"Awaken, dear one
and gaze upon me
despise me and
I shall despise you "
"Ah, crap. He's woken up already."
"What do you mean, already? He's not supposed to be up yet! His system hasn't finished cycling yet!"
It had actually taken them a while to realize he had been awake. He had laid purposefully prone on the lab table, listening to the conversations going around him.
"Where're Heat and Wood? They're supposed to be here taking care of him!"
"Quit your whining. You so worried about him, you take care of him."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of Spark, you worry about him."
There was a melodramatic sigh. "All right, all right."
Suddenly, a face filled his view, a warm, friendly smile, bright eyes and a mop of messy auburn hair. "Hey, how're you feelin'?" He asked. The other just stayed silent, watching him coolly. "Name's Quick, Wood and Heat're supposed to be here greetin' you instead, but I guess they're running late, so I'll fill ya in." He said with a bright grin.
He was still greeted by silence.
Quick frowned slightly, cocking his head to the side. "What's the matter? Is your vocal connection shot?" He checked a monitor by the table, the frown deepening. "Your plans are an older version, but there shouldn't be any problems with it." He jumped slightly when the other sat up abruptly. "Hey!"
The other, however, just continued to gaze around the room, everything being committed to memory. The way each Robot Master interacted to each other, how they moved, how they spoke. Quick sensed his curiosity in the others and offered:
"You wanna know about them? I can tell you everything you want."
"No."
His soft tenor voice surprised the speedster, making him brighten. "Well, I'll be! You really can talk! Hn, can't go around calling you DWN #024.." he checked the program. "Hm.. so you're Shadow, then. Nice to meet you." Once again there was no response, the other didn't even bother looking at him. Quick's lips twitched in annoyance. "Here, why don't you get up, test yourself out a bit and I can go get you some clothes, how's that?"
He was still silent, something that started rubbing the red robot wrong. He just shrugged indifferently and turned to talk to Metal.
"I'm gonna go get Heat and Wood in here to talk to him. Apparently he doesn't like me too much."
Shadow, however, seemed utterly content in observing the others in the room, unmindful of his own nakedness. Only three other third generation Robot Masters were up: Needle, Gemini and Magnet. The first two were attended to by two second generation Robot Masters each, Magnet had one of the original six by him. On the other side were the rest of the robots, Hard was slowly waking up with Guts attending him, the others still lying prone as their systems booted, checking for any anomalies.
A slight frown marred his pale features. The doctor was no where in sight and, for that matter, someone else, the name and appearance eluded him, was missing as well.
His eyes flickered up when three forms entered the door. It was Quick leading Wood and Heat in. The lead Robot Master handed the larger one a bundle of clothes, then moved on with another bundle in his arms. As he passed by, he flashed Shadow a sharp grin before going to join his friend and their woken charge.
"We apologize for not being here." Heat said, going through the computer, checking the system. "There was slight.. problem we and a few others had to deal with. Don't worry, the doctor will be here in a moment. Wood." He nodded to the larger robot.
He grunted, pulling Shadow off the table by gripping his thin upper arm. "Tiny one, aren't you? That's okay, you could be as small as Heat over there."
"Stop poking fun at me and just fill him in." The fire master grumbled. His height always was a sensitive subject to him.
Shadow, however, didn't pay them much attention as he pulled the clothes over his body, his mind processing, scanning, categorizing everything with quick precision, face closed and eyes void. Quick watched from afar as Metal tested Spark's limbs, frowning to himself at Shadow's lack of response. There was something wrong with that one, he knew, and something that sent unpleasant shivers down his spine.
"So what do you think of the new guys?" Crash asked, swiping a piece of biscuit from Metal, after the other thwarted his attempts to take the entire thing.
The first and second generations Masters were seated in a large cafeteria for lunch. Though they didn't really need to eat, nor did they actually feel hunger, food was compatible with their system. While they needed special fuel to properly run their talents and more high-tech systems, the energy given off by the chemical reaction of acids with the protein, fibers and nutrients from food was harnessed and could run all basic systems, allowing the robots full mobility and partial systems access should they run out of fuel.
The new robots, however, were all taken to Wily's lab to be given their armor and to test their abilities. Curiously enough, though, Wily himself wasn't present when the eight were dropped off. Instead, Heat and Elec had taken over at that point, letting the others go about their regular routine until the mid-afternoon, lunchtime.
