It had been hours since Bass had stormed out of Skull Fortress. The Robot Masters were confused and restless. They didn't understand what was so important about this robot, other than he was powerful, like Proto Man—and didn't take orders, also like Proto Man. But otherwise, Dr. Wily was leaving them almost completely in the dark about what was happening.

Cut Man and Guts Man were nervous they'd be ordered to fight Bass, and argued amongst themselves whether his name was pronounced like the fish or the guitar.

Gemini Man had reported that Bass was the stupidest robot he had ever encountered (even including Spark Man, Gyro Man, Toad Man, and Wood Man in that order) while Star Man only added that Bass had seemed lost. Top Man felt sorry for Bass, and thought of Proto Man, wondering how he felt about having a new bomber robot around.

Quick Man was competitively skeptical that Bass was really as good as rumored and doubted he was even that fast. Needle Man likewise thought Bass was overrated (despite that neither had actually met him), while Astro Man had hidden under a skulltank.

Hard Man thought the whole thing had been blown out of proportion and that everyone just needed to calm down; Crash Man and Crystal Man were of similar minds, and urged the other Robot Masters to carry on as though everything were normal with some compliance from Bomb Man, Stone Man, Drill Man, and Air Man.

Dust Man theorized Bass was really connected to an extraterrestrial invasion conspiracy (which no one found remotely credible, tired of his tin hatted doomsday rambles), Bright Man annoyed everyone with lightbulb puns he had made up for the occasion, while Heat Man wanted everyone to shut the hell up and leave him alone before slouching off to the manufactory.

…Ring Man and Magnet Man were just hoping to be left out of everything, deeply engrossed with Metal Man and Dark Man on the brand new Nintendo 64 they had just stolen for the armory.

Overall, just a typical day at Skull Fortress.

"I haven't seen you and Wily fight like this in a long time," Elec Man said quietly, his eyes glinting as he watched Proto Man pace the dark hallway outside of the western hanger.

"It's that new robot Wily built," sighed Proto Man, stopping to lean against one of the rusty, steel-plated walls across from Elec Man. He told his first hand account of Bass's activation, how Bass had rejected Dr. Wily as his creator, and Bass's subsequent betrayal. "His circuits are obviously flipped," he ended with a snort.

Elec Man frowned doubtfully. "Hmph. I'm having a hard time picturing Wily creating someone with that much sense."

"Well he won't be around for long. If I find him, I'm trashing him. There's something weird about him."

Though Proto Man detested Bass, he wasn't in a hurry to destroy him. The chaos Bass was creating was amusing, and it served Dr. Wily right for creating Bass at all.

Elec Man peered at him keenly. After a moment, he asked, "Why go after him at all? If Wily has built another lieutenant, that frees you up to to focus on things you like rather than be at Wily's every beck and call."

"I like being second-in-command," Proto Man said indignantly.

"…You were reluctant to even report to Skull Fortress earlier when Wily asked for you."

"Tch, I just don't like being interrupted in the middle of a flight, but I'm still my old criminal self."

"…Does destroying Wily's newest creation count as criminality?"

"I get what you're hinting at, but nothing's changed," Proto Man said stiffly. Then, to prove a point, he pushed himself away from the wall while cracking his knuckles, "Anyway, I'm heading out. Wily still thinks he can talk the little monster around, and if I let that go on too long without intervention, they'll burn the whole world down. Besides…I could never resist a good fight."


As they hovered above New York City, Bass and Treble gazed down at the sprawling mass of skyscrapers that stretched all the way across the horizon. It was an intimidating mess of noise and movement and stank of pollution from cars, and everywhere humans, humans, and more humans. How was Bass supposed to find Dr. Light? He didn't even know what he looked like!

Bass wished the helpful force that had lead him to the crater would guide him here, but the feeling seemed to have faded even further, like a flame about to go out. A part of him was starting to think he was imaging things—after all, Space Gulch had been a dead end—but no. He must find Dr. Light. The alternative was to go back to Dr. Wily, which was not an option…

Bass looked down at Treble, who had his head cocked to the side, watching him patiently. Clearly, Treble didn't like the city much either—but a silent understanding passed through them—Treble would follow Bass no matter where he went.

Bass crouched down and scratched Treble's head appreciatively as he whispered, "Find a place to land."

