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Chapter Text

Forever Clockwork

Dr. Wily x Reader

I used multiple sources of canon for this – the games, comics, anime, TV series, and manga, so you can imagine whatever version you like, though my favorite visual of Wily is from the Mega/Gigamix manga (now that’s a silver fox!)

This story is set after the Stardroids arc (after Megaman 7 video game-wise)

Megaman does not belong to me and is the property of Capcom, Archie Comics, Hitoshi Ariga, other license holders/copyright holders, etc. Feedback is much welcome and appreciated.

I

o0o0o0o

You were one of Wily's students when you were at university. You considered yourself blessed that your last few years of pursuing your degree placed you under the tutelage of the illustrious Drs. Light and Wily. You were a great admirer of their work and ever since you were a kid, you'd always liked tinkering around with various machines, from helping your grandfather with his car to writing code for various projects.

You'd made your way through high school, winning several respectable scholarships that got you into the prestigious university that, at that time, had both of these famous doctors on their faculty, since the doctors had their lab not far from the school.

Dr. Wily was known to be the tougher of the two, but you still considered yourself lucky to be his student, and you’d learned so much from him. Already, even before the first line of Robot Masters was finished, Wily was known as a bit of a troublemaker, but you liked that.

However, you didn't think he would go so far as to steal a whole line of Robot Masters and let them go on a rampage. And then create his own lines of Robot Masters, and then steal them from others like Cossack. It seemed like Wily had a one-track mind as you watched him from afar while advancing through your career. Sometimes though, you wish he hadn't disappeared like he did. He'd gone rogue not long before you graduated with your master's degree.

You'd tried a few different fields before settling in your current one, but you were feeling increasingly dissatisfied with your work for a company that specialized in private, personalized robots. And as you'd come to see, a big part of that was essentially companion bots. Specs would be customized depending on the type of companionship the client was seeking. Sometimes you rolled your eyes when you went over an order, but a job was a job. As much of what you did involved putting together hardware, you could spend long days – or nights – at the company lab. Then you'd drag yourself home. You've tried having a social life, but you have a pretty low social battery.

You plopped down on your armchair after a particularly stressful week. Perhaps it was time to consider a job change. You already had a solid resume, so you were confident you could find a job elsewhere Stretching out your arms, you see a shadow move, and give out a yelp, thinking you’ve surprised a burglar.

It reveals itself to be a robot – no, a Robot Master. Given that you study the Robot Masters others make, you quickly recognize a Wily number – DWN-024. Shadow Man. You stare at him as he inclines his head in a bow, the shuriken on his forehead flashing for a brief moment as it reflected your lamp.

“Doctor Y/n Lastname?" he asks. You're certain he knows perfectly well who you are, but this is a gesture of politeness. Already you find this robot charming. You nod in affirmation, your interest piqued. "I have been sent by Dr. Wily to offer you a job."

Holy fuck. You’d been seriously considering a job change, and one just fell in your lap! And from Dr. Albert Wily, of all people! You didn’t admit it to others, but you continued to follow his career even after he went rogue. And you most certainly didn’t admit that you had a crush on him back then, and still did. He had that silver fox appeal, after all. You stare blankly for a few seconds.

“Are you all right?” you hear the robot ask, and you turn your focus back to him.

“Yeah, yeah. It's just… I mean, I didn't expect to come home to this, you know? I'm not trying to be rude, you just caught me off-guard…!" You let out a nervous laugh. You take a deep breath, collecting yourself. So Dr. Wily wants you to come to work for him. It wouldn't be the first time he's worked with other people, although that didn't always work out for the best. So there's a lot to think about. You haven't built your own Robot Masters like Dr. Cossack or others did, so you have no robots to steal.

You look at the robot. He is a sophisticated piece of work, and your experience tells you that if you were to open him up, you’d likely find a design more sophisticated than whatever your current employer could offer.

“Do you need more information?" Shadow Man asked. You shrugged and nodded, and he rattled off a few things such as labs and equipment, amenities, and such. It actually sounded pretty nice, and certainly didn't sound like an offer that would be made to someone Wily intended to kidnap. You stroke your chin… are you seriously fucking contemplating joining forces with a mad scientist who keeps trying to take over the world?

“How is he?” you ask the robot. It dawned upon you that Dr. Wily must be listening to this conversation. The robot is silent for a moment, almost as if he’s listening for something.

Aha. Wily old bastard.

“You may see for yourself in person. If you accept, of course.”

You're tempted to call out your old mentor. But you smile and shrug. "Well, I would like to see how my old teacher is doing," you say, offering no commitment to the job proposal. You offer Shadow Man a smile, fairly certain that he's video-recording you too. The smile isn't fake, though. You're secretly thrilled at the idea of seeing him again.

The robot offers his hand, and you take it, wondering how much of a gamble you’ve just endeavored on. Fortune favors the bold… at least, you hope.

You blink as you enter a well-appointed lab, and for a moment panic as you wonder if you should have put on some fresh clothes, the robot did sort of ambush you when you'd just gotten home from work… Just as you think to run your finger through your hair to try to look a bit nicer, your heart skips a beat as you see your old mentor.

He looked a few years older, but he was still as much of a silver fox as ever, a handsome sight in his dark clothing that was contrasted by his white lab coat and skeleton-themed tie. He approaches you, arms spread out in a gesture of welcome, like a host receiving a guest. It almost looks like he’s offering a hug. You wish…

“Welcome to my humble abode, Y/n,” he says. “Or would you prefer Dr. Lastname now?” he adds with a small smirk before he offers his hand for you to shake. You take it quickly, feeling the wiry strength in his grip.

“I’m fine with Y/n, though considering this is a job offer perhaps I should go by my professional name…” you shrug. “I can't believe I'm here. After you disappeared…" You shake your head. "I didn't think I would see you again. And believe it or not, I was a little disappointed at that thought."

You try to not blush, hoping he doesn’t read too much in your slip.

“You missed me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Oh, crap. He read you like an open book. Play it cool, play it cool. You shrug and offer a small smile. “What can I say, you were my favorite teacher.”

He grins at that, and you feel your heart fluttering as if you were a silly little schoolgirl. Why the hell does this man have that effect on you? And despite the questionable morality of many of his actions, you do admire his moxie. He’s a stubborn old bastard, and you have to admit his plans for world domination suit him better than the standard mid-life crisis.

None of this means you’re not nervous around him. If you’d not wanted to come here, would he have kidnapped you?

That wouldn't be so bad if he treated you like a princess or something, right? Hah. Damn, you still do have that crush, huh?

“I know a lot of the students thought I was a bastard, so that’s refreshing to hear.”

“I don't know, many of the times you tore into someone, they deserved it, and it was entertaining to watch." Schadenfreude and all that. He laughs at that, and leads you down the building, passing a few robots at work and the like. The space has a lot of the things you'd imagine Wily to have, and you're not disappointed in the setup. It could be a lot of fun to work here… if you're willing to put yourself on the Most Wanted list.

Wily’s POV

It was nice seeing Y/n again. Y/n had been his favorite student and he had considered recruiting Y/n when he’d gone rogue back then. But she was so young and full of potential. He knew he was going on a risky path, and hadn’t wanted to drag her down with him. Oh, it was bloody tempting, though!

But now, she was old and experienced enough, and it seemed that one of his predictions about her had proven correct. She was bright and might not be satisfied in the usual industries that called for expertise in robotics, regardless of how well the job paid. If he was wrong and she eventually found something that made her happy, then good for her. But over the last decade, she'd bounced through several high-paying jobs. And well, he would be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive. She'd been pretty cute, in a nerdy chick way back then, and she still rocked the vibe pretty well. She trailed behind him, glancing over his projects and experiments with a knowing scientist's eye and curiosity.

“Oh hey, that’s neat that you have that picture,” she said as she gestured to a picture on the wall. Granted, it was a copy, but it was one of his favorite pictures, and added a nice touch to his workspace. She gave his tools a respectful berth as she approached the desk, looking at it. A young Dr. Light and Dr. Wily were standing with their first AI project, their arms crossed and up in the air in a symbol of triumph.

“It’s a pretty great picture, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Hell yeah.”

He laughed at that and continued along. He was not stupid enough to think there wasn't a possibility of her coming here just so she could try to steal something. She kept switching jobs, didn't she? Though he had to admit, if she turned out to be a thief, he'd be disappointed. No one was perfect, but surely she respected him too much to do that to him, right?

It was nice listening to her as she asked a question about this or that, and the way she asked seemed genuine, instead of someone digging around for information.

o0o0o0o

The picture you just commented on is a pretty famous one. It’s iconic in the robotics community given the work that Drs. Light and Wily did for science. Both of them were quite good-looking, but you think Albert has aged better than his old friend. And well, maybe that picture is what you use as the screen on your smartphone?

Are you going to change that before Wily notices? You're about to ask a question before Shadow Man approaches the two of you with tea. It honestly smelled pretty great, and you took the cup that was offered to you. The green tea is slightly bitter but has an edge of sweetness that balances it out nicely, making for a harmonious flavor.

“Oh, this is good,” you murmur as you finish it off. “Best cup I’ve had in a while, I think. You made this?” you ask the robot. He bows his head, and you smile. “My compliments to the chef.”

It seems like he’s genuinely happy at your compliment. He is an elegant robot, and maybe it’s because you’ve been more sympathetic to Wily than most – well, actually, pretty much anyone else – but you wonder about what he said in the past about robots having souls.

“So, how about it?" he asks as Shadow Man pours you another cup. You look down at the clear green liquid in your cup. You are well aware of his track record. He's more than just a man who marches to the beat of his drum. There's a chance this might not end well. But at the same time, he reached out to you. He has a bit more esteem for you than you had originally thought. You look up at him, taking in his lanky form.

Damn, but he really is a silver fox, isn’t he? Legal repercussions be damned – you tried to play it straight and narrow since you got your degree and look where that got you.

“What the hell. I’m in.”

His delighted laugh rings in your ears. And he does sound pleased as punch about it, as if you just made his day.

Chapter Text

II

o0o0o0o

Wily's complex of labs, refineries, and production lines is an impressive operation. Yet he's willing to do this time and time again, refusing to let Mega Man or other do-gooder robots keep him down. And there's no doubt that most if not all of this stuff is stolen or recycled. You remember something about a theft at your old company a few years back and wonder if Wily had anything to do with that.

Programming an AI was no simple task, but what was the program without hardware? And the Wily Bots were pretty damn powerful. Then there were all the helper bots scurrying around, performing routine tasks like bees in a hive. Here and there you saw a hint of a skull motif. Some things never change, eh?

“Why do you like skulls and skeletons so much anyway?” you muse as you glance at a half-constructed vehicle.

“I intend to bring about the death of the old world order? I use it to inspire fear in my enemies? That, and I've always liked it. Plus, it looks badass.” he replied with a grin. Yeah, that was a pretty damn good answer, and you smirked back.

“You've come a long way since you and Dr. Light came up with the original series..." you comment as he shows you the newest series. The two of you talk shop for a bit, but Wily's questions are also ways for him to gauge how up-to-date you are on your knowledge and research. It's something you'd do if the roles were reversed, so you answer his questions with grace. In some ways it's like how it was a decade ago with you in his classroom or lab, talking with him about this or that.

“Talking about science reminds me of the old days,” you comment. You glance at him, figuring you have the opportunity to ask him something a lot of people – including Dr. Light – likely wondered about. “I'm just curious, why do you want to take over the world, anyway?”

“To build a world for robots. Having myself as ruler is just a perk."

Well, there it is, in black and white, much like his skeleton tie. “And you think you can do a better job than anyone else?”

“Yes.” was the deadpan, completely serious tone that brooked no argument.

“Well, you sure are persistent," you reply, and he laughs at that before your stomach lets out a hungry rumble. You haven't had dinner yet, after all, and you haven't had much for lunch, either. "I've had a long day and I'm starving. Much as I enjoy catching up with you and being impressed by your work, I really could use a bite to eat."

You pause as you consider the fact that no one would be willing to deliver food to a Wily Fortress. On the other hand, at least one of his robots has to be a decent hand at cooking, at the very least. Otherwise, there’s going to be what… Ramen? TV dinners?

“Well, if you do not object, I took the liberty of having Shadow Man prepare dinner. If you have some allergies or restrictions, let me know. Otherwise, does sushi sound good?”

“It’s been too long since I had any sushi, let alone good sushi.”

“Then you will not be disappointed.”

He's right, you're not. You're offered an assortment of sushi, and though you're familiar with some of it, there are a few new things to try. There's sake flavored with plum to accompany the meal.

After you graduated, Dr. Light offered you a job in his lab. It wasn't the same without Dr. Wily though, and you left after almost two years (not without a letter of recommendation from Light, at least) before working for a private weapons company before jumping ship and putting together glorified love dolls for rich and bored people. You glance at the man seated across from you at the table, enjoying one of the morsels his faithful ninja-bot made.

You sip your sake, contemplating what is to be done next. You'll have to give your notice to your current – actually, now, former – employer and all that. You'd need your laptop and other things. And so on, but damn, you're pretty tired. You can't say that seeing Wily again was at all unpleasant despite his villainy, but it was still a bit of a surreal experience and you're still processing it all. You finish your drink.

“Shadow Man mentioned amenities to me, and I'd like to make use of them. It's been a long day and I am tired."

“I wore you out?” he teased. Your eyes widen a bit at that and you fight back the blush that you feel creeping up your neck at the unintended mental image. Or was it unintended on his part?

The rooms you're given are quite nice. A touch bland, like a hotel suite, but luxurious nonetheless with a bedroom, bathroom, and living area. It seems like there's room for personalization but you're going to wait to see how things go because this is just an employer-provided accommodation, after all. And, there are plenty of bookshelves! That's what's more important to you, after all. You're a nerd, and Wily knows that since he's one, too.

A fair amount of the color scheme is done in black and white, but you notice the bedspread and the cushions on the couch, along with a couple of other things, are in your favorite colors.

Holy shit. He remembered?

You’d been working in the lab as part of his seminar, and he’d talked about this or that with you before the subject wound its way to favorite colors, and you told him you had two because you never could decide which one you liked better, it depended on your mood. You were sure he’d forgotten that bit of trivia before the day was over, but he held onto that for years.

You turn around, looking at the room. Shadow Man, who had led you here, stands there, observing you quietly.

“I’ll need my stuff. Clothes, computer, you know…” You wave your hand through the air in a vague gesture.

“It will all be taken care of, and if you wish to have anything else obtained, I am at your disposal.”

You are left alone, and you sit on the edge of the bed, looking down at its spread. He remembered your favorite colors. Wow. Dare you hope that he brought you here for more than professional reasons?

o0o

Instead of Shadow Man, it’s another Robot Master that greets you in the morning when you finally roll out of bed after spending a bit of time the night before surfing the streaming services on the large flatscreen that was provided for you in the living area. Your phone won’t work out here, and you’re going to need the password. You’d forgotten to ask him for it last night and hadn’t been sure if it’d be a good idea to bother him. You can imagine him making a sarcastic remark about how he thought you were tired, and now you’re going to spend all night surfing the Internet. But, whatever. You’re not his prisoner, are you? All things in due time, so you fall asleep watching a show you’d heard much about.

This robot is themed like a bat, with the wings and ears and all. He’s kind of handsome, like Shadow Man. You offer him a tentative smile.

“Good morning, Dr. Lastname. I’m Shade Man. Dr. Wily asked me to bring you this, and to meet him in the main lab in half an hour.” He offers you a set of scrubs, but instead of the usual muted color one would see in the lab, this set is black with a skull print on it. You raise your eyebrow, but not in distaste. It reminds you of the nurses or health care aides you’ve seen with cute prints, like Hello Kitty or superhero-themed scrubs.

It's a comfortable fit, and he leads the way since one could easily get lost in this complex. Before you're put to work, you're given a good breakfast. This time though, you're offered a more Western-style meal, with eggs and toast among a few other things.

When you're asked if you need anything, you bring up needing a password. He sits back with a small smirk.

“I was wondering when you would ask me that, and I will give you access to the network, but before you start work, I am sure that as a professional, you know to not share anything from this place.”

You might have been insulted by this, considering his criminal status. But he's still a scientist who wants to protect his work. And that brings you to something you'd been thinking about before you fell asleep. How will he be in regard to your work? You have a few Robot Master designs of your own, though you never had the chance to build any of them. Would he steal them?

Even if he would, it’s a bit late to say no, isn’t it? You’re on some island or jungle somewhere, and if he wants to stop you from leaving, he very well can. You try to not dwell on that too much.

“Absolutely," you say with a smile. You are a professional, after all. You've dealt with these sorts of agreements before – it's standard in the industry. So you get to work, and it's been a pretty good first day. You're hardly entry-level, so after a bit, Wily leaves your side to do some work of his own, and you sit there, fiddling with wires and other parts. Some roboticists focus solely on programming and blueprints, but you have plenty enough practical experience putting together hardware and you know how extremely important that is to a well-functioning robot.

After a while, Shade Man checks on you and informs you it’s almost time for lunch. As you walk beside him.

“I suppose you like this better than working in an amusement park?” you ask, having looked him up on the network. DWN-055, one of the robots stolen and modified by Wily and now a permanent member of his retinue.

He gives you a fanged smile and nods.

o0o0o0o

(Shade Man’s POV)

DWN-055 had started his life – if it could be called that back then – as an amusement park robot. His station was the haunted house and adjoining graveyard. Being modeled after a vampire, he had been designed to amuse the visitors to his area, playfully growling and hissing at them, or welcoming them to the haunted house with an accent that was modeled after vampires in cheesy Dracula movies.

The original version of what would become DWN-055 had been considered not scary enough, so he was sent back to his manufacturer for an upgrade. Rather than merely wiping the original set of personality and behavior parameters he had been assigned, the programmer had just shuttled that data to unused space on the motherboard, uploaded the new data, and the robot was sent back.

This new personality, complained some of the patrons, was too scary. He'd made some children cry. He remembered standing at the charging station, listening to the park employers complain about him. Somewhere along the way, during his existence as a robot that was created solely for the amusement of others, a spark of consciousness had formed, and now, as he listened to the humans, he felt annoyed.

He had started with a measure of autonomy, being able to choose from a wide variety of acceptable lines and dialogue to fit in his role at the haunted house, as well as limited power to give direction to the lesser robots, like the bats and skeleton-bots. He had been told to amuse the guests, and so he did. But that had not been enough for his owner, who wanted something scary, so he had his brain filled with a new set of personality data. He modified his behavior according to this new data, and that wasn't good enough, either. He had merely followed directions, performing to the best of his abilities, and the next day, he had tried to mix the two personalities, going for a combination of scary for the adults and funny, for the little ones. That seemed to work, at least for a while.

When he heard that he was going to have his memory completely wiped and installed with a new program, that spark of consciousness... of identity and self-awareness burst forth. He didn't want to... die, especially for something as trivial as someone's satisfaction over how he performed a task that in retrospect seemed inconsequential.

Then he was told that he would be entered into a robot fighting tournament. He had been kidnapped by the mysterious Mr. X who soon enough revealed his true self. Though the vampire-bot was not made part of the Sixth Numbers, the time he spent in Wily's lab taught him much. Though the doctor had not created him, he was still given the chance to become part of the family. He was made stronger, his flight capability increased, and given weapons and tools with which to defend himself. But there was one thing his adoptive father had not tampered with. His mind.

His personality remained intact, further developed by the resources he had access to in the lab. He had his own identity, and his father encouraged that. How could he be anything but loyal?

Even after he had used his Noise Crush on Wily to get him away from the White Nightmare, the old man, despite the anger he had felt at first, had allowed him to keep his weapon and upgraded it with additional abilities. The scientist deserved nothing less than absolute loyalty from his sons.

He glanced down at the woman walking beside him in the scrubs Wily assigned her. It surprised the vampire-bot to hear his savior and master express a desire to bring someone here. A former student did make sense. He hadn’t been here as long as some of the other Wily Numbers, but he had known the old man long enough to be certain that he had not made this decision lightly.

o0o0o0o

For all the Robot Masters he has – and all the company they can provide him – it seems like a human can fulfill something they can’t.

Not because of a personal failure on their part. You've met a fair amount of them during your work here. You could even say you've made friends with a few of them, and you've spent leisure time with this or that robot. You've learned a thing or two about making tea from Shadow Man and even started reading one of the texts on Japanese history and philosophy he recommended.

Wily asked you to meet him outside. You've been out a few times under the watch of a Robot Master – to ensure your safety, Wily says, and you're not about to argue – so you pull on the light boots and the jacket Shadow Man offers you. You see movement out of your eye, and Wily approaches you, looking quite dapper in mostly black with a dark gray jacket and a black beret on his head. He looked like a harmless man out for a walk in the city, and it reminded you a bit of how he looked in your college days.

The waves crash along the shoreline.

“So… what are we doing out here?" you ask. It's the first time he's walked with you outside. Occasionally you'll hear the hum of machinery from some part of the building.

“Much as keeping the mind sharp is important, the body also needs maintenance.” He sets off with steady steps, and you fall in pace. It’s hard to not be a wee bit jealous of the fact that Wily has a damn island to himself and an army of bots and Robot Masters to do his bidding. Yeah, much of it was obtained illegally, but you have to admit, he set himself up a pretty sweet crib, so to speak.

“I know that my... views are not welcomed by this world.” your mentor/boss continued. “But medicine is often bitter and people must be forced to swallow it.”

That statement has proven itself in various examples in history in beneficial or horrifying ways, depending on the flip of the coin of fate, or the whims of man. Usually a combination of the two.

“History is full of the mistakes of humanity. We have the chance for something better, but humans would rather use robots to make their lives easier!”

Well, there was no arguing with that when you looked at how robotics and technology were applied in today's world. Sure, some robots kept people safe by doing dangerous jobs, but as robotics technology had advanced, so had its use spread, and for more mundane or vain uses. And of course, its potential for destruction. Your resume was a testament to that.

“Fire made the lives of humans easier, but also better.”

“There are different ways to utilize fire – or anything else. I choose to utilize my tools to their best, including this.” He tapped his temple with his index finger. For a moment you wonder what would happen if he passed. You hope there’s a plan set for his Robot Masters because damn it, you’ve come to really like some of them and wouldn’t want to see them in the hands of governments that admittedly had at least some reason to be angry with Wily.

You can't deny that in his way, Wily has done some good. There's been serious debate about robotics and free will, and the treatment of Robot Master-level bots, and such. New laws have been enacted since Wily's first criminal offense. You've worked with various levels of AI, instinctively knowing that this technology and others that go hand in hand with it will impact the future in as yet unforeseen ways.

