Among the endless sea of darkness and twinkling stars floated a colony of asteroids. The mountainous rocks travelled at steady speeds past the farthest planets of the solar system. The faint yellow glow of Saturn illuminated them, revealing building structures and towers on some of their surfaces. Not too far and quickly approaching the asteroids were two spaceship hubs directing towards the main rock. Inside the ships were hundreds of small drones, robots, and several pounds of equipment ready to be shipped upon landing.
"HUB H, THIS IS G. APPROACHMENT TOWARDS DESIGNATED ASTEROID OMEGA CLEAR. DO YOU HAVE SIGHT OF THE LANDING PAD?" The captain of the larger hub ship, a simple robot with white plates to resemble a astronaut, announced on the speaker. The smaller hub ship approached the side, where another deadpan robot spoke through.
"HUB G, YES WE HAVE SIGHT ON THE LANDING SITE. LAND ON OUR COMMAND AND WATCH FOR THE OTHER ASTEROIDS." The other captain said.
"UNDERSTOOD." Hub G's captain responded. The asteroids' appearances grew in detail as the hub ships approached. The largest asteroid, Omega, had holes the size of mountains enclosed by domes lit by orbs of light and towers erupting from its crevice bottoms. The second asteroid, Beta, was half the size of Omega but filled with domes and pathways, little drones carrying specimens of plants and robot animals in their claws. Trailing close to Beta was Glimmer, a small asteroid with a shiny surface and no craters along its rocky terrain. It shone in a brilliant pale light as the sun's rays hit its side like a mirror before returning to a dull color in the darkness. The final asteroid was smaller than the rest, glowing in artificial lights from clusters of buildings and skyscrapers along its surface. The singular crater in its center filled with dull lights like the twinkling stars around them.
"HUB G, COMMENCE LANDING NOW." Hub H's captain ordered. As the captain directed Hub G towards the launch pad, the screens of the control board started to flicker. The flickering grew worse as the buttons flashed in bright colors of red and orange, and sparks started to fly out of the panel. The little drones surrounding the captain started to spaz as the hub veered sharply to the right, nearly colliding with the other hub.
"HUB G, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Hub H's captain's voice was heavily distorted over the speaker as Hub G's captain was helpless to watch the ship's conditions grow worse. He attempted to reach over the panel, which glowed a bright red that was nonexistent moments before. As his hand reached over, the red glow flashed and rose up his arm like a searing fire swallowing him whole. A silent scream escaped as sparks erupted from every weak spot in his body, melting the joints and destroying the hand that still clung to the panel like a lifeline. The red glow grew in intensity as all robots in the lower levels suffered the same fate as the captain, spazzing and falling, the engines and panels bursting from power influx. In less than a minute, all that remained in Hub G was a sea of blinding red light.
"HUB G, RESPOND IMMEDIATELY! WHAT IS YOUR CONDITION!" The captain of Hub H was interrupted by the sound of static. He looked to his left and dropped his communicator at the sight of the hub exploding. Chunks of the ship flew at blinding speeds past him and disappeared into the darkness, while smaller chunks spiraled into the direction of asteroid Omega. A bright red glow erupted from the crevices and building windows of the asteroid, appearing as if the rock itself was surrounded in endless fire. Beta's surface swirled in pale green and yellow lights like poisonous gases, Alpha's building lights flashed rapidly like a disco ball, and Glimmer shone in white light so bright it could be a second sun. The intense lights grew to be too much for the captain as the panel exploded and the robots around him suffering the same fate.
"HEADQUARTERS, MAYDAY! THE OPERATION HAS BEEN COMPRIMISED, I REPEAT THE OPERATION IS COMPRI-!" Before the captain could finish, the feed cut off and the ship was swallowed in the light.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In an unknown section of land stood a series of buildings on a flat plateau, a perimeter of barbed fence extending far down the plateau's side. The outside was cluttered with levitating tables, rows of satellite dishes pointing to the night sky, and dozens of cluttered trucks locked in a storage unit. Among one of the levitating tables was a young woman sketching lines on a parchment spread out among the endless mugs of coffee. Her goggles pressed against her forehead tightly, pulling back her long auburn hair from her eyes, allowing her to view the clear skies. She yawned and added two lines to the dot resembling Mars.