"They look like a good bunch. Really tough." Another commented, slurping around a forkful of spaghetti.
"A couple of them kinda strike me as odd, though." Metal said. "Snake's a bit frightening. I mean, the look on his face when Elec and Heat were talking about the fighting.. he looked too overjoyed at the prospect."
"That's not much coming from you." Crash returned. "I don't think there's anyone here that could hate having to fight as much as you do."
The blade wielder glared at him. "Anyway.." he cleared his throat, "Gemini's a bit flighty too. At least, that's what I hear from Bubble. Always going off, wanting to know about everything."
"Hn. You think those two might be a problem, you haven't met Magnet yet." Ice shivered at the thought. "He's obedient and he hasn't done anything contrary to being a good little 'bot yet, but the way he kept looking at everyone, you can feel him sizing you up, dressing you down, whatever. He seemed to enjoy the way he made me edgy."
"And then, of course, is Shadow."
Quick's ears perked up at the name. "Hm?" The others snickered.
"Jeez, Quickster, you're generally all over the conversation. Why're you so quiet all of the sudden?"
"Ah, he just had a run in with Shadow earlier."
"I don't blame you for being quiet. That kid's creepy."
"I know! I mean, Heat and Wood didn't look like they had a clue on what to do 'cause he wouldn't say a damn thing!"
"What's with him, anyway? The way he kept looking around, like he knew exactly where each hidden defense and camera was!"
The speedster didn't pay them much attention though, the knife balance between his teeth, cheeks propped against the knuckles of his hands, eyes boring holes in the table as he thought.
"That Shadow.." he muttered, not really aware that he was speaking allowed, "there's something odd about him.. Almost like.."
The others at the table looked at each other, then back at Quick.
"Almost like what?"
His fire-brown eyes widened in surprise, blushing under the eyes trained on him. "Oh it's.. it's stupid, nothing. Forget it." He waved them off, an embarrassed smile on his boyish face. The others sighed and changed the topic to something they had a better grasp of.
Metal, however, wouldn't let his partner off so easily. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"
There was a pause before Quick relented. "Do you think.. Is it possible that Wily didn't program him with a personality?"
"A.. what?" Metal shook his head, "Is that all that's got you bothered? Just because he only said one word to you, you think he has no personality?"
"I'm serious, Met."
It didn't take much convincing to tell that Quick wasn't joking about the question.
"You haven't spoken to him," he continued. "He's not like the others, it's not like he's hiding anything. It's simply like there's nothing there at all."
The blade wielder frowned. "I don't think Wily-sama would've activated him without putting in a personality matrix. But.." he thought, "I believe that he was interrupted part way in finishing him. Yes, that's right. When he was finishing work on the last Robot Master, Shadow, would've been about the time we've been getting that intruder alert. Do you remember that?"
"Yeah, I remember." He grimaced. Hell, he was the one that was sent canvassing the entire Fortress for a day trying to find the intruder.
"That might've messed up the process. Or," Metal smiled slightly, "he could just be shy. After all, look at Crash. He wouldn't talk to anyone for a good week. Look at him now. Now he's an idiot that won't shut up." He smiled at the oblivious drill bomber good naturally.
Quick, however, didn't seem to take it, just saying to himself, "No.. that's not it at all.."
The new Robot Masters fell into the daily mechanics of Skull Fortress rather quickly, going through the training and conditioning, learning the routines easily. Every morning would be warm-ups followed by a five-mile jog, then breakfast, then each Robot Master would be put into groups with others of similar abilities and train as a group.
"It's not so much as training right now," Quick explained to the group. "It's more like conditioning. All your systems are new, so it'll take a few days for them to be 'broken into' for lack of better term. The process is gradual before you can be put into an extreme battle practice like some of the older guys. Even though your bodies are all artificial, it still needs to get used to the process of the work out before we can really start pressing you hard. If we give you too much all at once, your systems will become overstressed and either burn out or shut down. Neither of which we'd enjoy having happen, so bare with the slow start, it's for your own good in the long run." He stood in front of all three generations as they stretched, preparing for their jog, all in running clothes instead of armor. Looking at some of the elders, he gave them a hidden grin. "And just because we generally find it boring to go running in silence, we like to do a nice little song while we go, you guys can just stay quiet for this one, but.." he shrugged. "It helps with the pace, running to the beat. You might find it helpful." He flexed one of his long legs, balancing easily on the other foot. "So, you guys ready to go? Right now you'll start with a five-mile run. After we reach that mark, we'll tell you guys to stop, the rest of us will continue until we hit eight-miles. Saa, let's go!"
