Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The year was 200X.

At the turn of the century, after years of study and experimentation, Dr. Thomas Light had constructed his first artificial humanoid automaton. A robot. With the collaboration of his long-time friend and co-scientist, Dr. Albert Wily, the ambitious, wide-eyed inventor was eager to see the results of what would surely be his and his friend's extraordinary accomplishment.

But it was not to be.

The test run of the prototype went horribly wrong, the machine tearing up the laboratory the two had shared together. Thankfully, this period of chaos didn't last long, and the prototype was promptly crushed underneath a large generator that had collapsed atop it during its tirade.

Thomas Light theorized that perhaps the machine's CPU, more specifically, its guidance system, was in need of improvement. Albert Wily, having programmed the guidance system himself, took great offense to this, and it was then that the two men's partnership ended. Wily snuck his way into the lab and stole the prototype, disappearing with it, never to be seen again.

At least, that's what Light thought.

A few months later, Light, while without a partner, managed to push on and construct more machines, contributions that would change the world forever.

Rock and Roll Light were assembled as helper bots, and after their success, Light was commissioned to construct six new machines for industrial work. Only three were fully ready to be unleashed out into the world, however; the other three were still under construction. Yet these six were to herald in a new age of machines that would work alongside and assist mankind.

They would be the best in their fields. Hence, they were dubbed "Robot Masters".

Unfortunately, before any of that could begin, Dr. Wily came in and kidnapped Rock and Roll. And with a recently completed robot by his side, Proto Man, reprogrammed all six of Light's machines, redirecting their allegiance to the former scientist.

Thankfully, through some quick thinking from Rock, he and Roll managed to escape. But when they led the authorities to the site of the large fortress they were taken to, they found it completely abandoned. Dr. Wily, along with Proto Man and Dr. Light's robots, had disappeared into the night.

It was clear that, despite being only one man, Dr. Wily still had the necessary knowledge to not only reprogram machines but to construct and make more for himself.

Something had to be done, lest he release his destructive creations onto the world with no one to stop him. But it was then that Dr. Light had an idea. The robotics expert took Rock, a helper bot, and constructed him into what he called a "Super Fighting Robot".

Mega Man.

That had been years ago. A decade, in fact. And during those years, Mega Man, his Rock, had stood against Wily time after time again. And frankly, Light wondered just how long this pattern would continue.

The year was 201X now, and it seemed that so little had changed.

"Doc?"

Yet at the same time, things had changed quite a lot. Though it seemed that he was feeling the brunt of the passing time. He was so caught up in his thoughts, he was lost to the world.

"You ok?" Dr. Light turned to see a young, female android had entered the laboratory.

She had a youthful face, and her height made it appear that she was designed to look as if she was an older teenager or young adult. Her skin was light and peachy and her eyes were wide and sky blue. She wore a red and yellow jumpsuit with a grey belt with a silver buckle and red boots that came to just below her knees. Her hair was long and blonde, held up in a ponytail that displayed her hair's fullness and volume.

She was a stark contrast to how her creator appeared. True, while he still maintained the same style as always (tie, collared undershirt, and a lab coat), it was clear that the years were catching up with him. His once grey hair was turning white, and his eyes were steadily beginning to look more tired.

"Yes, I'm fine, Roll." Dr. Light answered the android.

"Just wanted to let you know breakfast is ready." Roll told him. "You nervous about today?"

"I suppose so." the old man answered. "I've just been...thinking a lot lately."

"About what?"

Dr. Light looked at Roll as if he were about to answer her but ultimately decided against it. After all, he had made a promise. He wouldn't tell them what was truly troubling him. He couldn't.

Before Roll could press further, an energetic "woof!" was heard, and a red robotic canine raced into the lab, immediately jumping up onto the older man.

"Rood Rorning!" the dog greeted, having been granted the ability to speak. Albeit with some...quirks. "Ready ro ro! Yeah, yeah!"

Dr. Light stumbled back a bit from the dog's weight. Even if the robot was the size of a medium-sized dog, give or take a few more inches, he weighed a good two-hundred plus pounds. Thus, the dog's greeting wasn't exactly kind to the human scientist's aging body.

"Hey, Rush! Be careful!" another voice called out, the source of it entering the lab. "Doc's not made of the same stuff you and I are."

The red dog immediately felt guilty and lowered his head. "Reah, rorry." Though he wasn't dejected for long, a small pet on his head reassured him that everything was forgiven.

Mega Man, or rather, Rock Light, stood before them, clad in azure armor that covered everything but his face. He bore thick, dark eyebrows, and large, blue eyes on a young face. If one wasn't familiar with the Blue Bomber, they wouldn't have believed that such a face belonged to one of Light's most famous creations.

"Doc here's a bit nervous about today." Roll said, Dr. Light not even getting in a word of protest before Mega began speaking again.

"You're nervous, Doc?"

Dr. Light sighed.

"Yes, I suppose so." he admitted.

Mega smiled. "Don't worry. This isn't any different than any of your other demonstrations." he gestured to a small, rectangular object hidden beneath a sheet, the sound of a little wheel spinning around heard every few moments or so. "And hey, at least this little guy can't really cause any trouble." Not that Light's inventions were the cause of any trouble persay. It just seemed that trouble always somehow found its way to them! Mainly thanks to a certain mad doctor.

"Hm...I suppose you're right." Dr. Light said. "Well, I best get going. Breakfast is probably getting cold." With that, he exited the lab, Roll and Rush following soon after.

Mega Man stayed in the lab, though. The Doc wasn't the only thing with something on his mind, or in the robot's case, his processor. Especially in one of his more recent dealings with Dr. Wily and Proto Man. But he could ponder all that later. Right now, they had a convention to get prepared for.

Still...Wily had been quiet for the past few weeks. Mega couldn't help but ponder just what the madman was up to this time.

Across the World

The Russian Far East, while beautiful in the winter of December, was not a forgiving land.

This particular area of the massive country and global superpower, despite being considered part of Siberia, had quite a history all of its own. It had been shaped by both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Sharing borders with China, Mongolia, Korea (North and South), and Japan, the Russian Far East held a history of cultures and customs that belonged to both the native Slavic people and those from neighboring, Eastern countries. The land was home to several tales of the past, from when the Russians had first conquered the uncharted land to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, and even during the darkest days of the Soviet Union.

Ironic, considering where one poor man was currently.

Currently, he resided in a large, empty building constructed to look almost like a Russian palace or citadel, its shadow dominating all that was caught in its dark veil. A large onion dome rested atop a green tower in the center of the structure while the other four towers were shaped more like cones. Yet all had red flags waving in the cold, Arctic wind whipping at the very top. Cannons were stationed in each of the four corners of the building, ready to fire should anyone think of trying to get close.

He didn't wish to have to fire, and he prayed it wouldn't come to that. But there was no other option now. He had to do this. For her.

Suddenly, he heard the mobile device beeping in the pocket of his lab coat. His lips tightened in anger, knowing well who was calling him.

"Yes?" he asked, not even bothering with a greeting. Despite being mostly concealed in the darkness of his room, the man's voice had a thick Russian accent, but he spoke English with no difficulty. He also sounded middle-aged, a good few decades younger than his captor.

"I'd watch that tone if I were you." an older voice warned, also having an accent, specifically German. "Or did you forget that my robots are on their way to your humble little home right this minute?"

The man tightened his grip on the armrests of his chair.

"Yes. I'm more than aware."

Though he couldn't see it, his captor was probably grinning with satisfaction. The old fool actually had him under his power. Though, ultimately, he couldn't blame the madman who locked him in here for what was about to happen. No, this was his fault. He hadn't been careful enough. Now she was going to have to pay for it.

"Speaking of," the voice on the device spoke again. "I need to check where those nincompoops are now." his captor was about to end the call, yet he then remembered something. "She IS where you say she is, right?"

"I have no reason to lie to you. Not now," he confessed. "And you WILL bring her to where you say, yes?"

"Yes, yes, relax." the voice groaned. "And once this is all over, you and your brat can see each other again." without giving the man the chance to respond, the call ended, leaving the poor man all alone again.

"Proto Man! Come in!"

Primorsky Krai

A Federal Subject (Krai) of Russia

"Come in!"

"Read you loud and clear, Wily." Proto Man said, the other three robots with him listening in to Wily's orders.

"What's your status?" Wily questioned.

Proto Man looked ahead, the eyes hidden beneath his thick black visor gazing upon a rather unusual sight. It was concealed quite well behind a dense sea of trees, yet, in between them, he could spot colors and shapes that didn't fit in with the rest of the untamed forest around him.

"Seems luck's on your side for once, Doc." the android said. "We're standing right in front of it."

"Ah, good! Yes!" Wily cheered, clearly on an emotional high. "And with our dear friend's brat in my grasp, Mega Man's BOUND to come!"

"You're getting a bit ahead of yourself there, Doc." Proto Man replied. "We've got to GET her first before your new science partner does his part."

"Then what are you waiting for? Get on it!"

Wily ended the call. Proto Man, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bright Man looked ahead at their destination.

"All right, boys." Proto Man began, adjusting his scarf. "Operation: Your Princess is in Another Castle, is officially underway!"

Chapter Text

December the 3rd, 201X.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

10:31 PM

The van for the daily news network of the city parked outside of the large, dome-shaped complex, and from it emerged figures of varying shapes and sizes. Then, finally, a human Caucasian woman with short, brown hair stepped out of the van. Her attire consisted of a white undershirt with a black tie, a teal coat that came down to her hips, a black, pencil skirt, and a pair of black high heels. Her eyes were brown and warm, though if anyone had seen her on television, they would've known that she had quite a sharp tongue.

Two robots exited the vehicle as well, ready to do their assigned duty.

The first of these robots was a small, flying mini-bot made up of green and white metal, spinning propellers on his cone-shaped shoulders to keep him airborne. His eyes were large, but his irises were slim slits of blue, and large lips of yellow on his dark face. He had a green "cap" on his head that was cubic in shape, with a white stripe going across the middle of the cap-like helmet. His arms were longer than his legs, his forearms green with gold trims on the ends. His hands were white, looking very much like gloves, but they were the most human feature about him.

And the second of the robots had a similar appearance to a young woman, though, from the white, circular audio units on the sides of her head (where they served as her "ears"), it was clear that she was a machine. Her skin was light and her hair a vibrant pink, fanning out behind her in a wave. Her eyes (or optics if one wanted to technically be correct) were a deep green yet despite the calm color, this robotic reporter was anything but. She had no clothing or plating and more "inhuman" portions of her, such as where her limbs were attached, served in their place. She had a red top with a white collar and sections where her shoulders were attached to her side. A yellow area of metal covered her from below her chest to her waist. Fingerless gloves of red were on her form, gold rings were around her wrists. A dark belt around her waist signaled that her top half ended and her bottom began, a pair of black shorts on her legs. Granted, these shorts only went down to her upper thighs, with white trims on the edges. She had kneepads and red boots, small wheels stationed on both sides of her ankles. A white cap was on her head with a black top visor and a blue section resting atop it. The hat had a blue stripe that ran down from the middle of the left and right panels.

"Okay, are we ready?" the human asked, adjusting her posture and making sure her outfit and hair were just right. Then, the female bot began readying the camera.

"Wait." the flying robot said before plucking a dust speck from the woman's coat. "Okay, NOW we're ready!" he then turned to the more human-looking machine. "Roll it, Plum!"

Plum gave the more miniature robot a thumbs up and began filming.

"I'm Bree Ricotta here at the Science Expo held in our very own New York City!" she proclaimed, making sure to show her teeth in a pleasant smile. "Ripot," she murmured. "Do I have anything in my teeth?"

"Huh?" the green robot looked. "I'm no dentist-bot, but…." Ripot pointed to Bree's upper row. "I'd recommend laying off the coffee for a bit."

Plum rolled her eyes. Great. She thought. She had a feeling that Bree was going to be doing this a LOT throughout the day.

The interior of the building was enormous, with several stations and areas for everyone's contributions to this year's theme to be displayed. This year was "energy efficiency", and the expo displayed a wide variety of inventions relating to such. Some dealt with the conversation of electricity to the benefits of solar power. Others with comparisons of new, improved products that removed the use of fossil fuels altogether. Pumps, turbines, bulbs, generators, and all sorts of machines were present.

Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll (Rush had been forced to wait outside) were behind a thick, dark curtain, the subject of Dr. Light's presentation still hidden underneath the cloth.

A continuous, whirring sound, almost like a fan blowing, could be heard from underneath the cloth. Though, if one were in the position of any of the three, they would've said that the sound was that of a wheel turning. Roll gave the glass underneath a slight tap.

"Cut it out, little guy! You're going to give yourself away!" the squeaking of the wheel stopped. "You can show off your stuff when Doc begins!" a small squeak of another kind came from underneath the cloth.

Roll looked to see Mega Man looking away from both her and Dr. Light. Her lips tightened; she knew well what he was thinking.

She went over and smirked, her brother not even noticing her. "Knock, knock," she said teasingly before giving his helmet a few taps. "Anyone there?"

Mega's eyes grew wide as an echoing, pounding, low-pitched ringing rang through his audials - as if someone was beating on a steel drum. The Blue Bomber turned to see a very amused Roll, though he didn't exactly find it so.

"You know I hate when you do that."

Roll only smirked but began speaking before Mega Man could retort. "You're thinking about something. Don't try to deny it."

Mega gave a small chuckle.

"Am I that obvious?"

"When are you not?" Roll asked. Once again, she was victorious in this verbal exchange. "So, what is it?" she was jovial, but once she noticed a sad look on her brother's face, she knew well what was on his mind. "You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"

The azure android sighed.

"I know I shouldn't. I know. But-"

"But nothing." Roll interrupted. "That jerk made his choice; that's all there is to it. He stabbed us in the back and was always working with Wily, even from the beginning. As far as I'm concerned, he can kiss my engine filter."

"Roll!" Mega Man hissed. "There are people present here!"

"Nobody can hear us back here," Roll said. "Doc's right there, and he's not paying a bit of attention." it was true. Light was making last-minute adjustments and looking over the new robot that remained hidden from sight. "If that low-life tin can is good for anything, it's for target practice."

Mega smiled at that, though it was mainly to dissuade Roll from prying further. His tactic worked. The blonde robot went over to help Doc set up the presentation. It had just turned to December, so it had been a good month since it happened, but all the same, Mega Man found that Proto Man just wouldn't leave his processor. And while his focus was more on his younger mechanical sibling, a part of him was on alert for any signs of one of Wily's schemes being underway.

While he'd never say it, in a way, Mega Man was somewhat thankful for what Roll called his "Wily Alarm." Not that he would actually welcome any of Wily's new creations to come down and begin wreaking havoc, but dealing with him helped as a way not to have to face the other things.Things that no buster or any amount of victories could fix.

On the other side of the World

Primorsky Krai

A Federal Subject (Krai) of Russia

5:31 AM

The robot flew through the forest, large eyes looking down at the sea of trees below him. His blue wings flapped rapidly, his thruster in overdrive to maximize his speed. True, he was pushing his body's limits, but he had to make it in time. He had to. Otherwise, his creator would be one of many Wily would take!

TAP TAP!

"Hm?"

TAP TAP!

A form covered in thick, white sheets stirred in the large bed. The tapping against the glass door that led to the balcony continued and seemed never to end, so the half-asleep human slowly shuffled towards the door and pulled back a thick, red curtain.

The door opened, and the bird-bot had been greeted by the sight of a curly mass of blonde locks, the collection of hair concealing the young woman's face and making her look quite startling to see. Her head was practically smothered in her hair, making her appear as if she had no face. However, the bird-bot would never tell her that to her face. When he was away, though, he could blather all he wanted. She wore a white gown that reached down to her ankles with short, puffy sleeves and a pink ribbon situated in the middle of her gown's v-neck.

"Do you have ANY idea what time it is?" the human girl moaned before releasing a long yawn. Unlike the bird-bot's voice, hers had a thick Russian accent.

"Get a move on!" the bird-bot said, his voice high-pitched yet distinctly male. "We've gotta get outta here!"

"What?" the blonde questioned, brushing some of the mess she called her hair out of her face, revealing a pair of light-green eyes. "What are you talking about?"

The bird-bot shifted his eyes, the girl steadily realizing that something was very wrong.

Outside

It wasn't in the forefront of his processor, but Proto Man couldn't help but find that the elusive house Wily's new partner had directed them to was somewhat quaint.

If he had to describe it, he would say that it reminded him of some hybrid between a log cabin and an old, ancient house that resembled more of a castle. There were decorative linings on the windows and along the edges of the roof, and even though (allegedly) only one person lived there, the residence was at least three floors high. Ivy slithered and coiled its way along the home's exterior, serving as something of camouflage to keep the place even more hidden. Even if it was somewhat ridiculous, the robot couldn't help but have images of enchanted, haunted forests - and in the middle of it, a large, lone house in the middle of nowhere.

Wily's new "buddy" had called it an "izba," whatever that was. Some sort of Russian thing, he assumed. Well, whatever. They had found the place so that the next step could begin.

"Ok, so, do we need to go over anything else?" Proto Man asked the three Robot Masters with him.

"Don't think so." Bright Man answered. Proto Man couldn't help but find some humor in the sound of his voice. Even with the "tips" Wily's new "friend" had given him regarding his programming skills, some things remained the same.

"And I take it that you know where to go?"

Bright Man nodded. Indeed, it had been a good long time since he had been here, but now it seemed that long-buried knowledge would come into play. All thanks to Wily's "friend" giving the Robot Masters a few "tweaks."

"All right then." Proto Man said, directing his attention to the strange house nestled in this dense collection of towering trees. "Let's go collect the little brat."

"Hurry! Come on, c'mon! We don't have all day!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" the girl complained, slipping on her second boot before she turned back to the mechanical bird.

"Ok, can we go now?"

The girl was about to head towards the balcony in her room, but as she stopped momentarily, she and the bird-bot heard noises coming from downstairs.

There was no more time left.

The interior was more extensive than expected. Proto, Cut, and Guts Man looked around, taking in their surroundings. The inside of the strange house was, even though Doc's newest "associate" was one of the figureheads of robotics in his native country, he seemed to have a flair for old-time, folkish design. Walls and furniture were covered in decorative patterns, depicting images such as significant, blossoming flowers and plants of various colors to simple shapes (primarily circular) that bore the same color palette of being bright and vibrant. Over a brick fireplace hung a large, decorative rug. The fireplace had been used recently, given the burnt surface of the inside. Everything was intricate in detail, yet all the same, colorful. It was clearly traditional and ordinary for the people (the few there were) out there, but it just confused Proto Man. If anything, all the colors made him think of childish tales of fair maidens being imprisoned in towers, waiting for someone to come and take them away.

Ironic, he thought, for the bots coming her way were far from any princes.

A dozen so servant bots rested at their feet in torn-up piles of metal and circuits, some still going on about whether or not the "guests" would like an oil mix. What that meant, no one knew, and no one wanted to find out. "I quite insist sirs. It's quite effective at-"

"Oh, quiet!" Guts Man bellowed before crushing the servant-bot's head underneath his boot. Nevertheless, the robot continued to try and push his oil and tea mix on them. All while he was being so sickly polite about it.

Seeing as there was no one to stop him, Guts Man took one of the unspilled cups of oil mix and chugged it down. Hmm, not bad.

"So," Cut Man began, turning to Bright Man. "Where is the kid's room?" he asked in his distinct, Peter Lorre-esque voice.

"From what I remember," Bright Man said. "Well, what I remember NOW," he corrected. "The little lady's room is upstairs to the left."

