because he was keeping tabs on Infinite and observing the Phantom Ruby's power (which is why he's the one to figure it out and explain the illusions to Sonic et. al).

He also watched the footage of Sonic's imprisonment + torture via the taps Rouge placed as she worked from the inside under Eggman's rule, which makes him the most versed on the ruby (omitting Eggman and Infinite, but even that is questionable)

After Forces, Infinite is a liability. He has varying levels of power left depending on interpretation, and an otherwise untraceable background outside of Shadow and Eggman's knowledge, so GUN would ideally want to capture and study him. He's also a literal war criminal, they need him even if he no longer has the phantom ruby's power.

GUN has a horrible track record of capturing and studying cryptids (botched Sceptre of Darkness retrieval, Project Shadow, the ARK, Chaos, Sonic on multiple occasions, their best spy being a criminal who essentially blackmails them into compliance, the Babylon Rogues but that's a whole other issue, Eggman still existing, etc...)

Shadow knows this and, at least in my fic and for personal purposes, decides to locate and capture Infinite himself since he's the most versed and has the most power over the wayward jackal. After Episode Shadow, he knows the effect he has on Infinite, who was also just defeated again, so he's more likely to be controllable and compliant.

Infinite is also more likely to cooperate with Shadow because he is a fellow lone wolf, whose trauma originated from government agents recklessly killing his found-family members, which led to a robotnik manipulating him into being a weapon of mass destruction, which results him him trying to crash a celestial body into the earth... sound familiar? you get the point.

Shadow became the very image of the people that traumatized him, they have twin origin stories, and Shadow is essentially giving into the cycle of being a morally grey GUN agent who agrees to keep tabs on a war criminal in exchange for their limited freedom. He does what Rouge does for him basically!

Dog & Hog shipper or not, their edgy relationship can range from the most angst-ridden and emotionally riveting display of enemies to soulmates... or emotionally numb government slave Shadow and his golddigging sugarbaby house arrest pet dog 😎

Infinite is safest with Shadow for EVERYONE: Shadow can kill him if he's out of line, Infinite won't be annoyed by chipper Resistance members or forced into a heroic role, Infinite is safe from GUN, GUN is safe from Infinite, Shadow gets a bit of power/autonomy/genuine responsibility, and also another emotionally distant companion who, even in his most annoying state, isn't going to judge Shadow or try to unpack his morality because Infinite is just as blurry and undefinable. This is the best use for Infinite!

So, Infinite is essentially trapped with Shadow at all times (loosely, depending on their trust level and experience with one another he might be permitted to fuck off and do whatever he wants for a while, that's actually the plot to my fic sequel hehe)

The bitter/grumpy dynamic is maintained because they're stuck around each other forever (Shadow has to be responsible for Infinite because even if he hands him over to GUN, Infinite will escape and they'll send Shadow to go get him, so it's just easier this way. Infinite can't go far without a worse/more annoying fate so his best bet is to stay with Shadow in the first place)

They can also turn out to be good friends considering neither of them arguably want to be alive, and are being controlled by GUN, while everyone wants them to be a hero or redeemed, but they're angsty and feel empty/lack purpose and have bruised egos from failing to save people so now they just fuck around and do whatever

I like to ship them because I think they could learn from one another and heal, but not really in a sappy or cute way which is what I think people get from me when I mention their ship, probably since I write them/draw them rather domestically (it's just easier to do! their dynamic is more fucked up for me i'm not fluffwashing them i swear 😭)

They are comedic GOLD. Infinite, Wave, and Rouge are baddies who shop and go clubbing together. Infinite goes from a worldwide threat to that annoying white twink who peaked in highschool and thinks they're an influencer: you probably know one, but if not, here's a good tiktok to use as an example!

Steven is the best this isn't an attack on him it's this specific type of character, just wanna state that as a disclaimer. ANYWAYS!

Infinite would have a pretty good life if we look at his pre-ruby desires: money, grey morals, violence, and adventure! Shadow is loaded, isn't going to police him, can take him on missions if desired, and Shadow himself is pretty unstable and fluid so Infinite is always going to be roped into adventures and shenanigans (even if he doesn't want to be)

If you like a comedic take, Infinite just sorta lingers around Shadow as arm candy: a bothersome relief character who is obnoxious and clingy so everyone questions why Shadow keeps him around (even though they know he has no choice, but for some reason he gives into the banter and bickering). Him and Rouge just drain Shadow's $$$, cause problems on purpose (the "we irritating" meme but it's him and Wave btw) and he just sorta shows up uninvited whenever anyone does something.