The group was lined up so the best runners were divided between the front and back, the former to keep pace, the latter to keep the stragglers going. Quick, himself, had taken the habit to run up and down the column, giving out encouragement. Suddenly, much to the third generation's surprise, music began blaring, the source seeming to come from Guts up front and Wind in back. It had the sound of slow drums and heavy bass with the occasional electric guitar before it got to a steadier, electric guitar rock beat. The group began moving, the veterans' steps falling automatically to the beat while the rookies plodded somewhat uncertainly along.
Then, a tenor began to chant more than actually sing:
"Woke up with a heavy head
And I thought about leavin' town
I could have died if I wanted to --
Slipped over the edge and drowned
But, oh no baby, I won't give up that easy, no
Too many tire tracks in the sands of time
Too many love affairs that stop on a dime, well
Oh, no baby, I think it's time to make some changes 'round here"
Quick fell back towards the middle of the column, bounding energetically to the song, as he and all the elders sang, "Yeah, I'm gonna tear it up
Gonna trash it up
I'm gonna round it up
Gonna shake it up" And then he sang loudly, alone, as he gave Spark an encouraging slap on the back, "Oh no, baby, I will not lie down!"
"I'm brave enough to be crazy
I'm strong enough to be weak
I see all these heroes with feet of clay
Whose mighty ships have sprung a leak
And I want you to tell me darlin'
Just what do you believe in now?" The music riffed loudly, "Well, c'mon over here baby
You 'bout to gimme a heart attack
I wanna wrap my lovin' arms
Around the small of your back
Yeah, and I'm gonna pull you, pull you, pull you," they all chanted, "Pull you right up close to me
Yeah, I'm gonna tear it up
Gonna trash it up
I'm gonna round it up
Gonna shake it up
Oh, no no no, I will not lie down
Turn this thing around
I will not go quietly
I will not lie down
I will not go quietly
I will not lie down
I will not go quietly
I will not lie down"
It was a bit odd, but slowly, the third generation began getting into it, infect by the same careless, fun-loving attitude the elders were. Quick just grinned at them, pumping up a fist as he ran back to the front: "No, I will not lie down!"
The only one who seemed immune to all this, nearly two dozen voices raising up in more chant than song, narrowed his icy eyes at the instigator, frowning slightly.
"Right, that's good. Try it again, this time, pull a bit to your left."
"Left? Sight's dead on."
"I know, but that's how it is for all of us. A little up and to the left, it's just you have to get used to the fact that gravity, wind, whatever will pull off the attack and right now," Metal told the rounded robot, "the wind's pushing it right. So, in order to get a solid hit, you have to aim a bit left."
Needled blinked, checking his sensors. "Oh, I see. All right."
Suddenly, something caught his eye and Metal elbowed Cut, who was half nodding off in boredom next to him. "Quick's back. You can go to your own training now."
The orange robot jerked upright, blinking rapidly at the approaching blur. Suddenly, a wide grin split his face. "Hey, Needle. You hit that blur coming at us, I'll give you my dessert for a week."
He frowned, watching it. "Two weeks. That's fast."
"Right, go for it!"
Metal slapped his head. "Guys.."
"Don't worry!" Cut said, chuckling behind his grin. "Needle still hasn't gotten the hang of outside elements, besides, as fast as Quick runs, he's just as fast dodging. Needle's a thousand years too early to think he can hit that!"
"Ow!"
The two turned around to see Needle sprawled on his ass upon the ground, holding his head, Quick above him, fist cocked from a side-blow. And stuck in between the seams that made up the plating of his torso armor was a twelve-inch needle, sticking three-quarters out.
"There is an explanation, right?" He asked, frowning down at the new robot who pointed at Cut.
"He told me to. Offered two weeks dessert if I hit you."
The elder robot huffed. "Damn. There goes dessert."
"Hahaha, yeah.." Quick chuckled humorlessly. Then he tugged the needle from his armor and threw it at Cut, making the other jump back.
"Hey!"
"Quit your bitchin' and get to practice!" He mocked growled as the other skipped off, laughing all the way. "What a jackass."