It was the midday rush hour. The streets were jammed with honking cars and the sidewalks were packed with humans bundled in thick coats with their collars pulled over their faces as they funneled in and out of subway tunnels, monorail staircases, and the tall skyscrapers. Everyone was in a hurry and no one seemed to notice Bass and Treble gliding above their heads, and at first there appeared to be no space to land. Finally, Treble headed toward a small park, the grass stunted and packed into the hard wintry ground.

The humans who had been strolling in the park gasped and stepped back as Treble and Bass landed. Some looked frightened, others curious, and they began murmuring things to one another.

"Whoa…they're like Mega Man and Rush, but cooler," said a kid in a hooded parka, pointing up at them.

"Don't go near the strange robot," said the kid's caretaker as she pulled him back while casting Bass a reproving look.

"Where's Dr. Light?" Bass called, wanting to leave as soon as possible. He hated being stared at, and humans made him feel uncomfortable.

"Dr. Light's laboratory is north of the city," said another human, who was also looking at Bass suspiciously.

A human police officer with a sergeant's badge caught sight of the disturbance in the park and marched toward Bass. "Hey! Who the blazes are you?" he demanded. "Identify yourself and your purpose, robot!"

Bass scowled at the police sergeant. "None of your business."

"Disobeying an order from a police officer, eh robot?" The police sergeant gave him a nasty leer. "Robo-officers! Arrest that robot!"

A group of robo-officers that had been stationed at the corner monitoring traffic swiveled their heads toward Bass, then began advancing as a group, their hands reaching for their laser pistols. Treble went completely rigid and displayed his fangs in a silent snarl while Bass watched the robo-officers with narrowed eyes. There was a brief pause, then the robo-officers opened fire.

Bass sighed as he dodged the laser blasts, drew his own blaster, and began firing back. These drones were pathetic—his green plasma blasts cutting easily through them as Treble leaped from robo-officer to robo-officer, knocking them down and ripping off their heads with his teeth. Soon there was a smoldering heap of mangled steel where the robo-officers had once stood. Treble padded quietly back to Bass's side as Bass dropped his blaster.

The human civilians screamed and scattered out of the park. The police sergeant, despite that Bass had not so much as pointed a blaster at him, was hiding behind a park bench while shouting into a walkie talkie. "Unidentified robot, armed and dangerous! Requesting all available units to Jupiter Street park, now!"

Sirens began to ring through the streets.

"Excellent, Bass!" cackled a voice from a loudspeaker. A large, skull-shaped aircraft had dropped from the sky like a shadow, its large propeller letting out a whoosh of air. Through the oblong cockpit windows, Bass could make out Dr. Wily's face grinning fiendishly down at him. "You may have skipped a few steps in my glorious plan, but your initiative to start an invasion on New York City is commendable! You truly are living up to my genius prestige!"

Bass whirled toward the aircraft. "You again!" he growled. He lifted his blaster and fired.

The skull-shaped aircraft swerved violently out of the way, the green plasma blast smashing into a roof-mounted billboard behind it. "Bass, why are you attacking me?" shrieked Dr. Wily, all mirth vanishing from his face as his eyes popped. "The police are your enemy!"

"I can have more than one enemy," Bass called back, firing again.

The skull-shaped aircraft retreated to a safer altitude. Meanwhile, robo-officers were now pouring in from every side, and above, skullcopters were filling the sky.

"Shit," Bass muttered as he and Treble glanced around, unsure of which direction to run. He glared at Dr. Wily's forces. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"


Mega Man and Roll were at the book store—Mega Man perusing the science section while Roll browsed through comics—when they heard a familiar combination of sounds that made them go still—police sirens accompanied by the drone what sounded like a fleet of helicopters. They rushed to the window. Outside, civilians were running down the street in panic, and off in the distance smoke was rising in the air. Rush, who was tethered to a parking meter outside, began growling.

"What the heck is going on?" muttered Mega Man as the other shoppers and store employees began stampeding towards the exits.

"Holy shit—it looks like Wily's launched a full-fledged invasion," said Roll, pointing to the skullcopters that were circling above the skyscrapers.

Mega Man and Roll glanced at each other.

"Good thing I brought my armor," Mega Man said dryly as he slung his canvas backpack off his back.

After changing into his armor in the vacated bookstore's restroom, Mega Man joined Roll outside, unleashed Rush, and ran toward their parked convertible.

