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When I wake up, I can see. Really well. Better than I’ve been able to see in years.
And what I see is… also something I haven’t seen in years. I immediately start to sit up, run because I can’t let him take me apart again, when I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Lay back down, Bl- Proto Man,” a soft, female voice says.
I look over and see- “Tempo,” I whisper, voice raspy. With my improved vision, I can see how she’s trembling. Her movements are just a fraction too slow, she’s running low on battery. The memory of the past night rushes back. “What’d he do?”
“Cooled your core, for starters,” she explains, sitting next to the work table. “He wasn’t able to replace it. He- he wanted to, but I… I figured you would want to be awake for that. He did repair your arm and eyes, however.” She reaches over to another bench and hands me something sleek and black. “You don’t need to hide them anymore, if you want, but I held onto the glasses regardless.”
I take the shades and slip them on. “For now, I want them. T-thank you, Tempo. Did Rock and Roll-“
“They knew I brought you, but Dr. Light kept them out of the lab. I only managed to stay since you kicked him when I attempted to leave.” I look down, guilt rising in my throat. “I’m not upset. Just tired. Would you like to see the twins?”
I nod, and she stands, leaving me in my fa- creator’s empty lab.
I find myself being able to cry again.
. . .
Roll enters first, immediately running up to me. “Blues!” she squeals, hugging me.
“Whoa, easy on the newly repaired bot,” I tease, smoothing her hair.
“Sorry,” she says sheepishly, taking a step back. Without her in my face, I can see Rock standing awkwardly in the doorway. “Tempo said- are you back? For good?”
I sigh. “I don’t know yet. I needed some emergency repairs and Dr. Light was my only option. Once everything is over…” I shut my eyes. “I don’t know. But I’m back for a while.”
Roll smiles, seemingly pacified with that answer. Rock makes an odd noise and I turn to him. “I won’t bite,” I tell him.
Slowly, he approaches. “Your core,” he whispers. I can see his shoulders trembling. Without the armor, I can really see just how young and scared he is. How I look, probably.
“Stable, for now,” Tempo supplies, running a finger over a screwdriver.
I nod. “That’s all I know. All I’ve decided on for now.”
“Dad built you one. A lot of them. When he can’t sleep, he’ll… we all miss you, Blues.” I feel myself frown. “Proto Man,” he corrects himself. Roll is the only one who can get away with calling me that name anymore.
“Do either of you have a mirror?” I ask, changing the subject. “I want to see my new eyes.” I’m hoping they aren’t the same as his.
Roll runs back out, saying she’ll return soon. Her brother stays put. “She misses you most. I think she likes having an older brother.”
“Weren’t you activated first?”
“By about four minutes,” he says, rolling his eyes. There’s the barest hint of a smile. Roll returns before he can say anything else, presenting me with the mirror. I whip off my sunglasses dramatically, since I know she’ll get a kick out of it.
So I have a soft spot for her. She’s my sister, after all.
“Oh!” Roll gasps. I nod appreciatively. Brown eyes do work well with my face, I think, although I admit I have a limited fashion sense. It’s not going to stop me from wearing my sunglasses most of the time, though. I slide them back on. “You look very nice, Blu- Proto Man.”
The hesitance that made her switch names makes me cringe.
“Thanks. Tell Dr. Light I appreciate the gesture,” I say earnestly. Because I do. He didn’t have to fix my eyes, make them different from my repl- from Rock’s. But he did, and I have to commend him for that.
Rock crosses his arms. “You could always tell him yourself. I could get him easily.”
There’s silence. “I want to rest a bit more.” It’s not a complete lie; my systems are working overtime to make sure the new components are integrated properly. And dealing with new systems while talking to my creator? Hard pass.
Rock nods solemnly, and it’s obvious from his glare he doesn’t believe me. Roll seems equally aware but has the sense to keep smiling. They both exit, leaving me and Tempo alone. She stands as well.
“You can’t avoid that conversation forever,” she warns me on her way out. I grunt noncommittally.
Just watch me.
. . .
It’s not long before there’s a streak of green in the doorway. “Tempo?” I call out. There’s a soft mewl and a pressure next to me. “Tango,” I sigh happily, reaching over to scratch his ears. The cat had always had a soft spot for me. Out of all the residents of Light Labs, he and Roll bothered me the least. I would even say I care about them.
Caring for another is dangerous, though.
“How’ve you been, boy? Practicing your roll attacks?” He purrs, rubbing his forehead against my palm. “Yeah, good kitty.”