Proto smirked. "Well, what's keeping you? Lead the way!" Bright Man began going up the stairs, Cut and Guts Man following after. Though Guts Man had to go slow and ease his way up, if not just because his girth made it somewhat difficult to ascend the narrow stairway.

On a mission or not, Proto Man didn't waste an opportunity to remark on the situation. "I'm still not sure whether or not Wily should've let that guy tinker with you." he rubbed his chin, contemplating that particular subject before ascending as well. Now wasn't the time to mull over such things. That could come later. Or rather, it would come later, whether he liked it or not.

The four machines came across a hall that branched in separate directions going up to the second floor. Each of them split up, looking for the room that "she" may perhaps be hiding. Yet each room they checked yielded no results. Just more folksy furnishings and colorful decorations on the walls or hanging from the ceiling. "GAH!" Guts Man roared, tearing through a chair embroidered with flowers varying in shapes and sizes. "Everything in this house looks the same!"

Cut Man was working his way through whatever lay in the area he was searching in another room. Any potential hiding place that their target could squeeze under was either tossed to the side or sliced through with the Robot Master's Rolling Cutter. Once he had torn through everything in sight, the red, large-eared, puppet-mouthed robot smirked (well, as much as he could smirk). "I've always wanted to try out interior decorating." he brought the blades of his weapon together, enjoying the sharp sound whenever they met.

Proto Man threw open a wardrobe but found nothing but men's clothes inside, including the familiar sight of a selection of white lab coats. Seriously, is that a go-to for scientists in general? He then realized he must've been in the room of Doc's new "friend." Enough of this. They were wasting time with each passing second looking for the brat! And unless everyone wanted an earful from Wily, they had best get a move on!

But where the heck was that kid?!

"Hey, Bright Man!" Proto Man called out, leaving the bedroom and seeking out the Robot Master. "What's the deal? I thought you said that she was-" the rogue DLN stopped for a moment, puzzled at what he had just come across. Bright Man was standing in the middle of what appeared to be a study of some kind, a desk and chair resting near a bookshelf filled with many texts. Proto Man couldn't have cared less, but Bright Man's silence perplexed him. "Bright Man?" he asked, approaching the Robot Master. "Hey, are your audio units stopped up? What are you even doing?"

"What's going on?" Cut Man asked, peering over Proto Man's shoulder.

"Did you find the squirt yet?" Guts Man questioned, pushing Proto and Cut Man out of the way with his girth. "Hey, bulb-head! What are you just standing around for?" despite the more giant robot's inquiry, the one he was speaking to remained silent. "Uh, hey! I'm talking to you!"

The Robot Master's shouting seemed to snap the other Robot Master out of whatever trance he was in; his head turned to look at Guts Man. "I can hear PERFECTLY fine, you know!"

"Coulda fooled me." Guts Man grunted.

"Heh. It wouldn't take much to do that." Cut Man sneered.

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" Guts Man retorted. "You're the one who got taken out by the bell on that game in Fun World!"

"And who was the one that nearly let that kid get away?" Cut Man shot back. "I wouldn't have had a problem getting out of some stupid costume." he gestured to the blades on his head.

"Hey, that thing was just as easy to rip as it is to slice through!"

"Says the one who nearly tripped over himself trying to get it off."

The two Robot Masters argued back and forth, while Proto Man found the scene bringing up some more recent memories for him as well. Memories he didn't exactly have time to dwell on. I always wanted a brotherly relationship with you. Let alone have any desire to dwell on them.

"C'mon!" Proto Man said, going before everyone else and ascending the staircase to the third floor. "Let's just hurry this thing up!" he called out from above, the other machines following suit. Yeah, hurry this up. He thought. Hurry, so Mega can-

Always wanted a…

"Proto Man?" the DLN felt a hand place itself on his shoulder; Cut Man looked at him, confused. Then, the visor-wearing android realized he was blocking the way at the top of the stairs, not allowing anyone else to go forward.

"Look who's spacing out now." Bright Man observed.

"Just split up already!" Proto Man commanded, and everyone then scrambled in different directions. "No, wait!" everyone then stopped. "Bright Man, where's the kid's room?"

"Um...I believe" the bulb-headed Robot Master looked around, clearly trying to recall the layout of the house. "It...it's been so long. I don't exactly-"

"Look, it doesn't matter. Just look everywhere!" before anyone could ask what Proto's problem was, the scarf-wearing robot dashed forward and came to two doors. He then kicked the door on the left and saw that, at last, he had found what he was looking for.

The only problem was that given the open way to the balcony outside; it was clear that the room's occupant was no longer there.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

"...and the theme this year has led to a plethora of inventions and machines, all with the goal and purpose of utilizing and reducing as much energy use as possible," Bree said to the camera, making sure to present a pleasant smile (though it didn't keep her paranoia about stained teeth at bay).

Ripot gave her a thumbs up to urge her to continue as he held the camera, though he wasn't exactly pleased with his current job. Next, it was Plum's turn to have the camera, but seeing as he was the one that could fly, she argued that he would be better off with it to get, as she said, "every angle available" to show the "fine folks at home." Plus, if the coffee stains were too noticeable, Ripot could just film around the center.

The event had officially begun, and those attending were finally ready to present their contributions to the convention. Perhaps, should their creation be received well, and lead to better, greater things? Plum was currently out, ironically enough, getting some coffee for Bree at the refreshment station. If anything, she thought, Ripot should've been grateful to be operating the camera. She was, as of that moment, quite literally, the coffee lady! Her green eyes scanned the area, seeing that her station was far from the only one to appear at the expo. Men and women with microphones and a plethora of questions to ask spoke and made a note of each and everything that the scientists said. While she wasn't exactly supposed to, Plum couldn't help but take advantage of her more advanced hearing and listen to what conversations were going on between the interviewer and 'ee'.

The contributions from the men and women of science ranged from what was being called "smart thermostats" to EV charging stations. There were monitors to track all energy use in a home, the ability to cut off energy to a particular area, electric lawnmowers, and portable solar-powered chargers. While there were a few deviations, most of the inventions either toyed with the production of electricity. Some were used to show the power of alternate energy sources to run compared to the oil that still resided in many machines today, including Plum herself.

And while all that she saw around her was impressive, what she mainly had her eyes on was whatever Dr. Thomas Light would be presenting. True, his contribution would be following the same theme and potentially having a similar function to several others, but the pink-haired android's want to see him at all was based on a "hunch" that she had been feeling. She had been feeling it all day, ever since she had first come online (and was taken out of the broom closet that was her room). A "reporter's intuition", Bree once called it. And whether or not "intuition" was a thing for humans only, Plum didn't care. Because "intuition" or not, she had something. A sense that, today, something was going to happen.

And she wanted to be the one to capture it. Plum wanted to be a part of it, whether it be filming or going right into the action itself. Somehow, in some way, Dr. Light was going to be involved. The only question was: how?

It was then that she saw a form of blue sneak out from behind the thick curtains of one of the presentation stands, trying to keep himself from being seen too much. The robotic "reporter" inwardly cheered. Finally, she had possibly found her key to getting whatever spectacular event that was supposed to happen to occur! And she'd make sure she'd be there to capture it all!

Primorsky Krai

"I thought you said her room was on the second floor!" Proto Man questioned Bright Man. No one was precisely pleased that they had to now trek through the woods. It was enough of a hassle to find this place, and now they had to go through it all over again!

"That's what the layout says," Bright Man retorted, gesturing to his dome. "And Wily made sure it was uploaded into my processor! He oversaw the entire procedure!"

"Unless he lied," GutsMan suggested.

"Or bamboozled you." Cut Man added.

"Yeah, well...if that's the case, I've been just as bamboozled as the rest of you!" Bright Man argued back.

Proto Man remained silent, scanning the dense collection of towering flora and fernery that surrounded them. The landscape was bathed in a thick blanket of shimmering, white crystals, old, dull-colored, dead trees shielded from the sparse amount of sunlight that came through the dense foliage. It far from mattered at the moment, but all four machines wondered just how could any living creature survive out here.

And then they remembered that they had just let a "living creature" go off into the wild in weather like this.

"Drat!" Proto Man hissed. Now they WERE pressed for time!

"So, why didn't you stop and get some fuel to recharge?" the bird-bot heard her ask, as he had taken to perch on a high-up branch. He needed to be on the lookout now more than ever, seeing as they were now being tracked. Or rather, hunted.

"I didn't have time!" the bird-bot told the human below him. "Wily's goons were going to get here sooner than I did if I didn't put myself into overdrive!" he then sighed, letting the cool, winter air clear his vents. "And you taking forever to get dressed didn't help either."

The girl from below looked up, placing her hands on her hips. "Brushing teeth and hair, plus putting on deodorant, is basic hygiene!" she argued.

"You're out in the middle of nowhere with someone who doesn't even have a nose!" the bird-bot shot back. "And besides, it's not like you wouldn't smell any worse than any of the animals around here."

"I prefer to keep myself at least marginally presentable, thank you." she huffed, wrapping her arms around herself. This was mainly to find some warmth amidst the icy chill that was all around her.

Indeed, the bird-bot observed, looking down at the human, then forward at the vast forest that lay ahead of them. He hadn't exactly made a wise decision in coming to the house than stopping to fill up somewhere, but the artificial avian knew that Wily's bots wouldn't be gracious enough to let him do so. And true, while he had made it in time to gather his creator's daughter, the bird didn't know if he could make a thousand-so-kilometer trip with what was left in his tanks. He supposed he could simply hold her by the arms and fly usually, but even then, it'd still take some time to get to the nearest town.

Not to mention that, of all places for the bitter winter wind to blow, it seemed to gather around the mountains of this country the most. Of course, it would be no problem for a machine like himself, at least for a good while. But for a being of flesh and blood?

All the more reason to get out of here.

"...so, just how cold does it get out here, anyway?" Guts Man asked, having been paired with Cut Man to search the vast landscape outside the palatial izba.

Bright Man pondered this for a moment. Even after the upgrades given to him and the other Robot Masters, his systems were still trying to adjust. Then, the large bulb atop his head lit up, though it wasn't from the use of his Flash Stopper. "It's usually around negative-fifty celsius," he said.

"Which is negative fifty-eight Fahrenheit. Yeah, whatever." Proto added. This recent turn of events didn't exactly make things easier, especially in that their target had escaped. How she knew they were here before they came in escaped everyone, let alone how she could've jumped a good so few stories without breaking her legs. No, she had help. Help that her dear ol' dad didn't tell Wily about. "All right, spread out!" he commanded. "Search high and low for the kid! Nobody leaves until we snag her!"

With that, Bright and Proto Man departed to the left while Cut and Guts Man left to the right, all with the same goal of acquiring the "child" Wily had sent them to retrieve.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

He was thankful that there was access outside at the back of the building, as it gave him a means for some temporary relief. The blue robot went up and looked over the railing, coming out of an exit on the third floor. Usually, these presentations would've been no problem for him, but a particular, more recent event had been plaguing his processor lately. And it wasn't Wily's most recent stunt involving a theme park, brainwashing people into believing they were robots or Guts Man in a kangaroo suit.

Mega Man knew that it did no good dwelling on it, but he was on the verge of making a severe judgment regarding his brother. Roll's assessment of him, while it wasn't pleasant to hear, was ultimately the truth. In the end, Proto's choice was his own. Though still, there were too many unanswered questions. Otherwise, why would Mega still feel compelled to save him? It wasn't just out of his programming, and maybe he was being too naive (would that also be part of his programming?), but even if it was fake, it still felt nice. To be in his sibling's company for once without the other holding a blaster to their face.

Maybe he was in denial, and to a degree, he knew he was. It was a lie. But a lie that he wished he could make a reality.

"Hm?" he suddenly realized he wasn't alone.

Primorsky Krai

The snow wasn't making her journey any easier. Her steps were slow and unsteady, but there was little she could do. The dense collection of white power all around her made walking nearly impossible.

"Hurry it up!" the bird-bot whispered from above.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she called out from below. She didn't say anything else, seeing as she fell on her face upon taking another step.

The bird-bot flew down, hovering in the air as the human lifted her head, her full, blonde hair now having clumps of snow clinging to it. "Pfft!" the robotic avian giggled. "You ok?"

The human's face soured. Snow, dead leaves, and twigs: a hearty breakfast, she thought. Still, even if she had a million complaints and a few choice words to say to the tin cans that dared to break into her and her Papa's home, the young woman knew that it'd do no good. She could just save all that for when those jerks got what was coming to them! That said, other things needed addressing. "So...how long will it be for 'them' to get here?"

"Them" didn't need any clarification for the bird-bot. He knew well who "them" were. In fact, "they" were the very reason that his creator had created him, as well as the reason why the man's home had been located in the middle of a dense, thick forest. But in some instances, "they" provided services that would be useful, especially in this case.

"The silent alarm had been tripped when they broke in, but I can't tell on how long it'll take for them to get out here." the robotic avian confessed to his human companion. "So the best thing we can do is-" he then suddenly paused.

"What?" the human asked, but the bird's wing "hushed" her, placing itself over her mouth.

"Shh." the bird whispered. "I hear something." he adjusted his audio receptors, the sounds of voices able to be faintly heard. "Stay here," he said. "I'm gonna check something out."

"What? Wait!" before she could try and stop him, the bird-bot flew away from her, going higher and higher, out of her reach.

"I'll be back! Just stay put!" with that, the flying machine went off.

"Where am I going to go?" she murmured to herself. But, like hell, she was walking anywhere out here by herself.

Her breath was able to be seen as she took in some icy air. It stung her lungs somewhat, but at least it was somewhat refreshing. If she wasn't currently running to avoid a madman's goons, she could've appreciated the landscape around her better. This time of year was one of her favorites, or at least it used to be. Everything around her was bathed in white, the wind cold, and the world itself had gone into hibernation. But it was better observed from the warm sanctuary of her home, not out here in the middle of the woods with no idea of where to go.

And while it was probably just her imagination, she swore it was getting colder and colder.

The bird-bot saw that Wily's bots were only a short distance away. While this meant he could perhaps keep a better eye on them, the fact they were this close to his creator's daughter wasn't exactly good news either. Maybe he would have to ward them off soon, but how? Suffice to say, blasters and giant scissors weren't exactly on his list of things to get hit by today.

"Wily's gonna be pretty mad with we come back with nothing." Guts Man said, beginning to grow concerned about the older man's temperament.

"Oh, we're coming back with something." Proto Man answered. "She doesn't have a choice now."

The bird-bot listened in. The robot that was speaking was one of Wily's more notorious machines, wasn't it? But, as the avian android observed from above, he saw that the machines were somewhat inconvenienced by the thick, heavy snow.

"Here!" Cut Man suddenly said, removing his Rolling Cutter. "I'll just CUT our way through!" he threw the duel blades forward. They effortlessly slashed through the thick trunks of the trees; the bird-bot had to leave his current post as the Robot Master's signature weapon cut down the tree he had been perched on.

"Put that away!" Proto Man commanded. "Great. She DEFINITELY heard that. And probably hightailed it out of anywhere near here."

The bird-bot could only hope. But then again, it wasn't as if his charge could go anywhere. The girl was quite literally dependent on him to even get out of there.

"There you are!" he heard her whisper from below.

He flew down. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Checking on you!" she said. "I thought a tree might've fallen on you or something worse!"

"Shhh!" the bird-bot hissed, pushing down on her hat-covered head to get her down. "Wily's bots are right over there!"

Seeing this, she immediately grew quiet, her green eyes spotting the machines hunting her. Though upon seeing them all together, one among the four immediately captured her attention. That giant light bulb was unmistakable.

"Евлампий Михайлович?"

Chapter Text

She was about to take a step forward, yet the bird-bot hissed, "Don't!" But by the time he did, it was too late.

The sound of the branch snapping under her boot was just loud enough for those pursuing her to hear.

The four robots turned to see a flash of a red coat among all the white surrounding them, knowing full well who had just made their escape. "Hey! It's her!" Guts Man shouted, pointing one significant, yellow digit in the direction the girl ran in.

"Yeah, thanks for your incredible sense of direction." Proto Man scoffed. "Get her! Don't let the brat escape!"

With that, all four robots began going in the same direction, knowing well that every second, both for them and her, counted.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

Oh no. Mega Man was looking at her. The Blue Bomber himself was looking right at her, and what was she doing? She was just staring at him as if she were a deer in headlights. "Um, hello?" he greeted her, Plum being drawn back to reality.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, pausing to straighten her hair, adjust her cap, anything that would make herself more presentable. "Yes, hello!" she greeted, giving Mega a grin. "I'm with Channel ABC7. I'm sure you must've heard of the station, right?"

Mega Man was still somewhat confused. Just who was this girl? "Uh, yeah, I'm familiar with it."

This answer seemed to please her. "Ah, yes! I knew you would!" she said. SCORE! She thought. "My name's Plum, and I work with the station. I mainly work with the camera crew. I'm sure that you've also seen some of my work."

"Oh, yeah. I've seen it." Mega Man didn't know what else to say. Yes, he technically HAD seen her work. Just not her herself. "Wait, doesn't that mean Bree Ricotta's here?"

Plum's face grew sour, but it didn't last long. She was trying to look professional, after all. And she had to make sure that the Blue Bomber would still be willing to talk to her. "Yes, I DO work with Ms. Ricotta." Stuck up, woman. She thought. Kind of ironic that the woman wanted NO spotlight taken from her, but she was perfectly willing to have Plum and Ripot do all the work! She WAS who the audience would see most of the time, but still. Some recognition would've been excellent. "But enough about her," Plum said, more than eager to get back on topic. "I'm glad I found you."

Mega had an idea where this was going. Even though Plum's eyes had something of a glassy look in her eyes, something typical for many machines (Doc had given him and Roll more "realistic" optics), they also had another element in them. She looked eager, hungry even. She looked at him as if he were both a piece of meat and just the suitable toy a child wanted for Christmas. "So, how can I help you." he had a feeling he was going to regret this.

Yes! Plum mentally cheered. Eat your heart out, Ricotta! "We're rolling!" if Bree heard any of what she had just thought. But to hell with her. She was the one in charge now!

"Well, if I may," suddenly, Plum whipped out a microphone seemingly from nowhere and shoved it right in Mega's face. "I'd like to ask you a few questions!"

Primorsky Krai

"Run faster!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

The bird-bot and his human charge navigated through winding trees and deep, snow-covered ground, the one in the air doing much better than the one on the earth. The was becoming more and more compact, the girl having trouble working through the thick power as it now engulfed her from her knees down. Her boots and calves were swallowed by the glistening white that covered the forest floor.

And the wind was beginning to sting from the low temperature. It was mild at first, but now it felt like needles pressed into the girl's cheek, and her legs grew numb. "Wait!" she called out, the bird-bot stopping. "I...I have to stop."

"We can't stop!" the bird-bot told her. "Those guys are going to find you!"

"I can't ruin all this! Let alone walk!" she argued, leaning against a tree for a moment. The bird-bot perched himself on a branch just a few feet above her, his large eyes keeping watch. So far, everything seemed quiet. He just hoped that the girl wouldn't need TOO much time to collect herself. It was then that he heard her address him. "Beat?" she asked, the bird-bot looking down at her. "What all DO you know?" she asked. "Did you know that they were coming here?" she paused for a moment, biting her lip. She didn't want to dare think about it, but she couldn't ignore the signs any longer. "...does all this have something to do with Papa?"

