MegaMan NT Warrior (Rockman) Fan Fiction ❯ Past, Present and Future ❯ Fight With All Your Might ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2 - Fight With All Your Might

Bass could not believe what he had just heard. Dr. Wily, his creator and master, was going to deactivate him if he failed again! Bass felt as if the reaper was just a step away, his long deadly scythe hanging over the young robot's temple. He was walking briskly down the corridor, Treble at his heels. He gazed down at his ever-loyal wolfbot and affectionately scratched him behind the ears. At least you'll ever betray me…

Bass finally reached his "bedroom", which wasn't much, but it was the only place in the entire castle that was entirely his and Treble's. This was the one place that he could come to think without disturbance. However the room did not consist of much more than a desk, "bed", window, lamp and a dog bed for Treble.

The onyx robot walked over to the window and gazed through it, up into the vast blanket of night. The dark sky was sprinkled with stars. For reasons unknown, Bass enjoyed gazing at the stars. They never changed, never worried for anything. They were the one element of his life that was consistent…

"Beautiful…aren't they?" Bass said softly, more to himself then anyone else. He saw a shooting star pass through the skies. The young robot opened his mouth to make a wish, as it was a custom that he had learned from humans, but then realized just how foolish wishes actually were. A wish can't change anything. Wishes are the spawns of dreams…and robots can't dream. Treble stared at the stars boredly, but remained obediently by his master's side. The two stood in silence for a long while, when suddenly the silence was shattered when an enraged Wily stormed in.

"Bass! I sent eight of my robots to various labs to steal some equipment for my 'Project'," Wily snarled. Bass had heard about this "secret project" for quite awhile. But like most of his deranged schemes Bass knew nothing of it. Usually Bass cared not for such schemes, they all seemed to fail anyway, but this one was different somehow. The ebony robot could feel an unusual tension in the air, and the edgy Wily was more jumpy than ever. He would stay up for nights on end, jotting down information into a large book. Once Bass stole the book and tried to read it to see what it was that made this plan so special, but he couldn't understand it. It all seemed like gibberish to him, the scribbling of a senile mind. But whatever this plot was, it was big…very big…

"Only four came back!" Wily continued, breaking the android's train of thought. "I'm assuming that Megaman is the reason behind this! More than likely he'll come here for the other parts that were stolen. I'm sending you out to stop him. Remember Bass, remember your fate if you fail again!"

How could I forget? Bass thought bitterly.

"Fine," the onyx robot said as he and Treble teleported right outside of the castle to wait for the Blue Bomber…

What could Dr. Wily possibly want with all that lab equipment? Megaman thought as he ran toward the castle. Rush was back at Dr. Light's lab for repairs from the wounds he received during the previous fights with those four robots. It'd be a short while before Rush would be back in action again, and Megaman knew at least two others had gotten away, quite possibly more. The castle was literally right in the middle of nowhere. There was little to no vegetation, only rocky plains. However there were plenty of boulders of various sizes littered around the huge sculpture.

What's that over there? Megaman saw a small speck in the distance, but as he came closer it took the form of a slender black robot with gold crests along the sides of his helmet, with a frightening and powerful wolfbot by his side: Bass and Treble.

"I will defeat you!" Bass shrieked as soon as the Blue Bomber was within his sights. "C'mon Treble!" The wolf robot obediently leapt into the air and combined with his master. Bass's crests darkened to violet, and black and violet metallic wings sprung from his back making him look even deadlier than before.

"I don't want to fight you!" Megaman cried. Bass just growled and shot a beam of charged plasma at him. The smaller robot jumped over it and fired a weak plasma pellet back at Bass. The Wilybot sprung high into the air, avoiding the plasma pellet, gliding up before finally diving down at Megaman. The Blue Bomber flipped into the air and landed on the younger robot's back. Bass began to perform barrel rolls in an attempt to knock off his adversary, but Megaman held on tight. While gripping onto one shoulder, Megaman placed his cannon between Bass's shoulder blades and fired. Bass could feel Treble's pain through the link they shared. The Blue Bomber jumped off and landed on the ground with very little grace. Bass, with a line of smoke drifting from his back and wings, was forced to land just a few feet away.

"I've defeated you again. Now get out of here," Megaman said softly, lowering his arm canon. Bass's eyes lit up in rage.

"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!!" Bass roared, his voice tinged with desperation. This surprised Megaman, leaving him unprepared as the larger robot charged at him, firing an array of semi-charged plasma beams.

"What the-!?" Megaman had barely the time to strafe aside. He ran behind a boulder and pressed his back to it, using it as a shield. Then he raised his arm canon above the boulder he was hiding from and fired at Bass. The black bot easily dodged it, afterwards firing a line of plasma at the boulder Megaman was hiding behind, causing it to explode. The explosion sent Megaman through the air and ultimately landing heavily on the grass-less floor. Momentarily stunned, he could only watch as Bass took careful aim and fired another charged shot. The neon, flashing beam of charged plasma came closer and closer almost in slow motion. Megaman turned and covered his head in anticipation for the pain that was to come. But it never did. Megaman slowly lowered his arms to see his elder brother, Protoman, standing before him, deflecting the blast with his shield.

"Smooth moves, little brother," Protoman said sarcastically. "But I think I could have done it a little better…"

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh, number one son," Megaman mumbled, "But thanks for saving me.."

"Listen to me," Protoman said, his tone suddenly turning serious. He blocked another blast from Bass and shot one back. Bass dodged it before running behind another boulder for cover. "I'll distract Bass over there while you go behind and nail 'em. The only way for him not to see you is if you go around the castle, preferably on the ground."

