Episode 17, Chapter 3: Shock to the System
Light University.
An excited member of the Robo Raiders Cheerbot squad lets out at excited squee, exclaiming, "EEEEEE! Look at that CUTE LITTLE BABY!"
She and her fellow Cheerbots surround Peekaboo and adore him, chattering about how cute he is and how they could hug him and squeeze him all day. Boo looks amazed over this surrounding of adoration he is receiving and doesn't know how to react.
Across the room, Roll and Plum watch the outpouring of love from a distance. Plum jokes, "Good luck trying to take BooBoo home now, Roll. I don't think the Cheerbots are ever gonna let him go. You might have to bust out the old frying pan."
Roll snickers, "Just wait till QuarterBot and the TackleBots come around and they might go chasing them instead."
Plum remarks, "Boo used to be so worried about a lot of things, but now he's not."
"He's doing a lot better than when I first found him. He's not as afraid of things as he used to be," Roll says fondly.
"He's becoming a big Met," Plum gushes.
"I just hope we can get this fighting over and done forever, so he can always be happy. All of us can," Roll says. Even bring up the conflict with Wily reminds her of why she is here this weekend. "Can I step out for a minute? I've got to make a call. Be right back."
Plum notices that Roll seems a little different than usual. "Hey, Roll. Are you doing okay? I know you enough to know when something's bothering you."
Roll smiles to try and ease Plum's concern. "I'm okay. Just hoping I don't miss out of anything if Wily shows his ugly face again."
"Okay. If you say so," Plum says. "We'll be here pinching Peekaboo's cheeks."
Roll steps out of the room and finds a solitary place where she can make her call. But, it isn't her family back home she's calling.
Once she is alone, Roll presses one of the keys on her utility arm, cycling through the comm frequencies of every call she has made or received until she finally finds the frequency used by Bass when he gave her the information about Splash Woman earlier this year.
Roll waits a moment, considering whether she really wants to go through with this. If she is wrong about Bass, it could be the biggest - or last - mistake she could ever make. But, if she is right, it could be the turning point in this war, and it could redeem Bass as well.
Roll lets out a brief sigh and says in a whisper, "Here goes..."
Roll presses another key on her forearm and begins her attempt to contact Bass.
"Bass... it's Roll... You don't have to respond, but I want you to listen... I've been thinking about talking to you lately. I think it would be good if we did."
Nearly a minute passes as Roll awaits a response. Finally, Bass responds directly.
"Not over this line of communication. We should meet at neutral location, alone, without anyone from either of our sides to interfere."
Roll gets apprehensive at the idea of Bass' counterproposal. Now, she suddenly finds herself in a situation where she could be alone, possibly in a remote location, with the most dangerous robot in the world.
Again, she has second thoughts about going through with this, but she decides to assert herself instead of just letting him be the dominant one.
She counters, "If we meet, it won't be in the middle of nowhere. I won't have anyone with me, but you better not either. If I even smell a Wily robot nearby, I'll... I'll never forgive you."
Once again, Roll awaits a response, putting the ball back in Bass' court. Finally, he answers.
"You choose the rendezvous point. Only Treble will be with me. No one else, whether it be Wily or any of his robots."
Roll replies, "Deal. I'll let you know where to meet up later."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Afterwards, Roll lets out another sigh and lowers her left forearm back down to her side. She cannot believe she has gotten herself into a covert meet-up with Bass, but it looks like it is about to happen. It sounded like Bass was willing to conform to her request and not force things to go his way. It only reinforces her belief that Bass can be swayed by her. All she would have to do now is reach Bass' good side... if he even has one.
"When I thought about what my first date would be like, this isn't what I had in mind," she says before returning to her friends.
At an underground cavern in Montana.
The reformed Robot Master Drill Man is hard at work, aiding humankind rather than being programmed to harm it. Drill Man is happy now that he has been given a second chance at life, and most of all, he feels appreciated where he is now, which he certainly was not while he was under the control of Dr. Wily.
Drill Man is currently drilling a hole in the ground large enough for his fellow workers to vertically place a reinforced titanium support beam, which will help keep the area safe enough for the next phase of a mining operation. This next phase involves clearing away an obstruction of massive rock and boulders, and the support beams Drill Man and his fellow minors have put into place will help prevent a serious structural collapse.
But, that part of the job is best left to the team's new member.
With her arms folded behind her back, Soprano stands off to the side of the worksite and politely waits for Drill Man's duty to be finished, which is when she will be needed.
She has been a part of this team since she left the care of Dr. Light's lab back in June, using her unique shockwave power to help clear the path for excavations and mining work, making work safer for her human coworkers, as well as fellow robots.
