The Unnamed: A Mechanical Maniacs Mini-Novel

By Gauntlet (Shadowman)

Chapter 12

Dr. Wily hated when he was in prison. The food they served was complete garbage. And there was absolutely no privacy. They would not even let him go to the bathroom in peace. And he was the greatest scientist of all time! Imagine the nerve. If it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t even have robots today. Oh, sure, everyone credits Dr. Light as the father of modern robotics. But what they don’t know if that it was actually Wily who did all the work. Why, if it wasn’t for Wily’s assistance Light would never have gotten anything done! Wily even repaired Protoman – whom Light could never have fixed on his own! Sure, there was some slight energy imbalance, but he was functional.

Wily couldn’t even watch television. Not even the radio! The guards feared that Wily could use it to escape. Well, maybe they had a point there.

Wily’s cell was small. It’s only furnishings were a, uncomfortable bed, a toilet, and a small sink. There wasn’t even a mirror. There were bars as well as a standard force field in place for Wily’s cell just in case the power ever went out. The lights were florescent behind shatter-proof glass. Behind even more bards. The prison was taking no chances in letting Wily escape it seemed.

Wily didn’t expect any help from that ingrate Bass. In all likelihood, Bass was having fun using various unused robots as target practice. Wily was furious when Bass destroyed Devilman. Sure, Wily hadn’t gotten around to ever using Devilman, but it was the principal of the thing!

Te Evil Eight was in jail. Nothing but disembodied heads now. Even if they were free, Wily doubted they could beat the guards placed on him. They were all so stupid. Wily regretted ever building them. Especially that power-hungry idiot Chimeraman. That imbecile shouldn’t be so arrogant … he was built from left over robot parts! A pile of junk was all Chimeraman was to Wily.

All Wily’s hoped rested on his elite rescue force. Led by Doc Robot, they were all stolen for the express purpose to rescue Wily the next time he was captured. In fact, they should be here today since they were made to monitor news broadcasts. However, security around Wily was pretty tight. He was counting on Multiman’s powers of multiplication to overwhelm the robot guards long enough for Expressman to get Wily out of there.

“Hey, you!” Wily called out to a nearby robot guard through his cell. The guard turned its head-turret to look at Wily. “Get me a news paper! I’m board!”

“Quiet down, you!” said the robotic guard.

“I have my rights!” screamed the doctor in indignation.

The robot guard made no further response. Wily made a vexed sound. Robots, at least, should show him more respect than that.

Wily just then noticed an odd ticking sound. Metal tapping on metal.

It was annoying, but Wily was more concerned with the robot guard. Robots were so ungrateful. Didn’t this pile of junk know who he was? He was practically his creator! Doctor Wily!

The lights dimmed then. Wily’s interest perked up. Wily became even more interested when alarms began to sound through the facility.

“What’s going on?” asked Wily. The robot guard didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. Wily knew exactly what was going on.

Faint booming noises could be heard. Wily broke into a smile as even louder explosions could be heard.

Wily’s guard departed the room as the intruders broke in. Wily laughed out loud as he heard the robot guard being broken into bits by his minion! That’ll show him.

“You guys came just in time! I was going to …. To …..” Wily stopped as he caught sight of his rescuer. Needlegal. Of the Mechanical Maniacs.

Wily started for a few more seconds before a more reassuring person came into view.

“Master! It is good to see you!” said the ever cheerful Doc Robot.

“Doc Robot! What is she doing here!?”

“She found our lab and I reprogrammed her. Do you like it? Do you?” said Doc Robot in his primitively synthesized voice.

Wily was stunned at his creation’s ingenuity. He did not program Doc Robot to be creative.

Expressman quickly ran into the room. “Not much time, boss! The pigs have sent in reinforcements! Can you believe they called in that two-tier team Wily’s Warriors on us!?”

Wily made another vexed sound. Another group of robots that rebelled against him …. Except these had the gall to call themselves his minions!

“Don’t worry, Expressman. Multiman has it well in hand. And now I will free the good doctor and we can all get away!”

Doc Robot retracted his hand and produces a Metal Blade – a large buzz saw weapon – from the hole his hand had retracted into. He seemed about ready to shoot whatever help the force field in place when something struck him from behind, disabling the shot, under armored robot.

Expressman whirled around and readied his buster. Too late. With a quick motion he too was felled by the assailant. Wily could not believe his eyes. His last glimmer of hope had turned to ash in a few scant seconds. He could not believe that Needlegal, reprogrammed by his own Doc Robot, would betray him again!

Needlegal stood triumphantly over Expressman and leveled a cold look at the mad scientist. She looked odd, as if in a trance.

“So … you ere just fooling poor Doc Robot all along, eh? Is that it?”

Needlegal said not a word.

Wily was confused. If she had resisted Doc Robot’s programming she shouldn’t be behaving this way.

Wily then noticed the tapping noise again. Louder this time. Finally a loud bang. It came from above. A large piece of metal dropped from the ceiling outside of Wily’s cage.

“Surprised, old man? Did you see this coming? Bet you didn’t.” said an oddly familiar voice.

“No,” said Wily, “it couldn’t be! You’re as good as dead!”

“Apparently not, old man. No thanks to you!”

With that a small …. Thing dropped out of the hole from the ceiling. Wily knew who it was immediately. He would, after all … he stole him!

Artilleryman was now just a head looking up at his former master. Attached were six spindly robotic legs making him appear to be a giant, bloated, spider. Behind his head was a small box of circuitry, no doubt housing many nasty surprises.

“Did you really think Doc Robot would have come up with an idea as creative as reprogramming Needlegal on his own? Idiot! I told him to do that!”

Artilleryman looked smug, almost waiting for some kind of praise. Wily sneered. He was ready for this.

“Alpha-Gamma-Sigma,” said the scientist loudly and clearly. It was Wily’s turn to look smug. He had refitted each of his robots with an override signal since Chimeraman betrayed him. With the code words he could reset their systems back to their original settings, where they were completely loyal to him. It should be minorly painful, but he doubted Artilleryman would feel remember it.

Yes, any moment now Artillery would yelp in pain and wonder what it is he was doing.

Yes …. Any second now…

“Was that the command override command?” asked Artilleryman. Wily’s face went pale. “I was wondering what you made it. I took that nasty thing out months ago, you idiot!”

Wily was too shocked to even register the “idiot” comment.

Out of time clots on the side, wires emerged from the “backpack”-like extension on the back of Artilleryman’s hear. They quickly formed an intimidating laser cannon. He used that to destroy the bars of Wily’s cell. Apparently the force field had been shut down during the riot. Wily hadn’t noticed.

Wily tried to dash out of the room in hopes of catching Artillery off guard. Artillery wasn’t surprised. He grabbed the mad scientist with more wires and quickly injected something into the elderly man.

“I would kill you,” said the robot, “but my “employer” has plans for you.”

Artilleryman then ordered Needlegal to take Wily into an air vent where the three could make their escape. Once again everything went according to plan.

***********

Doc Robot awoke just in time to see Artilleryman escape. It was several minutes before he could muster the energy to escape himself.

Why? Why did friend Artilleryman betray Master? Why did he do mean things to Doc Robot even after Doc Robot fixed him up? How could Needlegal have gone against Doc Robot’s reprogramming? Doc Robot couldn’t figure it out.

But he did have one thing set very clearly in his mind. Wily had prepared for his robots betraying him.

Doc Robot must gather Expressman and Multiman and destroy the betrayer Artilleryman, Needlegal, and anyone who helped them.