Settling Accounts

From high atop the charred ruins of the Braxton Building I watch Monsteropolis burn. Pillars of smoke rise into the early evening air, along with the foul concoction of burning flesh and ozone. The distant thunder of plasma-based artillery hammering the city’s many boroughs into sheets of crude glass. In some way it reminds me of home. I have lived many lives and seen even more than any one person alive—love, war, and death—and I’m tired. Tired of everything.

My name is Heatman and they called me Magma Dragoon a lifetime ago.

You can say I’m something of a survivor. Back –or much rather, forward- in the day, I led the X-Force, a team of former Repliforce and Maverick officers devoted to the extermination of Sigma’s armies. It wasn’t that we were fond of the humans; in fact we despised them, but we all hated Sigma enough to put a hurtin’ to old chrome dome. Then through the miracle called ‘time travel’ we met our idols the Sinister Six. We’d team-up every year, facing our combined rogues galleries, and sometimes even having a little fun.

That life ended when Red, Iceman’s insane and omnipotent, twin destroyed our timeline in order to insure we wouldn’t be able to help Gary defeat him in the upcoming battle. Iceman and Classi narrowly survived the cataclysm that should’ve killed me. Yes, should have. Somehow, an enigmatic entity “Nth” took an interest in my continued survival and plucked my spark from the heart of oblivion and placed it in the inert carcass of Heatman.

I hated the idea of having to live in a primitive shell, and having to take orders from a vain egotist but at least I still had Iceman and Classi, and a sense of purpose. Life wasn’t so bad.

Then it happened again.

In one foul swoop, a single stroke of bad luck took everything that mattered to me. First, my bitter rival, Fireman (that other "Ben"), died to end the threat of my kid, Neo Dragoon (long story), once and for all; let me be the first one to tell you that I didn’t like the guy. Our relationship is a convoluted mess that even I couldn’t sort out, but I know that he made life more interesting. Then a second revelation came out of the blue: it turned out Nth was a future version of Iceman who just as quickly faded from the timeline. Then for the third and final insult, Iceman himself died and the remnants of the Sinister Six disbanded shortly thereafter.

The X-Force? Dead. Fireman? Dead. Iceman? Dead. My estranged son Chibi? Dead. Everyone I care about is dead yet I still live, and with Nth stuck in the abysmal plains of nothingness, why can’t I find the peace they found in death? That is the question the question I’ve been asking myself for almost a year now. As I gaze upon the streets, piled with human corpses, I cannot help but feel envy for them.

Fate has denied me of death’s cold embrace for far too long, and there is only one death for an old Maverick Hunter like myself: a warrior’s death in battle and if I can’t get that death with the Warriors, I’ll take it from someone who can. Betrayal is the price tag, and I’m more that willing to pay it. I know news of my defection is spreading across the enemy camps like wildfire; hell, I’m certain that old man Wily blew a gasket when he heard. I hope the crazy old man got the message when I slagged his scouting party: they will have to do better if they want to have a hope in hell of destroying me.

But before I die, I have a few old accounts to settle.

The old man will get his. Timeline be damned Wily is going to suffer, horribly, for the indignities I’ve had to suffer under his tyranny. If the Warriors get in the way, they’re free to stop me.

Then I will take revenge on the very government that handed me to that madman wrapped in a pretty bow. I can give less of a damn about the Shutdown Code; the United States will pay with the ashes of its cities.

But the General ... he got my son killed right after warping his mind and butchering him to look like Fireman. I may have been shit as a father, but that kid still meant something to me. He got the other me, the other Ben killed. Someone's gotta avenge that loser. He tried to kill Iceman and the Sinister Six ... my best pals in the world! Worst of all though was that he actually turned my best pal Gary into Red (or revived Red or whatever). That asshole needed to pay dearly.

It was time to show everyone just what he could do! One last adventure ... to bring that asshat to his knees! He'll do it all and everyone will remember the name "Ben Ronning!"

I’m ready to die, but the question is: are you?

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PRIDE OF WILY

It was night time. Thunder echoed in the distance, signaling the inhabitants of Wily's fortress of an incoming storm.

Dr. Wily was in his lab, scheming things that only he knew about. Right now, he didn't seem to be drawing many allies to add to his troops. No matter. He still had a sizable army, and enough resources for the war.

Still..... The more, the merrier....

And as if on cue, one of his Sniper Joes burst into the lab. "Master Wily, there is someone who would like to see you. He comes in peace, but he has some vicious looking beasts with him..."

There was a pause. He had never heard of such a man. But after some thinking, Dr. Wily made his decision.

"Vell zen," the doctor replied, "I suppose eet would be rude to keep him vaiting ven a storm ees coming," and with that, he was escorted by the Sniper Joe to the large front gates of his fortress.

The man was definitely a newcomer to the eyes of Wily. He was a robot, appearing as a young man with snowy white hair, dark skin, and green eyes. His armor was unique, for it was in the shape of a black trenchcoat, though made out of a special titanium alloy. His underarmor was gray lined with black stripes, and an electric guitar was strapped to his back. Along the neck of the guitar was what appeared to be the barrel of a bazooka. Surrounding this mysterious man were dozens of robotic hounds, about thirty of them to be exact. They stood perfectly still, dormant, but their red glowing eyes piercing the darkness give Wily a chill down his spine.

The robot's eyes met with the doctor's. Then, he grinned devilishly.

"Yo, Grandpops, mind if me and the dogs come in? We're awfully hungry."

.....Grandpops?

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Mark of the Rebel

Cossack's Citadel
July 3rd, 20XX

(Yet another beautiful morning!) Ring Man thought to himself happily. Looking out the window, he watched as the sun slowly rose upward from the horizon while stretching his robotic limbs. He had a feeling that today was going to be a good day, but then again, he always felt like everyday was going to be a good. It always paid to be optimistic, after all.

Giving his neck a nice, audible crack, he opened up the door to his room and walked downstairs. The citadel where he and the rest of the Comrades lived in was a decent size, spacious enough for plenty of people to come stay, but cozy enough to call home. Unlike most of his fellow teammates, however, they usually prefered to sleep in (a lesson he learned the hard way years ago) and so he was used to having the mornings all to himself. As he entered the kitchen in order to find something to eat, however, he noticed that he was not alone.

"Dr. Cossack?" he thought aloud.

The doctor was sitting at the dining table, slouched over with his hands covering his face. For a moment Ring Man could have sworn those crazy lunatics Jay and Silent Bob had gotten him again... but he had a feeling something was wrong.

"Doctor?"

Finally Cossack lifted his head, revealing his eyes--bloodshot. Bags weighed them down and his hair was a mess. It almost seemed as though this was a completely different person, that someone had replaced the doctor the team had grown to love with this impostor. What could cause even the mighty Cossack to look this beaten? And why?

"Oh... Ring Man. It's you..." Cossack muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly.

The master of rings pulled a chair next to Cossack and raised an eyebrow, although no one could notice such a trivial detail due to the helmet he almost constantly wore. Cossack didn't seem to pay him much mind, which told him something was definitely wrong.

"Are... you okay, doctor?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to push the wrong button.

"No... no I'm not," the good doctor stated flatly, placing his face back into his hands. "Ring Man... Rebel... I am about to tell you something. Something that no one else knows... not even Kalinka."

"W-what?"

Cossack lifted his head once more and stared Rebel straight in the eye, sending a chill down the robot's spine... or at least that's what it felt like it could, as robots could not feel such a thing. The doctor mentioning him by "Rebel" also unnerved him, as that was something he had recently picked up and Cossack generally refused to acknowledge his creations with such ridiculous nicknames.

"I have heard that in the United States someone wants to pass a law called the Shutdown Code Act. It basically requires a robot to have a program installed that a human officer can utilize to deactivate said robot if he feels that it is being 'unlawful,'" Cossack stated, his brows furrowing as he spoke on. "This... this act is all that it is. A poor act that shows how stupid people can truly be. If this law is passed then surely it would only be a matter of time before other countries followed suit."

Rebel knew where he was going. "You mean Russia. If that act were to reach here and pass then we would..."

"Exactly!" Cossack threw his arms up in exaggeration. "I find this to be a complete outrage! How DARE they try and decide how a robot should live! Would they like it if someone ended their life if they were deemed unlawful? I hardly doubt it!"

"So... what are you going to do?" Ring Man asked naively, then added, "What are we going to do?"

At that time Cossack started to laugh. It was a low, cold laugh, that could make a madman proud. Poor Ring Man could only watch and listen with more fear than ever before as the conversation continued.

"I won't allow this to pass," the scientist replied. "There has been too much effort to create a world where both humans and robots could live equally. Dr. Light would agree with me--why should we just sit here and watch as what we strived for, what we LIVED for, to be thrown away because of some incompetent nincompoops in some stuffy office in America? I will not tolerate it, and neither should you!"

"W-wait... wait a second!" Rebel started to panic. He didn't like what his creator was saying. "Those words... are you thinking about rebelling against the government!?"