The bird-bot, Beat, flew down to her, situating himself on her shoulder. "Kalinka…"

"Tell me." the human demanded. "Is he all right?"

Before Beat could answer her, though, "Oh, don't you worry about a thing, Princess." someone else spoke for him. From behind a tree that was but a few feet away emerged Proto Man. And from the other trees surrounding her emerged Cut, Guts, and Bright Man. "We've got everything under control."

"You…" the young woman said, the robots somewhat surprised by what they saw.

Instead of a pint-sized brat stood a girl nearing adulthood. She wore a red, thick coat with black fur linings around the collar, wrists, and rim. In addition, she wore black gloves and a black, pleated skirt. She also had violet stockings on and a pair of light brown boots with white fur lining. She was somewhat short, being a few inches shorter than Proto, but she had a slim frame and rather pale skin. A pair of round, blue orbs served as earrings, and she had medium-length, blonde curly hair full of volume (maybe too much), and her eyes were a light green, almost comparable to Peridot. And to finish off her ensemble, a thick, black, cossack hat rested atop her head.

Proto Man held his chin as he looked his target over. "Huh. I thought you'd be younger." he outwardly mused. "A LOT younger."

Kalinka looked around, not favoring her odds at all. Beat kept himself perched on her shoulder, devising a way to get out of this situation possibly. And to do that, he needed some time. "Talk," he whispered to her.

"What?" she whispered back.

"Just keep talking!"

With not much else she could do, Kalinka obliged. "You had better get out of here, or you're going to be in a LOT of trouble."

"Oh really?" Guts Man said, pushing aside one of the smaller trees.

Kalinka backed up yet steeled herself. "Yes, really," she answered the enormous Robot Master. "Even before you broke in, the secret service has already been alerted of the situation."

"They'll never make it in time." Cut Man said, slicing a nearby, smaller tree in half down the middle.

"One way or another, you're coming with us." Bright Man added, Kalinka's expression changing when she laid eyes on him.

She said nothing; she just stared up at him. Though unlike the other three, she didn't appear angered or defiant. Instead, she looked somewhat sad.

Odd. Proto Man thought. There was nothing about this being in the details of this mission. "Is it me, or is it getting colder out here?" The red helmeted robot had observed. Of course, he felt nothing, but he couldn't help but notice the young woman shiver slightly at his words.

Seeing this amused him, Kalinka scowled, having played into his game. "Козёл." she hissed. Great, her lips felt as if they were drying up!

"I think you know as well as I do, Princess, that we're your only way out of here." Proto Man told her, mentally making a note to ask what the hell she just called him meant. "Don't know if information can make it through that blonde mop of yours, but I think even you know it's not going to get any warmer." he stepped forward. "And, well, humans can only be 'warm-blooded' for so long out in weather like this."

Kalinka looked around, seeing the other robots approaching her from all sides. Damn, she was trapped! Again, Proto noticed her eyes fall on Bright Man. And again, he saw her staring at the Robot Master, almost as if she were silently pleading with him.

As Cut Man reached out, a blue blur came down from the trees above and struck him in the back of the head. The impact sent the reprogrammed DLN's head flying, essentially decapitating him. Thankfully, such a thing was non-fatal (otherwise it'd be pretty messy) for machines, Cut Man's head landed right in the thick trunk of one of the many trees, his Rolling Cutter keeping the body part in place.

"RUN!" a high-pitched voice shouted from above, the three standing robots looking up and seeing a blue bird-bot hovering just in their line of sight.

Kalinka hesitated for a moment, but Beat gave her an intense glare, despite the round, unsharp form of his eyes. Then, seeing as there was no other choice, she, regretfully, made a run for it. The moment sent the robots' attention to the robotic avian.

Proto Man wasted no time in drawing out his buster and shooting some concentrated plasma in Beat's direction; Guts Man chopped his way through a tree with his hand (those Kung-Fu lessons Cut Man suggested paid off) and took the fallen trunk, hoisting it over his shoulder.

"Ha!" Beat chortled from above, dodging Proto Man's shots. "You look like some of the old bags from around here!"

Guts Man was confused. "Wha?"

"He's saying you look like an old woman." Bright Man clarified. This action drew Proto Man's attention. It seemed Cossack's "tinkering" paid off in some areas.

Guts Man was still somewhat unsure. "Is that an insult?" Bright Man seemed to have to think for a moment. "Well, whatever! I don't need an excuse to smash this pipsqueak!"

Beat didn't have much time to comment further as Guts Man threw the halved tree in his direction. It soared by the bird-bot and landed in the forest with a thunderous crash. Proto Man was trying to get a clear shot to bring Beat down from below.

"Ha! I'm way ahead of you!" the bird-bot mocked. He dove down, and everyone ducked, lest the flying menace take their head off as he did to Cut Man. He rose, then dove down, then rose again, not allowing his aggressors much time to retaliate.

"Enough with this!" Proto Man hissed. "Bright Man, take care of Tweety here! I'm going after the brat!"

"Will do!" the bulb-headed Robot Master answered, looking dead on at Beat, letting the bird inch closer and closer. "Here, птичка." Bright Man smirked; the bird-bot was surprised to hear Russian come from the Robot Master. He had thought that Wily had taken out such a thing like that!

Unfortunately, Beat got no further than a few inches from Bright Man before activating his Flash Stopper. The intense light forced the bird-bot's optics to momentarily shut off to protect his lenses from any potential damage to his visual capacity. And before he knew it, he found himself flying, quite blind; his head slammed headfirst into a tree. Beat plummeted to the ground, yet before he could reach it, a large, yellow hand seized the bird-bot, his grip tightening to keep Beat from escaping.

Guts Man smirked (as much as he could given the shape of his lower jaw), and Beat furiously flapped his wings to try and get away. However, a firm squeeze to his more minor, lighter frame caused the bird-bot to cease flapping, lest Guts Man squeezes harder. The more oversized Robot Master chuckled, Beat noticing that the lumbering fool had something of hostility to his small laugh.

"Now," Bright Man said, approaching Guts Man and Beat, the bird-bot's vision had finally returned to him. "What to do with you?"

"I say we squash him!" Guts Man said, tightening his grip on Beat even more. "Wind him up in a tight little scrap ball."

"No, no!" Cut Man cried out; Rolling Cutter was still lodged in the tree. Bright Man went over to pry the other machine's head out of the trunk; he then went and reattached it to the rest of the Robot Master. "I've got a better idea." he rose from the ground and went over to the captured bird-bot. "Why don't we," he then removed his signature weapon and brought it close to the bird's face. "Even out his feathers a little? A heh, heh heh." Cut Man suggested, giving a slight chuckle afterward.

Suggestions such as these went back and forth between the two, all the while Bright Man looked in the direction Kalinka had gone in. Beat froze. His charge already had Proto Man on her tail, so a second robot would surely result in her getting captured for sure!

But what to do?! He couldn't even get himself out of trouble! He struggled, Cut and Guts Man still deciding on what to do with him. Bright Man looked like he was about to possibly go off and join Proto in the chase. Beat felt a sting in his core but ultimately accepted that it had to be this way. There was no other option.

"Sorry, Евлампий Михайлович." the bird-bot whispered, his thruster starting up.

Suddenly, he flew forward, knocking Bright Man off his feet and nearly taking Guts Man's arm right off. Beat zoomed through the trees out of sight, Bright Man on the ground, his bulb having a large piece of it broken off.

"GAH!" the stout Robot Master cried out, horrified at the damage to his most precious component. "You little blue menace!" he called out. "I hope Proto Man clips BOTH your wings off!"

"Why wait for him?" Cut Man stepped in. "I can do that easily!" he threw his Rolling Cutter, the weapon getting closer and closer to Beat, who only became aware of the approaching, whirling blades when he saw them in the corner of his optics.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

"Uh...sure?" Mega answered, wincing when he saw Plum's face light up.

"Yes! Great!" she cheered. Suck it, Bree! "So, let's get this started: what's your take on the…." she paused. "The…" Darn! What did Bree call it again? Of all days to be out of work! "The...incident involving the electrical appliances running loose throughout the city?"

"Oh, that," Mega said, a particularly amusing memory involving Roll and a make-up bot coming to mind. He remembered how she freaked when she got a glimpse of the robot's handiwork.

"The...Electric Nightmare!" Plum suddenly exclaimed, finally remembering what Bree had called the event. "One of my favorite stories that our station's done, by the way!"

"Uh yeah. Mine too." the Blue Bomber said. But, genuine as he tried to sound, he couldn't deny that he was beginning to regret agreeing to this bot's request.

"But yeah, do you think the security system Dr. Light installed for the city will still be operational in a few years, or will it need replacing?" It wasn't exactly an exciting question, Plum knew, but she had to look at least professional. Besides, she could ease her way into the juicy stuff later.

Okay, good, Mega thought. That would be easy to answer. "Doc said that anything could happen," especially given the reason why he had to install the security system in the first place. "But if all goes well, then I would calculate around a good few decades, give or take." there were a plethora of unknown variables in the equation, so he could only go off what he knew. The best he could provide was a rough estimate.

"Okay," Plum answered, logging that bit of information in her memory banks. "And regarding the 'Big Shake' as it's called, how did Dr. Light take the loss of his anti-quake stabilizer?"

"Well, the truth is, there were two stabilizers: one by the Doc, the other by Wily." Mega clarified for the reporter.

"Really?" Plum asked. Then again, that particular event happened BEFORE the network decided they needed another robot for various duties around the station. "Well, I bet you're tired of talking about all the stuff that happened years ago!" she drew closer, ready to record whatever came from the blue robot's mouth. "How about we move on to some more recent occurrences?"

Seeing as he wasn't getting out of this any time soon, Mega Man went along with the reporter's suggestion. "If that's the case, then there WAS something that happened just a couple of weeks ago…."

Primorsky Krai

She hated herself for it, even if she knew there was nothing that she could do for the metal bird. She knew that she didn't have the strength to have even a slight chance against Wily's bots, let alone be able to assist her more diminutive guardian in any way. She knew this and despised it with all her soul.

She cursed every one of those cursed machines, all except Евлампий Михайлович. Every other one was scum, especially that one with the scarf. The Russian's train of thought cut off when she found herself out of breath, having to stop for a moment. She couldn't stop for too long, for Wily's goons would catch up to her for sure. But she needed to give her legs a rest. Half of her body felt numb while the other half was burning up! Her lungs burned, yet the only air available was so cold and sharp, it stung and dried her throat whenever she took a breath. Conditions such as these were impossible to survive in as far as she was concerned; even if these forests were still quite teeming with life in winter, she had no heightened senses, let alone any pelt of thick fur for warmth. All she had on her person was a shirt, skirt, hat, tights, coat, and boots. The warmest things she had, and they were doing her little good.

Beat. The Russian's thoughts drifted to the blue bird-bot. She knew she had to get moving soon, but a part of her STILL wanted to go back. Just to see whether or not he was okay.

"You look a little lost there, Princess."

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

"Oh yeah! I heard about what happened involving Fun World!" Plum exclaimed. "True, we haven't released a story on it yet, but hey, that's what you're here for, right?" she presented the Blue Bomber with a cheery smile. Even if the reporter wasn't Plum's favorite human, the robot began to empathize with Bree's nervousness over trivial details. She was now worrying that there was something in her teeth, and she didn't even need to eat!

"Yeah, guess so." Mega agreed, still wondering whether or not he should've decided to do this.

"So, mind-control rings?" the pink-haired robot raised a brow. "Huh. What'll the old coot think of next?"

The Blue Bomber couldn't help but chuckle at that. While he wasn't entirely sure about being a part of this bot's questionnaire, she was undoubtedly more tolerable than Ms. Ricotta was. If anything, he found the femme-bot very much reminded him of Roll. "Seriously though," Mega Man said. "I'm surprised that taking over an amusement park was something Wily hadn't done sooner."

"You'd think that, right?" Plum answered; Mega Man noticed that she completely ditched the professional tone and had gone to being utterly casual with him. "Then again, you would've thought building a giant robot spider would be one of those things too." She was present to report on that event, having gone around and gathered statements from bystanders who witnessed the robotic arachnid firsthand. She still wished she could have seen it for herself.

Unfortunately, that was some time ago, and while she had "worked" her way up from janitorial duty, the pink-haired android still found her various "jobs" not to be enough. So, despite her intended purpose of "extra help," Plum found her attention drawn to what was front and center. And as long as she was within range of Mega Man himself, then something interesting had to happen soon, right?

"Speaking of things involving Wily, what's your take on the Proto Man's 'presumed' reformation that happened a short time ago?"

Primorsky Krai

A snide voice caught her attention right away. She whirled around and found Proto Man looking right at her, casually leaning against a nearby tree as if he had been there the entire time. And given the smug look on his face, he probably had been. "So," the rogue DL(W)N began, stepping away from the tree. "You're Kalinka." he looked over her again. "Given how your old man talks about you, I would've thought you were five."

The young woman wasn't sure whether it was from the cold or the realization of just how alone she was in this situation, but she felt her blood turn to ice. But she wouldn't give this bastard the satisfaction of seeing her scared. "Where is Papa?" she demanded. "What have you done to him?!"

"Relax, Princess. We're taking extra good care of him." Proto Man assured. "He and Wily have been getting rather acquainted lately."

The blonde Russian was both relieved and confused. The confirmation of her father's safety would've brought her to tears, yet the second part of the red robot's statement made no sense to her. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, that's right. You didn't hear." the DLN chuckled. "He and Wily are best buddies now."

The young woman could scarcely believe her ears. "What are you saying?!"

"Nothing but the truth, Princess." Proto Man responded. "In fact, your dear ol' dad is the one that sent us here to pick you up."

"You lie!" Kalinka shouted. "Papa would never work with someone like Wily!" she then narrowed her eyes. "Let alone let me go anywhere with scum like you!"

"Oooh, that stings." Proto Man winced, clearly not meaning it. "Look, we can stand out here and chit-chat, but…" he then paused. "Oh, no, wait. I forgot. I can stand out here and chit-chat. But you," he noticed the human hug herself. "You're going to catch worse than a cold."

Kalinka's lips tightened as she took a step back. Indeed, as much as she hated it (and hated him), she knew that Wily's top bot was correct. Without Beat, she had no sense of direction, and it was feeling colder and colder. Everything from her knees down felt numb; she could barely tell if she could even do something as simple as moving her toes from within her boot. "I-I'm fine, for your information," she growled through chattering teeth. "And…" the wind was beginning to give her a headache, feeling a slow, steady pressure building underneath. "And it's not like you have all the time in the world either!" she retorted. "In fact, by messing with me, you've messed with my country's government!" she then pointed at him. "You AND your friends are going to be either taken apart for scrap or riddled with lasers when they get here! Not even you can stand up to all that firepower!"

Her bravado didn't last long; Kalinka went back to trying to warm herself instantly. It was probably just from all the running she had done, but Proto couldn't help but notice her lips were beginning to lose their color. They had grown more grey, even if the young woman had a naturally pinkish hue to them. "You're looking a little frosty there." the red robot told her, Kalinka continuing to back away, the winter wind not giving the care to ease up. "You might be some spoiled little rich girl," Proto Man told her, getting a kick out of how the human's face puffed up and grew red. "But you've got to have some brains up there. It might not be much, but it's there."

"Stop playing games!" Kalinka demanded. "You... " she paused, taking to take a breath. Even if the wind was robbing her of it, it was also the only source of air she had. "You're not taking me alive."

Proto was completely unphased by her declaration. "You don't have a choice BUT to go with us," he told her. He began to approach her, and Kalinka took a step back. Unfortunately, due to the numbness in her leg, she tripped over herself and fell back into the snow. "We both know that." he stepped forward again, and Kalinka crawled back. "Now's not the time to be stubborn, Princess," he told her. "Believe it or not, Wily's going to take excellent care of you." he reached forward. He and the three dolts with him had wasted enough time here as it was. Now he could finally get out of here!

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to take care of YOU!"

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

He suspected that this would be a question she asked. But it still didn't make it any easier. "Well…" still, perhaps getting it out in the open would help ease the ache in his core reactor. "It's like I told Mr. Deacon, he's bad to the bone," he paused. "But...he's my brother."

"I'm sorry." The reporter said, lowering the mic. "I didn't mean to bring up anything painful."

"No, not really." Mega Man answered. "After all, Dr. Light built me with high optimism chips."

To his surprise, his chipper answer didn't seem to satisfy the reporter. If anything, her demeanor had changed entirely. She then put the mic away entirely. "No, seriously. There are no cameras here," she said. "You hate him for what he did, don't you?"

The Blue Bomber froze. She had it with such hostility, that it actually caught him off guard. "He's...disappointed me several times." Mega Man admitted.

Plum stared at the ground, clearly growing angry. "Well, he's done MORE than that for all of us." she hissed. "Who knows if they'll extend my warranty after what he and Wily pulled," she said under her breath. True, Plum was capable of every job required of her in the studio, so she should be okay. Still, whenever Wily's bots attacked or were up to no good, the question of whether or not the contract would be extended or renewed hung over her head. "But it's good that you're here."

Mega Man smiled. "That's what I'm made for."

"No, really," Plum said. "You're the only one that's probably keeping everyone from wanting to dismantle us all. Giving all robots out here a bad name."

Not to mention that it's a human being that calls the shots. Mega Man thought. "I'm sure that those at the station know you're an upstanding bot, whatever Wily does." while he meant what he said, Mega wanted to try and regain control of the situation. The longer he could avoid going into uncharted, scarcely traveled territory, the better.

"Ha. You'd think that." Plum snorted. But no. I'm either the "trash lady" or the "backup janitor". Whatever they feel like calling me. "But enough about that lowlife." the female robot said, bringing out her mic again. "Let's get onto some more current topics."

Well, that didn't take long. Mega thought, noting how quickly Plum went back to nosy reporter mode. And frankly, the Blue Bomber was quite eager to get onto other subjects besides his renegade sibling.

Still, even with everything that happened, he couldn't help but wonder what that "bad to the bone" brother of his was up to right now.

Primorsky Krai

He felt something round and compact slam into the back of his head; the force sent him off his feet and face-first into the snow. Proto Man rose and looked behind, seeing Beat hovering above him.

"How's the snow taste, jerk?" the bird-bot asked, flying up high to avoid being grabbed again. Kalinka's sight wasn't as enhanced as Proto's, so she couldn't exactly tell what he looked like, but he seemed to move strangely; one wing appeared to be used more frequently than the other as if to keep balance. Proto Man grabbed Kalinka only for the bird-bot to swoop down and hit him in the back of the head again, sending him to the ground. "Run!" Beat commanded, continuing to dive-bomb the renegade DLN to keep him down.

Before she could either take off or protest (she struggled on to do), Proto Man rolled out of the way of the bird-bot's attack and, with one well-timed shot, brought the blue avian down out of the sky and to the ground. Beat tried to rise, but a red boot thrust down on his more petite, round body; he flapped his wings furiously, but the left seemed to be much more difficult to move compared to the right. "You're not flapping your way out of this one." Proto Man smirked, putting pressure down on the bird-bot. Beat momentarily ceased moving due to the pain, allowing his tormentor to snatch him with the other hand and lift him. "And hey, don't look at me like that." the robot told the bird, who was glowering at him. "I'll always remember you as halfway decent target practice!" his buster charged up, Beat seeing white-hot light growing bright and bright from within the cannon.

"Don't you touch птичка, you сволочь!" Kalinka roared, losing all sense of fear and the very thought of running away. But, instead, she rushed forward and seized the only thing she could grab.