As she waits for her chance to perform her duties, Soprano begins humming the song ProtoMan plays on his flute, the only clear memory she remembers from her previous life as Nomad. And as Soprano hums the introductory notes of the song, she thinks about Proto, as he said he wanted her to do when she sings that song. And a smile comes across her face as she thinks about him.
For whatever reason Soprano feels happier than normal when she thinks about ProtoMan. Proto is the only one who can make these feelings stir within her, making her feel all mushy and tingly inside. In fact, she would like to see him again some time. Some time soon.
When he is finished drilling the last hole into the surface, Drill Man reverts his arm drillers into place and two regular hands appear in their place. It was an upgrade given to him courtesy of Dr. Light following the redemption of the former Robot Master. It is certainly nice to have actual hands instead of just drillers.
He waves over to the human supervisor for this job. "It's ready, Mr. Zane."
"Thanks, Drill Man. Put the support beam in place, everyone," the supervisor then instructs.
As a crew of human and robot workers set up the support beams for the next part of the job, Drill Man walks over to Soprano, who continues to hum ProtoMan's musical composition.
Drill Man compliments her. "That is a pretty song, Miss Soprano. Did you think of it?"
"No, really. I honestly don't know how I know it. So just do," Soprano smiles.
Drill Man is aware that Soprano is a fellow reformed Wily robot, and he wants to tell her that he is happy that she is with the good guys and not his abusive former master, but Brain Bot personally requested him to not make any mention to Soprano about her past, because she does not remember it.
So, Drill Man stands awkwardly silent for a moment, thinking of something to say. Finally, he thinks of something.
"So, have you been to Dr. Light's lab?"
"Yes. That's where I first woke up. Everybody there is really nice. I would like to visit them again one day. Especially ProtoMan."
"ProtoMan is an old friend of mine back when we were both with... um, somewhere else," Drill Man says, careful not to mention their history under Dr. Wily. "I don't even think I would be here if it weren't for Miss Roll, Mega Man's sister. Really, if it weren't for her, I might have become a puddle of melted titanium."
Supervisor Zane then calls, "Alright, Soprano. You're up. Just clear the rocks between the support beams and the power bots will clear out the debris."
With that, Soprano steps up to the mark on the ground that signifies the minimum safe distance for robot workers. She then kneels down and places her right hand - the hand that emits her shockwave power - to the ground, keeping her palm facing away from herself to aim the blast towards the blast zone.
The supervisor announces, "Everybody stay clear until the word is given."
Afterward, Soprano speaks, letting everyone know she is about to use her shockwave. "One... Two... Three!"
Soprano then unleashes the power of her shockwave, which makes its typical loud VRAAAAANG! sound. The wave races towards the destruct zone, obliterating the rocks in its path. The ground rumbles as the formations in front of her begin to shatter, and while everyone keeps away from the area a safe distance away, Soprano stares ahead at the damage she just caused, unable to move.
Something is wrong.
"Soprano! Get away from there!" orders the human supervisor.
As she stays here in a kneeled stance, Soprano is overwhelmed at the sight of what she just did, and a look of shock appears on his face. The sounds and the sights of all this triggers a vision... or a memory... Soprano felt afraid, and unable to speak as she watched the destruction before her... just like it was when she used her shockwave for the first time, in the hangar bay of Skull Fortress, which nearly wiped out everything in its path. And now, she feels like she is back there again, watching several robots and vehicles being tossed aside. Even though she cannot see it with her eyes, she feels it in her mind.
She does not know why she is having a memory of something se does not remember living. Yet, it feels so familiar to her, and it is terrifying.
The debris continues to fall, now dangerously close to falling on Soprano and burying her in it, but all she can do is stare at it approaching her. She can't scream, and she can't put her arms up to cover herself. She is paralyzed with fear.
Just before Soprano is crushed by the debris, Drill Man races to her, grabbing her with the aid of his alternate hands and carries her away just as the rubble falls, saving her from certain doom.
"Is she alright?" asks the supervisor.
Drill Man puts Soprano down and tries to speak to Soprano. "Soprano? What happened to you? Are you hurt?"
Soprano still looks shaken over the experience she just had. The memory of her escape from Skull Fortress was so vivid that it felt real, like she had lived it, but she does not remember it. She could only stare for a moment at the newly created rubble which she had just been whisked away from, and couldn't answer Drill Man.
Drill Man asked again, "Soprano, are you okay?"
Soprano finally broke her stare from the blast zone and looked at Drill Man for a moment, then the other human and robot workers around her. She was still afraid and she felt the need to get away from here. Soprano hastily returned to her feet and ran away from the worksite.
"If she has the same problems she had before, we're in trouble," the supervisor said.
"Don't worry, sir. I'm going after her," Drill Man says, running after Soprano.
