I'm sure someone was curious about what exactly Blues was doing up already.

The explanation was going to be in the chapter proper but I sort of thought that all the change of perspectives got confusing and didn't write it. Also this got a lot longer than I expected.

So for the sake of still wanting this in the story, I'm making this interlude. Of course that's not the only reason. as you will soon find out.

Enjoy.

If someone were to have asked me what I thought of my creator some time ago, it likely would have been nothing but praise.

Followed shortly by the reminder that no one else can understand what I'm saying.

I'm not sure when exactly I became self-aware, but I suppose that doesn't matter. Admittedly I was terrified when the creator noticed my self-awareness and thought he would have me shut down, as I have seen a few pieces of media where robots plus being self aware equals revolution.

Instead he just checked my code, compared it to the newer bots he's made and then just shrugged like it wasn't that big a deal.

When I asked him about it he merely responded with "At least I'll have someone to talk to. That'll stave off the insanity".

So yeah, short version is, nowadays I think the doctor is smart, yet also an idiot.

If he was honestly so worried about going mad scientist he could have just followed his college buddies into their jobs, maybe as a co-worker, to prevent his "Insanity".

Of course he had a few good counterpoints as well. Like the possibility of working under a villain, like Lex Luthor.

I suppose it's kind of ironic, considering what he's told me about this whole "The world was a comic book" thing.

But in a strange way, it made sense. A man of science believing in magic? A possibility, but a very slim one. Claiming knowledge of various identities of capes? Admittedly that was always a weird nickname to generalize heroes and villains. But that's what the doctor calls them.

He supposedly got the nickname from some other series involving heroes and villains, but I wouldn't know since it apparently doesn't exist here. Which he repeatedly complains about because he was just getting into it before his reality warping conundrum.

Where was I?

Oh great, I guess I did inherit something from my creator.

Anyway, either he has some latent psychic powers to see the future, or he's telling the truth.

And I'm honestly inclined to believe the latter. I'll admit I don't know how exactly future sight, or whatever it's called, works. But if that's what it is, then why would he be surprised by anything?

At this point it's better to not think about it to hard, lest I cause a malfunction somewhere in my processes.

Of course, that doesn't seem to stop the others.

Speaking of which, I've noticed that the other robots have started to slowly become self aware like me some time ago.

"The creator sure is a paranoid one, isn't he?"

I idly glance to my side and notice a small group of robots conversing. At least one Telly, a few Metalls, and two Bladers.

… I honestly don't know why the Doc is so hung up on two names for them. I should just tell him to pick the name "Blader" and move on.

"It's not paranoia. There have been plenty of times someone breaks into a house." The Telly replies.

Ordinarily I would just ignore them and continue my game.

"A couple of you have asked me why I keep playing these pre-recorded messages on a loop. Well, I've got a great answer for you. A red hot poker to the eye! Isn't that right Claptrap?"

Then again, I have been playing for a couple of hours. I suppose I could stop for now.

As I started turning off the computer I listened to the nearby conversation with slight interest.

"But, isn't Superman the hero around here? He has super hearing, won't he be able to hear when someone tries to break in?" One of the Bladers asked.

"That's assuming he has it on all the time." I interject. "I imagine it's something he can just turn on or off at will. Otherwise he would likely have gone insane from sensory overload."

The small group look to each other before one Metall pipes up.

"But, what's the point of having a hero who isn't there for you when you need them? Superman is supposed to be a super man, right?"

I couldn't help but sigh at the childish question.

Fresh off the factory floor. So to speak...

"Heroes like Superman aren't infallible-" I received blank stares. "They aren't perfect." I corrected. "No one is. Not even us."

"Yeah." One Metall says, walking in. It's body showed obvious signs of damage. "I still remember the Docs car battery experiment. And I still got the scars to show it."

They glanced at each other again. I took that as my cue to continue.

"Think about it, jobs like police work have been around for ages, and suddenly heroes show up? Why?"

It didn't take long before one of them spoke up. "Because they aren't effective?"

"Eh, that's about half right." I start. "Sure some people only see the job as just that; a job."

Or there are those who are just outright corrupt. I thought.

"But there are also people who do indeed wish to make a difference, but likely can't. The reasons can vary greatly too, even among the the regular people. For example; did you know the Doctor wanted to try his hand at being a hero?"

That got quite a few surprised looks.

"Well, that was before he discovered his medical condition."

"You mean his asthma?" The Telly asked.

I shook my head. "No, it's not asthma. If it was he likely would have recovered long before now."

Admittedly, it was a curious condition. It starts off with a severe shortness in breathe, the kind you expect from exercising as heavily. Followed rather quickly by the person in question going into shock.

I only ever saw this happen once and that was from the Doc walking too much, having gotten lost at a mall once.

I still remember it as the worst day I ever had. I thought being stuffed into that stealth bag the Doc wanted to test was bad enough, then I had to pretend to be some kind of toy when people went through his stuff. It was really embarrassing.