Proto's grip on Beat loosened when he felt his scarf pulled from around his neck, his attention entirely off the bird. He turned to face the human, but this quick motion allowed Kalinka to pull the yellow cloth off altogether, exposing his bare, grey neck for her to see. Honestly, to see one of Wily's most notorious bots without it was strange. The lack of yellow seemed to make the robot almost look naked.

"Give that back!" Proto Man demanded, quite furious that this little brat dared to take something of his. Especially his scarf!

"Go and get it then!" Kalinka then threw the scarf up into the air, the wind catching it and carrying it off.

"No!" Proto Man called out, this momentary distraction allowing the Russian to scoop up the bird-bot in her arms and run off, leaving the red robot behind. "You little! Get back here!" he was about to go after her, yet stopped, having forgotten about his scarf. "Little brat." he hissed, looking in the direction his scarf blew in, then where his target had gone off. He looked back and forth, processor debating on which route to take.

Finally, he had decided.

Besides, he thought, running to find his scarf, pretty soon, Cossack's brat would come looking for them unless she wanted to freeze.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

"So, I don't suppose you could give any clues as to what Dr. Light has brought to the expo?" Plum asked.

Mega chuckled. "Sorry, but I plead the fifth on that one," he told her. "Truth is, he's been keeping it a secret until today." upon seeing her eyes light up, the Blue Bomber was regretting not choosing his words more carefully.

"Oooh, a secret project!" Plum was on a roll now. She had managed to snag him again! "Just what kind of project is it? It does have something to do with the expo's theme, right?"

"Well, yes. But-"

"Is it a generator of some kind?"

Geez! She's good! "Uh…"

"Well, if that's the case, what kind?"

What the?! He didn't even say whether it was or not yet! Her eyes bore into his, searching for any hints or signs that her guess was right.

"Ah, Mega! There you are!" a familiar female voice said; the blue robot and reporter looked to see Roll approaching them. "Doc's about to start without you!"

"Oh shoot, is it that time already?!" Mega Man gasped, checking his internal clock. "Sorry, miss, but I've got to get going."

"Huh?" Ah!" Plum was busy going over her notes that she hadn't even registered the Blue Bomber was leaving here. "Wait! Could I get a statement about the," the door had closed behind the two DLNs. "Time Wily pulled the moon out of orbit?"

Inside

"Ugh. I hate reporters." Roll groaned, walking back to the main section of the expo with Mega.

"She didn't ask for any personal stuff." the blonde robot's sibling assured her. However, it was clear that he was lying to her.

"I'll give Proto-jerk this. He's at least able to lie naturally." Roll then pointed at him. "You, on the other hand, are awful." Mega couldn't argue against that. But, even when he wanted to, anything but the truth just came out awkwardly. "She asked about him, didn't she?"

Mega nodded. Even if neither he, Roll, or Doc liked it, the question involving Proto's presumed reformation would be a hot topic for some time. "Yeah. I just said the same thing I did then."

"Bad to the bone, but still your brother?" Roll repeated. "I can't stop you from still having hope for him, but as for me," she made her way toward Dr. Light's display from behind the curtains. "I could go on and on about how the best thing that creep can do for anyone is going and recycle himself. Save everyone a lot of trouble."

With that, she went off, leaving Mega alone for a moment. While what she had said stung a little, he couldn't blame her for it. She had been telling her brother for years that he was wasting his time with Proto Man, how he would never change, and that this latest incident proves it.

And while he still couldn't help but still keep some sense of a "brotherly" bond with the red robot, Mega Man also found himself pondering something Roll had told him not long after Proto's betrayal. "If this doesn't get you to see that lowlife for what he is, then I don't know what to tell you."

Was he being foolish? Perhaps, but still, he couldn't help but wonder. Just what would be too far? How much further could it go? What would be the thing to push him over the edge?

Mega Man wasn't sure, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was about to find out the answer very soon. Something was going to happen. And whatever it was, it would perhaps change everything between him and Proto Man.

Forever.

Primorsky Krai

The blonde Russian had to stop again, her legs feeling as if they were frozen solid. Finally, she slumped up against a tree, legs just barely keeping her up. God, it was freezing out here. These clothes didn't do a THING for her! But the human couldn't slump down to the ground, she'd be buried in the snow, and she couldn't afford that. She'd freeze to death for sure.

As much as she hated it, as well as hated him, that red robot was right. She couldn't stay out here much longer. But that would mean-

"You've got to go." she heard Beat mumble, the bird-bot still held tightly in her arms.

Admittedly, his weight didn't exactly help in her running, but she couldn't leave him to get a hole blown through him! The bird-bot didn't look good at all. Guts Man had gripped him tightly to where deep indentions from where his strong digits held Beat. And while he had escaped Cut Man's Rolling Cutter, he didn't escape unscathed. A part of his left wing was sliced off, essentially leaving him with a fourth of it removed. "птичка. What have they done to you?"

"Heh." Beat chuckled. "Right now, those guys are going to treat you better than they did me."

Kalinka couldn't understand what he was saying. "What do you mean?"

"You've got to go back." the bird-bot told her. "You've got to go find that creep and have him take you."

"What?! No! Never!" the Russian protested.

"You'll freeze out here!"

"I'm…I'm n-not that cold." the human lied. "I…I can go on for a bit longer." she tried to step forward, but fell into the snow, right atop of Beat. "A-Ah! Sorry! I'm sorry!" she apologized, lifting herself and trying to stand.

"I'm going to go find one of those jerks," Beat said. "I'll be back soon, so don't worry."

"Птичка, I'm not leaving you-"

"Until then PLEASE stay put this time!" Beat flapped his wings, forcing her to let go of him. He then went off, leaving his creator's daughter alone once again.

"Beat!" Kalinka called out, but the bird-bot was gone. "Птичка." she hugged herself tightly, shivering as she tried to warm herself. "Евлампий Михайлович." she lowered her head. "Why is this happening? Why? It's not fair! It's not-" she was stopped when the wind robbed her of breath, her throat dry and ragged.

"So, you are she."

Kalinka's eyes widened, and her head whirled around left and right in search of who had just spoken to her.

"The child." the voice that echoed throughout the area was low and somewhat rough but bore such coldness in its tone that Kalinka somehow found herself shivering not just from the weather but also from fright. "Though you are quite far from what I imagined you'd be."

The Russian's eyes went back and forth, trying to spot a sign of any sort of shape or figure. Something that would let her know where this mysterious person was. If it even was a person. And if it's not, then that means...

"But we have wasted much time here. So there is no time for introductions." Suddenly, Kalinka felt a hand seize her by the wrist, her captor grabbing her from behind the tree she was using for leverage.

Before she could protest or call in vain for Beat, she felt a cloth being pressed over her nose and mouth, assaulting her with a fresh, slightly sweet smell that reminded her of her father's laboratory after the servant bots had freshly cleaned it. The hand pressing the cloth against her had a firm grip, and Kalinka had no choice but to breathe. And even though she knew what would happen if she did, her need for oxygen overpowered logic. The moment she took in her first breath, she already felt the chemical begin to take effect. She was exhausted and numb from her journey through the dense forest, but this immediately pierced through her defenses. Her mind grew hazy, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Had she not been caught at the last second, Kalinka would've fallen to the ground.

The arms that held her were firm, yet she wasn't aware of any notable features of who had just captured her. Finally, the concealed robot activated his com-link.

A Short Distance Away

"Ah! There he is!" Beat noticed Proto Man from his vantage point high up, the robot finally having found his scarf hanging in a nearby tree.

Shooting the branch down, the yellow piece of cloth fluttered down, the red robot catching it before it could escape. The robot wasted no time putting it back on, all the while cursing the human girl who dared to touch it. Beat was about to dive down and get his attention, but then he saw Proto Man reach for one of the audio units on the sides of his head.

"Hm?" Proto Man was confused. Someone was contacting him, but he needed to recognize the number of who was calling. It wasn't Wily, Cut, Guts, or even Bright Man, so who else could be calling? He debated whether or not to answer, yet he continued to hear an ever-present beeping in his head that demanded the call be answered. "Okay, who is this?"

"She has been acquired."

Proto Man froze upon hearing the voice echo in his processor. True, he had little expectations of what this mysterious caller would sound like, but the voice he had heard made him feel uneasy. However, the red robot would never reveal that to anyone. "Who is this?" he demanded an answer.

"Wily sent me." the voice responded as if he were the one in charge of things. "And I've just collected the child."

"Wait," Proto Man said. "You mean you found her? So you got the brat?"

Beat listened in from above, not making a sound. A part of him was relieved that at least Kalinka would be safe, but he was supposed to keep her out of this situation in the first place. Instead, her capture just cemented his failure.

"Yes. The child will be conscious in a few hours, so we must move to the Citadel. I shall meet you back at the ship." with that, the link died, and Proto Man was once again left alone in the forest.

Just who spoke to him just now?! And Wily sent him!? Just who was he?! And just what did he think he was doing getting in on this operation without anyone else knowing?! "Hey, Proto Man!" Proto Man turned to see Guts, Cut, and Bright Man coming towards him, Bright Man looking quite despondent over the condition of his bulb. "Where'd she go?" Guts Man asked.

Proto Man wasn't entirely sure what to say. Sure, he could just tell the truth, but a lie would honestly sound less crazy. "Apparently Wily's sent us some backup," he explained.

"Backup?" Cut Man asked, confused. "What kind of backup?"

The scarf-wearing robot shrugged. "Honestly, I'm just as confused as you are. But he said that he has the brat and that he'll meet us back at the ship."

"Well, if that's the case," Guts Man began, not even considering the strangeness of the situation. "Then let's head back! Dr. Wily doesn't like being kept waiting!"

Neither Cut nor Bright Man argued with that, eagerly following Guts Man, but Proto Man lagged behind, occasionally stopping to look around him to see if he could spot a sign of just who had contacted him.

Beat watched the four robots go on, knowing well that there was only so much he could do now. He had failed in his task to get Kalinka to safety, but as far as he was concerned, it wasn't over yet!

Chapter Text

“Proto to Wily. Come in.” 

The moment the balding scientist heard the voice from the communication device, he brought it up to his ear. “It’s about time someone called!” he answered, clearly not happy. “Cossack’s been badgering me with questions non-stop, and I can’t answer him until YOU answer first!” 

“All the more reason you should’ve kidnapped her BEFORE the day of the expo.” Proto Man retorted. “But you can tell that nervous wreck that his brat is just fine. She’s aboard the ship right now.”

Wily was pleased with this news. Finally, it seemed luck was in his favor once again! And ironically enough, it came from the same “connections” he had gained thus far. “Good! Though it still took you nearly an hour to catch just ONE girl! Do you know how many times I had to threaten Cossack with some shock therapy?” Wily then sighed. You’d think that something would scare that man, he thought. But no. I have to do it YOUR way, don’t I, Cossack? 

“Ok, I told you what you wanted to hear. Now tell me what I want to hear.” Proto Man said, not precisely sounding pleased. “Why didn’t you tell any of us about the other guy?” 

Wily was confused. “What other guy?” 

“The guy that just up and delivered Cossack’s brat like she was a package for delivery!”

Proto Man’s attention was on the ship’s console screen, Bright Man at the wheel. Cut and Guts Man stood near the other two robots, avoiding going to the back of the vessel at all costs. Their hostage rested in the back with the one that had successfully caught her. 

“What do you think he’s doing?” Cut Man asked Guts Man quietly, gesturing to the door that led to the back section. 

“Uh, I don’t know.” Guts Man answered, the girthy Robot Master surprisingly a little nervous. Just a little, though. He’d pound anyone who dared to suggest otherwise. “Maybe you should go look.”

“Uh uh! No way!” Cut Man immediately protested, shaking his head. “YOU go look if you’re so curious!” 

“Both of you shut up back there!” Proto Man called out to the two bickering machines. “Okay, get back to talking, Doc.” the scarf-wearing robot said.

“What’s the problem?” Wily asked. “Cossack’s daughter is in our grasp, and soon we can give Light a little message courtesy of our new friend!”

“What’s the problem?” Proto repeated WIly’s question back to him. “Oh, nothing much. Just the fact that this guy no one had any idea about just happened to show up out of the blue!” 

“Just who is he, Dr. Wily?” Guts Man asked. 

“Why’s his face so,” Cut Man paused, feeling his circuits shiver. “Creepy?” 

“What? I thought the red eyes looked great on him!” Wily said. “Anyway, I’ve got to go and tell Cossack his brat is on the way. We can get to introductions when you return. Wily out!” the image of the scientist faded out, Proto was only left with the company of the Robot Masters around him. One of which was, frankly, a little spooky. 

Well, whatever. That robot was away from everyone else, and even more, he was the one watching over the brat. So, as far as Proto was concerned, this setup worked fine. 

In the back, behind the door that connected the two halves of the ship, a tall figure cloaked in darkness stood over the unconscious human who rested on the floor. Kalinka’s chest rose and fell slowly with each breath, a pair of glowing red eyes gazing upon her as she did so. 

So, the figure thought, This is she. The child. She wasn’t so much a child as a developing young woman, but she was small in stature compared to himself. From what Cossack spoke, I thought her to be such. Even still, the figure reached out to lightly take some of the unconscious figure’s golden locks. Her body’s still warming up. He mused to himself. But she’s at a stable temperature.

It was somewhat fascinating. Perhaps it had been because he was still new to the world, but the differences between this human and himself were worlds apart. Kalinka Cossack, his creator, well, his creator’s daughter, slumbered unaware that her guardian studied her, watched the way her chest rose and fell, the way her flesh seemed to change color as she grew warmer. Everything. 

The human body was a strange organism. 

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

“Ok, everything ready?” Roll asked, looking over Light and making last-minute adjustments to his attire. “Mega? Is our little track star prepared?”

Mega lifted the sheet on the square shape, and a small, electronic “Squeak!” answered. “Ready and rearing to go!” he gave a thumbs up.

“Ok then!” Roll said. “No need to keep the fine folks outside waiting!” 

The moment they had been preparing for had finally arrived. Dr. Light’s presentation was about to begin. The curtain was pulled back, revealing the scientist to the awaiting crowd. Applause came upon Light’s entrance, Mega and Roll to the side, hidden behind the curtains. 

“Greetings, my fellow gentlemen and ladies.” Dr. Light greeted, the crowd of other scientists, reporters, and ordinary civilians listening to what he had to say. Bree Ricotta watched the scientist carefully, eyeing the object hidden underneath a sheet. Ripot flew up above the crowd to catch a better angle, but due to Plum’s absence, she was stuck near the back, barely able to see anything. “As I’m sure you are all aware, the theme of this expo is one that has been hanging over our heads for some time.” he began. “We face a world where once abundant resources are becoming more and more scarce, thus, we must act now if we are to transition into channeling a better alternative.” he then walked over to the sheet. “Thus, I present to you all,” he then pulled the sheet off. “Mariachi, the Energy Efficiant Hamster!”

A modestly-sized enclosure was set up to house a rodent of some kind, only instead of a water bottle, a blue E-tank was fitted where it would’ve rested. The star of the presentation was quite small, made around the same dimensions as a dwarf hamster, and had the same “chubby” look, but the robotic rodent had no fur. He was mainly composed of orange metal with short legs of grey and tiny paws. His eyes were large with blue irises that nearly took up all of his optics, a small pair of buck teeth stuck out, and his cheeks round and colored pink. If the crowd could say anything, at least this newest creation was cute.

“I’m sure I don’t need to tell any of you that, if given the chance, the average hamster can travel in a wheel around five to nine-point-six kilometers per hour or three to six miles per hour.” Dr. Light continued. “And I’m sure all of you are aware of the classic, fantastical, if not ridiculous notion of the little rodents running so fast that they could manage to power up an entire house.” some in the crowd chuckled at that. “But with that said, another image we also associate with the hamster is the ever-spinning wheel.” he gestured to the wheel in the robotic rodent’s enclosure. “And then, perhaps, a turbine. And then, even more, a generator.” 

The crowd was puzzled as to what he meant by that.

“Electricity is one of the most renewable resources on the planet, yet we utilize it so little.” Dr. Light went on. “Yet one could produce it with only water and a wheel!” he then brought out a large battery, one that would fit in the typical robot. He connected the cables to Mariachi’s wheel. The hamster hopped onto the wheel. “This battery here is completely devoid of any energy. Yet with the right speed,” he then nodded, Mariachi recognizing the signal.

Mariachi ran, beginning slowly, but gradually growing faster and faster. His paws retracted into his legs and were replaced with wheels. He “ran” in a sense, picking up even more speed, the battery steadily being charged up. The crowd of onlookers was quite intrigued and fascinated at how quickly the battery was being restored, and when it was finally full, everyone erupted into applause.

Was it fanciful? Perhaps. Nonetheless, he had been preparing his whole life for this! All two weeks of it! 

But it wasn’t to be. 

Across the World

So, you have her?” Cossack asked Wily over the communication device. 

“Yes, yes, she’s here,” Wily answered, growing impatient. “I’ll show her to you once you deliver the announcement. Now get on it!”

Cossack wasn’t intimidated.  No, he had lost the fear of death long ago before he had come into Wily’s hands. “No. I want confirmation that she is safe and alive.” 

“Geez, relax!” the balding older man groaned. “Proto Man just confirmed they’ve acquired her. And, need I remind you, robots can’t lie to humans," he said. "Not unless they're told to," Wily muttered under his breath. 

The younger scientist was silent, contemplating Wily’s words. He was right. “Very well,” he said. “I suppose I have a speech to deliver, don’t I?”

Though he couldn’t see it, Wily’s grin grew wide. “You know what to do, Mikhal. Do this, and she goes free when ‘he’ is finally destroyed.” 

The Russian man’s lips tightened, not entirely believing that he was doing this. But it couldn’t be helped. If he had to do this for her, for his малышка, then so be it.

New York Expo Center, the Bronx

The entire expo center grew dark, the power going out entirely. Everyone in the presentation area was puzzled and concerned, and panic spread throughout the crowd. Dr. Light looked around for signs of anything unusual, Roll and Mega looked at each other, both with the same idea in mind.

“Wily?” Roll asked.

Mega nodded. “Wily.” 

Suddenly, a large monitor descended from the ceiling, able to be seen by everyone. It was cubic and had a screen on four of the six sides. The screens began to flicker before the static cleared to reveal the face of a middle-aged man wearing glasses. He had angular features with brown hair and a brown beard, a yellow, collared shirt, and a green tie with a white lab coat serving as his attire. 

Dr. Light could scarcely believe what, or rather, who he was seeing. “M-Mikhal?”

“Greetings, Thomas Light, my friend.” the man answered. “For those who are not aware, I am Dr. Mikhal Cossack of the Russian Federation,” he said, his voice low and tired, and he looked pretty exhausted. “While I may not have as much of a presence as you do in your native country, my homeland is dependant on my genius to keep up with the rest of the world,” he explained.

From behind the curtain, Mega and Roll watched. “Who’s this guy?” the blonde housekeeper asked.

Mega shook his head. “No clue,” he admitted. This was the first time he had ever heard of a “Dr. Cossack.”

“For too long, I have dwelt in the shadows of others, the likes of you and even Wily garnering more acknowledgment than one that is truly deserving of it!” he then centered his eyes on the blue robot he spotted. “Which is why I am sending this message out to you, Dr. Thomas Light.” Dr. Light was still speechless, unable to process what was going on. “Years ago, my robots were stolen by Wily and reprogrammed to serve him. But I have managed to re-acquire them, and now they are obedient to me!” 