"Let's see. Presuming they keep their steady course, they should be able to reach Mars's area by the end of the month..." She mumbled, brushing her hand against the mugs to find another sip. Suddenly, a panicked yell came from behind, scaring her into slamming the table. Several mugs fell to the ground and cracked at the tips. The robot was not much taller than her, with a slightly cylindrical lime green body with digital red eyes on a black screen for a face. From his torso was a giant spherical orb for a bottom with glowing pink and blue lights levitating his body inches from the ground. Two tiny orbs levitated at the robot's side as he twiddled his comically big hands nervously.
"Ms. Lavender, I'm so sorry to interrupt but we have a problem!! We just received word from asteroid Alpha that we lost contact with hubs G and H!!" He huffed. Lavender whipped around and knocked the only mug left off the table. Her tired dark eyes shot open with fear and shock as the assistant caught his breath.
"What?! Wh-When did this happen?" She asked.
"We received the signal minutes ago, but this could've happened a few days ago at least. They said the hubs just exploded all of a sudden. All electronics were disabled for a short time before the solar energy cores booted up. As far as we know, it's the same energy surges that come from the core of those asteroids." The robot said.
"The energy elements?" Lavender asked with a tired sigh. Her robot assistant couldn't look at her and joined with another sigh.
"Yes. The main source of the elements still haven't been tracked down yet, and all of our equipment was lost in the hubs. Should I try sending in two more hubs?" He asked.
"No! At least let me get in contact with our superiors about this, and I need to cancel-" Lavender paced around the table picking up the cracked mugs.
"About that Miss Lavender. He wants to talk to you right now. He's waiting for the call inside." Lavender's breathing grew shallow as she stared at the bright entrance to the building. The assistant exchanged a sympathetic look as they took the mug and opened the door. She hesitated before heading inside, passing the wide tables filled with blueprints, the endless screens projecting 3-D satellite orbital paths, and little robots cleaning the floor. She reached over to her computer and linked it to the main screen before accepting the call button. As the call went through, the face of her superior appeared on the computer screen with a displeased look.
"Lavender, care to explain why we have received news of two more hub ships destroyed heading towards the asteroids?" He said in an annoyed tone that made Lavender want to look away.
"I'm afraid they exploded upon reaching asteroid Omega's launching pad sir. But I think I can find a way to bypass whatever is causing these interruptions. I just need to get the equations through and get into contact with the Chronos Institute and we can get the project running again. These accidents are not going to happen again sir." Lavender explained. Her eyes felt so heavy and strained but managed to keep a smile, no matter how stressed she looked. Her superior rubbed his brow and brought out papers that made the atmosphere cold. She looked to her assistant, who had the same worried expression as her.
"I'm going to be shutting the program down in five days." He said.
"What? B-But sir, we are doing everything we can to move the program forward." Lavender tried to explain, but the superior stopped her with his hand.
"Since the blackout, we have been struggling keeping this institution up. We are losing millions of dollars for every hub destroyed, and you have so far not given any reason as to why these asteroids are important. There are more projects to complete that don't require so much spending on destroying equipment, much less for something you claim to be called an 'energy element.'" The superior said. His need to add her name in a tone similar to a tired parent. irritated Lavender and she struggled keeping calm with her exhaustion.
"It's true that we don't have a precise location of where the elements are within the asteroids, but the energy they give off is a type of power we've never seen before. The equipment on Alpha have calculated the main source of the elements could be hundreds of time more powerful than the most powerful power plant in the world. If we get to properly analyze them, we won't have to worry about any financial issues. We won't have to worry about any more energy crisis at all on Earth. This find could impact our institution in ways we can't imagine." She said.
