Author's note: I can't believe I had a hand in writing this sappy garbage.
Chapter 12: Back to the Hospital
When Blues exits his bedroom, Elecman is wandering about the living room area. At that point he remembers the food that the doctor and them left out for him. "...Did you have breakfast? If you still want some you can have mine."
"...huh?" Elecman inclines his head towards him.
Blues fits his own helmet back on. "Breakfast." Blues nods towards the kitchen.
Elecman raises an eyebrow but goes to check it out. Protoman watches him as he goes in and inspects the offering. Meanwhile he bothers at his battery. It's feeling kind of lowish even though he has plenty of fuel. He needs to boost off of another power source again... He has to stop himself from immediately thinking "boost off of Rock". He can go plug into a regular power source now.
"Wow...I've been missing out." Elecman comments after a cautious bite of a half-stale cinnamon roll. "Human food is great!"
"Yeah? ...Glad you like it. You can have all of mine."
"What? You don't like it?"
Blues nods but he has to ask himself why. It's not that he doesn't enjoy the taste. It's more a psychological thing. For one thing there is the fact that for most of his life he has just taken the fuel packs and so solid food is just a new beast to him. And when he did try it in the past it was a last resort. One that made him violently, violently sick. Maybe it's part hypochondria. After all he was a prototype robot. And there are still the ongoing issues with his power core. Perhaps some part of him worries that it will further damage his already 'broken" systems. And maybe the other part is being afraid of getting too comfortable. After all…. He doesn't really intend to stay here long term. Soon he'll go back to living on his own and human food will go back to being a luxury he can't afford.
"Nah... doesn't quite work for me." Protoman reclines on the couch and closes his eyes again. Uuugh... he's been sleeping and sleeping and he already feels like sleeping again...
Elecman shrugs and happily downs Blue's plate, getting his tank more filled than he usually can. Then he plops down beside the red bot. "Recharging would probably be a good idea after what we've done."
"Ugh... so you're at fault for this drowsiness, huh?" Protoman baps him lightly. Then he gets an idea. "...can you tell what capacity bots are running at? How charged their cores are?"
"...Huh? Hmmm... I'd need some sort of connection." Elec muses. "You know, I could probably give you a boost too." He wouldn't mind.
Blues purses his lips. "I dunno if I want to go to all that trouble." It's really more that he doesn't want Elecman having access to his vital components. "A touch won't work to tell?"
"Hmm," Elecman puts his hands on Protoman's arms. Blues stays still.
"...Well?"
"Judging by the energy running through your extremities...I would estimate you are functioning at around 80%"
"80... okay." Protoman sighs. Just about that time the door lock clicks and the rest of their folks come bustling back in.
Elecman instinctively gets up and moves away from the others just as Rock comes barreling through to give his brother a hug. "Blues! You're finally awake!" He looks between his brother and the black and yellow form retreating from them and lowers his voice. "Did Elecman behave?" He mutters
Protoman internally sweatdrops but nods. "Uh... yeah. No problems." Blues looks away self-consciously as he remembers how little of a problem they had. Gotta keep that on the down low.
"...okay. Good."
"Um... how was your morning out?" Blues changes the subject. "Ice man... he's fine now?"
Roll clings to "Icy" as they walk in through the door. "Yep! He's really nice!"
The arctic robot master smiles and blushes. "I'm trying my best..."
"No really! You're doing great!" She encourages.
"Th-thank you, ma'am."
Light smiles and walks over to put a hand on his eldest's head. "How are you feeling? I'm told you went through quite an experience... is there anything I can do for you?"
Protoman averts his eyes and shakes his head. "I um... I just need to charge up and I can be off."
"What?" Rock's face falls. "You're gonna leave?"
"I've stuck around here enough lately, Rock" Blues mutters.
Dr. Light frowns. Already trying to escape again. He turns his gaze on Elecman. "And how about you? Are you alright?"
"Why, I'm just fine, Doctor."
Rock is still stuck on the Blues issue. He looks deeply saddened. "You just got here...and I've missed you so much."
Blues frowns sheepishly. "I'll um... come back and visit..."
"Really?!" Rock brightens instantly.
Elecman snickers off to the side.
Protoman frowns and looks away, not answering either of them.
The old doctor chuckles mildly. "Ah... glad to hear you're alright, Elecman... you know when you are ready we can operate to remove Wily's programming. Whenever it suits you, just let me know."
"Ah... then I guess I may as well get it over with."
"Oh?"
Both Blues and Light look surprised. Blues especially didn't expect that to be so quick.
"Well... right then! I shall move to my lab to begin prepping." The doctor "scampers" off leaving the kids with rule of the house.
Elecman turns to Blues. "What's so surprising?"
"...I dunno, I just thought you'd be more..." More reluctant like him? Less likely to allow himself to be tampered with? "...I didn't think you were really up for it."
"Well... You said that I'd have to worry about Wily forever if I didn't. I'm choosing the lesser of two evils."
Blues clears his throat nervously. "G...good for you
"Come now Elecman... shall we?" The doctor pokes his head back in the door. Light leads him out the door toward his new life.
Protoman shivers as Iceman sits down beside him on the couch to gab with Roll. Being near him kind of feels sitting near an open fridge. He eavesdrops on the conversation for a while, watches the window darken as night covers the city. Eventually he goes back to wondering over Elecman's fate...
And then he curses himself.
Elecman is down there alone with Doctor light. If he wanted to pull something it would be way too easy. He picks up his shield and dashesLout the door headed for where he hopes Light will be.
If he let that guy gain his trust just by overloading a few capacitors he swears...
But when he busts into the lab minutes later there is no dramatic scene. There is no ransom note. There is just Doctor Light with Elecman on a table. The doctor is fiddling around with some of the processing components and loading a version of the original coding when Blues arrives.
"Ah... Hello there Blues... Is something the matter?"
The red bot just stares ahead, shocked that there ISN'T something the matter.
"Er... Well... No. I guess not."
Light tilts his head. "Did you think there might be?"
"Well... I just realized that we let you go off with Elecman and..."
Lights eyes widen in realization. "Ah... And you didn't trust him not to try something?"
Blues nods.
"That was perhaps an astute concern... Luckily it appears it was unnecessary. Elecman willingly submitted to this, nervous though he was."
Sighing softly in relief, Blues walks over to the other side of the room. While he's here he might as well work on his core. He hooks himself into one of the charging stations.
Now that he already knows what needs fixing and has "practiced" this procedure before, Light works quickly and quietly. The fixed code without the Wily master override is loaded and the doctor only has to rewire the personality inputs to get rid of the suppressants the other doctor placed. It takes about ten minutes, but when he is done he spends another ten minutes testing things out to make sure there are no anomalies before he closes Elecman's head and powers him back up, Blues watching all the while.
Blues is the first to talk to him when he powers back on. "How you feeling Shocks?"
"Huh?"
Elecman blinks at him. "What did you just call me?"
"Shocks"
The doctor helps Elecman sit up, placing a gentle hand against the boy's back. "Easy... Take things slow if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable."
He nods and waves the doctor off, looking mildly annoyed. "Elecman or even just Elec will do fine, Blues. Mm...I feel fine though. Practically unchanged."
The doctor smiles. "That's good! Just keep me updated. If anything feels strange or wrong I'll have a look and do what I can."
Blues shrugs about the rejected nickname. "Oh by the way... The doctor did everything he could but sadly the operation was a failure... He couldn't turn you into a good person. Your scummy personality is hard coded in."
Elecman looks three times less amused. "I'm sure he is used to such failures after dealing with you."
Light looks between them, appalled by what they are saying and not realizing it is playful banter. "Protoman that's enough. Please don't be unkind to your sibling."
"Excuse me?" Elecman looks to the doctor next. "We are not brothers. Don't go expecting us to cuddle like he and the kid constantly do."
"Wha? I er... N-no I didn't mean... It's just..." the doctor fumbles.
Elec sighs. " Relax, old man." He runs a hand over his head only to feel his hair between his fingers. Then he realizes his mask has been removed.
"Ah... Here you are." Light hands it back to him. "Sorry. I needed it off to get to the latch on your head"
"Right...understandable." He quickly slips it back on, looking slightly self-conscious.
Protoman smirks, amused to find at least one of his traits mirrored by Elecman. Neither of them like to have their faces seen.
"So um...is that it then?" Elec looks around expectantly.
Light nods. "That's it! Unless you notice any problems that I need to check, you are free to do whatever you please!"
