Chapter Text
“It’s like you don’t even like us…”
“That’s not even a little true.”
The fact that they could all be together like this made Roll happy. It probably wasn’t fair to tease the other heroic Robot Master but his habit of flaking made her just a little annoyed. How Rock had so much patience when it came to that part of Blues’ personality would forever amaze her. Blues still had his shades on even though they were indoors and robots. Other than that, he looked like any other boy in the room. And just like any other shy human, he was embarrassed hearing from people that they cared so much about him.
Roll slowed down to be at his side, “I know, it’s just a joke, I’m sorry.” She touched his arm gently.
“Mmmm…”
He wouldn’t pout over this. Blues wasn’t a great conversationalist to begin with, it was difficult figuring out what to say. It would have been easier to bear if he didn’t also feel bad when they were too quiet. He would worry in the back of his mind if they were analyzing him. Should he say that he knew the people who built this place? Or should he let them make their own commentary on the displays? There was no winning, he was already at the mercy of the younger robots and they had barely entered the building. They both redirected their attention to the hero walking in front of them.
Just like he had been for the past few weeks, Rock was in his own world. He had been this way since he came back from Wily’s fortress. It should have been like any other victory and Rock would run home excitedly but…
The biggest reason Blues even agreed to come along today was because the previous battle hit Mega Man harder than the last times. Not only was the beginning difficult, the entire city was in ruins by the time the Blue Bomber got there. And then he met someone. There was a hidden enemy he had no way of expecting. The friendly boy wasn’t prepared to have his heart used against himself like that. The new Robot Master took no issue or shame with doing so to someone who gave himself so easily. It was a new level of low for the evil scientist, Blues had half a mind to track down the newest robot and the old doctor then beat each of them up himself.
But...Bass’ plan worked too well. He stole the adapter that was supposed to be Mega Man’s and it gave Bass a power boost that would be tricky for the former Light bot to deal with one on one. Even with the unlimited time taken away thanks to Mega Man defeating him, it was still an uphill battle to deal with a Super Form. If it were down to their core specs, he could figure out a way to come out on top. With that kind of power at Bass’ disposal, however, it really was only Mega Man who could take him down. It was a miracle he did it at all when Bass had the clear advantage twice.
So Blues couldn’t really say no when Roll tracked down his signal to send him a message. He was grateful Dr. Light wasn’t involved when Roll was asking if they should invite him. It was hard to find Proto Man, let alone spend time when there wasn’t a Wily battle happening. However, since the Light house had been attacked, it had been interesting to note the mysterious Robot Master had kept nearby. Mega Man knew this because when one of them would leave out maintenance equipment near the tree that Rock or Roll would sometimes find him resting, it would mysteriously be gone the next morning.
It scared Blues hearing how easily Rock let someone get close. He kept telling Mega Man he shouldn’t be so naive but it made sense why he was like that. There weren’t very many Robot Masters so similar to the Blue Bomber. One that would actually stick around and spend time being ‘normal’. It gave Proto Man an extra layer of guilt since he was never exactly there for Mega Man to play with all the time. He always thought Rock and Roll were content with each other and the other Robot Masters. It was never even a thought that someone would make another android so similar to what he and Rock were. His sister was sad that Rock wouldn’t talk about it with her or their friend. She was hoping the outing would help take away his depression.
The Robot Museum was special since there were old models that Rock and Dr. Light had built on display. There were even a few from before Rock and Roll’s time, making the girl Robot Master wonder if potentially the older robot knew who built those. A few of the workers there were glad to see the hero himself coming to visit. Humans and robots were complimenting Rock’s skills as a lab assistant, also admiring his father’s work in expanding robotics but none of it really mattered right now. He gave polite responses and forced out his best smile. Afterwards he would quickly leave the conversation and return to gazing at the objects on display.