"Pursuing these energy elements will get us bankrupt before we find out what they even are."
"Allow me to send out one more hub and gather more information. We're so close to a breakthrough sir that we can't allow this to disappear." She finished softly. She looked to her boss with a empty look, almost ready to collapse from the exhaustion and stress for the approval. The boss sighed and she perked up with her assistant.
"If you can get new analysis on the properties of whatever are in those asteroids, I will extend the expedition for as long as possible. But I can only do so much for time. You have five days." He mumbled.
"That is more than enough. Thank you sir." Lavender said with a soft smile. The two exchanged goodbyes and nods as the call ended. The beeping of the disconnected call echoed as the last of Lavender's strength wavered and she collapsed into a chair. Her assistant hurried into a room before returning with cold water and a fan.
"Pardon me for asking, but how are we going to pull this off in five days? It took us weeks to order those drones and robots and no human is going to want to pilot them after everything that happened." They asked.
"The elements must be emitting signals so powerful that it short circuits robots with simple programming. The robots had been programmed to take a straight path to asteroid Alpha and Omega, and every one pf them suffered the same effects. Maybe if they are able to change trajectory during the flight, they can find a way to avoid the power surges." Lavender suggested after chugging the water.
"Are you suggesting AI?"
"Artificial intelligence could work, but the energy elements would easily fry the computers. We need robots that are capable of complicated decisions in seconds, and operate the mission by themselves without human guidance until we can the signal towers up." Lavender said. She shuffled the desk's contents, repeatedly opening and closing drawers randomly and pencils and documents scattering. She opened the bottom drawer to reveal a newspaper with a printed photo of a robot boy in blue armor next to a man in a white lab coat and a beard.
"Wasn't Megaman and the robot masters created by Doctor Light?" She asked.
"Yes they were Miss Lavender." The robot confirmed.
"Then maybe he can help us. Let's shut down the lab for now Astroman. We have a train to catch." Lavender said with a smile.
"Yes ma'am!" Astroman said cheerfully. As he organized the papers and shutting the lights, Lavender quickly retrieved her coat and neck pillow and exited the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the first time in weeks Magnet managed to sleep without mysterious pains throughout his body. As the first morning light hit his head, he looked over to the sleeping forms of all of his brothers, with some dangling over the mattresses in odd positions. He hummed in amusement and walked silently to the door and down the hallway towards the kitchen, where he greeted with a focused Dr. Light and Wily.
"Good morning Dr. Light. What are you working on?" He asked.
"Good morning Magnet. I'm just finishing up the last details on GAMMA. He needs to be completed for the unveiling next week."
"From what I've seen, GAMMA is in perfect condition for the presentation." Magnet said. Wily had mumbled something he couldn't make out and returned his attention to Light.
"The main problem is that GAMMA takes up so much fuel that I can't find a power source strong enough for it. If we went for electric, it would take three power plants to allow him to move and fossil fuels are out of the question." Dr. Light continued to mumble as he scribbled out the words on a list.
"If we went with my nuclear power core plan, then we could've been over with this days ago." Wily said. There was an edge to his voice and mannerisms that only grew worse with Doctor Light giving a tired sigh.
"Having such a core could cause unintended problems if GAMMA were to sustain damage. It would be too much of a risk to have a walking nuclear core." Light said.
"It would be an easy solution!"
"An easy solution isn't always the safest, especially in public Albert. We need to consider how they would react to this, including the government." Dr. Light said.
"Could it be possible to make GAMMA run on solar power like me and my brothers Doctor Light? For a model like me, it only takes being in the sun for an hour to power me for several. I'm sure if we get a dozen solar cores, GAMMA would be all set. It would be expensive, but the most efficient and safest method available." Magnet spoke up. The two doctors halted in their squabble and turned to the red robot, who had regretted speaking immediately. To his surprise, Doctor Light smiled while Wily rolled his eyes.