"Yeah" Blues agrees. "So... What do you plan to do now, huh?"
"I...um..." Elecman is… unsure. He's always been so set on getting free reign of his affairs that he never really thought past that. He looks back up to the doctor. "What was I meant to do?"
"W...well... I um... Originally... You were... Made to assist people... With your electrical abilities you can safely make repairs to electrical equipment, work on live power lines, and do many other things that humans cannot..." The doctor can already feel the rejection of his function coming.
"...hm...I see." Elecmans face is impassive.
"Y...you have the power to choose though... I... If you don't want to do that... You've suffered more than enough, I can understand why you wouldn't want to spend any more time in the service of people..."
Elecman looks down. "Well I mean...I ought to have something to do. I'm meant to have a purpose, aren't I?"
"Of course." Light smiles and places a hand on his shoulder-a fatherly gesture. "You are thinking metaphysically... And that is good. It means you are on the right track. It is true that I built you with my own purposes in mind... But now that you have form and sentience of your own you are free either to accept that plan, reject it... Or find some balance in-between. But I think you will always find there are an abundance of things to do.
Elecman decides not to brush his hand away. "In-between could work..."
The doctor grins even wider, happy that this talk has gone so differently than he anticipated. But as Blues watches them, he is not sure how to feel.
# # # # # # # # # # # # #
Later, Blues relaxes drowsily on the lab table as his energy levels slowly rise up to 90% and creep their way closer to 100.
With doctor Wily behind bars, his systems fixed (save for the shoulder that Shadowman sliced up) and his family safe... What is there for him now? He'll go back to the city of course... Continue his various projects tidying up around town... Reading... Learning... Wiping out stray sniper joes..."
Huh... He feels like he is forgetting something important but he can't remember what it is...
...
Protoman eventually gets up as he nears his full charge and walks back to the apartment.
Rock is in the living room when he makes it. He smiles to him. "Hi there, Blues. How is Elecman?"
"He... Seemed to be okay."
Blues walks up to the window and stares outside.
"Elecman wanted to be shown what kind of work he could do... So Light took him out to the city power plant. Don't know when they'll be back. They left about an hour ago. ...and what have you been doing hm? I haven't really been filled in on what happened since... The incident. Or how you guys got ahold of Iceman."
"Oh, well, that was easy. He had been locked in a closet at the hospital. They called Dad to tell him, and we picked him up. I um...I haven't been doing much really. I wanted to go look for you, but Dad said we needed to have faith in you and stay home to wait for things to calm down. The last thing I really did was when I fought Bass and threw him in the trash.
"Iceman...he was at the hospital? But I didn't lock him up... I locked up Shadowman... Why would Shadow man tie him up and leave him there instead? Did the hosp-..."
Hospital.
HOSPITAL.
Blues picks up his shield and dashes out the door like he's on fire.
HOW DID HE FORGET TODAY IS HOSPITAL DAY!?
"...Blues?!" On instinct, Rock hops up and follows after him, assuming that there is danger that s got Blues in such a hurry.
The red bot dashes like his life depends on it, trying to figure out the quickest way to get there. SHIT. Shit how did he forget!? Why wasn't this the first place he returned to? Maggie, Sylvia... He put them all in danger and hasn't even gone back to make sure that they are okay. Blues could scream.
Megaman almost can't even keep up. He ends up trailing behind his brother, too far back to even try asking him what's wrong.
Blues is so distracted he does not notice he has a follower and so anxious he doesn't slow down as he leaves the university behind and delves deeper towards the center of town where the hospital is located. He runs straight into the lobby, skidding to a halt at the front desk and scaring Ethyl half to death. She screeches.
"ETHYL! Ethyl is everyone okay!? Did anyone get hurt!? Sylvia! Where is she?"
Megaman manages to make it a few moments later. He stops inside the doors, panting hard. "Wh...Blues...what's wrong...?" He looks around, expecting something to be wrong, but everything looks fine to him.
The woman shrieks again when she realizes who's standing in front of her.
"Protoman! Oh gracious! Is it really you!?" She practically dives over the desk to hug him.
"...?" Rock watches the scene, fascinated. People know Protoman here?
Ethyl grabs ahold of his face and searches him over for injury. "Oh bless you boy we thought you'd been carted off and brainwashed and turned into one of those bad robots!"
"Th... The kids are they…? Maggie... What happened?"
"Shhhh." She hugs him tighter. "Fine... They're all fine... Even Maggie she... Oh Protoman..."
The woman gets all emotional again and he stares at her concerned. "She what?" His core hammers wildly in his chest.
"She's going to be okay... They checked her out yesterday. All signs of the cancer are gone. They think she's going to make a full recovery."
A tight knot that's been wound in his stomach for a while finally comes undone.
Everything's okay. Somehow it's really okay.
"Oh my the kids..." Says Ethyl. "They've gone back to their rooms now... But we need to let them know you are alright they've been worried too!"
Ethyl finally looks behind Protoman and gasps when she sees Megaman. "EEEK! It's a robot master!"
Protoman nearly jumps out of his own skin as he whips around but it's only Rock. "Ack! N-no it's not this is a good one it's…" Rock. Rock is here. Oh god.
! Megaman tenses. Something tells him he is not wanted here. He's about to back out when another nurse comes into the lobby. "Oh my goodness it's you! The boy who saved me from that awful robot?"
He spots Sylvia. "U-Um..." Rock shuffles on his feet and opens his mouth to try and explain himself when Sylvia is suddenly giving him a hug. "Oh thank you, thank you young man! You're such a brave little boy!"
While Rock is being hugged, Protoman... hides behind Ethel's desk so she won't see him, ashamed.
"Y-...you're welcome, ma'am. I was glad to help." Rock stammers.
Ethel is no help, unfortunately. "Sylvia, you say this boy saved you? Protoman, do you two-hey what are you doing here?"
"Sshhh I'm not here."
"Protoman?" Sylvia looks up to try to find him. "Is he here? He's okay?"
"..." Blues slowly rises from his hiding place to meet both Sylvia's and Rock's gazes. "H...hello..." He timidly steps out from behind the desk and walks up to her, looking for signs of harm caused by Bass. He's relieved when he sees none.
In an instant he is wrapped in the nurse's arms as well. "Oh Protoman, I'm so glad you are alright. We were all scared to death that those robots did something terrible to you." She loosens her grip and looks back to Megaman. "Is this a friend of yours?"
"We're-" Rock answers before catching himself. He's not sure if Protoman would want anyone to know of their relation to each other. "We know each other."
"And what can I call the boy who saved me while Protoman was here to protect everyone inside?"
"Megaman, ma'am." Her eyes flash in recognition.
"...are you okay, miss?"
"Ah yes. I'm fine." She pats Protoman's shoulders as she stands back up. "So Megaman, are you here to visit the children as well?"
Megaman stares at his brother. "Is...is that what Protoman is here for?"
Sylvia nods. "I'm sure he's eager to check that they're all okay too."
"Um..." Megaman looks unsure how to answer. Would Blues want him to come along?
Blues sweat-drops profusely. Busted. He has been discovered. Mayday. Maydaaaaay.
Sylvia's smile begins to falter when neither boy answers her.
Blues is so pale he looks like he's just seen a ghost. He stays quiet.
Without thinking, Megaman runs up to him with a look of concern. "Protoman are you feeling okay?" This gets Sylvia to take a look at him as well.
Right about that time, though, there's another screech. A much shriller one than Ethyl's.
"ITS PROTOMAN HE'S ALIVE!"
The ward lobby abruptly floods with children from nearby rooms well enough to be out of bed.
The red bot is dogpiled by child after child and half carried half dragged further into the hospital as Ethyl berates the children for leaving their rooms. However it's a half-hearted scorn. She goes to open back up the community playroom and allows them to go inside. There's still a little while before bedtime.
The change is almost instantaneous. Even if his brother is watching, Blues has a crowd to please.
"Th...that's right! It's me, Protoman! And my trusty sidekick mr... Kitty... Wh-who couldn't make it today!" Shit he forgot the cat too he's really fucking up today. But the kids don't seem to mind overly.
"PROTOMAN THE HOSPITAL GOT ATTACKED"
"DID DOCTOR WILY BRAINWASH YOU!?"
"WAS MR. KITTY KIDNAPPED?"
"THERE WAS A GUY HERE WITH FIRE FOR HAIR BUT I THREW UP ON HIM AND HE RAN AWAY!"
Indoor voices are out the door. More and more kids start to flow in to see their hero.