The boy turned over to find Blues had been watching him. Even with shades covering his eyes, Rock knew the older Robot Master had to be worrying over him. Rock also knew Blues would prefer quiet actions over words, so it really had to be a cause for concern if he was trying to start a conversation. He felt bad to be this way but Rock didn’t really want to talk, either. In a way, he was comforted by Blues and Roll being more distracted with each other. He just wanted to feel sad for a bit longer. Dr. Light seemed to be the most understanding in the necessity of grieving a lost friendship.
Even ones that turned out to be completely one-sided. Despite that knowledge, Mega Man couldn’t hate Bass. Not completely, not once he sat down with his feelings on his walk home and he remembered that Bass was under Wily’s control. That kind of life sounded like a nightmare and the evil scientist would be in a bad mood for a while. It seemed enough of a punishment for betraying Rock’s feelings in addition to defeating him not once, but twice in the fortress. Didn’t make his pain at losing what felt like a special friend any less painful. Revenge was never something that made him feel good.
Blues had made a fair point that you should never trust someone who was so friendly and kind right away, promising that they were good friends that could trust each other when there was no prior history to go off of. All they really had were a few sparrs then bonding over their similarities. But Rock really wanted to believe in the black Robot Master, he wanted it to be real. The Wily bot that seemed mysterious yet thoughtful when he appeared to help save the city from the robots running loose. He was cocky and bold but there was something admirable in hearing the plight of another trying to stop Dr. Wily. In a lot of ways, meeting him was similar to his first meeting with the red Robot Master. He helped the Blue Bomber and offered words of encouragement when he needed to hear it.
The key difference was Bass would stay by his side. Rock never had a friend like that before. Someone he could share his heart with and they would reply with ‘I’m glad I have a friend like you’ and Rock really felt like they meant it. That what was happening was real and there was actually a boy like that who wanted to be his friend and was just as happy to meet another like themselves as Rock was. It even went down to being able to match his strength so he could go all out when they fought. It was comforting having someone who could go ‘let me handle this’ when fighting against the evil scientist.
That didn’t happen very often. Rock didn’t complain about being the only one who could fight Dr. Wily, he chose this life when he asked Dr. Light to make him a fighting robot that had the mind of a lab assistant. It just...it was so nice to believe that maybe he had made a partner. Someone to shoulder that burden and responsibility. He would never ask that of Proto Man, it seemed inappropriate when the other would leave as quickly as he appeared. Mega Man didn’t feel like he was alone in that regard until Bass came along. How could he know he was thirsty if he never had water before, he supposed.
Rock knew he would be ok, he just needed time. Dr. Light was blunt and dry when they were repairing the lab together for a short period, returning to a more jovial state after seeing his son's dilemma. Mega Man returned home trembling for a bit, the realization of what his mind had reverted to during that attack on the fortress settling in. He was hurt and it was shameful to think he almost had those thoughts. That he let revenge take over when he was a pacifist at heart. At least, he liked to think of himself as one but now he wasn’t so sure...
Working with his father usually put Rock in a good mood, he felt bad that their time together was more bittersweet. They would laugh and dismiss losing everything in an attempt to stave off grief. ‘Well we didn’t really like that table anyway. We were meaning to fix up the kitchen for a while now, this saves us time and supplies! And did we really even need that room? Much better to convert it into something else’. Masking his desire to cry by putting himself to work was beneficial in those first few days.
It took Roll’s frustrated scream that this wasn’t alright that snapped Rock out of it. Dr. Light was sympathetic, telling her it was good to be angry, too. It was all part of the process. Then he turned over to Rock and told him he didn’t need his father’s permission to feel his feelings. Rock and Roll were special in that regard: they were closer to humans than most Robot Masters. It was a blessing and a curse. With this new experience under his belt, it felt every bit like a burden.
Rock had a hollow smile when he looked at a prototype power adapter. Those were the ones he used against ‘Mr. X’, they enabled the split up form he used prior with Rush. They had been donated to use for studying by other scientists and also to keep record in the long history of fighting Dr. Wily. There was no use for it since the Super Adapter came along but it was a reminder of the evil scientist’s ability to fool people. Mega Man still didn’t understand why the old man was like that.