Mega and Roll looked at each other, shocked by what they had just heard. So this Dr. Cossack had built Robot Masters? Ones that they had encountered and fought before? They both had so many questions but continued listening.

“And seeing as I can show the world my genius, I issue a challenge to one of your creations, Dr. Light.” Dr. Cossack then centered his sights on Mega Man. “Your Super Fighting Robot shall come and face my machines in my homeland!” he pointed towards the Blue Bomber. “And don’t think that you can simply back out of this. For if you don't comply, then my greatest achievements thus far shall be released onto your country!” 

Suddenly, Cossack’s face disappeared, and shots of mammoth machines from various angles came up. Of course, no one could quite see well, given that the footage was from somewhere dark and hidden away from the world, but there was no mistaking that these robots were forces capable of great destruction. 

“The sun is rising here in the east, and it is until sundown here that you, Mega Man, have to come to my citadel.” a map then presented itself on the screen, locating a spot nestled in the region of Kolyma. “I shall be awaiting your arrival; I’d advise that you don’t keep me waiting.”

Cossack disappeared with that, the cube retreating into the ceiling. The power returned to the expo, yet no one was even paying attention to be relieved the power came back. Instead, Dr. Light was utterly silent while Mega and Roll looked at each other, trying to process what had just happened. 

Mega looked down at the ground, Roll noticing that he seemed deep in thought. “Mega?” 

The Blue Bomber looked at the exit to the expo, then at Roll. “Bring Eddie and follow me,” he said. 

“You’re going now?” Roll asked. 

Mega nodded, winking. “Hey, I can at least appease Cossack’s sense of punctuality.” Roll bounced back, giving him a thumbs up. The azure android made his way to the entrance, a particular, red dog’s ears standing up upon hearing the doors to the center open. Recognizing the whistle, the robotic canine ran up to his owner, clearly excited. “C’mon, Rush!” Mega Man said. “We’ve got some fuel to burn!”

“Reah, reah!” Rush said excitedly. Finally, he got a chance to stretch out his legs and get his thrusters warm!

Mega Man hopped upon the robotic dog upon him transitioning into jet mode. Those inside the expo began to exit, witnessing the blue robot flying off high into the sky, steadily growing smaller and smaller until he became little more than a blue dot in the distance.

Ripot lowered his camera for a moment. “Now THAT was a good shot.” 

Chapter Text

The blonde housekeeper ran out of the expo with her creator, her brother long gone. She turned to see Doc muttering to himself, clearly unable to process what had just happened. 

“Mikhal…” he whispered. “Mikhal…why?”

“Excuse me?” a female voice asked. Both Light and Roll suddenly became aware that two figures were approaching them. A man and woman were walking towards them. 

The man wore a green trenchcoat with black slacks and suspenders hidden underneath the coat. Black shoes with hidden socks were on his feet, and he wore a red tie with a white, collared undershirt.  He was Caucasian and had tired but firm blue eyes, a receding hairline exposing a wrinkled forehead, his hair dark with quite a few notable grey hairs. 

The woman was far younger than her partner and a few inches shorter. Her skin was bronze, and her hair a deep red that flipped outward at her shoulders. She wore a yellow choker around her neck with a pink undershirt and a blue jacket to wear atop of it. She wore blue jeans with a pair of casual, blue and white sneakers. 

“You’re Dr. Thomas Light, yes?” the woman asked. 

“Yes, that’s right.” the doctor answered. “And may I ask who you are?”

“Gilbert Stern and Ms. Roslyn Krantz here.” the man spoke, voice low and firm, matching his appearance well. 

“Stop with the Ms. thing; you’re making me sound old!” the woman giggled. He only gave her a small smile. “Anyway, I suppose we should just get down to business.” both she and Stern then pulled out a pair of badges, the image of an Earth with a sword behind it and two scales on them. 

“We’re here from Interpol,” Stern explained. “And as we’ve come to know, you and Dr. Mikhal Cossack have been…shall we say, rather acquainted for some time.”

Roll didn’t understand. “Doc? What’s he mean by that?”

“Your creator’s not in any trouble, don’t worry,” Krantz assured the robot. “We would just like to ask Dr. Light here a few questions.” 

Roll raised a brow. “What kind of questions?”

“Sorry to say, but this isn’t something to get yourself involved in,” Stern told her, approaching Light so that mere feet separated them. “Whether anyone likes it or not, it doesn’t matter. You’re coming with us, Doc.”

“What?!” Roll exclaimed. “Hey, you can’t just leave stuff like that out! What do you mean that Doc’s been-”

“Roll, please.” Dr. Light suddenly said, urging her to calm down. He then directed his attention to the two agents. “If I can be of any help, then I shall provide you all I can.” 

Both Stern and Krantz seemed satisfied with this answer. “The car’s parked not too far from here. But, we better hurry it up because we’ve got some flying to do.” 

Nodding in agreement, Dr. Light then turned to Roll. “Roll, take Eddie to Mega Man. It seems that I’m needed elsewhere.” he began to leave with the two agents.

“Doc!” Roll called out, reaching for him.

“It’s all right!” Light called back to her. “Just go help your brother! I’ll be all right!” 

Roll stood there, watching her creator go with the two strangers, leaving her alone, a slight winter breeze lightly causing her hair to sway in the wind. 

Kolyma

While his programming included information on multiple countries, Mega Man found that merely reading about something was nothing compared to seeing and experiencing it despite his ability to do so.

Yes, his databanks allowed him to know that Kolyma was a region in Russia, technically Siberia, and shared its name with the region’s largest river and mountainside. But as he was flying over them, seeing the snow-covered hills and towering trees below him, his advanced optics allowing him to catch the sight of small bits of green pines or a possible animal passing by, it was terrific. 

While he always could do so, the Blue Bomber found himself unable to leave the United States due to Wily mainly working within the country’s borders, so travel outside wasn’t a common occurrence. Yes, he managed to go to some obscure island off the coast of somewhere. Still, to be in another nation, the DLN found himself unable to recall anything except the US, let alone North America. Sure, what he saw below him were sights he had seen before: expansive forests and hills covered in snow, a deathly cold chill in the air (Mega wasn’t bothered by the temperature but could still feel the wind on his cheeks), and he was once again going off to save the day. But to be somewhere else outside of the states was thrilling to him, despite the situation. 

Of course, with his title of “Super Fighting Robot,” he would go where he was needed. But to travel so far from familiar territory felt odd for him. And just who was this Dr. Cossack? What sort of problem did he have with Light? At least with Wily, Mega knew the story behind him and Light, but he knew nothing of Cossack. So why challenge him, and why now? And he had taken back his robots from Wily? What did that mean? And better yet, just where WAS Wily?

He then saw it: nestled behind a thick layer of towering trees was a towering building fashioned to very much have its country’s signature style. But as he drew closer, Mega Man saw that, to his surprise, there were other figures down below. 

“Looks like we’re not the first ones here, boy.” Mega Man observed.

 Rush looked down and spotted a particular figure amongst the small group at the structure’s base. It was a human, his hair white and slicked back, but if it weren’t for that, the robotic dog would’ve mistaken him for a bear standing on its hind legs. Instead, he wore a thick, brown coat and hat and brown boots partially buried in the snow. He descended and hovered over the ground to allow Mega to jump off. 

Only to find himself ankle-deep in thick, white powder. Rush lowered himself, legs outstretched, only to plummet down and make a perfectly sized indention in the snow. Mega couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of it; Rush lifted his head only to look like a living snowball, wholly enveloped in the numerous white crystals. 

“It’s taken you five hours to get here.” a voice suddenly said, the human dressed in thick faux fur approaching the Blue Bomber and his mechanical dog. “We arrived long before that.” 

Mega was somewhat taken aback by the man’s attitude but remained cordial. “Sorry about that, sir.” 

“Petrov.” the man said, his face old but stern, eyebrows white and thick, and seemingly constantly furrowed. “Ivan Petrov.” he “introduced” himself. While he spoke English, his accent was thick in his voice. “And seeing as you’ve finally arrived, we can get started.” he then turned away, walking towards the citadel. 

Mega Man and Rush quickly caught up, walking beside the warmly dressed Russian. “So, what are you doing here, sir?” 

“Why I am here and what I do, let alone who I work for, is information that is no concern to you,” Petrov told him. “You are here to apprehend and bring Dr. Cossack out alive.” 

Rather direct, this guy. Regardless, as he and Mega Man drew closer to the citadel’s entrance, canons facing forward and tracking their movements, the few other humans that were there, dressed similarly as him, were watching the citadel as if they were completely transfixed by it. Or were waiting for the fortress  to suddenly spring to life. Either one of those could’ve been true from the way their gaze fixated on it.

“You don’t have to worry about Dr. Cossack,” Mega assured. “I’ll bring him out for you.” 

“Make sure that you do,” Petrov said directly, not even looking at the blue robot or his dog. “Even if that means protecting the man from himself.”

The Blue Bomber’s equally blue eyes widened, looking at the ivory-haired Russian. What did he mean by that? 

Before he could question further, Mega found himself at the entrance to the citadel. Ivan stepped back, joining the rest of his fellow humans a short distance away. It was clear that only Mega Man would be allowed to enter. The massive doors unlocked, the sound of the mechanism echoing across the hills. Everyone was silent as the doors slowly opened, opening wider and wider. As if the fortress was beckoning the summoned robot inside. 

A vast, dark space presented itself like a gaping maw, ready to swallow the Blue Bomber whole. And in a sense, perhaps it would be doing just that. Taking a step forward, Mega Man and Rush entered the citadel, the doors closing behind them. 

Thus, everything was put in place now. Petrov then raised a communication device to his ear, ready to move to the second stage. 

When she heard the ringing in her ear, she knew well that it was her superior calling. “Unit Ninety-Five here. What’s the current situation?” she was wearing a thick, dark coat that resembled a cloak, the fabric blowing in the chilled wind. 

“Mega Man has entered Cossack’s base of operations. What’s your status, 95?”

The cloaked android, “Ninety-Five,” looked towards her destination. It was far off and somewhat challenging to see through the billowing snow, but her enhanced optics spotted it despite her vision being partially obscured. “I’m at least forty-six point six seven kilometers away from the site of interest.” 

“Excellent. Any sign of anything else?” Petrov asked.

“Negative,” Ninety-Five answered. “No living thing could survive out here.” 

“All the more reason to hope that ‘she’ is someplace warm,” Petrov said. “Contact me if there are any new developments. Petrov, out.” 

With that, the android ended the call and began her way forward through the dense snow. If that bird-bot’s report was correct, then all she would have to do is go in and pick the brat up and be done with it. But, of course, she assumed that the brat wouldn’t do something foolish, such as running out into weather such as this. 

Then Ninety-Five doubted anything could save her then.

The Citadel

The moment the Blue Bomber stepped inside, the doors immediately shut behind him, locking both him and Rush in. Rush began to whimper slightly, yet a small pat calmed his circuits. Still, this whole situation was entirely off, Mega thought. There was something more to this entire thing.

The chamber they were both in was refurbished like the rest of the citadel, but there wasn’t much of interest inside. If anything, it appeared that it was just the chamber and a single, inconspicuous door ahead. It reminded Mega of Dr. Light’s lab in a way. 

“Good, you’re here.” a voice suddenly spoke, filling the entire empty chamber. “Now, we can finally get started.”

“So it seems.” Mega replied, noting how oddly low and smooth Dr. Cossack’s voice was. Much different than Wily’s uneven tone. 

“The first challenge awaits you past that door there.” suddenly, an overhead light flashed on, casting the door in brightness as if to show Mega just where to go. “Your first opponent’s been rather anxious to see you, so it’d only be polite that you don’t keep him waiting.” 

“No, of course not.” Mega stepped forward, drawing closer to the door. He then turned to Rush. “I think I’m going to have to go solo for the next while, boy.”

Rush whined. “Aw, but Mega gonna need me!”

“Yes, I do.” the azure android told the robotic canine. Mega then knelt so he could whisper in the dog’s ear. “But for now, I need you to stay put. I don’t know what this guy might do.” 

At least with Wily, dangerous as he was, he was at least a familiar threat. Cossack was a complete mystery to the Blue Bomber. Wily would surely demand that Rush stay put, and ultimately, Mega decided to go with that. Whether or not Cossack or Wily had a vast number of differences, the fact remained that this man had dangerous machines that he’d set loose unless the Blue Bomber accepted his challenge. Rush seemed to not like this but knew that Mega’s mind was made up. He was to stay outside and wait.

Staying put, Rush watched as the blue machine approached the door, only for it to slide open. He entered, Rush taking a few steps closer to at least maybe give Mega a tiny bit of encouragement, but the door shut just as quickly as it opened, separating the dog from his owner. 

She was someplace warm, that much she knew. But she knew that, wherever she was, she was far, far away from home. 

Kalinka Cossack stirred, finding a cheap, barely usable bed with a worn-out mattress and with just one single blanket that didn’t even fit the bed. She sat up and looked around, brushing some of her curly, blonde hair out of her face. She saw she was in a small enclosure of some sort (though she’d call it a cage) with bars on all sides, keeping her from escaping. A toilet and sink were present in her compact prison, but she doubted the plumbing here, if there was any. The only source of light she had was a single light hanging up from above.

The young woman got up off the bed, only to find her legs feeling stiff. She sat back down on the bed, her head beginning to ache. She had breathed in something, that much she was sure of. But the one who had drugged her wasn’t one of the robots she was familiar with, yet he seemed to be familiar with her. 

“Great. You’re up.” 

Now that voice, she recognized. Kalinka turned her head to see that her prison was in a far larger space, appearing to be somewhere under or at least partially underground. A cave? Or perhaps something else? Whatever the case, the Russian saw Proto Man reclining against a wall near her enclosure.

“Now I’ve got to deal with you, brat.”

Chapter Text

I’m sorry, Mikhal. Dr. Light thought, the two Interpol agents on the other side of the small table. He had been taken from New York to an undisclosed location. He wasn’t told where he was taken, but the scientist knew well that he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon until he answered their questions. 

“All right, so let’s review.” Gilbert Stern began, folding his arms, the urge to down some black coffee stronger than ever. He’d have to step out soon to get his caffeine fix soon. “Your last contact with Dr. Cossack was around November nineteenth, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Dr. Light answered. “That was before Wily decided to try and replace the electoral candidates with his robots.” 

“Yeah, that sounds like Wily.” Roslyn Krantz agreed. “And this is the only time Cossack’s contacted you since then?” In a sense, seeing as technically, the Russian man sent a message out to everyone present at the expo. 

“Indeed.” Light revealed. He hated having to do this, he felt as if he were betraying the man’s trust, but he had no choice. 

“And no one else is aware of your and Cossack’s conversations?” Stern questioned. 

“No.” the older robotics expert responded. “Neither Mega nor Roll know I even am familiar with the man. When we first started exchanging calls, not long after my partnership with Wily ended,” he explained. “Then again, I’m sure you are aware of all of that.” Indeed, they were. The Russian government wouldn’t just let one of the most valuable scientists just talk to anyone, let alone give away any of the country's secrets. The calls between Dr. Light and Dr. Cossack had been tracked since they began. “But I have something to ask you, if I may.” Dr. Light asked.

Stern and Krantz looked at each other, then back to the older man. “Sure. Go on.” 

“Where has he been?” he asked. “Why has he only been found now?”

“We can’t reveal all of that information,” Krantz told him. “But when he was set to return to his native country after a trip to Japan, he didn’t return. His hotel room was searched through, and a search party was put together for him.” the truth was, it wasn’t the first time Cossack had been reported trying to stay away from going “home” right away. But this time, he wasn’t found. “

“I see.” Light said, looking down at the table’s surface. “Go through all the calls if you must. I have nothing to hide,” he answered. “But you won’t find anything. He mentioned next to nothing about doing…this!” 

Roslyn and Gilbert looked at each other again, silently reading the other’s features and seeing what they were thinking. Neither of them suspected that Light was involved with Cossack in any way, after all, what gain would there be for him? Still, it was unanimously agreed that there was more to this situation than met the eye. Cossack’s actions had to be spurred by something, or was he just biding his time? No one knew what to think, but one thing was for sure.

“Anyway, regardless,” Gilbert said. “Those machines of his need to be found before he can let any of them out!” 

Kolmya

The snow was getting thicker and thicker, her advanced sight not doing her much good as she tried to steer forward. “Hang on, Eddie!” Roll called back to the smaller, green energy dispenser, the little robot barely able to keep his seat behind the blonde robot. “We’re almost there! I think.” 

It was challenging to navigate this weather with only a hoverbike, Roll wished that she had taken the cruiser. At least that would have something covering her head. But she couldn’t afford to worry about such things now. Her brother needed her. Or rather, needed Eddie. As much as she hated it, she knew she couldn’t do anything for him in this situation. 

Always the same old story, isn’t it, Mega? Roll thought. Perhaps she was being selfish, but sitting on the sidelines for so long was beginning to eat at her.

But she was pulled from her thoughts when the hoverbike hit something. It was an incoming, blue object, Roll was unable to swerve out of the way in time. Instead, whatever she had hit went spinning down, down, down, falling into the dense forest below. 

“Oh, my gosh!” Roll shouted, immediately steering the hoverbike toward where the small, flying thing had fallen. She leaped out into the snow, rushing over to the round indention that had been created. “Hey, are you ok?” she picked up the object, seeing that it was a blue-bird bot. The bird-bot shook his head (or rather, his entire body) and got the snow off of him but covered Roll in the snow in the process. “H-Hey! Hey! Watch it!”

“How about YOU watch it?” the bird-bot remarked. “I’m the one with wings, so I automatically have the right of way!”

“Whoa, you can talk?” the blonde housekeeper questioned, surprised to hear the bird speak fluently. Of course, it wasn’t what she was expecting, considering Rush and Eddie’s “unique” manner of speaking. 

“Of course, I can talk!” the bird-bot exclaimed. “But I don’t have time to do that now! I’ve got places to go!” he was about to fly off, but a restraining hand seized him by his helmet.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down!” Roll told the bird-bot. “What’s the rush?” she then looked him over, noticing that while he was in decent condition, someone had roughed him up a good deal. “You should maybe get yourself checked out. Those dents don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine!” the bird-bot wrestled his way out of her grip, flapping his wings and twisting until she let go. “If I don’t hurry, I might be too late!” he then flew off, leaving Roll and Eddie alone in the sea of snow-covered trees. 

What was that about? Well, whatever. Whoever that bird-bot was, he was long gone now. Getting back on the hoverbike, Roll took off, Eddie trying to keep himself balanced in the seat to avoid falling off. Sometimes he hated not having any arms. But, as she continued to go towards her destination, Roll couldn’t help but wonder just what that bird-bot was doing out here. And what did he mean by being “too late?”

???

“Y-You!” Kalinka saw the scarf-wearing robot, and she immediately remembered how she had come to be here. It didn’t take long for her anger to build up. “Where am I?! What is this place?! Where’s Papa?! Where’s-”

“Geez, one thing at a time!” Proto Man shouted, covering his audio receptors on both sides of his helmet. She could’ve shattered glass with how loud she was yelling. “Your voice is like nails on a chalkboard.”

The blonde Russian puffed out her cheeks, clearly insulted. “How dare you-”

“Though to answer your question, you’re here thanks to your dear ol’ dad,” Proto told her. 

“What?” Kalinka questioned. 

“Yep. Pops wanted to bring you here. Or rather, Wily managed to convince him to bring you here.”

“What of Wily?” Kalinka ran up close to the bars, trying to get closer to the robot outside of her prison. “What has he done to Papa?!” she demanded. “And who do you think you are putting me in this?! Let me out of here!!!”