They end up in the playroom with Protoman sitting on stage as he is bombarded by question after question.
"WHAT HAPPENED!?"
"Did you beat up the zappy man?"
"Who was the blue guy you shot at!?"
"Was it Megaman?"
Some of them start to notice that said blue guy is in the room with them and the children keep a cautious distance.
"There he is!"
"Who is he?"
"He's a robot right?"
Sylvia smiles and nudges Rock forward. "Kids, this is Megaman." He gives a shy smile and wave.
"..."
There's a collective uproar as half of the children hide behind Protoman and the other half hurl scorn. A few even hurl toys.
"GO AWAY BAD MAN!"
"Protoman GET HIM!"
"DONT LET HIM HURT US!"
Sylvia and Megaman are both shocked as the kids begin yelling and tossing things at him. She has to move aside and leave the poor boy to being pelted. Poor Rock looks heartbroken. "B... But I'm not..."
"Children!" Sylvia shouts, looking to them all in disappoint. "What do you think you are doing?!"
Rock looks to his big brother in confusion, but he makes the mistake of moving his arm that had been protecting his face down. One big plastic action figure gets him in the eye. "Oof!" The blow is practically a breeze to what he can handle, and he's only knocked back a step. "YEAH I GOT HIM!" One boy shouts triumphantly. "Oh dear!" Sylvia pulls Megaman close to her and checks his face for any bruising. "Oh no, you poor thing. I don't know what's gotten into any of them. Are you alright?" There is no sign of damage, and Megaman barely even felt any pain from it, but there are still tears welling up in his eyes.
"It's f-fine, ma'am. I should just go."
"STOP!" It is Blues, who jumps of the small stage and shields his brother from the onslaught. Once he gets in the way the kids stop throwing things and look on in confusion.
"B...but he's evil! He fights you!"
Blues looks back at his teary-eyed brother grimly. This is his fault. "...are you okay?"
Rock tries desperately to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I'm f-fine..." When he hears one of them mention their past fights, his eyes widen a bit. "They think I'm a bad guy..."
Protoman bites his lip. "I... I'm sorry kid... It's my fault..." He shrinks away, ashamed.
"Wh...what do you mean...?"
The kids don't know what they're watching. It looks like their hero is apologizing to a crooked villain. Finally one of them speaks up. "Protoman... Aren't you gonna tell us how you saved the world this week?"
Megaman takes a step back. "Go on. They want to see you."
Blues purses his lips, mortified. "I... I'll explain afterwards... Can you just give me an hour or two? I'll make this right..."
fakes a smile. "Sure. I'll be back home. Have fun." But his older brother isn't fooled.
Blues frowns. " I... y-you can... Stay if you really want..."
"I...n-no they don't wanna see me..."
"..." Protoman clears his throat and takes on a different, confident voice.
"Stand down, citizens! I won't stand for you harming... My new ally!"
There's a collective gasp.
"YOU teamed up with MEGAMAN?"
"Correct!"
"D-does that mean he's a good guy now?"
"CORRECT AGAIN! And I'll tell you exactly how it happened! Gather around everyone!"
He goes and gets back up on stage while Megaman is surrounded by curious tots.
"Oooh... Do you have an arm blaster? How did you stop being bad? Did you really save Mrs. Sylvia?"
Rock's eyes widen at the sudden attention. "U-uh...yeah...I did. And uh y-yeah, I have a blaster. I call it my mega buster. Um...how did I stop being bad? Well um...I'll let Protoman tell you that." He chuckles nervously.
And tell he does. Protoman starts off with his usual recap for all the kids newly admitted to the hospital-his tragic tale of woe. He, Protoman, is actually a crime fighting robot! Created by Doctor Wily and Doctor Dark, Protoman knew from the start that he had to save the world from evil. However his design was tragically flawed, leaving him with a critical weakness-a fatal power core flaw. But despite his illness he's continued to pursue his life's calling to aid the people of Mega City and thwart crime! However tragedy struck when he realized that the evil plaguing the city was caused by his own two creators—Dr. Wily and the corrupted Dr. Dark. The tale of mystery and intrigue continues on with the mysterious matter of MEGAMAN. Doctor Dark's soldier of doom and Protoman's arch nemesis... Or perhaps a double agent? Megaman's spotty past and history of both good and evil deeds provide no answers...
After noting Mr. Kitty pants the super-powered feline sidekick he dives into where they left off last week... Wily betrayed him, Megaman teamed up with him to stop Bass, and Dr. Dark was injured in the destruction of his secret lair, causing him to have amnesia and revert to Dr. Bright, the good scientist who fixed him up. Protoman had just gotten a new lair of his own and left the hospital last week when disaster struck-his own new base was demolished in revenge by Wily's gang and Protoman was buried under the rubble! For three days and three nights he was trapped in darkness, unable to escape, when who should rescue him but... MEGAMAN!? His nemesis rushed him back to Bright, fending off an attack from Bass and the whole SWARM of robot masters! And when Protoman woke again the doctor had not only repaired his injuries but Megaman had saved his life by donating power to Protoman from his own energy core.
By this point in storytime, Megaman has a small pile of children oogling at him. One little girl wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him.
"I'm so glad... I'd always hoped you were really a good guy..."
"I-I..." Rock stammers and blushes.
Protoman looks over at him. Uh oh... Is Rock gonna be okay? Megaman's face goes red. He's getting embarrassed by all the attention.
Even with all of the children ogling him, Megaman doesn't let himself miss a word of Protoman's story. He hangs off each word just as much as they do. It's amazing-not just his way of storytelling, but the way he acts around these kids. This is a completely different side to his brother that he's never seen before, and how long has it existed? The way the children act, it seems as if he's been coming to see them for a long time. Was he visiting children at the hospital even before Megaman truly accepted him as his brother? Was he doing it when the only name he knew him by was Breakman?
Protoman's story grows even more engrossing as the bond between he and Megaman grows over the next few days that they spend together and Protoman finally starts to accept that he's "not evil" and begins to see why he did what he did in the past. Blues flushes a bit as he's telling that part of the tale, embarrassed, but keeps trying to make up for all of his former slander by spinning Rock as a truly good guy. And then...
And then tragedy strikes again when he hears that the hospital has been raided.
He and his long lost brother rush to the scene! But gasp... Dr. Sylvia and everyone have been kidnapped!
The kids are really excited now. This is the part they remember.
"You-you snuck in through the back to save us and fought that Shadow guy!" One kid blurts out. "I saw the security footage on the news! You make him think he's got you and then you got him instead!"
Rock's eyes widen. He's very interested to hear this all as well. This is the part of the story he doesn't know.
Protoman nods. "You see... Megaman stayed outside to face Bass and rescue Dr. Sylvia alone as a distraction... Meanwhile I planned to come up from behind and finish off the rest of them.
But it was a trap. The robot masters were waiting in ambush." He whispers sinisterly. Much gasp from the audience. "I fought and I tangoed, but Shadow man was too fast and tricky! So finally I fell to the ground and he thought I was dead! Once I knocked him out with my SUPER strength I tied him up and left him in the closet before running to the ward to save the day! But I was ambushed. Again. This time by a bot even more crafty and evil than Shadow."
A timid voice speaks up from the audience and everyone turns to see the auburn haired girl with freckles and bandages around her head. "It... It was Elecman..." Says Maggie. "H...he held me hostage."
Rock frowns. "That's awful..."
Protoman sighs. There she is... Her voice is soft, but she looks so much better. Her skin looks like it is starting to get some color back, and they actually have her off of the IV. He motions her up to center stage with him. "That's right everyone. That bad bot captured Maggie! But you know what? She was VERY brave. And she remembered the motto, didn't you?"
Mags nods. "N...never give up."
"Never surrender." Protoman agrees, putting a hand on her shoulders.
"FIGHT TO THE FINISH!" The other kids yell out. They know this too. "PROTOMAN FOREVER!"
Megaman gets a huge smile. Protoman has really inspired these kids. It touches him so much that for the second time today, he starts sniffling.
"And that..." Says Protoman. "Is why from now on, YOU Maggie... Are my new side kick. Because never once in the face of danger did you give up..." He murmurs close to her.
"AND." He booms. "She managed to distract Elecman for me and escape! She did great! Round of applause everyone!"
Not a person in the room refrains from clapping.
"Sadly... Even though Maggie did such a great job... Elecman was still too powerful. He used his electrical surges to overwhelm me and before I knew it? He grabbed me by the helm... And shocked the life almost straight out of me!"