"I suppose that could work. I already know how to develop cores similar to yours, and the building can be quick. We'll put nuclear as a last resort, but I would rather not use it in the public demonstration. Thank you Magnet, and I'm sorry you had to hear that."
"It was nothing Doctor Light. If you see my brothers, tell them I'll be out helping out some people."
"Okay but I need to talk to you when you get back." Dr. Light waved and retreated into the lab for further work on GAMMA with Wily continuing to mumble words angrily. As the door closed, Magnet ran to the kitchen corner and stuffed several cans, bottles of water, and bunches of fruit before quietly leaving the house. He walked down the familiar alleys of the city to avoid peeping eyes before reaching a pothole. As he climbed down the tunnel, he pulls out a paper filled with detailed illustrations of the underground tunnels, a red line running through the path he was on toward the corner slashed with an X.
For the first few visits, it was just Top and Snake that were able to visit Shadow. To feed the ninja looking robot, the brothers had made an idea to buy extra food after each visit and hide it in the kitchen corners. With the doctors constantly in the lab and none of the other siblings caring, it was easy to buy extra cans and water bottles without suspicion. However, Magnet caught Rock and Roll leaving them candy on occasion, thinking it was their go-to-work food. After coming back several days later, Snake had announced that Shadow was back in healthy condition and ready for more visitors. With each day bringing a new brother to introduce, some were nice with simple questions and others being less subtle in their interrogation methods. As the days passed, the tension had dissipated into a respectful relationship between the family and ninja robot.
Magnet followed the directions through the twisted pipelines and abandoned tunnels, with his link to his brothers fading as he went deeper. A few minutes later he saw the familiar pale glow of a lamp they left for Shadow in the hidden dome. Throughout the ground was piles of books of various topics, a small cooler filled with half melted ice, and a small radio emitting the calm chatter of crickets next to a half finished futon. Magnet made a gentle knock against a rusty pipe to alert his presence, and Shadow appeared from a dark corner of the dome holding a book of language learning.
"Are the others not joining you today?" He asked.
"I just decided to come visit early. You don't mind that at all, do you?" Magnet said and laid out the food across the futon.
"I don't mind your company." Shadow shrugged. He looked at the food and picked out the two peaches and canned noodles. Magnet pulled out an E-Tank and the two ate around the futon. The two would occasionally lock eyes and nod respectfully before returning to their food, with not a word spoken the whole hour. When the last of the cans were emptied and the fruit reduced to pits, Shadow walked to his side.
"Something's bothering you." He said.
"How did you know?"
"You are very protective to your brothers as they are to you. And yet you came here alone, withing nothing but food in your pocket and stress on your shoulders." Shadow explained.
"What do you mean stress?" Magnet perked up curiously at the ninja's words.
"That is what you are right now, aren't you? Whenever you are stressed, your shoulders are tight and your eyes look strained and dull. Your arms also tend to shake whenever the stress gets really bad, and that happens mostly when the topic is on your brothers. For the past few minutes you've been shaking like some kind of rattle." Shadow said.
"I guess I am that bad at hiding things." Magnet couldn't help but chuckle at the level of insight made on him. Shadow made no effort to repeat the question and sipped the last of the tea, waiting for an answer.
"It's my family. It's been nearly a month now and no one has been willing to give my brothers a chance at having new functions and I can't understand why. I know my brothers and I have always been different and our other brothers don't seem to like us that much, but I don't why the other humans feel the same way. And with how our creators are starting to get on edge back home, so things don't look so good for any of us." Magnet explained. Shadow tilted his head curiously and moved closer.
"I am not accustomed to the way your kind work. Why is it necessary for you to have functions?" He asked.
"Our functions is the very reason why we exist at all. Doctor Light created the robot masters to be the next step of union between robots and humans, and he puts great pride in who we are. But in order for us to even be with humans, we need to be assigned functions and jobs based on our abilities, and those functions often involve jobs humans themselves can't do. As long as we have and are working under those functions, we're all good with the human government."