Essentially, funny Infinite (Finn, because witness protection) is a dramatic pest that no one invites but everyone loves SECRETLY (if you praise him publicly it goes to his head because he uses the hyperconfidence to mask his insecurities! aka he's a brat on main because sarcastic or ironic self love to the point of obnoxiousness is better than self deprecation, because it's some sort of appreciation or positivity. IT IS IMPROVEMENT!!! and i recommend the ironic self love for anyone struggling with this stuff themselves, i make sarcastic arrogant comments about myself as a joke and that humour is better than the constant self loathing jokes, mix it up a bit! but anyways...)

If you like a more wholesome take, Shadow and Infinite connect and contrast in complimentary ways, so Shadow finally has a sense of security in a friend who is just as inconsistent and unpredictable as himself, who isn't going to get hurt by his distance or recklessness. Infinite can stand up for himself and understands loss on the same level as Shadow, they resonate so well with one another and this is why i'm such an advocate for them interacting!

TANGENT, FEEL FREE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT POINT: I've been a big Espave/Shadpio shipper my whole life, it's always my go-to trio of "let's torture Espio" especially with my Espighty canon. The reason why Espave endgames Shadpio in almost all my canons is because the overlap of morally grey and emotionally distant combative characters who understand loss is notable in Shadpio, but Espave's shared innovation and desire for knowledge and codependency/communal success outweighs it. BASICALLY, the one solid dent in Shadpio for me is the fact Espio values his family more than his independent success, hence why even though we applaud Espio as the voice of reason and a fantastic core member of the Chaotix, he's not on his own "being more productive" because a) Vector and Charmy actually have merit and b) he loves them. His end goal isn't his personal missions like killing Eggman or doing his own thing, he values group connections, just like how Wave respects Jet as her superior despite age and ability, and why she's still a mechanic for the Rogues when they prove to be incompetent. Shadow is not like this, he never has been like this. Why? He can't relate to others, lol. Shadow somewhat connects with robots (Omega, Metal Sonic) because they lack autonomy and were created, but the stint in this is his organic form and slightly increased free will. The reason why Infinite's character potential spoke to me is because he is organic life who was an ultimate that failed his purpose, and, contrary to Shadow's lack of consent, Infinite gave up his autonomy to become a more powerful being, and lost himself in his emptiness. THIS IS SHADOW'S GAME FOR LIKE, 60% OF THE TIME. THEY'D BE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SHADOW'S CONTRIBUTION TO INFINITE'S ORIGIN AND I AM SO AGGRESSIVE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE HARDLY ANYONE ELSE SEES IT. TLDR; THE CLOSEST CHARACTER WE HAVE TO SHADOW IS INFINITE. IT USED TO BE MEPHILES. MORE ON THAT LATER BUT I DIGRESS. BACK TO THE ACTUAL CONTENTS OF THIS POST I JUST HAD NO OTHER TIME TO MENTION THIS AGAIN SINCE THE LAST TIME I SCREAMED ABOUT THEIR BASE RATE COMPATABILTY IN CAPS I HAD LIKE 3 FOLLOWERS LOL

Moving on... Infinite can do quite a few things to keep busy with Shadow! He can run off and be shady but come back and live in the same apartment or on the ARK, be a part of/extension of Team Dark, work at Club Rouge (ehem, @authorleaandres Casino AU vibes), be a public figure fr, or a pta parent for any next gen kids, the weird uncle, Shadow's roommate who everyone is sus about, or just his roommate/friend that everyone secretly admires because they're happy Shadow isn't alone anymore and has someone, even if they don't understand their relationship (seeming rivals, qpr, maybe dating? it's always ambiguous because they're secretive fellas)

In my main canon, aka my Follow You canon, he becomes a member of the Sonic Friend Cast™️ because his identity is protected with the ruby extracted from his chest: he's now just a jackal who was a merc with Infinite that Shadow met when trying to track the war criminal down, they bonded over the task, and he now works for GUN!

In a lot of my doodles and shitposts, he's Shadow's gnc af malewife sugarbaby who causes problems and is goofy stupid for the notes and laughs (and an excuse to draw pretty boys with long hair)

In my epilogue... it's kinda fucked up nvm

And in my sequel? He's a Huge contributor to a love triangle with Sonic, the return of a discarded timeline, a ticking timebomb, and a threat to continuity as we know it 😎

okay, that was a lot. if u made it this far ily ❤️