Thunder Child
Final: Forgiveness
by Lady Virgo
"Hold tight your true
self. Let not the
song sing, 'Farewell
Thunder Child' "
///
....Are you still there?
[ I'm always here. ]
Oh.
[ Sorry to disappoint. ]
Whatever.
[ I really am sorry. I didn't mean to land you in the labs so many times. ]
I know...
[ Hm? ]
I know... I /know/ I've been here before but I... I can't /remember/!
[ I know. ]
/How/ do you know? Who /are/ you?
[ I'm the failure. I'm the one that he wishes he could forget. But I won't let him. ]
Who are you?
[ I am your predecessor. I am Blues. ]
~*~*~*~
He hunched over the controls by Elec's capsule.
"I know your plan, Blues. I won't let you have him." Wily growled. "I won't let you turn my strongest creation against me. I will win! I won't lose to you any longer! BLUES!"
~*~*~*~
[ Such a noisy old man. ]
What are you doing?
[ I'm just making sure the perimeters I put around your memory banks remain intact. ]
So... you're not inside my head?
[ God no. Not as such, anyway. ]
What does that mean?
[ The old man should've known that I would've realized what he was doing. This fortress
might've been concealed enough and far enough away from the city so that no one else would realize it, but I know this area like none other. ]
What're you talking about?
[ While your oh so loyal brother was off getting one of your other brethren to manipulate, I came into the lab and rigged up a connection to your capsule. ]
Mine? Why mine? Why not anyone else?
[ Because you're the strongest. You're the most capable Wily's created yet. Having you bent to his every whim like the others would be far too dangerous. ]
Then... are you the one causing all these problems?
[ No. ]
No?
[ You are. ]
~*~*~*~
Wily slammed a palm against the console, frustrated and furious. For the third time... /third/ /time/ he had to recall Elec because of Blues' manipulations and he couldn't figure out how he was doing it! /WHY?/
With a strained sigh, he fell back in his chair to think.
He was obviously tampering with the memory constraints that Wily had put up and from the scans he had gotten back, there was obvious movement in Elec's network showing outside interference. So then /where/ was it was /coming from/?
He didn't have the time to worry about it right now. The more time he kept Elec in that capsule to fix him up, the stronger Blues' interference became. He had to put a stop to this. Right now.
Wily pressed a button and spoke into the intercom. "Ice. Come to my lab immediately."
~*~*~*~
...I don't believe you.
[ Believe what you want. It's the truth. ]
How do I know you're not the one lying to me?
[ You don't. ]
I don't trust you.
[ I wouldn't trust me, either. If I were in your place. ]
Then why did you even do this?
[ Because I'm not going to just sit by and let the old man have his way. I'll defy him at every turn. Using others, if I have to. ]
You're a pretty cold guy. No wonder you're considered a failure.
[ I'm only a failure because I wanted to think for myself. ]
I don't believe you. I was never told about you.
[ Because if you told, wouldn't you want to ask questions? ]
...
[ Wouldn't you want to know why I left? Why I was a failure? Why they hate me? ]
...
[ Questions aren't what either Wily or Light want. They just want unhesitant loyalty. ]
Wily-sama... really put a restraint program on our memories?
[ Yes. ]
So we'd forget Dr. Light? Rock, Roll, everything that's happened?
[ Essentially, yes. ]
But... but I can /remember/! I remember waking up in another lab, meeting the other Robot Masters, talking with them... I can remember when Cut made himself a bike to ride, when Guts frightened away those Girl Scouts at the door, when Fire got hit with that car... I can remember it all!
[ What's the color of Rock's eyes? ]
Wh-What?
[ What's the color of his eyes? What does it sound like, Roll's laughter? What time does Light go for his evening walk? What color was the house? Tell me, Elec, since you can remember. ]
I...
[ Hm? ]
I...
[ You can't, can you? ]
N-no! I could, I swear I could! But then, when I tried to... it went away. Like smoke...