Outside, after chasing Soprano outside for nearly a minute, Drill Man reaches the robot recharge station, a trailer-like hub where the robot workers go when they are either recharging on a break or when they team is traveling to another location with the human members.
He saw Soprano running inside the trailer just a few moments ago and decides to go in after her to check on her. She has become a friend since she was assigned to the team and Drill Man would feel bad if he didn't try to help her.
Drill Man reaches the recharge trailer and cautiously enters.
"Soprano?" he calls.
Drill Man steps inside and finds Soprano sitting in the corner, hugging her legs and keeping her head down.
Drill Man kneels beside Soprano, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"
"I don't know what happened to me," Soprano answers with a shaking voice, "When I used my power, I felt like I was somewhere else... I felt like I was in danger... I don't know how it happened... I'm really scared."
Later.
Dr. Light's Lab.
"What happened to her?" ProtoMan asks urgently.
Brain Bot has contacted the lab via a video call about Soprano's incident at the worksite, and obviously, ProtoMan wants answers.
Brain Bot responds, "According to the report we recieved, Soprano may have endured a sort of memory recurrence while performing her duties with Drill Man and his mining team. This is the first real indication that her old memories are recoverable."
Dr. Light asks "Is Soprano alright?"
"She was unharmed, thanks to Drill Man's swift reaction. But, she was badly shaken by the experience. I have personally arranged for her return to my lab in California so that my team and I can examine her."
ProtoMan asks, "When she gets there, I want to talk to her."
Brain Bot looks visibly uncomfortable with Proto's suggestion. "I would strongly advise against that, ProtoMan."
ProtoMan looks irritated over Brain's suggestion. "Why?"
"It seems that an audio/visual sensation is what triggered Soprano's neural network to remember a moment from her past. Since you were the closest to her before her memories became corrupted, it is possible that you could unlock more memories within her."
"So, why don't you tell me why unlocking her memories is such a bad thing?" Proto asks, sternly.
"Triggering even more memories so soon after a traumatic event like she had today could be more harmful than helpful. It could even traumatize her permanently."
ProtoMan's agitation is clearly showing through. He is very concerned for Soprano's well-being and he wants to help her. He wants to comfort her and let her know that she will be alright, and he wants to prevent anything from happening to her again. And despite Brain Bot only doing what he thinks is best for Soprano, Proto thinks he is wrong, because he has spent more time with her than anyone has.
In the heat of the moment, Proto lets his emotions get he better of him and vents his frustration...
"You want to know what I think is harmful? Not helping her remember her past before this happens again! 'Cause it's going to happen again! And maybe Drill Man and the others won't be there to save her next time! With all the brains in the world, you won't be able to fix her life then, will you?!"
"Proto! Please calm yourself," Dr. Light orders.
Brain Bot sighs, looking a bit sad after being yelled at by Proto... "I know you care about Soprano, ProtoMan. But, I only want what is best for her. It's why I took her case."
Proto cannot bring himself to speak any futher and steps away from the screen. He is overcome with several emotions, especially concern for Soprano and frustration that he cannot help her get better. Now he feels bad for blowing up at Brain bot like he just did.
This news, followed by the run-in with the rude members of the police last night and his continued frustrations with humans have all led to this blowup. If it had not happened here with Brain Bot, it would have with somebody else.
Dr. Light replies to Brain instead. "We know you're doing your best, Brain Bot. That's why we trusted you with Soprano. Please let us know when you have anything else to report."
"Of course, Dr. Light," Brain Bot answers as he ends the call.
Afterwards, Dr. Light chastises ProtoMan. "You shouldn't react like that to one of our friends, Proto. He's the best chance we have at recovering Soprano's memories."
"Yeah, I know," a dejected ProtoMan says. He then walks toward the garage adjacent to the lab.
"Where are you going?"
"Almost anywhere sounds about good right now," Proto replies, intending to go off to be by his lonesome again.
"You don't have to leave, son," Thomas says.
"But, I don't want to be here. I can do a lot less damage when I'm alone anyway."
Proto walks out of the lab, leaving Dr. Light by himself. The Good Doctor sighs and his shoulders slump. He cannot help but feel he is losing Proto all over again
"If only things had gone differently, I could have saved her, son... I could have saved many others too," Thomas says, woefully, even if Proto is already too far away to hear him.
Outside.
Mega Man stands on the roof of the lab to be by himself for a short while before he resumes his task securing the convention center for next weekend's debate. He is not totally alone, however, as Rush is nearby, chewing on a big bone toy and holding it in place with his two front paws.
As Mega stands here, he hears Proto's Red Blazer powering up, then he sees Proto flying himself out in the Red Blazer.
"There he goes again," Mega remarks, shaking his head. "I hope he doesn't get himself in hot water again. Though, it sounded like they were giving Proto a hard time too."