"But how am I supposed to get around the castle? By walking?!" Megaman asked, looking at the huge structure. Wily had spared no expense on its construction. It had a few mile radius at least! Suddenly, as if on cue, Rush appeared as a small dot in the sky, flying toward the brothers and the scarred Wilybot. The dot quickly grew larger until it took the shape of a mechanical dog. He landed by Megaman's side and wagged his tail. Bass was still hiding behind the boulder, waiting for them to make the first move. He hadn't seen nor heard anything. "Oh…well still, it will take me at least ten minutes or so to make the trip, even with Rush. Are you sure you can handle him for that long?" Megaman asked.

"If my memory circuits are not malfunctioning, -you- were the one that had to be saved!" Protoman teased.

"Ok ok, point taken. Good luck!" Mega said as he hopped onto Rush as he transformed into a motorbike. Protoman let out a charged shot of plasma into the boulder next to Bass, causing it to explode. The ebony android turned away from the fireworks and covered his head. During this time, Rush sped off in the opposite direction. Once out of sight, Rush began circling the castle. Megaman charged his canon to the absolute max while holding onto the handlebars with his other hand.

After the shrapnel and fireworks from the explosion ceased, Bass leapt on top of the boulder, temporarily forgetting all about Megaman and focusing all of his power on the threat at hand. He fired a semi-charged beam, which Protoman blocked with his shield and shot one of his own. Suddenly, the crimson robot's right arm, the one holding the shield, felt numb. Pain shot through his right side almost simultaneously. A yelp of pain escaped him as he dropped the shield. Then cradling his injured arm he fell onto one knee, pain wracking his lithe form. Bass had no idea as to what was going on, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He charged his canon and fired, his beam landing square in the crimson robot's chest. Protoman landed on his back, instantly losing consciousness…

Suddenly, Megaman had that feeling of dread. The feeling that sends a cold chill through your body, that tenses your muscles and twists your stomach into a painful knot. It's that sixth sense telling you that something very bad just happened, is happening, or is about to happen.

Megaman shook his head, trying to ease his mind.

Nothing happened. Quit worrying…

Bass, with noticeable trouble, flew above ground level. His dark eyes searched the ground before him as he remember his true objective.

NO! Megaman couldn't have gotten away!! I must find him!!!

Bass frantically scanned the vast, empty plains before him so absorbed in what was before him that he didn't think to look behind. Megaman leapt off Rush and fired a whirling beam of hot plasma at the back of the desperate robot. Bass spun around and saw the huge beam coming at him, his eyes widening in horror.

I…can't…dodge it!! It's…it's…it's too late!!!!

The monstrously gigantic beam struck Bass in the chest, huge explosions erupting. The Wilybot was engulfed in a blinding light and the deafening roar of the explosions rang in his ears. When the explosions ended, Bass's limp form from the sky, detaching from Treble. Surprisingly, Treble only suffered mild damage, and he landed on all fours. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Bass, who landed heavily on the ground with a sickening "thud" and clank of metal...

Where's my brother? Where's Protoman?

After the explosions ended and he knew his aim was true, Mega looked around for his brother, finding him lying on the ground not too far away.

I told him to be careful...

Mega rushed over to his sibling's still form and checked for injuries.

Odd...he's not injured that severely...

"Rush!" Mega Man called. Rush ran over and transformed to jet mode. Mega pulled Protoman onto Rush's back. "Fly back to base and give him to Dr. Light. Then come back for me, ok?" Rush barked in reply, then flew off to Dr. Light's. Mega Man slowly stood and walked over to Bass, who was lying limply on his back. There was a thick line of 'blood' and internal fluids coming from Bass's mouth, and a longer, but thinner line coming from Bass's forehead down the side of his face to his chin. There was a pool of internal fluids and circuits lying under and around him. Bass weakly raised his head and looked Megaman in the face, and upon looking into his eyes the blue robot immediately knew that his injuries were fatal. The light of life was ebbing away from Bass's dark eyes... Treble was standing next to him, whimpering.

"..Finish....me...." Bass whispered hoarsely

"What?" Megaman asked, stunned.

"Are...you....deaf....or...just....stupid!? I...said....finish me..." Bass snapped.

"Don't be silly...I didn't want to fight in the first place." Megaman said gently.

"I...am...going...to...die...whether....you...kill...me...or...n ot.." Bass took a raspy

breath. "If...Wily....gets me...he'll....deactivate....me...anyway." Megaman gasped at the news. "What... kind of...pathetic ...death ....is that....? ..and...if....you...leave...me... here....I'll ...die...anyway ...I ...don't ...want....that.. ....I...wish....to...die...in...the....heat.... of....battle..." The Blue Bomber stood there for what felt like a long time.

Finally Mega broke the silence. "It doesn't have to end like this, Bass ...Maybe...I can take you back to Dr. Li-"

"No," Bass interrupted. He then smiled weakly, even as his breaths became more and more out of reach, "Even after everything you would still…risk your…life…to save mine…it's your blind trust…and love…of life…maybe that's why…I could never defeat you…but it's...too...late...for...me...now... nothing....can....be....changed... My one request...just.. ..remember...remember that...Treble...and I.. .fought... bravely...til....the ....very...end....." Bass whispered, his voice fading. Mega Man gave a slight nod and aimed his arm cannon at Bass's head. The dying android closed his eyes. Treble whimpered, but did nothing to stop him.

"Goodbye....Bass," Mega said softly as he fired the shot, turning away before it connected. Wiping an arm across his eyes, he swiftly walked away and waited for Rush....