"This is nuts," Roll commented. "Wily hasn't even announced a scheme yet, it's almost like this wasn't planned!"

"It looks like they are looking for something," agreed Mega Man, squinting up at the skullcopters.

"Well, whatever they want, we better send them packing before they tear apart the whole city!" said Roll. "Let's split up and take out as many as we can—I'll take the north side, you take the south side."

She pulled her skycycle out of the trunk and took off toward the sky, while Mega Man and Rush continued down the street on foot.

Most of the city was evacuating, the rotating lights of firetrucks and and police cruisers flashing off windows. Further ahead, the sounds of laser fire, shouting, and the pounding of titanium boots could be heard.

A prickle ran down Mega Man's neck as he crossed an intersection, and he slowed to a stop. As if someone had tapped on his shoulder, he instinctively turned to look down the cross road. There, in the distance, over a field of flames, he saw a shadow—some sort of robot that seemed…familiar. Its back was turned toward Mega Man, and it was running, a large four-legged shadow at its side, both whisking into a narrow alleyway.

Deja vu swept over Mega Man. He had a strong desire to follow the robot, but Rush suddenly barked warningly—a squad of attack-bots was rushing toward them, blasting parked cars out of their way. Mega Man felt momentarily irritated, then turned his full attention to the attack-bots while drawing a blaster.


Cold wind whipped through Roll's hair as she flew above the skyline. Amidst the skullcopters, she spotted the Skullker flying over the tops of skyscrapers in an erratic way like a fly over a smoking garbage heap. She could see Dr. Wily craning his neck over the flight instruments to peer down into the streets below, a vein bulging hideously in his forehead, his expression as anxious as someone who had just dropped something precious.

Drawing a circular saw from her utility arm, Roll strafed over the Skullker's fin-like vertical stabilizer.

"Think fast, Wily!" she shouted, firing.

Dr. Wily's face snapped up just in time to lock eyes with her as the circular saw sank into one of the Skullker's wings. The Skullker gave a violent shake and began wobbling like a falling top. She could hear Dr. Wily screeching in terror as he struggled to regain control, the Skullker careening toward the East River. Smirking, Roll turned her attention back to the attack-bot army ravaging the city.


After weaving through the grid like streets of New York, fighting off attack-bots and robo-officers alike, Bass and Treble were finally able to lose pursuit. Treble transformed into a jetboard, and they left the city behind them to head north. Dr. Wily's attack-bots were busy fighting the police, both sides equally disorganized as they clashed in the streets, tearing up asphalt, starting fires, and damaging all surrounding buildings. Dr. Wily himself was no where to be seen.

Already, Bass and Treble approved the change in landscape. The air smelled earthy, and quiet country roads wound beneath them. The human residents were spread far apart from one another, separated by rolling fields of frostbitten grass and thick forests full of leaf-bare trees.

Bass scanned the buildings intently, and by luck spotted one that looked quite different from the others—the architecture was cubic on one side with many antenna sticking out of the roof, on the other was a huge egg-shaped structure adorned by many large oblong windows that glittered jewel-like in the sun. It seemed vaguely…familiar.

"There," he murmured to Treble. "Let's land…quietly."


Dr. Light was sitting at his computer watching news reports, puzzling what Dr. Wily was after in New York City. It seemed like the attack-bots didn't have a specific target, almost as if they were searching for something, though what that something could be, Dr. Light could not possibly imagine.

Earlier that day, Quint had messaged Dr. Light about Dr. Wily's robots visiting one of the craters in Red Gulch. This troubled Dr. Light, he knew the spot well—for one of Dr. Wily's Robot Masters had perished there, sacrificing himself to save them all from an alien force that would have destroyed the planet. Dr. Light wondered if, perhaps, for that very reason, the place held a special sentimental reason to Dr. Wily's remaining Robot Masters—though why they should fight there, he did not know. At the time, he had thanked Quint for the information and assured him that Mega Man would handle Wily's robots if they were up to something—now he wondered what possible connection this incident could have to the chaos in the city…

Dr. Light was just pausing for a moment to stretch his neck, when his eyes fell upon something that caused him to sit rigidly up in his chair.