Chapter Text

III

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

Wily glanced down at the tablet, occasionally tapping the screen as he looked at the design and schematics of the robot that was on the table before him.

Robots these days were designed with fail-safes or automatic shutdowns that were triggered by certain behaviors. For example, a maid-bot might not be able to go more than a designated amount of meters from a house before it receives a warning signal, and if it ignores said warning, it would power down automatically.

Another feature that was typical for a robot was a GPS, in case the robot was stolen. Robots could also be shut down with voice, wireless, or radio commands. Robots, especially ones programmed with AI, were pricey investments, and thus needed safeguards so that humans could protect their property.

The GPS had already been disabled by Shademan before the robot was taken out of the amusement park it had been built for. However, the brightly-colored robot remained inactive, having powered down shortly after it went beyond the borders of the park. Not surprising, really, and the mad scientist was prepared for that.

He set the tablet down and leaned over the robot, lifting the panel off its back with little effort. A network of complex circuitry met his eyes, but it did not intimidate him the least as he examined it, making mental notes about what to upgrade or change.

That was one thing he'd always found fascinating about technology. It was ever-changing and improving, and he could learn and benefit from it. With each line, his robots became better and stronger, and with everything he learned, he could go back and upgrade some of his older Numbers to increase their efficiency or power., or in this case, take other people's robots and give them his modifications. Any robot could be improved on. Unfortunately, the same could be said about Megaman, but eh. Dr. Light and the blue robot were pushed out of his mind as he focused on his current task.

Wily lifted the helmet off the robot, revealing the circuitry located within its head. With deft hand movements that spoke of long experience in this particular process, the doctor hooked up wires to certain parts of the circuitry that made up the robot's mind and personality. This was a precaution he took every time he significantly modified or upgraded a Robot Master. Once the memory was backed up in his computer, he got to work, removing the GPS, the power override, and other devices that this 'bot's creators had installed to impede its freedom.

It took a bit of time to figure out what sort of weapon to give the robot. However, looking at the long, flexible arms of this robot gave him the idea to use their unique qualities to this robot's advantage. He did these robots a great service by maximizing their potential. Too bad the world could not see that. Such was the lot of a mad genius...

o0o0o0o

A Decade Ago, 200X

The first series of Robot Masters was already well underway. DLWN-003 through 005 were just about done, and 006-008 were all more than halfway through. Albert was rather proud of himself, but then who wouldn't be? He and Thomas had come a long way since their university days, and so had technology. When the first AI robot had been created by the two of them, it was very limited in its capabilities and most people did not see the use or benefit of their work. But then, look at the first automobile or the first computer. If people had thrown up their arms and not wished to work more on these inventions, then who knows where the world would be today?

“To a job well done, Albert," Thomas said as he raised his mug of coffee. Albert grinned and raised his own before he glanced at the television screen. Their work had brought them much recognition, and soon, would bring them an award. They had already won several for their work in the field of robotics, but the Technology Award was almost basically the Noble Prize of Science.

The head of the council, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, rose from his seat. He had won last year's award and had also replaced the former leader of the council when he retired.

“As history shows, man has been very creative in his use of technology, and seeking ways to advance it. We are very fortunate to live in a new century, and not just that, but a new millennium. Man has been able to utilize technology in the last century that would have been unthinkable in the entire course of human history.”

“Get on with it," Albert muttered before he took another swig of his coffee. He had disliked Dr. Cooper upon meeting him, finding the other scientist to be a blowhard at times. To receive his award from this man... feh.

“This year's Technology Award goes to someone who is known as the father of robotics.” Father? Albert frowned at that as Dr. Cooper continued, "And without him, robotics would probably still belong in the realm of science fiction. I am pleased to announce that this year, Thomas Light is the winner of the Technology Award!"

Albert and his partner stared at the television for several moments, waiting for Dr. Cooper to realize his mistake, or for someone else to correct him on his omission. There was a round of polite applause from the other members before Dr. Cooper announced that he would fly to Light Labs and present Light with the award himself.

“What the...!” He rose to his feet, glaring at the screen, his knuckles white as his mug slightly shook.

“Albert, I am sure it was an honest mistake, I will explain it to him. You deserve that award as much as I do, and we both know it.” Thomas put his hand on his partner's arm to calm him.

o0o0o0o

Now

The mad scientist wiped his brow after he adjusted the tightness of the coils that he had added to the robot's flexible arms. When he took robots created by someone else, he preferred to keep the external design changes to a minimum and work with the robot instead of against it. It had taken him some time to decide how to optimally weaponize the clown-themed robot, but studying the arms had given him a sudden burst of inspiration.

He had retrofitted the insides of the arms with flexible Tesla coils, enabling the production of electricity and the ability to use it as a weapon. His work on DWN-060 was almost complete. The previously installed safeguards and controls that enabled this robot's original creators or owners to control him had all been removed. His memory had been uploaded to the new brain and installed within the head cavity.

He sat back on his stool, basking in the glow of a job well done. He still enjoyed building his robots and challenging himself with new designs, like he was doing now for DWN-057, but there was a perverse sort of pleasure in stealing the robots of others and giving them freedom and his enhancements. Now, only if it were as easy to enhance the human body... He grinned to himself dryly as he stretched, feeling his old bones creak a bit as he did so.

o0o0o0o

(You)

You set the weapon down, running your finger lightly along one of its planes and looking at the three green blades, having followed Wily's blueprint and putting the pieces together. It was easy to get lost in the work, and doubtless, that was partly from starting a new job and doing something that was a challenge.

But oh, how your back aches from being hunched over the project. So you back away from the table, stretching out your arms and legs as you pace the large room, where several other tables sit with various projects including a new Robot Master. You wander over to it, slowly circling it as you study his work. Most of it is assembled already, though a casual observer would see several pieces missing or incomplete.

It's over seven feet tall and near it is a red facepiece with a long, pointed nose. Much of one arm was missing, and you blink when you realize the weapon you'd just been working on was intended to be part of that arm. So now, apparently, officially you helped to build a Wily Number? You lean in, finding the number that identifies it as DWN-057.

Well, now you’re curious to see your work in action. You smirk to yourself and startle when you turn around and see Shadow Man. You wonder if he’s ever startled Wily the same way.

“Forgive me for startling you,” the ninja-bot says as he bows his head.

“No harm done. Is there a problem?” you ask.

“Nothing at all. How goes your task?”

“Almost done. I just needed to stretch out.”

“Father is almost done with his work, and he says you can stop and clean up. Dinner will be in half an hour.”

“Oh, cool. Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“I'm curious... you have free will, right? You're free to do as you want go where you please, unless I assume wrong.”

“No, you are correct.”

“You have your own... hobbies, interests, predilections? Did these come about on their own?”

“Yes. That is how it is for all of us. Father designs us with different tasks and occupations in mind, as you can see by our bodies, but as far as personalities go, we develop our own. Not all of us were created by him but are loyal to him.”

“Why do you serve Wily, then? You are a powerful robot and could do nearly anything you wanted.”

He looks at you curiously for a moment, thinking quietly for nearly a minute before speaking.

“Because we love him, and we believe in his cause. He wants to make robots equal to humans, not slaves. He wants to blur that line, the line between human and machine to the point where we can't be treated like objects. We have souls, we have feelings, others can't see that, can't hear it, or won't try to understand us.” he said quietly, his words baring a conviction more convincing than any human you’d heard in a long time.

“When I first met him, we talked about the possibility of robots having souls. This was right before the first line of Masters came out, mind you. Everyone around me, except for Albert and Thomas, of course, thought that a robot could never have a soul. People scoffed at the idea. But Mega Man came along and… A lot has happened since then.”

“That is true. We are loyal to him because he cares for us. If we get damaged, he takes the time to repair and upgrade us instead of discarding us. We are his sons, whether he built us himself or rescued us.”

It’s heartwarming to hear a robot speak so passionately, and you stare at him quietly. He takes your silence as skepticism and adds, “You can choose to believe me or not, but I am confident in the truth. Many condemn his actions, simply because they don't understand him or us. He stands against the world. And we stand with him.”

“I believe you,” you reply.

For lunch, there are deluxe sandwiches with a tasty ingredient you had almost forgotten the taste of. You haven’t had one of these since… Fuck, really, you ask yourself as you smell the tantalizing scent of the hot ingredients in the sandwich, finding yourself on a cruise down memory lane. Amazing what little details he remembers. You'd always figured he was much more focused on his work, like the stereotypical male who forgets the details while his partner is the one who remembers all the little things. But he'd remembered your favorite colors. And you two had talked about science fiction in the past, and he remembered the particular titles you mentioned as your favorites.

Wait, he’s not your partner. He’s your mentor and boss. You look at the table, where the sandwiches sit, waiting to be enjoyed.

“When was the last time you had one of these?” he asked, gesturing to the sandwiches. The smell envelops you in a pleasant memory.

“That would be when you informed me I was getting an A for the semester,” comes your reply.

He blinked. “Really?”

“I'd never had that type of sandwich until you made me one, either," you admit as you take one of the stools and sit down. You take a bite of your sandwich, letting the taste of well-seasoned ingredients explode in your mouth. Yeah, that's some good stuff. You remember when you'd shared this in his lab, it was your final semester and not long before Wily went rogue. Since you spent a fair amount of time in his lab, sometimes he provided you with food. One day, it'd been these sandwiches, ordered from some nearby local place. They'd been pretty damn good. He sits across the table from you and starts on his food, and the two of you munch away contentedly.

He’s not made any overt moves. Most talk is about either work or the hobbies you share. He’s been a gentleman, and you’re happy about that, but a bit let down. There’s an occasional teasing or snarky comment, and you wonder if you’re just being impatient, or oblivious, or something. You’ve dated a few times, but nothing ever panned out in the long run. What might dating Wily be like? Would that make things awkward, or would it turn out to be a meeting of both minds and bodies?

“So how was your day? I trust you had no problems in the lab.” you hear him say.

“Everything was just fine, thank you. I had all the things I needed and I'm almost done with DWN-057's arm.”

“Since you were able to identify who you were making the weapon for, I take it you looked at the rest of him. What did you think?”

“I am impressed," you admit, seeing the flicker of pleasure in his eyes at your admission. "You've come a long way since the DLWN Numbers. I'm almost jealous of you."

He sat back, a smug grin on his face. “Jealous? Why would that be?”

“You have your lab and army of robots to bring you all the materials you need. You're pretty much free to do as you please, you don't have the constraints that law-abiding scientists have to deal with."

He let out a pleased laugh at that. “Living on the wrong side of the law has its benefits.”

“As I can see.” You wave a hand to indicate your surroundings, “I know Dr. Light isn't too proud of what he had to do to get funding to build his lab.”

Wily nodded. Light Labs was a huge undertaking, and to get funding for that, Thomas Light and his partner had taken several contracts with the military. He had been compensated well for his work, but you and Wily knew that it weighed heavily on Light that his genius had been used in war machines. He tried to ease his conscience by building robots designed to help humanity, but that part of his past still haunted him.

“Sometimes you do what you have to. It was not pleasant for Thomas, but it benefited him in the long run," he replied.

You nod slowly. You could easily understand the time and effort it took to build Rock and his sister. What was harder to grasp – at least for the layman – was how much funds it took to not only build these two but the funds needed just for the research into AI and advanced robotics. Dr. Light had also grown attached to his first Robot Master, known initially as Blues before he became Proto Man.

“I guess you felt like you had to leave Light Labs and do...”

“I did," he replied in all seriousness.

“It was a pretty damned ballsy move.”

He grinned widely at that, wiggling his eyebrows. “You're right, it was. But dreams are not accomplished by the meek.”

“Ha. I suppose not.”

“What are your dreams?” he asked. You glance at him, and he continues. “You didn't study robotics just so you could build robots for other people. What do you hope to accomplish?”

You’re not sure. It’d be pretty cool to design your own Robot Master. Cybernetics was also another interest to you, as its current applications were relatively limited due to the barrier between machine and flesh. You have another idea milling around, but despite your time with Wily, you’re hesitant to share your idea with one of the world’s most wanted criminals. You regard him with a thoughtful frown.

“What if I gave you time and space for your research?" he asks. Your eyes widen as you struggle to control your reaction. He grins at you, knowing he has your interest.

“Come now. I'm giving you the chance to get to work on your dream. I can provide you with the materials you need. And you've seen for yourself that there's plenty of space. So if there's an idea rolling around in that pretty little head of yours, I don't doubt it's a good one."

Well. You’re not immune to a well-placed stroke of the ego, are you?

“I remember you talking back then about how nice it would be to be able to upgrade a human body like you could for a robot…" Back then, it was an impossible dream, but as robotics advanced and cybernetics had a few promising developments, it seemed more possible that in the future, the two might become integrated. Possibly cybernetic organs, or a whole new body. You saw how sophisticated robotics has become since its inception. Hell, look at how cell phones were back then, compared to the smartphones of today.

You’d made notes, run test programs, and the like but you’d never had the chance or space to test it out fully.

“You didn't spend all that time just working on other people's projects, did you?” you hear him ask. You quickly look back at him.

“How come you didn't ask me to work for you back then?” you ask.

“I was just starting out. I was new at the villain thing and I didn't want to get you in trouble or risk you being harmed," he said calmly. "I respect you too much for that, and, I'd be a shitty teacher and mentor if I let a student get hurt."

“Hmph.” You give him a brief nod to show you accept his answer.

“As you can see, I am very well-established. I know what I'm doing now, and I can keep you safe. And let you work on your research. Course, I would need to know what you wanted to do…”

“Well…” You lean back, crossing your arms, appraising him. Can you trust him?

“What is it?” he asked, interest all too obvious in his tone.

“I did get a lot of work done. But it's mainly notes and research along with designs. Without a lab of my own, I could only do so much in the way of a physical product."

“I assume you have enough notes and research to start work immediately.”

“I do."

“I would be disappointed if you didn't," he commented. You smirk back at him.

“You seem to have a lot of faith in me even though I haven't made a big name of myself like Mikhail Cossack or Noelle Lalinde."

“I saw your potential in college, and there's nothing wrong with avoiding the limelight. You get more done when you’re not prancing in front of the cameras or trying to be careful to not piss people off.”

You throw your head back and laugh at that before you sober up, thinking about your research and what Wily could do if he got his hands on it. It’s not weaponry, but could enhance existing weapons. You’ve seen the remains of the Stardroids he managed to salvage and wonder what you might learn if he allowed you to examine the alien technology. You grin, deciding to try a bit of a Wily maneuver.

“I’ll tell you about my project, but I want to examine the Stardroid parts you have,” you offer.

“Think you can make a deal with me?” he asks with a grin. You calmly nod. “I’ll take it, at least this once.” He extends his hand for a shake, and you don’t hesitate to grab it. His hands feel like what you’d expect – bony but muscular. It’s also pleasingly warm and dry, and a thrill passes through your body at the contact, because thus far, Wily has given you space.

As you expect, there is quite a bit to learn from the Stardroids, and you see a couple of practical possibilities emerging from the Stardroids’ unique abilities. And while you’re looking at them, he explains how he’d already used some of the technology to improve Shadow Man, giving him Saturn’s teleporting ability so that the ninja-bot was able to teleport you safely to Wily’s lab – something that wasn’t supposed to be possible for organic matter because of its difference from data (which was why advanced robots like Mega Man could teleport, but not humans or animals)

You've been wondering about that since you came here. "That's fucking genius," you say in response to that. He grins knowingly and you're pretty sure he's puffing out his chest a little.

It was still a huge drain on Shadow Man, so he had to use that ability sparingly, Wily explains. Still, that sort of feat shows you that others are possible, including your own.

“One must be prepared to adapt. I am always willing to learn more, and there is plenty to learn from the Stardroids." He sounded like he had in the old days when he was giving a lecture. You notice he's standing close to you. Not indecently so, but as a fellow scientist examining the same thing as you. You decide to test the waters a bit and move closer to him, your shoulders just touching. He does not move away. You stay where you are, and so does he when the two of you are looking at the part, examining it under magnifying lenses, and listening to the observations he'd made. He points your attention to something and you feel his hand on your back, touching lightly. You have to remember to breathe and keep your hand steady because holy fuck, your pulse has picked up so quickly that you're almost dizzy.

You didn't realize that being here, in close quarters to him, was causing tension to build up. He used to be your teacher and mentor, now he's your boss. You don't want to jeopardize this relationship, but fuck, he's such a silver fox, and at this point, you're 99.9 percent certain he has… something for you. After all, hadn’t he remembered these little details about you?

So you take a deep breath and relax, letting him keep his hand right where it is as you lean to get a better look at what he’s pointing out. You chat a little over it before you stand back up, and he pulls his hand away.

“So there you have it. You can have access to this lab anytime, but first…” He raises his eyebrows. You take a deep breath, wondering what he’ll think of it.

“You could call it a self-repair matrix, I suppose. You know how cybernetics as a technology is still limited because flesh and machine don't exactly mesh well." There are limited examples, to be sure. Cochlear implants, robotic hands, pacemakers, and the like. Technology has come a long way, but the bridge between flesh and robotics is still a ways off. "It's a healing system for a robot meant to stimulate what a human does to heal themselves. It's more for internal technology, but I don't see why it can't also apply externally, with enough time and development. And hopefully, that can also help with meshing with a human body more efficiently."

“I knew you had to be cooking up something good, and I am intrigued.” His smile is enthusiastic.

“The issue with the program is that it has to be customized for each robot. Kind of like DNA. Each Robot Master is unique, so the program would have to have its specs added to it before installation. Once installed, the robot would need less maintenance than before, and some of the damage could be repaired by the program. It also helps to preserve memories, should the brain itself become somehow damaged."

“I like it. I definitely like it.” He tugs his mustache thoughtfully as he stares at you, and you regard him with a modest but pleased smile.“You will need a Robot Master to test it on and make sure it works.”

“It does. At least, when I tested it.”

He raised his eyebrow. “How? On one of the robots you built for others?”

“No way! But I did test it on my computer and a discarded robot brain. They were successful, and I anticipate the same results for a robot of Master-level, but it would take longer to make one matrix since there's more data to integrate into it."

“I look forward to seeing you build it. Let me know what you need.”

Boom. Just like that, your employer has essentially offered you a blank check. You pause as you realize that some of your supplies are likely going to be stolen.

If there was a better real-life example of ‘making a deal with the devil’ than what you had just gotten into, you’d be hard-pressed to imagine it.

“You look worried, Y/n. Is something the matter?" he asks. You huff softly, looking down at the table with the Stardroid parts illuminated under lights and magnifying lenses. So far, you haven't mentioned anything about the legal ramifications. And you hadn't done anything illegal so far. You weren't stealing things, taking over locales and terrorizing the locals, or shaking down governments for money.

Nah, you were just working for a mad scientist who did do all of these things, and technically, you could be considered an accomplice for assisting in the construction of a Robot Master. Now, if you asked for it, he’d steal for you.

You place your hands on your hips as you study your boss (and object of your desire) and decide to be honest.

“We both know what's going on here is illegal. You do not need to fear me snitching on you. And I am grateful for this opportunity, believe me. It's… exciting, and thrilling. I'm having a ton of fun here." You see his eyes light up at that, and you continue, "But I can't help but wonder if I made a deal with the devil."

At that, his grin becomes devilish indeed. “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven!”

Chapter Text

Forever Clockwork

IV

For those Megaman fans who are not familiar with the Megamix/Gigamix manga, I highly recommend that you check it out. It is a total of six volumes and I LOVE how Hitoshi Ariga draws not just Wily, but the robots themselves, and there are some wonderful stories in there, including the arc with the Stardroids.

Of course, the manga is not required to read or enjoy this story, but I still recommend it as it is a worthy acquisition for any Megaman or Dr. Wily fan. I also recommend the Archie Comics publication of Megaman, it's a fun comic book series and worth any Megaman fan's time, in my opinion. The Megaman 20+5 (also called R20+5 and MM 20+5, depending on if it’s Japanese or English) artbook book is also a real beaut. Nowadays it’ll be harder to find – I bought it back when it first came out. But I still recommend you try to get it if you like MM collectibles, or look at the pictures online.

I would like to thank everybody who took the time to leave a review comment or even reblog, you have my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. Feedback really helps me with my writing so I know what I am doing right (or wrong) so that I may continue (or rectify) what I am doing.

o0o0o0o

You enter the lab in a fresh change of scrubs, ready for work. After the deal you had made with Wily the previous afternoon, you had a hard time falling asleep. The chance of a lifetime had just fallen in your lap but it didn’t come without cost – to someone else. You mutter to yourself as you look down at the tablet, your wishlist all typed out and saved. All you had to do was click the screen a couple of times, and it’d be sent to Wily. You could have very soon what would take you years – if not a lifetime – to have enough money to buy through legal means. You glance at the mad scientist who was already working when you entered the lab.

“What the hell,” you say to yourself as you hit Send.

“Have some breakfast," Wily said as he hunched over, fiddling around with something within Tengu Man's chest. "Then you can finish your work and attach it to this robot."

“Yes, sir." This time, the breakfast offering is fruit-filled crepes. "Oh, nice," you say in approval as you see the spread before you, Shadow Man flipping over a hot, fresh crepe for you and adding some fruit. You savor the taste of your favorite fruit with a dollop of sweet cream.

Once you finish Tengu Man’s arm and go over the specs one last time, you call over to your boss. “Dr. Wily? I'm done.”

“Excellent.” He turned to her. “Bring it over here.”

You pull a lever and the table moves. He guides it so the arm lays parallel to the body before he looks at you. "I think you know what to do next, don't you?"

“Attach the arm?”

“That is correct.”

“Very well, Dr. Wily.”

He pauses as he glances at you “Call me Albert. I believe it would be better if we simply referred to one another by name.”

“Oh. As you wish.” You keep a calm face, but you feel a blush coming to your cheeks.

“I have another robot to work on. When you're done with your task, you will be shown your lab space. You should have everything you need within a few days.”

“All right. Thank you.”

o0o0o0o

You almost have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s not a dream. You’ve seen the space, but it was mostly empty. Now it’s filled with all the goodies he’s gotten for you.

“Here it is," you hear him say as he leads you through a door, and you can tell you have ample space with a glance. There are tools and all the stuff you could ever need to start nearly any project you desire. You take a few steps into the room, eyes roving hungrily along the crates and containers. The tools and machines. Your heart skips a beat and you stand there staring at everything for a few moments before turning back to him.

It’s clear from the satisfied look on his face that he knows of the impact this has on you.