"I suppose you could say that... yes," Cossack nodded solemnly. "So, Rebel, will you help me... rebel?"

"I..."

Rebel was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to do, what to think. Of course, the idea of having something put in him that could put him out of his misery in a matter of seconds upset him... angered him, even. But for Dr. Cossack to do something so radical, he just didn't know if he could live with that, going against the rest of the world. He needed more time to think but he didn't know how to get away from the situation. Cossack seemed to want his answer now.

Thankfully, Kalinka came downstairs in the nick of time, causing Cossack to put up a facade of cheeriness, as if everything was right with the world. The previous conversation was dropped for a more lighthearted tone, much to Ring Man's relief as he sighed before getting up and stumbled into the living room, his mind hazy. Just what in the world was going on...?

Cossack's Citadel
October 24th, 20XX, 2:31 PM

The mid afternoon sun bore down through the windows of the citadel, letting the light warm the entire house to a perfect temperature. As it was the middle of fall, such times were a blessing in disguise to the human occupants. Cossack, however, was hard at work in his lab, locked up for hours on end, with no one having a clue as to what exactly he was doing. Except, maybe one had an idea...

"Ring Man?" Cossack's only daughter, Kalinka, called out from the kitchen.

Lazily the rebellious youth's head popped in through the doorway, noticing that the young girl was standing in front of the kitchen counter with plates full of food. To say the least the very thought of eating made him drool.

"Yeah, you wanted me?" he asked casually, trying to keep his mind off of the food.

"Father has been in his lab all day today... and most of this week as well," she said, putting a hand on her hip. "Well, he hasn't eaten since yesterday morning, so I am certain that he must be starving. Could you please take this plate up to him?"

Rebel nodded, more than happy to help out. After all, he always figured that having that little girl on his side was better than the opposite. And so, with food in hand, he headed off to Cossack's lab, resisting the temptation to instead pig out on the gourmet. He knew that there was more waiting for him, after all, so patience was a virtue.

Reaching the door of the laboratory, he knocked on it hard enough so the entire building could hear. After a minute, he knocked once more, before finally receiving a reply.

"Who is it?"

"It's Ring Man!"

"Oh, Rebel, come right on in."

Ring Man noticeably winced from being called Rebel... he suddenly had a flashback of what had happened over two months ago; his encounter with Cossack. Although the doctor had made no mention of his insane proposal of going against the government since then, everything about it had been enticing rumors. He was fairly certain that the rest of the Comrades also heard of them by know, but has quite possible dismissed it as just that--a rumor. Unfortunately, Ring Man had a feeling that this next encounter was a big mistake...

Stepping into the lab, he noticed that the entire room was completely dark, save for the very back, where a faint, white glow emanated. It was Cossack's desk, where the scientist was sitting at with a work lamb on, writing at a furious pace. The doctor looked even more sickly than before, as he had been holed up in this room for almost two days now. Cautiously he walked up to him, not knowing how to approach him.

"Did Kalinka bring some food for me?" he asked, not looking up from his work.

"...Yeah," was all Rebel could utter.

"She is a good girl," he said, scribbling more words down. "Thinking about me even after all this."

"Well, she is your daughter..."

"And just what are you and the rest of the Comrades to me?" he suddenly asked, lifting his head up, the oils that had accumulated from his lack of a shower glistening in the light. "I made you, after all. Do you consider me to be your father?"

"W-well... yeah, I suppose so..." Ring Man scratched his head, dumbfounded. Personally, he had always just preferred to call him "that guy who built him," but whatever floated his boat.

It was at that time that Rebel noticed what exactly Cossack was working on: Plans. Numerous plans on how to bring certain "robots" into Russia without detection and into this citadel. Seeing this made him take a step back, nearly dropping the plate full of food. He hurriedly set it down and tried to walk away.

"Hold on a second, Rebel," Cossack stopped him dead in his tracks as he rose. "Do you remember what I told you back in July?"

"Er... possibly... but there were lot's of things you told me..." he answered lamely.

Cossack adjusted his glasses. "There have been rumors, you know. My plan isn't exactly a secret. Which is why tomorrow I plan on telling the rest of the Comrades and Kalinka as well..."

"Really?" Rebel turned around, his eyes wide. "What will you say?"

"Not entirely sure. I want them to understand me, however, to understand where I am coming from. I am already low on resources as it is," he shrugged, as if he didn't care what the consequences were anymore. "If the RPD decided to make it's move on me, I'd need all the help I could get, and I would prefer it if my own children could side with me. That's why I asked you before, Rebel, and I never got an answer. Will you help me?"

If sweat could form on him, Ring Man would be drowning in it. It was an decision he was so afraid to make, but why? Shouldn't the obvious choice be to help Cossack? Didn't he WANT to do something against this Shutdown Code? So what was the problem? Where did it lie?

The silence dragged for a while longer until Cossack broke it, "I want someone to be there when I tell the others... someone to support me. If you were there, right behind me, then the others might be more willing to follow suit. Please, Rebel, I'm begging you... help me!"

"I... I...!" Ring Man stammered until something inside his head snapped, causing him to spin and make a mad dash out the door, leaving the poor doctor in his tracks, incapable of catching him. The red communist robot bolted up the stairs and into his room, which he locked himself in for the rest of the day.

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Cossack's Citadel
October 25th, 20XX, 12:56 AM

Ring Man heard the last member shut the door to their room. He had counted all of the doors that had closed and knew that had to be the last one, counting Kalinka but more than likely not counting Dr. Cossack, who was probably still in his lab. That meant that he himself had been locked up in his own room for almost eleven hours straight.

Not much was done during that time. Rebel mostly stared at a wall, unblinking, not thinking of any events in particular, save for one--the repeated question that Cossack had asked him, "Will you help me?" It haunted him. It refused to go away until it had an answer, and that wasn't something that Rebel was willing to make just yet. Not yet...

(Why am I so afraid to make this decision?) he asked himself once more. (Cossack is, whether I think it or not, my father... he made me. So why can't I stand up for him?)

Because Ring Man knew that this mission--to fight against the Shutdown Code and effectively the RPD itself--would be nearly impossible to accomplish. It wouldn't be just a mission, it would be a war, and who knew just how violent it would be. To make matters worse, he wouldn't be fighting on the side of justice this time... oh no, quite the opposite. If they were to lose who knows what would happen...

(Oh, what a silly thought... we'd die!) he thought unhappily. He hated being pessimistic over this. It didn't do him any good.

Something just had to be done, though. The Shutdown Code could not be allowed to do this to his kind... they had their own freedom to think about, too! The RPD had to be dealt with, yet he knew in his heart that Cossack was not the right choice. No... if he sided with Cossack, he would only be assisting in what would be considered as a "futile attempt." He had to find someone else willing enough to take a stand against this intimidating force. Someone like...

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Outside Cossack's Citadel
October 25th, 20XX, 1:34 AM

Although it should have been pitch black, the moon shined brightly in the sky, illuminating the surrounding area, giving it an eerily beautiful look. Ring Man was a good fifty feet away from the citadel, turning to take a good look at it, letting every detail burn into his mind. He closed his eyes to savor the moment, before noticing that among the darkened features of the building, one light remained on... Cossack's laboratory.

Ring Man lifted his hand up and stared at it, before clenching it and looking back at the window. "Cossack... Comrades... Kalinka... Next time, when we meet, I promise things will be different. I won't let you all get into this mess."

With that the ring-covered robot started to stomp away into the distance, toward the moon...

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Skull Castle
November 1st, 21XX

The large corridor echoed as Ring Man's boots clanked agains the metal floor beneath him. It had taken him a week to find Wily's elusive base of operations, all the while searching in the middle of the mountains while it was raining over in the United States, no less. He was sick, tired, and honestly missed his home. But he was desperate to find the mad scientist, even if the reason itself didn't seem to reassure him as it did when he first left Cossack's citadel.

As he neared the end of the seemingly endless hall, he stopped to try and wipe off the excess water he had collected on his armor to make himself look better. Then, taking a deep sigh, he opened the door and entered the room. As expected, Wily was sitting at a table in the middle of the room, his eyes glaring right through the communist robot.

"How nice of you to drop by, Ring Man," he spoke first, his voice cold as ice.

"Dr. Wily... I see you've been expecting me," Rebel retorted. It was strange, just upon seeing the old man he felt the need to lunge at him. It's not like he hated the doctor to the point he wanted him dead... call it more of a reflex if anything. He was practically trained to attack the guy on sight thanks to all of the trouble he caused the Comrades in the past.

Wily only continued to glare. "You snuck into my fortress and got past my security, so I figured it would only be fitting to wait for you here."

There was a heavy air surrounding the room that only continued to thicken as time progressed. Eventually, Wily continued.

"Why is it that you have come?"

"Surely you have heard of the Shutdown Code... correct?" Ring Man asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Heard of it? That's all I've been able to think of for the past few days! It won't be long now until it's made a law, that's for certain."

Ring Man bit his lip, not knowing where to go with this. "...What do you think of it?"