"So you're like their slaves?" Shadow scowled and Magnet flinched by the harsh tone.
"No! We are still pretty new in production, so a majority of the world doesn't know we exist. These functions make sure the government can keep track of us."
"And what happens if a 'robot master' as you call yourselves doesn't get a function?"
"I...I don't know. My brothers and I are the only ones that I know that don't have functions. Doctor Light said it might take a little longer than usual to find us functions due to our 'circumstances', whatever that means." Magnet trailed off with a tired sigh. He could feel the slightest pain in his head, the throbbing in his shoulders returning in waves. Shadow might be more right about his condition than he thought.
"Humanity doesn't sound as great as your 'great creator' lets on Magnet. Consider that the first moment I arrived in your home, I was disoriented, wet, and tired. Humans were all around me, and yet none of them came to help or ask if I was okay. Instead, they yelled at me, tried to order me off the street, and made insults to my face. They even had asked who I belonged to. That phrase is regularly referred to pets or OBJECTS." The subtle growl and venom put into the last word made Magnet jump back. He slowly turned his head, his red eyes glowing intensely as he finished, "My experience with humans have not been pleasant, and no doubt it's going to be the same for you and your brothers."
"They probably didn't mean it like that! And even if it was, there's nothing for me to do to change that. We are built to have functions and that is it. What is a single robot supposed to do against billions of humans?" Magnet said.
"Find a new purpose, or a new family. You can't please all humans and your family at the same time, because this world will not allow that to happen." Shadow stated.
"You can't judge all of them just because of one bad experience. And how can you talk about finding a new purpose when all you've done is hide in this maze feasting on scraps, hellbent on finding a random person who probably doesn't know what they did wrong? To state it simply Shadow, you're the one who needs to change, and not me or humans." It was too late for Magnet to take his words back when Shadow jolted in surprise, the flare in his eyes dissipated and dull once more. His eyes darted away trying to find something to change the topic. He recalled the last words of Dr. Light and started to pack the empty cans and fruit pits in his bag.
"I'm sorry for the outburst. It was wrong to take it out on you and you were only giving your side. I wish we can talk more, but the doctor will get suspicious for staying out." Magnet said as he hastily put the last garbage pieces away. Shadow watched with a steady gaze as he put on the radio and watched Magnet approach the exit.
His processor was so clouded from the conversation, he didn't notice he dumped the bag and was already at Light Labs' doorstep. The room was quiet with all of his siblings absorbed in different activities. Rock and Roll made room on the couch and he closed his eyes in attempt to calm his frustration. Doctor Light and Wily had entered the room and went separate ways, with the good doctor turning on the tv and Wily rounding a corner with phone on hand.
The afternoon was peaceful when compared to the morning, and Magnet was able to sleep off the pain in his shoulders. When we opened his eyes again, he saw that all of his brothers had spread a deck of cards throughout the floor and Rock and Roll were watching a news program. Dr. Light was on the far side of the couch with a worried smile but turned away as soon as their eyes met.
A sudden knock alerted everyone out of their quiet space and turned for the door. Doctor Light straightened his coat and cracked the entrance for a voice to peek through.
"Hello? Are you Doctor Thomas Light?" The voice was feminine, but different compared to the others Magnet was introduced to. It wasn't cold and statistical like Miss Jazmyne's was a month ago, but not a jittery mess like Christine's either. It was casual and even tired in tone, and it intrigued him as he watched his creator carefully.
"Yes. How may I help you?" Light asked.
"I hope if it's not too much, but I need to talk to you about a problem." The voice said. After a moment of frozen activity, Light opened the door and welcomed the person inside. The woman had a galaxy shirt with a starry jacket and a peculiar badge on her shoulder next to a four tipped star necklace. Her goggles pushed against her auburn hair, which were highlighted purple at the tips. Her eyes looked tired, but bright as she looked around the room in admiration.