This is another part that they remember collectively... Many of them saw firsthand as their lifeless hero was dragged through the hospital halls. This part only makes Rock more sad.
When I finally came too... We were outnumbered... Outmatched. I knew there was only ONE thing I could do... Even though it pained me...
This is the part Rock wants to hear most. He leans in. A few children are actually in tears when Protoman attacks Megaman so soon after they had become partners. One girl buries her face in Rock's lap and clings to him, but by the time Blues has successfully infiltrated Wily's lab and fooled the evil doctor they are all out for blood. It is an incredible surprise when Elecman, of all bots, reveals that he has known all along that Protoman's turn to the dark side is a ruse and agrees to help to secure his own freedom. And soon... Slowly... The whole room of children are empathizing with the brainwashed robot masters... So it's quite a celebration when Protoman escapes with Elecman and they blow Wily's complex sky high. "I knew it was you!" Several kids cry out. "We knew that when we saw the doctor was arrested on the news you must have been responsible!"
Rock blushes when he gets a girl in his lap, and he gives her a few nervous pats. He is a part of the audience's collective reactions. By the time Blues is finished, he is smiling at his brother with immense pride.
After the main action it is all wrap up from there. Shadowman and Bass are mysteriously vanished... Iceman was found in Shadow's place and became the first robot master freed from Wily's control, followed shortly thereafter by Elecman, which all the children become extremely excited about. Everyone wants to know if they can come next week. And finally... The long lost brothers reunite. Knowing his audience loves reenactments, Blues beckons Rock to the stage, holding his arms out wide.
Rock blushes in surprise. "H-huh?"
"C'mon... Don't be shy..."
"Goooo" kids push on Megaman. "go make up with hiiiim!"
Rock stands up and makes his way to the stage. Some of the kids grin, amused that someone who can fight scary guys can be so nervous to get on a stage.
"O-okay okay I'm going!" He stammers. He gets up on stage and fidgets in front of his brother.
Protoman helps him up onto the lift an immediately pulls him into a hug amidst the chorus of of "d'aww"s, cheering, and applause. Ethyl is actually crying in the back.
And she isn't the only one who looks a bit tearful. Megaman squeezes his arms tight around his brother and buries his face against him. After they break from their embrace all the kids are eager to talk to Megaman and see what he is about
He gets dogpiled by over half the crowd since he is the shiny new person and Protoman gets to spend some time talking to Maggie.
"Ethyl told me the good news... You're gonna be okay, huh?"
She nods and smiles. "It's all thanks to you..."
"Nah... You did it yourself. You didn't give up. I'm so proud of you."
He hugs the smaller body. At least one little girl got better. If he was able to help in some small way... He's glad. He shares a glance with Sylvia across the room. She watches him knowingly.
of the girls asks "Megaman, why are you crying?" The boy is indeed sniffling and rubbing at his eyes. "Ah...I-I'm sorry. It's just so nice that Protoman has been coming here to see you guys. And it makes me feel bad...because there was a time when I just thought he was a jerk...but he's been visiting you guys this whole time while I never even thought to do anything like that...so I guess I was the real jerk all along."
After storytime, playtime commences and Protoman has a chance to talk to Rock again. "Um... I'm sorry about that... How you were treated earlier. I hope this makes it right..."
"Y-yeah, it's fine." Rock stammers. "You don't have to apologize for anything. "
"I um... Hm..." Blues prickles with embarrassment again. Rock knows what he's been up to now. "S... So how lame am I... Huh?"
"What? You're not lame at all!"
Blues blinks. "...really? I just thought with... The performance and all... ...it's just it makes the kids feel better apparently."
"It's so sweet, Blues...I'm so proud of you..."
Blues blinks and straightens. "P...proud?" He gruffs. "Hmph... Who do you think you are to be proud of me? You're not my father..."
"O-oh...y-...you're right..." the younger boy is taken aback. Oh no, he went and offended him again. "I'm sorry..."
"…I'll let you off with a warning this time," Blues softens.
"O-okay." It's like the bot has suddenly been deflated. It only proves how much power Blues has gained over Rock's mood. Blues sighs. Great. He got prickly again and upset the kid.
Maggie creeps back over to see Megaman looking skittish, her eyes as round as an owl's. "Uh... Um... Mr. Mega, sir? Can I get a picture with you?"
He moves Megaman to his lap and the. Picks Maggie up and puts her in Rock's lap, taking her small cell phone and getting a selfie of all of them.
"H-huh? You want a picture...with me?" Considering how many other kids have asked this very question in his life, it shouldn't surprise him as much as it does. But he definitely doesn't expect his big brother to put them both in his lap to take it. Protoman grins at the girl and moves Megaman to his lap, then picks Maggie up and puts her in Rock's lap. He takes her small cell phone and gets a selfie of all of them. Rock is only able to get over his shock to smile for the picture at the last second.
Maggie giggles and runs off with her picture to show her other hospital friends.
Meanwhile Blues lays his head on top of Rocks, keeping the other boy on his lap.
Rock is nervous as can be. He tries not to show it, though, nor does he make any comment lest doing so upset his brother further. "...S-so...how long have you been coming here?
"...a little over a year..."
"Wow..."
Rock folds his hands in his lap and stares at them. "I was so wrong about you..."
"...It was a two way street." Blues comforts.
"I dunno...I get the hero treatment, but I didn't even know these kids existed before today."
"Yeah well... Don't tell this to my fans... But I don't like hospitals. I used to actively avoid them... So I understand. ...but I sort of got reeled in to this one."
He feels Rock tilt his head curiously under his chin.
"...you looked through the pictures on my camera, right?"
Rock gulps hard, his mechanical heart pounding. "N...no..."
"... Oh... Well... Nevermind." Blues says.
"…I lied." Rock's voice quavers as he owns up at last and prays his brother will be forgiving. "I did look."
"Eh? Wh…" :I "You little…" Protoman prods him. Trying to lie to keep out of trouble.
"I'm sorryyyyy I thought you'd be mad if you knew I looked! You made me promise not to mess with your stuff..."
"Yeah well... I figured you had probably peeked. ….Do you remember the pictures of the little girl?"
"Hm? Oh right...that was the one...Maggie, right?"
Blues's mood takes a plunge. His eyes unfocus. "Her name was Clarisse."
"Oh..." Rock's eyes widen when he realizes something. "...was?"
"...I saved her one time when sniper Joes attacked a local museum... It would have been three, maybe four years ago. She got me to take a picture with her... And then she gave me the camera. It was so silly..." He remembers, a fond expression touching his face. "But she got upset when I told her I didn't have one of my own. She made me promise to take good pictures and bring them back and show her.
...and then... Well... We were too alike. We both had faulty cores. She just couldn't beat hers..."
His jaw sets as he grits his teeth, finding it hard to utter the last few words of explanation. "... She died last spring."
Rock looks crestfallen, his eyes welling back up with tears. "Blues…"
"I guess I just couldn't stop visiting the hospital. Before I knew it, I was a regular."
Megaman gives his brother another hug. "I'm sorry..."
"H-hey don't get all sobby on me." Blues frowns. He'll start crying too if someone gets him started.
"I never showed her those damn pictures..."
This just sets Rock off worse. Now the floodgates are open.
"...I did get her a cat though. I think she liked him better."
"Was it that kitty you found?"
Nope. He's talking about this too much. Dangerous territory. Blues closes his mouth and goes back to critiquing crayon drawings. "...yeah it was"
"That's great. I'm glad the kitty got a good home."
"Me too," Blues gulps, trying to force his mouth into a hard line and trying to keep from looking as torn up as he feels.
They spend a while longer before it is time to get the kids back in their rooms. Then Megaman and Protoman are free to go after they have sanitized themselves.
Megaman gives the kids and the nurses a shy farewell before they leave.
Once they are outside Protoman looks around. It's quite dark now. "Hm... What now..."
"I dunno..." Rock shrugs. "With Wily in jail...it's like I don't have anything I have to do anymore..."
"... Well there are things to do... Just... Different things."
"Yeah? Like what?"
"Like... Living your own life. Learning... Improving… Enjoying yourself. Finding something meaningful to do with your time."
"Oh...like you, right?"
"Yeah sure... Like me." He starts headed for the library.
"Maybe I could find a job to do like Elecman is doing..." Rock muses.
"Maybe... I wonder if he is still out with Light..."