[ Wily used a very subtle programming. If he just wiped your memories away, you'd realize that you're far older than your data says you are. You'd get suspicious. All he did was keep your memories, but build layers on them, to keep you from actually /remember/ them. Rather ingenious, I suppose. For him, anyway. ]
Tell me...
[ Hm? ]
Please... tell me the truth...
~*~*~*~
"Wily-sama." Ice said, sitting at the controls next to Wily, still reconstructing the constraints in Elec. "I think I found where the intruder is coming from."
"What?" He turned away from the computer. "Where?"
The small bioroid pointed to the screen. "Here it shows that there was outside activity in his neuronet but there are no further activities recorded. I decided to run a check on his capsule, just for security reasons and I've found that an uplink has been created on the capsule itself. He's been using the wiring of the capsule to hide his movement."
His back and shoulders shaking with rage, Wily bushy eyebrows came down in a hawk-like point above his sharp nose. "Where is it?"
Ice turned to the container and pointed.
~*~*~*~
[ Shit. ]
What?
[ They found me. ]
What??
[ Hn. Took him long enough, the old coot. ]
What-What'll happen?
[ He'll break the link, I'll be unable to contact you further and he'll do whatever he pleases. But he won't be able to break my encoding so easily. ]
But...
[ Listen, Elec. It doesn't matter if you don't believe me or not, but listen to me. I'm saying this because, more than likely, you'll be fighting my little brother, your older brother. And I'm saying this because you're my brother, too. Don't fight what's going on in your head. The encoding will keep your original memories in tact and unmanipulated. It may take a while, but you'll be able to fully access your memories. Then you can decide who's right. I'm putting my trust in you, Elec. Don't make a mistake that'll get countless people killed. ]
Blues?
Blues?
BLUES!
~*~*~*~
He woke up, once more, to find Dr. Wily leaning over him, a triumphant grin on his thin face. Something nagged at the back of Elec's head, but he ignored it. He had a feeling he'd realize what it was before too long.
"Wily... sama..." he choked out, the thick fluids around him feeling alien, unable to recognize just where exactly he was.
"Feeling a bit disoriented, Elec?" The human asked with a bit of a sneer in his voice. "But that's to be expected. You see, I found the reason why your memory banks have been impaired. There were some unrecorded flaws in the manufacturing of your capsule than I have just realized. I've done a few recalibrations to Ice's capsule in order to support your unique system. Of course, because it's not the exact variables that your actual capsule has, you may be able to tell the difference. I apologize for that."
"I understand, Wily-sama."
"Good, good." His eyes narrowed, sending a delayed shiver crawl down Elec's spine. "I'll be keeping a close eye on you, Elec. You're the last one I want anything to happen to."
"Yes, Wily-sama."
~*~*~*~
From his position miles away from Skull Fortress's scan area, Blues let out a snort, lifting his chin from his cupped hand and pulling the receiver from his ear.
"Looks like this little excursion was a failure." He said aloud to himself. "Ah well. Can't say I didn't try."
Standing, he cast a thin smirk towards the fortress. "Don't think one dead end and I'm done, Wily. I still have plenty more tricks up my sleeves."
~*~*~*~
It was odd, being able to remember two completely different things of the same moment.
He could remember being activated and seeing Dr. Wily and his fellow Robot Masters. But he could also remember being activated and seeing both doctors watching him expectantly. And he could remember the other bioroids before they became the Robot Masters, and the 'incident' with Roll. He had to quell the urge to shake his head and snicker in embarrassment.
But he could also remember when the others actually cared. Not being totally mindless dolls, doing only what was required of them. He could remember the times they worried over Fire, how they all laughed when Guts got stuck in the doorway because Bomb bet that he couldn't fit through a regular sized door. Or the time Ice asked Cut to make a nice bouquet so he could give it to Roll, or the games they played with Rock and all the wonderful dinners they shared together. It was like having a family. And this?