“Goodness, this is almost too much." You fan yourself, shooting another glance at the proof of many of your dreams coming true. "I don't even know what to say. Other than thank you!" You babble a bit, and he grins at you. All you want to do at that moment is just glomp him like you've seen people do in anime.

You stand there, starting to pick up your arms. It’s not as if he hasn’t given you not-so-subtle indications he liked you, but it’s still overwhelming. You pluck up the courage to close in on him and wrap your arms around him. He reacted just in time to pick up his arms, so now you’re wrapped in his arms too.

You can't believe it, you're hugging – and being hugged by – the infamous Dr. Wily himself! You could almost faint from the sheer joy of it. There's the scent of cologne mixed with the faint scent of burning – like he was recently welding or soldering something – and the mix is quite pleasant. You stand there for a few seconds, steadying your breathing as you absorb the feeling of his arms wrapped around you, his breath warm on the top of your scalp.

A hand moves to the back of your head, and you rest your cheek on his shoulder. Your hands are on his upper back, and you hug him longer than you’d have hugged anyone else, and he certainly doesn’t seem to mind as his hug tightens by a fraction. After several long moments, you start to pull back. He resists for a moment – this gives your stomach a delicious flutter – before letting you go. You don’t doubt he sees the blush on your cheeks.

“Thank you,” you say in your best attempt at a calm, prim tone. “This is a fine lab, and I will be sure to make good use of it. I appreciate this so much.” You are thinking of the wiry strength of his body, the way his arms and chest felt against you. He straightens his tie as he stares at you, a faint smile on his face.

“Oh by the way Y/n, do you have a name for that program of yours?”

“Well, given that the trend seems to be musical names, I decided to go with that, so I call it Cadence.”

“You can thank Thomas for the musical theme, but some of them are pleasing, and I like the sound of yours. It rolls off the tongue.”

“Hey, if all the cool kids are doing it, then why shouldn't I?” you quip. The two of you share a laugh over that.

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

“Should she succeed, this would mean a lot for robots. And..." Shade Man trailed off and paused as he recalled his father's work. Building or upgrading Robot Masters was not all Wily did, after all. "She could help you to quicken the achievement of your own dream..."

The old scientist grinned and nodded. "Indeed." He knew that Y/n had to be cooking up something good, and it was even better than he'd expected. He'd support her and well, if he were to benefit from her work, well, why not? There was nothing wrong with mutual benefit, after all, and he supposed it was better than kidnapping like he had with Dr. Cossack. Lesson learned, c'est la vie.

He ate some ramen as he pondered his current and future projects, Shade Man standing nearby.

DWN-063 was proving to be a unique challenge. Grenade Man was being built to be able to withstand damage, but more so than any other robot he'd ever built. The very nature of his power and weapons necessitated such a design, and Albert enjoyed the challenge, pushing the capabilities of his robots, watching them evolve with each series of Numbers and the upgrades he would give older Numbers.

He felt truly blessed to be living in an era where he could utilize his genius to the fullest. The thought of living in the Dark Ages made him shudder, and the Renaissance, while glorious in its own right, would not have afforded him the opportunities that today did.

He felt the creak in his spine as he stood back up, and gave out a soft groan, stretching his arms over his head. Only if he could upgrade his own body as he could for his robots...

“Shadow Man," he called out. Within a couple of moments, the robot materialized from the shadows.

“What do you need?” the ninja-bot asked.

“Tea." The mad scientist was more than capable of getting his own food or drink, but tea-making was not part of his capabilities. It was easy to throw a teabag into a mug of hot water but Shadow Man somehow knew how to formulate the right combination of water and various tea leaves and plants, and honestly, after tasting what the ninja-bot could make, there was no going back to store-bought teabags.

It truly was amazing what unique and uncanny abilities a robot could sometimes develop, especially those that had nothing to do with its original design or programmed capabilities. It just went to prove that a Robot Master could be a person like a human, the only difference being what made up their bodies.

“Very well. What kind would you like, Father?”

“Something to put spring in my step.”

“As you wish.” He slid away, and Wily pressed his hands together, stretching out his wrists and fingers before flexing them. As he arched his back, he felt his spine crack. Getting old sucks, he mused, not for the first and certainly not the last time. His mind wandered to current and future projects. Zero. Roboenza. Eluding death. He had too much to accomplish to let something like death stop him.

o0o0o0o

198X

(Wily’s POV)

Having attained his Ph.D. several years earlier, Albert W. Wily was now a professor. He had loftier dreams than this, to be sure, but he had rent and bills to pay, and the college he was teaching at was the foremost institution for technology and robotics in the world. Located in Japan, the Technology Institute attracted students from all over the world wanting to attain their master's or Ph.D. in various computer-related fields. In the nineteen-eighties, personal computers were becoming a part of daily life, though they were primitive compared to the models that would come several decades later. The nineties was just around the corner, and looking at how technology had developed in the past half century, the last decade before the new millennium promised to be filled with much technological advances.

Robotics was not exactly new, but it was still a relatively small field. Functioning robots were in existence, but robots with real AI were still a couple of decades off.

As he walked past one of the office doors in the administrative building, he heard some arguing. He recognized the voices, one was Thomas Light, a colleague of his with whom he had shared several classes before, and who was now also a teacher here. The other voice belonged to Dr. Hofstadter, a man in his sixties who had helped to further develop the computer after it had been first invented back in the forties. Back then, so many people laughed at the first computer, its sheer size and limited ability indeed making it impractical for nearly anything, but Hofstadter and others had worked on advancing the technology, increasing its capabilities, and decreasing its mass to make it a more practical and efficient tool.

The voices he heard were firm, especially Light's, and he wondered what was going on. Science was not without controversy, of course, so two scientists arguing was hardly something new.

“Artificial intelligence is nothing more than fancy computer programming. There is simply no way a computer could ever have a soul!” he heard Hofstadter argue.

“However it is created, intelligence is intelligence. Should a computer be advanced enough to reason by itself and apply logic instead of preset programming to solve a problem or answer a question, it may develop a consciousness of its own, and form its own opinions and feelings.” came the patient retort from the younger scientist. Albert raised his eyebrow and moved a bit closer.

“A computer can and will never be able to think and feel like a human.”

“I must respectfully disagree, sir. The reason I bring this concern is because when artificial intelligence reaches that level, it can and will be exploited. This is why the field of robotics, just like any other field of science, needs to be tempered with ethics. Not for humans as this has already been covered, but for whatever.... whoever might be created in the future. We've seen how technology has evolved in this century, you have seen this with your work on developing the computer for practical uses."

Albert heard the older man give out a small snort. Thomas continued.

“Imagine what robotics will be like in the 21^st century! And computers, think about how small and fast they will be in two decades. A computer that can think and feel for itself is pretty much an impossibility right now and in that aspect, I agree with you. But in the future, it can and will be possible, and we must be ready to deal with the ethical implications of that.”

“No matter how much our technology advances, it is impossible for a machine to have a soul. I know you brought this subject up when you were a student, but I let it slide because sometimes students here get wild ideas of what technology can do, and I can understand that. But you are now a professor, so I expect better." Dr. Hofstadter retorted firmly. Albert smirked at that. Although no one could deny or doubt Hofstadter's contributions to science, the old man was also religious. Normally this did not conflict with his scientific research because a computer was a computer, but to the old man, the idea of a machine – a mere tool – having a consciousness of its own was sheer nonsense.

There was silence for several moments before Thomas finally spoke. “Very well. I simply felt that it was a worthwhile topic to bring to you.”

“Duly noted, but you should be focusing on more practical pursuits.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good day.”

Thomas came out of the office looking a bit let-down. Albert did not say anything for a few moments, unsure of whether he should approach the other man now. Like Thomas, he had often considered the moral and ethical implications of AI and advanced robotics.

Ah, to hell with it. He went after his colleague, and Thomas turned when he heard the rapid footsteps.

“Oh! Hello, Albert. Was there something you needed?”

“There's something I would like to talk to you about.” the taller scientist said as he came up to Thomas's side, speaking in a quieter tone. “I was on the way to my office and could not help but overhear some of your conversation with Hofstadter.”

“Oh.” Thomas sounded a little sheepish. “I suppose a robot having a soul seems far-fetched, doesn't it?”

“Actually, no. I think Hofstadter is wrong.”

He did not miss the flicker of surprise and relief in his colleague's eyes. “Really?”

Albert nodded. "I see the same thing you do. And the enormous responsibility that will come with it. There are more people like Hofstadter out there, but then, great minds in the past were met with plenty of opposition. I remember a few years ago, you were talking about how much damage could be done by an advanced robot that had a corrupt designer."

“That is true.” He remembered thinking about that implication. No matter what something was created for, how helpful and useful it could be for mankind, there would always be someone to try and corrupt it.

They were outside by now, still talking about the future of robotics and the research they had done in AI. The Technology Institute was not only an excellent university for those seeking an education rivaled by none, but it was also deeply invested in research, many of its advanced classes taking place in the laboratories located around campus. As teachers, Light and Wily had access to these labs and spent much of their time there to advance the study and utilization of robotics.

“What if we worked together?” Thomas asked. Albert paused and turned towards him, and the shorter man continued, “We've worked together before. We could help one another out on this. If we teamed up on this, I think we could create the first robot with a soul. Its intelligence would be more than... artificial.” He paused and chuckled. “Real artificial intelligence, isn't that a kind of oxymoron?”

Albert laughed and nodded before offering his hand. “For science!”

Thomas's grip and smile showed his enthusiasm as he shook his new partner's hand with firm pumps.

o0o0o0o

Present Day, 20XX

(You)

The database of Robot Masters is impressive. You have access to all the DWN designs, including the ones that he had stolen from others. So many amazing capabilities represented in a variety of robots, and what a treasure trove of designs from some of the world’s finest creative and scientific minds. If you sold this database on the black market, you probably could live in queenly luxury for the rest of your life.

But you’re happy as you are, in Wily’s fortress, where the mad scientist feeds you well and keeps you in comfortable quarters, where he gives you access to a treasure trove of knowledge and a gorgeous outdoor space to enjoy yourself in. It’s quite lovely, really, and you would be hard-pressed to trade this for anything else in the world.

And of course, as much as you enjoy all these material comforts, you wouldn’t be enjoying any of them as much if not for Wily’s company. Ever since you gave him that hug, there is a definite increase in warmth between the two of you, even if it’s only a few degrees. If you’re working in the same space, he’ll occasionally find some excuse to brush against you or find some reason to touch your arm or back. He’ll also make a teasing comment here or there, and you’ll gleefully respond back.

It’s become something of a dance between the two of you. There’s a lot of work to be done, but these little interludes with the mad scientist provide a pleasing distraction.

Good thing you have a toy or two to keep yourself entertained when you’re alone in your room, because hoo boy, these little touches and comments between the two of you are heating you up more than you expected. And that leaves you wondering if Wily is feeling – and doing – the same. Which just adds more heat to your thoughts and other parts.

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

Wily liked to carefully plan his designs, but once in a while, something would surprise him, like Bass's rebelliousness. Such surprises were not necessarily unwelcome, even if Bass could be a real shit sometimes because these developments were experiences the scientist could learn from. Now he had a robot who was apparently a masochist.

Unlike humans, a robot's body could be easily repaired, at least with the right tools and a bright enough mind. When a human lost a limb, well, sucks to be you. But when the same thing happened to a robot, no problem, just attach a new one or upgrade. Nonetheless, a Robot Master still feared damage. With their capacity for emotion, they could be afraid of incapacitation or destruction.

Grenade Man was apparently void of that fear. But then, having armor that was built to absorb damage seemed to have given the bomb-themed robot the ability to derive pleasure from a hit. Grenade Man even got excited for his second combat-testing session, looking forward to more assaults from the Sniper Joes and other 'bots as his capabilities were tested. Allrightythen. It was a unique development, and one the mad scientist would not interfere in. It would be rather interesting to see what happened when he fought Megaman...

o0o0o0o

200X

(You)

You had just graduated from the Technology Institute two weeks ago and was now a fully-fledged doctor. It seemed almost surreal that you could now put a PhD after your name. You had spent the better part of a decade achieving this dream from when you took AP and college-level science classes in high school.

It felt nice to be able to quit your old job and tell her boss to shove it. You’d taken it to pay for room and board since the scholarship only covered the tuition. Now you had a real job, the kind you’d gotten your degree for. And it was right at Light Labs, which caused some envy from some of your former classmates. But you busted your ass for this, you didn’t have rich parents nor did you sleep with anyone or steal someone else’s idea or design.

So you go through the front entrance of Light Labs with a bounce in your step. That bounce dissolves when you notice Wily’s office is empty. “Hello?” you call out as you knock on the door. Through the glass, you can see the room has been cleared of all of your former mentor’s personal effects and work, leaving behind several pieces of furniture.

Was this some kind of joke? An obnoxious laugh rings out from behind you and you turn to see one of your former classmates, an asshole that you had never been able to get along with. Although he was one of the best students at the Institute, Suresh’s talent was matched by a personality you could only describe as douchey.

A glance reveals that he has a brand-new Light Labs employee ID card attached to the lapel of his coat. What the fuck. Figures.

“What?” you ask tersely.

“The old man up and left.”

“This has to be a joke.” Come to think of it, Suresh was douchey enough to pull off a joke like this. All you wanted to do at that moment was introduce his face to your fist. Maybe break that nose so he wouldn't be as good-looking. Having rich parents and being a pretty boy certainly didn't temper his pompous attitude in the least.

“No, it's true. Your boyfriend packed his bags and disappeared.”

“He's not my... what the hell is wrong with you?” Your relationship with Wily had been entirely platonic, there had never been any hint of any impropriety between you. “Oh, that's right. You're still butthurt over me not going out with you, huh? Nice to see you're still stuck on that.” you said, flipping it onto him. The flash of anger in his eyes told her that you hit the mark.

Though women had come a long way in history, science was still very much a male-dominated field, and there had only been a handful of female students at the Technology Institute. Suresh had made it his personal goal to bang them all, and you stood in the way of this goal. You walked past him, you would go talk to Dr. Light and get to the bottom of this.

You did not have to look far, because Wily's partner – former partner now? – was looking for you.

“Dr. Lastname! There you are!” You could hear the hint of forced cheeriness in his voice, and your stomach sunk further.

“Dr. Light, I've just been to Dr. Wily's office and...”

He placed his hand on your shoulder, indicating that you should come with him. He leads you to his office.

“What happened?” you said in a quieter tone. “Why did he leave?”

“I'm not entirely certain why. I know he was unhappy, but...”

You were silent for a few moments. You had indeed sensed some unhappiness from your former mentor here and there, particularly when talking about Robot Masters. “He didn't kill himself, did he?” you ask suddenly.

“No, no. Nothing like that, fortunately. He has decided to... work on his own.”

“Where?”

“I don't know.” Dr. Light shrugged. “He didn't say anything about where he was going, only that I shouldn't worry about him.”

“Um..." What were you supposed to do now? You were out of a job. With your Ph.D. you still had some good job opportunities, but there probably wouldn't be anything as good as this for someone fresh out of college. "What... what am I supposed to do?"

He looked at you kindly. “Don't worry. Albert wrote a glowing letter of recommendation for you, and I've seen the work you did while you were studying under him. There is still a job here if you want one. It's the same job Albert gave you, only he won't be the one you report to, it'll be me.”

“Yeah, that would be cool. I appreciate it. Thank you so much.” Confusion clashes with relief as you try to process the situation.

“Welcome to Light Labs.” He offered his hand, and you shook it, wondering what the fuck had happened to Wily. Of course, you’d be finding out soon enough via the news…

And you remember thinking to yourself, when you see his face on the screens, grinning trollishly as he commences on his first plan for world domination, what the ever-loving fuck???

You wondered if he’d been having a mental breakdown. Then came the second plot to take over the world. And so on…

The ever-loving fuck, indeed. But you continued to pay attention to the news whenever he was on it, didn’t you?

o0o0o0o

Present Day, 20XX

(Wily’s POV)

Today was a big day. While the mad doctor's new employee was working on Cadence, he'd been finishing up Tengu Man, and the robot was ready to be activated. He had dressed for the occasion, wearing a sharp black suit with a skeleton tie, and skull cufflinks. He always liked making a good first impression on his children, and this time would be no different. Most of the Eighth Numbers had already been activated, and just a couple remained. He grinned to himself as he thought about his eighth plan for world domination.

The robot was now standing up, slightly reclined back on the table that could be raised or angled for easier repair or access to any part of a robot's body. The wires that had powered up Tenguman were unplugged, and he moved forward to the open chest plate, where the switch was. Most robots had an off switch that was more easily accessible, usually at the back of the neck, under the arm, or somewhere on the back so their owners could switch them off manually with little trouble.

Of course, Tengu Man wasn't some simple servbot, and like all his Robot Masters, Wily made sure the switches were considerably harder to access. In case of an emergency, Wily could shut down a robot by voice, but he preferred to only use that as a last resort, wanting to give his robots as much freedom as he could.

He reached into the robot's chest, his fingers deftly finding the switch before pressing it. It would take ten seconds for activation, and he slid the small panel over the button before closing the chest plate and stepping back.

He quickly glanced over his shoulder at the observation deck where Y/n and his two lieutenants stood. Shadow Man had seen activation days often enough and watched calmly. Shade Man watched with a small smirk, tapping his chin. Y/n watched with open interest, her arms crossed.

Wily turned back to the robot, grinning as the countdown ended and the eyes flashed to life, fixing on him.

“Welcome to the world!” the mad scientist said, his arms spread wide in a gesture of welcome. No matter how many times he had done this, he still got a thrill every time one of his children woke up.

Chapter Text

V

o0o0o0o

You are not new to the activation process. You had to activate the robots you built for Wainwright Industries, to make sure that they worked correctly and acted as they should. This included interacting with the robots and asking them questions, testing their reactions to various situations, ensuring that the safety measures and fail-safes were operational, and so on before you sent them to their owners.

Now you were watching a Robot Master activated by none other than Wily. You knew this was an extremely rare opportunity, and you couldn't help but feel flattered that he was letting you watch. You look over at the Robot Masters that accompany you.

“I have a question. That is if you don't mind me asking," you say to them.

“I don't mind.” Shadow Man replied. Shade Man merely shrugged though you noticed he was smiling a bit at you, revealing one fang.

“What does it feel like, to see him activate a robot?” you ask, your eyes darting over to Wily. Shadow Man looked at her with interest, and Shade Man seemed nonplussed.

“Why would you ask that?” the vampire-bot asked before his brother could reply.

“I was just curious if it was comparable to a human anticipating the arrival of a little brother or sister. Most older siblings know their mothers are pregnant before the new baby comes. You know about the new robots before they're activated.”

“Robots are better than humans.” Shade Man said, puffing out his chest a bit. You raise your eyebrow, but did not interrupt him as he continued, “Unlike a human... baby, my brothers do not come into this world weak and stupid.”

You start laughing at that, and Shade Man looked offended. He glared at you as tears started to come down your cheeks before you collected yourself.

“I don't see what's so funny about that, and I do not need to be mocked by a human!”

“I wasn't laughing at you, honestly.” You let out a soft giggle. “I was just laughing at your... candor.”

This seemed to mollify the robot a bit, and you go on to clarify, “Yes. Human babies are pretty stupid and helpless, and they take so damn long to teach and raise. I have to admit, I envy you in that aspect. When you were activated, you had a fully-developed brain and body. The only thing you lacked was experience, but you had all the intelligence and knowledge you needed to function, right away.”

“You're jealous of me?” Shade Man asked with a faintly amused tone. You shrug in response instead of saying something, not wanting to give the purple robot any more reason to feel superior.

“Back to my original question," you say in a businesslike voice. “I really am curious as to how you feel about it. What are your thoughts on getting little... um, younger brothers?”

“I welcome any addition Father deems fit to bring to the family.” Shadow Man replied. “Whether he builds them himself or... liberates robots.” He glanced at the other robot. Shade Man smirked.

“We are more than human. Comparing Father's work to the... messy and inefficient creation of babies is pointless.” the younger robot said.

There was so much that could be said about the comparison between Robot Master and human, but before the conversation could go further, the door to the observation deck slid open.

“Activation has been successful. On to the next stage.”

“Um... by next stage, do you mean testing him, making sure his weapons and armor are up to snuff, and all that?” you ask. He shook his head.

“That comes later. The first thing I like to do is just let them wander a bit, talk to the other robots, get a feel of who they are, and ask questions of them or me. With robots at this level, you never know what kind of personality quirks they're going to develop." Though Tengu Man was activated, his weapons remained offline, to ensure that he did not use them accidentally. He had learned that lesson after a mishap with Metal Man.

“Hmm.” Though you didn't doubt that a Robot Master had their own personality, especially after meeting and interacting with Dr. Light's numbers, your work for the military and Wainwright had caused you to nearly forget that. You were so used to working with and creating robots that were nothing but tools and servants to their human masters.

“Do you dress up every time you activate a robot?” you ask, referring to his suit.

“Why not? After all, you know what they say about first impressions. What, you don't like it?”

“I gotta admit, you do know how to rock the whole skeleton motif." The suit fit him well, and he looked sharp in it. The flash of pleasure in his eyes shows you that despite his lofty aspirations, he was no different than any other male when it came to the ego. You had to bite back a smirk at that.

o0o0o0o

200X

(Wily’s POV)

Albert and several of his colleagues were giving a lecture at the Institute. It was a special presentation, given Light Lab's recent development in the technology that would give way to the Robot Masters. Thomas had already started construction on a pair of robots, Rock and Roll, after the hard lessons he had learned from Blues.

In Monsteropolis, robots had slowly started to become a part of life, in various capacities such as restaurant staff, law enforcement assistants, public sanitation, or nursing. Of course, all of these robots operated in a limited capacity compared to a Robot Master.

One could say that Monsteropolis had become a kind of testing lab for these robots, to see how well they integrated into society and how well humans took to these mechanical presences. The city had been nicknamed 'the city of the future' for this reason, for no other place in the world was quite like this. It was also a tourist attraction, from average people curious to see the city to people educated in various fields, to study the integration of robots in society. Albert could not help but imagine how Monsteropolis would respond to the next generation of robots. It truly was an exciting time they lived in.

The presentation was about the next generation as well as its possibilities and implications, and the guests would be able to ask questions. The audience was made up of a mixture of visiting professors and scientists, as well as students from the Institute.

Thomas did most of the speaking, but Albert was content to let him do so. One could easily see and hear the passion within the bearded scientist as he spoke of the subject, and he wondered what Dr. Hofstadter would have said if he could see the state of technology today. Unfortunately, he had died nearly a decade ago, still scoffing at the idea of robots having a soul.

