"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend"
-William Blake
Night had fallen during the time that Mega Man and the rest of the Light family returned home. Rhythm was resting in Bass's bed while Bass himself was sitting at his desk and fiddling with an electronic project.
Do you t-think that I will be able to meet with Mega Man and Roll after my r-repairs are c-complete? I really want to keep in c-contact with them.
"Well there are other logistical factors that we'll have to take into account before we can consider that."
W-what do you mean bro?
"We'll need to figure out where you're going to live for one thing. I'm pretty certain that you don't want to have your personal residence be in Wily Fortress, do you?"
N-no, but n-neither do you, c-considering your hideout that you keep telling me about.
Bass chuckled a little "Well in your case, it's safer for you to stay somewhere else rather than here. If you were found here by the authorities…well, let's just say that it wouldn't be good."
I u-understand…e-especially after I saw Dr. Light and Dr. Wily share the same space.
"I'd never thought I'd ever see the day when Light and Wily were working together" Bass admitted "Before Mega Man was built, the two scientists were fellow students but Wily was always jealous of Light getting more attention, but I'd like to think that if the circumstances were reversed that Dr. Light would end up being the villainous one rather than Wily."
D-Do you really think that bro?
"Absolutely. They're more alike than they'd like to admit. Every scientist wants to be able to change the world and be recognized for their achievements, and both Dr. Light and Dr. Wily have achieved this."
Dr. Light b-because he made Mega Man, Dr. Wily because of his a-attempts to take over the world… and failing.
"Failure is an achievement in itself" Bass chuckled "Dr. Wily has failed so many times that he practically deserves an award for his stubbornness."
I-I see…b-but do you think that after I'm r-repaired that… things could change? Could Dr. Light ever f-forgive Dr. Wily for what he has done?
Bass shook his head "Probably not. Dr. Wily has played the 'I've changed for the better' card before and has used that to try to get to Dr. Light and Mega Man yet another time. Dr. Light will never completely trust Dr. Wily, they'll always keep fighting with Wily building the robot masters and Light sending Mega Man to defeat them."
Well… w-what about you and Mega Man? Will you two stop f-fighting after I've been repaired?
Bass shook his head "Most likely not…in my programming, the core of my being, my purpose has and always will be to kill Mega Man. Will I? I don't know. After all our fights, he's always let me go as if he believes that I could change."
I b-believe that you can change for the better. I believe that a-anyone can. You've c-changed, right?
Bass shrugged and turned to Rhythm "I'd like to think that I have" He then rolled over and then tucked Rhythm into the bed "Get some sleep now bro, tomorrow is probably going to be a long day."
Rhythm nodded, put on a cassette tape, closed his eyes, and began to fall asleep. Soon after, Bass quietly got out of his seat and left him so he could go out for a walk around the perimeter of the fortress so he could meet Proto Man like the past few days.
A light rain had just began to fall when Bass exited the fortress. Bass trudged through the trench of past walks and waited for Proto to appear. Fifteen minutes passed, then half an hour, then a full hour and there was no sign of the mysterious robot.
"C'mon Blues,Where the hell are you!?" Bass complained "You said that you wanted to talk to Dr. Light but I thought you would have come back tonight!"
Bass walked around the perimeter for another hour, but Proto Man failed to appear. Maybe he was at Dr. Light's still. He wouldn't have known unless he made his way there. So Bass decided to walk through the rainy night to travel to Dr. Light's, leaving Dr. Wily and Rhythm alone at the fortress.
-[+]-
"BASS?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! DR. LIGHT AND THE OTHERS ARE COMING ANY MINUTE!"
It was 7:30 in the morning and Dr. Wily was storming around the fortress searching for Bass. He had disappeared during the night leaving Rhythm on his own. He also ended up startling Rhythm, causing the frail bot to cocoon himself in Bass's bedroom. After glossing over the main common areas, Dr. Wily returned to Bass's bedroom.
"I can't find him…damn brat has to go vanish in the middle of the night before we finish up fixing you."
H-He'll come back.
"Sure, sure. He always comes back, but WHEN IS HE? He's the one that cares for you! He's the one who wanted to fix you in the first place!"
Y-you don't want to fix me?
"I couldn't give a damn if you were fixed or not! What purpose are yo going to serve anyway?! What will you do once you're discharged from my 'care'?"
Rhythm rattled as he hid underneath the blanket.