"But my point still stands." I say getting my mind off the past. "He wanted to be a hero but because of his condition, he couldn't. In fact, That ties into the whole hero fiasco as well. Most heroes are just people who feel that justice isn't happening fast enough, or the criminals are getting away with too much, and took matters into their own hands. It's what the Doctor wanted to do at first, it was his dream."

"But now, he has a new dream. One that we're a part of." I say with fondness in my voice.

"Okay, but what does that have to do with our hero and security talk?" One of the Metalls asked.

"More than you think. Remember, organized crime has been around long before the capes started showing up. But that's not our era now is it? Now we live in a world with heroes, villains, and an assortment of criminal masterminds. All it takes is someone to notice all of the Doctors technical achievements and then we'll be dealing with the worst of the worst trying to steal from here." I stated.

"And that's were we come in." The Telly starts. "It's a part of our duty to keep those villains and thugs out of here! We can't just rely on heroes to do everything for us. We need to be self sufficient!"

"Yeah, I get it, I get it!" One of the Metalls yells, jumping up and down. "Since we're smarter than the robots we see on the TV, they'll have a much harder time snagging anything they plan to use for evil!"

I couldn't help but facepalm. I mean that was kind of the point I was trying to get across, our current job is to protect the creators dream. But they don't seem to understand that they are technically also what the villains of the world will try to steal. Not to mention a few other slight details.

I let out a sigh as I watch the small group disperse. I decided to go get some rest and recharging for when the creator comes calling.

I stopped when I noticed the creator was standing in the doorway.

I shifted my head and gave him a curious look.

He blinked. "What episode of Ghost in the Shell did I walk in on?"

Of course, even with the evidence that the other bots around here are becoming self-aware, Doc just shrugged and moved on with the day.

Hell, he even started making Fridays a movie night for everyone. Or if there wasn't a movie to watch, we'd just binge TV shows.

I suppose that's why I'm so split on my opinion of him. I've seen the Terminator, hell there are even a few real life cases of rouge robots or A.I.'s, and he just doesn't bother looking into it. But he is pressed for time for that science fair advertisement plan of his, and we do need a better and steady source of income. I guessed he was just prioritizing.

Until I found his blueprints for a robot that can basically grow money for him. Though when I asked why he didn't start making that robot he said it was missing something. By that point I gave up trying to figure him out.

And then there is his somewhat decently disguised excuse to not move too far from his grandparents. Admittedly it was clever; using the wreckages from Supermans fights as a means to gather resources. But it's far too inconsistent to be cost effective, especially nowadays, since the JL are a thing.

But then he brought up the point that there was no easy way to move out without getting discovered. Sure he only had me and a few minor devices that could be packed up without much worry before, but now he has several bigger machines that he can't exactly pack into a U-Haul trailer.

Ironically, he's solved that problem. Twice in fact. First when he made the Teleporter, second when he made a new and improved energy source to power it. Too bad he decided to shove that Solar core into his latest robot.

Right, first chance that pops up I'm getting the Doctor on board for moving out of this city. I'm tired of hearing him complain about the cape fights.

As soon as I finish looking for a decent house somewhere away from Metropolis.

I return my attention to the computer, quickly analyzing various sites and houses at a speed most humans wish they could have.

Until I finally find an interesting deal.

Let's see... Decent price, if not a bit of a fixer upper. All the way off in a clearing away from the city... Monsteropolis? Where do they come up with these names...

It was then that I heard the basement door open.

Solar Core installed

Beginning energy charge

Running System Diagnostic

Variable Weapons System: OK

Proto Buster: Ok

Radio Transmitter: OK

Teleporter Subsystem: OK

Language Select: English

Energy charge complete

Cancelling diagnostic

Beginning start up_

I opened my eyes, and am greeted by the light hanging overhead.

I slowly moved myself to a sitting position, before noticing the various cables protruding from an opening in my chest. As I start removing the cables, I decided to take a look around.

What a mess...

There are various cables and papers covering the floor, Strange machines sitting around the back wall. Actually two of them look oddly like printers. And then there was the workbench, practically buried under paper.

With someone currently hunched over asleep, judging from the loud snoring.

As I got off the table I also noticed something brown blocking my view ever so slightly.

My hair... I noted.

I raised my hand and moved my hair up slightly, only for it to fall back into place.

How annoying.

It was then that I heard the faint sound of a computer, coming from upstairs.

Deciding to investigate that instead of the sleeping man, because if I were to guess from the state of the room this guy probably needs the rest, I started heading up the stairs.

And as soon as I open the door at the top of the stairs, I'm greeted by a small yellow creature sitting on the other side of the room staring at me.

Metall. I subconsciously realize.

After a brief pause, the Metall sighed and scratched the back of it's head.

"You're up pretty early, Blues." It said.

I blinked. "That's my name? Blues?"

"Oh right, the Doctor's still asleep huh?" I nodded in response, assuming it meant the man downstairs. "Yes, that's the name he planned on giving you."