An unfamiliar bomber robot was standing in his laboratory. He appeared designed for fear and intimidation, with armor black as a bat's wing, blood red eyes, and two sweeping crests on his helmet like the hood of a cobra. At the bomber robot's side was a large and powerfully built robo-wolf in purple armor. Dr. Light's heart pounded. Only Dr. Wily could have built them, they were obvious meant as diabolical mirrors of Mega Man and Rush. How the robot had entered, Dr. Light had not heard. Regretfully, he had recently made the laboratory's security systems lax, hoping that Proto would show up…he had never expected anything like this.

"Is anyone else here?" the robot asked, his eyes scanning the various work stations, Dr. Light's half finished cup of coffee on the table, and the shoes by the door.

"No," Dr. Light said honestly, his voice steady despite that these might be his final moments. Doris was running errands, and both Eddie and Met were on standby in the field with Mega Man and Roll. If he could move his desk chair over to his supercomputer, perhaps he could alert Mega Man and Roll, but he'd have to be careful not to provoke the robot, for he wasn't sure what the he was capable of…

The robo-wolf was silently prowling around the laboratory, stopping to sniff one of Rush's chew toys, his lips curling disdainfully backward from white sharp fangs. The bomber robot had picked up a picture from a side table.

"Is this Mega Man?" he asked in a low voice, frowning down at a smiling photo of Mega Man in his armor—Roll had clipped it from a magazine and framed it a year ago, claiming it had captured Mega Man's good side. Mega Man was embarrassed by the photo, but Dr. Light had kept it.

"Yes. He's my son."

"Hmmph. I'm supposed to fight him." The robot rolled his eyes, as if the very idea were beneath him, and replaced the picture on the table.

Dr. Light had already guessed that that was the prime purpose of this robot. "And I suppose you have come here to kidnap me," he said coldly as he surreptitiously pushed his chair a few inches toward the supercomputer.

The robot gave a small start and looked toward Dr. Light. "…Huh?"

"And perhaps destroy my lab?" Dr. Light added with a small sweeping gesture at his workspace.

The robot stared at Dr. Light, his brows drawn together in confusion. He took a half step forward, then hesitated. "No, I just wanted to talk," he said, his voice dropping nervously. "I need your help. You are Dr. Light, right?"

"Yes," answered Dr. Light, blinking in astonishment. The robot's eyes seemed to light up. "You came to me for help?"

"Yes."

Dr. Light stopped trying to inch toward the silent alarm and reappraised the robot. Now that the initial shock was wearing off, he noticed how much the bomber robot reminded him of Mega Man…shyer perhaps, and with an aura of wild and intense energy not unlike the robo-wolf at his side. "…What's your name?"

"Bass—and this is Treble."

Dr. Light looked from Bass, who was watching him with unblinking earnest, to Treble, who was also watching him but with the same level of aggression a real wolf might watch a bird he had no intention of eating. Realizingly he had quite wrongly judged them based on appearance, Dr. Light's heart stopped pounding. "Please, sit down," he said, gesturing to a chair.

Bass looked at the lab chair in some confusion before settling upon in awkwardly, this custom of curtesy obviously new to him. Treble laid down next to him with his clawed paws crossed.

Dr. Light settled back into his desk chair. "Alright, Bass, tell me about your problem."

Bass slid to the edge of his seat, eager to begin. "There's this human named Wily—do you know Wily?"

"Um, yes, I used to work with him."

"Oh, then you know what an idiot he is. He claims to be my creator, but I know that's a lie. It's impossible he built me." Again, Bass hesitated, and he peered at Dr. Light uncertainly. "I was wondering if, maybe you did?"

There was a brief pause, Dr. Light raising his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, but I did not, though your plans appear to be very similar to two robots I did build."

"Really?" Bass's face fell. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, glancing toward one of the oblong windows and let out a short sigh. "I was activated today, but I feel older. I think that man—Wily—stole me and wiped my memories. There's something important I need to do—but I can't remember what. And there's this other bot called Proto Man—do you know Proto Man?"

"Yes, of course, I built him," said Dr. Light, once again choosing to be honest—for some reason, he had intuition that this would be a safe thing for Bass to know the truth about.

"Oh. Well he's an ass." Bass's eyes slid back to Dr. Light's. "They're keeping something from me. I know it."

Dr. Light frowned at Bass, perplexed—for Bass looked too much like the template of what usually came out of Skull Fortress for him to consider anyone but Dr. Wily as his creator. Yet at the same time, Dr. Light couldn't ignore how adamant Bass was that Dr. Wily couldn't be his creator. It was completely puzzling.