# # # # # # # # # # # # #
Meanwhile elsewhere Light wears a hard hat as they are toured through the power plant, their guide listing out all the facilities and their purposes. "Right now we're working on an experimental energy silo, but it's a hard time working up and keeping enough potential in the receptor to gather a charge from the clashing cold air from the lower refrigeration units that store our liquid batteries and the exhaust heat from the coal burner... There's plenty of energy there to harvest and it's just a shame that we don't have the means right now to take advantage of it. We could be producing an extra 20% of our current daily output.
"So what do you think, Elecman?" Light prompts, "Do you understand this? Is it something that would interest you?
"Yes...I understand it. As for interest... ...it sounds like my help could be used here. " He replies diplomatically, trying to keep any excitement he may or may not feel out of it. But when they aren't looking, Elecman stares at the silo with bright eyes. So much electricity...it could be all his to wield.
Indeed, the very air around them feels charged. The doctor shivers. "Ah... This place makes me feel alive. Reminds me of my younger years when I worked in an industrial facility like this."
If it makes the doctor feel alive, it makes Elecman feel like he's in heaven. All of his sensors wake up to the charge floating around all of them. "This would be incredible." He finally can't help but admit.
"I am inclined to agree!"
"When can I start?" He eagerly asks the manager giving them the tour.
"Start? Hm... Well we can see what you can do tomorrow if you drop by... But we'll need to make sure you're prepped on company policy and see that you really do know what you're doing before we hire you."
"Alright boys, fire it up!" Someone yells. The entire enormous room they are in begins to hum as the power is turned on. "Here we go, guys" their tour guide instructs. "If you don't want to get struck by the equivalent of lightning, keep your hands on the metal railing and don't take them off. If you stay grounded you are fine but let go and we'll be serving up fried tourist later."
The room hums louder and louder and the cylindrical metal sides of the silo they're inside of begin to sing with charge. Finally there is a deafening sound as a bolt of energy crashes through the air overhead traveling up the tower in a continuous arc... And another... And another. "Running stable at 60%!" Someone yells over the din.
Light watches Elecman's fascination as high powered arcs of electricity dance above them, spiraling up towards the roof of the tower where they eventually dissipate.
The old man beams. Oh no. Here he goes again. Now he has gone and adopted two new sons. And he can already tell there is no going back.
Elecman cranes his neck to look to the top of the generator and the bolts of lightning branching from it. He has the eyes of a child looking at a giant wedding cake. So much power. So much electricity. It could be his. It has to be his.
The doc grins. "You look like Rock staring at a chocolate fudge ice cream cake. Go on. Try it out, just make sure you put it back where it belongs afterwards.
Elecman's eyes widen. "Really? You'll let me?" He can scarcely believe he's being given permission.
Light nods. "If you want to work here, I'm sure the plant employees will be interested to see what you can REALLY do."
Elecman turns to the worker giving them the tour next. He looks interested. "...sure, but if you go blowing something up or zapping my co-workers, I never gave you permission to do nothin, got it?"
Elecman beams and nods enthusiastically. "You won't be disappointed, sir. Just tell me what you need me to do."
"Well hm... We're maxed out right now at 60% of our total possible output because we haven't been able to focus the electrical arcs to achieve their maximum efficiency... If we could stabilize them somehow we could squeeze a lot more out of this generator, but we don't currently have answers on how to do that. Our engineers are working on the problem but we haven't heard from them in weeks... You have any idea how we can get that extra ampage?"
Elecman grins. "You won't be needing those engineers. Your solution has arrived." He holds up his hands and legs tiny sparks dance off his fingers.
There are exclamations of surprise as the arcs waver in the air and suddenly one of the bolts tears down from the center, zapping Elecman in a continuous stream.
! Elecman's body goes rigid, and his mouth opens as if to scream...but in the next moment, he recovers and expertly directs the bolt away from himself and the others, amplifying it with his own power as he sends it back to the generator.
There's a crash like an explosion as the bolt connects with the receptors in the the top of the tower.
Elecman looks to the top of the tower, terrified he's just destroyed something.
"AY!" Their tour guide calls up "Where did that clock in at!?"
"Uh... 85%!"
He whistles. "Wow... Up 25% with one shot? Not bad."
Elecman is grinning proudly again. "And I promise I can do better than that."
They shut the generator down overhead and as soon as the noise an energy die down Light rushes to Elecman's side and starts checking him over. "A... Are you alright!? Did you mean to be struck there? For a moment it looked like you were hurt..."
"Heh...nah, I'm fine." But light still frowns.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I feel great." He's not entirely sure, but he may have overloaded a little from that shock. Nobody needs to know that though.
Light frowns but sighs and lets it be. After they finish their tour, though, he still wants to take Elecman back home for examination.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Protoman lays down in his favorite bean bag chair at the library. He plops the spot beside himself to motion for Rock to join him as he sorts through his stack of books to pick one to read.
Rock happily takes his seat. "You come here a lot, don't you?"
"Twice a week, sometimes more if I have free time." He admits. He usually has free time. "Most of what I know that didn't come from personal experience came from the pages of a book."
Rock nods. "You must have read a lot of them. I haven't been able to read much lately..." He starts looking through Blues's stack too.
Blues finds the one he was looking for and hands it to Rock. "This is one of my other favorite books. You should try it."
The pages are yellowed to a gold color making it obvious that this book is very old, but other than that it ia in very good condition. The title reads "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Blues smiles at it fondly. It brings back memories of a much younger, much more naive version of himself.
But Rock stares at it with an odd look on his face. "Are you saying I can't make friends?" He sounds offended.
"Wh-no! No I'm not saying that! I just... It's a good book, is all... This one used to belong to me... Before I donated it to the library."
"You gave it away? Why?"
"For a stupid reason. Not important."
"Was it because you made friends with all the kids at the hospital so you didn't need it anymore?"
"No." Blues looks defensive. "L-look I'm telling you it was just a stupid reason it's not important."
"You tend to avoid telling the most important things."
Blues curls in on himself and away from Rock even more.
"I... I was just a dumb kid and I thought..." He tapers off to a mumble.
"Hmmnmmm?" Rock leans into him with interest.
Blues sighs. He's not letting it go. He tries to muster what dignity he can and finishes mumbling out "I was a dumb kid... And I use to think... I had never been in a book store before, and all the places I'd been to that had books only had one copy of each... S-so I thought... That there was only one of each. And that each one was special." His face is growing hotter and hotter. "And I thought that one was too important to keep to myself... So I d-donated it so other people could read it... I didn't realize until after that the library already had another copy of it. And... LOOK I WAS HOT OFF THE PRESS, OKAY!? How was I supposed to know!? It's not important! It's just a good book."
"...that's real nice of you to give it for other people to read." Rock looks touched by the revelation.
"Shut up." Blues growls. "It was stupid."
"It was niiiiiice." Rock presses, "Why do you get so embarrassed when you get caught doing nice things?"
"I... I don't know... I expect it to be met with scorn I guess. Wily would laugh. The robot masters would laugh... I thought you would laugh too."
Rock frowns and reaches to squeeze his brother's hand. "You hung out with them for too long."
"Maybe..." Blues allows. He opens the book and starts reading quietly to his brother. He actually doesn't have to look at the pages to know what comes next. He has the words memorized, his photographic memory as good as reading it off the page so he can watch his brother react to it. "Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason fish prefer worms, so when I went fishing I didn't think about what I wanted, I thought about what they wanted. I didn't bait the hook with strawberries and cream, rather I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish and said 'wouldn't you like to have that'? Why not use the same common sense when fishing for people?"
Rock sits and listens with full attention. While the book is made for adults, he would have been able to read it as easily as Blues can, but it's much nicer to hear his brother narrating the words instead.
"What was the secret of Lincoln success in dealing with people? I studied the life of Abraham Lincoln for 10 years and devoted all of three years to writing and rewriting a book entitled Lincoln the Unknown. I believe I have made is detailed and exhaustive a study of Lincoln's personality and home life as possible. I made a special study of Lincoln's method of dealing with people. Did he indulge in criticism? Oh yes. As a young man in the pigeon Creek Valley of Indiana he not only criticized but he wrote letters and poems ridiculing people and drop these letters on the country roads were they were sure to be found. One of these letters aroused resentments that burned for a lifetime. Even after Lincoln had become a practicing lawyer he attacked his opponents openly and letters published in the newspapers but he did this just once too often. In the autumn of 1842 he ridiculed a vain politician by the name of James Shields. The tail on the roared with laughter. Shields, sensitive and proud, boiled with indignation. He found out who wrote the letter, Leap on his horse, started after Lincoln, and challenged him to fight a duel. Lincoln didn't want to fight. He was opposed to duel, but he could not get out of it and save his honor. They were prepared to fight to the death, but at the last minute, their seconds interrupted and stopped the duel. That was the most lurid personal incidents in Lincoln's life. It taught him an invaluable lesson in the art of dealing with people. Never again did he write an insulting letter. Never again did he ridicule anyone. And from that time on, he almost never criticize anybody for anything."