This wasn't.
But they all accepted it. /He/ accepted it. They could because they didn't remember what it was they missed. But Elec knew, he understood. Somehow, he knew those memories that he suddenly found himself holding so dear couldn't have been created. They couldn't have been manipulated. The feelings they invoked, the fondness, the nostalgia, they couldn't be faked. It was... it really was Dr. Wily that was deceiving them all. But he was just letting it happen.
Elec clenched a fist. He was worse, because he didn't do anything. Expelling a deflating breath, he sagged against his chair. And what was worse was the he /wouldn't/ do anything. Because no matter how much he knew, how much was changed in him, one thing still burned fresh in his mind and wouldn't be subdued by any of his sensibilities: Dr. Wily was his creator, and he would follow anything he said with undulated loyalty.
He watched the computer screen dully. He was on watch, making sure no one tried to sneak into the fortress while Wily was away and the other Robot Masters were switched off to conserve their energy cells. All there was for him to do was to think. And the more he thought, the more he remembered and the more frustrated and angrier he became.
Damn Blues. Damn him for making him aware, for making him realize that things weren't as right as he had believed. Damn Wily for manipulating them. And damn himself for being the one to decide his fate from here on out.
It wasn't a good day, fine. But everything... everything since he became a Robot Master, since he remembered the life he once had, he couldn't help it. He turned to the five occupied capsules and said in a loud, clear voice that fell on deaf ears: "I hate you all", before he turned back to the computers and continued his silent vigilance.
~*~*~*~
Busy, busy, busy, Blues thought as he clacked away at the keys to his laptop. Cutting edge technology his ass, the thing was so limited in its abilities. Of course, the salesman sold it as the best computer built to date and Blues bought it. Because it /was/ the best computer built to date, but that didn't make it as efficient as he would've liked.
"Looks like we're gonna have to do some unofficial upgrades." He told it, patting the frame in condolence. But then again, it's not like big industries would mass-produce computers piled up with the greatest tools and programs for high-class hackers. But, it would have to do.
And it was doing very well, if not just because of the skill of the user. "Bingo." He said with a thin, humored smile. Skimming through the information before him, Blues quickly came across what he was searching for. Giving the screen a dark grin, he sent a copy of the information elsewhere and covered his tracks before he stood, scarf flapping back in the wind.
"Well, now that that's taken care of," he checked the compartments of his armor, making sure the five chips were in place, "time to unravel Wily's mind twist." Whistling to himself, he set off. Thanks to his uplink with Elec, he managed to download the entire fortress's security system into his computer, planning how to get in and out unseen. Light could play the hero and delay the Robot Masters long enough for him to sneak inside the lab and place the chips in the other capsules. Once the chips acknowledged a specified bioroid's presence, it would attach to the back of the neck and inject a needle, placing a special coding into the cerebral cortex. From there, well, it was only a matter of time until the head manipulation broke apart and the truth came out...
~*~*~*~
It was an odd feeling that Light had quickly come to grow used to, tucking away young children that weren't even alive. They looked to be around 12-16 years old, but generally acted around 6, mainly because their mindset was so much younger than many other young teens. Technically they didn't even need to sleep, but their systems needed at least a couple hours reprise each week, but he sent them to bed like any other parent would do for their children.
And, like most parents, he was set to get some serious work done in the few hours he had to himself before he would be forced to sleep, as well. As he entered the lab, he found his computer had already been activated and something was pulled up on the screen. In fact, several things were and something was being scrolled through as it was...
"Upload?" The scientist looked at the document as the information went by. "What is it? Who could've...?"
His eyes caught the importance of the document. His eyes widened and his breath caught.
It was a plan. An invasion plan.
By Alfred.