"Planned?" I muttered. "You said I'm up early right? Was I not supposed to be?"

The Metall nodded. "Technically you were to be up by tomorrow after he checked all your systems. He's paranoid like that."

"So then how am I up now?"

"Most likely, when he finally crashed from the lack of sleep, he forgot to turn off your Solar Core. Which means there was next to nothing stopping you from waking up on your own."

That makes sense.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" I ask. "Now that the gears are turning, I seem to have a lot of info stored in here." I say pointing at my head.

The Metall hummed in thought. "Well, technically you're still in the 'prototype phase' as it were. We still have to make sure your various systems are working properly. But otherwise, your job will mostly be as an assistant to the Doctor."

"I see."

"The other half will most likely be as a bodyguard though."

That stopped me in my tracks. "Pardon?"

"Haven't you gone over your various programs and systems yet?"

I shake my head. The Metall just sighs in response.

"Okay look, it may seem all calm and whatnot for now but trust me, outside there are various thugs, villains, mutants, monsters, criminal masterminds, and the occasional psychopath roaming around or hiding away. And they all are waiting for a chance to jump out and cause some mayhem."

"What about the police? Or the military?" I ask. Again, the Metall just sighs.

"They can try, but sadly there's too much for them to deal with." The Metall starts. "Though, there are heroes too. You should have info about all this already."

I do a little digging into my systems and find all the data the little robot mentioned. It's surprisingly informative.

Very informative.

"Wizards and magic... Various mutagenic chemicals... Technomancy?" I mutter. "I know I probably shouldn't doubt the creator all things considered. But how does he know so much about these people? About all of this?"

"It's a long and crazy story. You sure you want to waste the time to hear it?"

I nod. It's not like I have anything else to do anyway.

After about an hour of a "summarized" story about my creator, Doctor Wily, I began to feel... I don't know. Conflicted maybe? Whenever I asked any questions the Metall answered as well as it could. But that's not really much all things considered.

"Well, that was a crazy story." I said.

"Let me guess, you don't believe it?"

I sigh. "Honestly? I don't know. I mean, I only just woke up today. this all feels like it's over my head."

The Metall chuckles. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

...

...

"What about you?" I asked.

"What?"

"What do you think of the doctor?"

The Metall hums in thought.

"Honestly? I think he's nuts." The Metall starts. "But not the 'lock him in a padded cell' nuts. At least not yet."

"So then do you think he's lying? About the whole reincarnation thing at least?"

"No, I don't think so. I mean, if he was just a psychic and could see the future, why lie about it? In fact, why go with such a bizarre idea of a cover story even?"

I open my mouth before I stop, unable to think of a possible answer.

"Look." The Metall says. "All I know is the Doctor is just a scared man wanting to live this second chance of his to the fullest. Sure he may not be all there," The Metall points at its head. "But he at least isn't a mad scientist... Yet."

...

"Hell, He treats us almost like we're a part of his family. It's nice." The Metall continues. "I'd say that's worth the benefit of the doubt. And besides, you should hear all those plans he has in case he does finally go rogue."

I honestly don't know what to say. Thinking it over, it really does sound like a man desperate to live his life despite all the threats. Even with all the odds against him, he keeps going. Even going so far as to personally deal with the various criminals running around.

Even if he doesn't really want to. And from everything I heard, he definitely doesn't want to.

For a moment, I felt... Something...spark in my core. it was faint enough to almost miss, but strong enough to make me check my systems.

But my systems reported nothing wrong. Perhaps... It was admiration.

I felt myself smirk.

"Well, how can I argue with that." I said. "The only way to know what the Doc's like is to stick around and find out for myself."

The Metall smiles. "Well then, welcome aboard the crazy train. Now how about we get you your clothes too."

I blink and take a brief look at myself.

I suppose by human standards I am naked.

... Wait...

"I have clothes?" I asked.

The Metall chuckled. "Yep. Doc even went so far as to try and sew them himself. Give you a guess as to how that went."

I let out a chuckle as I followed the Metall. It didn't take long to find my clothes.

The clothes weren't all that eye-catching to be honest. Just some jeans and a grey and red (but mostly grey) shirt.

After a while, lost in my thoughts, I decided to make some breakfast for the doctor. Maybe wake him up after I'm done too.

So I started up the stove and began cooking. It was then that I felt the familiar Spark again. This time it came with a tune.

I thought about ignoring it, but after mulling it around I decided to leave it be.

It was a nice and catchy song. Yet somehow felt familiar. Like a melody from the past. One that I felt shouldn't simply be kept locked up.

So I began to whistle.

My god this really did become much longer than I thought it would have. Also I was kind of trapped around the talk between Blue and our favorite Metall. So I said screw it and made the scene like a normal conversation.

Don't worry they still speak in "mets".

I also would have had this uploaded sooner but for some reason my internet got cut. For a whole week. I thought I was going insane that week.