I d-don't k-know…
"Ya don't know! No one knows! You're like the stray that a kid brought home and wants to take care of it but doesn't know how!"
He then kicked a wastebasket, which slid out of the way and made Dr. Wily smash his toes against the metal wall.
"GRAHH!" Wily shouted, along with a bunch of angrish and other mixed up expletives before sitting in Bass's desk chair so he could remove his shoe and heal his toes.
Rhythm then peeked out of his blanket cocoon and looked at the pained doctor.
A-are you ok?
"I'm a doctor, I'll deal with it."
Y-you're not that kind of doctor.
"I know, I know…" Wily said with a sigh "But if it's any concession to me, neither is Dr. Light."
W-what's your r-relationship with Dr. Light?
Dr. Wily groaned "One built on jealousy, envy, and backstabbing. Dr. Light and I were classmates in university. We worked together on various projects but Dr. Light was always awarded for his accomplishments while my ideas weren't picked up such as the 'Double Gear' idea I had. Eventually, I buried the hatchet so I could work with Dr. Light on the first set of Robot Masters. However, the grave for that hatchet was shallow and I used the robot masters to try to get back at Dr. Light. You can see how well that went."
Rhythm quietly nodded.
"Several more attempts, more than 80 defeated robot masters, and one bratty robot have led me to the status that I endure today. With Dr. Light coming yesterday and today, I am now working with my mortal enemy. My enemy who also used to be a friend of mine."
F-friendships don't always last f-forever.
Dr. Wily nodded "They don't, but the fact that we are to work together today makes me wonder if we can truly forgive each other."
Rhythm shook his head.
I d-don't think so. You and Dr. Light are less likely to c-change because you two have gone t-through so much and have become m-molded by those events. Those who are more experienced and are willing to adapt h-however are more likely to cope with a new d-development. A robot who is a-adaptable to s-situations has more of a chance of s-surviving that s-situation than one who can't. It's the same with h-humanity.
"I know… but maybe we're too old to change our ways" Dr. Wily responded. He then got up from the desk chair and gingerly exited the bedroom "I'd better prepare some breakfast for myself before Dr. Light arrives. Having some food and coffee in my stomach will help calm some of my nerves when we work together today."
D-doctor Wily?
The doctor stopped and then turned to Rhythm "What is it?"
Could y-you help me out of the bed? I-I could cook you b-breakfast.
Dr. Wily cocked one of his bushy eyebrows "What now, you can cook too?"
Rhythm shook his head.
No, but I'm w-willing to try. I-It could help me in connecting with Dr. Light.
"Possibly, but highly unlikely" Wily spoke as he unwrapped Rhythm out of the bed and helped him stand.
The two left Bass's bedroom and made their way to the kitchen. Rhythm sat in a chair as Dr. Wily searched through his fridge for foodstuffs.
"If we're going to make anything, It's gonna be egg based" Wily spoke as he pulled out a carton of eggs from the fridge "All I have are eggs."
Rhythms shrugged looked through recipes on his tablet and picked out scrambled eggs, as it was the simplest to craft. As Rhythm began cracking the eggs, Dr. Wily made his way to the lab to straighten up before everyone else arrived. Rhythm used all of the twelve eggs in the carton so he could have enough servings for both Wily and Light. He also worked on the coffee maker, preparing two mugs for the two doctors.
As the coffee finished brewing, a chime came from the front door.
"I'll get it, I'll get it" Wily spoke as he walked through the kitchen, grabbed his coffee, and went to the front door. He checked the security screen and sure enough it was Dr. Light with Rock and Roll. Wily opened the door, and saw the smiling faces of Rock and Roll and the plain expression of Dr. Light.
"Good morning Rock, Roll, Tom" Dr. Wily greeted.
"Hello there Albert" Dr. Light replied with little expression.
"Did you happen to have breakfast yet?" Wily nervously asked as Light and his creations entered.
Dr. Light shook his head "No, I haven't…why?"
"Rhythm is preparing breakfast in the kitchen for you. I was setting up my workshop for the repairs before you arrived. We can talk over the specifics about Rhythm when we eat."
"Alright then…Mega Man and Roll, you two go over to the workshop and get everything in order" Light spoke.
The robots nodded and traveled to the workshop as Light and Wily made their way to the kitchen.
"Say sis," Rock began "do you feel like is something is… missing right now?"
