( He doesn't know where he is at first; but his sense of time soon catches up with him. He sighs, pushing the dream to the back of his mind as he tries to go back to sleep. )

( ... The saline inexplicably flowing from his optics makes that a little harder. )

( The other's face is... blurred. The rest of him is suddenly a color that Compass can't decipher. Corrupted pixels line the edges of his sight, spreading until his friend and the rest of the world are unrecognizable. )

( It doesn't take long before Compass awakens with a jolt. )

( And Compass can't help but nod. He owed his companion so much; the least he could do was offer his friendship, navigating places and taking him wherever they both pleased. The future was bright, he knew that for sure. )

Yeah. You and I...

( He trails off, as he turns to face his friend again. )

< It's /beautiful/ up here... Just think, Compass... >

( The shorter Robot Master remarks, as the taller looks out upon the city. His friend is beautiful, too - but he keeps that to himself. )

< W-We'll make our /own/ mark on this world. You and I, together. >

( No matter where he's going, he doesn't care; he knows it's in the right direction regardless. After a while, though, he ends up landing the both of them on top of a high-rise skyscraper. )

( Letting his friend down, he witnesses the stars in the other's eyes as he admires the view. )

( Before the other can object, Compass Man leaps off into the air, tasting it in his vents as the wind rushes past his microphones. He was /free./ Free at last. )

< W-Whoa...!! You're amazing! >

( His companion shouts, and it only makes his spirit soar higher. )

( How lucky he is, Compass thinks, to have someone caring for him so deeply. With a grateful grin that hid just a bit of mischief, he wraps his arms around his friend, lifting him up into the air as the other exclaims in surprise. )

We won't know if it /really/ works 'till we test it out, right?

Yeah, it works!

( Compass replies, pleasantly shocked that the system was fully functional, and wasn't tilting him this way and that, like it had during the tests in that dull research facility. )

< /Yes!/ I-I don't know /how/ those scientists never figured that out. It wasn't too hard for /me!/ >

< Can you float alright? I-I fixed it well enough, didn't I? >

( Compass listens to the voice - one belonging to his best friend. He remembers the moment that he left with him. The taller robot attempts his electromagnetic hover, and his feet slowly lift away from the dusk-lit ground. )

( He stammers, scrambling to his feet in order to leave. He couldn’t even /attempt/ to fight… how cowardly, Compass thinks to himself. )

T-Thanks…

( For what, not killing him?? His actions mean that he’s out in the cold again. This time, though, it starts to sink in that perhaps he deserves it. )

I just... wanted to stay here. Like everyone else. That's all I wanted.

( He knows all of this will sound unbelievable, and so he just... stops struggling, closing his optics. He awaits whatever is coming to him. )

( He has genuine terror in his voice. He has to get this right the first time. He needs to talk, despite the anger at Dragon, and himself. )

I... I don't want revenge anymore. I don't /know/ what I want. But I don't think getting rid of them will make me feel any better.

Wh-What are you talking about?! What /r-resident?!/

( He tries desperately to wriggle out of the hold. He wasn’t going to /kill/ anyone! He didn’t know any robots here, anyway— )

( … Wait. /Wait./ )

Y-You’re not talking about /them,/ a-are you…?

( He takes the elevator this time, like a /normal/ 'bot would. He's glad he's alone, since his ring would cause problems for anyone else. The wait feels longer than usual; he can't shake the feeling something is off... )

( But once he exits, he approaches the room. )

Trident? I got your message...