"If you really think you were stolen, I could scan your system," Dr. Light suggested finally in a gentle tone. "That might tell us something."

Bass sat up a little. "Really?"

"Yes, of course."

Dr. Light showed Bass one of his operating tables—one that Mega Man usually used when he needed repairs. Bass hesitated, then climbed on top, lying down with the same trepidation a human might have during a doctor visit. From the floor, Treble had moved to sit by his side. As a robo-wolf, he was quite large, and even sitting his head could easily see over the operating table.

Dr. Light gave Bass a small, reassuring smile. "Alright, I'm going to set up my machine. It will only take a moment."


Mega Man had been fighting attack-bots for about half an hour. Optimistically, he thought the damage to the city wasn't too bad (luckily, it was only an attack-bot invasion, not one with Robot Masters) and already some of the skullcopters were pulling away from the city. He was just running down a cleared street when in the intersection ahead a bright flash of red and yellow caught his eye.

"Proto!"

Proto Man was facing away from Mega Man, his head panning from side to side as he searched the deserted streets while a traffic light changed colors above him. At the sound of his name, he gave a small start, his shoulders going rigid, but he turned toward Mega Man with a smirk. "Mega Man."

Mega Man returned the smirk. He hadn't seen Proto Man since their fight at the Robot Tool and Assembly Factory after Deacon's election, and he could tell Proto Man wasn't pleased to see him.

"So, finally back in action?" he asked innocently, stopping within twenty feet of Proto Man. Though his blaster was still drawn, he kept it pointed to the concrete street. Rush eyed Proto Man warily with his ears flat, but did not growl, waiting for a command from Mega Man.

"Never left."

"You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me."

"Not here for a lecture, Mega."

"Then it's a good you ran into me and not Roll," answered Mega Man, still smirking. "…It's good to see you."

Proto Man hesitated, his head tilted away from Mega Man, then, in an almost inaudible mumble, "...It's good to see you too."

Mega Man wanted to step closer to Proto Man, but decided this would be unwise. "I'd rather talk, but I suppose you'd rather fight?" he asked instead, though he thought Proto Man looked like he wasn't in the mood for either.

As predicted, Proto Man took a few steps back, slipping into the shadows of a side street. "Sorry, Mega…but I don't have time."

"Don't suppose you'll at least tell me what Wily's up to?"

To Mega Man's surprise, Proto Man did.

"Wily built a bomber robot—Bass—with plans to use him as a secret weapon against you."

"Wily built his own bomber robot?" Mega Man blinked, thinking over these implications. "Oh, did—did Wily replace you?"

Mega Man wasn't sure if he should feel sorry for Proto Man…probably not, but the news was still shocking. He also felt a brief shimmer of hope that maybe—just maybe—if Proto Man had been replaced, that he might have gone rogue—

"No," Proto Man answered, immediately dashing Mega Man's hopes while visibly bristling as though reading his thoughts. "As if Wily could—besides, Bass went haywire. Won't take orders. He destroyed half of Wily's lab, now he's on a rampage here. I'm here to bring him in, but honestly, Mega—I'd take him out if I were you. Just giving you a heads up as a favor."

Mega Man froze, not sure if he could trust Proto Man. Unbidden, the strange, premonition-like dream floated back into Mega Man's mind, of the shadow that had threatened his family.

A sudden terror gripped within Mega Man's chest like an icy hand. Dr. Light was alone in the laboratory. If what Proto Man said was true, then Bass would go to Dr. Light's laboratory, he was sure of it, which meant—Dr. Light was in danger!

"I…I gotta go…" Mega Man murmured, half distracted. He whistled to Rush, who transformed into a jetboard. As they blasted off into the air, Mega Man glanced back over his shoulder at Proto Man, but Proto Man was gone.


The scanner swept Bass from the top of his helmet to the toes of his boots and back, then his blueprints appeared on Dr. Light's computer. While Bass waited, Dr. Light began to study.

At first, Dr. Light was not in the least surprised by what he saw. Bass was a bomber robot, like Mega Man and Proto Man, and also an advanced android with self-determination like Proto, Rock, and Roll (which had allowed him agency to rebel against Dr. Wily). Though perhaps there was not much resemblance—Bass's features were sharper, his skin golden brown, his eyes more angular—Dr. Wily had lovingly copied Proto Man's design to create Bass, this much had been obvious since Dr. Light had first laid eye on him.