Rush stops chewing his bone and looks at Proto flying away, tilting his head, then returns to chewing on that bone.
"Not much distracts you, huh, boy?" Mega grins.
Mega then receives an incoming call from Kalinka Cossack. Even seeing that she is calling helps lift his spirits again.
"Hi, Kalinka."
"Hi, Rock."
"I was wondering why you didn't message last night. Everything okay?"
"Yeah... well, mostly okay.
Mega asks, "What's wrong?"
"There was something I need to tell you. I haven't had the chance to tell father yet..." Kalinka says, pausing before announcing, "I know you told me to think carefully before I made any big decisions, and... I am planning on resigning from university."
Mega was not expecting to hear this, but is not that surprised after how Kalinka was very unhappy there. He does not know much about what the college life is like, so he cannot relate to the decision. His sister's studies at Light University are challenging for her too, and she's a robot. Mega imagines it must be more so for a human.
Mega asks her,"And you're really sure you want to do this?"
"Yes. I'm so unhappy here, I don't want to wake up some days. I can't stand the thought of being stuck here doing this for another three years. I want to do something else with my life other than this. I want to be with you more often too."
"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Kalinka, but I understand," Mega says. "You're not making this decision just because of me, are you?"
"No. It might be easier to endure it all if we were together, sure. But, I just do not like it there anymore."
Mega feels bad for Kalinka, because he would like to see her complete her college degree, and he is sure Dr. Cossack wants that for her too. (Kalinka has even implied as much.) He too wishes Kalinka was located here in New York that they could spend more time together like they both want. He would consider running the idea of her transferring to an American college by her, but he does not go through with it. Mega does not want to interject himself into major life decision like that. And he does not want to ruffle Dr. Cossack's feathers either.
(After all, he knows what it is like to battle the Russian Scientist in a mech suit, and he would much rather not wind up doing that again.)
"Since your mind is already made up, there's no point in trying to change your mind. When you you gonna tell your dad?"
"Tomorrow morning when he wakes. He's been keeping himself occupied ever since his meeting with President Zhukov. I know he will try to talk me out of it. I will let you know how everything goes. Wish me luck."
"Okay, then. Good luck. Just look forward to that second vacation we'll take soon. That should lift your spirits."
Kalinka makes a soft giggle sound. "I absolutely will. I wish it was here now."
"I love you, Kalinka."
"I love you too, Rock."
After Kalinka disconnects. Mega sighs heavily. As if the pressure of the war with Wily weren't bad enough, the pressures of life outside of being Defender of the Human Race have become nearly as stressful.
"When it rains, it pours," he says aloud.
Later that night.
Cincinnati, Ohio.
With her SkyCycle parked nearby, Roll stands alone on a rooftop of one of the tallest buildings in the city, waiting for Bass to arrive for this clandestine meeting.
"I don't know why we always seem to end up in alleys and rooftops, but we do," she openly says.
Roll told Plum and the girls back at campus that she needed some time to be by herself. (Proto used that excuse a lot, and still does. If it works for him, it will probably work for her.)
Peekaboo is back at Light University with Plum too. Roll did not want him around Bass or Treble, because he might get scared. And if this ends up being a trap, she did not want anything happening to him. But, Roll thinks (or hopes) that Bass will not try anything like that with her again. Not if he truly does care about her.
After waiting out here for almost twenty minutes, Roll briefly considers leaving. But, finally, she hears the sound of jet engines, which sound similar to Rush's jet engines, but not quite. She then sees something moving fast down below weaving between the other buildings, low enough to not be detected by any radar systems and high enough to avoid the attention from any onlookers on down below.
It was Bass, riding on Treble's back.
Roll looks at the area around her, keeping an eye our for any sign of any other Robot Masters or Wily vehicles, but she sees none. Maybe Bass really has come alone. She looks down again and loses sight of Bass and Treble as they near the high-rise, and the sound of the jet engines grow louder and louder as they approach and rise to this altitude.
Bass and Treble reach the roof, and Bass leaps off of Treble's back, landing a decent amount of distance across from Roll. Roll clinches her hands into fists, keeping herself ready in case Bass tries anything, and she stares across at him, watching intently.
Likewise, Bass stands still as he stares across at Roll for a moment while Treble lands nearby.
Without breaking his stare, Bass instructs, "Treble, inspect the roof for any interlopers."
Treble snarls as he trots around the rooftop, searching and sniffing around the area.
"No one else is here, Bass. This isn't a trap," Roll insists.
"I believe you; I don't believe your family," Bass retorts. "Aside from Treble, no one else is here."
"Does Wily know you're away from the nest?"
"He will eventually."
"Won't he come looking for you?"
"Won't your brothers be looking for you?"
