Dr. Cain grinned. He forgot all about the fact that he was working out of an old, decrepit Wily fortress. He forgot that he had just come from prison, and that he was once again depending on robots. Now before him was a strange, large robot that he had never seen before. The robot was so tall that his creations had to stretch a metal panel over two of the creaky repair tables just to hold him. Though to be fair this was mostly to keep the robot's long blonde hair from reaching the ground. He had silent face with strong features, and a red helmet topped off his bold red armor. Better than all of this, Dr. Cain liked what he saw on the data pad plugged into the robot's neck. It was still hacking away into the sleeping robot's mental capacity, and half the data couldn't be processed by Cain's technology. It was just too advanced. What he was able to see made him grin. This robot was powerful indeed.
"His name is Zero." Signal Man said. "I discovered him on Cut Man's CPU. This is Albert Wily's final act and greatest creation. It's more advanced than anything ever before built. Best of all, there's only one of him. He might be a prototype for a whole new kind of robot, but if that's true than the's the only one of his generation. Algorhythm Man and the little Wily-bots I reprogrammed went and fetched him from all the way out in Russia. I thought you might want to know about this."
"Perfect..." Cain's voice practically slithered out of his throat and his hands clasped together with sinister glee. "I programmed you better than I thought! Ha ha...this robot is just what I need. Such destructive power! I could use him to wipe this planet clean of all the stinking robots out there...I thought that it was the beginning of the end when my sons told me that they wanted to get into robotics. My own sons! But now I can save them from all of that, and they will grow up to be real men. Darn it, Epic Man, stop hiding! I know you're there!"
Normally the large lab would be filled with echoes and creaking floors if anyone so much thought about walking through the large and mostly empty lab of the old Wily castle. However, that didn't stop Epic Man from doing the impossible and sneaking in without so much as being seen by anyone, even Dr. Cain. Cain never would have admitted that he had a chip in his brain, and that was the only thing that allowed him to always know where his robots were.
Epic Man gave it up. There was no sense in hiding any longer. A tall, midnight blue robot popped out from behind the makeshift repair table that held Zero. His long, folded back antennae popped up first, and as he stood to his full height he showed himself to be a terrifyingly spiked specimen. His right side was sharp, certainly, but even more sharp was the left, with a full spike sticking out of his left shoulder, and a hand larger than the one on the other side. Worse of all were his poisonous green eyes, which gazed disapprovingly down at Zero. He glared at the red-armored robot with dismay, making sure that Zero knew he was unwelcome (as much as you can when that robot is not activated).
"I'm not sure how I feel about this one, doctor." Epic Man rubbed his chin suspiciously with his giant left claw. I mean, he's tall and all, but...he's so...well, how should I put it? Feminine. Yes. And a little tacky."
"Tacky? Not at all!" Signal Man said. "He's got quite the Japanese style going for him."
"Of course he's tacky! Just don't let the looks fool you." Cain leaned over the robot, still grinning from ear to ear. "I haven't even begun to discover the depths of this robot's mind, but even what I know so far tells me that this is no joke. This is simply the greatest and most powerful robot I have ever had the interesting luck to catch sight of. I'm quite astonished that this level of power even exists. Fortunately I also discovered that his power core is dangerous, so I can't exactly tinker with him the way I want."
"But what's he for?" Epic Man too leaned over Zero to get a better look. "Why did Wily build him?"
"To outdo that stupid Dr. Light, of course. Just like every other time." Cain blew off the question with ease. "The real question is, what is he for now? I will tell you the answer. This robot laying on this table is going to become the newest member of the army that will liberate humanity from the bonds of robotic science! I will use his great power to create fear in the people and make them wish that robots had never been built! Ha! Well, once I reprogram him. If only I had more time! Oh, that's right. Epic Man, what did you find out about the attack on Auto's shop?"
"It didn't go as well for us as we hoped." Epic Man straightened as he answered. "Echelon Man was defeated and captured, and all of our Wily-bots involved in that endeavor met the same fate. I am afraid none of them will return to us."
"Pssht. Who cares? Did the shop get destroyed or what?"
The midnight blue robot winced a bit, and sent the specifics to the chip in Cain's mind. "Ah, yes it did, Master."
"Good. That will seriously inhibit the robots in Monstropolis, as will all of the viruses and interferences I put on the shipping of supplies. We'll have to act fast."
Footsteps, two sets of them, echoed in the large room. One of these was Frantic Man, bearing a small teal robot on his shoulder. This robot looked more animal than anything else, with a round body, thick paws, and thin limbs in between. The back of his head were all spikes, and his large eyes and malicious grin set with sharp teeth created a very insane looking visage. The small critter had a data pad in his hands, and he poked at it with his claws as Frantic Man brought him up.
The other source of footsteps came from the far door to the right, and a red robot approached. He had stately features and a long nose. Mostly his armor was simple, and it did the job of covering his long limbs. His pointed helmet topped it all off. For the moment, there was nothing around him, though at some point Emit Man would find the proper junk to use as his shielding. For right now he just walked up to his creator.
"Ah, you wanted to see me, Master?" Emit Man said. "Have a job for me?"
"Yes. I want you to gather up as much information as you can from a Team 5 robot. Take some of those Wily-bots we have left with you and see if you can't catch one for me. I'd rather Algorhythm Man do it and just hack from there, but he still has data damage."
"He's going to be fine by tomorrow!"