"Hmph, personally I hate it," Wily frowned as he answered. "Some of the robots I get I steal, so having a chip installed in them won't do whenever I try to attempt world domination. And if one of my lazy robots gets stuck with it, then I could be finished. What does it matter to you, anyway?"

"Dr. Cossack doesn't like it either... says it goes against what he and Dr. Light have worked hard for," Rebel replied. "Wily... he's planning on rebelling against the government."

The mad scientist suddenly removed his piercing eyes from Rebel to let out a loud, ghoulish laugh. The voice carried off into the distance, resonating throughout the entire castle. No doubt everyone else in the complex heard it as well.

"Cossack? Fighting on the other side? Do tell!" Wily looked amused. "Even if that is the case, that fool doesn't have the brains nor the funding to pull something like that off effectively! The RPD'll smash him in no time."

Rebel could only nod in agreement, much to Wily's surprise. Wily was certain that the Cossack-branded robot would have tried to pummel him or at least get slightly angry, yet there was nothing but a simple shake of the head. It was then that doctor realized that there was more to this meeting that met the eye.

"You are right, Wily... Cossack doesn't stand a chance," Rebel confirmed his suspicions. "He wanted me to help fight for him but that one fact dawned on me--he was incapable of surviving a war of this scale. Then I thought about you..."

"Me?"

"Yes... I knew you probably wouldn't take the Shutdown Code well either, which is why I came... and since you confirmed what I thought, I ask of you: Will you let me fight for you against the RPD?"

Slowly, Wily put his hands up to his face and interlaced his fingers, placing the upper part of his lip directly on contact with them as he thought heavily. He had Ring Man once before on his side, very briefly, and the result was disastrous. That time, however, the red robot was forced to come here and now he was offering his allegiance freely. If he could play his cards right, he could have quite some use out of this new puppet.

"Mwahahahah!!" the doctor rose out of his chair laughing hysterically. "Ring Man, it pleases me to welcome you as a new soldier for my army! You will make a fine addition!"

"...Thank you," Ring Man lowered his head, not bothering to mask the unhappiness in his voice. He knew Wily didn't care.

"We have much work to do... but the most important step is to get you situated," Wily said, stroking his mustache. He then pressed a button on top of his desk, summoning the Quick Man look-a-like, Mr. Whiz.

"You rang?" the yellow robot asked as he stepped through the door Rebel had entered.

"Take our guest down to where the Warriors are. He will be staying with them from now on."

"Right away."

With that, Mr. Whiz guided Rebel throughout the building, until eventually reaching the area where the Wily Warriors were staying. The Warriors, for the most part, were a Mega Man Team that ended getting hooked back up with Wily through some legal action that took place. Despite the fact that they butted heads in the past because of this, it pleased the young comrade to know that he would be spending time with more of the "hospitable" Wily bots... even if that wasn't saying much.

Still, it did not matter in the end. To make the point perfectly clear, Rebel had betrayed his fellow teammates, the people who used to turn to him for support. He did not know if he would ever be able to go back to his past life, back to the way things once were. Just what had he gotten himself into? And most importantly... would he be able to come out unscathed?

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Skull Castle
November 2nd, 21XX
5 o’clock am

There was a gust of wind that blew throughout Dr. Wily’s room. The aging scientist didn’t bother to turn from his view of the morning scenery to see the cause of the miniature maelstrom. He knew there was really only one person who would bother with such a flashy entrance.

Quick Man leaned up against one of the stone pillars in the room. There was a moment of silence as the doctor continued to stare out of window. “You called for me, doctor?” the speedster said, finally.

Dr. Wily clasped his hands behind his back, turning his head slightly to face Quick. From his appearance, it looked like the doctor hadn’t slept at all. Starnik had heard that someone had come to the base last night. What had happened, anyways?

“You have been following the recent events, I take it.” The German said in a clipped tone.

“What, you mean about how General Cutman has raised an army bent on human genocide? Or how the government enacted a bill requiring all robots to have a shutdown device put in their heads? I gotta tell you, doc, I’m starting to feel kinda glad we ended up in your care.” Quick answered flippantly. He wished Wily would get on with what he had to say already.

“Yes, I surmised as much. As you can probably have guessed then, a war is brewing between the Scissors ‘army’,” he spat out the name, as if refusing to truly acknowledge the General’s forces. “the RPD, and ourselves.”

Starnik merely lowered his head. “Can’t say I don’t mind. I don’t really care for the General’s ideas. I mean, in a world without humans, who would act out my precious Law and Order?” He said, smirking.

“Last night, one of my former Robot Masters came to me, to offer his services to help defeat both Cutman and this ludicrous bill that’s been passed. It’s made me realize… I need someone to go out and gather my allies.”

Quick man gave a low whistle. “That’s a tall order, boss. People aren’t just going to forget the fact that you’ve tried time and again to take over the world.” But, it would be great if we didn’t have to keep fighting our friends… if they were all on Wily’s team, we could get rid of this Cutman guy once and for all… “…and I imagine you would like me to take on this job. That IS why you called me here, correct?”

“Well, you are the one of the few of my creations that still has some standing with the other Robot Masters. Plus, I have an idea to help build the public’s trust, and you’re one of the few I can depend on to get it right…”

Quick Man grinned. You could say anything you wanted about the old scientist, he did have a tendency to make life interesting. “A plan, eh? Okay, let’s hear it…”

Life was about to get very interesting indeed...

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A Light That is Dimming

It wasn't like her to disappear away from her friends without telling them. She was the type to address the group about leaving the room for even a moment... so this uncalled absense was out of nature. But other things struck her as important too.

Magnet...

She ran off, her heart in a frantic and hopeless chase. Not even being directionless did it phase her not to follow. Eventually her inner strain calmed... her heels lightly tapping as she walked an empty city block. There wasn't a human nor robot in sight. Only the debris of fighting, pocket fires, and smoke filled the air.

Spark: Magnet...-- Ken...

No. Though her heart cried out to him as he left their side, she was searching for another area. Her feet brought her to someplace familiar. What was this place? Her soft violet eyes squinted as they came upon the mangled shadow of her old home. This tree nearby the S6's old head quarters. It was but another part of the world torn asunder because of needless war. She knelt down at the roots... touching the the singed wood with her fingertips. Just upon touching it... her body could feel the pain and suffering of it.

Spark: You held up just fine...

Clear droplets ran down her soot covered cheeks. So what was to become of the populace? Why was it always one extreme to the next? The destruction everywhere broke her fragile heart... over and over. Sometimes she felt even more useless than before... because what was one female bot to do against an army? The more obvious choice hit her as letting the RPD take over and fight in a good name, but then robots were nothing but puppets.

RockMan... the people's hero. Someone whom she found in as a friend, who saved her and others for a living. He was taken down without a trial... without a care. To a world who owed him their very lives... they repaid him with death. It wasn't fair. Just then... a small voice cracked and squeaked under one of the wooden planks of the old tree house. The womanly android quickly ran to it and picked it up... finding her daughter. She was baffled at the discovery since she thought Shoryu had gone to Dr. Light's like she told her to.

Spark: Shoryu! I thought I told you to...!

The tiny mechanical spider's eyes flickered on and off... barely able to move what limbs she had still attached, some lying on the ground, some dangling from wires on her abdomen.

Shoryu: Momma... I was too-- too scared to.... ...leave you.

The mother brought her damaged daughter to her breasts, feeling deep regret. How could she let this happen to her?

Shoryu: ....humans...

Spark-Chan's eyes widenned slightly, this was... on purpose? No... She placed her fingers on her daughter's head.

Spark: Sweety, don't talk. Mommy's going to fix you.

A crackle came from the spider, so weak and fragile. She was lucky she got away from the humans there to destroy the Mech member's home. But unfortunately the fire and collapse ripped her up something bad. Though her mother was filled with hope on such occasions... the spider's 'heart' was less forgiving. Her red eyes flickered off as she turned herself into a power saving mode, quiet as her mother worked.

--------------------

Spark-Chan worked into the late evening, repairing her daughter's damages. As a Flimsy Prototype she became well accquainted with mechanical repairs as she hersef broke alot. Her daughter was specially made from her own designs... but that didn't mean her system was easy. There was actually some irreplaceable components that were available only in the future. Shoryu wasn't built with a preprogrammed mind/personality afterall. She was given a blankset brain that instead collected and learned much like a human. Hard to believe it was inside a simple spider designed bot.

Figuring that the tree was no longer safe, Spark decided that she would take her daughter back with her and to the other Mech's. Her daughter laid asleep in her arms as she walked back the way she came. She went quite a ways to get here... probably the thoughts of finding the General and Magnet keeping her mind from calculating the distance traveled.

Though she stayed on the outskirts, the damage was there too, but it seemed settled this way. She could sense no life in the smoldering buildings. Atleast until there was a sudden cry, her censors flashing that she wasn't alone. Knowing that there were humans in trouble nearby she had to run into action. Taking Shoryu into a ditch she gently laid her down and ran off.