With a sharp breath, he pulled back. With a trembling hand, he searched the other items that were uploaded on his computer. Status facts, plans, blueprints, positioning, armaments... all the plans for what would be titled the first year of the Robot Wars... And the diagrams for a set armor, compact, highly efficient, durable and ingeniously designed, calibrated especially- the document claimed -for Rock. Designed by Blues.
'Because I know you'll send him out there', it further stated, 'and I don't want my little brother to get hurt. Even if it is to fight our own brethren. But it's not their fault, nor is it their choice. And if you decide to take the cowards' way out of trying to explain his mission to him and manipulate his memories just as Wily did to the others, the old coot won't be the only one you have to worry about.
'Wish him luck for me.
'Blues'
~*~*~*~
It didn't feel right, no matter how he tried to convince himself that he was just following orders, like he was programmed to do. He didn't really attack those people, the rules that bound his actions refused to let him. But, he couldn't deny that humans /did/ die as the Robot Masters overran the place.
Elec clenched his fist. He was angry, but he was powerless to stop it.
"What can I do," He asked himself, "against the man that gave me life? I know that what he did was wrong, but I can't stop him. Not alone. I don't want to fight, not someone I that care about."
He stood there, in the center of the arena created for him, and waited.
"I don't want to do this."
It wouldn't be too long until Rock came to him, from the accounts of the other Robot Masters.
"I can't fight Rock."
But Wily was watching him, tense and edgy, waiting for his dream to be realized.
"I can't deny Wily-sama."
Blues slipped easily into the lab, shadowing behind Wily's back and reaching the capsules easily. Already a few of them were occupied by beaten Robot Masters.
"What can /I/ do?"
Something flickered through his chance, born from the experience of both memories.
He raised his head proudly.
Rock entered the field.
He would fight for Wily, just like he was told to. But after this, he go back to his brothers, and he would make them understand what he did. They will become the same brothers he had originally come to know. And maybe then they could make a family again.
But first, he would fight.
And as he charged at Rock, whose face became pensive at the sight of one of his brothers preparing to fight him, only one thought entered his head:
Forgive me.
Final: Forgiveness
by Lady Virgo
"Hold tight your true
self. Let not the
song sing, 'Farewell
Thunder Child' "
///
....Are you still there?
[ I'm always here. ]
Oh.
[ Sorry to disappoint. ]
Whatever.
[ I really am sorry. I didn't mean to land you in the labs so many times. ]
I know...
[ Hm? ]
I know... I /know/ I've been here before but I... I can't /remember/!
[ I know. ]
/How/ do you know? Who /are/ you?
[ I'm the failure. I'm the one that he wishes he could forget. But I won't let him. ]
Who are you?
[ I am your predecessor. I am Blues. ]
~*~*~*~
He hunched over the controls by Elec's capsule.
"I know your plan, Blues. I won't let you have him." Wily growled. "I won't let you turn my strongest creation against me. I will win! I won't lose to you any longer! BLUES!"
~*~*~*~
[ Such a noisy old man. ]
What are you doing?
[ I'm just making sure the perimeters I put around your memory banks remain intact. ]
So... you're not inside my head?
[ God no. Not as such, anyway. ]
What does that mean?
[ The old man should've known that I would've realized what he was doing. This fortress
might've been concealed enough and far enough away from the city so that no one else would realize it, but I know this area like none other. ]
What're you talking about?
[ While your oh so loyal brother was off getting one of your other brethren to manipulate, I came into the lab and rigged up a connection to your capsule. ]
Mine? Why mine? Why not anyone else?
[ Because you're the strongest. You're the most capable Wily's created yet. Having you bent to his every whim like the others would be far too dangerous. ]
Then... are you the one causing all these problems?
[ No. ]
No?
[ You are. ]
~*~*~*~
Wily slammed a palm against the console, frustrated and furious. For the third time... /third/ /time/ he had to recall Elec because of Blues' manipulations and he couldn't figure out how he was doing it! /WHY?/
With a strained sigh, he fell back in his chair to think.