Demi, the little teal robot, appreciated the ride on Clown Man's arm over to where his master stood. Frantic Man dropped him off on the table, retracting his arm as he stood a polite distance away. He knew his place. Namely, subservient to everyone else.
The little robot lifted his data pad to his master with his chunky paws. "Here you go. These are the viruses that Mr. Fish used on Algorhythm Man. He'll be right as rain this time tomorrow, don't worry. You should hear him ranting and raving about how next time he's going to beat Bass! Hahaha, I bet he could do it, too."
"Well, he's just going to have to deal with it if one of you beats Bass first." Cain took the data pad and inspected it. "I wish he'd worry more about the robot that hasn't been defeated yet. Mega Man is a far greater danger and we're going to have to keep him away from my lab until I get this Zero set up and programmed the way I like. Wily truly is a devious madman."
"Don't worry, I'm very eager to fight the invincible robot." Epic Man grinned wide. "I've got a nice trick up my sleeve for him."
"Trick or not, those irritating Team 5 robots always seem to show up and ruin our plans." Dr. Cain turned to Emit Man, lowering the data pads he held. "That's where you come in. Bring me back one, Emit Man!"
"I will certainly do so, Master." Emit Man was only happy to reply. "Oh, can I take Frantic Man with me? If I can split these fellows up then all the better."
"Take as many robots as you like. I'm sure we have a few more of those Wily-bots left. We don't need to pretend that Wily is behind this any longer, so don't worry about losing any of them. One day we will be rid of all of the robots, and the sooner that day comes, the better! Demi, have the rest of my robots pack up from this old ruin and head for my secret laboratory."
Demi had been happily poking at Zero's face. He longed to poke human eyeballs, but it would never do to tell that to his master. Still, his small size made it easy for him to crawl about the table and try to inspect what sort of armor and powers Zero had engineered into his body. But he stopped his musings and curiously looked up at his creator.
"Oh? We have a secret lab?"
"I don't tell you everything." Cain straightened, his posture telling everyone how very highly he thought of himself. "Now get packing. Signal Man, you did the best you could for being a robot, but this place is hardly what I would call worthy of my programming. Epic Man, you'll have to do some work to make us look like we're just an innocent 18 wheeler headed through town. Can you do it?"
"Yes, Master. I'll have to steal us an 18 wheeler first, but it can be done."
"Then get to work."
And they did. Signal Man headed for the place they kept some stolen computers, and Demi hopped off of the repair table to follow him out. Emit Man waved to Frantic Man, who gave a computerish chirp and obeyed. They headed out the rightmost door where Emit Man had entered. Dr. Cain lay down the data pad that had information on Bass' anti-virus programs to instead work on the other and get more hacking done on Zero while he had time. He was going to have to pack this robot up soon for the trip.
Epic Man hadn't left yet. He started for the door, but his pace never got past slow and reluctant. The spiky robot turned back to his creator, still hesitant. Cain was so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice one of his robots was still behind him.
Epic Man wanted to clear his throat. He wanted to ask Dr. Cain the one question that haunted him every day he lived. As much as he liked serving his master and was programmed to follow his every order, he had a question. It had been nagging him since his earliest days (not that he had many of them - he was hardly a year old), and it wouldn't go away.
The midnight blue robot dared two steps toward his master, and he let his mouth hang open a little as he was about to speak. Dr. Cain didn't notice. He was too focused on hacking into Zero. It wasn't an easy task, and Dr. Cain's irritated cursing discouraged Epic Man. The robot lost his courage to speak to Nikola about his concern. His mouth closed, and his arms went limp. Epic Man stared at the floor. In a sudden surge of urgency hit him, and he once again lifted up his head to his master to make known his fear.
He could imagine it. Epic Man could see himself asking his master the question, "Does your plan to rid the world of robots mean that we too must die?". Epic Man's compatriots were as good as brothers to him, even surly Bullet Man and hermit-ish Sight Man. They were Cain's servants, loyal in every way. Surely Dr. Cain didn't mean for any of them to die. Maybe he meant that he would just make humans want to not use robots as much, or let them be the only robots alive. Epic Man could hear his master's words, reassuring him that he cared for all of his creations, and that not a one would die, not even for his cause.
It was foolish to keep thinking that way. It was even more foolish to speak of it to Dr. Cain. They were his servants, nothing more. He didn't compliment them or care much to upgrade them. He let Signal Man or Demi improve them if they could, but that was about it. As long as his plans were completed, he simply didn't have the patience for any of the robots to last longer than they needed to.
Epic Man let out a breath, letting his shoulders slump. He wasn't going to ask his master anything. There was no point. Instead he just turned around to go ahead and do as he was told. His programming wouldn't let him off. But as Epic Man turned around, he turned back just once, letting his eyes send poison and daggers back at his master. Then he turned away, so silent that not one footfall gave off the mildest of echoes.
-t-
"What?" Mega Man exclaimed. "How come you didn't tell me sooner?"
Bass growled. It was bad enough that he was back in Light Laboratories. It was horrible that he had lost Zero just moments before being able to destroy him. Dealing with all the time he spent in Russia being a complete waste consumed what little remained of Bass' self control. To make all of it worse, he was sitting in the lab being lectured by the "idiot blue dweeb" about how he should have told Mega Man everything he knew about Zero. It didn't help that Jewel Man was there. Sure, he and Crystal Bot were off at the side of the room talking with Auto about whatever sciency thing, but every so often Bass could see the shiny guy-bot turn back and glare at him.