Young Woman: Stay away!!!

A woman who had been hiding in her home's cellar made the mistake of coming back up to the surface. Armed with nothing and holding a small boy, she ran for their lives as a revamped Sniper Joe chased and shot at them. They had only just turned into a deadend alley way when the woman bot hopped into the scene.

Spark: Let her alone!!

Extending her wrist's conductors... she charged up an electrical blast and shot it at the sniper, the bolt rendering the bot unresponsive. Her current still charging from the tab at the top of her head. Both women greeted eachother with relief... Spark letting out a sigh and extending her kind hand.

Spark: Please come with me Miss. I won't allow any harm to come to you or your child.

The woman was thankful as her son wept on her stomach. She nodded to Spark-Chan... beginning to walk over to take a hold of her hand. But just as she reached Spark... the woman stopped and backed up again.

Spark: ...hum? What's the matter...?

Her censors rang off a little late as she was suddenly showered with blasts from several dozen Sniper Joes.Apparently the one she destroyed let out a distress signal upon falling. She grabbed the both of them in her arms. Though she was a woman... she was built with super strength like a robot should be. There was nowhere to go but towards the dead end. She'd have to blast her way through to save them. Wincing in pain she sheilded them as she ran... getting torn up in the process. These blasts weren't like normal Snipers at all.

With a running kick she began to pummel the brick wall down from infront of her. The boy crying louder as he couldn't hold onto his mother from Spark's other arm. As soon as she kicked her way through she found herself in another predicament. She ran right into the middle of a sniper wall marching in the streets. They immediately turned to her and began to shoot as well. Hitting her in the chest she flew back... dropping the mother and crushing the boy under her with her weight.

Why... why like this!?

The mother was thrown so far from Spark that she hadn't a chance to save her, a rain of bullets claiming the woman's life so fast that not a noise came from her lips. She fell to a lifeless pile of clothing and flesh as they still shot at her corpse and Spark's hunched over body. She blocked as much as she could though the boy's arm had been shot, whimpering to him... sorry that she couldn't save them afterall.

Forte: Tch! I find this pathetic! If you want a real fight... then try me on for size!

The black and purple robot desended from the air... landing infront of Spark and the boy. He was fused with his mechanical canine companion Gospel... his ebony wings spread like an angel of death... He took all the shots headon... too arogant to even acknowledge the slow damage coming to him. Forte wasn't just any bot, he was RockMan's rival... and spectulated twin since there weren't many robots who stood up to him minus the Blue Bomber.

Forte: Kyyyaaaaaa!!!

He flew into the crowd on a rampage. He planned to play Ranbo and take them in groups, no holds barred, and nothing would stop him until each last one of these Sniper Joes were torn to shreds. He hadn't just now been this way... ever since RockMan's injustly death... Forte found himself without much meaning. Unable to surpass the unsurpassable... he wanted to destroy and keep his mind busy.

Just as he blasted the last Sniper in the vicinity down... he looked over his shoulder to the recognizable greenhaired bot. Her energy emitted was simular to his own... knowing exactly who he 'saved'.

Forte: ...Classi-Cal...

The words falling from his mouth without any emotion. She was one of his other goals. He was to destroy her since he was her finished formed. The failed prototype... His fusion ended, Gospel appearing beside him now as his armor glinted gold and black now. This one wouldn't be taken from him. He'd kill Classi-Cal unlike he failed to do many times before. Slowly he stepped up behind her... his red eyes glaring down to her huddled form, the sobbing and grieving boy underneath her, pinned. He could feel her energy was low... and she seemed unresponsive now. He could kill her... but as he looked around... he didn't quite understand what he'd gain out of it just yet. Slowly he lifted his finger and pointed at her head.

Forte: Ka-pow.

Satisfied with his mockery... he leaned over and tried to pry her off the boy, only to find her arms were deadlocked. He couldn't free the boy of her grasp no matter what he did. Making an annoyed grunt he scooped her and the boy up into his arms as he hopped onto Gospel.

Forte: Shut up kid! I would let you stay here if she'd let go!

A small present for Dr. Wily. The 4 hovered away and up into the dark sky... the equally dark robot hard to trace in the smog of this night. With Classi outcold... maybe they could finally reprogram her... something more useful to the Fortress. Unkowingly... he left behind a peice of her. Shoryu still laid asleep in the ditch undisturbed. It wouldn't be long before she'd awaken and a Sniper might happen upon her.

--------------------

Skull Castle
November 2nd, 21XX
9 o'clock a.m.

Starnik descended the staircase into the main mess hall of the Skull Castle. It stuck the robot master as odd that they even HAD a mess hall. Weren't they robots, thus free from the burden of consumption? But they could still taste, and their systems found SOME use for ingested chemicals. Perhaps it was best to not give the matter too much scrutiny.

The Warriors were gathered for an early breakfast. Save for Ben, of course. Heat Man had disappeared from the compound earlier, and nobody had a clue about where he went. I'll give whoever he's with a few weeks of putting up with Ben before finding him and getting him back. They'll probably thank us for it. Quick Man inwardly chuckled to himself. He spotted a familiar red-colored robot at the table as well. Ah, that must be the new recruit... Ring Man, eh? Life sure is full of surprises.

"Hey guys, how's your morni-?"

"GLFRGH!" Naoshi blurted, mouth full of Cheerios, cutting him off. His chair clattered across the ground as he stood up. "What?!" he said after a gulp, looking between Ring Man and Quick Man. "TWO Starniks?!"

Crash Man wasn't far behind Naoshi’s lead. “Okay people! I’m taking all bets! Long lost brothers? Clone? Or Evil robot look-alike? Place yer wagers, right here! Limited time only!”

“PLEASE tell me they aren’t always this stupid.” Pleaded Ring Man from the other side of the table.

Quick Man couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath. Yup. This is the group that’s going to save the world, all right… “Now Naoshi, I know you’ve met Ring and the other Cassock robots before…” Quick Man started, placing one hand on Naoshi’s shoulder.

There was no feedback whatsoever. It was about like throwing a bucket of water at the Cliffs of Moher.

Quick Man sighed, resting his head in his hands. His fingers dug into his scalp. It was going to be one of those days. “Yes, Naoshi. He’s an alternate me from another dimension. His name is Ring Man, and he’s here to work with us.” Sometimes, Starnik had found out, it’s just easier to give in to the delusion than fight against it.

Much to his surprise, Naoshi seemed to be mulling it over. Starnik suspected that Naoshi was playing him for a fool, but you could never really tell with Metal Man… “Hmmmmmmmmokay!” He finally said, cheerfully.

“So what’s got you up this early, boss? Normally we don’t see you stumble out until noon.” Asked Shadowstrike.

“Ah, today is a special exception! After all, no actor can deny the stage, and ol’ wiskers has given me a helluva role to play this morning.” Starnik beamed, making himself a quick cup of coffee.

The Warriors just exchanged confused looks. “Wait, Wily asked you to do something, and you’re HAPPY about it?” Iga asked in disbelief. “What job did he give you?”

“Oh ho ho, that would be telling!” said Starnik, enjoying his teammates looks of bewilderment. He gulped down his caffeine-riddled beverage. “Let me just say that you should keep an eye on the news… I’m going to put on quite the show!”

And with that, in a gust of wind, he was gone.

The Warriors gave a collective shrug, then turned back to their breakfasts. “Ten bucks says Speedy Gonzalez comes back in three pieces.” Iga ventured.

“You’re on! Put me down for five.” Said Darksage.

“Guys, guys, guys! Come on, that’s our leader you’re talking about.” Cyros ojected. “…put me down for two.”

--------------------

Choice

I stared at the eastern horizon and toward the vast city in the distance. That was the advantage of living in a fortress in the mountains; you have a good view of nearly every point from which a ground assault could come. Plus the view itself wasn’t all that bad. At least, it was before that day.

The smell of smoke and the sound of sirens still lingered in the air, remains of the initial assault from the Scissor Army the week before. None of us actually knew the exact details, but we did know that Wily was not happy about their sudden appearance. The world, as he said constantly, was his to rule. Like any of us really give a damn.

Oh, we wouldn’t say it outright, of course. We didn’t like it, but we were under his control. And after a string of various failures and mishaps, speaking out against him was grounds for either reprogramming or termination. None of us were willing to risk that.

...no, that’s not true. I was willing. But at the risk of my friends... yes, my friends. If I did something, what’s going to stop Wily from doing anything to them? Short of death, that is, but I wasn’t a murderer. Not to mention the safeties he installed to prevent such an occurrence (thanks to Heatman’s attempts at murdering him).

I wasn’t like the others, though. Yes, I had the same second generation Robot Master body as they did, but when it comes to our minds... then things change. Out of the eight members of the Warriors, only two of us had their original personas; Quickman, our de facto leader under Wily’s watchful eye, and Heatman. The rest of us held bodies that once held different people, with different stories, different hopes and dreams.