In his rage, Rock had broken the one Dr. Light so lovingly made to perfect Mega Man’s ability to sustain the super form. He was in a lot of pain over the fact that this was the real reason Bass had tried to be his friend. This was what he was after and once he had the opportunity to use it, he destroyed Mega Man’s home and their friendship. Mega Man had one objective after Dr. Light pleaded with him to wait for the adapter they still had to be adjusted:
Break the Robot Master who broke his heart. He left with Rush before Dr. Light could say another word. It didn’t make him feel better. Not even beating Dr. Wily or returning to his home. It took a week before looking at the lab in repairs stopped throwing him into a blind rage. Even now, just thinking about that moment where he trusted someone enough that they destroyed so much made him upset. He exhaled, he didn’t want to be angry around his family. Truthfully, he didn’t like getting angry at all, it made him tired. That was the biggest reason he was ok with being depressed: it was less likely to be destructive if he was sad. Anger was...
He didn’t like the person he almost turned into. For now, he wouldn’t worry. He wasn’t Mega Man while he was standing here with his sister and friend, who also didn’t have to be a fighting robot or an operator. Blues walked over to his side, looking at the same device. He caught a glimpse of the mysterious robot’s green eyes behind the shades, the sad expression more than likely because he didn’t like what happened to the boy. Rock turned to acknowledge his friend, hoping he could ease his anxiety.
“I’m happy you’re here, Proto Man, it’s nice having you around.” Rock forced himself to look happy, “I’m sorry, I’m ok.”
Proto Man didn’t turn from studying the object when he responded. The older boy’s deep voice came out curt, “No you’re not.”
“I am! I just...I’m sorry…”, Rock lowered his gaze to the floor. The tile was suddenly very interesting when compared to the helpless frustration on Blues face, “I can’t really feel great about anything right now. It’s not your fault, please don’t feel like you have to fix this.”
The other Robot Master snapped at that, “I don’t! I---look, next time we see that bastard, I’ll hold him down! Then you can---”
“I already proved I could beat him, Blues. It’s over.”
“...”
He felt Blues’ glare through his sunglasses.
“Your shield helped me a lot in the end...So in a way, it was like you were there with me.”
“Now you’re comforting me. What is wrong with you?” Blues regretted his poor word choice, he didn’t mean to make Rock sink into himself. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry! Really, this is enough. I’ll be ok”, he wished he could find the words to stop his part-time savior from worrying so much. As nice as it was that Blues was always there to help him, this was a case where Rock didn’t really want to be saved.
Proto Man’s jawline was tense. He was catching on and it made Mega Man feel guiltier.
“Maybe...how about we fight later? Show me a new strategy or something”, the younger Robot Master offered.
Blues’ anger receded. He was used to Rock’s ingenious nature, it was honestly one of his good points. It just left a bad taste in his mouth seeing a part of it fade away from having been exploited. The expression of betrayal…
Blues knew what it was like, even if his experience was a much more extreme case. He knew in his heart Rock would never get the same rejection the older Robot Master had in his early activation but it was a similar principle. Someone that they wanted to believe they could trust hurt them. It would take a while, they all just had to be patient and keep being there for Mega Man. Blues was still frustrated he couldn’t just say a word and magically deactivate that part of Rock’s feelings.
“...sure...whatever you want, Rock.”
“I can whip something up for us when you’re done! Then we can watch a movie or something”, Roll showed up from behind, suddenly standing between the heroic Robot Masters.
They smiled at the girl’s inclusion. Blues laughed under his breath, “Yeah, sure. Just don’t pick something boring or I’m leaving!”
“Then you can pick! I don’t think you ever told us what you liked…”
Blues’ body tensed from the way the girl kept smiling at him. Another reason to feel guilty, his friends didn’t know a lot about him. Not even those most basic parts like what he liked. He was embarrassed to say what his tastes were suddenly, not wanting either of them to know too much. He didn’t like having an image, he was supposed to be a phantom of sorts. Proto Man appeared and then left, sometimes he would help out. He didn’t need them thinking about the red robot as a person with likes and dislikes, wants or desires. Or worse, them finding out if there was something he had in common with their creator.