"Ask Proto Man why he didn't tell you." Bass snapped, not at all happy to be thinking about the loner robot. "He knew about it for a while. Besides, how the crap was I supposed to know that Cain was going to go after him?"
Mega Man winced, and his urge to lecture faded out some. Maybe if he had been able to tell Bass sooner, then things would have turned out differently. "Um...sorry...I just found out that Cain wanted to find him. But you're sure it was Dr. Cain that captured Zero? I mean, maybe a Cain-bot just happened to be there and Dr. Wily's robots got there first."
"Eh," Forte shoved a thumb back at Auto's direction. "If Freeze Man's mind ends up having the same crap done to it as the other losers, then probably so did the robots that got away. Cain always had that thing for being able to get control of Wily's robots. Speaking of which, the old cranky bastard is still in prison, right?"
Rock nodded, cringing a bit at Bass' description of his creator. "I transferred him to a high security prison down in San Fransisco. He won't be coming out for a while if they can help it. A lot of his robots are still unaccounted for so...yeah. He was really mad when I dropped him off. He's not taking it easy at all. On the good side, though, if Zero is activated then maybe Dr. Wily will be willing to help us shut him down."
Bass only scoffed. "Right. And by help us you mean give us some code that will make Zero go berserk and even more destructive than he already is. Screw that. You'd think after all this time you'd stop trusting the guy."
"I was just being optimistic." Mega Man folded his arms, frowning. "I guess our next move is to figure out what Dr. Cain is planning. Knowing him, he'll want to create some grand display of power and then do something to control or destroy every day robots. He likes targeting Monstropolis, and he's always in a rush to get things done."
"He's even dumber than Wily." Bass commented. "So what are you planning to do?"
"I have Team 5 watching the city from their sattellite. Gyro Man, Stone Man, and Napalm Man are out there keeping an eye out for him in the city around the clock, and lots of people are getting this new anti-virus called Armor Core. It's supposed to be designed to stop Dr. Cain's viruses. I just wish I knew what he planned to do with Zero! That makes everything so much worse."
Mega Man sighed and flopped down in another chair. Even though Dr. Light had always been more of a solo scientist, it was as if his lab was designed for many people. The chairs bolted into the floor around the computers in the walls were definitely evidence of this.
With the break in the conversation between the two fighter-bots, the talking on the other side of the room grew more evident, and Crystal Bot's giggling either grew louder or just more noticable. Mega Man glanced her way, only to find that Jewel Man also was staring at him, covering up a bit of a smile. Rock turned to Bass, and since Bass was closer it was a lot easier to tell that they were all staring at the top of his head.
Mega Man's innocent blue eyes looked up. He wasn't wearing his helmet, so the first thing he saw was only his black bangs. Only a moment later, and a brown bird stared down at him with its beady eyes. It adjusted its brown wings, shuffling through Rock's hair to get a better grip as it hung over his forehead and stared straight into his eyes.
"Tweet-tweet!"
"Aaah!" Mega Man instantly jumped up and tried to brush it off. "Get it off me!"
"Ha ha," Crystal Bot laughed. "Bruce isn't going to hurt you. Just 'cause he's a pipi doesn't mean he's out to get you. Bruce likes you! I remodeled him and he just wants to show you how much he looks like a normal bird!"
"Sona-chan!" Roll exclaimed. "You know Rock doesn't like pipies! Hold still, Rock."
A long, metal arm extended outwards and gently clutched the bird, tugging him and his little feet out of Mega Man's wild locks. The arm was one of the eight that belonged to Dub, Roll's spider-bot assistant. He was little more than a green box with eight arms on the sides and two round eyes on the front, making him look especially nerdy for a machine. Dub pulled Bruce back and looked him over, squealing in his own computer way as if curious. Bruce tweeted back, and Dub let him go. Roll was a little less forgiving, and she shook a fighter at Bruce.
"Don't be so naughty, Bruce!" Roll scolded gently as the pipi flew toward her. She held out her hand, and he landed there and tweeted. "Don't think you're so cute that you can do whatever you want."
Crystal Bot had made her way across the room by then, and she giggled as she walked up to her friend. "You're totally lying. You're not really mad at him."
"It's really not fair. I can't stay mad at Bruce. He's just so cute!" Roll patted Bruce gently on the head. "Go on now, and stay out of trouble."
Bruce did fly off, but it was anyone's guess as to whether he would be good or not. Mega Man's eyes followed him with a suspicious shudder. Crystal Bot smirked at him, silently waving for her pipi to come to her shoulder and land. She gently petted his head.
"So anyway," Crystal turned to her boss. "Forte-kun, I wanna go with Jewel Man tonight. He's got to go to his jewelry shop and work and I wanna go see how his laser diamond cutters work. You know, I have to see all forms of technology because I can get inspired for upgrades and things like that. Please, can I go? Please? I'll be able to upgrade you really cool and stuff if you let me!"
Bass stared at her with dull eyes. Though the little prank had amused him some, he still wasn't in the best of moods. His glare communicated his opinion very clearly.
"Okay, fine, so I just wanna go because it's cool and I finally get to hang out with Ahbohjee." Pouting, Crystal Bot folded her arms. "I mean, you won't let me try out my new plan against Dr. Cain, so I want to do something fun. Not much I can do here anyway without waiting for Dr. Cain to show himself."
"You have a plan?" Mega Man asked. "What is it?"
"No, Rock, don't even bother." Bass huffed, glaring at his technician. "It's not even worth hearing. There's a reason she's a tech and not a fighter-bot."