The other five that Wily brought into this world didn’t particularly care about what happened before; they lived in the now, without having to worry about their past, if any.

I envy them.

I wasn’t aware of my past at first. I just followed orders, had scuffles with my teammates and so on. But steadily I felt something was wrong. I was physically damaging myself to remove one of Wily’s inane edits to my algorithms when a single image popped into my mind:

A burning city. A single darkened figure. A glowing crimson visor filled with hatred and terror. Him.

The memories soon rushed back, yet I threw the less enjoyable ones into the back of my mind. I didn’t want to deal about those long lost memories. I did, however, have a bone to pick with Wily. His lackey Bass kidnapped me and the doctor nearly had his way with my old body, a form hundreds of years ahead of it’s time. It did the only thing I could think off; an emergency shutdown. I locked my mind out of my own systems, which was essentially a robot’s version of a coma. A coma, of course, which could result in my power core imploding and vaporizing everything within a fifty meter radius if the body was tampered with.

He was able to extract my mind, though. For who knows how long I lingered in a state of none-being... or if something did occur to me those couple of years, I can’t recall. Now I’m Flashman, a human sized Robot Master with a rapid fire buster and the ability to stop time within a certain range of myself. I grew to the role and grew toward my teammates. Even the irritating Airman, who sees it fit to fling annoying jokes at my expense, became a face I could recognize. Things were all fine and dandy.

But now... things aren’t the same.

We had all seen what happened to Los Angeles. I was actually the first of us to detect something wrong in the area, monitoring some bank transfers in the region when the connection went completely dead. Once we saw the news... well, truth be told, I was horrified. The unwanted memories in the back of my mind began to pop up again, and I did my hardest to put them back down.

Then came the news that the Mechanical Maniacs were the ones responsible for the tragedy. Even though the president himself said it was the truth, I’m sure all of us saw through the lie. Especially Wily. Unfortunately, he was fascinated on how L.A. was destroyed, and thus he sent Bass and us to investigate as well.

Everything was basically gone. There were no bodies, no evidence of any known type of weapon system being used... but we did find the Mechs. First encounter was Gauntlet and Hardman; Starnik sent his apologies to the ninja before the lumbering tank created a dust cover, allowing them to escape somehow. Bass wasn’t particularly happy about that and screamed orders to find them. Personally, I’d wish he’d just burn out his voice module.

We found the Maniacs (all of eight them) later on. Apparently, the Drastic Measures were also in the area and had found them first. Starnik and Turboman kinda had the same idea and soon, both teams were at each other’s throats. The Maniacs slipped away, as planned, and Bass went on a screaming spree afterwards. Cloudman then shocked him something fierce; not enough to kill him, but enough to shut him up for a while.

By the end of the day we came home, empty handed... again. Apparently more went on in the dead city, but none of us knew what. And fortunately, seeing as Bass was the one in charge of the expedition, he was the only one that got scolded (and tortured) by Wily. We had a good laugh about it, then Bass threatened us again, and we laughed some more.

The next few months after that went pretty routine. Wily sent us on some assignments, stuff got broken, we had a few laughs (Airman’s more often than not at my expense) and then some. But that again felt too good to be true.

We, the Warriors, followed the news about the now implemented Shutdown Code Act. I hated the idea from the start. It would be just as easy to keep a plasma torch pointed at your head and turning on full blast. Or, in our crazy creator’s case, planting small charges in our heads in case we try to kill him. Probably the only reason Bass hadn’t tried to do so yet, aside from needing constant repairs after his attacks sprees to draw out Megaman.

But Bass’ ideas of entertainment were the least of our worries. At this point, actually, we didn’t have any. Being members of Wily’s forces (unwillingly of course), the SCA had no effect on us. Not directly, at least. The Maniacs and the other members of the RPD would have their eye on us, should Wily try anything funny.

I’m not sure how some of the others acted that night, but the late night marathon on the last day of November was interrupted by an emergency broadcast. Starnik was about to complain when the images appeared on screen.

I wanted to throw up so badly. I really, really did.

People... humans of all ages and races were under attack. No that’s not the right word. It wasn’t an attack; it was a slaughter.

The new line of Sniper Joes, designed for the safety of the city, were now murdering the very people they were meant to protect. We all stared at the screen. Out of all of us, I think only Starnik and I were the ones that actually showed a sense of emotion. His was simply shock; mine was utter terror.

I ran to my room and locked it after about a minute. Those images on the screen... they were familiar to me. All too familiar. The figure with the crimson visor, the one from the past that everyone says I don’t have, appeared in my thoughts.

And this time... his words echoed once again.

“They were weak... just like you... do you really think you can succeed where they failed?”

I tried, of course. And yet I failed. He was stopped, yes, but the consequences of his actions fell on both of us. My other eight... they paid the price too. Seven of them weren’t even online to fell the result. But the last one... Neonman...

“You bastard! Why don’t you do anything!? Why are you abandoning us!? I TRUSTED YOU!!!”

I was young. Foolish. Optimistic. I made mistakes. When I came to Monsteropolis, I wanted to change my ways. I formed my own team, tried to atone for my own personal guilt. Yet I failed to keep my team together; moreguilt. Then I became Flashman. And for the first few weeks, I was happy, unaware of the guilt I had acquired in the past.

Had I know what would happen, I would have stayed in that state of ignorant bliss. Too late to change that, though.

I spent a while in my room, trying to control my thoughts and emotions. I wanted to cry out, but I held it in. I wanted to break something, but I refused to budge. I just sat there, on my bed, hugging my knees like a scared human child. I didn’t care if any of the others barged in and saw me like that.

For a few good days, I was dead to the world. I lived in my thoughts. I plotted.

Things took a turn for the worse when Woodman knocked and asked me to help him. For a moment I did nothing, but slowly I stood back up, opened the door and asked what was the matter.

“We haven’t seen Ben in over two days. We think he’s fled.”

I stand here now, looking at the city, going over these thoughts of mine. My face was completely neutral. It was a strength of mine, really. I could keep my face devoid of emotion, though not perfectly. Had I had an interest in poker, I could probably rival Quickman or Crashman. Still, the skill proved handy when I wished to hide my internal affairs.

Underneath my face mask, I pondered the past few days. Our search for Ben, our Heatman, turned up nothing. He was nowhere in the fortress, which threw Wily up into a storm of rage. But then he seemed glad to be rid of the short fuse of a robot master. After all, he say, robots can be replaced. Starnik tried to hide it, but he was pretty miffed after hearing that.

I continued my pondering. The conflict ahead was going to be a basic three way war between the Scissor Army, the RPD of Monsteropolis and those on our side, the faction lead by Wily. Dr. Cossack was also involved in the conflict, being the first to defy the Shutdown Code actively, but Wily sees him as nothing more than a nuisance.

Ideally, Cossack was the best faction to be a part of... morally speaking. Strategically, he was the weakest faction, having limited supplies and limited support among a good population of the world. For a while, though, I had planned on fleeing Wily’s grasp. I had even started planning on how to do so; changing security codes, calling for help from the Comrades, securing a transport that would carry us and the capsule with my original body out of there. I had the entire plan nearly all figured out.

Ben’s disappearance, however, put me in the position I am now.

My original plan, it had risks, yes, but only to me. There was a final risk I hadn’t considered before then; my teammates. I couldn’t let the consequences of my actions fall upon their shoulders. I have conflicts with them, yes, but when it comes right down to it... they’re my friends. Yes, even Shadowstrike, thought it’s a bit of a stretch.

This isn’t about loyalty though, of course. To stay with the Warriors is to remain with Wily, and I could care less about him. He’s a madman who would scrap us in an instant if it suited him. He couldn’t be trusted. And at this stage, I wasn’t sure if I could trust my own teammates.

But I still had to look out for them. Ben was gone, and if I left them high and dry, what then? Metalman was prone to get himself into trouble if I wasn’t around (likely due to Shadowstrike’s antics). And the others... well, I grew accustomed to them all.

Starnik tried to hide it, but he was visibly worried about the ordeal. He had to deal with losing his friends once already. Ben, the only original Warrior left aside from him had gone AWOL. He was trying his hardest to be a leader figure, and yet he was struggling.

What kind of person would that make me if I abandoned them all?

“A coward.”

His voiced echoed through my mind, but I ignored it. He was alive, that much I knew; Neonman’s appearance several months back was proof of that. But he wasn’t the devil I had to deal with in this war. General Cutman was. Two beings of different origins, yet now I can see how similar they were. And becoming a benevolent fighter would do me no good in this conflict.

Breathing deeply, I turned away from the view of the city and reentered the fortress itself. I passed by several Sniper Joes, as well as a few fighting robots that had gladly teamed up with Wily to oppose the Shutdown Code. These were criminal types, yes, but they didn’t frighten me. I had bigger things to worry about than some two-bit criminal.

Staying with Wily’s forces was a huge risk. From my teammates I can expect a small bit of trust, but from Wily, Bass or anyone else there was none. To survive here, you would have to throw away your morals... or in my case, bend them a little.