“It doesn’t matter…”
Blues could feel Rock’s eyes on him even after he turned away. Something was bothering him…
It was a small but unsettling sensation in the back of his mind. Unrelated to the current situation, it was something else that he couldn’t shake. He couldn’t describe or analyze it. It could only be felt. He cursed his creator once again for giving him the ability to feel things on a deeper level. Blues could tell Rock was in a similar state once he picked up on Blues’ worry. Of everyone, he knew Mega Man was one of the rare robots that could feel what he felt, too. He didn’t want Mega Man to worry, Proto Man could take care of this. He patted his friend on the shoulder.
“Hey, sorry to run but I want to check something down on another floor.”
“Will you come back?”, the Blue Bomber’s voice sounded so faint.
Proto Man turned around. He didn’t like lying to someone who was always so honest but he had to with certain things. It wasn’t the case in this aspect so he didn’t censor his words.
“I don’t know. If I don’t come back now, I will later. I promise.”
“...it’s ok if you don’t.”
“...”
“I’ll be ok. Thank you, Proto Man. Next time, we can do what you would prefer.”
The red Robot Master disappeared.
Rock looked around for a moment then shook his head. The sad expression Roll saw on his face told her that there was no reason to stay any longer.
After teleporting back, the girl Robot Master followed her brother into their home.
Roll felt uncomfortable with how quiet it had gotten. She thought how best to phrase the question on her mind. “When do you think we’ll see him next? I hope it’s not over something with Dr. Wily…”
“I don’t think so. Dr. Wily will be out for a little longer. I have a feeling he’ll come back before then.”
Roll watched her brother go to his work station. He had been focusing more on his lab assignments after they fixed their home. Dr. Light had gone to bed early, so it was only Auto greeting them. Roll could see there was plenty for her to do as well, the lab needed to be organized and then Auto would probably want help building his own creations. The girl opened up one of the doors and the helper robots of the house came running out.
Beat and Tango joined Rush in sitting around Rock while he studied the blueprints for Dr. Light’s next big project. New Robot Masters, ones that could make life easier in different aspects. These ones wouldn’t be built by their team, it was more so to lay out the standard for other scientists that were increasingly requesting to make their own.
The legal work was something Rock wasn’t at all familiar with or could even begin to understand. That meant Dr. Light was busy most of the day with the government and different organizations. They had to be cautious since Dr. Wily had ruined robot expos and competitions in the past, stealing other Robot Masters from their creators and forcing Mega Man to take care of it.
It was the least he could do to help them rebuild or make new assistants that would be more protected from reprogramming. Rock couldn’t help feeling partially responsible, even when the human creators would say it was necessary. These were Robot Masters meant to do every day tasks, they all had a purpose that wasn’t for violence. And Rock did, too. He felt comfortable being able to focus on that more instead of the constant fighting. Mega Man could use the break…
When that thought passed, the Light bot frowned. He stilled when something brushed his leg down below. Rock glanced to find Rush had walked over to lay down under his chair. The robotic dog looked up at him. Dr. Light was right when he made this friend, it was impossible to look at Rush and not smile.
He would be ok. Just like he told Proto Man, Rock would be fine. He had his friends and he had his home still. That didn’t change, he only felt like it did because he was surprised with the person he became during that last battle. But he was safe and he had support from all of them, including the ones that sometimes needed to get away from social situations.
…
…
…
He felt bad when his tears stained one of the papers he was holding. The Blue Bomber wished he was more like Proto Man...he wanted to be able to say ‘I don’t need anyone’, too. He wished it was so simple to let go of losing a friend. A quick fix of deciding ‘I’m not going to let this bother me!’ so he could live with himself after almost making a mistake from letting his emotions take over.
The boy lowered his face into his arms and silently cried.