"That doesn't mean I can't help!" she stomped her foot. "It's a good plan!"
"No, it's not. Now stop arguing with me because I already said no and that answer's not going to change."
"I think I would rather have you come with me than get involved in any plans with these guys, Crystal." Jewel Man went up to Crystal and placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her a couple of steps away from her master. "Let the fighter-bots handle this."
"You don't even know my plan! It's really good!" Crystal Bot turned back to her boss, hoping for a better answer. "Come on, please? I took all the precautions!"
"It's too risky." Bass growled in a way that let her know very well that if she knew better, she would stop pestering him. "Go hang out with Top Man here for all I care."
The shiny guy-bot glared at Bass, his scowl warning Bass. "Could you at least refer to me by my actual name? I'm much more competent than that Top Man ever was."
"Uh-huh, sure." Bass indifferently stared at his fingernails, leaning further back in his chair. "Which is why you work at a jewelry shop and not something at least remotely dangerous."
"Some of us were designed for tasks a bit more complex than shooting at each other-"
"Stop it, you two." Mega Man said. "We can't argue with each other, not now. I know life seems to be going on like normal, but we never know if Dr. Cain is going to strike. Jewel Man, you're a good fighter, so even though you'll be at work, make sure to keep your sensors ready just in case. Hey, Crystal Bot, I'm sure you have great scanners. You could help too."
Crystal Bot opened her mouth to speak, uncertain now that Mega Man was the one suggesting the idea. She glanced first over at Bass, who shrugged. Once he noticed her, anyway. His fingernails seemed to have captivated his attention.
"Um, okay. I can help out my dad." Sonata clutched Jewel Man's arm, and he smiled down at her. "Let's go! Oh hey, there's Proto-kun!"
All eyes went over to the laboratory's southwards door, and there indeed was Proto Man, as stealthy as ever. He froze at the mention of his name. Any of the others might have mistaken it for shyness or uncertainty, but it was really his own fear. If Crystal Bot was there, then so was Bass. Fortunately the task of getting whatever random junk might prove to be under his nails seemed more important to Bass than even the arrival of his target. Also fortunately, Crystal's tone was cheerful. If Bass had told her anything, then there was no way the girl-bot fearful of death could be so happy about him.
His family certainly was. Auto gave a cheer, lifting up his head from his work and posing with one of his paper fans. Roll immediately clapped her hands and rushed forward to greet him. And Mega Man smiled, waiting as he let his sister have the first hug. Proto Man focused his face, letting his mouth slip up into one of this classic, slight smiles. Everything was fine, for now.
"Blues!" Roll squealed as she threw her hands around his neck. "You're back!"
"Someone has to keep an eye out for you."
Proto Man managed to return the hug, though he was far from used to embraces. Roll did let him go after a bit, and he approached the others with a readiness to get to work. That, however, was interrupted by Jewel Man, who made sure to shake his hand before he got another hug-attack, this one from Crystal Bot.
"I'm not sure I like being this popular..." Proto Man pushed Crystal Bot away. "It hasn't been that long since you saw me. And stole my shield."
"Aw, I gave it back..."
"No, I took it back." Blues let one of his dark glances go over to Bass, who still didn't care. "Jewel Man, watch out for this one."
He had actually been talking about Crystal, but Jewel Man seemed to think that he was referring to the dark robot. He gave Bass a determined glare as he responded, "Don't I know it. Alright, Sonata, let's head out. My shift at work starts soon and I need to talk to my boss first."
"Just a minute, Ahbohjee. I need to get something."
Crystal Bot waved her hand at Bruce, and he at once fluttered off and pulled three chips out of her hood. One was red, another yellow, and the last blue. Bruce placed these in Sonata's hand before returning to the crystal orb that made up her shoulder. Crystal Bot at once headed for her master, holding out the yellow chip for him. Next she gave the red chip to Proto Man and the blue one to Rock. Bass plugged his in right away and started downloading, but Mega Man was more reluctant.
"These are your Cain-bot powers from the last time you defeated them." she explained. "They'll help you beat them again."
"That's illegal!" Rock exclaimed. "We're supposed to get rid of the robot master powers once their team is defeated!"
"Yeah, I know." she scoffed. "But it's clear that the team isn't defeated, so you can use them. I checked the laws and they don't say you can't reinstall the powers if they come back."
Proto Man seemed undisturbed by the idea. He shrugged and stuck the chip into his neck. "That's right. My powers were the algorhythm dynamo and the sight cannon. Not bad."
Mega Man, still reluctant, winced. He glanced over at Roll, but she just shrugged. Her eyes told him her true opinion. Take whatever precaution you can to stay safe. That did it for Rock, and he took a deep breath and installed the powers.
"Hey, the echelon heatshock isn't on here." Mega Man complained. "I did defeat him."
"Yeah well, Forte-kun had the power first." Crystal Bot smirked, her bird seeming to laugh along with her. "You were stuck under all that brick and couldn't get the weapon."
"Besides, all the other powers I have suck." Bass said. "Signal Man's is weak, psycho pulse has no range, and the emit shield doesn't attack."
"I guess so." Mega Man checked out the powers he did have. "Um, power bullet, and epic win. I guess I can work with those."
"You gave double the powers to your own boss, I see." Proto Man accused Crystal, only mildly serious (it wasn't as if being strict with her helped).
"Well, yeah, of course I did." Crystal laughed. "But if you tell me all your sneaky Proto Man secrets, I'll help you out!"