Yet there was one key difference.

A chill set into Dr. Light as he leaned forward in his chair, his eyes glued to the analysis of Bass's power core. He had seen these energy readings before—the energy from the meteorite that had crashed in Red Gulch—green alien energy. This energy made robots incredibly powerful at a terrible cost—Dr. Light would never forget the heartbreaking struggle of trying to keep Snake Man alive while green alien energy slowly destroyed his body—but Bass seemed stable. Yes, Dr. Wily had made some ingenious modifications to ensure Bass's body would be compatible with alien energy (he was quite like Quint in that respect—though unlike Quint, Bass did not appear to be running at full power, at least, not yet). But most incredible of all, according to these readings, Dr. Light was quite positive that the alien energy powering Bass was the exact same as the alien energy that had bonded with Snake Man's power core…

Oh Albert…what have you done?

"Did you find out something?" Bass asked eagerly, sitting up.

Dr. light gave a small start. "Yes, well—" he forced himself himself to calm down—yet he couldn't help but glance over at Bass with pity and wonder. "As I said, you are similar to two of my own robots, from your armor and abilities to your advanced programming—but you are powered by an unusual power source, something unlike anything else on Earth."

Dr. Light nodded toward the unusual blue gemstone set in the chestplate of Bass's armor, which twinkled like stars, wondering how much more he should disclose to Bass.

Though Bass listened patiently to this information, his interest remained locked on one point alone. "Did you find out who my real creator is?"

"Yes. Your material and components are all completely new. I'm sorry if this is not what you want to hear, Bass, but I'm certain that you were created by Dr. Wily, just as he claimed."

What Dr. Light didn't add was that he had been quietly observing Bass's character, and could see parts of Dr. Wily in him. In fact, Bass reminded him of Albert back in college, curious and quiet, the person Dr. Light had thought Dr. Wily would always be before he had become twisted by hatred and jealousy, back in those happy times when he thought he had had a friend.

"What? That's impossible," said Bass, standing up. "It has to be someone else! Is there…any other roboticists I could consult?"

"I'm afraid they would only give you the same information, Bass," Dr. Light replied gently.

Struggling to reconcile with this fact, Bass clenched his fists and scowled at the floor. "But…but… I have these weird feelings, like I had another life. I can't really piece it together…and it's getting worse. It's all disappearing. But there's something I'm supposed to do, but it's all pointless if I can't remember!" he said desperately, his eyes darting up furtively toward Dr. Light. Then, somewhat pleadingly, he added, "I-I'm not crazy…"

Dr. Light felt bad for Bass, who sounded both frustrated and lost—and (though Bass would hate to hear it) a bit like Dr. Wily.

"Crazy is an ugly word, and no, you're not crazy," Dr. Light assured him, resting a hand on Bass's shoulder and giving him a gentle squeeze. "…Bass, where are you and Treble staying tonight?"

Bass looked taken aback by the question, apparently he had not considered it before. He looked over at Treble. "I…dunno."

With a pang of guilt, Dr. Light thought of Proto's empty room—yes, that would do for now. They'd make new arrangements later (already, he was unconsciously planning a permanent residence for Bass within the laboratory)—

Treble rose to his feet, sniffing the air. Bass had gone very still, his eyes darting from oblong window to oblong window, listening.

"Someone's coming," he muttered.

Dr. Light listened too—then he heard it, the drone of propellers.

Bass stood up, his blaster drawn. "Not again, they've found me…"

Dr. Light looked from the windows, then to Bass, a sudden thought striking him. "Homing signal," he whispered. "Bass, you have a circuit emitting a homing signal within your chest—"

But before Dr. Light had finished, half the lab exploded—and all went dark.


Mega Man's fear increased as Rush jetted away from the city. He had tried calling Dr. Light three times, and there had been no answer. And then, he saw something that nearly froze him still—a plume of smoke rising on the horizon.

"No…oh please no…" Mega Man muttered to himself, a prickling sensation running down the nape of his neck. Rush gave a terrified yelp, his jet thrusters roaring as he flew faster.

The laboratory was on fire, the bodies of attack-bots littering the ground. Mega Man spotted Dr. Light easily by the white of his lab coat. He lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes closed, his lab coat torn and covered with dust as a small trickle of blood ran down his face. Hovering over him was Bass, Dr. Wily's bomber robot, and a purple robo-wolf support unit.