I reached my destination, the training simulator, where I slipped in to see if anyone was around. No one was using it, so I closed the door and activated the training program. Suddenly a yellow devil materialized in front of me, growling at me like a primal beast.

I raised my buster toward its eye and waited, pondering my thoughts. Compared to the way I was when I came into existence, I had changed from the naïve, optimistic and kind being I was. My nativity was gone. My optimism remained. And I still held my kindness, but it could be quickly changed if the situation called for it. For this war, kindness was going to have to take a little vacation.

The devil stepped forward and prepared for the first strike. I was faster in the draw. I give off a wicked grin and say a simple one liner:

“Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.”

--------------------

A little backstory on what's going through Flashman's mind. As well as very vague insights into his past. And a Bruce Willis quote. You cannot go wrong with Bruce Willis. Although Samuel L. Jackson would work too.

And the second link is a YouTube video because, well, I couldn't find the music file on it's own. Still listenable, of course.

*EDIT* Editted slightly to fit in with the appropriate timeframe. And Bruce Willis' line still rocks.

--------------------

Familiar Prisoner

Forte: You can't be serious! I demand to know why we can't!!

The angered robot pointed threateningly at the woman bot clad in orange armor. She was strapped down on a hard metal stretcher, many wires hooked into her vital areas, her chest, her neck, her head... She wasn't severely damaged but was kept unconcious for quite some time.

Wily: It can be done anothzer time. I really don't feel like doing it at zis moment now.

The old man glared at his 'son', not wishing to talk about this further. This only angered Forte further. Morphing his hand into his buster canon he pointed it at Spark-Chan's head. He had been very easily aggitated as of late... his anger off the charts towards the other members and his master.

Forte: Look! I'm not screwing around Wily! If you aren't going to reprogram her... what use is she to us!? ? I'll finish her off now!

Wily: FORTE! You lower your weapon zis instant! Zis is a direct order!

At this point the scientist was clasped onto Forte's arm... glaring at him.

Wily: She is very important now. Look at her. Zere isn't a Flimsy Prototype any longer. She has power, she has skill. I can't just reprogram her now zat she has been upgraded.

It was the work of Dr. Light no doubt. Before she joined the Mechanical Maniacs... she lived her life freely in her Mango Tree. She befriended RockMan and Light, eventually gaining the work she needed on her dying frame work. Forte noted this on his own... lowering his arm and shoving his father off him.

Forte: Huh. Do what you wish.

The black android turned to take his leave... only to almost step on the little boy Spark had snagged in her arms just a while before. Strangely... he knelt down to get in the child's red tear stained face.

Forte: Stop crying. You should feel lucky that you didn't die.

The boy looked up from his place on the cold grey floor to the male bot who rescued them. Forte was disgusted by the human's face... he made a grunt and grabbed the boy up, forcing him to his shakey feet.

Forte: You're a nuisance.

The two left out of Wily's working area, leaving the old man to whatever he needed to do. Wily though, didn't move. He just... stared at the woman bot under the bright lights of the room.

--------------------

Inside of this forced sleep, the android recalled and even invented her own encounters in her mind. Possible scenarios, dialogues, ...if a robot dreamed... it must be from the active mechanics while in a resting mode.

GeminiMan: My Dear, whatever you are baking smells wonderful.

Spark smiled over her shoulder, she was whipping up a beautiful pineapple upside down cake. In a time where it was just the Mechs... and a world at peace, well somewhat. Just as Gemini had come up behind her... Needle swatted him away with a spatula.

NeedleGal: 'Ey! This is the WOMEN'S area! You wait until we're done!

At that moment Top and Hard were laughing at Gemini's failure.

HardMan: Man, that's some tough love.

Topman: Maybe if you put on an apron Gem, they might let you help.

They shared a few more cackles, SnakeMan seeming to sneak right in and taste the batter from NeedleGal's mixure bowl. He nodded in approval to the girls, who smiled.

GeminiMan: Wait! He's not--

Snake turned to Gem to reveal his baby chicken print apron.

SnakeMan: The apron completely overlooks the wearers sex and orientation. I am now... one with the kitchen.

Gauntlet of course was just hanging around... watching his team instead of participating in the conversation. But although she was smiling... she noticed there was something wrong. Something wrong in this lovely scene. What could it be? Stepping back from this... she found herself alone in the kitchen. The cake, the cookies, the pie all finished... but there was no one around to eat them. She picked up one of the frosted mangochip cookies... walking out into the main area of the HQ...

Spark: TopMan? Gauntlet?? .....Lenny?

She walked further... the scenery becoming darker until she finally came across a photo of all of them. Setting the warm cookie down... she traded for the standing photo. And that was when she saw... Everyone was in it... smiling... waving. Her head on Gem's shoulder... her hand hugging... a blur? Magnet was blurred out in this image... almost like... someone would try to erase him.

Her eyes began to flutter open, letting out a soft sigh and a hiss from between her teeth. She felt like she was hit by a bus directly in the forehead. She applied pressure to the area as she sat up. Upon looking around... she would see she was in a large white lab room of sorts. Further inspection she would find the sheet covering her was actually covering her shamefulness! Embaressed she gasped, but mind you she was a robot... and although she had a peach exterior titanium body... she had no sexual anatomy like a human. Just obvious joints, compartments, and latches. But she was programmed none the less to understand she was nude.

Spark: Where... am I?

She recalled fighting just before, though things still seemed blurry. Taking the sheet she draped it around herself.. getting to her feet. Who saved her? And more importantly... where was her armor!? There were many many windows in the lab... the scenery overlooking a lovely canyon with green hills. The sun was setting... herself drawn to it. Seeing the sky, the world like this made her heart feel lighter... almost forgetting the war.

Just then something sparkled in the corner of her eyes. She turned to find her armor fully repaired and hooked up to a strange formless manequin. Dropping the sheet she unlatched her armor and quickly began to redress, glad she wouldn't be caught in such an embaressing moment.

Unknowingly she was locked up in a room that was off limits to everyone, Wily enforcing that no one visit the Eastern Wing lest they wished to scrub windows for the rest of their time here. And there was ALOT of windows.

--------------------

Still in the ditch the young spiderbot was starting to awaken as well. She was still too weak to move much, her small limbs creaking in a rusted fashion. Where was her mother? Where was she? Did humans come to hurt them again? She filled with anger and despair. Was this how it was to end for them? She cried out for her mother raspy and worn. Until she rested more she couldn't function properly... but was determined to get up despite that.

--------------------

The calm before the storm

“I don’t think we can win that one.”

The Wily Castle was in near-constant activity around my pessimistic friend and I. Somehow, we had managed to find a quiet place.

My name’s Henry. Years ago, I was your average Joe in Wily’s forces, but after a freaky accident, I became sentient, and ran away. Weird story, but you get used to this stuff after a few weeks in Megalopolis.

Wily wasn’t mad at this. In fact, he gave me financial support in order to build a bar of my own – Henry’s Hideout. After a while, this place became the official free-time pub for every “Rogues” : the original Rockman Killers, the Evil Eight, Doc Robot ... Even some Decepticons once or twice.

But the atmosphere was really peaceful, and even average people came by. The ones I remember the most were the Seven Mercenaries. To tell you the truth, I got extremely surprised by their change of heart.

I wasn’t much of a supporter of the Shutdown Code Act – it would scare my regular customers away, and couldn’t some bullies take profit of me not being able to fight back ? If it came to the worse, I could still head to the Fortress, but it wouldn’t be the same.

The attack by that Scissor Army really took me by surprise – I hid in my cellar until they left the sector (I’m not much of a fighter), and then ran to Wily’s Castle, the only safe place I could think of. I’m still concerned by the fact I left every of my bottles back there, with no protection from thieves and raiders - I hope Hardman, my “colleague”, was able to do so for his place.

Immediately after the first SA assault, Wily began to take actions in order to prepare the soon-to-come War. I’ve been assigned to the medical unit, and taught with the schematics of the Bots I’ll have to work on. Apparently, all it takes to repair Metalman is string and duct tape.

However, two events affected our general morale. Megaman being killed shocked everyone, even Wily himself – even his nemesis was getting used to having him around. The second one was Heatman’s betrayal – he may not have liked most of us, but nobody thought he'd just leave us like he did..

My friend here is Riff, leader of the Fatal Five. His dream is to join the army – fighting the SA will vaccine him of that thought for a long time.

“How can you say that ? We have some big guns on our side - the Rescue Force, the Evil Eight..."

He sneered at the mention of the last group. Their disbanding was still a hard thing to accept for him. "Maybe, but the SA has many advantages on us. First, they took us by surprise, and with numerical superiority. Second, they just kill – nothing to protect, just mass-murder. Third, they got Gen Cuts, and when you see how the Androids and the Mercenaries got upgraded...” he shivered.

Riff was really shaken from that one. Last time he fought with them, his Fatal Five got beaten bad by the Mercs. And by seeing how people like Gyroman and Chargeman became monsters, we could only speculate for the worst...