It felt good having the lower tier Robot Masters move out of his way fearfully. Making his way down the corridors of the fortress still in repairs, Bass was making a beeline for his private recharge station after target practice. His circuitry was also loose and lower resistance after a warm up like that, meaning he could recharge more efficiently. A robot flinched at his presence and he saw no reason to do anything about it.
He didn’t need to act nice, there was no one here to fool. He could be himself, on his own terms. The Wily bots went from running away from him to hesitant glances conveying that they thought he was a boy with nothing to do. They weren’t technically wrong, his repairs had been taken care of long ago. After Dr. Wily had finished with him, the black robot was dismissed indefinitely. The evil scientist had stated flatly that he would upgrade him another time. For now, he was back to his usual state. Bass had no complaint there, he didn’t need an upgrade. He didn’t think he did...he just...he still didn’t know how Mega Man won but it wouldn’t happen again.
Bass was free at this moment. His creator was still in the prep stages of his next move. That meant Bass could enjoy his solitude and the pleasant silence it contained. Not that Dr. Wily had been that vocal as of late, the old man had essentially gone mute after their failure and Bass couldn’t stand it when he was physically present. It was making the times he was completely alone the most comfortable. He could handle the yelling, it wasn’t necessarily directed at himself and it was easier to understand. They both liked to yell. They both had a tendency to let their voice run rampant, without censorship when they didn’t have to play pretend.
The quiet anger was unsettling. Mostly curses towards the Blue Bomber but Bass could read between those words. The special number Robot Master felt shameful because it was supposed to be over. His creator had invested heavily into him taking down Mega Man. He thought he could, he was so close, he followed the plan perfectly but...
He was created to be the strongest. His creator made him so detailed, he was supposed to surpass the strongest Robot Master of all. Not to end up being just another number taken down in the dozens on that boy’s list. Bass felt Treble nudging his hand with his nose, the animaloid growling in the general direction of a monitor. The Robot Master was annoyed already.
“The energy readings are off but it’s probably nothing...you know how he gets when he’s disturbed”, he was speaking as much to himself as he was his partner. The spike in activity should have been concerning but the old scientist said ‘Don’t call in unless I’m dying’. The wolf robot kept up his intense posture. “Fine, stand guard if you really have to! I’m going to bed.”
Treble huffed in reply. Bass was glad that of everyone, his partner was the one who understood him perfectly. The wolf robot stood by the monitor motionlessly, giving the black Robot Master space to think. They were aware of Dr. Wily’s new energy source, even with the scientist not telling them. Bass’ scanners picked up on it not long after he had been repaired but for whatever reason, they had been kept largely in the dark.
Dr. Wily was building something new but to what extent, Bass had no idea. He just knew he was being treated the same as the other Robot Masters: Not being shown anything or given a special role. And that was borderline insulting.
It was morbid curiosity that led to him to turn the other corner, down the familiar hallway that made him feel small. The black robot slowed down when he passed his creator’s doorway. The old man was at work, there were blueprints displayed on one of his monitors and the other was showing the abnormal energy levels Bass had seen from before. He could faintly hear his mumbling.
‘...the ability...to think deeper….not just ones that had such narrow minds...not like all the others…’
Rather than analyze the implications behind that statement, Bass decided he should hurry and restore his energy. The low energy levels could have compromised his aural processors. He made sure to stay quiet, Bass didn’t want his creator getting upset that he was being spied on. Never mind the fact that he was almost always spying on others.
He felt comfortable once he had his own privacy. It was his paranoia kicking in that made him lock the metal door on the off chance someone was following him. Even with that precaution, it was a struggle relaxing into the energy source of his room but eventually he fell into standby. He could faintly sense the robotic wolf’s presence on the other side of the walls. Probably sensing Bass’ uneasiness from before, now Treble was standing guard there. Bass smiled, he could relax in this environment. He was almost completely out.