"Well Rhythm is in the kitchen with Dr. Wily, there's nothing wr-Bass isn't here!" Roll realized.
Mega Man sighed rolled his eyes "You gotta be kidding me, where the heck is he?!"
"Don't worry, he's probably still in his chamber! I'll go get him" Roll spoke as she left the lab to go to Bass's room. To her surprise, Bass was absent, which began to worry her. She then made her way to the kitchen. As she approached the door, she overheard Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, and Rhythm talking to each other.
"So you are certain that you want to be repaired?" Dr. Light asked "You do know that you can not be completely repaired to your original status without removing your memories."
I'd r-rather be crippled and retain the m-memories I have rather than a perfect body and an f-fresh mind.
"I already told you Tom," Dr. Wily bitterly spoke "Rhythm considers that his shutdown would be suicide to him!"
"But you've told me that he has these harsh memories that haunt him. Rhythm should let them go and move on."
"No one's life is completely charmed" Wily admitted "Knowing our conflicts, we've had our worries and strife."
"But robots can start again from scratch."
B-but why should a robot start again from s-scratch? Why should humans keep trying to make a perfect being? P-perfection comes from the e-embracing one's flaws in spite of adversity. B-besides, those flaws are something to o-overcome. What good is the g-greatness of something w-without adversity? Mega Man w-wouldn't be who he was if it wasn't for Dr. Wily.
"Rock would still have been great even if Wily didn't do what he did."
Roll sighed and entered the room quietly "Excuse me gentlemen, I was searching around the fortress and I've noticed that Bass is… absent. Do you know where he is Wily?"
Dr. Wily shook his head "No, but he was here when I woke up."
"Well does Rhythm know where he is?" Dr. Light asked, turning to Rhythm.
Rhythm hesitated, and Roll noticed that Dr. Wily was putting his finger over his closed lips out of view of Dr. Light.
I…I w-woke up with him by my side, but after he went to wash up in the b-bathroom, I didn't see him again.
Dr. Light proceeded to glare at Dr. Wily "Albert, if you are trying to pull something…."
"I'm not trying to pull anything!" Dr. Wily exclaimed as he put his hands up defensively "I don't know where Bass is! Besides, it's within his nature to pull stunts like this."
Dr. Light groaned as he dug into the rest of the scrambled eggs "Alright then, let's finish breakfast and then get to work."
The two scientists ate and Rhythm left the room with Roll. Out of earshot from the scientists, she asked Rhythm about Bass's whereabouts.
I h-honestly don't know. He was here with me last night but not this m-morning. I'm g-guessing that he had left s-sometime last night.
"But that was before Dr. Light came…what could he be up to?"
I d-dunno, but let's just keep calm, and c-carry on.
The two robots made their way to the workshop and Rhythm laid on the work table as Roll explained the situation to Rock.
"WHAT?!" Rock shouted.
"I know, I know" Roll lamented "but we don't want any more tension here right now. Let's just keep quiet and maybe he'll come back later."
Rock sighed as he made his way to Rhythm and began opening up Rhythm's torso in preparation for the upcoming repairs.
"Alright then" Dr. Wily announced as he snapped on a pair of leather gloves with Dr. Light following him "Despite the fact that we're down absent a pair of hands, the pace of today's repairs should be better or at least just as good as the last few days."
"So how are we going to work on the torso?" Rock asked.
"We're going to work from the outside of the torso's interior" Dr. Light explained "We'll have to remove Rhythm's arms and legs to access parts of the torso, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Will that work Rhythm?"
Y-yes Dr. Light.
"Alright then" Dr. Light spoke "let us begin."
Dr. Light and Dr. Wily worked beside each on the left side of Rhythm's body while Rock and Roll worked on the right side. As repairs began, Wily gave Light a nudge with his shoulder.
"What is it Tom?" Light said with a sigh.
"What did I tell you to say once you saw Rhythm again?" Wily casuistically replied.
Dr. Light then turned to Rhythm "Thank you for making me breakfast Rhythm."
Rhythm weakly smiled in response.
You're w-welcome Dr. Light.
Dr. Light smiled softly and then began to commence with the repairs. The fact that Bass had disappeared last night put everyone in Wily's fortress in a more of an uncomfortable mood than before. Despite this, the repairs began without hiccups as they removed Rhythm's arms and began to work on the torso.