She seethed as she saw the robot smirk. She was utterly helpless, and he knew it. “I already told you, Princess; your Papa and Wily are best buddies now. In fact, they’ve been busy working on some shiny new toys he’s going to present to the world. And Dr. Cossack said he wanted his little girl to have a front-row seat for it all.” 

“You lie!” Kalinka roared, though it was clear her captor wasn’t intimidated. “You lied then, and you lie now! All you say is lies!” 

“Then tell me, why are you here now?” Proto Man asked her. Kalinka opened her mouth to protest but found herself unable to come up with anything. “Why did Wily have me and the rest of the guys go up in the mountains with feet upon feet of snow on the ground, locate your house, turn that place upside down, and then run out into the woods? Just to visit you and play hide and seek?” 

The curly-haired young woman gripped the bars of the large cage, wanting nothing more than to bust out and tear this metallic bastard’s throat out. Yet she knew that it was just a fantasy. And, even if it made her hate him more, she realized Wily’s second-in-command was right. They were sent there specifically for her. And while she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t ignore all the signs she dismissed before. Her father hadn’t come home or contacted her since the middle of November. Beat couldn’t reach him, nor could the government. Her father just disappeared. 

“Where is Papa?” she then said, her voice not as aggressive as before. “Where is he? Take me to him!”

“Uh, yeah. No way.” the red and grey machine said. “Your keister is staying here where we can keep an eye on you. Speaking of,” he then turned away from the human. “Hey! It’s your guys’ turn!” 

Two familiar Robot Masters came from around the corner, Cut and Guts Man. “What, already?” Cut Man asked. “But she just woke up!”

“Exactly.” Proto Man told them. “And I already need a break from her.” he then turned to leave. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Guts Man questioned. 

Proto Man stopped for a moment, presenting his buster to the other two machines. “I’ve got to blow off some steam.” with that, he left three perplexed individuals, and he went off on his own.

Cut and Guts Man then looked at their blonde prisoner. “So,” Guts Man began. “Now what?”

How dare he. How DARE he keep him out of this!!! 

Proto Man continued firing shot after shot at the rock wall he stood in front of, the continuous onslaught of plasma carving into the wall’s surface. This place’s fixedness wasn’t guaranteed; the tunnels he currently resided in were quite old, having been carved into the mountain decades ago. 

But Proto Man didn’t care at the moment. He continued firing. How dare he, he thought. How DARE that old man put me on guard duty!!! 

When he and the rest of the assembled team had come back with their catch, Dr. Wily had, of course, told Cossack to deliver his message. But after that, just when Proto Man was going to take his place with Cossack’s other bots, Wily stopped him.

“Cossack’s supposed to be the face of this whole operation!” the balding man told the red robot. “The minute you show your face, the whole plan will be ruined! So you’re staying in that mine, and you are WATCHING that brat!” before Wily departed to oversee Cossack’s announcement, he left Proto with one last message. “If it matters that much to you, I can see if maybe you can get a surprise drop on the blue dweeb.” 

Oh yeah, that makes that SO much better, Doc. the machine rolled his eyes from beneath his thick visor. Well, whatever. If there was any good news about this, then he wasn’t the only one that would be able to watch over the brat. 

“Soldier! There you are!” a commanding voice suddenly said, though Proto Man wasn’t intimidated. A humanoid robot dressed in a thick, blue thermal suit with large eyes stood by Proto, hands on his hips. “You were supposed to report to your comrades that your shift was over!” 

“Or did you simply hand the task over to someone else?” another voice questioned, tone smooth and silky, a far cry from what it had been before. Had it not been for the red sections of his armor, or his vibrant, yellow markings, the Robot Master would’ve been entirely invisible in the darkness. Elec Man flicked a lightbulb dangling above them. He then looked at the rock wall Proto was standing in front of. “Well, that looks like it’s taking a beating.” he then crossed his arms. “I suppose someone is still sore over not being able to be part of the Cossack’s little game?” 

“No!” Proto Man denied it. “I’m just mad I’m stuck with that stupid human is all!” he huffed. He was about to fire again but found himself out of energy. Damn, he was going to need to refuel before he made his “surprise” entrance. “Why does Bright Man, Bright Man get to take my bro on, but I’m the one stuck here?! He could’ve sent anyone else!”

“Oh please.” The reprogrammed DLN scoffed. “You would go through any of those bots just to get to Mega Man.” 

Proto Man scowled. Perhaps Cossack’s minor “tweaks” and “improvements” weren’t exactly a good thing after all. 

“May I suggest something, sir?” Ice Man piped up, sounding much meeker than before. “Permission to speak, soldier.” he quite literally told himself. “How about we alternate during one-hour intervals?” he then asked Proto and Elec Man. “That way, everyone has an equal amount of time?”

The two robots looked at each other, then at Ice Man. “Sorry, but my job is to keep this place up and running. Watching the girl will be your problem.” Elec Man said dismissively before going off.

“What?!” Ice Man roared. “You can’t do that! We’re all part of a unit that requires each member to-hey! Are you listening to me?! Get back here!”

And thus, Ice Man was gone too, leaving Proto Man alone. While he was thankful he had the solitude to brood, he still had a problem. Just how was he going to make it from here to the citadel? It was miles from here! He had to figure out something. Otherwise, someone would take his brother out before him! 

He needed some time, but he would figure out something. One way or another, he would worm his way into this whole operation: one way or another.

Citadel

Entering through the door, Mega Man found himself in yet another chamber, only now, there were eight platforms all situated in a circle, another platform in the center. He had little idea what they meant, but he suspected he was going to find out.

“Before you is your challenge.” Cossack’s voice came up from the speaker system, his voice echoing and reverberating off the walls. “Each of these platforms shall take you to a designated area where you shall fight one of my robots, each more powerful than the last.” the platforms then began to glow, a green light shining up from their centers. “Once you have defeated them all, then you shall be allowed to come to me.” the center platform was the only one not lit, signifying that was his ticket to getting to Cossack directly. “Bear in mind, you only have a limited amount of time, so I suggest you choose carefully.” the chamber then grew silent, and Mega Man knew that the scientist had gone. 

Mega Man looked at the ring of glowing platforms, debating which one to choose. Ultimately though, he doubted that it mattered, as he had no idea where any of them led to. But it was as Cossack said: he was being timed. 

“Here it goes.” the Blue Bomber said, stepping onto one of the platforms, a ring of green light shining around him. Then, the light began to shine brighter to where his optics momentarily shut down from the intensity of it. It very much reminded him of Bright Man’s ability. But before he could ponder any further, Mega Man found himself disappearing from view, the light closing in around him until it swallowed him entirely, leaving no trace of him. 

When he found himself on solid ground again, the Blue Bomber was nearly tempted to kiss it. While he was still present and alive, he felt as if he was jerked off his feet and sent flying to an unknown destination. And all he could see what the green light. He couldn’t feel the ground underneath him, let alone have any sense of time or place. It was a rather extreme experience for his systems to take. 

Thankfully, it seemed to be all over. Mega Man found himself in a room that looked to be fashioned after some sort of jungle or rainforest, the walls decorated with paintings of leaves and thick, dense brush. If anything, Mega Man found himself likening it to a child’s playroom where they could be allowed to let adventures in distant lands be expressed through their imagination. An odd choice for what he assumed to be a battlefield, Mega Man thought. 

But his thoughts were cut short when he realized he wasn’t alone. 

“Well, well, look who decided to hop on in!” a large, frog-like Robot Master with a large, toothy smile with equally large, yellow lips said, looking at his opponent with anticipation. 

Outside the Citadel

Given how big this place is, you would’ve thought that it’d be easier to find! Roll thought as she saw the large fortress from above. 

Flying down, she was immediately greeted by a white-haired man. “Ivan Petrov. Are you one of Light’s bots?” he questioned the blonde. 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Roll answered. She then picked Eddie up. “I’m here to drop off some cargo.”

Eddie squirmed in her grip. “Cargo!? Eddie, not cargo!” 

“Hey, I’m only teasing!” she told the smaller, green robot. “Is Mega inside?” she asked Petrov.

The Russian agent nodded, but a booming voice commanded everyone’s attention before he could answer. “Did I not ask that Mega Man and Mega Man ALONE come to my citadel?!” 

So, this guy’s Dr. Cossack. Roll observed. True, she had seen the man when he made his announcement, but she couldn’t exactly get an idea of the man’s personality from that. Yet his sudden outburst gave her some idea. Well, he’s just about as vocal as Wily.

“Any further attempts to enter the citadel shall be met with the appropriate measures!” the cannons atop the citadel aimed directly at the small group of Russian agents and the blonde robot, Eddie hiding behind her. “I will not hesitate to shoot!” 

Everyone stood where they were, not wishing to risk being at the receiving end of the cannon’s blast. Roll looked at the door to the fortress. It was so close, she could perhaps make it if she ran fast enough. True, she was no Quick Man, but she was pretty quick on her feet! At least, that’s what she told herself. She could just scoop Eddie up and-

Suddenly, she heard a beeping in her ear. She immediately knew who was trying to contact her. “Roll, there you are!” Dr. Light’s said from her audio receptor built into her ear. “I’ve been trying to reach you for the past half-hour!”

“Sorry, Doc.” Roll apologized. “This isn’t the easiest place to get a signal.”

“Right, sorry. I’m just relieved that you’re all right.” the scientist told his creation. “Where is Mega?”

“He’s inside the citadel,” Roll told Light. “But Cossack’s not letting anyone else in; otherwise, he’ll fire.”

“Which is a good indicator for you not even to try it.” Dr. Light told her, knowing well what the robot wanted to do. 

Damn. She thought. Still, she knew that there were more pressing matters at hand. “Have they found any of those machines Cossack was talking about?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, no.” the Doc told her. “I can’t tell you where I am,” Light then whispered to her. “But I can tell you that we’re doing all we can.” 

She didn’t know why she was even asking, as obsessing over the old man constantly was her brother’s thing. Still, Roll found the question clawing and gnawing at the back of her mind until she came out and said it. “Any news on what Wily’s been up to?” 

“There’s been nothing as of late.” Dr. Light confessed. “But the fact he’s been quiet is even more distressing.” it seemed that, despite him not even being present, the balding mad scientist was on everyone’s minds. “But enough about that.” Light then said. “Given the circumstances, I think you should take Eddie and return home.” 

“What?!” Roll exclaimed. “Why?!”

“Because there’s nothing that we can do now.” the Doc told her. “It’s out of our hands as to what happens now.”

“Hey, Mega will get this guy!” Roll declared. “This guy’s just a cheap imitation of Wily! And that old guy's always screwing up! Or Mega kicks his butt.”

“There is no other choice.” Dr. Light said. “I’m not having another one of you be in danger. Come right back home.” with that, the call ended. 

Roll looked up at the citadel, then to the hoverbike, she had ridden. “Roll?” Eddie asked, the taller blonde’s blue eyes not leaving the fortress for some time. Then, Eddie felt himself being picked up and put back on the hoverbike. 

“I’m sorry there isn’t anything we can do,” Roll told Ivan Petrov. “But I can at least wish my brother good luck!” Good luck. Yeah right. Seeing as there was nothing else she could do, the DLN drove the hoverbike up into the air, then away from the fortress until she became little more than a dot in the sky.

Citadel

“Toad Man?!” Mega Man exclaimed, shocked. “You’re one of Cossack’s robots?!” 

“Sure am!” the toad-based Robot Master declared. “It feels good not to have to work for that Wily loser anymore! Now I can get to take care of you personally!” he shouted. “I still haven’t *ribbit* forgiven you for humiliating me that day!”

What day was that? Oh, Mega Man then remembered. That day when he went to that Robosaur park, and when Dr. Wily and Otto Raptor decided to unleash that virus to turn robots into, as Wily put it, “mindless cave bots.” Yeah, that was one of his more…interesting dealings with the madman. Still, Mega Man was confused about something. “Oh yeah. That. But what did I do? I didn’t even blast you!”

“You made everyone laugh at me!” Toad Man shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the Blue Bomber. “All I was getting all day was ‘Oooh, look at that! All Mega *ribbit* Man needs to do is get an umbrella!’ or ‘Hey, Toad Man! How’s the weather looking? Why don’t you do a little rain dance’!?” 

Mega Man was kind of taken aback. “I’m…sorry?” 

Toad Man seemed different than before. True, while the Robot Master wasn’t the most frequent foe he had to deal with, the couple of times he did see him, he seemed to be like a lot of Wily’s other bots: dim-witted and overall, not very bright. But now, while there hadn’t been any signs of that. Before, Toad Man probably would’ve forgotten the incident entirely, as Mega doubted Wily put much care into cleaning up his robots’ CPUs. Yet here he was, swearing vengeance on him. Perhaps he was looking too deep into it, but the Blue Bomber sensed that something was different.

And maybe he was in more danger than he initially realized. 

Above the Mountains

Well, this trip was a waste of time! She knew that it was somewhat selfish on her part to be disappointed she couldn’t do anything, but still, what harm would there have been to let Eddie inside the citadel? He let Rush in!

Whatever the case, if that jerk lays a hand on Mega, then- 

BAM!

Once again, Roll had crashed into something, the object flying down and landing in the snow several feet below the hoverbike. Landing, Roll ran over to the round indent in the white powder, only to see a familiar face pop up. Or rather, a pair of large blue eyes, the rest of him was buried in snow. 

“You!” the bird-bot shook himself off, covering Roll and Eddie in the thick powder. “Looks like your driving skills haven’t improved at all!”

The blonde was offended. “Yeah, and your sense of direction is still awful.” Roll retorted, folding her arms. “What are you doing out here anyway?” she looked the bird over again, noticing that he still had the same injuries as before. Had he not gone somewhere for repairs? 

“It’s not any of your business.” the bird-bot said, fluttering up out of the snow. He tried to rise, but one of his wings wasn’t moving as it was supposed to. Probably from that Guts Man jerk. “I’ve got to get to…ah!”

“Whoa, hey! Take it easy!” Roll exclaimed, catching the bird-bot before he could plummet into the snow again. Then, lifting him, Roll didn’t like what she saw. “You don’t look so good.” she surveyed his injuries. “Hey, why don’t you hitch a ride with me back to the lab? The Doc can patch you right up, good as new!”

“There’s no time for that!” the bird-bot told her, trying to fly out of her grasp. “I’ve got to go, otherwise she might not make it!”

“Who won’t make it? But, hey, slow down!” Roll refused to let go of the flapping blue bird But stopped when a sharp pain assaulted his damaged wing. She then turned him around to face her. “Ok, now,” she said. “What is going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”

The bird-bot looked down at the ground, then sighed. “I’m…” he was ordered not to mention Kalinka’s name to anyone other than a very select few, but he had to say something! Yet Cossack’s direct command was put into his systems; he couldn’t disobey it, even if he wanted to. And a good portion of him wanted to say to hell with the rules and spill everything. But he couldn’t. “I’m…looking for someone.” But perhaps he could tell this robot in another way. 

“Who?” Roll questioned. 

“Look, could you please let me go?” the bird-bot demanded, though he phrased it as a question. “If I don’t hurry, she might…” he stopped himself. 

Roll had little idea what was going on, yet what was clear to her was that this robot needed help. And from the sound of it, someone else was too. “Here.” she then placed the bird on her shoulder. “Before we go any further, what’s your name?”

“Beat.” the bird-bot told her. 

“Beat, huh? Well, Beat,” she then placed Eddie on the hoverbike before getting on herself. “You need help? Well, you just found some!”

Chapter Text

"Loser?!" Wily fumed, not exactly appreciating Toad Man's comment.

"I have to make it look convincing," Cossack told the older man. "We DO want to keep the illusion up, after all."

Perhaps the Russian was right, but that didn't mean Wily had to like it. "Well…don't get too cocky!" he warned. "Bear in mind, your brat being here is me being accommodating, Cossack."

"Oh yes, kidnapping her from her home and keeping her in a cage." he looked over to a small screen in the larger computer's console. The image of a blonde girl sitting on a bed was shown to him. "How generous."

"She's alive, isn't she?" Wily remarked. "I could've just had Proto and the others leave her out there to freeze. If anything, you're indebted to me."

Cossack froze, torn between fear and rage. "I told you before, you can't intimidate me." the other scientist told Wily. "Everything save for her has been taken from me." he then turned to face the madman. "If anything, she's the one that's made all this possible. Because if not, either I would've taken you out, or you would've been forced to take me out."

Wily was confused, yet nonetheless, startled. "What do you mean?"

Cossack's nose wrinkled. Even if the man told him that such things weren't his business, it was clear that Wily had taken to spray whole bottles of body spray as a good alternative to bathing. Perhaps he was just used to living with a bunch of robots that didn't possess that sense, but indeed it wouldn't have been hard to have a shower installed somewhere. Then again, Cossack wasn't in much better shape either. He had felt nothing short of filthy, both for the period he had been here, having been denied access to any means to clean himself and for what he was currently being forced to do.

Even if it was his daughter's life on the line, Mega Man didn't deserve this.

"Hey, I'm asking you a question here!" Wily's voice brought the Russian back to reality. "What do you mean by what you just said? Was that a threat?" he questioned. "Because if it was, then you'd better watch the attitude!"

"It's not so much a threat as it is the truth," Cossack responded. "If I remember, I outright refused your offer to work together. After you abducted me, of course, it wasn't until you went after her that I agreed to play this game."

Wily was silent, but he was feeling his ego being wounded. Who did this guy think he was?! A world-renowned scientist? Pah! He doubted that Cossack even went to the prestigious International Robotics Institution. Hmph!

"If not for that, then either you would have to end me for refusing to cooperate, or I would have to try and get past you by any means necessary." Cossack continued. "But neither of those options would be in favor of anyone. And it's because of my Kalinka. So, in a way, you owe her."

Wily was stumped at first, trying to process what he had just heard. He wasn't mistaken; Cossack WAS threatening him! He dared?! "I have some of my top bots guarding her this very second! And if what you say about your brat is true, then she had better keep herself in line! And the same goes for you too!"

"They're some of the top bots NOW because you can't even get the most basic of personality traits programmed right." Cossack retorted. "All your machines know is how to blow up or smash things. They had no sense of strategy or deeper thinking. So if anything, I'm saving you a lot of trouble by extending my services to you." Wily was fuming, face turning red. "But I doubt you're interested in that." the larger monitor of the computer displayed the chamber where Mega Man and Toad Man were just moments away from engaging in battle. "The guest of honor is about to begin."

Mega Man

Toad Man's Chamber

Wasting no time, the amphibian-based Robot Master leaped forward, Mega Man sliding underneath him, preparing a plasma shot just for him. But when he turned to aim, the Blue Bomber saw Toad Man leap to the side at a surprising speed that caught him off guard. The sudden movement caused the shot to miss its target, forcing Mega Man to fire again. And again. And again. Toad Man's actions hadn't changed much. He still hoped around like a frog (or rather, toad), but the former sluggishness in them had vanished entirely.

Leaping up high, Toad Man put his legs to good use and hopped from corner to corner, shooting up to the ceiling and diving down at Mega Man with the intent to deliver a punch or kick. Rolling out of the way, Mega Man didn't get a moment to recover as he felt a force from behind sending him into the wall. Despite how hard the impact was, there seemed to be no give. This chamber was reinforced and secure. There was no way in or out save the platform used to enter here.