"Wow, your place looks even better in person." She said shaking Light's hand.
"Thank you. And who might you be if I may ask?" Dr. Light asked. Magnet's brothers, previously lost in their own worlds, stopped to watch the two and their conversation.
"My name is Lucinda Lavender, though I mostly prefer Lucy. I work for the International Space and Exoplanet Exploration Institute. You can just call it the ISEE Institute instead, since I'm sure saying it so many times is going to become a mouthful." She said.
"Of course! Though I admit, I haven't heard of this organization before." Light said. Lucy walked slowly throughout the house before setting her gaze on the robot masters. Magnet was prepared for a nervous eye twitch or a quick frown from the new guest, but to their surprise she gave a warm smile and returned to the doctor.
"We aren't as well known as the Chronos Institute. We mostly involve ourselves in exploring potential areas of inhabitance outside of our solar system, hub missions, and everything in-between. Or at least we were before the blackout happened." Lucy explained. The brothers exchanged glances but said nothing further.
"Well Lucy, if you are asking for help with space projects, I'm afraid I'm not in the same field. I study robotics, not-" Dr. Light started, only for Lucy to shake her head.
"Oh no, that's not what I'm here for. But I do believe you can help me, and your robot masters." She smiled. Everyone made room in the kitchen as the two took their seats. Lucy called out a peculiar name and the front door opened to reveal another robot master. The robot was in multiple colors with a spherical bottom and large hands with stubby yellow fingers. Their head lacked a face and instead was a black screen with two blinking red dots for eyes.
"As I mentioned before, the ISEE institute often deals with projects and missions within and outside of our solar system. We often hope the information we receive could benefit the future of space travel and maybe find hospitable life. But when the global blackout happened, a lot of our projects were held back and we lost a lot of money." Lucy said with a tired frown. Magnet had only realized how dark her bags were. He thought it was just smudged makeup, but now it appeared she hadn't slept in a while.
"At the beginning of this year, our satellite radars had picked up strange signals just beyond Neptune's orbital range. The institute had sent out several automated hub ships to investigate the source. What we came across were asteroids of various sizes, but all of them were giving out the same signals we detected." As the conversation went on, almost all of the robot masters became engrossed and listened to the story. Lucy didn't seem to mind and kept going through the conversation.
"The hubs managed to make a base on the closest asteroid Alpha to carry out the mission. Within the deep core of the asteroids, there seems to be small but powerful crystallized objects. I referred to these crystals as "energy elements" after discovery." She continued. Magnet was too focused on her words to notice Doctor Wily had entered the room. The old man rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner, a small smile forming as he took in the information. The other Wi-light brothers glanced among one another to determine if everything she said was true.
"Starting a month ago, we have lost contact with asteroid Alpha. We have sent several hubs to check what was going on, but all of them seem to explode in what they would describe as "blinding light". I know it has to be the energy elements, but my superior has decided to shut it down."
"I'm so sorry to hear that Ms. Lucy." Dr. Light said sadly.
"He said if I can find new information about the energy elements, the programs will continue. However he has given me a deadline of five days." Lucy finished.
"That's not even enough time to build a robot master!" Gemini blurted out in frustration. All of the brothers gave him side glances, which quickly quiet him down.
"The energy elements could be the find of the decade if I'm able to retrieve it, but we are running out of solutions. The hubs are controlled by simple programmed robots, and they don't have the capacity to come up with ways to avoid the energy blasts. That's why I'm here Doctor Light. I was hoping if one of your robot masters could help us." She finished. All of the Wi-light brothers eyes shot up as they looked to her. Light raised a brow curiously and Lucy relaxed in the chair.
"How could I help you?" He asked.
"I need a robot master that can make a safe passage for the hubs to land on Alpha. Do you have a robot master that can withstand energy fields?" Lucy asked. One by one, everyone turned to Magnet with a certain expression. The red robot could feel the slightest pain rising in his chest as they continued staring.