“Tango was quite excited when he saw you last night. It took quite a bit of effort to keep him out of the lab,” a new voice adds. I immediately tense up.
“Dr. Light,” I say, keeping my tone even. “Thank you for your assistance.”
He shuffles over, slower than I remember. Age must be catching up to him. Still, he has the same spark in his eyes that I saw when I woke up for the first time. I fear that spark now. “So formal,” he says, sitting next to me. “I’m your father, Blues. You could call me Thomas, at the very least.”
I stiffen even further. “My name is Proto Man,” I remind him, resisting the urge to cross my arms. It would be even worse to come across as a petulant child.
He exhales. “You never did tell me where that name comes from.”
“I’m the first Robot Master, the progenitor. I’m also the prototype to all of them,” I add. I don’t even bother masking the bitterness in my voice.
“When will you realize Rock isn’t your replacement?” he asks me.
I hunch my shoulders. “Maybe not, but you based him on my design, minus my faulty core. I’m the prototype to your pride and joy.” Dr. Light starts to say something, but I cut him off with “don’t try to deny it. Everybody loves him. ‘Oh! Mega Man! Our hero!’” I mock in a high-pitched voice. “He’s famous, and I’m… nobody knows I exist.”
“I do,” he says quietly. “As do all your siblings, and Tempo, and-“
“That’s not the same!” I yell, turning to him. He looks frightened. Good. I want him to fear the nightmare he’s made. “He can make mistakes and nobody cares! I make a mistake and I’m-“ I stop abruptly. “Roll?”
There’s a squeak and the ponytail in the doorway disappears. “I, uh, just wanted to give you your scarf back…”
I blink and look down. I hadn’t even noticed it was missing. “Oh… just. Leave it there, I’ll grab it in a moment.” I reach behind me to unplug myself.
“You’re still recalibrating, you shouldn’t-“ Dr. Light warns as I tear out the cord.
“Just want a walk around the old stomping grounds,” I sneer, rising to my feet. I’m a bit wobbly, but stable enough. “Is that so wrong, Doc?”
I leave before he can answer.
. . .
It’s obvious that Roll is keeping the place clean. Much cleaner than I did when I was in her shoes, at least. I imagine Rock is doing his part as well. It’s growing increasingly obvious that his programming is for lab work, not field work.
Maybe we really can grow beyond our programming, though. But we’re still robots. We’re bound to the three laws. We’re… we’re not human, no matter how much they treat us like we are.
Tempo follows me as I walk out the front door. “I don’t suggest leaving the property,” she says quietly.
“Wasn’t planning on it.” And I hadn’t. One night at Light Labs won’t be the death of me. “Just enjoying the view.”
Her footsteps grow closer. “I know I can’t force you. I won’t try to. But you really should have your core replaced. I can’t lose-“ She exhales sharply. “It’s ultimately your choice, and I respect that. But I saw how scared you were last night. You deserve to live, Proto Man.”
“Do I?” I ask aloud, mostly to myself. “After all I’ve-“
“Don’t even start!” she snaps, grabbing my shoulder and forcing me to face her. “You’ve made mistakes. We all have. That’s what it means to be a person!”
“You’re talking as if we’re human,” I counter, shrugging her hand off. “I’ve accepted the machine I am.”
“M-maybe, but- we weren’t programmed to be perfect,” Tempo says, shoulders slumping. “I wish you would accept that. I wish you’d realize you still have time to make up for them, as if you haven’t already.”
I shake my head. “If they want to forgive me, that’s their problem. It’s not like we aren’t all gonna be decommissioned one day, anyway.”
“But that day doesn’t have to be tomorrow.”
We lapse back into silence as I soak in her words. “Suppose I did have my core replaced,” I say. “What would I do? I don’t have a purpose, Tempo.”
She frowns, but something in her eyes looks… optimistic. “That’s not an impossible fix,” she tells me cryptically, before teleporting away.
Alone again. I purse my lips and whistle.
. . .
Eventually I find myself in the backyard, where Rock is using some power to play catch with Rush. Roll sits on the back steps, pouting. “It’s not fair, Rock. Dad won’t give me a Copy Chip, either.”
“Yeah, but you’re-”
“Don’t say it’s because I’m a girl!” she says quickly, and he closes his mouth. “I swear…”
“For what it’s worth,” I say, alerting them both to my presence, “I find the entire concept of stealing your defeated foes’ powers and using it for yourself incredibly morose. It’s like you’re using their corpse as a weapon against them.”