"How's that?" Toad Man gloated, chuckling with a few "ribbits" inserting themselves here and there as he talked. "Dr. Cossack's stay over in Asia's inspired him to give me the knowledge and techniques of Kung-Fu!" he proclaimed with pride. "Frog and Toad style specifically."

"Of course." Mega Man responded. So far, he was putting up a better fight than "Kung-Fu Cut Man" did against Roll. However, the time machine incident was one that he would care not to repeat.

"You don't sound impressed." The Robot Master said. "You still think I'm a joke, don't you?"

Mega Man was confused. "I didn't say any-"

"Don't play dumb! You think I look like some goofy doofus! Everybody does!" Toad Man shouted. "Even Heat Man looks better, and he looks like a pack of chewing gum!" before Mega Man could comment on the odd comparison, the amphibian-based robot jumped back to the opposite end of the room. "Well, pretty soon, no one's going to be laughing!" he then shot out a familiar-looking device that very much resembled a grenade. "In fact, the only thing you're going to do is melt!"

Dr. Cossack

Observation Room

"Well, it's about time!" Wily remarked, having been quite pleased with what he had seen from Toad Man. Still, all he had been doing was jump around and avoid Mega Man's shots. "It was beginning to get boring!"

"You're just anxious to see what I've done to enhance him." Cossack said matter-of-factly.

"Of course! That's what you're here for!" Wily answered, looking at the screen that displayed what was taking place below. "Yeah, get wrecked, blue boy!"

Cossack also observed this; the grenade had exploded, a thick cloud filling the room. I hope you can use the small amount of help I can give you. Cossack thought. I can do no more than this.

Mega Man

Toad Man's Chamber

Even if it wasn't something he had seen often, the Blue Bomber knew what the thick, dangerous cloud meant and what it would bring. The dense vapor rose to the top of the room, covering it and making it appear like a storm was brewing above both robots. And for Mega Man, one was.

The poisonous moisture came raining down, hitting both robots, though only one of them was being affected. "How's that feel, blue boy?" Toad Man mockingly asked, Mega Man busy shielding himself from the incoming toxic droplets. "Like my new brand of acid rain? It's gotten an upgrade in chemicals meant to melt even the toughest metal." he then gestured to his stout form. "Course, if you've got a special protective coating like me, it's no problem!"

Even if his sensory input had been calibrated to experience a lesser degree of pain than a human, that didn't mean he was completely numb. Quite the contrary, he "felt", but in so much as that pain was akin to having the air knocked out of you or scraping your knee. How else would he have been able to crash through walls and fall from great heights without being in pure agony? But even with that, the blue robot was aware that pain meant his body had or was taking damage. And judging by the continuous burning the drops of acid rain were producing, the process would be slow and painful, even for a robot.

"Yes!" Toad Man cheered, croaking with joy. "At last! With Mega Man's defeat, I'll get the respect I deserve!" he hopped up and down, completely unaware or uncaring that another robot was trying to keep his face from being melted off. "No more stupid rain dance jokes, no more having to deal with Snake Man's stupid pranks," he went on and on, Mega Man seizing his chance.

Still shielding his face, the Blue Bomber dashed forward and tried to slide without touching the ground entirely. Toad Man felt a sharp tug on his arm, Mega Man having flipped him over on his back. Acting quickly, Mega touched Toad Man's chest, and his copy ability began to go to work. It analyzed the weapon that it had just read and transferred to him, but upon viewing the powers he was given, Mega Man was surprised by what he saw.

Ok, Rain Flush? Huh. You'd think it'd be Acid Rain. Mega Man thought. But this other function… might be my only chance!

Aiming his buster up high, a grenade-like explosive shot up from the cannon, but instead of another thick, dark cloud, a thick, white cloud appeared and surrounded Mega Man. The white vapor rose, moisture soon coming down. But unlike before, these droplets didn't feel like a slow burn through his armor. Quite the opposite: they left a chilled, soothing feeling as if it were a summer rain.

Dr. Cossack

Observation Room

"What is this?!" Wily exclaimed, clearly not happy with what he was seeing.

Cossack sighed. "You told me to upgrade your machines, as well as MINE." the younger scientist told Wily. "I remember your very words."

What Wily had said wasn't as eloquent as the Russian made it sound. The German man had outright bellowed that his credentials and programming skills were just as valid as Cossack's, even if Cossack never even insulted or even mentioned such things. He had just told Wily that his programming was elementary. And because of its simplicity, it was little wonder that Mega Man and Light's other creations bested him so many times.

"Well, what is that?" Wily asked Cossack.

"I originally constructed Toad Man for agricultural purposes." The Russian told the older scientist. "This is just a demonstration of his original function."

"So…that's it? He just makes rain?" Wily wasn't exactly impressed.

"Cleansing rain," Cossack said. "It negates the effects of the acid rain." Wily was about to protest that Cossack had intentionally given Mega Man an advantage, but Cossack continued. "This is a challenge, after all. I must provide everyone a fighting chance."

WIly was silent for a moment before huffing, crossing his arms over his pink shirt with a red tie. "Well…it had better not be too easy!" he warned Cossack. "I want Mega Man turned into bite-sized blue pieces of scrap!"

"Yes, yes, I'm more than aware." the Russian sighed, rolling his green eyes. But, unfortunately, this is all I can do for you. So he thought as he continued to watch Mega and Toad Man. There's something else, but I'll wait until you achieve victory.

It was odd that he could think such a thing, yet Cossack knew well that, upgrades or not, the Blue Bomber had proven time and time again that he always found a way. Cossack just hoped that, perhaps, by some act of mercy fate had decided to give him, that someone, somewhere, would find a way to save his Kalinka.

Roll

Far East Russian Tundra

Roll stood in front of the gaping mouth of the large tunnel before her. The blue bird-bot perched himself on her shoulder and Eddie in her arms. "And…what's this place?"

"I'm not too sure," Beat confessed. "It looks like a mine of some sort."

"Gold mine?" Eddie asked, blue eyes wide at the possibility of finding the rare mineral inside.

"Maybe," Beat answered. "Given the history of places like this, there had to be something of value in here at one point." And though it isn't gold, there IS something of value in there. Someone.

"Beat?" Roll's voice brought the bird-bot from his musings.

"It's nothing," he said. "Look, can we just get inside? I've got a job to do."

"Ok, ok! Don't have a fit!" Roll told him, entering the mine with Eddie in hand. The more miniature green robot shivered due to being enveloped in complete darkness, yet when his optics adjusted, his fear vanished. "So, seeing as we've got names out of the way, mind telling me why you're here?"

The bird-bot averted his gaze for a moment. "Well…I'm not supposed to tell you," he said. "Or rather, there are certain things I'm programmed NOT to tell you unless it's an emergency."

"Well, doesn't this count as an emergency?" the blonde asked. "I mean, if you're this desperate, then it must be important."

Beat pondered what she had just said, trying to see how he could perhaps wind his way around his programming. Could he do it? After all, if this didn't qualify as an emergency, then what did? Thankfully, to his relief, he found that what he wanted to say would be allowed. But only because there was no other choice.

"I'm looking for someone."

Mega Man

Cossack Citadel

Toad Man's Chamber

The acid rain continued to pour down, Toad Man's supply of grenades seeming to have no end. But Mega Man felt his power supply steadily becoming more and more depleted. "You know," the Blue Bomber said, the cloud of clean vapor canceling out the acid rain once again. "This is starting to become a bit repetitive, don't you think?"

The room was kept from flooding by a plethora of drains placed in the room's corners, so Mega Man counted that as something in his favor. Still, it didn't help him in how to best Toad Man.

"Yeah, it is getting a little boring." Toad Man admitted. "So hurry up, and melt already!"

"Ironically enough, I'll have to give you a rain check on that." Mega Man chuckled. Though perhaps his attention should've been more on trying to find a way to beat this froggy menace and get on with the challenge! The clock was still ticking after all.

"I'll give YOU a rain check!" Toad Man huffed. Once the clouds of clean rain faded away, the amphibian-based Robot Master began to, to his opponent's surprise, gyrate his hips and swing back and forth. Was this what Toad Man meant by "rain dance"? "With the execution of this secret technique, I shall stir the chemicals inside my filters and launch an even more powerful toxic rain than before!" the robot declared, all the while continuing to "dance."

Perhaps, Mega thought. It'd be risky…but maybe it's time to fight fire with fire! So to speak.

Though he didn't start showing any moves (Toad Man looking as if he were performing the Macarena at this point), Mega Man began revving the engine in his buster, spinning the numerous explosives of chemicals inside. Toad Man "danced" and Mega Man was quite literally making a potentially dangerous cocktail. Finally, the robotic amphibian stopped moving, stopping in a dynamic pose.

"And now…" Toad Man croaked. "Time to make you wish you brought a titanium umbrella!"

"And it's time for me to make a frog croak!" Mega Man countered.

"Frog? I'm a toad!"

Both of them shot a grenade-like explosive into the air, both going off at the same time. The reaction was something neither of them was prepared for.

The chemical reaction from both containers of acid rain meeting caused a large, fiery explosion. Both Mega and Toad Man were blasted back by the sheer force of the blast. This caused a single container of clean rain to eject from the Blue Bomber's blaster, the pin coming off and surrounding him in thick, white mist. Toad Man was not so fortunate, as while he was given the same ability to create another type of rain, he didn't get the time to spit one of those devices out. Mega Man couldn't see through the thick mist, but his audio receptors heard what sounded like several explosions happening all at once. A hazy silhouette of the amphibian-based Robot Master appeared despite the thickness of the vapor, Toad Man's limbs looking like they were being blown right off his body!

Eventually, the vapor from the container that fell out of Mega's buster floated up to the ceiling and cleansed the entire room, both acid and clean rain running down the drains. When everything had cleared up, Mega Man saw Toad Man lying in charred pieces on the floor, sizzling from being recently put out.

Before the Blue Bomber could say anything, he heard a low hum from behind him. He looked to see that the platform had activated, allowing him to presumably leave. Mega Man looked back at Toad Man's burnt limbs, then to the platform, ultimately deciding to step on and warp out of the room.

Dr. Cossack

Observation Room

"Interesting," Cossack observed, Wily going on a mad rant behind him.

"Blast that blue pest!" Wily bellowed, pulling at the sides of his head. It wasn't as if he had any hair on top, so he was only left with so few options. He then turned to Cossack. "You said that you would make my robots better than they were!"

"Correction. I said that I would upgrade your robots, along with those that were mine and Light's-"

"Where they came from doesn't matter! What matters is that they serve me now!" Wily interrupted. "Besides, neither Light's nor your robots were good for anything before they came into my hands." he then cleared his throat. "But back to the subject at hand, just how did Mega Man manage to beat that useless frog-bot of yours?!"

"I thought you said it didn't matter where they came from. They might as well be yours, right?" Cossack asked. Wily was furious but knew he'd make even more of an ass of himself if he said anything. "Anyway, if you must know, Toad Man's acid rain is just one-half of his ability Rain Flush. Or rather, it wasn't present at all before you added it in place of the harmless vapor he was meant to produce."

Wily scoffed. "I actually made his ability useful. If anything, all you did was just give those seven some minor tweaks."

"And forced me to construct another." the Russian added. "Against my will."

"I say that it's your best work yet," Wily said. "And what I say is what really matters, right?"

Cossack's expression didn't change. While the man was infuriating, Wily had to admit that he could pull off one hell of a poker face. "The secondary function of the Rain Flush contains a chemical compound that is deadly to metal. And when Mega Man copied Toad Man's weapon, the chemical compound he had was the opposite. As in, two acids meet at the same time, and an explosive reaction happens."

Wily took a moment to process this. "You know what happens if I find out you gave Mega Man any sort of edge, right?"

The middle-aged scientist froze. He wouldn't dare show he was afraid of his kidnapper, but Cossack sensed that Wily knew this already. "I must give him a fair chance, Wily," Cossack responded. "And, unlike you, I see a challenge as something that's possible to win."

"But he won't, right?" Wily asked, even if it was little more than a thinly veiled threat.

"You never intend for Mega Man to succeed against whatever you send against him, do you?" the younger roboticist asked. He then turned to face Wily. "I made the challenge fair because, even if you take away my freedom and the freedom of my daughter, I STILL have my honor, Wily."

"Well, that honor isn't doing your brat any favors right now." the balding older man countered. "If he makes it here, and you don't put an end to him-"

"Yes, I understand." Cossack interrupted. "You've made it very clear."

Wily turned away, about to walk out of the room lit up only by the giant computer, but stopped before he could exit. "Don't think that the First Law will protect her," he told Cossack. "I've done my share of programming too, and far longer than you." he made sure to put that bit of information out there. "And, well, let's just say that there are a lot of technicalities that can be exploited."

The Russian scientist sighed. "So you have shown over these years."

"Exactly. So remember, one way or another, Mega Man is to be terminated by the end of this." he then went out the door, but not before peeking his head through the open space that the closing door still left. "It's either him or her. Pick one and pick carefully." with that, he left the younger scientist alone, shutting the door behind him.

Dr. Cossack rubbed his temple, still wishing that this was nothing more than some horrible nightmare. He would even take working with Wily over endangering his darling. But because of his foolishness, she was also dragged into this mess. He looked down at her image on the smaller screen, taking some small comfort that she was still here and alive. And maybe, perhaps in some way, someone would come to her rescue. He didn't matter; he just wanted his Kalinka to be safe.

Even if Cossack wasn't a particularly religious man, he said a silent prayer that, come what may to him, his daughter would at least get out of this.

Roll

Abandoned Mine

"So wait," Roll said, Beat having given her all the details. "Dr. Cossack has a kid?" Beat nodded, which meant moving his entire body. "He never mentioned that in his little broadcast."

"He wouldn't dare to," Beat told her. "Whatever Wily's told him, it most definitely has to do with her safety."

"So, Wily IS involved," Roll asked.

"Dr. Cossack didn't send those goons to the house. Those were definitely Wily's guys." the bird-bot told her.

"This is pretty big news," Roll said, beginning to try and tune her built-in communicator. "I've gotta tell Mega about this-"

"No!" Beat flew off her shoulder and flapped madly in front of her. "No, you cannot let anyone know I told you this!" the bird-bot protested. "This info can't leave this mine, do you hear?!"

"Ok, ok, I get it!" Roll shouted, shielding herself from Beat's wings. Then, seeing that he had gotten his point across, he went to perch back on her shoulder. "But why? What's the problem with telling Mega any of this? Wouldn't it put this whole thing to a stop?"

Beat looked down at the ground and then sighed. "Maybe it would, but…I can't risk it," he said. "I can't risk her safety." he then looked at Roll. "Even if any of Wily's…or, I guess the Doc's bots can't technically break the First Law, I don't doubt that Wily's found some sort of way."

"I know that all too well." The blonde DLN responded, being no stranger to Wily's robots causing destruction and mayhem.

True, she had never seen any of them "harm" a human persay. Kidnap? Yes. Threaten? Oh, most definitely. Hold hostage? That's par for the course! And this case had all three of those! But even if she hadn't seen any bots "break" the First Law, that only provided so much good news in this situation. And should she be seen, then none of the Laws would be of any good to her at all. But what was Roll worried about? She could take any one of those rusted tin cans at any time, any day! In fact, she-

Roll stopped when she felt something that felt very much like the cannon nozzle of a buster being pushed into the back of her head.

Looks like I don't have to worry about getting caught. Roll thought, blue eyes widening. Because I've just been found.

Chapter Text

When Mega Man returned to the chamber, he was surprised to see that the middle platform in the center had risen. Atop of it rested a single energy can as Eddie could produce. The sight immediately confused the Blue Bomber, he approached it cautiously, buster drawn. Yet as he got closer, he came to see that it was just that: an energy can.

A note was attached to it with a piece of tape as if it had just been put there recently. A challenge should be fair, so take this.

Mega Man quirked a brow. "Well, he's certainly a better host than Wily, I'll give him that." he thought aloud. Then he saw that something else was written on the back of the note.

PS: I'd suggest you keep Toad Man's weapon for a bit longer.

Just then, one of the platforms, the one opposite of him, lit up. As if it were signaling for the blue robot to come towards it.

Something's up. Mega thought.

And maybe it's too soon to say; before he then went over and stepped on the platform, he gulped down the contents of the can. Then he stood on the circular area, the warping functioning activating. I've got a feeling Wily's somehow got his hand in this.

Roll

Abandoned Mine

"State your name and business." a female voice commanded, having a unique Russian accent.

Roll was quiet for a moment, trying to get at least a small look at who was holding a buster to the back of her head. "How about you answer a question of mine first?" the blonde asked. "Are you one of Wily's goons?" she was answered with a push from the cannon nozzle her interrogator wielded.

"I'LL ask the questions here!" the voice said harshly. "I won't tell you who I work for, but I will say that I am in no way related to Wily."

"Then who are you?" Roll questioned.

"I said I'LL ask the questions here!"

Beat then fluttered up and perched himself atop Roll's head. "Hey, lady, cool down! We're on your side!"

Roll turned around when she felt the nozzle of the cannon move away from her head. Before her stood a cloaked figure holding what she now saw as not a blaster but a plasma pistol. The rest of her was hidden, yet the figure's hand holding the pistol was tan and covered in a black, fingerless "glove" with red plating resting over the knuckles. She was a robot, but Roll didn't get a chance to ask anything as the cloaked figure began speaking again.

"You?! What are you doing here?! You were given strict orders not to interfere!" the figure told the bird.

"You're not Dr. Cossack, are you?" Beat asked sarcastically. "Besides, I'm not breaking any commands. Her life might be in danger, so I'm able to speak of what's going on."

The figure sighed. "How much does she know?"

"Honestly, not much." Roll answered for herself. "But I know that Wily's responsible for all of this." It was somewhat funny really. Who knew her brother's "Wily Alarm" would be right, despite Cossack being at the helm.

"Eddie not know either," Eddie added. The cloaked stranger went around the blonde robot and saw the even tinier green robot in her arms. He then saw the figure's jawline and red, full lips. He smiled. "You a pretty lady."

The figure backed up a bit, not expecting to hear such a thing come from Eddie. After a few moments, hidden eyes surveying Roll, Beat, and Eddie, a sigh came from them. "Well, this just further complicates things, doesn't it?" Then, seeing no further use for the disguise, the figure pulled off the thick cloak and presented what lay underneath before the three.

Mega Man

Citadel

Mega found he was sent into complete darkness, unable to see anything past a few feet in front of him.

"Hm? Ah, yes! You're here!" a rather unique (though if Mega was honest, it sounded comical to him) voice said, clearly pleased that he had been "chosen".

A small source of light emanated from the far corner of the room. It then spread out, the Blue Bomber's optics shutting off due to a triggered safety feature. He knew well who was awaiting him here. When he could see again, Mega saw the room he had been transported to looked plainer than Toad Man's, but the chamber was covered in what appeared to be very reflective material. Mega Man went over to one of the walls and saw sequentially placed mirrors.

"I knew that you would've come to face me first!" a very familiar Robot Master told his opponent, the lightbulb on his head a dead giveaway.

Mega Man placed his hands on his hips, ready with a one-liner for the (apparently) reprogramed DCN. Though the Blue Bomber was beginning to have his doubts. "Sorry, but I just got back from visiting your froggy friend. So first come, first serve, Bright Man."

Bright Man fumed, the filament in his bulb glowing red hot and his cheeks puffed out. If anything, he more resembled a toad or frog than Toad Man himself. "You destroyed Toadie?!" he shouted, clearly enraged.

"Toadie?" Mega Man said aloud, then chuckled. "Yeah, that DOES sound fitting. Heh."