Almost. An explosion from the other side of the fortress made him jump up. Without thinking, Bass was up and following his programming’s priority. When it wasn’t destroying Mega Man, it was to make sure his creator was safe. His partner didn’t need to be commanded to follow. His scanners didn’t pick up on any organic presence, meaning Dr. Wily wasn’t anywhere near the attack. It was coming from the other side of the fortress, where his creations that were still being repaired and upgraded were stored. They were the source and causing damage to the other robots and equipment in the room. It was a group of them, Bass glanced at Treble. The pair waited before they were detected.
Those were Robot Masters Bass didn’t recognize. To be fair, Bass didn’t recognize most robots that weren’t Mega Man but he was pretty sure these weren’t the ones he saw earlier. Unless they were capable of being a threat, like Shadow Man or one of the Mega Man Killers, he didn’t bother learning anything outside of what pattern worked best to destroy them with. His memory system supplied the names for these Robot Masters. Bass was surprised he even had that feature. It was useful since it confirmed his initial thought, these ones were canon fodder.
Metal Man was the one he chose to take down first since his Metal Blade was useful with any situation. He could use the weapon to create space between himself and the group of enemies. 4 on 1 wasn’t a fair fight, even with it being an improvement to 5 on 1. He didn’t appreciate his sensors warning him that it was outside of his range. He could handle this, he would, his body’s limitations be damned. One of them was Wood Man and the other was Spring Man, that shouldn’t be a threat at all. It might have been impossible for that blue runt but he was better.
He was the best. He could break apart the dregs of his creator’s laboratory without any issues. Jumping out of the way of Wood Man’s attack, Bass made sure the other Robot Master got a good look at his face when he destroyed him with his buster.
Then someone was throwing projectiles his way. Bass dashed out of the way, Needle Man might have been a ‘better’ version of Metal Man but it was incredibly therapeutic being able to make him fall using a precursor’s weapon. He took Hard Man down with him with a similar strategy. Bass smirked at being able to rid himself of two more. With only the last 2 left, it was a matter of time. He couldn’t help feeling pride that he was able to handle this even after an incomplete recharge.
Bass would never tell his master out loud that some of his original creations held a lot to be desired. Not that his rival was that much better, he was the one that made a Robot Master with scissors for a hat. They were former colleagues, though, and the black robot couldn’t begin to imagine why his creator even bothered rebuilding these guys when he had Bass. Spring Man was a joke that could be taken down quickly but Junk Man was proving to be an irritation.
The heavy Robot Master collided with him and gripped both of Bass’ hands when he raised them in defense. Rather than try to pull away, the black Robot Master pressed back in an attempt to throw him off. Being so close to his electromagnetic field was hurting his inner circuitry but he would just have to endure it. Looking into his opponent’s face, it was different than pretending to be enemies like before...he had to wonder if some of this was personal. If Bass were on the other end, he would resent himself, too. He smirked, Bass could understand that perfectly. If he were anyone else, he would kill himself. Even when Junk Man sent him flying.
When Treble attempted rushing to his aid, Bass yelled. “Stay back! I don’t have enough weapon energy to use you, you’ll just get caught in the crossfire!”
The wolf robot looked down in shame. He had basic fighting components but not enough to handle a fully operational Robot Master on his own. It took a moment for Bass to notice his buster suffered damage from that attack. The electromagnetic field had an effect while Junk Man was crushing his arm. The realization that he wasn’t going to win any awards in terms of brute strength wasn’t that hard to swallow, he could still figure out how to destroy the Robot Master.
It would just be annoying with his weapon system being compromised. Bass swore under his breath. An experimental shot did barely any damage, “Lovely, just what I needed! Back off already!”
The energy bursts that came out weren’t helping and every time he tried to hold a charge, he felt the energy being reversed. It would only hurt him to try anything else. Bass switched over to Hard Knuckle. He was relieved it was effective against this Robot Master.
He stilled until the explosion from Junk Man’s body finished. He wasn’t going to lower his weapon until it was over. Bass glanced around the pile of scraps. There were no threats detected, meaning he could rest. He didn’t realize how low on energy he had gotten from all of that. It wasn’t just his buster that had gotten damaged. His legs were weakened, too, he would have fallen over if Treble wasn’t there to dash to his side. He smiled gratefully at the wolf robot that he collapsed on, allowing him to lick the side of his face.