Rock drops whatever projectile he had while Rush whimpers. Roll straightens her back, jaw dropped. “That’s… I find that really disturbing, Blues.”
I shrug. “Lots of women find me disturbing.”
“Yeah, but I’m your sister. That’s different,” she counters. I can’t help but smirk at that as I lean against the siding.
“I don’t think of it that way,” Rock says, picking up the projectile. “It’s more like I’m carrying part of them, ensuring they live on, even if they can’t be repaired. I don’t want to be fighting them to begin with.” His voice is quiet and his expression- he’s smiling, but even without improved vision I could tell it’s feeble. “I never keep them.” He sighs as he transforms back into his civies, petting Rush. “B-but that’s not important right now. Why is it that Roll can get away with calling you ‘Blues’ and being your sister but-”
“Because she’s not Dr. Light’s son, ” I snap. Roll shivers.
Rock glares at me. “I’m his creation just as much as you are, Proto Man. We both can be called his son.”
“He was going to change me, make it so I wasn’t me anymore,” I reply, pushing myself away from the wall. “Make me fight his battles for him, just like he made you.”
“I chose to become Mega Man! He never wanted this for me and-and if I could go back-” He takes a shuddering breath. “I saw the files from when you ran away,” he whispers. “Dr. Light was asleep, and I- I wanted to know more about you. He turned the Sniper Joes in to the military, that’s why they look so much like you. But the thing is, he started working on them shortly after you were first activated. You- you were always going to be his son afterwards,” he confessed.
I stare at him. I knew the Sniper Joes were based on my design, but- “They just weren’t finished in time, so he sent me instead,” I finish. Rock nods. “And since they had already seen me, the military expected-”
“Yeah,” Roll says, walking over to me. “We aren’t replacements. We’re family. What Dad said, maybe it wasn’t the most… tactful way of putting it, but he never meant for you to hear it. If he had truly meant for you to go to war, do you think he would’ve given you a name?”
I step back from the two younger robots and pinch my nose. “Alright, alright. You… You’ve made your point. But that doesn’t change the fact he was going to change me without my consent.”
Rock nods, oddly enough. “Yeah, that was kinda mean of him. But… everybody messes up, even somebody like Dr. Light. But this time-”
I grab his shoulder. “I know. I just have to say the word. It’s all my choice, blah blah blah. But making choices can be difficult. You out of everybody should know that, Mega Man.”
He frowns, and Roll starts to say something, but I storm away as their words get caught in the breeze.
. . .
I wander back inside, picking up Tango along the way. I settle on the couch just as Dr. Light walks in. “Proto Man-“ He begins.
“Give it to me straight, Doc. If I don’t have my core replaced, how long would I last?”
He blinks a couple times before sighing. “Assuming you don’t get it damaged again… two months, at most. And that’s if I’m generous with my math.”
I look at Tango. He mewls sadly. “And if I do go through with it? What happens to me?”
Dr. Light sits at the opposite end of the couch. “I never meant for you to overhear that. The idea of robbing you of your personality just to complete a project broke my heart. But I was desperate and a fool. I was willing to give up a son for money.”
“Having Wily around probably didn’t help,” I add dryly. Light manages to chuckle. “If he replaced it without erasing me… you could do it, easily. But how do I know you won’t just reprogram me to be another obedient drone?”
“What you heard, all those years ago- Dr. LaLinde can back me up on this. I was debating removing your free will, but it was mostly in jest,” he says. “But I would never do something to hurt my son. Unfortunately, I have no way of proving this to you. You just have to trust me.”
I don’t answer. I can’t think of one. Tango curls up in my lap. “I am afraid of dying,” I confess. “But I have no reason to live.”
“That’s quite a paradox,” he agrees. “And I’m no philosopher, but I do believe you have a purpose. A person, specifically.”
I face him, finally. He’s smiling in that knowing way parents do. “You’re not just going to tell me, are you?”
“What kind of father would I be if I did that?” he says, patting my knee before leaving.
I don’t even have the energy to correct him. I simply fall into sleep mode right there.
. . .
Tempo returns as the others sit down to eat. Well, Light will eat. Roll and Rock are probably just having some E-Tanks. She pulls me back down to the lab. “I… I think you should have your core replaced.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Yes, we’ve established that. You had to leave to figure that out?”
She sighs. “No, I left to find you a place to go afterwards.”
“You- what?”