As much as he wanted to scowl, Proto Man was by then far used to displaying expressions that had nothing to do with how he actually felt. There were many secrets he didn't dare tell, and he didn't appreciate the joke. And Proto Man certainly didn't dare look over to where Bass was sitting. All anyone saw was just a wry smile, mild amusement at the silly girl-bot.
"Okay, fine, be that way." she waved her hand in pretended indifference. "Alright, Bruce, stay here on my shoulder, okay? I know you don't like teleportation, but it won't hurt. I promise!"
"Uh...Crystal," Jewel Man touched her arm to de-stabilize her teleport field. "Why don't you...not bring Bruce? He's a very mischevious bird and I think he likes shiny things about as much as you do. Only he doesn't have self-control. Perhaps he could help out in the lab...?"
Crystal Bot frowned. "But I could make him be good!"
"I'm sorry, dear. My boss isn't exactly enthusiastic about bringing anyone to work. I convinced her to let you come, but I'm afraid that a little mechanical bird would test her patience. Besides, wouldn't he rather help Bass?"
"Keep that thing away from me." Bass growled. "It can go bug Auto. Now get out of here and stop bothering us. We're working here."
The girl-bot unhappily sent Bruce off to Auto, where the pipi promptly landed on his head. Auto, however, had no pipi-phobia, and was perfectly happy to let the bird sit there. Crystal Bot frowned at her boss and waved at Proto Man as she and Jewel Man teleported out; two shiny beams shot for the roof and disappeared out into the city of Monstropolis. Relieved, Proto Man turned to the others.
"I've been looking over the shipping processes lately." He told his brother. "It appears that along with the destruction of Auto's shop, several viruses have been affecting the computers of shipping companies. With the type of viruses these are, I can only guess that Dr. Cain is behind it. I'm going to go out again and see what kind of tracks Cain left behind."
"I've got Team 5 around the city patrolling tonight, Napalm, Gyro, Charge, and Stone Man." Mega Man said. "The others are still on the space station. It's not much, but between all of us I can make sure to at least know where Cain is going to hit first."
"Good." Proto Man nodded, admiring his brother's thinking. "I'll be watching."
"Wait!" Roll exclaimed. "Don't go anywhere! Not without some supplies, I mean. I'll get you some E tanks! Be right back! Come on, Dub."
Blues couldn't help but smile again as his sister and her little assistant-bot dashed out of the lab. Roll was always so sweet.
"My main worry is Zero." Mega Man said. "I'm not sure what Dr. Cain would want with him. Blues...why didn't you tell me about Zero?"
His brother shifted uncomfortably, frowning a bit. "You have a lot of work to do here in Monstropolis. I was hoping that Bass could handle this on his own so that you could keep on managing this city. I didn't count on Dr. Cain being interested in Zero rather than just attacking here. Now I wish I had said something. I thought Bass could have found Zero, but I guess he couldn't..."
Forte didn't appear to be listening, but he was. Mega Man was facing his brother, so as Proto Man spoke he was the only one that could see Bass pull a zip drive out of his armor. It was tied to a cord, and Bass swung it gently in his hand from side to side where Proto Man could see. With that, all he had to do was direct a very poignant stare at the loner robot, and Proto Man got the idea. He didn't have to guess what was on that zip drive. His lips tightened, the only sign showing on his face that he was frustrated.
"It's done with now." Blues said almost hastily. "We'll just have to work from here. With any luck, Cain's hatred of robots will mean that he'll destroy Zero rather than anything else."
Mega Man wasn't clueless. He turned curiously back at Bass to see what was happening, but the dark robot had already tucked the drive back into his armor, sitting in a more or less relaxed position with a "So what are you looking at me for?" expression on his face. Uncertain, Mega Man blinked a bit and just turned back to his brother. The slight downward turn of Proto Man's lip was plenty enough to convey his annoyance with Bass.
"Will you two just stop it and get along? I never really understood why there was so much trouble between you two." Mega Man shook his head. "Anyway, I think it's best to go out into the city to watch out for Dr. Cain's robots. I want to be ready for anything!"
Proto Man was still glaring a bit at the dark robot, not that anyone could tell from the other side of the shades. "That's not exactly how I operate. I'd like to anticipate Cain as much as possible before anything happens. Could you get me what you know about the doctor? If I have enough information, I can figure something out."
"Right!" Rock nodded, always glad to help. "The government sent me some data on him just yesterday..."
Mega Man went off to go talk to Auto at his workstation, leaving the other robots alone. Proto Man suspected that he already had anything that the government may have sent about Dr. Cain (he had been doing a lot of his nosing around), but that wasn't the real purpose of his request. He glanced back, waiting until Mega Man was into converstation with Auto before he spoke.
"Bass," Proto Man knew it was better to try to remain calm. "You said I have a week. I really hope that for the last week I'm alive you could actually not hold this over my head."
Bass finally sat up, his dark eyes focused with hate on Proto Man. He had never liked Proto Man - how could such a pathetic, obsolete robot be tolerable? - and as he stared it even looked like black circles were under his eyes.
"I just spent the last several hours trying to track down the idiots that stole Zero, and after I got here I had to spend an hour being lectured by my stupid ethics agent for letting you go." Forte was sinister, his voice barely above a growl. "After that nonsense do you really think I'm going to spill the beans now and have to put up with Rock's crap? You can shut up about Zero and what I should have done in Russia. Got it?"