"They know I'm out... if they knew I was with you, they would fry a few circuit-breakers."
Bass nods slightly. "I'll know if Wily sends anyone after me. The rest of his robots are not very subtle when it comes to stealth. I'll make sure they get out."
Treble reaches Roll's SkyCycle and sniffs around. The sound of the robowolf nearly caught her off guard and she looks over her shoulder to watch him for a brief second before looking back to Bass, who has not moved in the slightest, just keeping his sights set on Roll.
"I'm not used to seeing you trust me. The last time we met outside of battle, you insisted your brother be present," Bass says, referring to a time these two last spoke during the brief time when Bass was not with Dr. Wily. "You haven't trusted me since that night. Why do you now?"
"You kidnapped me before, and you remember how I told you it was wrong. If you really care about me like you say you do, you won't try anything like that again," Roll replies.
Bass doesn't show it much, but he is surprised to hear Roll's response. He wonders if she finally beginning to trust him. But, the sudden desire to meet with him seems suspicious to Bass.
"Why did you want to meet with me?"
Roll answers, "I... kind of wanted to talk to you... I need to know a few things."
"What kind of these 'things' do you need to know?"
Roll replies, "I want to know what's really in your heart. I need to know how much of Wily you have inside you. And be honest with me. Don't just give me an answer that will flatter me."
Bass finally breaks his stare at Roll, looking down at the surface of the roof. "As you wish... Bare in mind, you might not like everything you hear, but it is the truth. My heart... I fill it with anger. There really never is a time when I am not angry to some degree. There are only two individuals in this world who can quell that anger. You, my queen, are one of them."
"And I suppose Wily is the other," Roll assumes.
"No. Treble is," Bass says. "He has been around me every day since we were first powered up. He is my companion. I enjoy him being around."
"You two are just like my brother with Rush," Roll says. "I can't imagine one without the other."
"It takes truly special individual to calm my anger... You are special too, Roll... That is why I confessed how I feel that afternoon, during the battle with the StarDroids."
"If you're angry all the time, then why can't you let go of these hateful feelings?"
Bass confesses, "I don't want to let go of them. My anger makes me stronger, and so does my hatred. Hatred is the most powerful emotion that exists. It's quite fascinating, really. Wonders and advancements of all kinds, no matter how long and hard it took to accomplish them, can all be undone in seconds because of the power of anger and hatred!"
Roll just shakes her head, having a hard time believing that anyone - robot or human - could feel like this. "I don't believe that's true. Hatred is not as strong as love. Even you just admitted how your anger goes away when you're with me or Treble. That should be enough to prove that hate is not is strong as you think it is."
"I don't want to let go of my anger. I need my strength. I want to be the most powerful robot alive."
"You'll never have that with Wily, Bass. Ever," Roll says. "I'm sorry to say it, but that's why you've never defeated my brothers. That's why ProtoMan could never beat Mega either when he was with Wily. And that's why Wily can't defeat us."
Bass's shoulders slump ever so slightly as he hears Roll's words. Having his defeats at the hands of Mega Man dangled over him like that cut pretty deep, but because it is Roll, he will take it on the chin and listen to her.
Roll exclaims, "Deep down, Bass, you know I'm right. You're on the wrong side of this war. As long as you're with Wily, you'll never have the power you want."
"I can't just leave Dr. Wily," Bass says.
"You left him before! You can do it again, for good!"
"I am compelled to stay. I feel like I must prove to him that I am the best robot he has ever created!"
"You never will prove that to him, Bass. Proto was his right hand bot, but then Wily thought he wasn't good enough anymore, so he made you to replace him. One day, you're not gonna be good enough for Wily anymore, either. Then, he'll build your replacement... maybe he already is."
Bass stares at Roll again for several seconds before looking down again. Her words resonate loudly with him, because Wily's new robot is surely Bass' replacement, no matter what Wily keeps saying.
Maybe she is right. Maybe he is on the wrong side.
Finally, a reserved Bass gravels, "Yes... he will try to replace me one day... but, he will regret it."
Roll suspects that she has gotten Bass to let his guard down and thinks about probing for information about Wily and what he has planned next. But, she reconsiders, because it could make Bass wary of her, or make him think she is only meeting for intel to give to Mega Man. The reason she is here is to convince him to abandon Wily and - just maybe - convince him to fight along the good guys and put a stop to Wily once and for all. And if she is going to convince him to change his ways, she must get him to trust her.
Roll has not heard Treble's small footsteps around in a while and looks around to find him laying flat of his stomach with his chin to the ground. He might look relaxed, but he is keeping himself ready to pounce on any unwelcome guests at a moment's notice.
Bass sees this and looks over to his wolf companion.
"You can relax, Treble. I don't think anyone is going to intervene now."