“We always need help at Geoworks International. Heavy lifting, security, even just an extra pair of hands. Not to mention all the kids who live outside the compound. With their parents working all the time, they get… lonely.” She looks at me pointedly. “Dr. LaL- mom agreed to let you stay at our house, should you accept. And it’ll be easy enough for you to come visit Roll…” Her smile is accompanied by a faint blush.
“But I can’t copy other abilities, like Mega Man can,” I remind her.
She shakes her head, a few strands of hair hitting her face. “But you can learn.”
I look down at my hands. Helping others always did appeal to me. It didn’t matter what task, as long as it was something to do. And those poor kids… “nobody deserves to be lonely,” I mumble.
Tempo reaches across and grabs my wrist. “I think- no. I know it would be good for you, Blues.”
What Dr. Light said earlier clicks into place. A person. How incredibly cheesy. But he’s not wrong.
“And you’d be there,” I say without thinking, shifting my arm so her hand is in mine. Sure enough, her blush deepens. “I-I want you there. And I guess I want to be there, too.”
I don’t elaborate, but I don’t need to. She understands. I agreed to her offer, more or less. I let her call me by my name. Tempo is anything but a fool. “I’ll talk to Dr. Light after dinner. Will you-“
“I won’t leave you. I promise.”
Despite all odds, I believe her.
. . .
“You’re really going to get it fixed?” Rock asks, managing to not spill his E-Tank. It’s more than Roll, who knocked over her chair in her excitement.
I nod. “But I have a few caveats. For one, I want to be as aware during the procedure as possible. Secondly, Tempo is to stay in the lab the whole time. Third, no tampering with my IC. She’ll know if you do.” Tempo squeezes my shoulder, and it’s almost like being able to breathe easier.
Dr. Light strokes his beard. “I have several models of cores you could choose from, if you want. And your conditions are about what I expected of you, Blues.” He frowns when he notices my grimace. “Ah, Proto Man.”
“I’m not ready to be Blues again. Not yet,” I explain, tightening my scarf. “Thank you for fixing and cleaning it, Roll.”
She beams as Rock tilts his head. “So you’re staying? Are we… are we finally going to be a family?” His voice is slow, quiet, dripping with sadness. He already knows the answer, I can tell. I shake my head and his expression doesn’t change. “But you’ll come visit sometimes, right?”
“I’ll make him visit,” Tempo jokes, elbowing my side. It sends me into a coughing fit and all I can hear are her frantic apologies. Dr. Light stands as I manage to straighten up. “Ah, when do you want to start, Dr. Light?”
“The sooner the better, from the sounds of it,” he says gravely. “Come on. Let’s get you fixed up, son.”
The next hour or so is a blur. Dr. Light shows me a range of cores, all solar-powered and similar to Rock’s. I point to one at random, because honestly? It doesn’t really matter to me. All I care about is that I’m still me when I wake up. I know I had asked to stay awake, but something as intensive as this is likely to force me to shut down. But that’s why Tempo is there, among other reasons.
Maybe I’m a bit nervous.
“It’ll be over before you know it. Do you want Quake Woman to hold onto your IC or-”
“Leave it in,” I say quickly. “Only remove it if it’s at risk of being damaged. No offense, Tempo.” She shrugs. I climb up onto the lab table and pause, steeling myself. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”
Dr. Light flips open my chest, and it’s surreal seeing my metaphorical beating heart staring up at me. Then he touches one of the connections and everything goes black.
. . .
It’s like being pulled from a body of water after drowning, when your lungs empty of the water you’ve swallowed. I assume, at any rate. I can’t even swim, let alone breathe. But it’s the closest comparison I could make to waking up and feeling a stable core in my chest.
The feeling of I’m constantly on the verge of death being… gone.
I groan as I sit up. Tempo rushes over to me, placing a hand on my back to help steady me. “B-Proto Man, are you alright? Do you remember who I am?”
I nod, slowly. “Tempo, AKA Quake Woman. You’re my friend.”
Her frown doesn’t disappear. “And who is your father?”
“My creator is Dr. Light,” I say tersely.
She smiles- a genuine smile, one I rarely see from her. A legitimate emotion. She’s been exhibiting them a lot more, recently. I have a feeling it isn’t due to Vesper Woman. “It’s him, all right,” Dr. Light says. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Proto Man.”
I’m alive. I’m still going to die one day, I realize that. But it won’t be anytime soon. I’m still here. And that’s enough to get me to smile back.
. . .