The audience was sufficiently impressed when the subject of Robot Masters was brought up, and Light discussed the six different models that made up DLWN-003 through 008 and the practical functions they would serve within Monsteropolis. Albert talked some on this subject, also talking about how these Robot Masters would also have the capability to direct and organize lesser robots to get large-scale tasks done, such as placing a Gutsman in a leadership position on a construction site. Of course, there would still be a need for a human foreman, but a Gutsman could go into the more dangerous areas, and not need to worry about falling beams or other accidents given his super strength, keeping the foreman and other humans out of danger.

Once the presentation was over, it was time for the Q&A session. Although there were a few cameras, this was not a mere press conference with reporters asking questions about things they knew little if anything about.

Thomas pointed to a young man near the front row. He appeared to be of either Middle Eastern or Indian descent, and given his age, he was most likely a student. "Yes, you, Mr...?" Thomas asked.

“Mo Suresh. I'm a student at the Institute, in my last year. You spoke of ethics and compassion, but I have to wonder, is that important? For humans, certainly, but these are just... robots. Why should we give them the capability to feel if we're only going to use them as tools?” His accent was cultured, and from the glint of the pinky finger and the watch on his hand, Albert guessed he came from a well-off family.

“Without feelings, a Robot Master won't know the difference between right and wrong. What if someone designed a Robot Master for evil? Wouldn't it be better than, if that robot could feel what was right and wrong, and question his creator or even leave him, if need be?”

“Why should we care about what a robot feels? It's just a robot! And if a problem arises, why not just build a bigger and stronger robot to destroy that robot, then, although that’s why we have remote shutdowns in the first place?” Mo Suresh asked. Several other students chuckled at that, and even some of the scientists and older members of the audience shared this mirth.

“Wouldn't it be wiser to avoid that sort of fight in the first place?” Mikhail Cossack asked. “We certainly don't need Master-level intelligence, or emotion for lower-level robots or computers, but for this technology, shouldn't human-level intelligence be tempered with emotion, instead of having a killing machine that has no thought for its victims?” The room was silent for a couple of moments.

“Hmph." The young Indian man sat back, his arms crossed. Wily saw another hand raise, this time from a woman near Suresh. She looked like she was in her early twenties, and had that cute geek girl aesthetic going for her.

“All this talk of machines having emotions and feelings... I understand its practical purpose. However, giving a machine the same mental and emotional capacity as a human raises an issue... what if the robot does not want to perform the function it was built for? Take for example the Gutsman model. What if a Gutsman decides he is unhappy with mining or construction, and decides that he wants to say... arrange flowers?"

“You're kidding me, right?” Suresh said before anyone on the panel could say anything. “A robot can't go against its programming!”

Wily frowned and cut in. “That is an excellent question, Ms...?”

“Lastname. Y/n Lastname. I'm also a student here.”

“Most robots are unable to go against their programming because they do not have the capability for free thought. However, the Robot Masters will be designed to have flexible thought processes and yes, free thought. So what you suggest is entirely within the realm of possibility. However, given how new Robot Master technology is, that's not an issue that we have had to face, at least not yet." He glanced at Thomas, there was no need to discuss Blues. He looked back at the young woman. "That is something we will have to deal with when we come face-to-face with it. As Thomas has said, this technology will come with great responsibility. This is why we're discussing ethics now, in anticipation of the possibilities that will arise."

There were several more questions and answers from various members of the audience before Thomas made his announcement.

“It is my pleasure to announce an exciting opportunity for the students at the Institute," he said with a jovial smile. Murmurs rippled through the room, was he talking about an internship or a job opportunity? Many students at the Institute would give an arm and leg for such an opportunity.

“Doubtless most if not all of you read Scientist's Digest," he said. After nods and murmurs of affirmation, he continued. "Well, with Light Labs' work in robots and AI, the magazine has decided to do a focus on this field. Since there is so much to be said and done, they have decided to spread it across the next few issues. They also want interviews with each of us, so each month will feature one interview. I agreed to this, but I also wanted this to be a learning experience for the students at the Institute."

Albert sat back, loosely crossing his arms as he listened to his partner with half an ear, knowing the students were getting excited when Thomas explained that each interview would be conducted with a student, and those who wanted a chance to interview one of the doctors would need to submit a short essay to the scientist of their choice.

As Thomas explained this, Albert let his gaze wander back to Ms. Lastname. He hadn't expected such a question, but he had welcomed it, especially after the attitude of that Indian man. She, like most of the other young people in the audience, was listening intently to Thomas, recognizing what a published interview in an internationally acclaimed science publication could do for them.

“And that concludes today's presentation," Thomas said as he rose from the panel. Albert, Mikhail, and Noelle all rose from their seats and were met with an enthusiastic round of applause.

Afterward, it wasn't surprising to see how many people wanted to talk to Thomas. He had always had that friendly mien that made him so easily approachable, and of course, it didn't hurt Dr. Light that he had the patience to deal with these people, since Albert himself was considerably more brusque, having little tolerance for questions or comments he deemed stupid. At Light Labs, if there was a problem, the workers were more likely to seek out Dt. Light than his partner, because around the lab. Dr. Wily was known as a man who could tear you one if he thought you made a mistake due to your stupidity.

He also didn't doubt that his partner would get most of the essays. To have one's name in the same article as Light would probably give the person who was selected some extra credit for their class. He looked around at the students and professors milling about, chatting with one another or with the scientists, and decided to take his leave, he had more important things to do than make chitchat.

As he made his way out of the lecture hall, he caught sight of Ms. Lastname as she sipped a cup of coffee. Their eyes met, and she gave him a quick smile. He smiled back before he left.

o0o0o0o

Several days later, he got an email. He did not recognize who was sending it, only that it was an email from the Institute because of the source address, which meant it had to be from a professor there, most likely. Without a second thought, he clicked on it.

Oh. It was a student wanting to interview him for Scientist's Digest. Drs Cossack and Lalinde got a respectable share of submissions, but Thomas got the most, including from that upstart Indian man. Thomas was even considering choosing him for the interview in the hope of teaching Mr. Suresh a thing or two and broadening his views. Albert was rather skeptical of this, it did not seem that the young man could be swayed from his mindset. Thomas had the tendency to try to see the good in people and give them a second chance. Not bad in itself, but then his colleague could sometimes minimize the faults in others. Feh.

He took a second look at the name in the email address before it came to him. Though he didn't always remember names, he certainly remembered Y/n Lastname and the intelligent questions she had asked during the presentation. People like Hofstadter and Suresh among others frustrated him, and their limited view of the potential of robots disheartened him. Unfortunately, that attitude was all too prevalent, so it would be a breath of fresh air to talk to someone who wasn't so narrow-minded.

o0o0o0o

Present Day, 20XX

Y/n had definitely made a first impression on him, Albert mused as he idly fiddled with his tie. He tapped several buttons on the control panel, bringing up a few camera views from around the lab onto the screen. So far Tenguman was doing well, though he had quickly shown a pompous and confident attitude.

He casually slurped up a mouthful of noodles as he gazed at the screens. So far, the several activated Eighth Numbers were adjusting well, their personalities developing as they explored their environment and interacted with the older Numbers. When he had designed and created the DLWN numbers, he hadn't thought of himself as a father. He'd never seen himself as a parental figure and disliked children. However, after his self-imposed exile and seeing how his creations regarded him, he almost unconsciously stepped into the role of a father figure.

In some ways, it was much easier to be a father to a robot than to a human. One of the reasons he disliked children was because they were so stupid compared to adults, especially the younger they were, so he found himself unable to talk to them or connect with them. With a robot, he could talk to it and expect it to understand him in its first day of life. It had all the basic knowledge it needed and only needed education in things that could not be hard-wired into its memory. A robot could, for example, know that 'please' and 'thank you' were appropriate words in social interaction, but it needed to learn the subtle cues of human behavior, and when such words would be warranted.

Plus, he didn't need to worry about things like burping or diaper changes, teaching them how to read, or making sure they didn't hurt themselves by doing something an adult knew better than to do, among the other innumerable things a parent or caretaker had to do for the stupid little brats. Too bad the human body wasn't more like a robot's. Heck, he didn't even like to think about his childhood and how... ignorant he had once been.

He watched the monitors for several minutes, processing the various streams of information. There were also several newsfeeds playing, he might have isolated himself from the world but it was still important to know what was going on out there, not just in general world news, but also in the scientific community. Whether it be articles, interviews, documentaries, or presentations, he paid attention, because even though he was the world's greatest genius, he could still acknowledge that people other than him could make valuable contributions to science.

Speaking of contributions... He turned to see Y/n, absorbed in her tablet as she slurped up some noodles.

“Supper should be a relaxing time. There's nothing wrong with taking a break from work.”

“Says the man who's working on his eighth plan for world domination.”

“Even the great Dr. Wily needs a break now and then.”

o0o0o0o

(You)

You smile at his comment. You were so damn excited about your lab that when you were not doing work for him, you were occupied with yours.

And you realize with a start that you've been so focused on work the last few days, doing little outside of work besides sleep and self-care. Does poor Dr. Wily feel neglected by your lack of attention?

… Perhaps he does. When you weren’t caught in the mania of working, your thoughts had wandered to the hug the two of you shared. You knew you wanted more. But you were such a nerd that like Wily, you could get all caught up in something for days. You saw it when he was working on one of the newest robots, so when your work was done you’d entertained yourself by going outside or watching something on streaming or going online and reading scientific journals and articles.

“Sorry about that. I was just so excited and I didn’t want to waste any time,” you offer sheepishly. “Seriously though, I’m super grateful for what you’ve given me.” Again, you think of the hug. Has he thought of it as much as you have?

You finish your ramen before you ask him a question.

“What was it like... leaving Light Labs and hiding yourself away from the world?”

“It took some getting used to...” he admitted, “Even though I'd been preparing for some time.”

“Didn't you try to keep in contact with anyone?"

“No. I cut myself completely off from everyone, even Thomas. I knew that if I contacted someone, they'd just try to find me, so if there was something I needed, I always used an alias or intermediary.”

“When I came to Light Labs to work for you and you weren't there... I thought maybe you killed yourself," you say quietly. He stills as he stares at you.

“Why would you think that? I didn't come across as suicidal, did I?”

“I could sense you were unhappy at Light Labs. You never came out and said it, but there were times when I could see you were angry or depressed.”

“I suppose it's true what they say, women are more intuitive than men?” he quipped.

“Like I said, you were never obvious about your depression. I'm not sure anyone else suspected, except perhaps Thomas. But I did know where some of that anger came from. You didn't like how many people, including some scientists, had a limited view of the potential of robots. That, you made pretty clear to me, but I never imagined you'd become a villain."

“I can assure you, I'm the better for it. I have no rules to follow and no one to tell me what to do. My children are safe here, not to be exploited by others.”

“But your children work for you. They build your labs, mine or steal the materials you need, and fight Megaman. They do pretty much whatever you tell them, how are you any better than the humans you look down upon when you expect obedience from the robots you make or steal?” You don’t ask this looking for a fight, your voice is gentle.

He smirked at that as he took a sip of his tea.

“Isn't it a parent's job to make sure their children function? I don't mean just making sure they can do what they're designed for but as a person with responsibilities. Does a good parent let their children loaf around the house all day, doing no work?"

“No.”

“Exactly. I care for my robots, and when they are broken or damaged, I repair them and upgrade them instead of casting them aside. I do not try to control their personalities or interests and give them the time and space to do so. I give them advice when they come to me seeking answers. My labs will always be a haven for them. For all this, is it not fair to ask for something in return? After all, robots are much stronger than humans, so it is easier for them to accomplish the tasks I set for them than it is for humans. Remember, my children are not like human children with their... frailties. They give me their services and loyalty in exchange for all that I give them. Does this sound fair to you?"

“I stand corrected. How could I forget how damn logical you could be?” you reply as you cross your arms.“Didn't you ever miss interacting with your peers, and being part of the scientific community?"

“Once in a while, sure, but there were too many blowhards. I've dealt with them throughout my whole scientific career, and before I left Light Labs, I decided that enough was enough.”

“I trust I wasn't one of these people," you ask lightly.

“Far from it," he said dryly. You smile in relief.

“I'll admit, it's been pretty nice here so far, without any idiot coworkers or bosses coming to bother me about this or that. Office politics...” You roll your eyes. Even though science wasn't the same as business or law, there were plenty enough people competing for certain positions, trying to make connections, sleeping with one another, or backstabbing their fellow workers. Even though you were not a lawyer or a Human Resources person, you had to deal with people trying to steal one another's ideas, and unfortunately, a case or two of sabotage. But then, Wainwright Industries was in robotics for the money, so that was to be expected.

“Less said about that, the better," he replied.

“There's something I've wanted to ask...” You glanced at him. “Why did you kidnap Kalinka and Mikhail Cossack? Wouldn't it have been easier to just steal his robots like you did for DLWN-003 through 008?” Hadn't it occurred to him that the news would run wild with the story of him holding Kalinka hostage to force her father to work for him? After the Cossacks and the Cossack Numbers had been rescued and were home safe, the news, especially the Internet, had practically exploded with references and jokes about Dr. Wily and pedophilia and child molestation. Who could expect any less after a story about an old man kidnapping a young girl and forcing her father into servitude? The lewd memes practically wrote themselves.

“Hmm..." He did not answer right away and swirled what little tea was left in his cup, watching the brownish-green liquid slosh around. "As you know, Cossack was a former student of mine. I'm sure you're aware of his ideals regarding robotics. I was also impressed with his series of Robot Masters."

“Of course.” You had talked with him a few times when he visited Light Labs and respected him as a colleague. Though his ideas weren't as radical as Albert's, of course, he was still more progressive and open-minded than many others in the field. And you read his book.

“I contacted him, and he was not very... friendly in his response. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“You know, I never did believe the things that were said about you and Kalinka.”

“That is refreshing to hear.” the older scientist admitted. “It's nice to know that someone had faith in me that I would know to do the right thing. Well, the right thing at least once in a while.”

“I knew because of two things. First of all, you might be an eccentric old man, but I know you would never hurt an innocent child. You might be a villain, but you're not heartless. Secondly, if you did actually did do anything of that sort to Kalinka, her father would not rest until he could shatter every bone in your body before choking the last breath out of you."

This sent Wily into a spate of loud laughter, and a couple of tears managed to break free. He collected himself and wiped his cheeks. He took a deep breath before finishing his tea.

“I think I should have reached out to you instead of Mikhail back then…” he says with a chuckling wheeze. “But what’s done is done.” He reaches to take your bowl, nesting it in his own and setting it aside for a robot to take.

“You're lucky to have your own in-house cook," you comment. The ramen was the authentic Japanese variety with savory strips of beef, eggs and some vegetables, not the packets of it you’d eaten enough of in your college days.

“Not lucky. Blessed.” he gently corrected as he poured himself another cup of tea. Shadow Man wasn't just a whiz at tea, he had mastered Japanese cuisine in but a couple of tries, according to Albert. He'd downloaded various recipes and tried them out, seeing which ones his father liked the best.

“Is Japanese all he cooks? If his sushi and ramen are this good I'd love to see him try (different cuisine) I love (dish).”

“Well, Shadow is primarily interested in Japanese history and culture. Calligraphy, swordsmanship, literature and haiku, meditation... you get the idea. But I've been encouraging him to study other cultures as well.”

“Cool.” You let him pour some tea for you, as well. After you finish, you rise to your feet. You’ve been working for nearly sixteen hours between Wily’s lab and your own. “I'm beat.” It's not until you sat down for a late dinner with him that you realized what a long day it's been. If you weren't so tired, you would revisit the topic of a hug.

“Be sure to rest up. Tomorrow's a big day, I'm going to be activating a couple more Numbers.”

“I bet you just can't wait to announce your eighth plan for world domination, huh?” you ask dryly.

“You know it.”

You pass Shadow Man as you leave the room. “Dinner was awesome,” you tell him.

He smiled in pleasure. “Thank you.”

“You're more than welcome. Good night!”

o0o0o0o

If a few names seem familiar, it’s intentional. I’m tossing in a few Easter eggs/references to other scifi shows/books/etc.

Chapter Text

VI

o0o0o0o

Living with robots was a bit surreal, but you were quick to get used to it. Some of Wily's older robots were occupied in other parts of the world, getting supplies from mines or other needed tasks that benefited Wily Island in the long run, but a handful of them remained on the island, doing various tasks matching their original functions. Just like humans, each had their own personality and interests, and you clicked more with a few than others. Some expressed curiosity, others expressed indifference, assuming that your stay here was temporary, like that of Cossack's. And come to think of it, there was no specified duration of your employment. You worked for him, and he provided for just about every need you had. And as you’ve told him, it’s fun here.

And you love how you can get plenty of fresh air outside. There are several Robot Masters, including Wood Man, in charge of taking care of the natural features here. There's also a greenhouse with one of the most adorable Robot Masters you've ever met, Plant Man. The greenhouse is a tad toasty compared to the crisp air outside, but it's still a nice place to be. You've never really had a green thumb, but it's nice to listen to Plant Man talk to you as you ask him questions about the plants you see.

He’s so unlike Metal Man, who is cold in voice and personality, his tongue as sharp as well... his saw blades. You recall the fresh salad that came with lunch today. You generally weren’t a salad person, but the arrangement before you was fresh, and you’d eaten it. Salad was still salad, but you’ll admit it was the best one you’d ever eaten. You laugh as you converse with him and look around again, paying more attention to the green-filled space.

“... Is that cannabis?” you ask with surprised amusement as you recognize the leaves of several plants clustered together.

Plant Man turned to look where you were looking and turned back to you. For a moment, you imagined Wily as a drug dealer with a posse of robot Enforcers, selling bags of marijuana. This image magnified to liken the mad scientist to Pablo Escobar, creating a vast empire with his robot army. Why the heck would there be cannabis here? Not that you had anything against pot, but it was hard for you to imagine why Wily would have plants growing unless he did indeed sell drugs and used the profit to help him build his lab or obtain supplies.

“Yes, it is. Do you use it, too?”

… Too? “Well, not for a long time, I'll admit.” You remembered sneaking tokes with the stoners in high school, and a few times in college, but you kind of fell out of the habit, especially with the drug testing for your job which you understood so you’d just stopped altogether. “So... he smokes it, huh?”

“Yes, he says it helps him to relax and helps with his pain. Do you want some?” He sounded so friendly and cavalier about it that you bit back a giggle.

“Well, what's good for the gander is good for the goose...." Fifteen minutes later, you were stretched out just outside of the greenhouse on the thick grass, the ache in your back gone. Best stuff you'd ever smoked, but then, with his extensive knowledge of plants and gardening, Plant Man would certainly know how to cross-breed cannabis plants for the best high, or however that worked. High-school biology was over a decade ago.

“Are you feeling all right?” Plant Man asked.

“Never better in fact. My soreness is gone.”

“Good, the plant works as it is supposed to. It works well for Father and his arthritis pain, but it's nice to see that the result is the same for others, especially in someone of such a different age and gender.”

“Say, how did you end up here, anyway? I know Albert didn't create you.”

“No." Plant Man said quietly. He looked down for a moment before looking back at you. "My old owner was a botanist, researching plants to create natural remedies. I maintained his garden for him and helped him with a lot since some work was hard for him."

“Oh, how come?”

“He only had one arm.”

“I think I know who you're talking about. Pedro Astil, right?" Since the man's field was not robotics, he had come to Dr. Light asking him to help him create a robot assistant since he lacked enough knowledge to build one on his own. Light had obliged him. And what better for a scientist in his field than a plant-themed robot, of course?

“Yes, that was him.”

“So... why did you leave him?”

“I didn't. He died.” Plant Man said, sounding hurt.

You reached out to touch his arm. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I didn't know he had died, we never met.” This explanation caused him to perk back up a little, and he nodded.

“The company that hired him took ownership of me after he died since he had no close living relatives and I was part of his work, which gave them a legal claim over me. But I didn't like the president or the people I was supposed to work under because they weren't nice like Pedro. They thought it'd be fun to enter me into the tournament for some extra money, so when Wily kidnapped me and talked to me about having freedom and the ability to choose my own life... well, I decided to stay with him."

Score one for Wily, I guess, you mused as you looked at the plant-themed robot. For what it was worth, he seemed genuinely enthusiastic about his tasks and not merely because it was what he had been built for. “Well, I'm glad things worked out for you. You do seem happy here.” Never before in your career had you been expected to care about a robot's happiness...but then, you'd never come across robots like the ones here or at Light Labs. Having free will and thought, yet expected to fulfill their responsibilities just as one would expect of a normal adult human, developing personalities and given the time and space to foster them...

The more time you spent here, the easier it was to blur both obvious and unspoken lines between machine and human. In your old jobs, you were so used to giving robots commands and seeing them as nothing more than tools because that's what they had been designed to be. None of the robots you'd ever helped to design or build had complete free thought, however advanced their AI had been.

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

Though people wouldn’t think so, Wily had an appreciation for art.

...At least, some aspects of it. He admired the technique of the Renaissance masters, who did their best to bring reality to a canvas, with their studies on anatomy, composition, light and shadow, and so on forth. Sculptors who brought life – or at least were able to skillfully copy an organic form – from marble or other immobile mediums were worthy of his respect. He could even enjoy looking at the paintings of the Impressionists and their ilk, the measured use of each brushstroke and application of color, the way such an artist could create a beautiful and coherent image out of countless individual jabs of a brush.

As a scientist, he had an appreciation for the technical aspects of art and the effort, skill, and patience it took to make a visually pleasing work of art. Even some abstract artwork could appeal to him, provided that it looked like the artist put thought and effort into it. He had an intense dislike of people who called themselves artists merely because they hurled or dripped paint or drew several lines on a canvas, or welded several random pieces of metal together and considered it a masterpiece.

Plant Man was an artist, and Wily saw no reason to not encourage that creative streak in the plant-themed robot as soon as he learned of it. His preferred medium was seeds and what grew from them, and his canvas was dirt, but that didn’t make him any less of an artist than those who chose more traditional mediums. Between him and Wood Man – who preferred larger plants – the mad scientist could appreciate the work one did with organic materials, as opposed to inorganic medium. It did get tiring looking at metal, tools, machine parts, and computer displays, and even the most diligent workers needed a break.

He walked through the indoor portal that led to the greenhouse directly from the building. Before Wood Man, he had had to steal or import his food from elsewhere. With the combined efforts of Wood Man and Plant Man, most of his food needs were met, and they provided excellent research subjects and feedback for making more organic technology, like renewable power cells fed by solar panels. The cleaner and more renewable a robot's power source was, the longer and more efficiently it could run.