They both turned around quickly when they heard the old scientist approaching them.
“Well then...that was a surprise.” Dr. Wily seemed amused more than anything. He wasn’t concerned that robots he created had gone rogue or that they were now destroyed.
“What the hell, Wily---”
“DON’T WORRY! My plans will be fine, it’s just a minor setback! If all goes accordingly, I can make them better next time…” His creator looked up and down at Bass’ figure. “You look awful, go rest in the recharge chamber. I don’t have time to repair you again right now---” The old scientist stopped and glared at him. Bass wasn’t sure why, he didn’t say anything. “Don’t make that face, it makes me feel bad. Fine, a quick job then I’ll do the full thing later.”
He stood frozen for a few moments until his creator cleared his throat. What face had he made? It wasn’t worth hurting himself thinking about it, so he followed his creator to the work station. Perhaps his embarrassment at needing to be repaired again after proudly declaring ‘he wouldn’t need it again ever’ had leaked through. He should probably watch his tongue in that aspect…he would blame his creator for that one, too.
It was a silent process. He had removed his helmet and armor to give him easier access to the complicated circuitry underneath. Even though this was the standard for the other combat robots with a human shape, he felt exposed in this state. He was built to the same standard as Mega Man. That meant if it weren’t for his red eyes and purple markings, he could look like an adolescent human. Not the most imposing of figures but his creator said it was useful for fooling enemies. He reverted the repaired arm back into his buster to test it out. He was hesitant to use the charge feature but at least it’s normal state could be used again. He could comfort himself by remembering Mega Man took down Dr. Wily without a charged shot 3 times.
Meaning he could do it better even with the limitation. He had already shown he could do better in that fight. Sure, his creator wasn’t saying a word on the subject but that was fine. It was fine.
“...”
Dr. Wily huffed, “That should do for now. Why are you still upset?”
“I’m not!”
“I was the one who made you. I was the one who taught you how to lie, I can tell when you’re doing it. Even if you’re doing it to yourself.”
Bass lowered his gaze. His rage took over, “Why does it matter? You haven’t told me what to do so I had to clean up a mess that I still don’t understand! Maybe if you filled me in, I could have---”
“What could you have done? I’m all ears, tell me!”
Bass looked down uneasily. “...I don’t know...you could tell me---”
“Why don’t you make yourself useful and figure out a way to help? I can’t do all the work for you!” Dr. Wily reverted to the expression Bass recognized to mean he would be working all night on this project. “I’ll show you something good later, it’s still too early in development to be announced. This castle will be better than the last…”
“...is there anything I can do?”
Dr. Wily looked at the black Robot Master. Bass was uncomfortable at how easily his creator could read him. After a while, a smirk broke through. “Do you remember why you were created?”
“To destroy Mega Man.” Bass said it mechanically. He didn’t need to think, the answer was programmed so deeply into him that it would come out even if his other functions were compromised.
“That’s right. That’s how you can help me. That’s the only thing you’re expected to do. That should be plenty of ground for you to get creative! Now leave, I have work to do.”
Bass didn’t know why those words followed by a dry laugh from his creator put him in a bad mood after what should have been a victory. He hated that his high was destroyed that easily. He stormed out of the lab, spotting the Robot Masters being repaired by low level helper robots. It was probably fear that made them avert his gaze, it was like they were trying to become invisible. He preferred having them afraid of him. He didn’t need anyone…
Bass was made with one purpose, not even for world domination like those other failures were. His creator was right, it relaxed him somewhat that it meant he wasn’t part of the group of ‘narrow minded’ robots. He had to destroy Mega Man and be the most powerful in the world, it was a broad enough objective even if it was proven not to be an easy one. It just meant he had more potential, he reminded himself. He wouldn’t have been made to be so great if his opponent was a pathetic one.
He couldn’t lose sight of that.