Dr. Light keeps me overnight for observation. There are some concerns my body might reject the new core. But no such event happens, and I leave late the next morning, feeling better than I have since I was activated.
Before heading to Geoworks International, though, I head to the old building I had made my hideout in. Tempo tags along, carrying a backpack. I have a shopping bag of my own. “So what exactly do you want to keep?”
I carefully pull the picture Roll drew off the wall. “This, for starters. There are a few other things. I assume Dr. LaLinde will help with furniture?” She laughs and I quirk up my lips. I place the drawing in my bag.
“Just point me to what’s important.”
We work in silence for a while. There’s a lot left unsaid, we both feel it, but it’s not an uncomfortable tension. Talking about… whatever’s going on between us isn’t necessary. We’re just accepting it as what our relationship has become. Maybe there’s not even a word for it. I don’t particularly care, at least not right now. I can ponder it more later. I’m more concerned with the present.
Although, I realize, I should take my newfound ability to postpone things seriously.
Suddenly, Tempo stops, straightening her back. “I’m sensing vibrations in the building. As if something is damaging the supports.”
I make a dismissive noise. “I wouldn’t have picked a building slated for demolition to crash in. I might’ve accepted my death but I wasn’t actively suicidal.”
“No,” she continues, leaning to the floor. “It’s like… I don’t know.” She sucks her bottom lip beneath her teeth.
“An earthquake?”
“It’s as if something is attacking the building itself,” she says, looking at me worriedly. I open my mouth to calm her fears when the first bit of rubble comes down.
Instinctively, I grab her wrist, pulling her closer to me. I use my other arm to hold my shield up, blocking the debris falling around us. It’s enough to keep us from being crushed, but we’re effectively trapped in concrete and rebar. “Shit…”
Tempo’s face is hiding in my elbow and she’s- she’s hyperventilating. “No, no, no, no,” she whimpers, curling tighter against me. “I can’t-”
“Tempo? Tempo, it’s OK, we can get out of here,” I tell her calmly. “Just need you to use your Quake Drill and we’ll be fine.”
“I can’t, I can’t, not again, I don’t- I don’t want to die again, Blues,” she cries, shaking even harder.
At first, I don’t understand. Her function is to assist with geological digs, surely she’s had to deal with- “cave-ins,” I whisper, taking her hand in mine. “Tempo, listen to me. This isn’t a cave-in. You’re not broken. We are trapped, but we can get out of here. But I need your help to do it. I’d do it myself, but…” I glance at my hand. It’s a wonder I’m this calm, all things considered. “I can’t copy your ability, and I have a feeling blasting my way through this won’t go well.”
“It’s not structural s-sound,” she agrees, but her eyes are still darting around like mosquitoes. “I can’t g-get us out-”
“Yes, you can!” I yell, squeezing her hand tighter. “You’re the only one who- do you really want all that hard work Dr. Light did to go to waste?” I can feel her panic soaking into me.
She’s quiet, tears streaming down her face, until there’s a quiet “I don’t w-want to hurt you.”
“You won’t hurt me,” I whisper, shifting my hand to cup her cheek. “And I won’t let you get hurt, either. My shield, it’ll protect us, yeah? And you- you can never hurt me.” And I mean it, oh Asimov do I mean it. The way her eyes subtly widen tells me she knows I mean it as well. “But I need you to dig us out of here. Please. Don’t do it for me, Tempo. Do it for Dr. LaLinde. Do it for yourself.”
There’s a second, a minuscule nod, and the sound of a drill coming to life.
. . .
We stumble out of the collapse building, Tempo lifting me to my feet. As soon as I’m standing, she throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you,” she says, squeezing me until I would choke if I were human. “Thank you, Blues.”
I press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Another gesture that has monumental implications but feels appropriate. Something to worry about after figuring out what caused the demolition in the first place. “Your stuff…” she laments.
I shrug. “It was just stuff, really. Besides, what was most important to me still made it out,” I say, gesturing to her backpack. “Question is- wait.” Just across the rubble stands a figure. He has an obnoxious color scheme and ridiculous helmet, and nothing has sent more fear and anger into my heart than the sight of him. “That bastard…”
“Blues? What’s going on? Who is that?” The fear has returned to her voice, and I don’t blame her.
“You said- you told me Wily was dead,” I say, curling my fists. “And I knew that was a lie. I saw him. I worked with him. And that-” I raise a finger. With my improved eyes, I can see his smirk, the light reflect off his canines.
“That’s Bass.”