He took a deep breath, feeling the subtropical dampness in the air pervade his lungs. The heat and humidity in the greenhouse felt nice, and he slid off his coat, looking around for Plant Man as he undid the top button of his shirt, Two more activations to go, and he would be ready for his next plot to conquer the world. No matter how many times he tried to take over the world, it still excited him.

Plant Man told him that Y/n had just stepped outside. He raised his eyebrow as he saw his assistant sitting in a patch of grass, idly stroking her fingers across the thick greenage, and he noticed she was barefoot. In her other hand was something he recognized immediately, and he grinned to himself as he registered the smell of smoke not even a moment after he noticed the blunt.

“I see you've discovered Plant Man's garden," he commented. She looked up at him with a small smirk.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this place?”

“What? And ruin the surprise?" He had given her a tour of some parts of the island but wanted her to explore on her own, and with the surveillance of Robot Masters and security cameras, her safety was guaranteed.

She blew a raspberry in response to that, and he simply grinned before he looked back at Plant Man. He was well aware that Plant Man thrived off attention and was sensitive and he made an effort to engage Plant Man now and then. The world saw him as a bastard but he could be mindful of other's feelings... if he gave enough of a shit.

Some of his robots needed more praise and affirmation than others, and he did try his best to be a good father, but it was not easy when you had so many children to divide your attention among when you had so much work to do on top of that. It seemed that Y/n might be able to help with some of that. She had not been here that long, but she was getting on nicely with several of the Masters, which pleased him. It meant she saw them as worthy of dignity and respect too.

“I see the garden is coming along nicely," he said as he looked around with a nod. Like a true artist, Plant Man paid attention to color balance and composition, planting this or that in certain areas or configurations to make for a real treat on the eyes. It was too bad that Plant Man couldn't offer his services to the world, but as a robot, someone else would be expected to take the profit from his work and dictate what he could or could not do, because the world did not consider Robot Masters to be worthy of the same rights and privileges as people. What would happen to Rock and Roll should their father pass on? It was a thorny question, and he was certain Thomas had considered it.

“How goes work?” Plant Man asked.

“I’m almost done with the eighth series.”

“You work so hard.”

“Anything worthwhile is worth it.”

“Too bad more humans aren’t like you.”

This drew a snort from Y/n. “The last thing this world needs is another mad genius bent on world domination.”

“Of course! There’s only room in this world for ONE mad genius!” Wily shot back.

“Will you ever give up?” she asked bemused. He kept trying to take over the world and failing. Yet she admired his persistence, he just kept trying, and getting better every time. Come to think of it, eight attempts to take over the world and the same hero stopping them every time sounded a lot like a video game series. Hmmm...

“Why should I? Most of the populace is stupid and ignorant. Talking to them nicely doesn’t work.”

“Damnit, Albert.”

“What?” he asked, a bit perplexed at her outburst.

“Stop being so logical.”

He laughed at that. “I’m glad you see the wisdom in my words.”

She crossed her arms and hmphed at that before he took a couple of steps closer to her. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked. She looked down at what was in her hand and chuckled before inhaling from it. "How the hell did you even? Did you do this when you were working with Thomas?" she asked.

“He would have thrown a fit and lectured me," he responded dryly. "So I made sure to be real careful about it. Of course, now I can light up whenever I want." As if to punctuate that statement, Plant Man handed him a freshly-rolled one, and he did not hesitate to light it up and take a hit.

“I just never expected this from you.”

“What, did you think I led the life of a monk?”

“... Kind of?" She gave him a mildly sheepish look. "I mean, I figured you were focused on science and world domination?"

“Well, now you know better than that." He remembered the hug and wiggled his eyebrows at her. When she smiled at that, he sat next to her.

“This is really good," she murmured, "Not that I should expect less from you, I suppose. I suffer from really bad anxiety sometimes, but medication never seemed to help enough. So I just gave up on it and turned to meditation techniques. Which helps sometimes, but not all the time."

He tutted sympathetically at that. It'd been quite an experience having her here. He was still getting used to it and gave her plenty of space despite the many temptations she offered him. Knowing that she liked him too made it harder to not just drag her to his bed.

“There’s nothing here that gives you anxiety, is there?” he asked. She smiled and shook her head.

“You being here helps me." She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled to himself as he sat there.

o0o0o0o

(You)

That session at the greenhouse was nice. Now that you thought about it, it shouldn't surprise you so much that he liked to imbibe. It'd been a long time for you though, so it left you feeling pretty light-headed.

“You all right?” you hear him ask when you slump forward, placing your head in your hands. Your mind is racing with all sorts of ideas, but it’s hard to get them organized and in focus so you can put down notes.

“It’s been years since I had any,” you admit. “It’s good, but it’s hitting me hard.” You blush at that, feeling embarrassed.

“Plant Man, get Y/n some water,” you hear him say, and almost immediately, a cup of water is presented to you. You drink it and sit up, leaning your head back and breathing in some fresh air.

“Oh, wow,” you breathe. You feel a hand on your shoulder.

“It really has been a long time, huh? Well, that’s one of the benefits of working outside the law. No drug testing. I trust you’ll be responsible though.”

“Fair enough, no worries." You smile at him. "I'm glad I took this job and not just because of what's in the greenhouse." You playfully nudge his side. You'd been so busy with your work that you had not seen much of him lately, and now that you're sitting here with him, you don't want to get up. "I really didn't realize how much work I was doing lately. I was just so excited, and…"

“Trust me, Y/n, I know the feeling. I’ve been there, and Shadow Man or Shade Man will have to remind me to eat or sleep once in a while.”

You laugh softly at that. It’s comforting that his robots watch out for him. “That’s sweet. But who will remind me?” you tease.

“I will." comes his reply. Your cheeks warm at that, but you fight the urge to look away shyly, and he smirks at you. "If you still feel light-headed, you can lie down. It's not like anything's going to happen to you out here."

You’re reassured by that, but you wouldn’t mind if he tried a little something. Almost as if he read your mind, he patted his lap. “You’re welcome to rest your head here.”

Oh, thank fuck.

You stare up at the sky, seeing Wily's face at one side as you doze off, thinking about science. (You're constantly thinking about science anyway because you're a super-smart scientist. So smart that Wily hired you. You go you!)

Cadence could be a real asset to a Robot Master, but it had its limits. Any piece of technology did, and you suspected that there would always be some sort of upper limit to what it could do, just as scientists predicted that one day, the limit in memory within a computer would be reached in due time.

Mega Man's Variable Tool System was an example. There were only so many weapons it could hold at once, and for a limited duration before it started to overload his system. Rock's body had limits to how much it could accommodate, even with the upgrades he'd been given since his activation. It was why each time a new series of Wily Numbers was released, Rock couldn't just go into the fray with all the weapons he'd accumulated over the years after defeating various Numbers. Likewise, Wily could only give an individual robot so many capabilities, otherwise, he'd be able to pretty much roll all his robots into one super robot. Fortunately for the world, these limitations existed or you were sure he would have taken over the world already. (And then, people would build super-robots to fight him, and so on...)

Cadence needed to go beyond that, and accommodate whatever upgrades its host received and be able to seam them in for the benefit of the robot. It didn’t necessarily mean taking on all weapons, but better integration would mean a wider range of abilities. The next generation of robots would be created in due time, most likely within a century if not your lifetime. And the Masters of that generation would be even more advanced. You wonder what it will be like in twenty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand years.

That is, if you accomplish and perfect Cadence. You'd written the code but had not fully tested it yet. As you very well know, trial and error is a big part of science. But it was still exciting, damnit. Your thoughts are gently interrupted when you feel fingers brush along your hairline. It takes a couple of moments to realize what's happening. You'd come to the greenhouse and then sat outside to enjoy the fresh air, and Wily came to join you. Then you felt light-headed and he invited you to rest your head in his lap.

And now he was touching your forehead and hair. Was it a problem?

Haha, far from it. So you close your eyes, and let him continue. It does feel nice.

“You do need a Robot Master for Cadence, don’t you?” you hear him ask.

“Mmm. Yes.”

“If one of my robots agreed to it, would you be willing to use a Wily Number?”

You think about this as you feel his fingers trail along your temple. If you put Cadence in one of his Numbers, Wily would have direct access to your work. So you're taking a risk if you say yes. But if you say no, Wily is certain to be offended and hurt. He did not offer you one of his robots lightly, given the care you've seen for them. That speaks of the confidence he has in you.

“Well, if one of your robots is willing, I don’t see why it couldn’t work.”

“Excellent.” You almost expect to hear an evil laugh accompany that. If you did make a deal with the devil, he certainly is a charming one.

After all, here you are with your head in his lap. It’s almost like something you’d see in one of these cheesy romantic movies. But what the hell, it is a nice feeling, and now you’re beginning to appreciate why some people like that type of movie. You imagine a few of these scenes you’ve seen – sharing food like both of you sipping from a smoothie through a straw, or that famous scene from Lady and the Tramp where the shared spaghetti noodle turned into a kiss. Or running through a field of flowers, playing some sport together, doing a waltz with him, or a moonlit walk on the beach while romantic music swells through the air. It’s quite the montage, really, and you think Albert is way cuter than the typical conventionally attractive actors usually hired to fill such a role.

“Now and then I sort of wish you'd kidnapped me a long time ago," you admit in a shy whisper. "But I'm glad you waited, and offered me a job."

A finger trails along your ear, and you shiver. “Kidnapping, eh?” His voice is a little quieter, but you hear the curiosity.

“Call it a guilty pleasure fantasy. Being kidnapped and ravished by the mad scientist, like you see in some smutty romance novel.”

“I never quite imagined myself as the sort of man you would see in one of these books. But I’m flattered.”

You chuckle and open your eyes, looking up at him. He has a relaxed look on his face. “Since you’re being honest, I’ll admit that on occasion I did fantasize nearly the same thing. Showing up in one of my machines and capturing you, or having my Robot Masters drag you away…” he drawls.

Your pulse quickens as your imagination runs rife with all these mental images, considerably more racy than the romance movie montage. Oh myyyyy. If your brain was an engine, it would be overheating and making weird noises.

“… Great minds think alike?” you say quietly after a couple of moments of silence as you gather your wits and cobble together what you hope is a coherent response.

“There’s always roleplay,” he offers boldly.

And these words smash right through the brain you've just put back together, and now you're pretty sure that overheated engine you envisioned earlier has now exploded, leaving your mind in what almost feels like a state of scattershot, thoughts whizzing everywhere. The possibilities… fuck, really? First, you get to work for Wily, and then you get your own lab space, and then this? It's like hitting three 7's in a slot machine. You feel light-headed still, but now you're certain it's from a natural high instead of a plant-induced one.

You sit up, carefully to not bump your head into his. “Just to be clear, you… like like me?" you ask, wanting to be one hundred percent certain.

“Like like? It’s been a very long time since I heard someone talk like that,” he says with a dry chuckle. “Assuming it means the same thing it did back when I was in school, then hell yes. I thought that was obvious before.”

You blush. "Yes. Sorry if I seem silly, I'm just overwhelmed. Sometimes I get anxious about misreading someone or overstepping boundaries and not knowing it."

“Ah, relax, Finish up what you're smoking. You need to learn to not be so tense. Let go of all that anxiety, you're here on a peaceful island with a mad scientist who likes you."

“Likes likes,” you playfully correct.

“An important distinction, and one I hope you remember.”

“I’m not about to forget, believe me. And what you said about roleplay… well, I’m open to the idea,” you say as you lie back down, finishing off what Plant Man gave you. You inhale and then exhale the faintly sweet and musky smoke as you absorb the possibilities and implications of everything you’ve just talked about. The saying about great minds is supposed to be cliché, but knowing that you and Wily shared similar fantasies had to be more than just a meeting of the minds...

“Is that so? I’ll make sure you have plenty of fun, then.”

You have to resist the urge to climb on top of him and just have your way with him. You've been drunk before and this is similar in some ways. You have enough presence of mind to realize that as much as you'd love to play, you don't want to rush into this, especially when the ground doesn't feel all too steady under you. Oof. Damn being a responsible adult and all that.

“I will hold you to that. But not tonight. I need rest,” you say, waiting to see how he responds to this (although you are actually tired, and you want to prepare before you take that step)

“Yes, you do. It’s important to take care of yourself.” You feel his palm on your forehead. Then a kiss on your cheek. But that’s as far as he goes, and you’re satisfied and secretly proud of him.

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

Albert tapped several keys as he flipped through various articles on the brain and neurology. Despite the obvious differences between organic and robotic bodies, people who worked in robotics could not help but notice the similarities between the two. Organic and robotic systems were both incredibly complex, just one thing wrong could negatively impact the whole system. Like a robotic body, a human one was run by electric impulses, with the brain sending messages through an intricate network of nerves to control and operate the body on a conscious and unconscious level.

Not only that, but limbs needed fluid to work – in a human's case, blood and water, in a robot's case, fuel and lubricant. A robot's fluid did not carry nutrients like blood but was still essential for function, although it was easily observed that a robot didn't need the same network of vessels that a human did. In some ways, a robot's body was simpler than a human's, because they didn't have to worry about vitamins, air, or having a heart.

Many sharp minds in medicine and robotics were working together to try to make cybernetics a reality., but their success, if any, was a long way off due to the irrefutable differences between organics and robotics. A long time ago, he had decided to not focus on cybernetics, as there was so much else to research and learn, and more important things on his agenda to accomplish.

Despite his brilliant mind, he was limited by his aging body, and he hoped that his current reading material would help him overcome these limits. It would be quite a shame for the world if his genius was cut short by death.

It would be a shame for his robots, as well. And now, he was confident that he would be mourned by at least two people. Thomas was a given, despite the friction that now existed between them. But now he also had Y/n. He knew she was grateful for the lab he gave her and that her respect for him was genuine. But he was gratified to know it went beyond that. She wanted to be here with him and not just on an intellectual level.

Wily knew he was an old man. He did what he could to take care of himself, but age made its inexorable march across him as it did everyone else. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about making good on his offer to her, but he pushed down that feeling, allowing his imagination to roam as he thought of things he could do to her.

o0o0o0o

“Very good, you can take a break now.” you hear your boss’s voice say from the other side of the robot. This was the last robot of the Eighth Numbers, DWN-064 – Aqua Man. You could see the older scientist through the curved reinforced Plexiglas that made up the robot’s torso, and you nodded before wiping your hands on your pants.

The only thing left was to activate it and test it, but it didn't seem that Wily was interested in doing that just now. At least he didn't rush through his plans for world domination, you mused. Now that you have seen – and are part – of the construction of the Eighth Numbers, you can appreciate the time and precision he put in his work.

“Will you activate him later today?” you asked. He shrugged.

“Yes, but I need a break." He straightened himself, wiping his brow with a hand towel. Despite the air conditioning in the lab, you felt warm and looked forward to stepping outside. The layperson didn't think that lab work could count as exercise, but it did, especially when putting together the physical parts of a robot. Science was a lot harder than it looked.

So you went outside, enjoying the crisp air. And you came across Shadow Man meditating on the rocky shore, waves crashing in front of him. You stood there for a few minutes, watching him. He looked so peaceful.

He opens his eyes and his head swivels in your direction, his expression alert but friendly. You take a step forward.“I wasn’t expecting to find you here.’

“Oh, were you planning on something?”

“Well, I was stretching my legs. Wily and I just finished the construction of the last Eighth Number.”

“Then come and sit down," he said. He did not excuse himself or offer to leave. Nor did you expect him to. And when you think about it, this Robot Master likely outranks you. You were not quite clear on that, but you knew that the Wily Robots were not yours to command. They only did things for you because you have the permission to make requests.

“I'm wondering... does meditation help you?' you ask him.

“Certainly. Why does it surprise you that I should meditate?’

“Well, a big part of meditation is based on biological processes. Controlling your breathing, keeping a calm heartbeat, relaxing your muscles... If you don’t do that, then how do you meditate?”

He stares at you thoughtfully for a few moments.

“I just... do it. I close my eyes and ignore most external stimuli. I suppose that part is easier for me since I’m a robot and I can choose to compartmentalize or shut down certain processes.”

“Makes sense. Hm, I swear I learn something new every day that I’m here.”

“So you like it here?”

“Actually, I do. I enjoy the challenges presented to me, and I’ll even go so far as to say that you’re better company than plenty enough people I know.”

You see a pleased smile make its way onto his normally reserved face.

“Is that so? Am I someone you are willing to consider a friend?” he asks.

It takes you less than a second to give him an affirmative answer.

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

Wily felt a thrill as he flipped the small switch in Aqua Man's circuitry and stepped back as the systems came online. It was always nice to see the result of countless hours of planning, programming, and manual labor, although he had to admit he'd done a lot of thinking as of late. Over his entire career, he'd designed many different types of robots and built several dozen Masters. He'd pushed himself with each series, improving on his technology, his creative mind finding ways to upgrade or create new capabilities for his robots.

He cared for his children and would always do his best to protect them, but he knew this could not go on forever. He had no desire to just keep building robot after robot. He wanted his life's work and legacy to comprise more than just what the world knew him for.

When he was a boy, he loved science fiction books and movies, and he still did. In his childhood, he had read the classics – H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle, and so on. Though he did read other authors like Poe or Burroughs, science fiction remained his favorite subject, showing different people's ideas of what a future world might be like. Though his parents hadn't approved, he'd devoured pulp stories as well, having to hide them from disapproving eyes much like other boys would have to hide titty pictures.

Though he liked just about any kind of science fiction, he especially liked ones with robots. An uncle had taken him to see the movie Metropolis, and there was no turning back from that.

By the time he was a teenager, the genre of science fiction had been well-established by authors like Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein among others. Frank Herbert had come out with Dune the previous decade and released several more books in that series, and Spider Robinson was making a name for himself with his mix of science fiction and humor. Star Wars came out, bringing science fiction to the general public The nineteen-eighties brought about more books and movies in this genre. Despite going off to college and becoming a teacher, he had always found some time to indulge in his imagination.

Though he loved reading these books, he had no interest in being an author and simply writing about imaginary technology. He wanted to make that technology real.

And here he was, with a lab and an army that most people a century, fifty, or even twenty years ago, would have never been able to imagine. What a long way he’d come from the wide-eyed boy who’d seen Metropolis. He smirked to himself as he hit several keys, studying the monitors.

A beep from one of the screens alerted him to an important incoming message. He hit another key, and the visage of Snake Man filled the glowing rectangle.

“Greetings, Father. You will be pleased to know that Wily Tower has just been completed.”

“Excellent.” he grinned. The timing could hardly be any better, with the progress of the Eighth Numbers. He’d learned from his past encounters with Megaman, and rather than having Light’s robot come here and destroy his lab, he decided to have a decoy to lure the Blue Bomber to. Not that he planned to lose, of course, but he never planned to lose, did he? This was just being careful, he was a mad genius, and he couldn’t call himself that if he didn’t learn from his past experiences with the hero.

If Megaman was defeated, wonderful. If not, at least his real lab wouldn’t be destroyed and he wouldn’t need to worry about rebuilding it. Rebuilding one was a real pain in the ass as he had learned all too well. Salvaging supplies, trying to keep his robots powered on top of repairing them, securing food and water for himself, and so on... no way in hell did he want to do that again unless he could avoid it.

“The robots are also complete." Snake Man added. Of course, Wily Tower would need robots to guard it, and the construction of these little robots was something he could easily delegate to his Masters. Battons, Sniper Joes, and so on, he hadn't built one in a long time, having his children oversee that so he had considerably more time to work on research and development.

“Excellent, that pleases me.”

“How could it not?” Snake Man shot back. “Everything is in place as you have asked, including your lookalike. I’m running a final check now with my Search Snakes, but I anticipate no issues, everything looks good so far.”

“Very good, once everything checks out you and the others can come home.”

“With pleasure.”

o0o0o0o

The Eighth Numbers had already been deployed to various locations in the world. Wily grinned with anticipation as he looked at the screens, straightening his tie. He’d prepared everything, the cloaked signal was ready to go and soon enough it would override the signals of news and radio stations from all over the world.

If you had been the one intent on world domination, you would have unleashed your robots without fanfare. But then, you supposed that after various ways to implement his plans, Wily wanted to do this for his amusement. He certainly was relishing the idea of announcing himself.

“You're such a troll," you mutter, shaking your head as he hits several keys, sending instructions to this robot or that. He looked over his shoulder and shot you what was unmistakably his best imitation of the trollface meme, and you had to bite back a laugh. The resemblance was almost uncanny but for the mustache.

Shadow Man looked at Wily calmly, as if today wasn’t in any way special. You supposed that for a robot who’d been with Wily as long as he had, this was just an ordinary event. What did he or the other older robots think when Megaman kept foiling his plans?

He waved his arm, indicating for you to pull back as he focused the camera on him. He cleared his throat, spreading his arms wide, almost like a conductor about to begin leading his orchestra.

“It brings me no small amount of pleasure to announce my eighth plan for world domination!”

One could almost swear they heard the world saying, Here we go again.

o0o0o0o

Those of you who have played Megaman 8 will notice that I left a few things out for this story. I will admit that I haven't played the game as I have never owned a Playstation or a Saturn, but I did my research and read about the game and what goes on in it. The Gigamix manga differs from the game as Duo is introduced before MM8 in the manga. Ultimately, I decided to just leave out most of the alien technology and Evil Energy bits, as they aren't really necessary for this story since it's about Wily and his robots, not Megaman or Duo.

Also, Pedro Astil is not a character I made up. He is a character unique to the Archie series of Megaman comics and is Plantman's owner, Plantman can be seen assisting him in his garden within the comic. He's a nice guy, and I didn't want to kill him off, but I needed a reason for Plantman to be entered into the robot fights in Megaman 6 and to end up with Wily, and I just didn't see Plantman being someone who would just abandon Dr. Astil.

Now it’s 2024. Megaman has been out for over 35 years. In the first game, it was 200X, the first decade of the 21^st century and we didn’t have awesome Robot Masters at that time. And we still don’t. Aw, darn. Oh well.

Also, shout out to my fellow Wily simps. You know who y’all are and I deeply appreciate all your support and feedback <3

Chapter Text

VII

o0o0o0o

You and Dr. Wily had been busy finishing off the Eighth Numbers, ensuring all weapons and systems were operational, nothing you hadn't done before at your other jobs. Once that was done and the new line was sent out into the world, that left you – and him – more free time than either of you had in a bit. You'd even eased off your work on Cadence for a bit, knowing that you needed a good rest. After all the work helping Wily get the Eighth Numbers ready as well as working on your project, your poor tired body was glad for the chance to just laze around.