Time slowed for a moment. It was just like Mega Man's nightmare—except, now he could move. He was not powerless to stop the shadow baring down on Dr. Light—

Terror and rage took control of Mega Man, as did a detached calm. The ground rushed toward them as Rush dropped altitude, Mega Man springing off with blaster drawn.

"Hello, Bass," he called, firing.

Bass, taken by surprise, was flung backward into a totaled skullcopter with a dull crunch. A second later he burst out of the rubble, his eyes locked on Mega Man with contracted pupils in manner similar to Dr. Wily when he was in a deep rage—Mega Man knew immediately from this look Bass would be relentless. "You?! You!"

"Proto Man told me all about Wily's little plot—" Mega Man replied with cold smugness, his blaster still pointed at Bass. "So, I bet you are going to pretend you were helping protect Dr. Light against Wily's robots? The invasion in the city was just a lure to keep Roll and I distracted while Wily's real plot unfolded here!"

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't work for Wily!"

Mega Man scoffed. He'd have to remember to thank Proto Man later for tipping him off. "As if I would have fallen for that! It's obvious who built you!"

"I…" Bass uttered, but he seemed distracted beyond words, apparently hating Mega Man's last accusation, but unable to refute it. He swallowed, still watching Mega Man as though seeing completely through him.

Mega Man fired again—his golden plasma bolt met with a phosphorescent viridian bolt from Bass, the energies exploding on collision, the force of which pushed both of them back. They dug their heals into he ground to steady themselves, then charged at each other.

With Bass engaged in fierce combat with Mega Man, the robo-wolf had taken up guard over Dr. Light, while Rush advanced slowly with his hackles raised, poised to strike if the robo-wolf did anything. Out of the corner of his eye, Mega Man cast them an anxious look—the robo-wolf was much larger than Rush, and both his white claws and teeth looked quite capable of shredding titanium. Still Rush bared his own fangs back (though they were much smaller). If the robo-wolf hurt Rush, Mega Man wasn't sure what he'd do…

But at the last time, Mega Man felt completely lost within his fight with Bass, the blasts from their plasma fire scorching the lawn. Despite being built with bulkier armor, Bass was very fast, and evaded Mega Man's attacks with a level of expertise unexpected from a newly activated robot. His style of fighting was wild and unpredictable, instinct over strategy, a strange dyad of both focused and out-of-control. But Mega Man pursued him, driving him back away from the laboratory toward the street. He was on his home ground, after all. How dare one of Dr. Wily's robots attack Dr. Light? It was a new low.

"Wait, Mega Man, Rush, stop!" shouted a voice. It sounded to come from a great distance, and took Mega Man a moment to completely register it. Dr. Light had woken up and risen to his feet. Rush, who had been growling at the robo-wolf, lifted his ears with a started look at Dr. Light. Even Bass and Mega Man momentarily paused, both standing in the driveway, though they continued to glare viciously at each other.

"It's a trick, Dr. Light!" Mega Man called back. "He was built by Dr. Wily!"

"I know, Mega Man, but he's not responsible for the attack!"

"But—" Mega Man hesitated, studying Bass and suddenly feeling confused.

Bass was listening to this exchange while still as a statue. Dr. Light took a few steps forward past the robo-wolf (who let him pass, though the robo-wolf still snarled at Rush) and called out again. "Bass, please, if you attack Mega Man, you will be doing exactly what Wily wants you to do!"

But Bass couldn't—or wouldn't take his eyes off Mega Man, his face intense with fury and betrayal. The only thing holding him back from resuming his attack was, impossibly, Dr. Light. He began to shake, as though painfully torn between listening, and his own stubborn indignation at Mega Man.

A sudden horrible jolt of realization went through Mega Man. Bass hadn't attacked Dr. Light…Mega Man had jumped to conclusions. Yes, he could see it now as he stared into Bass's eyes…Bass wasn't evil. In fact, he must have fought off Dr. Wily's forces in Dr. Light's defense.

As though snapping out of a spell, Mega Man shook his head, dropping his blaster. "B-Bass…" he said weakly. Mega Man wished he could vanish from the spot—he was sure he had become the one thing preventing Dr. Light from getting through to Bass. "I'm sorry, I just thought—it just looked like—we d-don't have to be enemies—"

"I was built to be your equal—no, your better—" Bass interrupted, his eyes furious slits as they bore into Mega Man. "And make no mistake, we are enemies. You feel it too, it would be absurd to pretend otherwise."