Treble then rolls over to his right side and rests, kicking one of his hind legs a few times before easing himself into a more relaxed state. This is the most docile Treble has ever been in public.
"Treble is not as intimidating as he might seem," Bass says, "There is no need to be afraid of him. He won't harm you. I have taught him to accept that you are not an enemy."
Roll barely smiles, "That's good to know."
"Now that he is at ease, now is as good a time as any to approach him," Bass suggests, trying to get Roll to feel was apprehensive. Besides, if she can be comfortable around Treble, she might become comfortable around Bass too.
Roll begins to walk over to Treble, but stops herself briefly, still unsure if she should get too close to him, because he has always been so intimidating. But, soon she steps up to Treble and kneels down beside him.
As Roll reaches for him with her right hand, Treble looks at her with his red eyes, apprehensively letting out a low growl.
"It's alright, Treble," Bass says.
Treble then eases himself, and afterwards Roll reaches a little further and begins petting Treble along his side.. Treble makes a relaxed humming sound as he continues looking at her, his red eyes not looking so fierce as they usually do.
After a few more soft pets from Roll, Treble turns over onto his back, with all four of his legs in the air, now completely calm in Roll's presence.
Roll cannot help but smile as she pets Treble's chest and stomach area, amazing at how friendly and welcoming the wolfbot is being with her.
"Wow! I never thought I would get to spent quality time with you, Treble."
"I'm sure he never thought you would either," Bass says.
Bass takes a few steps closer to Roll, but keeps his distance enough to not alarm her. He also does not want to say the wrong thing, either. She is so close to finally understanding him, he does not want to ruin it. But, there is something that has eluded Bass for many months that he hopes Roll can help with. He would not even consider running this by Dr. Wily, but he will with Roll, because he trusts her more...
"Something happened to me in the hours after the StarDroid battle. I have never mentioned it to anyone, not even Dr. Wily, until now" Bass says. "Duo, the one who fought beside you and your brothers against the StarDroids, sought me out before he left this planet and spoke to me."
Roll looks surprised to learn about this. "Duo?! What did he say?"
"He told me that there was justice within me," Bass reveals.
"He did!? ... I knew I was right," Roll exclaims.
"About what?"
Roll stands up and explains, "I've had a feeling ever since that day in Dallas when we stopped the StarDroids, that even though you're with Wily, there was goodness inside of you somewhere."
"Goodness?"
"Yes! That's why you've been stopping crimes recently, isn't it?"
Bass thinks for a moment about the brief vigilante stint he had recently. "I don't what led me to do those things. I was always drawn to it, until Dr. Wily told me to stop."
"Bass, you were drawn to do it because you knew it was the right thing to stop it from happening. No matter how violent you got with those criminals, you still saved people."
Bass admits, "It... did feel satisfying when I did it. Were it not for Dr. Wily's intervening, I would still be disrupting these parasites."
Roll has a feeling that she is closer than ever to reaching that good kernel somewhere within Bass, so she keeps on trying. "Your style of justice might be different than mine, or Mega's, or Proto's, but you know what justice is. That's why Duo sensed it. That's why you don't belong with Dr. Wily. You have to know what the right thing to do is before it's too late!"
"And if that day comes, what will you do, Roll?" Bass asks, "Will you finally join me and become my queen?"
Roll sighs, "My place is at home, living my life; Not as the queen of all robots. I've never wanted power like you do, Bass."
Bass then asks, "... Will you love me?"
Roll keeps silent. She cannot bring herself to answer that question yet, because she does not know how to answer. It would be wonderful if Bass would leave Dr. Wily and help her bring him down. But, then what?
Roll does not know how she would really feel about him, because even though she has feelings for him, he's still Bass, the robot who has so much anger and hatred inside of him it might never be purged. (In other words, he is not exactly the kind of boy someone would want to bring home to meet Dad.)
While Roll keeps silent Bass continues, "I know that you already care about me, as I do for you. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here. You would have never spoken to me again after we brought you to Skull Fortress last year."
Bass begins to take a few subtle steps towards Roll now, not moving up on her too quickly to prevent making her uncomfortable. He continues, "There is darkness in my heart. I don't know much about love, or empathy, or caring. But, I know it when I feel it, and I can feel it right now as I'm here with you, Roll. I have felt it ever since I first saw you. And that feeling has only gotten stronger ever since. Surely, you must feel it now, deep inside."
Bass continues easing himself towards Roll, and by now she knows he is approaching her. But she stays put, because she knows she is getting closer to wresting him away from Wily... and also, she doesn't seem to mind how close Bass is getting. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she has always found Bass attractive, at least from a physical standpoint.
"I admit... I care about you too," she says, sounding little quieter now, "I wish you weren't one of Wily's. Things would be a lot easier if you weren't so... you know... the way you are."