And that's exactly what you did, once the Eighth Numbers were all gone. And when Albert suggested things for you to do together, you did not turn him down. A game of Go? Sure, though you needed Shadow Man's help a bit since you had never played the game and Albert was too good at it. Walks around the island? Hell yeah. How about some video games? And by that, Albert means the ones from the last century. Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis? With his mastery of computer technology, he can pull up any of these old games for you two to play. Retro-tastic! Getting high and watching whatever movie catches your fancy? Let’s toke it and MST3K the hell out of it.

It’s kind of like a vacation. Albert still does need to monitor his newest line, but he seems relieved to be able to sit back for a good while.

Relaxing or playing is not the only thing he does around you. The cheeky old bastard ramps up his teasing and flirting. Not even 24 hours after he sent out the newest robots, he's making his moves. When the two of you were enjoying one another's company, he would keep finding chances to touch you. Your arm, back, and shoulder at first, light and friendly touches that become firmer and more lingering when he sees how you respond to him.

You give him encouraging smiles or wiggles, and when he slides his hand from your back to your ass, you press back against that groping hand, your invitation clear. He cups your rear cheek purposefully, taking his time to squeeze and massage it before moving to the other side.

“Mmm. Yes,” you whisper. The caresses continue and it’s arousing and soothing at the same time, the slow, careful squeezes contrasting with the increasing heat in your core as the two of you stand there, paying more attention to one another now than the monitors tracking the progress of the new Robot Masters.

You feel his breath on the back of your neck as you have your hair up, and his mustache tickles you on the nape before he places a kiss there. You shiver, and his hand slides from your ass to your hip, remaining there for several moments as if he’s deciding what to do next. To your surprise, he pulls away.

“Much as I would enjoy a tawdry romp in the lab, I’d like to add a little more…” He waves his hand through the air as you stare at him questioningly. “… ceremony, to our consummation.”

You continue to stare at him. Ceremony? Was he talking about a wedding? Your mind is scrambling all over this because you do not recall him ever discussing that. He did eschew society and its rules, and the two of you had developed your relationship in not-so-ordinary circumstances.

You in a wedding dress. Him in a tux. And who were the guests? Robot Masters? His voice cuts gently into your thoughts. "… I thought that as old-fashioned as it might seem, perhaps we might have a date first. I may be a revolutionary genius, but I do think a few traditions are worth considering."

A date. He wants a proper date. Which is a nice thought when you ponder it. That's sweet of him. "So you want to wine and dine me first?" you ask.

“Precisely. What do you say? Let me woo you for a bit?”

You can’t help but smile in agreement. “That sounds like a fantastic idea, Albert. I would love to. So, are we on for tonight?”

“After wiggling at me like that, you had better be, young lady," he pretended to scold. You chuckle warmly before closing in on him, and he gives you a mildly wondering glance, curious as to what you intend to do. You grab his tie carefully and pull him in to give him a gentle peck on his cheek.

“It’s tempting to drag you away right now,” he says with a husky tone as you pull away, still holding onto his tie.

“You're the one who suggested a date," you remind him. Though you're glad he brought it up. After all, he did mention role-play before. There would be plenty of time to play various games and try different things later on. You couldn't help but agree that you wanted the first time to mean something. Your eyes move down to his tie, studying the pattern. His hand touches yours, and you look back up in his eyes.

“I was hoping that maybe, for the first time, at least, I’d like it to just be us?” You’re excited but intimidated at the idea of using toys or other things when you have yet to be intimate with him on a basic level.

“Great minds,” he chuckles. “I have some amusements in mind, but right now, I just want to enjoy that…” His gaze moves pointedly along your body, and you shiver and nod.

You're more used to practical clothing, especially given your line of work, but you do have a few nice things in your closet, and you're glad for the opportunity to look nice for something other than some conference, wedding, or funeral.

You take a nice, long shower, attend to yourself, and do whatever it is you do when you want to feel pretty, but this time you put extra effort into it because this is no ordinary date – or ordinary man. When you're done, you're happy with what you see in the mirror, and you hope he feels the same way. You're certain he will, but it's hard to not feel anxious anyway.

The glint of pleasure in his eyes as he sees you shows you that your anxiety is unfounded, and he looks quite the dapper lad himself in a suit that is mostly black but is accented with red. He looks like he should be on the cover of GQ or Esquire. Hubba hubba. There’s even a red rose in the lapel of his jacket.

He takes your hand and leads you to the table. Shadow Man sits in the corner, playing a biwa – it’s not until Shadow showed you some of his things that you learned what one was. He plucks the strings of the lute-like instrument and the music provides a pleasant backdrop to the food, which is tasty but relatively light, more focused on flavor than substance.

There's still enough of it to sate you, but you don't feel too full after you eat your half of the delectable morsels that were set before you. The two of you converse and you tell him about the new K-drama you discovered on streaming or the book you recently read from a new science fiction author. The wine gives you a nice buzz, but not enough to get you drunk. You're grateful for it because you're excited but also nervous. You know that's a pretty normal feeling for someone about to be intimate with someone for the first time, but it's still pretty annoying to feel that when all you want to do is enjoy yourself.

He rests his hand on your arm, and you look at him with a gentle smile before you finish your wine.

“Your music is lovely, Shadow Man. Thank you for sharing it with us," you say when his song stops. He smiles and bows before leaving the two of you alone. Albert continues to stroke your arm with his fingers and you wish he'd put these fingers elsewhere because there's definitely something on you that needs to be touched. You extend your arm, offering him easier access. He takes the hint and trails his fingers to the inside of your elbow before gently grasping your wrist and bringing it to his lips. A jolt passes through you as you feel his mustache tickle the inside of your wrist, and your shuddering gasp ensures that this is one bit of information about you he will remember. His lips press against your hand and wrist, and you slump a bit in his direction, your enjoyment clear as you feel his hands caress your arm.

“You do such hard work with your hands,” you hear him say. Both of you have calluses on your hands from the work you do.

“It’s worthwhile work.”

He hums in agreement before lifting his head to look at you as he rises from his seat. “Shall we?” He offers his hand. You take it.

His bedroom is similar to yours in a few ways, but it’s bigger and more personalized. This is it. You’re in the bedroom of Dr. Wily, which is something you’ve wanted for a good while. You feel his hand on your back as he leads you further into the room. The bed looks freshly-made and so inviting with a thick comforter folded down welcomingly.

It’s happening. It’s finally fucking happening. You look around the room before turning back to him, swallowing thickly as you ponder your options. Do you take off your clothes or let him do it? What about his clothes? Who should go first?

He does, because he closes in on you, cupping your face. You part your lips slightly as he presses his lips to yours, and you wrap your arms around his shoulders. You taste the lingering flavor of wine on his lips. When he presses his tongue against your lips, you offer no resistance. (Why should you?)

Your hands slide along his arms and back, feeling the lean muscle under the fine material of his suit. You’re used to logic, to solving problems using math and science and research, and sure, there’s plenty of material on the subject of sex, but right now you’re running on instinct. You guide his hand to the zipper on your dress and the material slides to the floor, pooling around your feet where you were wearing a pair of high heels. Not something you normally wear, but you wanted to jazz it up, and it was clear from his appreciative hum that he liked how you looked in high heels.

You'll remember that for later. "Like what you see?" you ask as you turn around, giving him a good eyeful of lace and satin and nylon. You'd wondered if maybe you overdid it on the window dressing but from the gleam in his eye and the way he's undoing his tie, it seems like you'd presented a pretty little package that more than meets his satisfaction.

It's your turn to watch as he removes his tie and then shirt, revealing a torso that puts many men half or even a third his age to shame. The lack in bulk is more than made up for with wiry strength. Pair that with a formidable intelligence, and this is not an old man to be fucked around with.

But oh, you’ll be fucking him. You slide over to the bed and lie back on it as he steps out of his pants and shoes, wearing black boxer briefs with a skull print (what else?)

This is a man used to handling cold, inorganic objects. The way his hands slide along your body, making no rush to remove your underwear or tights, you’d think he was discovering warm flesh for the first time, passionately but reverently. His mustache tickles you as he kisses along your body, and you moan his name and various praises, barely noticing when he divests you of the last scraps of fabric on your body.

“Now there’s a sexy scientist,” he says with a grin.

“I could say the same of you, Albert,” you say as you bat your eyes, pressing against him and feeling the very clear evidence of his desire pressing against you. You’re tempted to get right down to things, but after how he touched you, it wouldn’t be fair to not reciprocate at least a bit. So you pull him into your embrace, rubbing his back and chest and arms, seeing what he likes, listening to his groans of satisfaction. He slides his hand between your legs, and slips a finger and then another in, and you writhe against him.

“So hot and tight…" he breathes as he lightly bites your ear as the wiggling intensifies, and you grind against his hand. It does feel lovely, but right now, you simply ache for something else.

“Imagine how that’s going to feel around your dick,” you growl back at him as you gently tug his hand away from your aching cunt.

“Quite eager, are you?” he teases, but you see the happiness in his smile because you are making him feel very much desired, and for him, that’s a potent aphrodisiac. You smirk back as you position yourself on the bedspread, open and inviting, adding a wiggle to your hips.

He can’t take his underwear off fast enough before he throws himself at you. And you were right in your assessment of him – he’s spry. You know he keeps in shape because you’ve seen the exercise equipment, but you have to admit you’re a wee bit surprised at just how much energy he has.

But you’re not going to complain because that energy goes to making sure you have a good time, and damn if it doesn’t feel good to have him inside of you. He’s nicely endowed, but not ridiculously so, and you coo your own compliments of his genitals. So nice and thick, it feels fucking fantastic in me, fuck yes I want it all… oh god oh god FUCK YES ALBERT FUCK ME AGH so good yes please Albert you’re fucking wonder -AGH-ful! You’re the YEH! best scienc- FUCK YES EEEEEEEYEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

-and then everything explodes or melts away or maybe some weird mix of both as you lose yourself in the pleasure he gives you-

He kisses the side of your neck and shoulder as he basks in the afterglow of his orgasm, still buried in you. Your nails trail along his back. The two of you relax in companionable silence for several minutes, and he’s lanky enough that his weight is not crushing you, so you relax as you look up at him with half-lidded eyes.

“So… was it good?" you hear him ask dryly. You chuckle.

“It was amazing.”

At that, he wiggles his hips against you and you groan quietly at the pleasant aftershocks. “If I were to ask you to spend the night here in my bed, would you be willing?” he asks quietly.

“As long as you don’t snore or hog the blankets,” you half-tease.

“Have I not been a gentleman thus far, my dear?”

He has a fair point. He does snore – but it's very quiet, low enough to not bother you. He shares the blanket and doesn't kick, but he does nudge you in the middle of the night for more lovemaking, which you're only too happy to oblige.

It’s a bit disorienting waking up to see yourself in a room done in mostly blacks and grays with a skeleton motif. But then you remember the night before… the dinner, the talk, the sex.

Oh yeah. The sex. Best you ever had. And his arm is draped across your middle, his face half-buried against the pillow. You’re happy to stay right where you are, closing your eyes and listening to his breathing. You start to drift off when he moves his arm, and his hand kneads your breast.

“It’s nice to wake up to this,” you murmur, and a chuckle meets your ears.

“I've been so used to sleeping alone for so long. This is so much better." His hand moves along your body in a languid manner. His mustache tickles the side of your neck as he sleepily nuzzles you. You would come to be quite fond of feeling his mustache against you…

As if catching up on years of loneliness, he simply spoons with you for a bit, seemingly absorbing the warmth from your body. Eventually, he does stir to full waking.

“How does breakfast in bed sound?” he asks.

“Oh, you spoil me,” you tease but nod in affirmation.

“It’s the least I could do after last night.”

“If I get breakfast in bed whenever I do that with you, I’d consider that a fair exchange,” you say as you wiggle against him.

o0o0o0o

Shortly after the events of Mega Man 8...

A sudden, angry exclamation bursts through the air as you enter Wily’s lab, and you flinch for a moment, wondering if he is upset with you. The voice continues in what you recognize as German, and you listen as Albert yells and swears, venting over his recent loss.

The monitors reveal what Wily’s angry rambling doesn’t. What the hell, you’d been taking a nap and now you wake up to this. You feel disappointed at the situation, because you helped Wily with this, so you can’t help but feel the sting of failure.

You know you should be rooting for Mega Man. Goodness knows the world is. And hey, you bear no grudge against Dr. Light or his robot son. You get why they do what they do. But at the same time, you wish Wily had been victorious. He's certainly worked hard enough, hasn't he?

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

How the hell did Megaman keep beating his robots? He tried to protect his robots from their weakness, a lesson hard learned from when he had taken over the DLWN numbers, but this came with its limits because certain elements or weapons were incompatible with others. For a fire-based robot, for example, it was a lot easier to make it fire-proof, making heat-based attacks against it ineffective, and make it immune to its power. Trying to make it immune to ice by giving it armor made out of metal that was designed to withstand extreme cold seemed like the obvious solution to the layperson, but that was why robotics was a career for sharp minds. Such metal did not handle extreme heat as well as it did cold, making it so that a robot could damage itself by use of its weapon.

Wily tried to balance out a robot’s weapons with its armor, getting better with time and technological progress, but somehow Megaman kept finding the chinks in the not-so-proverbial armor. Every! Fucking! Time! Gott verdomte!

Shadow Man materialized from the shadows in the corner of the room, silent as he watched Wily rage about his defeat. He’d seen this several times, and each defeat was no easier on him than the one before.

“I know you’re there!” he suddenly shouted, his back to the ninja-bot.

“So I am," Shadow replied quietly.

“Are all the robots back here?” he asked.

“Yes, and waiting to be repaired.”

“Tell them to go into sleep mode.” Wily gave a weary groan. Though he was not invited to, Shadow Man approached the mad scientist. Wily heard the footsteps since the ninja-bot did not attempt to sneak up on him. He glared at the robot imperiously, almost as if challenging him to take another step.

Shadow Man accepted this challenge and closed the distance between them, gently placing his hands on the old man’s shoulders. Wily did not jerk away, and stood there for several moments, closing his eyes.

“Is there anything that can be done to make you feel better?” he asked, feeling the tension in Wily’s wiry frame.

“Lay the world at my feet?” he asked dryly.

“I am afraid that is beyond my capabilities, sir, but I would be happy to make you some tea, or whatever else you would like.”

“Very well. Make a pot and leave it here. Oh, and see if Y/n is up to giving me some company.”

“As you wish.” He disappeared into the shadows, and Wily groaned softly, rubbing his temples. Hopefully, some tea and good company would soothe his nerves.

o0o0o0o

(You)

You feel bad for him but you're not sure if he's the kind of person who prefers company or solitude after something like this because it's the first time you've seen him so angry and frustrated. You see the tea that's been set out and note that there are two cups.

You sit next to him and reach out for his hand. He doesn’t pull away, much to your relief. “If you want to talk, well, here I am. If you prefer companionable silence, we can do that, too. Just let me know what you need,” you offer. He stares at you quietly for several moments as he picks up his cup with his free hand and sips from it.

“Fucking stupid alien robot and evil energy,” he mutters.

“Yeah, fuck that. That alien’s an asswipe,” you spit out in nearly the same tone. “And fuck Mega Man!”

“And Proto Man! And Bass!”

The two of you cuss at one another a few more times and it feels oddly cathartic. You’re now cussing about things you just don’t like, like a pair of kids who’d just discovered swear words. Soon enough the two of you dissolve in laughter at how ridiculous some of your phrases have gotten. After the two of you have calmed down and finished your tea, he lets out a sigh. “I’ll fix the Eighth Numbers in due time, but right now I’m going to take a break.”

“A well-deserved one,” you reassure him. “And we’ll all be here for you.”

“Much as I am grateful for my children, it’s you that I will be spending much of my break with...”

o0o0o0o

On occasion, he’ll discuss upcoming plans – he can’t help himself, and you humor him – but he also plays games and takes walks and exercises, giving his overworked body and mind some much-needed care. You have to admit you worry about him sometimes, even though you know that several of the robots, including Shade and Shadow, have medical knowledge in their database so they can act accordingly in case of an emergency. He fiddles around a bit with the robots as he assesses the damage done to the Eighth Numbers.

Sometimes he just smokes and goes around trolling on the Internet. You roll your eyes at that, but trolls are going to troll. Of course, no one knows it’s him because he’s clever enough, but you’re not the least bit surprised at the handle he uses – imthebonedaddy.

Har har. Good thing your sense of humor has plenty of overlap with his own. And when he’s not doing any of these things, he’s focusing on you. And you do your best to provide an excellent distraction for him.

o0o0o0o

“It almost seems that as quickly as you can improve your technology with each series, Light does the same with Megaman," you say as you wipe your brow, having just helped Wily lift the armor off various parts of the robot’s body so you could assess the damage to the inside and figure out which repairs and upgrades were top priority.

Wily snorted at that, but you could sense his begrudging respect for his former partner. In a way, Light and Wily benefited from their constant rivalry, pushing one another to new limits in their technology. The same could be said for other fields, where a healthy sense of competition brought about innovation.

“I have plenty of ideas and technological advances, but I often feel they would be put to better use in upgrading my existing robots than building new ones from scratch.” The Second Numbers, especially, he mused. They had been technological marvels on their activation days, but as time went by and the field of robotics evolved, the earlier series were becoming outdated. However, unlike so many people when faced with a robot that was becoming obsolete, Wily would not discard them. His children had served him faithfully, and he would not abandon them.

“Sounds good to me.” You slid your safety goggles off and set them down on the table. “But for now, I think I’m just going to crash.” All you wanted at that moment was to enjoy the creature comforts of a warm bed and maybe a good buzz. Working for a mad scientist bent on world domination could be pretty damn exhausting.

o0o0o0o

(Wily’s POV)

Wily smirked to himself as he watched the light sway of Y/n’s rear as she sauntered out of the lab. Living in seclusion for years, surrounded by robots, had caused him to nearly forget how delightful female company could be... especially when it was someone he liked and respected. Much as he enjoyed the company of his children, they were unable to fulfill a need that he had barely acknowledged existed.

He flexed his fingers and turned off the overhead light before turning away from the table and exiting the lab. After he heated some soup, he wrapped his fingers around the cup, absorbing the warmth from his just-microwaved meal as he approached his command chair. As he sat down in front of his control panel, he hit several keys, casually perusing news from various venues around the world.

He paused as he glanced at a screen. One of the news articles available for perusal was ‘World Robot Union Proposes New Law’.

Huh. He clicked on the link, and his lips set themselves in a grim frown as he read the article. Although the WRO typically did not involve itself in the lawmaking process, it could, and did, support or speak out against certain laws when some bureaucrat or politician pushed one forth. This usually concerned things such as the importation or exportation of metals and other things needed for robotics, copyright and trademark issues, or legal and ethical issues such as humans using robots to commit crimes, and so on. In this aspect, the WRO was no different than any other special-interests organization that sought to navigate both local and international bureaucracies to serve the interests of its members, especially the wealthier ones.

His eyes narrowed as he reached the end of the article. The WRO claimed that the law they were proposing was for the safety of humans and robots alike, but he could see right through their bullshit. Though the law had not been put to various world governments yet, Wily could foresee what would happen.

These stupid fools.

o0o0o0o

Gott verdomte – German for god damn it.

Yes, this chapter leads into Mega Man 9. Hitoshi Ariga made a 16-page manga that serves as a prelude to the game, and I used this manga as a reference point for the last scene in this chapter. Reading the manga is not necessary, but I still recommend it because... hey, it's an Ariga Megaman manga! It should have been included in Gigamix, but you can still find it/read it for free online.

If you've played the game, you will know what is going to happen anyway. I've been excited to get to this point in the story because I really like the stories of MM9 and 10 and plan to have a lot of fun with them!

Chapter Text

VIII

This chapter will have several different POVs besides you and Wily.

o0o0o0o

Some of the robots are pretty damn fun to hang with and Shade Man is no exception. The two of you share some overlap in your taste in movies, and introduce one another to previously unseen films. He asks questions about characters and things that happen in the movies, and you have fun discussing cliches and dramatic exaggerations. A couple of other Robot Masters come across you and Shade Man relaxing and making snarky comments about Twilight. It turns into a little movie party and you’re pretty sure that if Robot Masters could eat popcorn, they’d be sharing yours.

“You make a much better vampire than Edward,” you tell Shade Man, and he laughs at that before bowing in a very suave way. And you mean it – if Shade Man had a chance and the right script and supporting actors, you think he’d be a pretty cool star for a vampire movie.

o0o0o0o

The robot that would eventually become designated as DWN-067 had never imagined that one day, she would be considered obsolete for no logical reason. Generally, robots did not think about the end of their lifespan, especially since most of them were never programmed with the advanced AI that was required for learning and independent thinking.

When she was created, she had been top of the line, installed with the most recent technology, and outfitted with carefully-created alloys that would withstand salt water and keep it from getting to her circuits. Her brain had been installed with the same advanced AI that was usually reserved for Robot Masters. All of this state-of-the-art hardware and software meant that she was not only suited for the work she would be assigned to, but she would also be able to supervise the lesser robots that functioned in the harbor and beaches of Monsteropilis.

Having been designed and created by Dr. Light, she was top of the line for her generation, and the quality of his work was apparent in the fact that she had been doing her job for several years now. Other than occasional maintenance and systems checks, she required no further care and did her job efficiently, patrolling her range of shoreline and sea, collecting oceanographic and weather information from her subordinate robots, and conducting search and rescue as needed.

The dock came into view, and she swam along it, stopping as she came to the end of the pier. One of the lifeguards was already waiting for her, and she hoisted herself up onto the wood as she had done many times in the past.

“Anything to report?” the middle-aged woman asked as she set a laptop on a towel and opened it, striking several keys. The mermaid-bot already had all the information organized for the upload. She didn’t need to talk about all the data she had collected, since that would be enclosed within the drive, but anything odd or peculiar, she was expected to tell the lifeguards.

“No, ma’am. All oceanographic and tidal readings are within the norm. The coral reef to the south continues to repair itself.” she said, referring to an oil spill that had happened several years ago. The lifeguard nodded. Her black hair was cropped short, and given the nippy day, she wore a windbreaker and matching pants the same color as the swimsuits the lifeguards wore.

The lifeguard quickly scanned the data that appeared on the screen before she gave a quick nod The mermaid-bot wanted to make conversation, but the human didn’t seem inclined to it. Some of the lifeguards would talk to her and ask her questions, engaging in friendly conversation while others just took the data from her.

“Well, that’s it. You can go.” the woman said as she closed the laptop and put it back in its protective sleeve. A few years ago, it didn’t matter to her if someone wanted to talk to her or not. She did her job, made weekly visits to the station to give her data, and reported every six months for a technician from Light Labs to check over her and do needed maintenance.