"Well Magnetman is designed to handle magnetic fields." Light said. Lucy's face turned bright as she approached the scarlet robot.
"He is wonderful. I think he'll work for the job." She smiled. Dr. Light gave a sigh of relief and rose from the table. Magnet, however, felt a certain dread when he looked at his brothers.
"Excuse me, but-" He started.
"How long would you have him away from home?" Light interrupted.
"I only need help to gather the energy elements. He'll be back before you know it." Lucy affirmed. Magnet hesitated before pulling her hands away, much to her confusion.
"I can't come with you." He said.
"Magnet-" Dr. Light sighed.
"I've already told Doctor Light that I won't get a function before my brothers. I appreciate you came all this way for help, but I have to decline."
"Magnetman." Dr. Light repeated slightly more firm. The robot masters looked in bewilderment at the unfamiliar tone of their father. They had never heard Dr. Light raise his voice at one of them before. "You looking after each of your brothers is great, but it's been a month. I can't keep up with excuses for long and if the officials start asking what's going on..." He trailed off, not finishing the last part. A part of Magnet wanted to press the subject to figure out what would happen.
"Hold on a second, I think I have a solution. You said you don't want to move on without your brothers. Why don't all of them come with me? The more the merrier right?" Lucy interrupted.
"You would take in all of us when you only need me?" Magnet asked.
"Of course! I'm sure your brothers would be wonderful help for the expedition!" Lucy said cheerfully. All of the brothers stares shifted from uneasiness to hesitant happiness as their brother nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'll accept this position."
"Oh this is wonderful! I'll send you the schematics for tomorrow Dr. Light. I'll be heading to the hotel for sleep. I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow." Lucy finished and walked through the door, the bags barely masking the joy in her eyes as she went to her car. The colorful robot master followed after her, and the car disappeared minutes later.
Magnet gazed into the city's horizon as Dr. Light congratulated each brother for obtaining a function. They had finally done it. Someone had given them a function and will be heading to work tomorrow. In a regular robot's eyes, it would be a joyous feeling to do something you were meant to do. To finally be out in the world achieving new feats with humans. And yet he didn't have this feeling. He felt sad, and he had an idea why.
He wondered if he should tell them the conversation he had with the ninja earlier that day. But before he made his move, Top had approached from behind with Rock and Roll at his sides.
"Hey Magnet, me and the kids were going to head to karaoke downtown. I've already messaged the others to join us. Are you coming?" He said.
"Are the doctors not coming?" Magnet asked curiously.
"Doctor Light said he'll be busy tonight, and I don't know where Wily is." The orange brother shrugged nonchalantly. Magnet didn't see any reason to reject the offer and joined his siblings down the city streets. Roll happily congratulated the Wi-lights for the new functions, which quickly turned into guessing what they guess space looks like. Rock gave quiet answers and occasionally looked at Magnet as they reached the karaoke bar. There were only a few humans and a worker with a drone robot, the bar and stage bathed in a warm light. In one of the bar's corners, the towering figure of Hardman sat with several other robots, most of them being the rest of the Wi-lights. To Magnet's shock there was Elecman and Fireman sitting two seats down, the former having a glum expression compared to the other.
"I'm surprised you two came." Magnet said with sincerity. The last thing he expected was two of his older siblings joining.
"We came ta congratulate ya boys!" Fire said passionately. The night rolled by as the group of robot engaged in many conversations. Spark and Hard shared enthusiasm over their brothers travelling to space, while Fire challenged Needle to a E-Tank drinking contest which the latter admitted defeat. Rock and Roll ate quietly to themselves, only answering when one of them asked questions.
Is Shadow going to be okay? I don't think he knows where we are going tomorrow. Magnet heard one of his brother's voices through link. He scanned the table for any suspicious activity before landing on Topman, who ate his food slowly while exchanging glances between gulps. He followed his brother's movements, taking small sips of an E-Tank.