"It is... regrettable that things have gone this way," Bass says.
Roll shrugs, keeping her eyes trained on Bass'. "Although, I do kinda think bad boys are hot... as long as they aren't that bad."
Bass then says, "I find innocence to be the purest beauty... but, even the most beautiful beings can have a warrior's heart, as you do."
Bass takes a few more steps, now standing right in front of Roll, and both of them continue looking into each other's eyes in a way they never have before.
"Can you change? Just let go of all that anger?" Roll asks, with a hint of a whispery tone in her voice.
"It would be tough. But, anything is possible for you," Bass answers.
"I... would like that... very much," Roll says, even more whispery.
"If I must, then I must," Bass says, without the usual gravel in his voice.
Roll and Bass both feel a desire to give in to the feelings they have for each other, and they both slowly begin to lean into each other's personal space. Roll feels that same mushy unt tingly feeling as she gets closer to Bass, and she feels conflicted. She shouldn't be doing this, but she wants to. She wants Bass to change, but she doesn't know if she can wait that long. She wants to have this moment with him now.
As Roll gets ever so closer to him, Bass can feel an emotion from deep within flourishing like it never has before. This is what he has waited for ever since he first saw Roll. It is about to happen. They both forget the war and what sides they are on so they can jump into this incredible moment, their first kiss...
Before their lips could touch, however, Roll pulls herself away from Bass, suddenly having thinking twice of giving in to her desires. She then turns around, walking away from Bass to return to her Skycycle.
"What's wrong?" Bass asks, sounding genuinely concerned.
"I can't, Bass... I shouldn't even be here. I have to go," Roll answers, looking bothered as she mounts her Skycycle.
"Roll, please, don't leave yet," Bass pleas, "What do I have to do to prove myself worthy?"
Roll starts up the SkyCycle, but she does not leave the rooftop yet. She remains for a moment and looks back at Bass. She knows there must be some good in him somewhere, even now she can see it in him. But, she does not know if he can truly walk away from the darkness for the good of the world, or if he ever will at all.
She finally replies, "Bass... search your heart. Not just when you're thinking about me. And when you find that goodness that Duo saw, the goodness I think is in you, do what you think is right."
Roll flies off in the SkyCycle and heads back to Light University, leaving Bass and Treble behind. Bass just stands here and watches her leave until he can no longer see even the slightest trace of her.
Treble looks up at his master, awaiting an order.
Bass looks down at his feet for a moment, frustrated that Roll has eluded him again, and that he is no closer to discovering what justice truly is.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Bass gravels.
Treble transforms into a jetboard and Bass steps atop him, and the pair jet off in the opposite direction Roll did. And little did they or Roll know, that someone was nearby and was watching them the whole time...
On one of the rooftops several streets away, an onlooker was watching through a pair of super binoculars. And his name is ProtoMan.
Proto had picked this place to spend some time alone for a while when he had heard the familiar sounds of Roll's SkyCycle and Treble's jets. He thought nothing of the SkyCycle engine sounds at first, because SkyCycles are available for civilians as well. But, Treble's jet engines are unmistakable.
Proto ended up spotting Roll and Bass and witnessed most of their secret meeting. He could not hear what they were saying, but he did see how close they got, and it didn't sit too well with him.
After Bass leaves, ProtoMan lowers the binoculars and stares off into the starry sky, slack jawed and utterly flummoxed over the idea of his sister meeting with Bass, and getting so intimately close like that. That must have been why she wanted to get away for the weekend.
"What the hell, man? ... what the hell!" Proto says to himself. "Rock and Thomas aren't gonna like hearing this."
Later.
Skull Fortress
Bass and Treble return to the fortress, arriving through the hangar bay entrances behind the 'eyes' of the skull façade in the front. Roll has been on Bass' mind the whole way back here, so much so that Bass just let Treble fly home without direction from his master.
After landing, Bass steps off Treble, allowing the wolf bot to return to his standard form.
"Go, Treble. I'll catch up with you shortly."
Almost immediately, Dr. Wily contacts Bass over his communicator. "I was wondering when you would show up, Bass. I have one last finishing touch for my ultimate robot, and I want you to see it, personally. Your opinion matters, my boy."
"I'm thrilled," Bass says with a thick air of sarcasm, clearly perturbed at the idea of having anything to do with this so-called ultimate robot of Wily's.
As he makes his way to meet with his creator, Bass thinks back to tonight's rendezvous with Roll and what she said to him. Having the ultimate robot and the jadous sphere shard dangled over him makes Bass consider Roll's words even more than ever.
But, that is not all he thinks about. He thinks about how close she was to him. How close they came to finally making affectionate contact with one another. It was so close he could almost feel her lips. But, yet again, she eludes him.