However, as her personality emerged, she found she liked talking to people. Some of the lifeguards were happy to engage her while they made their rounds, and one of them even let her listen to her iPod. She enjoyed watching the surfing competitions, and once a karaoke machine had been set up for a beach party. How badly she wanted to try karaoke! She knew she was a robot, and that that meant a fundamental difference between her and a human.

But she didn’t like it when people just dismissed her like that lifeguard had. Yes, she was a robot, but she wasn’t some... mindless, inanimate object. If she were human, she would have sighed before diving back into the sea, letting the ocean current distract her as she turned her focus on her surroundings. The rhythm of the ocean soothed her, and when she wasn’t collecting data or doing other tasks, she would often float along the current, letting the motion calm her.

o0o0o0o

Mo Suresh tapped the screen of his tablet several times as he glanced out at the factory floor. After working at Light Labs for several years, he’d returned to India to work at his father’s factory. The Suresh name was big in the country, as his father’s factories produced various electronic appliances, mainly television. In the last decade though, the business expanded to the production of computers and smartphones as well, ensuring a more than comfortable life for the Suresh family.

Like his father, Mo saw the value in diversification, hence his interest in robotics. Japan was foremost in robotics technology, and Mo hoped to make India a serious competitor in the industry. Many of the servbots that helped the Suresh factories run efficiently were his design, something he took no small amount of pride in. It also cemented his value as the heir of said enterprises.

The buzz and hum of the factory filled his ears as he went back to reading his tablet, raising his eyebrow as he got to the bottom of the article. He wholeheartedly agreed with the law that the World Robotics Union was proposing. Who wanted to be at the risk of a robot conquest? Just look at that mad scientist Wily and his robot army! He had never liked that weird old man, after all. Giving robots, especially Robot Masters, an expiration date was, as far as Mo was concerned, an excellent idea, and he openly endorsed the idea.

He was getting tired of Plug Man, anyway. The robot had been created at Light Labs, but he had helped to manufacture it, and Dr. Light had agreed to let him buy it, especially since the work to be offered by Suresh Corp. was suited for what the robot had been created for. Plug Man inspected the electronics to make sure they were in good working order, and able to scan each item with his sensors, something a human could not do. He did have his use, since being brought here, the amount of complaints the company received about faulty televisions was cut to a small fraction.

The robot did his work well, but his personality had come to grate on Suresh. He did not see the need to give a Robot Master the capacity to develop a personality or have feelings. They were just robots! In his opinion, all the Robot Masters needed was the AI to give them the ability to learn so they could do their assigned tasks, and fail-safes programmed into them to keep them from hurting people. Anything more than that was unnecessary crap.

He'd already designed a new robot, a sleeker and up-to-date build that would replace Plug Man. With the new robot, he would show Thomas Light that a Robot Master could be functional without trying to give it "humanity".

o0o0o0o

Dr. Wily had been paying close attention to the robot ‘expiration’ law over the last few weeks as the scientific community, as well as the general population, discussed it. The amount of ignorance from the populace, Wily wasn’t too surprised at, especially from religious people, but he expected more from the scientific community. Several people within the community opposed it – namely Doctors Cossack, Lalinde, and Light, but that did not surprise him in the least. However, they were just a few in the majority of scientists who endorsed the passing of the law for the sake of ‘safety’.

For people who were supposed to be smart, the WRU was bloody stupid. It was true that as a scientist, you were supposed to look at things rationally, and use logic to answer questions or solve issues, but when one gave a robot the capacity to feel emotion and the intelligence of a human, what did one think would happen? He didn't force his robots to go after Megaman after they'd been defeated. Facing death once was enough for them, he would not make them go through it again, preferring them to choose to make the decision themselves, like they did when the Stardroids came to Earth.

He had no plans, at least for the time being, to build a new series of Robot Masters. He had plenty of children, and they needed to be taken care of. Truth be told, he'd created quite a few robots, exploring various aspects and possibilities of not just robotics, but technology itself, such as trying out new metal alloys or designing weapons or tools for his robots. He was satisfied with the array of robots he currently had, and if he came up with something new, it made more sense to liberate a robot from the 'outside' world and give it upgrades.

Years of spending much of his time in his fortresses, surrounded by his robots, did lend to a sense of being cut off from the world despite him keeping up with the news. The daily interactions that had once been part of his life, like dealing with the morning commute, heading down to one of the local restaurants or cafes for a drink or meal, dealing with the workers at Light Labs, getting mail from a delivery person, and other countless occasions had become pretty much nil. It'd been a while since he stopped to think about how his life had changed. Though he did miss a few things, he couldn't complain. He had his lab and army and could do whatever the hell he pleased and not have to deal with idiots, but he knew the importance of keeping up to date on what was happening with said idiots.

He hit several more keys, casually perusing the articles and newsfeeds, stopping when something caught his eye, bookmarking something now and then.

“Hey, can I come in?”

“Sure." He spun around in his chair to face his assistant. She smiled and approached him, holding a tablet in her hands. "Someone seems to be in a good mood today," he commented, taking note of the fact that she seemed rather pleased with herself.

“Well, this someone finally finished the Cadence program.”

He straightened himself, smiling a little. As a scientist, he knew very well how long projects could take. A regular person didn't appreciate the time and effort it took into building technology, because when it came to computers, one had to concern themselves with not only the hardware but the software and inner workings. When working at Light Labs, he always hated it when reporters or visitors asked him how far along he was on a project, so he made sure to not pester his assistant about her work. It'd been several months now, he mused, and he had to admit he was impressed, not having expected her to be done with something like this so soon, with the other work she had to do

“Oh, is that so?” he asked, trying to not sound too eager.

“Now now, please try to restrain yourself.” she teased back as she closed the distance between them, handing him the tablet. “I finished it a few days ago, but I wanted to test it in a sandbox first. It passes all protocols, of course.”

Despite his age and cynicism, he couldn’t help but feel excited and giddy like a little boy receiving a present. He lightly tapped the screen and near the top of the screen, a shortcut named ‘CADENCE’ was displayed prominently, near the other shortcuts that led to various other files like data on Robot Masters.

“I thought you’d want to check it out for yourself before the final step.” he heard her say as he clicked on the shortcut, glancing at the files within.

“Wonderful.” He flicked his finger along the screen, continuing to peruse the files.

“If the next generation of robots comes about in my lifetime, I will update the Cadence program as I need to."

“Of course.” He looked at the hardware components of the program. “This really is an impressive piece of work.” He and Light were hailed as the fathers of modern robotics, but truth be told, in robotics, just like any other scientific field, it took many people to contribute to said field. All fields of science had big names in them – Newton for physics, Edison for electricity and light, and so on, but future scientists inevitably built on the discoveries made by pioneers, augmenting and expanding the knowledge of that field.

Improved alloys, rust-proof wiring, and more efficient cooling systems, among other things, had been invented by others, for the benefit of the entire field. Wily's research contributed to this, though he kept this knowledge to his own robots instead of sharing it with the world. Ironic, since he saw fit to use the innovations of others as it suited him.

“Oh, thank you. I know you don’t give out compliments lightly.”

“You know me too well.” he teased. “The hardware component is done, I assume?”

“But of course.”

“I’ll just look over this and let you know when it’s time.”

“If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll leave you alone.”

“So eager to get away from me?” he shot back.

“I know you’re chomping at the bits to study Cadence.”

“That obvious?”

“Like you said, I know you too well.” she shot back lightly. He let out a small snort, trying to not make his smile too large as he nodded.

“I’ll have time to study other things later,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

“All work and no play makes Albert a dull boy.”

“Looking forward to playtime?” he asked with a knowing leer. She replied with a smirk before she left.

After some time, he set the tablet aside to rest his eyes, getting up from the seat to make himself lunch, wishing Shadowman wasn’t on a mission so he could have some sushi. No one did it like the ninja-but for the time being he’d settle for some soup, Plantman prepared soup mixes for him with vegetables and spices, all he had to do was add water and nuke it.

The container warmed his fingers, and he held it for a few minutes, letting the heat seep into his bones. Maybe he should get a jacuzzi, he mused, wondering why he hadn’t done so already, since trying to take over the world could be extremely stressful at times.

The largest screen in the control room came to life, reminding him that the World Robotics Union conference was happening today. The hotly-debated law that would determine a limit to the lifespans of robots near or at Robot Master caliber, was up for a vote today. This day would determine the fates of thousands of robots worldwide.

The cameras panned around a good-sized conference chamber, where he recognized many renowned scientists, including his former colleagues. He also recognized several world leaders or prime ministers, here to cast their vote in making this law. There were others in the outer ring of seats, presumably interpreters, aides, and representatives from various countries.

He sipped his soup as he listened to the opening statements explaining the law and its provisions before the floor was open to the scientists and representatives of WRU. Naturally, Dr. Light was one of the first to argue against this law.

“These robots were brought into this world with the ability to think, feel, and learn like humans. Like us, they did not ask to be created. Now they are here, it would not be fair to tell them that their lives must come to an end. Part of this law is limiting the production of robots of this capacity to a set number per year. I can understand that provision, but I don’t see the need to destroy robots that have already been created!” Thomas Light argued.

Good old Thomas, Albert mused. Several others argued in Dr. Light’s favor, but as the mad scientist expected, the majority still saw robots as tools to be used by humans, instead of beings whose personhood deserved to be acknowledged. Others argued against Dr. Light, citing reasons such as ‘safety’, ‘obsolesce’, and even ‘won’t someone please think of the children!’.

The camera moved to a face that Albert had come to hate since he first saw it a decade ago. Mohinder Suresh stood up, straightening the lapels of his well-cut business suit as he looked at the camera before he regarded his fellow scientists.

“Thomas Light speaks of a robot's ability to feel or learn. He would even go so far as to tell you that they have souls." He raised his eyebrows and lifted his chin, a disdainful sneer tugging at the corners of his mouth. "What we need to remember is that we humans have created all of this technology. Since the first humans discovered fire, history has been filled with scientific achievements, all from humans. These robots, Master or not, owe their very existence to us. They were created to be tools, to serve us, and to enrich our lives. To try to assign them personhood is...” He paused, shrugging as he spread his fingers before he continued his speech.

“A folly. Remember what they are. Machines. Machines that were created with specific purposes in mind. Some of these robots are placed in what we would call positions of trust. Nurses, caretakers, security guards, even robots designed for..." He paused. "Intimate purposes. Such positions require a high level of trust from humans filling these positions, for obvious reasons. A robot in these positions has the potential for greater harm. They have immense power and abilities beyond our physical limits and pose a danger if they are not constrained. You know this well, which is why we're discussing this law in the first place If we make them equal to us... why, imagine the consequences." He fell silent, letting his words hang in the air as people glanced at one another.

As if humans haven’t caused enough harm on their own, even before advanced technology, Albert mused with no small amount of irritation. History was rife with examples of human stupidity and cruelty.

“I fully support this law, for the sake of humanity. Vote yes on this law not just for yourself, but for your fellow humans.” Mo inclined his head in a slight bow and sat back down.

Smarmy bastard, Albert thought sourly. It appeared that the little prick had not learned one single damn thing from his former mentor. Thomas had tried so hard to teach Mo Suresh a different perspective on robots, and from the look of it, failed spectacularly. What must Thomas be thinking, having just heard that speech?

o0o0o0o

200X

At first, he had been reluctant to get on board with Thomas’s notion of teaching a class at Light Labs. When the University came to them, offering them a generous endowment in exchange for teaching a seminar, Thomas had been all for the idea – more for fostering young minds than the hefty check the university was offering in exchange for having their names tied to the school. After all, as Thomas had said, men in their position stood to do a lot of good, and if they could guide young scientists to fulfill their potential, it would only enrich their legacy as the fathers of robotics.

Albert hadn't agreed to be a full-time teacher for the seminar, but he begrudgingly agreed to assist Thomas and supplement the coursework, acting in an advisory position. Though Cossack and Lalinde would not be part of the seminar, they agreed to help out by giving the students feedback on their work.

Albert trusted Thomas to choose the students for the seminar, making only one selection himself. He had been impressed with Y/n Lastname during his interview with her and Thomas hadn’t offered any argument when Albert submitted her name to the class roster.

Now the new semester was starting, and he had a bit more enthusiasm for the entire seminar idea than before. At least the students were adults, not snot-nosed brats. He picked up his mug of coffee and left his office, heading in the direction of the lab where the students had been told to meet for their introduction to the seminar. He entered Thomas’s office, which had a window looking out at the lab, perusing the new students. A scowl appeared on his face when he recognized one of the men.

“Oh no, Thomas. Please, please tell me you didn’t let him into the class." Wily stated with a low hiss as he studied the small group of students. There were a half dozen, including Y/n. And that Indian brat.

“What is the problem, Albert? He’s a brilliant mind, just like everyone else in the class.”

“He is insufferable! You heard his questions during that lecture, and you still chose him to interview you for the magazine!" Albert sputtered.

“I know.” Thomas put his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “I chose him to interview me because I was hoping I could... teach him a few things about robotics and what it means. Remember, these students are not just here for college credits, they’re also here to learn from us.”

“I doubt you could teach Mr. Suresh anything," Albert muttered, crossing his arms. He'd been correct in his assumption about the young man coming from a wealthy family. The name Suresh was familiar in India because Mohinder's father owned several factories that made televisions, among other electronics. The kid had grown up in privilege, and a sense of entitlement practically oozed from every pore.

“I have a semester to teach him. Hopefully, by the end of the course, he will have learned to appreciate the impact that robotics will have on society... and us. That's one of the reasons I took the university's proposal. You and I, we can't just use our intelligence to create newer and better technology. We also have a responsibility to mold and guide young minds."

“A responsibility to mold young minds? That is something you would say.” Albert said, trying to bite back a smile. He looked back at the students, who were engaged in small talk, already acquainted with one another from the university. He raised an eyebrow as Suresh went over to Y/n and said something to her, and she rolled her eyes at him and turned away.

“Well, shall we get started?” Thomas asked with a smile. He shrugged and nodded, going with his colleague to greet their students.

It was one of these times that Thomas had overestimated the good in someone’s character. Though the rest of the students were willing to learn from Dr. Light’s philosophy on artificial intelligence and robot sentience, Mohinder, or Mo as he preferred to be called, remained obstinate in his thinking despite his obvious talent and expertise in electronics. Artificial intelligence in a robot was a tool to be used as a tool by its creators; nothing more, nothing less, according to Mo, who had maintained that position through the entire semester despite Thomas’s best efforts.

o0o0o0o

Present Day

Splashwoman moved towards the lifeguard's station, wondering why she had been summoned. It wasn't the scheduled time for her reports, nor was it time for one of her maintenance sessions. Her confusion only increased when she saw several strangers on the pier and some sort of cart. The strangers were dressed in workman's clothes, and one held a clipboard. As she came closer, she realized that the cart somewhat resembled a metal basket, large enough to carry her, and a feeling of foreboding came over her as the man with the clipboard took notice of her and motioned to her to come to him. She swam up to him and looked up at him.

“I don’t see why this is happening!” she heard a voice from behind the men. It was Harumi, the lifeguard who was always friendly with her.

“Sorry, ma’am, but we have our orders. We’re to retrieve this robot and take her back.” the man with the clipboard replied with a shrug. She was brusquely directed to hoist herself out of the water and into the cart, which she did.

“Why is this happening?" she queried. The man shrugged but said nothing.

“I’ll see what is happening.” Harumi assured her, “You’ve been doing a great job and I enjoy working with you!”

Splashwoman smiled. “I like working with you too.”

“Are you sure there hasn’t been a mistake?” the lifeguard asked. The man shook his head, and the cart was pushed by his underlings. She was pushed into the back of a truck, and after securing her, the men stepped out, pulling the door down with a loud clang, leaving her in the darkness. The sound of the engine met her ears as the truck pulled out of the lot.

o0o0o0o

Mohinder Suresh smirked as he strode through the factory, full of himself after his victory at the WRU conference. The law had been passed, and while there was no ban on giving a robot the ability to think and feel like a person – which was something he wanted as part of the new law – it was still an accomplishment and a victory. Thomas Light might have had his supporters, but what really spoke was money. Money in developing new technology, money in rendering robots obsolete after some time so new ones could be created and sold, and money in making people feel safe.

He straightened his tie before one of his workers opened the double doors to the factory, several lights flashing from the cameras outside. He lifted his hand in a measured wave, flashing the reporters a handsome smile before he started answering a few questions about the new law and his role in getting it passed, as well as the future of Suresh Industries and the role he hoped the company would have in robotics down the line. The future was bright for him, indeed.

o0o0o0o

Dr. Wily gave out a groan of disgust at the newsfeed which was reporting the disposal of so many robots, their lives ended regardless of how much they had done or learned in the past. With the safeguards placed in them by humans, they were unable to resist the will of their masters. One uttered word, one flick of a switch, the press of a button, and a robot was rendered unable to fight as they were carried off to be decommissioned. Many of the robots already had replacements on standby, sleeker, upgraded versions of their predecessors who in turn would be discarded and replaced as their creators saw fit.

“I have the reports.” he heard Shadow Man say. He turned to see the ninja-bot and nodded. He wasn't able to save all of the robots, because many of them had been decommissioned right after the law went into effect, which showed him just how many idiots supported this law and had been ready for it to pass. However, thanks to Shadow Man, he would be able to save some of them.

Chapter Text

IX

o0o0o0o

Wily looked over at the small army of robots that was now assembled before him. They would be his retrieval forces, bringing back to him the robots that could be saved from the purge of the new law that effectively was a death knell for sentient beings simply because they were made of metal, not flesh.

“You all have your equipment and itineraries for your missions.” he said as he looked over the robots that he had selected for this vital mission. Each of them would have their own vehicle and array of servbots and fighting robots, including Sniper Joes, in case the robots being decommissioned were under guard or otherwise in an area that would be seen by humans.

“Time is of the utmost importance, as across the world many robots have already been decommissioned. I would prefer that you use stealth, but if brute force is necessary, so be it.” He raised his fist in the air, and the robots imitated his motion.

o0o0o0o

Splashwoman had never felt afraid before in her life, nor had anyone explained it to her, so she was confused by this odd emotion she was feeling as the truck sped on, the rumble of the engine echoing off the walls of the interior of the cab. She’d been strapped into the cart and that itself had been secured to the floor of the truck, so it didn’t roll around. She tried to lift her arms, but the metal bars restrained her. One rattled a bit as her arm hit it. It was dark and noisy in here, and she didn’t like it.

The sensors that registered saline levels in the water among other things such as trace pollutants, algae, oxygen levels and so on, were coming up empty as what little water was left on her evaporated, and she was unused to that lack of influx of data. Not being able to fulfill the tasks she had been designed for made her feel odd, and not for the first time she wondered why this was happening to her.

When the truck came to a stop, she did not think anything of it until the engine was powered down. The back of the door opened and she was wheeled out. She looked around her, seeing what looked like a warehouse, albeit a cleaner one. There were bins with mechanical parts in them, and to her horror, a couple of robotic skeletons, stripped of their armor and inner workings. There were several people milling around, she recognized the white lab coat that many scientists wore, as well as the simpler jumpsuits of mechanics.

A middle-aged man approached the cart, giving her a cursory glance before he flipped a page on his clipboard, nodding. The people who had brought her here handed this man a pad for him to sign. He did so with a few swipes of the stylus, and they left.

“What is happening to me?” Splashwoman asked as one of the people remaining in the room wheeled the cart over to a table. The man with the clipboard, who seemed to be in charge of the facility, looked at her as if he was annoyed with her for speaking at all.

“Decommission.” he barked out the word without any emotion.

Decommission. Due to her work in the ocean and limited interaction with other robots, she was not too familiar with that word, but she knew enough to understand exactly what it meant. And she didn’t want to be decommissioned. The thought of ceasing to exist filled her with that odd sense of being afraid, even more so than before. She felt a clash of emotions that she almost did not comprehend. Anger, fear, confusion... why was this happening?

“I don’t want to stop functioning! There’s nothing wrong with me!” she said as a trio of mechanics hoisted her onto the table. The cart was pulled away, and she was strapped down with an ease that showed her that the men doing this had done it often.

“What you desire is irrelevant.” The man with the clipboard stated this with the same lack of emotion as before as he flipped through a couple more pages on his clipboard, before he looked at a younger scientist that approached him.

“This is a Light Robot, so take extra care when you disassemble it. It will have many good parts to use and study or recycle.”

“Yes, sir.”

It. That was all she was to them, an it. Usually, robots had no gender, aside for Robot Masters, as part of their unique statuses as AI’s with human emotions and learning capabilities programmed into them. She was unique because she was one of few female Robot Masters in the world. Even the lifeguards who were not warm or cordial to her still referred to her as a ‘she’.

“I’m not an it! Please let me talk to Dr. Light!” Surely Dr. Light would never let this happen to her! She remembered her activation, and how he’d been there to greet her and welcome her into the world. He’d been so kind, answering her questions, explaining her functions, letting her meet and interact with the Light Numbers in his lab. When she’d been sent off into the ocean, he’d been there, giving her a fond farewell, telling her to do her best.

She’d seen him a couple more times after that, when he came down to check on her and make sure she was functioning properly and that her systems were running as they should be. Usually a qualified robot technician was responsible for that, but these rare times Light came down to do it himself had always been a treat for her, and he would ask her questions about her work, or how she was getting along with the lifeguards and oceanologists who worked at the station.

“He is done with you!” the man in the clipboard said.

“But-” Had she somehow displeased Dr. Light or the people at the station? She accessed her memory banks for all her interactions with humans. She’d been given instruction at Light Labs, of course, on proper interaction, appropriate responses to various questions, and so on. She’d always acted within the parameters of what she had been taught was right.

“Be silent.” The voice remained as cold as ever, without any regard to her whatsoever, though she heard an edge of impatience creep in. An urge of rebelliousness rose within her at being treated so callously. She deserved an explanation! Fir the first time in her entire life, she disobeyed a direct command.

“I want to know why this is happening to me, what I have done wrong, I-”

“BE SILENT!” He glared at her, once impassive eyes glistening with anger. “Turn her off and take her apart now!”

Splashwoman tried to break free of her restraints, but they were too strong. If she had been human, her heart would have pounded within her chest and her breathing quickened as she tried to delay what seemed to be inevitable.

Suddenly the room filled with blinding flashes of light, and sharp explosions ricocheted off the metal walls as smoke filled the room. The humans started shrieking in surprise and panic as they clawed around in temporary blindness, and the room went dark as the lights were shot out.

