Welcome Home, Protoman - A Mega Man Fanfic

  Dr. Wily was defeated, finally, and Mega Man, Dr. Light, and the rest of his robot family were all at peace. The only thing left was Protoman, who was still at the ruins of Dr. Wily's Castle. It didn't even look like the same thing anymore. It just looked like a landfill of rubble and remains of architecture made solely by villainy. Mega Man and Dr. Light set off to find Protoman and try to convince him to move in with them. When they found him in the heart of the wreckage, the Prototype robot was covered in scrapes, scratches, and dirt from rummaging in the architectural remains, sitting on a chunk of scrap metal about the size of a small school desk and staring at a worn-out photo.

  It was a photo of him and Dr. Light recently after he was first created.

  "I was wondering where that photo went," a familiar voice of anthro-robotic genius said with a smile hidden in a cloud of white, curly facial hair. Protoman gasped and turned around. It was his creator, his father, Dr. Light himself.

  "What are you doing here, Protoman?" He asked, "This place has been completely destroyed. What's left to stay for?"

  A moment of silence eased the moment before a reply came from him.

  "It's... Well, it was, anyway," he murmured, "m-my home. I was repaired and charged here."

  Dr. Light sighed, knowing how he felt about losing a place he called home, "My son... I know this is hard for you. But have you ever thought that... Well, maybe it wasn't really your home at all?"

  "Wh-what do you mean?" The robot stammered, "Of course this really was my home!"

  "Home is where your family is," The professor told him, "Has Dr. Wily or anyone under this roof ever given you affection when you felt lonely? Did anyone here ever give you sympathy whenever you were feeling upset? Did anyone ever told you they loved you?"

  Protoman gave it some thought, and came to realize the truth. The answers to all of those questions were no. He had been repaired and recharged, sure, but never was he given or shown any affection or comfort as long as he had been there. Tears ran down his cheeks, dripping into the ashes and dirt of the rubble below him from his chin. He sniffed and used his long, yellow scarf to wipe his tears as Mega Man gingerly held his shoulders form behind in sympathy.

  "You're right..." He croaked through the lump in his throat, "I wasn't loved here. I never was." He turned to Dr. Light as he did the unthinkable; removed his shades. He had blue eyes just like his brother and sister, Mega Man and Roll, only his were darker than theirs. His eyes were glazed and shined with tears.

  "So that's what your eyes look like!" Mega Man said softly in awe as he gazed into his dark blue irises, "They look just like mine." He made eye contact with Protoman, smiling kindly to show there was no hard feelings from their past battles.

  "Protoman," Dr. Light said, holding the robot's hands, which still held the photo protectively like a pearl in an oyster, "Come home with us. We'll take care of you, we'll permanently fix you and repair you," he paused with a sigh of hope that he was getting through to him, "We'll love you."

  There was a moment of silence before they heard a faint grumble from the sky. There were grey clouds, some darker than others, hiding all signs of sunlight. Then, thunder. A storm was brewing. Protoman gazed up and looked Dr. Light in the eyes.

  "Alright," he sighed softly, still choking his words past the lump in his throat, "I'll come with you. I'll come home."

  Dr. Light smiled and embraced his first creation in a comforting hug. Protoman was taken by surprise, still as a statue, but he soon returned the hug after slipping the photo into a secret compartment in his Buster. He clung tightly to the man who created him as memories of his primary life in his custody flowed through his memory unit, bringing more tears down his face. After a couple minutes of the continuous embrace, Dr. Light opened an arm for Mega Man to join in. He, of course, became one in the hug. Protoman felt protected and safe in the arms of his creator. He felt at peace now, like Dr. Light's hug seeped away all of Protoman's problems like a sponge soaking up water.

  The thunder sounded again, this time a bit louder and deeper than before, as if it's intention was to roar from directly above them. The group hug slowly disassembled and the trio began heading home. By the time they arrived at Dr. Light's lab, it was starting to drizzle.

  "I wish I could stay outside," Protoman said quietly, "I like the rain."

  "I enjoy the rain, too, Protoman," Dr. Light said with a smile, "Seems as though you're more intact with your home than we thought." He picked up a screwdriver and a few other tools. "Now, come over here and let me fix you up."

  A few hours passed and it was nearly raining water balloons outside. Meanwhile, Dr. Light was just finishing up the repairs on Protoman. The only thing left was cleaning him off and buffing the scratches out of him. The doctor took out a small, electrically-powered polishing buffer and rubbed some polish onto the white, fluffy part. It wasn't hard to tell this tool was brand-new. Protoman was skeptical about it.