Metal gave a wavering smile to them both, patting Needle on the shoulder. "That's enough for right now. Rest up and we'll give you another go in a little while." He stood up and turned, "Now, Shadow..." He paused in confusion. "Shadow? Where'd he go?"
"Hmm?" The other two looked around. "He.."
"Dammit, where did he go?"
The blade wielder turned to his brother. "Quick-"
"I know, I know. I'll find him." He sighed irritably. "Stupid idiot."
The out laying ground around Skull Fortress, all those within the perimeter walls, were used as the Robot Masters' training area, all the but the front and left side. They were used to bring in supplies and travel down to the town several miles away, which Wily had been doing less and less recently. But the area was several acres to go through, several acres of wide-open spaces, thick, dense woods and rocky terrain to hide in.
And it took him only half an hour to find the elusive 24th. He was in the middle of the forest that stood a quarter mile away from where the other blade throwers were training, working on his own technique, keeping his mind focused on stretching his skills, away from other curious, torturous thoughts.
Quick watched in quiet amazement how the smaller robot moved. Lighter than air, almost too fast for the eye to follow. He bounded from the ground to highest branches of a tree as silently as a leaf upon the wind, twisting as he pushed away from the tree, flipping, sending a score of shuriken to line down the middle of the trunk. Shadow moved his body, feet tucked behind him as he rebounded off another tree, shooting to the ground and hitting with a roll, coming up, sending three stars into the bush.
Each one hit a thin branch, just a foot in front of Quick's face.
"JESUS!" He stumbled away, surprised at the speed and abruptness of the attack. "B-Be careful! You nearly hit me!"
In between the trees, Shadow slowly stood up, not looking as if he had cared how close he was to hitting the elder robot, barely even looking as if Quick was even there. Which made the latter even more upset.
"Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself? You slip out of practice and you nearly kill me and you're just going stand there and say absolutely nothing? Aren't you even going to apologize?"
The other just turned away, climbing easily up the tree to pull of his shuriken buried deep in the bark.
"Goddammit! Say something!"
"I want to see Wily-sama."
The soft voice surprised Quick, leaving him tittering. "Wh-What?"
"I want to see Wily-sama."
The demand hidden in Shadow's voice and his nonchalance at everything rubbed Quick wrong entirely, raising the skin along his spine and he growled angrily. "What for?" The other said nothing, just watching him with eyes expecting to be obeyed. "What the hell! You go off on your own, make trouble for everyone and nearly kill me and you expect me to take you to Wily-sama without a reason!? You are in no position to start demanding things from me! Remember who your elders are!"
The violet eyes narrowed slightly. "I wouldn't know. You act more like a child."
Quick cut back a sharp retort, merely snarling. "Watch it. You're part of a family now. I'll let you off for this right now because you're not used to it. But now you're responsible for everything you do, whatever you might do to others. You have to take responsibility for your action and how it affects everyone else."
"What actions of mine," he asked in the quiet silence, "could possibly affect someone else?"
"Maybe this entire excursion? Perhaps the fact that you slipped out during training making me go after you -- making me unable to help Needle with his evasive maneuvers and making Metal miss out on his own practice just so he can look after Needle. You're causing problems for all of us."
"Those problems aren't caused by me. They're caused by you because you have to be in my business. I can train perfectly well on my own, I don't need someone to baby-sit me. Least of all, you."
Quick's chest clenched in a painful outrage as the other turned to walk back to the fortress. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He shouted at Shadow's back. "You singling me out just because I actually care enough to look out for you? In case you don't know what it means to be in a family, not only do you look out for yourself and how the things you do affect others, you take care of your own!"
Cold violet eyes pierced him from over the dull gold gleam of a rounded shoulder. "I am not a part of this 'family'. I don't need anyone to look out for me. I look out for myself and only for myself. I don't need someone to care for me, I don't need others to be friends with, and I don't need to be part of this group. I am my own and I belong only to me. Never you."
His head lowered in frustration when the darkness left, face covered by the arch of his helmet. Though it wasn't the forefront of his wondering, why had he been singled out from the others -- not once, but twice? Just what made him think he was so great and powerful that he could do what he wished with no concern for others, thinking he could get by on his own?
A thought, totally random as it seemed, filed through his head. "Old construction, not Wily-sama's style." He grunted to himself, moving back to return to his practice field. "The ancient design must've brought some personality flaws in it, too." He spat angrily to the side. More like he was a prototype personality matrix than the latest bioroid built.