An hour later Blues watches as his brother's eyelids fall drowsily. Welp... Maybe it's time to go.
He checks out a few books, including the one he was reading to his brother, and they hop a bus to get back to the university.
"Hmm...thank you, Blues."
"Did you enjoy that?" he smiles pleasantly.
"I did. I enjoyed this whole day."
"Heh... glad to hear it..."
He stares out the window for a while as buildings and other cars whiz by. Perhaps it's the book he just read that brings one question searing to the forefront of his mind "...Rock? ...what do you like about me? ...why do you even like me at all after what I've done... If I were you, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near me."
Rock hums to himself, thinking how to respond. "Somehow...I knew you were different from the other masters. You were special. You may have fought me, but when you had the chance to let me get crushed by Wily's castle, you saved me instead. I knew then that there had to have been hope for you...and the more and more I've gotten to know you, the more you've proven that I was right. That despite how angry you were at me and Dad...you didn't let it stop you from doing the right thing. You protected the humans. Fought the sniper joes. Made sick kids happy...This city means as much to you as it does to me. Maybe even more. You've been a part of it while I've just...been living in a bubble, only coming out when I needed to. That's another thing about you. You're really brave. And smart. People would envy the ability to live on their own the way you have."
Blues gulps. "Rock..." That... May be one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to him. He feels his chest fill with an unfamiliar emotion. "Th...thank you..."
"W-wait there's more... You've also got a heart big enough to love me back...cuz I wouldn't blame you if you had kept hating me for everything I did to you. Dr. Light swears I wasn't made to replace you...but I can't know that for sure. Sometimes it feels like that is what happened...that by being made, I stole your life from you...and maybe if I wasn't around, you could have lived at home with him again. You could have been the hero of Mega City. And more importantly, maybe you wouldn't have been so afraid to think of Dr. Light as your dad...
"..." Blues shudders. All the words make his heart hurt... Because some of them are the same words that have been in there all along. The doubt... The alienation...
The fact that this boy can comprehend these things and feel for him... And apologize even though he is not at fault for something he should never have to apologize for...
Blues's heart hurts with him... And for him.
He wraps his arm around his brother and pulls him close. "One good thing came of it all..."
"...I got a sweet cinnamon roll brother... Who I'm lucky to have... Who has got a big heart..."
Rock sniffles and hugs his brother back. "Thank you..."
"You don't have to apologize for existing, Rock... Please don't. You may have been created for an agenda... I was... The masters were... But just because you were made for a purpose doesn't mean that you can't choose a new one for yourself... You are whatever you want to be..."
"I don't...I don't think I want to be anyone different though. I like being Dr. Light's son...yours and Roll's brother...and I don't want to stop protecting the city."
"...see though? You already are doing something different than what you were made for... You were only supposed to be Lights helper, right? You weren't made a fighter like I was... Or a hero... But you took that role on yourself...
"Y...yeah I did...he didn't want me to do it. He wanted me to be safe...
Blues nods. "Yeah... But you were willing to sacrifice that for the wellbeing of others... That makes you a lot better than most humans."
"I don't blame them for not wanting to do what I've had to do..." Rock says, thinking back on all the pain and hardship he has suffered.
Blues leads his brother back into their apartment where everyone else is waiting, including Light and Elecman. "Oh you two are back! Welcome!" The old man greets.
Blues shares a pointed look with Elecman. "How was the day out on the town?"
"Incredible! I got a job at the power plant!"
Rock gasps. "A job? Really? That's great!"
Blues raises an eyebrow. "Well aren't you just pleased as punch...congrats"
Roll frowns at the eldest brother. "Don't you think it's good? I'm happy for him..."
"No no, you're right... It's great, I just ah... Nothing. It's nothing. Congrats. For real." So saying, Blues slips off to his room with his books. He drops them on his bedside table before preparing to sneak out and find somewhere else to be for the night. Suddenly he doesn't feel like he should be here again.
Elecman looks to Iceman next. "So are you gonna find a job too, or do you plan on living here?" Iceman frowns and fidgets. "I...I guess I haven't really thought of that..."
Roll smiles and hugs onto Iceman, patting his head. "It's okay! We can figure it out together. You can try things out, there's no rush to decide!" The smaller blue bot blushes again at all the affection and encouragement that he is so new to receiving.
Elecman waves his hand. "Oh bah. You just don't want him to leave."
Icy blushes harder.
"H-hey that's not true!" Rock protest, but then backpedals when Iceman looks hurt. She blushes. "Or maybe it is, I just… I don't wanna rush him…"
Elecman snickers at the way both of them blush. Ah, kids in love. So naive.
She clings to her hooded friend and drags him back to her room. "C'MERE!" She says a little too loud, "I gotta show you my stuffed animal friends!"
Light is left to prepare a meager meal. He doesn't do anything particularly fancy tonight, just chilled and warmed energy packs according to each bot's preference... And a slice of leftover cake for dessert.
Blues is already out his window by the time everyone else is getting ready to refuel. He thinks to himself... There's his car in the theater where he will be found... There's no building anymore... He could go stay in the shelter of the highway underpass since it looks like it will probably rain tonight, but that's always so noisy it'll be hard to get any sleep... There's a playground on the other side of town with a waterproof plastic tunnel above ground where he can sleep if it's not already occupied by someone else but it's such a long way to get there... He can't even go back to Wily's lab what with that being freshly destroyed. Hmmm...
And now that he thinks about it…. What will the other robot masters do now that their boss is in custody and they don't have a roof anymore? The news didn't mention any of them being captured along with Wily. He feels a bit bad in retrospect to have robbed them of a dry place to sleep on a stormy night like this one is shaping up to be.
Rock sits and tries to wait for his brother at the dinner table, not realizing he has disappeared under their noses. Elecman gets right to his fuel. "So. I must ask. Will I be a permanent part of this, um, home along with Iceman?"
Light looks up at him. "Well... That very much depends on you, Elecman." You certainly don't have to be if you don't want to... But if you were so inclined to stay... We can always make room.
Elecman hums. "And what could be my other options?"
"Well... If you didn't want to live here we could get you another living situation set up elsewhere... There are public charging booths and repositories for service robots where you could come and go as you pleased. I could also reserve a complex specially for robot masters to dwell when you're off work... Or really we could try to do whatever you might like... Although with the latter options, it might take a while to get situated. For now, I have to find a more permanent living situation myself. "
"Okay...I'll think about it."
Light nods. "...and if you'd like to talk it out anymore with me in private... Just let me know."
Elecman smiles faintly. "Alright. Thank you."
Roll takes her energy pack back to her room so she can play with her toys and do other hobbies. Eventually she notices Protoman outside below her window, lost in thought.
She pokes her head back into the main room. "Hey... Rock? Protoman's outside... Did he say he was going to leave again?"
Light sighs. Oh dear. Already trying to head out once more. "Children, could one of you ask him to stay? There is some damage to his frame that still needs repairing, particularly his shoulder."
Rock nods and goes to his own room to poke his head out the window. "Hey!" He calls down to Blues.
The red bot looks up. On no. He took too long to decide. "What?"
Rock gives him the biggest pout. "Were you about to leave again without even saying goodbye?"
"Er... Sorry... I'm just not great with goodbyes..."
"Well you're never gonna get good at them unless you start practicing." The boy huffs, then pauses. "Dad doesn't want you to leave yet anyway. There are still repairs you need. Like your shoulder."
"Ugh... Look that's all fine and good but I'm heading out for the night. I need some time to be alone and think-"
-BOOM-
Lightning rips through the sky above with a deafening crackle, rumbling off long into the distance. Blues nearly jumps out of his skin. In moments, there is a torrential downpour soaking the red bot.
"..." With a sigh he heads back inside. Maybe one more night will be okay...
Rock returns to the table as Blues gets back inside. Elecman moves in his seat to get a good view of the window. "Ahh. I love storms."