I don't know. But it's not up to us anymore. He messaged.
What? You approved of us looking after him, and now you're acting like you don't care? Topman's mouth twitched slightly concerned before returning to a neutral look.
Yes, but until he was better and ready to move on. He'll probably assume we left for our functions and go find that person he's focused on finding. Magnet said.
You sound bothered though. Top said.
So do you. Magnet added.
I guess I'll just miss him. He was a nice guy to hang out with, even if he did throw a shuriken at my head once. Top cracked a smile and ate the last of his food.
He'll be fine Top. We just need to focus on our functions now- Magnet started.
Magnet, we're leaving Earth and our family behind. Functions is the last thing I want to hear. Top rolled his eyes. Magnet blinked at the sudden interruption, he didn't expect for his brother to not be interested in their jobs. Did the others have this same disinterest in their future work, while he had been stressing over it for a month? All those times they were refused a function and staying around the house, and they didn't seem to mind it? Had he been stressing his circuits over nothing?
Shadow's words repeated in his head about his experience with humans. How they had treated him. His thoughts on the concept of functions for robot masters, and the need for them to have them. Had he inadvertently set his brothers up for something they didn't want? If they didn't want functions, what would Doctor Light think?
It's getting a little gloomy in here. I'll lighten the mood. Top smirked and scooted to Rock and Roll.
"Hey guys, do you want to dance?" He asked.
"Doctor Light didn't teach us how to dance Top." Rock was surprised to have Top lift him from his seat with one hand and grabbing Roll's hand with the other.
As he put the kids down, he approached an old jukebox and scanned through multiple albums. He soon inserted a disc and increased the volume enough to avoid disturbing the few humans around. He directed Roll to the center of the room and stepped back from her with a calm smile.
"It's easy to learn, but you have to be in the moment. Try not to think about it. Give it a shot Roll." He said.
The song began and Roll took a clumsy step forward. She breathed heavily as she tried to match the song, only to stumble with fright. Rock watched with concern unsure how to handle the situation while the brothers were watching the show unfold. It was a minute later that Roll's movements were more calm and relaxed, stepping to the rhythm. As the lyrics started picking up, Topman joined in as well. He seemed a lot more comfortable in his movements than Roll as he spun around the chairs and people with no issues. He stopped of Roll several times with each musical pause with a teasing expression, causing her to laugh and be more comfortable. Rock was grabbed by the wrist and spun around at high speeds, leaving him dizzy but elated on the floor.
"You go Topman!" One of the Wi-lights cheered.
"Come on Spark, give us some atmosphere!" Topman encouraged his electric brother. Without a moment of hesitation, Spark released tiny sparks that messed with the lights above. The lights flickered like a disco ball and Topman danced faster.
Roll was laughing at this point and pulled Rock up and started dancing along. Rock soon started smiling as well, catching up to his sister's dancing. Hardman grabbed a few more E-Tanks as he cheered them on. Even Fireman was getting excited and the top of his head heated up. Snakeman swayed left and right to the music, and Gemini pulled out a recorder during the song and filmed the three dancing around. None of them knew which one started to sing the last few lyrics, but all had joined in one by one.
At the final chorus, Top gripped Rock and Roll and spun at high speed for several seconds. The song stopped and the three robots collapsed on the floor with their vision spinning.
"I feel so sick..." Rock laughed. His legs shook as he wobbled back into his seat.
What was once a tense atmosphere became a laughing group of siblings enjoying drinks and music. Magnet had looked at his brothers' joyful looks, at Rock and Roll putting a new disk to dance to, and turned to his reflection in the glass. He had come to a conclusion as him and siblings, all different levels of drunkenness, approached Light Lab's doorstep. Even if this space mission ended up being longer than expected, his siblings will be happy with this memory. He will be happy to be with them. And no matter what Dr. Light thought, they were going to be okay.
Everything was going to be okay.