"Bass!" Dr. Light said pleadingly. Heedless of what danger it might put him in, he had stepped very close to them and was almost within arms reach of Bass.

Again, Bass seemed to be acting as though he wished he couldn't hear Dr. Light, his plasma cannon still poised to shoot Mega Man but shaking violently. Mega Man was sure he'd fire, but was surprised when instead the robo-wolf transformed into a jet board in the same fashion to Rush. Without looking back, Bass leaped aboard, and together they jetted upward like a dark rocket and into a gray cloud, disappearing from sight.


Mega Man and Rush dug through the rubble to locate a fire extinguisher, then quickly put out the laboratory fires. Meanwhile, Roll called—the attack-bot invasion had not been so bad as it had looked when Mega Man had left it. Already, most of Dr. Wily's forces had retreated while she helped the emergency crews regain control of the city.

Feeling relieved at least one problem was resolved, Mega Man hurried to check on Dr. Light, who was sitting on the front porch.

"Dr. Light, are you alright?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine. Just a small cut and some bruises," said Dr. Light, wiping away the blood on his face with a dish towel.

"And the lab…" Mega Man added, looking around.

Dr. Light gave a small shrug. "It's been through worse," he said brightly, though there was a hint of guilt in his tone.

Mega Man frowned. He realized the laboratory's defenses must have been lowered for an attack-bot invasion to have been able to cause this much damage—though he decided not to comment. He looked up at the gray sky.

"So…Bass, huh?"

Dr. Light also looked up. "He came to me because he thought I may have built him."

Mega Man gave Dr. Light a startled look. "But you didn't, Wily did."

"Yes, he's definitely Alberts son…" Dr. Light answered, his voice sounding strange. He paused, then continued in a much more normal tone, "—But Bass resents him. I was hoping to persuade him to stay here…but I'm afraid he may no longer be in the mood."

"Oh." Mega Man wasn't sure what to say. "I screwed up, didn't I? I was just on edge, I didn't sleep much last night, and I had this weird nightmare—"

Once again, this all sounded extremely silly, Mega Man at a loss to properly explain his irrational actions.

"Don't blame yourself too harshly, though unfortunately you may have accidentally created a fierce rival," Dr. Light said ruefully, a small smile twitching beneath his beard.

"But I already have a rival: Proto Man. I don't want to be Bass's rival, I don't even know him." Mega Man clenched his fists in frustration, then sighed. "Well…at least he's not on Wily's side either," he said, though he felt this was a small consolation—for he now had two enemies, when he wanted none.

"Yes," said Dr. Light, equally troubled, and he wrapped an arm around Mega Man's shoulder.


Icy water droplets from the clouds swirled around them, wind roaring in their ears. Bass clutched at his head, his eyes squeezed tight as the impact of his first day of activation washed over him like a tidal wave. He had let the lingering impressions that had been haunting his mind fade out like sparks during his fight with Mega Man. After all, why should he care about any of that? It was all pointless and stupid anyway! Yet one feeling bright and passionate had awakened, as though an old hatred had risen within him like a rearing snake.

Bass opened his eyes. Treble had broken through the canopy of clouds into the upper atmosphere. The air was thin and cold, the clouds stretched like a misty gray blanket below them, all quiet and still as they hung suspended above the world on the cusp of space.

I'm sick of everything! Bass thought, shaking with rage. Enough! From now on, I decide who I am—not Wily, not any stupid 'feelings', and least of all not Mega Man.

And from that point on, Bass resolved to hate Mega Man forever.


A new piece had entered the board, the vibrant green light drawing his eye.

He had been watching the board lazily, and had nudged one of his favorite pieces in its way on a whim. The act wasn't part of a 'grand design', for that was not how he operated—this was more like watching a soap opera to him, without an endgame in sight—yet the pieces always behaved entertaining…with the right manipulation.

Next time on Mega Man Recut…

Bass, now a rogue robot on the run, comes up with an unusual plan to hide from both Dr. Wily and and the police. As Quint and Kalinka begin their work as lab partners, Quint hopes to distract Kalinka from her super hero ambitions, but unbeknownst to both of them, trouble already lurks around the corner…tune in next time for A Mega Star is Born!