He was obviously tampering with the memory constraints that Wily had put up and from the scans he had gotten back, there was obvious movement in Elec's network showing outside interference. So then /where/ was it was /coming from/?
He didn't have the time to worry about it right now. The more time he kept Elec in that capsule to fix him up, the stronger Blues' interference became. He had to put a stop to this. Right now.
Wily pressed a button and spoke into the intercom. "Ice. Come to my lab immediately."
~*~*~*~
...I don't believe you.
[ Believe what you want. It's the truth. ]
How do I know you're not the one lying to me?
[ You don't. ]
I don't trust you.
[ I wouldn't trust me, either. If I were in your place. ]
Then why did you even do this?
[ Because I'm not going to just sit by and let the old man have his way. I'll defy him at every turn. Using others, if I have to. ]
You're a pretty cold guy. No wonder you're considered a failure.
[ I'm only a failure because I wanted to think for myself. ]
I don't believe you. I was never told about you.
[ Because if you told, wouldn't you want to ask questions? ]
...
[ Wouldn't you want to know why I left? Why I was a failure? Why they hate me? ]
...
[ Questions aren't what either Wily or Light want. They just want unhesitant loyalty. ]
Wily-sama... really put a restraint program on our memories?
[ Yes. ]
So we'd forget Dr. Light? Rock, Roll, everything that's happened?
[ Essentially, yes. ]
But... but I can /remember/! I remember waking up in another lab, meeting the other Robot Masters, talking with them... I can remember when Cut made himself a bike to ride, when Guts frightened away those Girl Scouts at the door, when Fire got hit with that car... I can remember it all!
[ What's the color of Rock's eyes? ]
Wh-What?
[ What's the color of his eyes? What does it sound like, Roll's laughter? What time does Light go for his evening walk? What color was the house? Tell me, Elec, since you can remember. ]
I...
[ Hm? ]
I...
[ You can't, can you? ]
N-no! I could, I swear I could! But then, when I tried to... it went away. Like smoke...
[ Wily used a very subtle programming. If he just wiped your memories away, you'd realize that you're far older than your data says you are. You'd get suspicious. All he did was keep your memories, but build layers on them, to keep you from actually /remember/ them. Rather ingenious, I suppose. For him, anyway. ]
Tell me...
[ Hm? ]
Please... tell me the truth...
~*~*~*~
"Wily-sama." Ice said, sitting at the controls next to Wily, still reconstructing the constraints in Elec. "I think I found where the intruder is coming from."
"What?" He turned away from the computer. "Where?"
The small bioroid pointed to the screen. "Here it shows that there was outside activity in his neuronet but there are no further activities recorded. I decided to run a check on his capsule, just for security reasons and I've found that an uplink has been created on the capsule itself. He's been using the wiring of the capsule to hide his movement."
His back and shoulders shaking with rage, Wily bushy eyebrows came down in a hawk-like point above his sharp nose. "Where is it?"
Ice turned to the container and pointed.
~*~*~*~
[ Shit. ]
What?
[ They found me. ]
What??
[ Hn. Took him long enough, the old coot. ]
What-What'll happen?
[ He'll break the link, I'll be unable to contact you further and he'll do whatever he pleases. But he won't be able to break my encoding so easily. ]
But...
[ Listen, Elec. It doesn't matter if you don't believe me or not, but listen to me. I'm saying this because, more than likely, you'll be fighting my little brother, your older brother. And I'm saying this because you're my brother, too. Don't fight what's going on in your head. The encoding will keep your original memories in tact and unmanipulated. It may take a while, but you'll be able to fully access your memories. Then you can decide who's right. I'm putting my trust in you, Elec. Don't make a mistake that'll get countless people killed. ]
Blues?
Blues?
BLUES!
~*~*~*~
He woke up, once more, to find Dr. Wily leaning over him, a triumphant grin on his thin face. Something nagged at the back of Elec's head, but he ignored it. He had a feeling he'd realize what it was before too long.