  "Don't worry," Dr. Light told him, "This won't hurt at all." With that, he started the buffer on it's low setting, held Protoman's hand, extending his arm, and gently rubbed it up and down his arm. The robot flinched and giggled. He never felt this tingling sensation in his nervous system before. It was really new to him. It tingled a lot, and he giggled a lot.

  "You must be ticklish," Dr. Light chuckled and buffered the other arm, starting near his underarm. Protoman's giggling increased.

  "Whahahat's that?" He giggled in curiosity and ticklishness.

  "Tickling is a way of touching or stroking that causes flinching and laughter," he explained with a smile as he raised his robot's arm up and buffered under it. Protoman yelped and his giggling evolved into genuine laughter. He lightly squirmed and tried not to mess up the buffing. Otherwise, Dr. Light might have to start over again. On the bright side, his cuts and scrapes were disappearing.

  "Any way I can help, Doctor?" Mega Man asked.

  "Of course," the doctor nodded, "Could you grab that other buffer and polish Protoman's legs and feet for me?"

  "Nohohoho, dohohon't!" Protoman begged his younger brother, "Ihihit tihihickles!"

  "Well, I guess that's all the more reason to buff up your scratches," Mega Man beamed as he started polishing Protoman's knees. The robot laughed so much, he ended up laying back as the tickling continued. He had neither control over his laughter or the tickling. Eventually, he felt the buffers stop and turn off, letting him let out a few giggles. Just then, Roll came in, originally intending to put the broom away in the closet, but Protoman's laughter intrigued her. She placed the broom in the closet as primarily intended and approached her brothers and father.

  "I didn't know Protoman was ticklish," She giggled.

  "Please, don't," he panted, "Let me do it myself. Please?"

  "but how will you get the scrapes on your back?" Mega Man pointed out.

  Protoman groaned, but giggled. Somehow, he knew he wouldn't be able to do it on his own. Roll grabbed a third buffer, which made Protoman swallow in nervousness. Soon, the buffers started all over again. One on each of his feet (Mega Man and Roll) and one on the front and sides of his torso. (Dr. Light.) He cackled in silent laughter! As the other three held him as still as they could, he struggled to squirm and shook his head, all the while, his scrapes were fading few by few. After what felt to him like hours, they were all finished. Protoman was weak from his squirming and laughing, though he still giggled, a smile secure on his lips.

  "See?" Roll said to him, "That wasn't so bad."

  "It was... *giggle* ...the worst."

  "It was worth it though," Mega Man chuckled.

  "Alright, you two," the doctor chuckled to them, "Leave your big brother be. Why don't you two tidy up his room a bit while I finish up?"

  "Yes, doctor," they both nodded simultaneously before scampering off to the spare guest room they had. It was complete with a bed for two and possibly a small child to boot, a dresser with a TV set on top of it across from the bed, a shelf filled with multiple video games for the SNES next to the TV, a chest at the foot of the bed, and a bedside desk next to the bed with a small lamp on it. The room wasn't too big, but it wasn't too small either. It was just the right size for one person; Protoman. Roll dusted and air-freshened while Mega man straightened the bed and set up the TV.

  "Will I be going to school with Rock and Roll?" Protoman asked, now calling his siblings by their musical-reference names.

  "Within time, Protoman," Dr. Light told him, "I feel that you should settle into your home first. I want you to be comfortable before you start school. It's not as simple as you may think."

  "I understand," Protoman nodded, "...D-Dad."

  Dr. Light smiled and blinked back tears after hearing his long-lost, beloved prototype call him "Dad". He knew the connection between them never faded away. It was just hiding itself deep within Protoman from the commotion of Dr. Wily's evil-doing. When He and Protoman finally arrived in the new bedroom, Protoman walked around, looking in the drawers, feeling how comfortable the bed was, and looking through the video games on the shelf. He sat on the bed and sighed contently, taking in the comforting atmosphere of his room. He was happy to be home, and really home. With that thought in his head and that feeling in his heart, he yawned.

  "You should get some rest, my son," Dr. Light said softly. He helped Protoman under the covers and tucked him in. Protoman rested his head and cheek on the cushiony pillow near him with a smile of comfort. He never felt this comfortable and warm before. Well, maybe he had been warmer before from hanging around Fire Man and Heat Man, but that fact didn't have anything to do with this. Dr. Light gave his first son one last hug before turning out the bedside lamp.

  "Goodnight, Blues," He whispered, now calling him by his musical-reference name like he did with Mega Man and Roll, "And welcome home."

  The only response that came from him was soft breathing. It was official; he had fallen asleep. His smile never faded, though. The Doctor smiled and quietly left the room, looking back to him one last time that night, and just as quietly closed the door. Protoman was officially a part of their big, happy family.