The mermaid-bot could still see, however. As part of her design, she’d been given vision-enhancing software that enabled her to plumb the ocean bottom or within undersea caves as well as being able to see in night or stormy weather. She stared in confusion as a robot emerged through the smoke, with a pointed nose and chin as well as ears, and wings on his back. Since Splashwoman had been programmed with an extensive database of knowledge of marine animals and habitats, she did not recognize that the design of this robot came from a bat.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“Why, I’m your rescuer.” the newcomer said with a smirk, revealing fangs as he undid the restraints holding her down and scooped her up in his arms.

o0o0o0o

Plug Man stood – as much as the definition applied to one restrained in an upright position – with no small amount of confusion and trepidation. He’d been informed only several hours earlier that he was no longer needed in the factory, and that he would be decommissioned.

He didn’t understand why when his work had always been satisfactory. The foremen never complained about his work, and any time the factory started making something new, like plasma TV’s or tablets, he’d had knowledge related to these items uploaded into his databanks so he could inspect these and make sure they were up to standards. With the sensors and equipment built into his body, he was able to find errors or damage that an inspection done by a human might miss.

He’d been summoned upstairs to Suresh’s office, where there sat a new robot, a sleek model of dark olive and silver, a bit taller than he but only half as wide. Suresh sat on the edge of his desk, looking at Plug Man. There were a few other people in the room, one he immediately recognized as the leader of floor operations, the others he did not, but surmised by their suits that they were either businessmen or scientists.

“Ahh, I can see why you wanted the new robot so quickly. This model is rather... clunky.” one of the suited men said as he stared at Plug Man.

“Well, yes. He is an old model. But then, as far as technology goes, out with the old, in with the new. Right?” He chuckled at that, and so did the suited man. The foreman was silent, and gave Plug Man a slight shrug.

“Why have I been summoned?” Plug Man asked. For the longest time, almost as long as he could remember, he had the feeling that Suresh didn’t like him. It was common for a human to be dismissive of a robot and he was used to being treated casually by visitors to the factory, but Suresh was the only one he’d felt any outright dislike from. Why Suresh should dislike him, he didn’t know why. He was efficient at his job and rarely interacted with the son of the owner of the factory.

Suresh blinked as if surprised the robot would speak to him. After a moment, he deigned a reply.

“You are being replaced with this.” He gestured to the new robot.

“But why? I am efficient at my job.”

“You are outdated.” Suresh replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Outdated? Sure, he might need an occasional upgrade or maintenance check, but didn’t all robots, regardless of their make and model? However, obsolesce was something he was no stranger to, working in a factory. When he was brought to India, the factory he was in was still making old tube TV’s, because many parts of India were still third-world, and not all of the Suresh factories had caught up to the technology in America and Japan. That was quick to change however, as the company put a focus on cutting-edge technology and upgrading its products. The TV’s had rapidly become flatter, with sharper pictures, and the phones, radios, and computers underwent similar transformations, and now Suresh was number one in India for television, smartphone, and tablet production and sales.

Old TV’s and other obsolete products were sometimes brought back to the factories to be taken apart and recycled for parts for their newer versions. Plug Man did not supervise or otherwise engage in this aspect of the company, but he was aware of it.

“Ahem, Mr. Suresh, if I might interject.” the foreman, Raj said. Suresh glanced at him coolly before giving a brief nod. “You have several factories through India. I know this particular one is your most important one, may I humbly suggest that Plug Man be moved to another factory? Perhaps the one in Calcutta? That one specializes in making lower-end electronics for the general populace, Plug Man would work well there.”

Plug Man eagerly nodded. He’d never been in another factory, but it was a welcome idea to being decommissioned. “I will work very hard, Mr. Suresh, wherever you put me!”

One of the suits gave out a stifled chuckle. “Dr. Light might be a genius in robotics, but this is just silly.” he muttered. Suresh smirked.

“My decision is final. All of my factories will be served by robots of this model.” he said, nodding to the other robot. “Therefore, there is no need for you.” He looked at Raj. “Take him back downstairs and put him in his unit, but do not charge him. We will deal with him later.” He waved his hand in a gesture that all too clearly indicated that Raj and the robot were no longer needed.

“Can’t I be sent back to Light Labs?” Plug Man asked as he followed Raj to the back of the factory. The human looked over his shoulder, his expression one that the robot had never seen before. It was pity.

“I know sometimes you watch some TV in your downtime, haven’t you heard of the new robot limit law?” he asked.

“No, remember all the overtime we’ve been putting in for these new computer units?”

“Oh, that’s right.” They walked through the door, and he turned on the light, revealing the power breaker, fuse board, some spare machinery, and cartons of parts to be used in the near future for production. “Anyway, the WRU had a new law passed that limits a robot’s lifespan and the amount of Robot Masters to be created each year. You have... passed your limit.”

“But I am still functional.”

“I know. Believe me, if it were up to me, I’d keep you around. But Suresh is the boss here and he owns you, so there’s nothing I can do.”

“But Dr. Light created me.”

“That makes no difference.” Raj opened the front panel to Plug Man’s unit. “According to the law, you’re obsolete.” His face hardened a little. “Our boss was one of the biggest supporters of the law.”

“So... that’s it for me?” Plug Man asked as he entered the unit, turning to face forward and leaning back slightly, feeling the ports connect to him.

“It looks like it.” Raj replied. “I tried, but what can I do?” He closed the panel and walked away. The lights turned off, and the robot stood there in the darkness, contemplating his future – or lack of it. Why should he be discarded? Why had such a law been passed? Had all he done meant nothing to those who created or employed him?

After about three hours – clocking out for the first shift, he knew from rote – he was subject to an alarming feeling. The ports which up to now had been inactive, started to drain energy from him. He’d never felt this before, for they had always fed him energy previously. He tried to lift himself from the ports, but the panel prevented him from doing so. He was helpless as the spare energy in his battery steadily decreased.

At 25 percent, a small warning beep came on. It beeped three times before a short message played, warning him – and others that would have been around him – that his stores were at a quarter of capacity. When the battery climbed down to ten percent, the warning beeps came on and another message emitted.

He didn’t want his existence to end. It’d been mainly confined to the factory, but he enjoyed interacting with the employees. Some ignored him, but others were happy to engage him, and talk to him about the outside world. He’d heard about books, and families, and animals, and other things that existed outside of the space he functioned in.

Nine percent. Eight percent. His CPU sent out warning beeps and messages at each drop of a percent. Seven... He saw movement in the darkness before the panel opened, and he saw a face. That face was attached to a body that was clearly that of a robot.

“Who are you?” he asked with surprise.

“I am a friend, who offers you a new life.” The new robot opened the panel, and Plug Man looked at him questioningly. He had what looked like a silver four-pointed star on his forehead, and his body was mostly blue and black. Almost without thinking, Plug Man pulled himself out of the space, relieved to feel the ports disengaging, though his CPU still emitted a warning beep intermittently. The other robot glanced down as he heard the beeping.

“Worry not, you will get what you need if you come with me.”

“Where?” he asked as he stepped out. He paused. “What will my owner say when he sees I am gone?”

“Where I come from, humans do not own robots. You will be able to live your life, and have a future.” He held out his hand. Plug Man took it.

o0o0o0o

You are sitting outside, reading a book and enjoying the fresh air and the warm sun on your face. After the overtime you put in finishing Cadence, you took the opportunity to just unplug and spent the last few days reading, taking walks, and generally just not having anything to do with a computer or robot. Wily had placed no demands on you, and in fact sent several gifts your way including a box of chocolates, a designer dress, and high-end accessories.

Not that these are the only things he gave you. He slid a vibrating egg inside of you, one that he could control with a remote. And boy, did he ever have fun with that, watching you squirm.

“You’re a wily bastard,” you mutter heatedly as it starts again after having been off for a quarter of an hour.

“That I am,” he replies quite cheerfully, letting the toy buzz inside of you for a bit before turning it off. And he really is being a bastard this time, flirting with you and teasing you, watching the twitches and tics in your face and body as you either start rocking your hips, or press your knees together and try to keep yourself stone-faced. “But you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asks knowingly.

You’re so fucking hot by the time he finally takes the toy out, he nearly comes on the spot when you clench around him.

It’s quite a pleasant memory to mull over as you enjoy your book. In due time, your much-deserved vacation is over and you’re back in the lab to help with the robots that Wily saved from decommission.

You chuckle to yourself as you finish checking over Plug Man for tracking devices and the like that might interfere with the mad scientist’s work. Wily glances over at you with curiosity, and you smirk.

“Just wondering what’s going to happen when someone notices Plug Man is gone, if they haven’t already. I’m not a big fan of Mohinder Suresh. Knowing him, he was all too eager to get rid of this robot, but he’ll be pissed off if he thinks Plug Man walked away by himself or someone stole him.”

“That little upstart is not fit to be in possession of any robot, especially a Robot Master. He shouldn’t have had custody of a Light Robot in the first place, but fortunately I am able to remedy that situation.” he replied, sounding noble for a moment. And damn if that doesn’t make him look sexy.

Chapter Text

X

o0o0o0o

There was only darkness, and then Splashwoman felt her systems activate, her consciousness coming to the surface as she came online. She remembered being shut down from a remote signal when her rescuer was transporting her from the warehouse.

She blinked and saw lights above her, and noticed she was strapped down to a table. Her eyes widened, had her rescuer been stopped? Was she still going to be decommissioned?

“Good morning.” She turned her head towards the voice, seeing Y/n.

“Um... hi.” Splashwoman looked at her for a couple of moments. “What’s happening? Am I being decommissioned?”

“No, you’re in a safe place now.”

“Then... pardon me, but why am I strapped down?” she asked politely, relieved that she was not to meet her end, after all.

“Oh, that’s standard protocol while I do my work.”

“What work?” She looked down to see that her breastplate was open, revealing her circuitry.

“I had to disable the remote access that your previous owners had installed in you. They can no longer shut you down, trace you through GPS, or even try to send you messages. You've also been given a few upgrades since some of your parts were getting old, and a new and more efficient power cell was just installed, so you can go longer between charges." The woman sounded friendly.

After the terror she had felt at being decommissioned, and the callous way the humans had treated her before, she was stunned at this turnabout.

“What... who is responsible for this? Who are you?" She paused, aware that that might have sounded rude. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so rude, I should be thanking you..."

“No worries. I'm Dr. Y/n. You're in the laboratory of Dr. Wily. After the new robot law was passed, he undertook to rescue some of the robots that were scheduled for decommissioning."

“Wily? Albert W. Wily?” Splashwoman asked, perplexed. She spent much of her time in the ocean, so was not apprised of human affairs as some other robots might be, but she did know that name. There were few – human or robot – who didn’t.

“I can see that his reputation precedes him, but I can assure you, you are safe here.”

“... Safe?” That contradicted what she had been told about the mad scientist.

“Don’t look so worried. You can talk to him yourself later. All of the needed upgrades have been completed. Armor and weapons will come later, but the doctor wants you to orient yourself first.”

“... Armor? Weapon?”

“Oh, so you’ll be able to defend yourself better.” Y/n said offhand as she lifted a tablet, tapping its screen a couple of times. “Here.” She flipped the face of the tablet so that the mermaid-bot could see its contents. Some of her exterior parts would be upgraded with more resilient material, and there was a large rod, no wait it wasn’t a rod but the Laser Trident, as the notes in the diagram called it.

“Your durability, and resistance to below zero temperatures will be improved, and the Laser Trident works as well underwater as it does in the air.”

Though the robot hadn't been asked to be brought here, this definitely sounded better than what the world wanted to do to her. And this human sounded different than the others. She spoke in an open manner, not at all condescending.

“You'll have time to meet the other robots here." She paused before sweeping her hands through the air. "And we're all one big happy family here," Y/n smirked a little. "Though I'll say that it's nice having another girl around."

“What do you mean?” the robot asked innocently.

“Oh, it’s that we’re the only two girls here.” Y/n smiled and shrugged. She glanced at the robot’s prone form. “Once these upgrades are done, you’ll be released into the ocean. This lab is on a pretty nice island.”

Splashwoman was gratified to hear that she would go back to the water. Being strapped to a table or being carted around, was not something she cared for, since her design gave her no way to effectively move around on land. The air around her felt stark, in contrast to the natural rhythm and pull of the sea.

“And how is our new arrival doing?” Splashwoman heard a new voice say. She looked over, seeing the infamous Dr. Wily casually stroll into the room, his hands in the pocket of his lab coat.

“She's doing great, everything that needed to be done is done," Y/n responded.

“Fantastic." He looked from her to the robot and gave her a warm smile as he approached. At that moment, he seemed like nothing more than a kind old man checking after her welfare. "And how are you feeling?" he asked.

The last person who had asked her that was Dr. Light. Wasn’t Dr. Wily supposed to be the nemesis of Dr. Light? But then... Dr. Light had allowed her to be taken away. It was Dr. Wily who had saved her from her demise.

“Um... I’m nervous? Confused? But I’m also relieved and grateful.” Splashwoman said, not wanting her rescuer to think she might be ungrateful towards him.

“Of course, I understand. That is quite natural, and let me assure you, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Is this... really to be my new home? You’re my new owner now?”

At this, the old man gave out a sharp tut-tut, waving his hand. “I do not own anyone here. If you really want to leave, then I will not stop you, but I must warn you, should you make that decision, you leave yourself unprotected.”

Splashwoman thought about the people who had tried to decommission her. Had she been human, she’d have shuddered. Dr. Wily approached her, now standing next to the table.

“I am here to help you, not enslave you. Here, you are a person, with the opportunity to figure out who you are, and what you want to do. You will receive protection, as well as any needed maintenance or upgrades. There are other robots here, and you are free to form any relationships you might like.”

At that, Splashwoman couldn’t help but think of the robot who had rescued her from that horrible robot warehouse.

“I can do anything I want?” she asked, both confused and exhilarated at this prospect.

Dr. Wily smirked a little. “Yes and no. See, here you have personhood. However, that comes with not just privileges, but responsibilities. You will be expected to follow the rules and contribute, just like a human would within society, in exchange for necessities and diversions.”

“Well... certainly. That does sound fair," Splashwoman said, knowing that humans did work to support themselves. The lifeguards and oceanologists she worked with were paid and used their earnings to pay for things such as food, shelter, transportation, and so on.

“Wonderful, so glad you understand.” He nodded briskly as he stroked his chin. “Of course, you, just like everyone else here, will be treated fairly. Your jobs will suit your abilities, and you can of course address any concerns or questions to me.”

“I do have a question, Dr. Wily.”

“Don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’m grateful that you saved me... but why was I to be discarded in the first place? I didn’t do anything wrong, and the people who wanted to take me apart wouldn’t explain to me...”

“Of course, they wouldn't. They only saw you as a thing, to be used and discarded at their convenience." Anger came across his face as he continued speaking, explaining about the new law that had been passed not so long ago, and the impact it had on robots worldwide, especially those of Master-level. Horror crept into the mermaid-bot's mind as she realized that she was not the only one who had been meant to be discarded, and how many had already been discarded before anything could be done about it. All these minds, personalities, and lives... thrown away at the whim of humans. A rush of sadness overcame her, and had she been a creature of flesh, she would have broken out into tears. As if Wily sensed that sadness, he placed his hand on her shoulder, something that Dr. Light had done years ago when she'd been activated.

“Yes, I know it hurts. And unlike so many others, I acknowledge your pain.” the doctor said in a gentler voice as he looked down at her.

o0o0o0o

A highly-decorated military man spoke in an angry, heavily-accented voice that that the new robot law was foolishness, glaring down at the reporter. The text across the bottom was in Russian and English, and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow was visible in the background through the window.

“Dr. Cossack built a Robot Master for our army, and we will not let some foolish law set forth by... capitalist swine dictate what we do!” the gray-haired man barked, his hand waving through the air to emphasize his point.

“The Comrade has served the Motherland well since he was activated, and I see no reason to discard him!" The camera panned to the man's left, revealing a tall and powerful-looking robot that was the aforesaid 'Comrade'. His red and silver exterior was a bit outdated compared to many of the newer models of robots that had come out this year, but anyone who worked in robotics would recognize a well-maintained robot.

“As I understand it, General Petrovsky, the Comrade has been useful in defending your country, has it not?” the reporter asked, the camera panning back to the humans.

“Da! He has kept our men and women safe! Since the Comrade joined our ranks, we have less fatalities, because he can go out on the battlefield and take damage that would kill a man! Enemies of the Motherland fear him!"

North Korea had long been one of Russia’s antagonists, especially after the Cold War ended. Thankfully, the Comrade had not been used in aggressive maneuvers, per the agreement the Russian army had made with Dr. Cossack regarding the use of his creation. The more tactics the robot engaged in, the better he was able to calculate defense strategies, minimizing casualties, as well as sharply cutting down on wasted resources.

“So, I say bah to the robot law! I did not vote for it! Nor did our leader! We stand by our comrade! If other countries want to be wasteful, that is their problem!”

The man was what one would call grizzly, with a heavily-lined but strong face. One would not expect such a man to express sentiment, yet it was clear that he was willing to defend the robot. And Russia certainly was not the only country that would be non-compliant with the new law. There was news of individuals, or private companies, within countries that obeyed the law, refusing to give up their robots for destruction.

These reasons were not necessarily unselfish or noble. For some, the expense of a new robot was not practical, and it was just easier to keep what already existed. Others didn’t want to lose a robot that already had considerable experience. The Russian general wanted to keep the Comrade because it saved resources and human lives, not because he considered the robot a friend. Any of these robots could still be discarded at a future date for whatever reason. To these people, robots were just tools, albeit valuable ones.

For years, Dr. Wily was considered a villain. He cared for his robots, whether he'd created them or stolen them from others. Y/n personally witnessed the care he had for his 'children', and the respect they, in turn, gave their father. Under that gruff, sarcastic, sometimes insane exterior, Wily did have a heart.

o0o0o0o

The work on the Ninth series was finally complete, and Wily sat back, stretching out as he glanced at the last two robots in the line, Magma and Galaxy Man. At this point in his life and work, he gained more satisfaction from liberating robots than building them. He’d already built enough robots already, honing his skills with the variety he’d come up with.

He and Light had built the first Robot Masters, and in a way, it was gratifying to see that their work had inspired others to build their own, but of course, any advance in technology was ripe for exploitation. He couldn't imagine simply decommissioning one of his robots. Why give a robot a mind of its own, then?

“You two are free to go now. Let me know if you experience any issues. We will test your weapons and armor tomorrow." he said to the two robots. He didn't expect any problems, but as a scientist, he was all too aware that there could be bugs or technical issues. He knew all too well how it felt to have problems with one's body, and only wished that his own body was as easy to fix as a robot's own. He looked down at his wiry, callused hands and held back a sigh.

What he needed now was a nice rest, some green tea, and a bit of hot food… and some company. But first things first...

He turned away from the two robots, leaving the lab and summoning Shadowman. The ninja appeared at his side in his usual quiet and efficient manner.

“I’ve just now completed the last of the upgrades on DWN-071 and 072.” the doctor stated.

“I understand." Shadowman needed no further instructions – he knew that his duty would be to oversee the Ninth Numbers and make sure they integrated into the family, answer any questions they might have, and so on until the doctor was rested.

When his cup was emptied, Wily poured himself another cup. He could just as easily have kept Shadowman at his side to do this for him, but now, that would be just lazy. He reclined back and nursed his now-refilled cup, closing his eyes as he let the flavor of the tea settle onto his tongue, warming it for several moments.

He was happy for the opportunity to work on the Ninth Numbers. It was a different experience bringing in a robot rather than building it from scratch, and giving them a second chance. Through his time with his robots, whether he'd created or liberated them, he'd gotten to know each one as an individual, and no one could ever convince him that his children were devoid of souls. One had only to look at them, and listen to them. At least robots were easier to understand than women...

Those in the Ninth Series had expressed confusion, hurt, and anger at being discarded by their creators or owners. Many of them had not even been given an explanation as to why they were no longer wanted, and once it’d been explained to them at the island, he’d been tempted to videotape their reactions and make them public just so that the general populace, and the people responsible for the new law, could see the effects that the news had on the ones the law was created against.

Well, these robots would soon enough have the chance to express their hurt and rage to the world, and he smirked to himself as he took another sip of tea. He was looking forward to the show, and not merely for the entertainment it would provide, but the fact that he would be proven right, even if the world might not want to admit it.

o0o0o0o

As it turns out, world domination is one of the things that gets Wily’s juices going. He can get in a quite dominant mood, and as a mad scientist with all sorts of toys and technology at his fingertips, he certainly can make a session memorable for you.

He’s used to pressing a lot of buttons. Now he can press one – or more – to pleasure you. Some might think that’s lazy, but the results more than speak for themselves. He likes seeing you pleasured, though you don’t doubt that he’s also indulging in his dominant streak when he has you bound, writhing around and helpless to whatever he’s inserted in you. Hey, it’s a win-win situation, isn’t it? He always makes sure you get off… often multiple times, so by the time he’s finally done with you, you’re a whimpering mess, unable to stand, barely able to think.

But he’s quite good at pampering you afterward. A large part of that has to do with the technology he has at his fingertips but he also likes holding you, running his fingers through your hair as you rest against him, cuddled up to him in a soft robe while Shadowman makes tea for the two of you.

He also likes seeing you in fine lingerie, and you suppose that after spending all day dealing with metal and circuitry, he has come to appreciate not only the feel but the sight of soft, willing flesh. The way he peels away the silk and lace has your skin – and other parts – thrumming in anticipation as his fingers slide along your taut body.

Sometimes you wear that sort of thing under your work clothing, offering him a peek of it here and there while you two are working together. There’s no denying the thrill you feel when you see how he looks at you, although you’ve dated in the past no one has ever made you feel anywhere near the way Wily does. He says you make him feel like a young man again.

You’re not as old as him, but damnit if you don’t feel younger too, occasionally getting all blushing like a high-school girl. Hot damn.

Wily may be your boss, and master of this island and its robot army, but when you flirt with him, he’s putty in your hands. He’ll never admit that, though.

It’s hard to not feel a thrill when you see how he responds to your touches, a brush of your hand against his, your palm on his arm or back, or the feel of your tits when you lean into or hug him. You love the gleam in his eyes when you sway your ass at him, or let him see a bit of your underwear, or wiggle your eyebrows at him, imitating his trademark eyebrow wiggle.

He may be a menace to the world… but he’s your menace, and he’s loads of fun to hang around and play with.

o0o0o0o

Feedback/reviews/etc are always very much welcome and appreciated by this hardworking author. Why does Wily have to be such a silver fox, lol.