"Fine. I'll stop." Proto Man was curt. "Forgive me for wanting to actually improve your blunt methodolgy."
Bass stood up, giving a long look behind Proto Man as he approached. Blues didn't turn around. He figured that Mega Man was coming towards them again, disc in hand with the information Proto Man requested. There was no way that they could pretend they hadn't been talking.
"I'm not in Rock's stupid lab for my health, I actually tracked some of Cain's losers out here. Here's where I lost track of them." Bass converted his first finger into a zip drive and promptly stuck it into Proto Man's neck. "If you can find something with this, then good for you."
Proto Man began to wish that he had wireless adaptors. It was awkward for Bass to plug directly into his neck, and he found that he didn't really like standing that close to him. But at least Rock wouldn't know what they were talking about. And at least Bass' processors were fast enough that it didn't take that long. Mega Man handed his disc to Blues once Bass was out of the way. Proto Man loaded it out of politeness, but just as suspected, he learned nothing new.
"Thank you." Proto Man said. "Now go. Don't let me keep you from protecting Monstropolis."
Mega Man was reluctant, and it showed all over his adorable little face. "I wish you would come with me."
"It's not really in my skill set to fight like you do, Rock." Proto Man could only smile. "I've got to help you in my own way. Besides, Bass here can always go."
"What? No, Bass wouldn't want to come. He can't be seen in public with a 'dweeb' like me." Mega Man laughed and turned to the robot he spoke of. "I'm sure Reyes has got specific things for you to do, right?"
"Just one." Bass bared his perfectly sharp fangs, slouching as he growled. "To stay in Monstropolis in case Cain shows up and help stop them."
Mega Man couldn't help but let out a little laugh, and Bass' evil glare refused to forgive him for it. He did feel bad for Bass, in a weird sort of way. Their years of rivalry hadn't just disappeared, and they hadn't so much as spoken from the time of Dr. Light's funeral until Kalinka's party. They were not friends, and even though Mega Man hoped they would be some day, he was still sensitive to how Bass felt. There was no way he would want to go fight crime with Rock, and Rock didn't expect him to. Apparently the government did, and if Bass ever wanted to be trusted, he had to obey.
Perhaps the jealousy would have gone away if Bass had found and destroyed Zero. From what Mega Man had learned, Zero had the power to destroy basically anything he wanted to, even Mega Man. The blue bomber didn't have an ego, but he didn't believe he could be defeated by anything Wily built. After all, hadn't he done well so far? But of course Bass would want to be able to destroy a robot that could possibly kill his old rival. It would in so many ways heal a lot of Bass' ego issues: it would prove his strength, show Wily and the world that he was indeed a robot to be reckoned with, and repay Mega Man for saving his life. Rescuing Bass from his master's wrath by far the most insulting thing he had ever done to him, and that was even counting the many times Rock had shot the dark robot straight in his face.
That was why Mega Man frowned disapprovingly at his brother. It wasn't nice for him to be so smug about Bass' situation. Mega Man tried to figure out the way to present the idea in a better light to Bass. The gears and circuits of his mind worked very fast.
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed. "It'll be great for you be an example to Team 5. They try their hardest, but they really need an expert around, and they always seem to listen to you more than they would me."
That seemed to work a little bit. In any case, Bass seemed a little less likely to curse or growl.
That's my brother. Proto Man thought, amused. Always able to make even the worst bullcrap sound true. He's too kind.
"We better get going. I think I have to report in to the mayor." Mega Man said. "Why don't you go over to where Napalm Man is and check on him before you go and search? I'm always afraid he's going to set something on fire."
"Fine." To Bass, everything that Mega Man was saying sounded suspiciously like orders, and he let his eyes narrow a bit. "Fine. I'll be out there. Just send me a signal if you find Cain first."
"Got it!"
The two robots teleported out, Bass first. Mega Man made sure to hug his brother before he too disappeared as a flying blue bolt. Proto Man was slightly reluctant to leave. Besides waiting for Roll (why was it taking her so long to show up with the E tanks? Didn't she know where everything was?), he wanted to get one last look at Dr. Light's laboratory. It fufilled his expectation; it still gave him a sense of dread, filling him with dark emotions and shame. As much as the place had been remodeled since he had last lived there, the place still reminded him of his youngest days and how he had gone so astray from what his creator had in mind for him. Blues had hoped that this one last look would change his perspective, and he would have some sense of nostalgia, but alas, it was not to be. The same old images of his past, the lonliness and the disappointment he had experienced, all still haunted him. It was the sort of thing that made him want to believe in ghosts, even if ghosts were just emotions come to life in the form of flying sheets.
Proto Man found himself wandering through the lab, past repair table and computer. It was still a cheery place, despite all of the technology. Roll always did her best to make the place feel like home, and Blues knew better than to look for dust. In the far corner, something caught his attention. It was a something, a big something, covered up in a blue tarp. Proto Man approached it curiously, reaching out to pull back the covering.
"What? Oh no you don't!"
Proto Man dodged the fan thrown at him, surprised to find that Auto was hurrying his way, still hauling a little pipi on his head. The jolly repair-bot approached with a teasing gleam in his eye and a waving finger.
"You can't see that, it's your Christmas present!" Auto merrily scolded. "So you just stay away from that. You'll get it soon enough! You have to be here for Christmas this year, alright?"
The loner robot pulled his hand away, forcing his mouth upwards into a smile and wondering how in the world Auto was fooled by it. He wasn't going to be here for Independence Day, much less Christmas. But all the same, there was no need to cause concern.