“Maybe, but remember that you’re not on your own on this one. Every one from the Castle is fighting together, and even outer people !” I recently caught the sight of Saturn and Ringman training with other Wily Bots.

He merely shrugged. “Hmph ..."

"And the SA will also have to fight with the RPD. I’m pretty sure Wily will take this to his advantage. They’ll weaken each other, and at the last time, who will take the last move ?"

He still looked as down as before, but he pondred the thought. When he left the table, his face had brightened up a little. "Maybe you’re right. Gotta go for now, Henry. Thanks for the drink."

"Always ready to help, Riff.”

I was worried for the Seven Mercenaries – they were good customers, and never trashed my place. The only way they would have joined this madness would be that they were controlled. Hunter would never have joined that General guy free-willingly, right ?

Right ?

--------------------

GG Castle – Outskirts of Monsteropolis
November 2nd, 20XX, 6:41 AM

“I… can’t believe it…”

All nine members of the Gila Gladiators had gathered in the main room, watching the monitor show the news broadcast. Nine sets of eyes staring at the screen,

“What kind of crap is this!?” Sharkman shot up from his position on the couch.

“… An unfortunate turn of events…” The large red lightning RM named Voltman spoke quietly.

“They can’t just do that…” Zana, one of the newer members and Wavegirl blinked, looking at the screen.

“Well they did…” Muttered another newbie, Bitgirl.

“…” Our sonic girl stayed silent, while Dynaman paced back and forth

Zaneroth, our Torchman, also stayed silent, watching the newscast while leaning against the wall in the far corner.

“They can’t get away with this…” Oilman quietly spoke.

One by one, all eyes turned to stare upon their leader, who was closest to the screen, his back to him all, and his shoulders shaking slightly.

“… Blade-sama?” Oilman asked, standing up, this wasn’t like Blademan.

“… I see now… so this is…. then again…” The purple robot master was muttering to himself, and a low, faint chuckling could be heard.

“… He’s lost it.” Bitgirl blinked, watching him.

The laughter faded quickly. “.. Maybe the old man was right…” he spoke in a clear and calm tone now. Turning to face them all, his facemask up and his eyes were the only things visible. “You all know what this means I’m sure… this, and the attack by this Scissor Army… This war-”

He was interrupted by LZ “What is your course of action, leader?” The fiery robot master stared at Blademan with cold eyes, not liking where he was going.

After a moment of silence, Blademan sighed “Our course of action… is to prepare…” he said simply. “Prepare? That’s it?” Sharkman asked “It’s a war zone out there, Those Sniper Joes are attacking the city, and the government is issuing that Shutdown code, and-“ “Yes, yes I know. One side is trying to destroy all mankind; the other side is trying to enslave all mechanized kind”. Blademan turned his head back to the screen.

“Enslave? It’s just a precautionary measure...” Dynaman had stopped in his pacing some time ago. He was as much against the code as anyone else in the room, but he, along with Zaneroth, was not sure where their leader would be going with this. The Purple blade shooting RM laughed “A precautionary measure? Did you not just see the news broadcast?” he pointed to the screen. “They’re going to try and force this on us all. I won’t be surprised if they make more robots examples, just to prove a point. To me, they’re just as bad as the Scissor Army.”

“Zerkai, the SA are a bunch of maniacs trying to destroy all human life. From what I heard an old enemy of the S6 is leading them, a real evil bastard” Voltman spoke.

“Then what makes the government? If this id the true face of our government, then they’re at least ‘bad’, and the RPD too. They’re both enemies to me.” His last statement made a few of the blink. Torchman still stared at him this cold eyes, slowly moving from his position to approach their leader, slowly stepping up to him. “You had better not be thinking what I think you are…” The room was completely silent.

“If you’re as smart as I think you are, then you are.” Blademan looked up at the taller of the two, a smirk hidden by his faceplate. Torch closed what little distance there was between them. “You’re going to rebel against the government…” he spoke out loud.

“See, I knew you were smart.” Blademan turned to look at the surprised faces of his teammates. Sonicgirl and Wavegirl stared at him blankly. Sharkman himself was supporting a smirk of approval, while Voltman had a look of understanding, but not approval. Dynaman on the other hand looked a bit worried. Bitgirl just stared at him for a moment, and then broke the silence with “… Are you high?”

Oilman and Wavegirl chuckled lightly, breaking the mood, but that faded as Torchman continued. “I see... So you’re willing to risk their lives by branding them as fugitives?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. “You think I’d let you do something like that?” he asked, the temperature in the room increasing be several degrees. “And you’re willing to let them give up their freedom by signing up to the shutdown code?” a slight hissing sound was the only other noise in the room as Zerkai had activated the blade launcher on his right arm, an opening on his gauntlet sliding open from which his three pointed blades fire. “You think I’d let you turn them into that?” he gestured with his head to the screen once again.

There was a long, dead silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity, and the seven other gladiators seemed to be holding their breath as the two stared each other down. Torchman slowly raised his hand in the air, and Blademan’s fingers twitched. “… I don’t know why Brick chose a kid like you to lead us…” the temperature died down, and the fiery RM placed a hand on his leader’s shoulder “…But he may have been right.”

One that note Oilman let out a breath he held in, Bitgirl sighed, smacking him upside the head. “So… oh great leader, what’s the plan?” She asked. Blade smiled behind his facemask, his head turning to them all. “Well, the RPD and SA are out of the question that’s for sure.” “Well... what about Dr. Cossack? I hear he’s taking in robots that are against the code, maybe we can side with him?” Oilman suggested.

“That’s no good. Too many will flock to him… If he’s a known harborer of illegal robots, then he won’t have the resources… and with the number of teams and robots heading to him… we can’t.” Blademan sighed “I think there’s only one other option… a man who has the resources and the power to fight this...”. “Ah… I see where you’re going with this…” Torchman chuckled.

“Wait…” Dynaman blinked “You don’t mean…”.

“Enough talk for now, like I said, we have to prepare” Blademan turned his body to face them all. “Now, I’ve been saving this for quite some time. I discovered that Brick had left plans for our model armors, and ways to upgrade them. I’ve... tinkered with them a bit. You’ll all be much stronger from this, and we’ll need it for the upcoming battles... To the lab Gladiators… and then…” he said to himself as they filed out of the room, talking amongst themselves

“To Skull Castle…” He spoke as they all left the room. He glanced around the empty main room, then picked up a book on the table, flipping open to a random page.

'7 The Army'

Cointention involves mass uprising, so it is followed by The Army, as an army arises because of conflict.'

--------------------

Skull Castle
November 2nd, 20XX
10 o'clock a.m.

“This is Gloria Sunrise reporting live from the corner of 17th and Baker’s Street, deep within the residential area inside Megalopolis. Currently there is an intense firefight between the newly proclaimed ‘Scissors Army’ and our own RPD force.” Said the reporter towards the shaky camera crew. The news team had set up on the hill, a relatively safe distance from the skirmish below. However, they did not like what they were seeing.

“As you can see, these new Sniper Joes seem to be causing difficulties for our Robotic Police force. While the RPD is managing to hold their ground, more and more the new Sniper Joes seem to be pouring into the area. It has been estimated that about twenty or so of the robots are in the area, and the police force is having difficulty keeping civilians safe while combating SA platoon. We have word that the RPD Special Forces are on their way, so we strongly advise those viewing this broadcast to stay inside their homes, and lock their doors. Again, due to the- wait, what’s that down there?” remarked Gloria, breaking away from her prepared transcript. “Zach, zoom in and get a shot of-… there goes another one!” she shouted, as a Sniper Joe seemingly disappeared from view. Suddenly, a third, a fourth, and a fifth went missing. The Sniper Joe force began to notice the missing members and stopped concentrating on RPD Police Bots, which were more than relieved for the break.

“What in the world is going on?” yelled one of the Joes, before disappearing as well.

“Wait, I think I saw something grab unit two two seven fi-“ started another, before he was silenced as well.

It was at that point that a growing pile of dismantled Joe parts began appearing in the center of the street. Although the Joes lacked the necessary programming to feel fear, their logic routines were screaming that they needed to get the hell outta of dodge. “Units 456, 457, 2280, fall back, cover our retrea…” started the Joe commander; his words trailed off as he saw no one behind him. His head swiveled around only to see that the troops in front of him were gone as well, and that the pile of robotic parts had gotten visibly larger. Then he noticed an outline standing on top of the pile, but with the sun behind the figure he could only make out a silhouette.

“Who… who ARE you?” asked the Joe commander, his solitary optic straining to see the character who had caused so much destruction so quickly.

“Who am I? What are you, dense? Are you retarded or something?” came back a biting, condescending voice. The figure rushed down the side of the mountain of parts, until he was nose-to-nose with the Joe.

“I’m the goddamn Quick Man!” said Starnik, as he went to work on the last Joe. He was enjoying himself; rarely did he have the chance to cut loose with his speed since he had joined Wily. It felt good destroying nameless, faceless foot soldiers. It was strangely therapeutic, in a sense.