"Meeeh" Blues goes back to 'his' room, considering hiding under the bed. In the end though, after drying off, he settles onto it bed after pulling it as far away as he can from the window. He wants nothing to do with the lightning now flashing frequently outside. He does, however, want something to do with the plush blankets which he pulls on top of himself. Despite the unfamiliarity, it helps to sleep in it because like every other place he has slept for a long time it is not really his-just borrowed. Borrowed is familiar. But the bed itself is nice... Comfortable and wide enough for two people. He uses the space to spread out.
After he is settled down, he does not take off his helmet or shades before closing his eyes. Normally it is more comfortable to sleep without the helmet… but not during a lightning storm. Even with the closed blinds and two levels of eye cover (three if you count his eyelids) he can still faintly detect the periodic flashes. And he can hear the crashes loud and clear. After a few moments he tries grabbing a box of tissues a few into his helmet. He doesn't like thunder. It's the drawback of having military-grade sensors.
As he tries to ignore the brewing storm outside to get a few Z's.
Back in the family room, Iceman watches everyone starting to shuffle off towards bed. "Um...could I stay in your bed again?" He asks Roll timidly. "I promise I won't freeze anything..."
"O-oh... Okay!" Roll decides. She is still flushed as she leads Ice man to her room. They have been spending most of the day getting to know each other, and Iceman has been very nice, complimenting her room and playing with her and listening to any and every story she feels like telling. So she doesn't have many qualms about having a sleepover with him. Once they're under the covers she snuggles up close. Well. Maybe not too close. There are several extra blankets wrapped around her to protect from his chilly exvents.
Protoman grunts when a while later someone enters his room. Thinking it is Dr. Light he pretends to be asleep so as not to be disturbed, but they walk up to the side of his bed anyway, and to his great surprise, get in the bed with him. Blues's eyes shoot open and meet Elecman's slate blue ones.
"Hi there~" he lilts with a wink.
Blues gives him such a blank look for several seconds. And then he realizes why the bot is here.
"No."
"No? No what? 'No, Elecman, you cannot sleep here?' Are you going to make me sleep on that couch?"
Blues nods remorselessly. And then another bolt of lightning flashes across the sky, its rumble shaking the foundation slightly. Blues visibly flinches.
"Aww, what's wrong?" Elec taunts. "The last thing I'd expect you to be afraid of is a little lightning."
Blues growls and the next moment Elecman is thrown out of the room onto his butt.
The electric bot gives the loudest huff he can manage, but he doesn't fight back. Defeated, he takes a place stretched over the couch.
... Then another crash of lightning strikes nearby. Soon after the door opens back abruptly. Blues emerges fighting not to look sheepish. "Fine, but just for tonight."
Elecman is back beside Blues in moments, grinning like a possum. "How on Earth could someone be so frightened by lightning? It's perfectly natural."
"Shut up."
"If I'm bothering you so much, why not go to your darling little brother instead?"
"One more word and you go back to the couch."
"Ugh..." Elecman crosses his arms and lies in silence. The only sound in the room is the sound of the storm outside. He's not really sure what prompted all of this hostility he seems to be getting from Protoman suddenly.
Blues still can be felt flinching on occasion when there is a particularly bright or loud bolt nearby but otherwise he stays quiet too, keeping his back to Elecman so as to hide his face.
But Elecman has just as hard a time falling asleep. He's not used to so much...space when he's lying down to sleep. The robot masters had to pile together on comfortable spots.
As they lay there quietly the storm does nothing but get worse. Every time Blues gets close to sleep he is jolted back to awareness by yet another violent bolt ripping through the sky above them. It doesn't help that they're on the top floor of the apartment. If anything it only makes it louder and deepens the red bot's anxiety.
Blues's anxiety, unfortunately, keeps Elecman awake as well. Every time the bot jumps, Elecman can sense the spike in energy from his frame, and it surprises him to alertness as well every time. At one point he gives an exasperated sigh and suddenly sits up. "That's it. I think I'll have a better chance of recharging on that couch after all."
Blues moans miserably. "Don't." Blues gets up before Elecman can. "You can stay." He might as well go to the couch. At least the living room window is smaller and farther away from it than the window in his bedroom.
"Oh come on. This is your bed. "
"It's not like I'm going to get any sleep anyway."
"You really can't sleep during a storm?"
"I... it's not that I can't, it just makes me incomfo—"
Thunder crashes.
"—ACK."
Elecman rolls his eyes. "Clearly."
Blues opens his mouth. He opens his mouth to explain his sensor oversensitivity, but instead he growls ill-naturedly. "Well excuse me. Not all of us were made to reroute electricity you know. It's not like I have the protection you do. Something you very recently took advantage of."
"How did you manage to hide this while you were with us?"
"Did you ever see me on a stormy night?" Blues counters.
"I—" Elecman starts but then he realizes something. "Whoah whoah whoah! ExCUSE me? Took ADVANTAGE OF?"
"I would say so." Blues frowns at him.
"I didn't do anything you didn't agree to!"
"...I don't mean THAT. I meant..." Blues points to his head. "Electrocuting me within an inch of my life? Ring any bells?"
"... Well...what do you want me to say?" Elecman hunches up defensively. "I was following orders, and those orders were to destroy you since you had decided to join Megaman's side."
Blues looks at him, disbelieving. No apology? Not even a hint of remorse. He knows better than to buy that it was purely "orders" that led to his ordeal. Elecman had a sadistic streak. At least he did when he had the Wily code in him. Blues saw it in the bot's eyes. He reveled in the destruction he caused.
And now they are here and he doesn't seem to have any intention of owning up to it.
"...nevermind." Blues moves away from him. "No you're right. Go back to bed. Enjoy it." His voice is tinged with venom.
This just puts Elecman even more on the defensive. He snarls at the bot turning away from him like he thinks he's being the bigger person. "You're the last one who has any right to point out anything wrong with what we've done in the past, Breakman. If you have any more trouble sleeping, why don't you try getting Megaman to save you again?"
Quietly livid, Blues stalks out without answering him.
And with that, Elecman is left alone in Blues's room.
Once Elecman is gone back to bed, Blues lays down on the couch for several minutes. His brain boils in anger... indignation. ...regret... And finally he gets up, grabs his shield back out of the corner, and heads out the door despite the storm raging outside. Defiance wins out over fear. He just wants to be away from this place.
The red bot's scarf whips in the wind as he makes his way outside into the deluge.
"Hold it!"
!
Lightning crackles again overhead. Blues turns around to look at the bot in the doorway. "...what?"
Rock stands with a disapproving frown on his face.
... "What?" He softens.
The younger boy glowers. "You're trying to run away. Again. You still need repairs first."
"...I... I'll come back tomorrow."
"What's the point in leaving then? Especially in a storm like this."
Blues doesn't want to admit the truth. "I just need some time alone."
"You can be alone here. That's why we have separate rooms." Rock insists. "Elecman can sleep on that couch. That bed is for you, not him." In spite of the fact that he has been trying to warm up to the robot masters, he still feels more strongly about his older brother, and if Elecman compromises his willingness to be there on a night like tonight, he has no qualms about making him move. "Please, Blues...I don't mind that you want to leave. I'm okay with you living by yourself if that will make you happier. But I just find it hard to believe you'd be happier sleeping somewhere else on a night like this.
"..." Blues wants to come back inside and join him... He really does... He knows if he goes inside and joins Rock in his bed, he'll be more at ease. Even with the storm raging he'll probably be able to calm down...
But the moment he thinks that Elecman's words come back to sting him.
Why don't you get Megaman to save you again?"
No he can't go running and crying to Rock. Elecman will never let him live it down... He won't be able to live it down.
"Look I don't need your charity or a bed or human food. I don't. I get by in my own. And I'm sick of you all treating me like I'm some sort of... Special snowflake. I'm not your charity case. I don't need you protecting me. And I... I'm leaving."
"...I didn't mean to embarrass you..." Rock murmurs softly.
Blues turns to leave.
"I just...I just want to help..."
"I DONT NEED YOUR HELP!" Protoman yells loud enough to be heard from above.
"You think we're treating you special, but look what we've been doing to Iceman and Elecman. We gave them a bed and food too. Dr. Light helped him get a job! So it's not just you...we just had the chance to help you longer than the others."
"...well that's done. Okay? Get over it." Blues's pride continues driving him to defiance.
"But it's not done. You still need repairs. And I know what's going to happen if you don't let us give you them."
Protoman looks up and sees a silhouette in one of the apartment windows. Elecman. Maybe he heard the noise from earlier?
"You want me to stay? Try to make me." He starts away.