"Alright." Proto Man, the perfect actor, replied. "I'll do that."
-t-
"Eeee! I love your shop!" Crystal Bot squealed. "It's so nice!"
It was. This was no corner shop in the mall, but a grand building off of Harrison Road. There were many sections to the store, even a section for the cuter clown jewelry at the front entrance. But as you went further into the store, you would see the real gems and shine. Bracelets, necklaces, and of course rings each shone from their various displays around the room. Crystal's favorite area was the birthstone gift section, where everything from garnet to blue zircon was arranged in their exact twelve positions.
The store shone with light and gem, so much so that Grand Gems had to arrange each display to make sure that customers weren't overwhelmed by the glitz of it all. Of course Jewel Man was the brightest thing in the store, with each of his pink gems shined perfectly. He was the mascot of the place besides being a master jeweler, so he had to look the best.
"Isn't it though?" Jewel Man was always proud of his store. "Mrs. Twain runs a fine shop. She's quite the lady. She should be here soon, and I think it would do good for you to meet her."
Jewel Man didn't mention that half of the reason he wanted Crystal Bot and Mrs. Twain to meet was because the human was ladylike and Sonata was not. Indeed, Crystal Bot looked like an overgrown girl as she looked over the birthstone display, giddily going from month to month.
"I wish I knew when I was first activated." Crystal said, her eyes glowing just as much as the jewelry she admired. "That way I'd know my birthstone."
"You forget, I helped build you so I know when you were activated." Jewel Man directed her over to the sixth month. "Here we are, June. Your birthstone is pearl or alexandrite. Now, alexandrite is a lovely gem, and it actually changes color. It's green normally, but when exposed to a glowing light it becomes red."
"It's so wonderful!" Crystal squealed more, staring down at the stone he pointed out. "Oh, Jewel Man Ahbohjee, you're so cool! You have such a great job."
Looking up from the display, Crystal Bot carefully held her hands behind her back in a very emphasized innocent way. "So you were going to show me how this all works? I thought you shaped the gems here by laser yourself."
Jewel Man grinned. While he appreciated her enthusiasm, he always knew her motives: learning. There was no odd piece of science or technology she didn't want to know about and expoit in her work. And there Jewel Man stopped grinning. He knew how much she cared about upgrading Bass, and he knew that somehow everything she learned was going to be for his benefit. Jewel Man wished that Crystal Bot preferred working with someone who wasn't a fighter-bot and didn't always call him "Top Man" all the time.
Of course, if she is interested enough in jewelry, maybe I can get her to change her mind...
"Well, I know you like that sort of thing." Jewel Man finally answered. "So I guess you can. Besides, I'd feel like you were missing out if you didn't learn to craft the perfect bracelet. Perhaps you can even build some upgrades for yourself for once."
"Oh, I like upgrading Forte-kun better." Crystal Bot laughed, completely missing Jewel Man's pained flinch. "Hm...I don't know, maybe if I was more powerful he wouldn't make me learn to fight so much. He's really bossy lately about me learning to fight good. It's getting really annoying."
"Ugh, you shouldn't have to learn to fight if you don't want to." The guy-bot said. "Or at all. Which is why you are going to need a more civilized trade, young lady. Oh! In comes a customer. You be patient and wait for me, alright? Craig isn't here yet, so I have the sales floor for now. Once he arrives, I'll let you come in to the back, alright?"
"Okay! I'll just wait here!"
There was no end of shiny things to look at, especially not now that Crystal Bot knew her birthstone. She could go from display to display, joyfully admiring each piece and deciding which one she liked best. Jewel Man helped his human customer, a man looking for an engagement ring, and he emphasized more than usual the fact that Great Gems could essentially design a ring for him. If he ordered one, then Jewel Man would get to show Crystal the process from beginning to end.
The man was looking at several rings in the display, and Jewel Man took the chance to look up. Crystal Bot had wandered her way to the front of the store where the cheaper pieces were kept, but she admired them with no less enjoyment than she did the high-quality gems. Jewel Man's gave a wrinkled smile, a little amused that Crystal Bot had no eye for stones.
Oh well, she can learn. Jewel Man returned to his work spoke to his customer. "Do you know what your girlfriend likes? Would she prefer more modern or classical design?"
"I...I really don't know." The blonde man rubbed his scruffy chin, feeling a lot more insecure about the decision. "I really need to get a good look at your selection. Hm...I don't think I'll decide today. Marcy's best friend has known her for twelve years, so I think I'm going to have to come back with her before I can choose. Sorry."
"It's quite alright. Just make sure that you decide your price point, and I can work with you on whatever design you would like. Please take your time."
There was a time to talk to a customer, and a time to let them browse. Jewel Man always knew what time was what, so he scooted on from behind the display, a little anxious about pulling Crystal Bot away from the inferior stock. Getting attached to clown jewelry would not do.
"Isn't this flower brooch so cute?" Crystal Bot pointed to a front display as her "stepfather" approached. "I like it a lot!"
"Eh, sweetheart, that's not exactly our best brooch right there." Jewel Man ever so gently tugged on her arm - he also knew how to move people and make them think that they had chosen to move. "Why don't we go and look at that alexandrite again? If you're a good girl today, I'll buy for you something with your birthstone in it."
Crystal Bot gasped. "Wow, really? You're the best dad ever!"