"Wily... sama..." he choked out, the thick fluids around him feeling alien, unable to recognize just where exactly he was.
"Feeling a bit disoriented, Elec?" The human asked with a bit of a sneer in his voice. "But that's to be expected. You see, I found the reason why your memory banks have been impaired. There were some unrecorded flaws in the manufacturing of your capsule than I have just realized. I've done a few recalibrations to Ice's capsule in order to support your unique system. Of course, because it's not the exact variables that your actual capsule has, you may be able to tell the difference. I apologize for that."
"I understand, Wily-sama."
"Good, good." His eyes narrowed, sending a delayed shiver crawl down Elec's spine. "I'll be keeping a close eye on you, Elec. You're the last one I want anything to happen to."
"Yes, Wily-sama."
~*~*~*~
From his position miles away from Skull Fortress's scan area, Blues let out a snort, lifting his chin from his cupped hand and pulling the receiver from his ear.
"Looks like this little excursion was a failure." He said aloud to himself. "Ah well. Can't say I didn't try."
Standing, he cast a thin smirk towards the fortress. "Don't think one dead end and I'm done, Wily. I still have plenty more tricks up my sleeves."
~*~*~*~
It was odd, being able to remember two completely different things of the same moment.
He could remember being activated and seeing Dr. Wily and his fellow Robot Masters. But he could also remember being activated and seeing both doctors watching him expectantly. And he could remember the other bioroids before they became the Robot Masters, and the 'incident' with Roll. He had to quell the urge to shake his head and snicker in embarrassment.
But he could also remember when the others actually cared. Not being totally mindless dolls, doing only what was required of them. He could remember the times they worried over Fire, how they all laughed when Guts got stuck in the doorway because Bomb bet that he couldn't fit through a regular sized door. Or the time Ice asked Cut to make a nice bouquet so he could give it to Roll, or the games they played with Rock and all the wonderful dinners they shared together. It was like having a family. And this?
This wasn't.
But they all accepted it. /He/ accepted it. They could because they didn't remember what it was they missed. But Elec knew, he understood. Somehow, he knew those memories that he suddenly found himself holding so dear couldn't have been created. They couldn't have been manipulated. The feelings they invoked, the fondness, the nostalgia, they couldn't be faked. It was... it really was Dr. Wily that was deceiving them all. But he was just letting it happen.
Elec clenched a fist. He was worse, because he didn't do anything. Expelling a deflating breath, he sagged against his chair. And what was worse was the he /wouldn't/ do anything. Because no matter how much he knew, how much was changed in him, one thing still burned fresh in his mind and wouldn't be subdued by any of his sensibilities: Dr. Wily was his creator, and he would follow anything he said with undulated loyalty.
He watched the computer screen dully. He was on watch, making sure no one tried to sneak into the fortress while Wily was away and the other Robot Masters were switched off to conserve their energy cells. All there was for him to do was to think. And the more he thought, the more he remembered and the more frustrated and angrier he became.
Damn Blues. Damn him for making him aware, for making him realize that things weren't as right as he had believed. Damn Wily for manipulating them. And damn himself for being the one to decide his fate from here on out.
It wasn't a good day, fine. But everything... everything since he became a Robot Master, since he remembered the life he once had, he couldn't help it. He turned to the five occupied capsules and said in a loud, clear voice that fell on deaf ears: "I hate you all", before he turned back to the computers and continued his silent vigilance.
~*~*~*~
Busy, busy, busy, Blues thought as he clacked away at the keys to his laptop. Cutting edge technology his ass, the thing was so limited in its abilities. Of course, the salesman sold it as the best computer built to date and Blues bought it. Because it /was/ the best computer built to date, but that didn't make it as efficient as he would've liked.