Rock immediately runs out into the rain to grab his scarf.
Protoman is momentarily choked, but he quickly reached his shield and uses it to bash rock back.
"Urgh!" Megaman grunts in frustration but he quickly takes hold of the shield and pulls. Either he'll pull Protoman with it or get it out of his hands and leave himself vulnerable.
But Protoman is not to be so easily separated from his possession. When Rock tugs he initially resists and when his brother's tug becomes stronger he uses it to whip himself around to the side and the uses the momentum to swing Rock into the air.
! Now Rock holds on for dear life.
"Let go!"
"No!" the younger boy cries defiantly. He isn't letting Blues run off into the rain.
"Let... GO!" Protoman flings his shield-and Megaman with it-into the side of the building.
"Oof!" Rock hits the wall hard, falling back to the ground afterward. But when he gets back up, he holds Protoman's shield. :I "My shield now."
"..." Protoman knows Rock wants him to rise to the challenge and try to get it back. Instead he takes his prized possession-his scarf-from around his neck, crumples it up, and drops it in a mud puddle.
"Keep it. And tell Light he can have this back too."
He regrets it immediately as his pristine yellow scarf soaks with mud that will probably never wash out... But the next moment he is on his way again.
Rock stares after him forlornly. His first instinct is to keep chasing after him, but he decides instead to pick up the scarf before it can get any wetter. He takes that and the shield back to the apartment with him.
"R... Rock?" Roll is peeking her head out of her room when he comes back inside, a look of concern on her face. "We... We hear a yell and a crash... What-"
She gasps when she sees him carrying Protoman's shield and scarf.
Once he's inside, he rushes to look for his father.
"I-I took his shield, but instead on fighting me or chasing me to get it back, he just left it...and...and he left this too. W-we have to wash it..."
Roll hurries out and takes the fabric from him. "Leave it to me. I can get a stain out of anything."
She takes it to the laundry room to soak in a bucket of warm water before she begins treating it by gently scrubbing.
"Thank you, Roll..."
Blues breaks into a run when lightning streaks through the sky above him. Eventually he ends up taking shelter underground in the subway station. He is not alone. Mega City does not have a high poverty rate, but there are a few homeless people there huddled near to a heating unit and a few others laid out on benches. Not feeling like hanging around them or anyone else, he catches the next train and just rides, not caring where it takes him.
Elecman comes out next, rubbing his eyes and groaning. "Ugh...I am just NOT going to get any sleep tonight, am I-!" Suddenly Rock is pushing him back into the wall.
"This is all your fault!" The boy shouts. "If you hadn't made fun of him, he wouldn't have wanted to leave! Now he might not ever want to come back or have his scarf again and it's all because you had to be so mean!"
Without a second thought, Elecman grabs his arms and shocks him, not enough to damage, but enough to hurt, and he throws him down to the floor.
Roll screams. "Rock!" She rushes to his side, baring her arms to keep Elecman from touching him again. "STOP THAT! What are you doing!? Are you crazy!?" She glares at him hatefully. "How could you! We've taken you in and fed you and given you somewhere to sleep and fixed you and this is how you repay our kindness!? You're despicable!"
"Don't you all go yelling at me just because your big brother is a spiteful and insecure piece of shit!"
There's a start from the next room as Light is finally woken by the din. "What the devil?" The doctor hurries to his feet and wanders out into the hall to find the scene taking place. "What on earth is going on!?"
"DONT YOU CALL HIM THAT!" Rock roars, jumping back up and transforming his arm into his buster.
"Boys, boys!" Light has to move in to separate Elecman and Rock. "Cease this at once! You two are allies now, are you not!? Why are you fighting?" The gentle doctor looks sincerely disturbed by the ruckus. Did he miss some part of Wily's coding?
Rock pushes past his dad. "I heard them arguing! Elecman made fun of Blues, so he left! I tried to stop him...he told me to try and make him stay, and I did...and he left his shield and his scarf behind and...and..." Tears start welling up in his eyes. Elecman grimaces and looks away.
Oh..." Light frowns. That is... Unfortunate. Especially the fact that he threw that old scarf away... Even when Blues thought Light was horrible he kept that scarf... "I am sorry to hear that... But for the time being it would seem that there is very little for us to do... Blues will not return until he sees fit, and he has proven time and again that that must be on his own terms..."
"Well...he told me to try and make him..."
"My son..." the doctor places a hand on Rock's shoulder. "I know you are upset... But pointing fingers and assigning blame helps nothing... It is late and we are all tired. In the morning when we are rested we will be more prepared to do what me must to make things right... Do you understand?"
"…" Rock trembles angrily a few moments longer. But slowly he begins to wilt. "Yeah...okay..." He still glares at Elecman with an expression of betrayal, though.
Thomas Light nods and sends his son back to his room. "...Elecman? I know I have just said its late... But may I have a word with you?"
"...fine." Great. Now he's in trouble.
Lights takes the boy to his own room and sits him down on the edge of his bed. "I have heard Rock's version of the story but noticed you did not say anything. ...is there something you would like to add?"
"...no sir. He just about summed up the important parts."
"Then it is true that the two of you argued and you made fun of Blues? And it is safe to assume that this is why he left?"
Elecman hunches up defensively. "What do you want from me, huh? I didn't tell him to leave. I didn't tell him to abandon his stuff."
"I did not say that you did... Please don't misunderstand Elecman... I am not holding you responsible for Blues's actions... But I do wish to understand what caused him to behave in such a way. I don't approve of bickering and unkind remarks toward your siblings... But that is for you to sort out with him. Not myself. Now... Was there anything in particular that might have upset him?
"Who... Blues? ...if I tell you the whole thing, he would be unhappy with me."
"...very well. If you are truly withholding the information for his sake... I will not press further. But Elecman... I must make a request of you." He takes hold of the black bot's hands in his own and stares earnestly and intensely into his creation's eyes.
Elecman immediately tenses up. This sort of intimate touching is foreign and uncomfortable to him.
"Please... If something was said to Blues that will drive him away from myself and his brother and sister... Please make it right with him so that he will return... I am not sure if he understands this... But I love Blues very deeply. He was my first creation. I mourned his loss for what feels like a decade... And now he has only just come back to me... We have only just finally gotten the chance to make things right between us... So my request is this. As a father I implore you, if you can do anything to bring him back to me, please do so... If... If I lose him again so soon after I got him back..."
The doctor faulters, growing emotional. "Please... Please do whatever you can to keep our family from falling back apart..."
Elecman cannot stand to look in his eyes. At one point he has to close his own to fight back tears. God. Being returned to normal was a mistake. He was better off without empathy. "Okay..." His voice wavers the tiniest bit.
Light wraps his arms around his creation.
"Nngh..." Elecman has to keep himself under control to make sure he doesn't accidentally shock the poor doctor.
"...you may not know it yet either... But I do love you as well my dear boy... And I feel for you... You are strong and proud... And it is good to take pride in who you are... But when your pride is harmed it cuts deeper than any blade... Blues is like you in many ways. He is proud too... But he is also very stubborn and independent. These things do not always make for a good mix... It is against his nature to accept help because it puts his pride in being self-sufficient at risk... I've only just begun trying to convince him that accepting help isn't shameful... He sees every gift as a slight... I tell you this because I want you to understand how easy it is to hurt him... And to try to help you to see so you can guard yourself from being hurt in the same way. ...pride is only of good to you when it is rooted firmly in a strong foundation and know who you are. If your self-image is fragile, it is a double edged sword that cuts deep..."
"I...I see..." Elecman stares off into the distance.
The doctor slowly releases his stiff frame. "I'll let you go to sleep now... Alright?"
Elec nods. "Okay...um... ...I'm sorry." He stares at the floor.
Light smiles softly and pats his shoulder. "All is forgiven... But perhaps I am not the only one that deserves an apology... Mm?"
"Y-yeah...but you're the one here now."
A floorboard creaks outside. Uh oh. Eavesdroppers.
Light stares at the door and tuts. "If they give you any more problems tonight just let me know."
"Yeah...sure..."
Rock and Roll are gone by the time Elecman exits the room, vanished without a trace.
Elecman sighs and trudges back to his bed. Ugh...he feels wrong sleeping here now.
# # # # # # # # # #
On the other side of town, Blues eventually gets off of the subway and finds himself a dark corner of a station to rest in for the night while thunder continues to rumble above. At least there are no windows... It is well past midnight when he finally falls asleep.
END OF CHAPTER
They can't all end happily.