Quick Man tossed the commander’s shield onto the pile in the center of town. He could feel the stares of the Police Force robots and the residents on his back, unsure what to make of his theatric display. Starnik smiled to himself. Stage one, get their attention, is complete.

Suddenly he found a microphone being jammed in his face. “Quick Man! What brought you here? Are you and the Warriors signing up with the RPD? How did you defeat the Joes so easily?” asked Gloria, the barrage of questions coming at the scarlet Robot Master faster than he had ever thought a human could talk.

Starnik blinked and feigned surprise, turning towards the camera and taking the microphone out of Gloria’s hand. “If you don’t mind, I have a statement I would like to make.” He said as courteously as possible to the reporter. “Citizens of Megalopolis!” Starnik started, in a booming voice, addressing not only the camera but the citizens in the buildings as well. “War has come upon not only you, but the whole world! As you may know, an individual by the name of General Cutman has declared war on all of humanity. And what does your government do when faced with this threat? They waste valuable resources on forcing the very robots that would seek to defend the human race to have chips installed that would destroy them at a moment’s notice. Not only that, they have disabled your champion of justice, Mega Man, in a time that he is needed most! Can this really just be incompetence on their part? Where were their forces now, when you needed them most?”

“Some of you may feel that the cause is hopeless. However, there must be no doubt that we can and must gain victory over these murderers, these insane robotic invaders. The enemy is not as strong as some terror-stricken pseudo-intellectuals picture him. The devil is not as terrible as he is painted. Who can deny that the army of Dr. Wily has more than once faced similar, terrible odds at the hands of the RPD, only to send them to panicky flight? I am only one Robot Master among the many who have already sided with him, and you can see the results I bring. Unlike the RPD or Cutman’s Army, we do not try to elevate one group of people above another. In Dr. Wily’s army, robots and humans are afforded equality, working together to defeat the threats that seek to doom them.”

“Give your support our forces! Let the victorious banner of Wily fly over your heads! The evil forces of the Scissor Army shall be utterly destroyed!” finished Starnik, tossing the microphone to a bewildered Gloria. He couldn’t help but feel the speech had been a little silly, given how he knew the doctor personally. However, Wily had been fairly specific on what points to hit. It didn’t matter much to Quick Man; he wondered if he could actually garner any public support for the old bird…

“You’ve heard it here first, folks! Doctor Wily has apparently announced his plans to pick up where the RPD has failed. We’ll be doing interviews with local inhabitants about how they-“ click! went the television as Dr. Wily sat in his arm chair, stroking his moustache. Yes, this could definitely be the type of opportunity I have been looking for…

--------------------

Skull Castle
November 2nd, 20XX
10 o'clock a.m.

“This is Gloria Sunrise reporting live from the corner of 17th and Baker’s Street, deep within the residential area inside Megalopolis. Currently there is an intense firefight between the newly proclaimed ‘Scissors Army’ and our own RPD force.” Said the reporter towards the shaky camera crew. The news team had set up on the hill, a relatively safe distance from the skirmish below. However, they did not like what they were seeing.

“As you can see, these new Sniper Joes seem to be causing difficulties for our Robotic Police force. While the RPD is managing to hold their ground, more and more the new Sniper Joes seem to be pouring into the area. It has been estimated that about twenty or so of the robots are in the area, and the police force is having difficulty keeping civilians safe while combating SA platoon. We have word that the RPD Special Forces are on their way, so we strongly advise those viewing this broadcast to stay inside their homes, and lock their doors. Again, due to the- wait, what’s that down there?” remarked Gloria, breaking away from her prepared transcript. “Zach, zoom in and get a shot of-… there goes another one!” she shouted, as a Sniper Joe seemingly disappeared from view. Suddenly, a third, a fourth, and a fifth went missing. The Sniper Joe force began to notice the missing members and stopped concentrating on RPD Police Bots, which were more than relieved for the break.

“What in the world is going on?” yelled one of the Joes, before disappearing as well.

“Wait, I think I saw something grab unit two two seven fi-“ started another, before he was silenced as well.

It was at that point that a growing pile of dismantled Joe parts began appearing in the center of the street. Although the Joes lacked the necessary programming to feel fear, their logic routines were screaming that they needed to get the hell outta of dodge. “Units 456, 457, 2280, fall back, cover our retrea…” started the Joe commander; his words trailed off as he saw no one behind him. His head swiveled around only to see that the troops in front of him were gone as well, and that the pile of robotic parts had gotten visibly larger. Then he noticed an outline standing on top of the pile, but with the sun behind the figure he could only make out a silhouette.

“Who… who ARE you?” asked the Joe commander, his solitary optic straining to see the character who had caused so much destruction so quickly.

“Who am I? What are you, dense? Are you retarded or something?” came back a biting, condescending voice. The figure rushed down the side of the mountain of parts, until he was nose-to-nose with the Joe.

“I’m the goddamn Quick Man!” said Starnik, as he went to work on the last Joe. He was enjoying himself; rarely did he have the chance to cut loose with his speed since he had joined Wily. It felt good destroying nameless, faceless foot soldiers. It was strangely therapeutic, in a sense.

Quick Man tossed the commander’s shield onto the pile in the center of town. He could feel the stares of the Police Force robots and the residents on his back, unsure what to make of his theatric display. Starnik smiled to himself. Stage one, get their attention, is complete.

Suddenly he found a microphone being jammed in his face. “Quick Man! What brought you here? Are you and the Warriors signing up with the RPD? How did you defeat the Joes so easily?” asked Gloria, the barrage of questions coming at the scarlet Robot Master faster than he had ever thought a human could talk.

Starnik blinked and feigned surprise, turning towards the camera and taking the microphone out of Gloria’s hand. “If you don’t mind, I have a statement I would like to make.” He said as courteously as possible to the reporter. “Citizens of Megalopolis!” Starnik started, in a booming voice, addressing not only the camera but the citizens in the buildings as well. “War has come upon not only you, but the whole world! As you may know, an individual by the name of General Cutman has declared war on all of humanity. And what does your government do when faced with this threat? They waste valuable resources on forcing the very robots that would seek to defend the human race to have chips installed that would destroy them at a moment’s notice. Not only that, they have disabled your champion of justice, Mega Man, in a time that he is needed most! Can this really just be incompetence on their part? Where were their forces now, when you needed them most?”

“Some of you may feel that the cause is hopeless. However, there must be no doubt that we can and must gain victory over these murderers, these insane robotic invaders. The enemy is not as strong as some terror-stricken pseudo-intellectuals picture him. The devil is not as terrible as he is painted. Who can deny that the army of Dr. Wily has more than once faced similar, terrible odds at the hands of the RPD, only to send them to panicky flight? I am only one Robot Master among the many who have already sided with him, and you can see the results I bring. Unlike the RPD or Cutman’s Army, we do not try to elevate one group of people above another. In Dr. Wily’s army, robots and humans are afforded equality, working together to defeat the threats that seek to doom them.”

“Give your support our forces! Let the victorious banner of Wily fly over your heads! The evil forces of the Scissor Army shall be utterly destroyed!” finished Starnik, tossing the microphone to a bewildered Gloria. He couldn’t help but feel the speech had been a little silly, given how he knew the doctor personally. However, Wily had been fairly specific on what points to hit. It didn’t matter much to Quick Man; he wondered if he could actually garner any public support for the old bird…

“You’ve heard it here first, folks! Doctor Wily has apparently announced his plans to pick up where the RPD has failed. We’ll be doing interviews with local inhabitants about how they-“ click! went the television as Dr. Wily sat in his arm chair, stroking his moustache. Yes, this could definitely be the type of opportunity I have been looking for…

--------------------

Skull Castle
November 2nd, 9:30 A.M.

Things were getting pretty hectic down at Skull Castle, hell, the whole world. But I wasn't about to let this whole war keep me down. So Akutare and I decided to play some Soul Calibur II to finally see who was truly the better Kilik player. It was a close match, 2 wins for each of us, and as the final round started, the match that was going to end with only one to claim the bragging rights...

"WoodMan! I need you to see me in the East Wing, right now!" *CLICK*

...that Wily just had to throw a monkey wrench into what could've been the highlight of my day. After throwing my controller into the pillow on the couch in spite(uttering every obscenity I could think of all the while), I walked an angry walk down the long corridors to the East Wing.

Somehow I never noticed all of the testaments to Wily's "greatness" that he puts up in the hallways until just now. I walked past a portrait, a bust, another portrait, a freaking clock with his face on it(what's up with that?), but all my observation did for me was make me even more peeved at that evil little man. So I decided to just let it go as much as my conscious would allow it as I trudged along to his location. I enter the doors and he actually greeted me as if he were happy to see me or something:

"Ah, if it isn't WoodMan! Come in, come in."

"Wily, with all due respect, I've got Akutare on the ropes right now. So unless this is for a very important reason, there's gonna be some serious hell to pay."

"Oh, relax. Trust me, yo