"No problem at all, dear. It's about time you had something nice." Jewel Man began to lead her away from the front. "Ugh, I was hoping that man would let me design a ring for him, but he has absolutely no clue what his intended likes, not even if she prefers a gold or silver band! Hmph! I don't even see why he's bothering to propose if he knows that little about his Marcy. That marriage won't last, I'll tell you."
Crystal Bot wasn't listening, and she wasn't moving. She was looking out of the front windows, distracted by something. She innocently pointed outwards at the street.
"Ahbohjee, that weird robot is looking at me." she said.
Jewel Man turned toward the window and immediately froze. He wasn't a fool; he paid attention to Mega Man's work and he knew what enemies Mega Man faced. Monstropolis was hardly a safe city at times, and every wise robot knew to anticipate a Wily (and now Cain) attack. Jewel Man pushed Crystal behind him, ready to engage his shield. Frantic Man was outside, staring at the both of them through the front window. He had to do something about it.
"Call Mega Man!" Jewel Man didn't take his eyes off the enemy. "I'll distract him!"
\\\\\\
Author's Notes:
- Raise your hand if you remember Armor Core Antivirus. :D
- Just in case you forgot, pipies are those little annoying birds in MM2 that hatch out of the eggs the mother birds drop on you. Ahbohjee is father in korean.
- Crystal Bot's birthstone reflects when I first posted Okkusenman on fanfiction net.
Character profiles!
=====Jewel Man
"Doesn't it just dazzle?"
Good point: detail oriented
Bad point: mildly conceited
Likes: new experiences
Dislikes: disruptive people
Ah, good ol' Jewel Man. He was first envisioned by Dr. Light of course for the jewelry industry. During his first few years, Jewel Man ended up working in the mines, and this angered Dr. Light because he designed Jewel Man to work with people, not in a shaft in some dank underground structure. Jewel Man himself wasn't bitter about working the mines, and it ended up helping him become a better salesman.
The day came when he was set to expire (expiration laws for robots were beginning to be put into effect at that time) and ends up being captured by Dr. Wily and used to fight Mega Man. Crystal Man, however, had different plans. Crystal Man considered Jewel Man a sort of rip-off of himself, and was very jealous that Jewel Man was more powerful. That made him secretly use Jewel Man to steal plans for Mega Man X from Light Laboratories, completely without telling Dr. Wily.
Unlike other Team 9 members, Jewel Man managed to know he was being manipulated by Wily and Crystal Man despite the fact he couldn't do anything about it. Crystal Man's work on a daughter intruigued him, however, and he found himself attached to the then incomplete Crystal Bot. Crystal Man didn't like this, so he programmed Jewel Man to repress his memories of being involved in the project and let him finish Wily's scheme during MM9. After Jewel Man was defeated by Mega Man, he went back to his store, not remembering much about his time as a bad guy. A little later Crystal Man reappeared and tricked Jewel Man into carrying a back-up copy of Crystal Bot's personality AI, among other things. If you read Okkusenman, you know all about this, and how he managed to save Crystal Bot when Wily deleted her AI and turned her into a mechaniloid.
Since then, Jewel Man has been continuing his life just as happily as before. He's good friends with Splash Woman and Tornado Man, and on good terms with all of his Team 9 friends. He's a little distrusting of Team 5, but he knows that they don't mean to rejoin Wily. He and Wave Man get along especially well. Jewel Man feels very attached to Crystal Bot, though at times he's suspicious that Crystal Man programmed him to want to watch out for her.
=====Clown Man
"Some clowns short of a circus."
Good Point: Good sportsman
Bad Point: Extreme emotions
Like: Trapeze
Dislike: Everything
Japanese Data
Good Point: Good at sports
Like: Giant swing
Dislike: Countless
Dr. Wily is the least attached to his Team 8 robots out of all his creations, and this includes Team 5 (up until their betrayal). He was especially disappointed in how Grenade and Search Man, both built directly for destruction, failed to stop Mega Man. He's not much of a fan of Clown Man, but he at least feels that this robot was a burst of inspiration in certain ways, especially his ability to swing through the air and be very manuverable. Clown Man was the second Team 8 robot to be built (behind Tengu Man) and leftover parts were used in the construction of Frost Man. However, at the end of it all, he found himself wondering how Clown Man was supposed to defeat Mega Man and gave him an electrical ability.
Clown Man is rascally, and often got on the other robot master's nerves as he swung around instead of taking his work seriously. He was only in the robot museum for a brief period of time after his scheme, though was caught again shortly after MM10. He was freed during Okkusenman, and was destroyed by Mega Man when the last Skull Castle was invaded. Signal Man found his parts after the dust settled and used him to build Frantic Man.
When it comes to me as a writer, I really wish Clown Man was stronger. I mean, they have that evil energy plotline going on, and it would have been really great if that meant these robot masters would be harder rather than easier - these were some of the easiest robot masters in the series. Clown Man could have been the next Quick Man if that were the case. Well, a creepier Quick Man, but yeah.
So peeps, a certain perfect runner on youtube (look for "Cut Man perfect run" on youtube) rated the difficulty of the robot masters and their levels as he played the games, and I took the liberty to do an average of his ratings and figure out which games were the hardest and which the easiest. Notedly, these don't include Duo fights, Proto Man fights, or any of the Wily levels. It's just the robot masters and their respective levels. I posted this list up on my blog, the link to which you can find on my profile page. I've also been reviewing Mega Man music on my blog and I'm already up to MM8. Check it out if you feel like.