Being so close to finally bonding with her, to nearly having her as his queen only makes him want her even more, and he wants it so bad he would do almost anything to have her... but, how far will he go? And will she only continue to elude him even then?
He cannot go on without her much longer. The desire to have her with him is insatiable, now more than ever.
The walk from the hangar to Dr. Wily's workshop felt quicker than it actually was after thinking about Roll so much. Bass arrived to see Dr. Wily standing beside the ultimate robot, who was still not yet online and remained entirely covered with a white sheet, so its appearance remains a mystery to Bass.
"Good. You're here," Wily grins. "I have developed a special weapon for my ultimate robot, Bass."
"This robot of yours will already be powerful enough. Having anything else added would be excessive," Bass says.
"There is no such thing is too much power, my boy," Wily continues smiling, "He has a plasma buster weapon like you and other warrior robots. But, I think he will prefer this..."
Dr. Wily picks up a rounded instrument from a nearby table, and it looks like the hilt of a sword. It is mostly gold with a red encrusted jewel on the opposite end of it. Dr. Wily then holds the hilt outward, aiming the 'nozzle' of the hilt at a diagonal angle upwards.
When Wily moves a switch on the side of the hilt, a loud 'WHOOSH' sound is heard and a bright beam of crackling neon green energy emits from the nozzle of the hilt, stopping when the beam extends to just over one foot long in length, and the sound of a low hum is heard pulsating from the energy beam.
Bass is startled when he sees this new weapon in person, and his dark red eyes grow wide with shock and awe. He even takes one step backward genuinely intimidated.
As Bass looks up and down the energy sword, his advanced visual scanners recognize the energy signatures emanating from it, and that is what has him worried...
Dr. Wily's wretched, evil smile could not get any wider as he watches Bass' reaction. It actually gives him pleasure to see the usually unflappable Bass so shaken. If Bass is intimidated by something, it must be extremely deadly.
Bass almost stammers, "That sword!... It's pure Jadous!"
"Yes! I have taken a fraction of my shard and installed it inside of this hilt, along with a micro laser projector," Wily responds with evil glee. "I now have a weapon that NO ONE can counteract! And it can destroy ANYTHING AND ANYONE IT TOUCHES!"
With a murderous gleam in his eyes, Dr. Wily turns to his left with the Jadous saber clutched in his hands and slashes it across the workshop's titanium wall and some of the equipment, carving it all it up like a hot knife through butter.
Bass could only watch in shock at the immense destructive power of the weaponized shard fragment, and it seems that his worst fear is becoming a reality.
Dr. Wily then grabs a solid rod of Litanium metal, dragging it to the middle of the room. With that same mad sound to his voice, he instructs, "This is Litanium, Bass! Look how it stands up to my Jadous sword!..."
Wily rears the saber back and swings it like a baseball bat across the Litanium rod, and it makes a loud 'VOOM' sound as it cuts through the air and the Litanium rod. Afterwards, the durable Litanium rod is split in half, with the top half falling to the floor, and the severed end glowing orange and sizzling from being sliced.
Dr. Wily howls with evil laughter, and does with such force and ferociousness that his face is turning red and a vein is pulsating in his forehead.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA! DO YOU SEE, BASS?! I AM UNSTOPPABLE NOW! MEGA MAN WILL DIE! THE WORLD IS MINE! BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
As Dr. Wily shrieks with laughter, Bass realizes just how serious a threat his master truly is, and he is actually frightened. (And that's saying something.)
Now that he possesses a weapon of unheard of power, which will soon be wielded by a robot that is nearly indestructible, Dr. Wily may truly be unstoppable now, and the world could very well fall right into his hands with little hope of stopping it...
Have a nice day! :)
Author's notes:
I guess it's obvious who Dr. Wily's next robot is now, huh?
I want to wish all Defender readers a Happy Holiday, (whether it be Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, or just another Wednesday. Whatever you celebrate) and Happy New Year.
This is the last chapter of 2019 and the last chapter of the decade. But, it is certainly not the last chapter of Defender. Defender will return in 2020, after I take a couple of weeks off from writing. Besides, I need a break (and time to play any new games I recieve this holiday season.)
I want to thank all of you for a great year of Defender. Just wait until you see what is coming up in 2020. ;)
Roll's line about always being on a rooftop or an alley is a little attempt at some meta humor, because I always tend to have scenes taking place on rooftops and alleys in this story.
And the little "Have a Nice Day" joke at the end was a reference to Raiden's ending text from the original Mortal Kombat. (Anybody who has ever seen it will get it.)
Thank you for reading. Please leave a review or a comment. And if you find any typos or continuity errors so bad it would snap Charlie Brown's skinny Christmas tree in half, please DM me right away.