"Looks like we're gonna have to do some unofficial upgrades." He told it, patting the frame in condolence. But then again, it's not like big industries would mass-produce computers piled up with the greatest tools and programs for high-class hackers. But, it would have to do.
And it was doing very well, if not just because of the skill of the user. "Bingo." He said with a thin, humored smile. Skimming through the information before him, Blues quickly came across what he was searching for. Giving the screen a dark grin, he sent a copy of the information elsewhere and covered his tracks before he stood, scarf flapping back in the wind.
"Well, now that that's taken care of," he checked the compartments of his armor, making sure the five chips were in place, "time to unravel Wily's mind twist." Whistling to himself, he set off. Thanks to his uplink with Elec, he managed to download the entire fortress's security system into his computer, planning how to get in and out unseen. Light could play the hero and delay the Robot Masters long enough for him to sneak inside the lab and place the chips in the other capsules. Once the chips acknowledged a specified bioroid's presence, it would attach to the back of the neck and inject a needle, placing a special coding into the cerebral cortex. From there, well, it was only a matter of time until the head manipulation broke apart and the truth came out...
~*~*~*~
It was an odd feeling that Light had quickly come to grow used to, tucking away young children that weren't even alive. They looked to be around 12-16 years old, but generally acted around 6, mainly because their mindset was so much younger than many other young teens. Technically they didn't even need to sleep, but their systems needed at least a couple hours reprise each week, but he sent them to bed like any other parent would do for their children.
And, like most parents, he was set to get some serious work done in the few hours he had to himself before he would be forced to sleep, as well. As he entered the lab, he found his computer had already been activated and something was pulled up on the screen. In fact, several things were and something was being scrolled through as it was...
"Upload?" The scientist looked at the document as the information went by. "What is it? Who could've...?"
His eyes caught the importance of the document. His eyes widened and his breath caught.
It was a plan. An invasion plan.
By Alfred.
With a sharp breath, he pulled back. With a trembling hand, he searched the other items that were uploaded on his computer. Status facts, plans, blueprints, positioning, armaments... all the plans for what would be titled the first year of the Robot Wars... And the diagrams for a set armor, compact, highly efficient, durable and ingeniously designed, calibrated especially- the document claimed -for Rock. Designed by Blues.
'Because I know you'll send him out there', it further stated, 'and I don't want my little brother to get hurt. Even if it is to fight our own brethren. But it's not their fault, nor is it their choice. And if you decide to take the cowards' way out of trying to explain his mission to him and manipulate his memories just as Wily did to the others, the old coot won't be the only one you have to worry about.
'Wish him luck for me.
'Blues'
~*~*~*~
It didn't feel right, no matter how he tried to convince himself that he was just following orders, like he was programmed to do. He didn't really attack those people, the rules that bound his actions refused to let him. But, he couldn't deny that humans /did/ die as the Robot Masters overran the place.
Elec clenched his fist. He was angry, but he was powerless to stop it.
"What can I do," He asked himself, "against the man that gave me life? I know that what he did was wrong, but I can't stop him. Not alone. I don't want to fight, not someone I that care about."
He stood there, in the center of the arena created for him, and waited.
"I don't want to do this."
It wouldn't be too long until Rock came to him, from the accounts of the other Robot Masters.
"I can't fight Rock."
But Wily was watching him, tense and edgy, waiting for his dream to be realized.
"I can't deny Wily-sama."
Blues slipped easily into the lab, shadowing behind Wily's back and reaching the capsules easily. Already a few of them were occupied by beaten Robot Masters.
"What can /I/ do?"
Something flickered through his chance, born from the experience of both memories.
He raised his head proudly.
Rock entered the field.
He would fight for Wily, just like he was told to. But after this, he go back to his brothers, and he would make them understand what he did. They will become the same brothers he had originally come to know. And maybe then they could make a family again.
But first, he would fight.
And as he charged at Rock, whose face became pensive at the sight of one of his brothers preparing to fight him, only one thought entered his head:
Forgive me.