"You…you horrible monster!" Bright Man roared (though his voice didn't make him sound intimidating). "First you destroy Toadie, then you joke about it?! And you call Wily a psycho!"

"Destroy?" Mega asked. "Now hold on, I didn't destroy-"

"Don't try to weasel your way out of this now!" the Robot Master shouted, shaking his fist. "Don't worry, Toadie, I'll give this blue creep a piece of my mind!" he then smiled darkly. "In fact, how about I shed some light on the subject!"

Then, the giant bulb lit up, the light it produced reflecting off every one of the mirrors embedded in the walls and lit up the entire room, Mega Man's optic safety feature kicking in again, leaving him in a void of pure white. At first, while this wasn't exactly in his favor, Mega Man didn't worry too much about it. After all, shining that blub was all Bright Man could do. It wasn't as if he had any-

"Oof!" the Blue Bomber felt a burning sting in his chest, the force of the blast knocking him back against the wall. When he slumped to the ground, Mega Man realized that, indeed, he had been shot at, yet from where?

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention," the room returned to its standard lighting, Bright Man presenting a buster that now replaced his left hand. "I've got a few new upgrades, just for you!"

Roll

Abandoned Mine

Before the three stood a tall, tan-skinned woman with dark, medium-length hair, dark brown eyes, and a pair of ruby-red lips. She "wore" what appeared to be a short-sleeved leotard with a turtle neck, her shapely thighs uncovered as well as her upper arms. Despite having the appearance of a human woman, she was still clearly a machine, with a pair of red boots and gauntlets, along with what appeared to be red iron knuckles on her. A couple of white knee and elbow guards were situated on her armor, attacked to a darkly colored joint that allowed for motion. A white belt was around her waist and two holsters for two plasma pistols, clearly prepared for trouble if it should come her way.

And perhaps this blonde robot meant that trouble was coming her way.

Wow. Roll thought, looking at the other robot. Eddie wasn't lying. Indeed, she WAS a pretty lady. Roll then looked herself over, wondering if she was presentable.

"I suppose the only logical thing to ask is obvious, but it needs to be said: who are you?" the other robot inquired, still having one of her plasma pistols drawn.

"You don't know me?" Roll asked in return.

"Should I?" the red-haired robot asked.

"Well, I mean, I AM at nearly every social event the Doc's been to," she said. "So somebody's bound to have noticed me. Just once at least," she murmured the second part of her statement. It seemed that this tip didn't give the other robot any clue. "I'm Roll. DLN 002?"

"DLN?" The red-haired robot raised a brow. "You're a creation of Dr. Light?" she thought about it for a moment yet still looked the blonde over for any sign that she was planning to stab her in the back. Or more likely, blast her. Then, she drew back her weapon. "All right," she said. "It's clear that you're unarmed and stand no chance against me." she then turned her back to the blonde. "Take her and leave this place." the robot commanded Beat. "It'd be best if I continue this mission alone."

Mega Man

Bright Man's Chamber

While the sight of a buster caught him by surprise, Mega Man quickly got to his feet and smirked. "Impressive," he remarked. "But do you even know how to use that thing?"

"I do too!" Bright Man retorted. "Here! This'll shut that mouth of yours!"

Bright Man shot forth blast after blast, all to hit the Blue Bomber. Yet despite this, Mega Man proved that, while he wasn't Quick Man, he could perform boosts of speed when necessary. True, he couldn't dash, yet making use of his agility also included a series of jumps, rolls, and slides to avoid any blasts coming his way.

This is a way better start than a short while ago. Mega Man mused, now just mere feet away from the bulb-headed Robot Master. He then slid forward, knocking Bright Man off his feet. The more stout robot flew over Mega Man, landing on his back. Quickly rushing over, the Blue Bomber unscrewed the bulb from the other automaton's head. Bright Man staggered up and saw that his signature weapon had been taken from him. "Don't think I've forgotten," Mega Man began, holding the bulb right in front of Bright Man. "You're not exactly good at taking what you dish out!"

Yet, instead of the bulb lighting up and blinding the Robot Master, the object didn't light up at all.

Bright Man chortled goofily, but Mega Man noticed a twinge of darkness in it. "Like I said," Bright Man said, a pair of shades very akin to Proto Man's coming over his eyes. "I got a FEW new upgrades." the bulb then began to glow, the Blue Bomber realizing too late that he had, to his utter shock, fallen into a trap. A trap that Bright Man of all bots set.

He didn't get much time to fully absorb this revelation as, once again, the world around him was engulfed in white, his optics shutting off and leaving him vulnerable again.

Roll

Abandoned Mine

"Whoa, hey! Wait a minute!" Roll shouted, running after the other robot.

The redhead whirled around and clapped her hands around the blonde's mouth. "What are you doing!? Shut up!" she hissed. "This mission is top secret!"

"Mmph hmph, hmph hmmph!" Roll said, speech muffled. The other robot removed her hands. "I said, I'm not going anywhere," she said definitely. "I'm staying right here. Or rather, I'm going to check this place out."

"What?! Absolutely-" the tan-skinned robot bit her lip. Looking around, it seemed that no one had heard her. "Absolutely not!" she whispered. "I have enough to deal with as it is!" she then looked at Beat. "And now that you've gone and blathered everything, this just FURTHER complicates matters."

"It's not like you're going to have to babysit me. I can take care of myself fine!" Roll assured. "Right Eddie?"

Eddie's blue eyes shifted, not entirely sure of how to answer. True, Roll had thrown herself into the action ever since Rock had become Mega Man, but she also had a bad habit of getting herself into trouble.

Roll then looked at Beat. "You think I can take care of myself fine, right?"

Beat thought for a moment, "scratching" his "chin" with his uninjured wing. "I just met you; I don't know."

"Oh, come on!" the blonde robot said. "Surely you've at least seen me on the news or something! Does YouTube exist here in Russia?" true, she wasn't in a lot of them, but there had to be some footage of her out there doing something cool! Who knew how many excellent shots there were of her brother out there?

"Whether you can or can't doesn't matter." the red-haired robot said. "I was assigned this mission, and I intend to complete it. You would just get in the way." she then drew out one of her pistols. "Don't follow me."

"But," Roll didn't get to finish, the robotic woman rushed off into the mine. "H-Hey! Wait!" Roll called out, but the Russian android was long gone down the mine tunnels.

Mega Man

Bright Man's Chamber

The blasts of hot energy met his chest and sent him flying back, the Blue Bomber sliding across the floor until his helmet hit a wall.

When the light died down, there stood Bright Man, triumphantly cheering himself on. Glad you're happy. Mega Man thought, yet there was no time for some witty comeback for the moment. He had to analyze his situation correctly.

This entire chamber had mirrors in the walls, so Bright Man's already blinding weapon was made infinitely more potent by the light reflecting everywhere. And as he learned, not only had Dr. Cossack fitted the Robot Master with a buster of his own, he had proved that he had complete and total control of the giant bulb atop his head.

I've got to find a way to get rid of that bulb! Mega thought. Or at least short it out.

Short it out. It was just something that came to him on the fly, but Mega Man found what he said stuck with him. Sure, it'd take care of his problem, but how? It was then that he remembered he still had Toad Man's copied and had seen firsthand that, along with the acid rain, there was a cleansing rain as well.

It's possible. The Blue Bomber told himself. But I have to make that shot count. I can't afford to have my optics fail on me again.

"Hey, what are you up to?" Bright Man inquired. "Are you ignoring me?"

"Oh no, you've had my attention the entire time." In fact, he had come up with something JUST for the bulb-headed blabbermouth

Bright Man scowled. "You're mocking me, aren't you? It's the bulb, isn't it?"

Mega shrugged. "You're the one who said it, not me," he answered. True, it might've been a little mean, but the Robot Master did blast him in the chest twice. "But seeing as you are 'Bright Man'," he then pointed his blaster forward. "Try figuring out what to do with this!"

A grenade-like bomb shot forward from the robot's Mega Buster, Bright Man promptly catching it. "Ha! I know what you're trying to do! You can't fool me!" he then opened his hands. "What is this, anyway?"

The moment he opened his hands, he was met by a burst of moisture, the thick fog surrounding him and enveloping him entirely.

Roll

Abandoned Mine

The Russian agent bot surveyed her surroundings, dark eyes shifting around and taking in anything of note. The overhead lights provided just enough lighting so she didn't have to switch her optics to night vision, and while she wasn't affected much by temperature, she could feel that this place had heat radiating through the tunnel as she continued on.

Either Wily's bots fit him with a new hiding place, or it's to keep someone already here warm. So the agent thought, continuing to look around.

So far, so good. There was no sign of anyone so far, but she doubted that Wily's bots would leave this place unguarded. Assuming the madman made use of Cossack's skills during the Russian's time of captivity. Whatever the case, if that bird's intel was correct, then she could just go in and collect the person of interest. Then she could go to the citadel and-

She stopped, the tunnel was dead silent. Despite this, she sensed that she wasn't alone. She whirled around and looked to see that, indeed, she was right.

She was being followed.

Mega Man

Bright Man's Chamber

Bright Man was sent into a coughing fit as the thick mist blinded him, everything becoming covered in a dense fog. The fog then rose up to the ceiling and moisture began to fall. "What is this?" the Robot Master asked, confused. "This isn't Acid Rain."

"No," Mega Man answered. "But I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet."

"Oh yeah?" Bright Man's cheeks puffed out, very much resembling Toad Man again. "Well, how about we clear this rain up with a little sunshine!?" he then prepared to brighten his bulb, intending to fill the room with light.

Only, it never came.

"Huh?" Bright Man tapped his bulb. "Ahem! I said, how about we clear this rain up with some sunshine!?" again, nothing happened. "What the?!" he took the bulb off of his head and shook it. Still, nothing happened.

"Need to take a rain check there?" Mega Man questioned, quite pleased that things were swinging in his favor again. At least, that's how things seemed at the moment, but he still had to keep his guard up.

"Ooooh, you!" Bright Man angrily screwed his bulb back on his head. "You're going to pay for that!" he then pointed his buster forward. "Don't forget Dr. Cossack fitted me with this too!"

"Oh no, I didn't forget." Mega Man said, chest still stinging from the blasts he had suffered before. Ouch, that hurt! Still, he had to give Bright Man props for keeping him on his toes (even if he technically didn't have any). "In fact," the Blue Bomber fired a freshly made plasma blast from his buster. "How about trying a few of my blasts? They're fresh out of the oven!"

The plasma shots hit Bright Man square in the chest, sending him flying back up against the wall, the force of his impact causing the mirrors embedded within to vibrate. He didn't stay down long, quickly getting back up and shooting bolts of energy in Mega's direction. Thankfully, with the bulb's light out of the way, he could focus on making the right shots and just being careful to avoid his opponent's.

The only question was, for how long, as the Blue Bomber was being pressed for time.

And perhaps Bright Man knew that.

Roll

Abandoned Mine

Dark brown eyes met wide, blue ones, like the one she had sensed behind her raised their hands up. The blue bird-bot on her shoulder flapped his wings in surprise, very nearly hitting the blonde robot in the face.

"Whoa, hey! Hey!" Roll waved her hands so the other robot could see she was unarmed. Well, technically, if you didn't count her utility arm. "Put that thing down! I'm on your side!"

The Russian robot was caught in a state of shock and anger, her brow furrowing as she continued to glare at her target. "You damn fool!" she hissed. "I could've killed you!"

"Yeah, you seem like one of those 'shoot first' types," Roll responded.

The red-haired robot put the plasma pistol back in its holster. "I told you that this mission is mine!" she then looked at Beat. "No matter what you've been told."

"I've been told that Wily's behind everything," Roll said. "And I know that you're looking for Cosssack's kid." the Russian bot was about to speak, but Roll continued. "And I also know that my brother, whether it's Wily or Cossack, is definitely in some sort of trouble."

The Russian agent looked at the bird-bot on Roll's shoulder." So she doesn't know much, huh?"

"Well, she doesn't know EVERYTHING," Beat said. "Like Cossack's favorite food, what he likes to do on the weekends," it was clear the redhead wasn't amused.

"Look, this place is big, and I doubt that Wily's just got one of his bots in here," Roll said, looking around. So far, she had seen nothing, but it never hurt to double-check. "And besides, even if you don't need somebody else, I'm not going anywhere, so you'll just have to get used to it."

The red-haired robot bit her lip and furrowed her brow. Then, after a short time of silence, she spoke. "Fine." she sighed. "Have it your own way." she seemed to treat Roll with the same energy (or lack thereof) a mother would when they gave in to their child having a tantrum. "But this mission is STILL assigned to me. Follow me if you wish, but stay out of the way."

"Fair enough," Roll answered. Even if the other robot wasn't too keen on her company, at least she didn't have to worry about getting shot in between the eyes by accident. Then she realized that the other robot had gone without her. "Hey! Wait!" she quickly caught up. "So, given that we're going to be working together in a sense,"

"We are NOT partners." the other robot said firmly.

"Well, then how about you tell me your name at least?" Roll asked. True, this robot wasn't exactly someone she'd like to hang around with either, but as the blonde said herself, she was going with the redhead, whether she liked it or not.

Upon being inquired of her name, the other robot continued walking but ultimately did answer Roll's question. "When you say 'name', I don't exactly have that," she explained. "But if you must call me something, then call me 95," she said. "Natsenka Unit 95."

Mega Man

Bright Man's Chamber

From one buster shot a flurry of shots, and in response, another fired back. This exchange between Mega and Bright Man had been going on for a short while now, and Mega knew that he had to wrap this up fast.

"Stop moving around so much!" Bright Man shouted, continuing to fire at Mega Man, all the while using his internal heater to hopefully dry out his bulb.

"How about you stop shooting so much?" Mega Man shot back, sliding under another barrage of shots that flew over his head.

"You first!" This went back and forth between the two until, finally, Bright Man found that his bulb had dried completely. "Ha!" he cried out, triumphantly. "Now," he grinned sinisterly at his blue opponent. "Time to show you the light!"

Now! Mega Man had figured a short time ago that unless that bulb was taken out, there was no way that he was going to get out of here any time soon. And given that his shots seemed to bounce off of it (Cossack must've coated it with something), the Blue Bomber suspected that he was going to have to be a little more "physical."

With a quick duck and roll to the left, Mega Man was able to get close enough to where he could make his move.

CRACK!

His blue fist met the glass of Bright Man's bulb, hoping that he had used enough force to accomplish what he was expecting. The Robot Master was knocked off his feet by the blow, but the most damage Mega Man had done was give him a migraine. "Oooh." he moaned, shaking his head. True, a fist was better than a plasma blast, but the Robot Master felt something was "different." He then screwed off his bulb and saw a large crack running down the center to his horror. "AHHH!" he cried out, eyes wide in shock. "My bulb! My beautiful bulb!" he then glared daggers at Mega Man. "You think this will save you?" he then screwed it back on, Mega Man seeing that he was beginning to use it again. "I have total control over this thing! You can break the entire bulb, and my light will shine on!"

"Oh, I don't doubt that." Mega Man said. "But I think you forgot to check the forecast for today." He had a few more shots left, so he had to make it count. "Because they're calling for some heavy showers!"

A grenade-like device was fired from the Mega Buster and hit the cracked spot in Bright Man's bulb, the device released thick, white mist and moisture, yet unlike before, the vapor didn't rise. Instead, a good amount of it seeped in through the cracks on the bulb, the object full of fog.

"What the-" Bright Man man said, but he didn't get any further before sparks of electricity began flying out of him, his entire body shaking violently. He was unable to get anything out save for high-pitched sounds as he was quite literally being electrocuted.

He continued to shake and fizz out until the Robot Master was finally blown apart, his limbs flying across the room. His head was propelled in Mega Man's direction, the Blue Bomber catching it. Bright Man was clearly still functioning, but his eyes were spinning in his head.

"Hope Cossack isn't grading me on time." Mega Man said, knowing well that his time with Bright Man had cost him. So he had to hurry up unless he wanted the Russian scientist to go through with his plan.

Still, he was beginning to doubt that the Doctor was the only one involved. And if someone else was, they were more than likely pulling the strings.

Chapter Text

"You seem displeased," Cossack observed Wily, who was sulking. "Not that it takes much to rile you up." the Russian man sighed. It was like being stuck in a room with a pouting child.

"This is too easy!" Dr. Wily complained. "He's going through your robots left and right!"

Oh, so NOW they're my robots again. Dr. Cossack scoffed to himself. "I've updated and tweaked the programming of my and your machines. Along with those six that you originally stole from Light,"

"It doesn't matter where they came from! What matters is that they obey me!" the balding scientist shot back. "Besides, I entrusted you to make sure those bolt-heads twist that blue dweeb like a pretzel!"

Suddenly, the sound of "pretzel" reminded Wily that he hadn't eaten anything since the last night. Seeing Cossack's machines pummelling Mega Man made him too giddy to even think of sleeping or eating, but hunger was growing harder to ignore, given that things had slowed down.

"Let ME choose which of those robots he fights next!" Wily demanded. "Obviously, you're rigging things in Mega Man's favor! Your robots never had such specific weaknesses before!" He grew quiet. "Wait," he then pointed at Cossack. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" If Cossack had programmed his own machines in such a way, then what of Wily's own robots?

"Now, where would you get that idea?" the Russian scoffed. "But very well. It's time you made your own contribution to this whole operation."

Wily huffed and went over to the console, sitting down. "I know that you're too stupid to be afraid of anything, Cossack," Wily said. "But if you have no fear for yourself, what of others?" The balding human grinned when he saw the younger scientist freeze up. Gotcha. "Just keep yourself in line, and she won't be harmed."

"And, as everyone knows, you're a man of your word." Cossack hissed.

Wily chuckled. "You can't afford NOT to take my word," he then looked at the screen on the console that presented Mega Man warping back to the main chamber. "Just like you can't afford to let that periwinkle pest succeed."

Main Chamber

He had consumed the contents of the E-tank presented to him but didn't drink all of it, having not expended as much energy in his battle with Bright Man. True, Cossack's generosity made him question the doctor's motives, but Mega Man knew that questions could come when he met Cossack face to face. So the Blue Bomber set the E-tank to the side and saw the next warp tile begin to glow.

"Time to jump into the unknown," Mega said to himself. Though he hadn't meant it in such a way, he was technically going into unknown territory.

After all, Toad Man was a wimp, for lack of a better term. So was Bright Man, once that giant bulb of his was taken care of. But that oversized frog had gotten in a few good hits on him, along with the other Robot Master. They were completely different than before in fighting prowess. While Wily's ability to produce so many machines in such a short amount of time, more than even Dr. Light, the former always had quantity over quality in mind. He found out that Gyro Man was supposed to have a device meant for flight on his back instead of a propeller, but Wily had to go with it due to cost issues. While no one was entirely sure, the Doc had a theory that given Crystal Man had been produced not long before, perhaps much of the madman's budget was spent on the far more radiant android.

But that wasn't the only difference Mega Man had noticed.

While he was a robot (despite his once-held wish to be a "real" boy), he and Roll were built with the most advanced AI currently available and Rush to a certain extent. However, despite having a computer for a brain, his mind was still very much like that of a dog. Proto Man was more intelligent than Wily's bots (and the reprogrammed DLNs), but Toad and Bright Man were much more tactful and displayed a higher level of thinking. And while he might've needed more time to conclude, Mega Man couldn't help but notice the two almost had personalities besides wanting to destroy him.

However, before he could ponder it any further, the warp tile activated, and the Blue Bomber was transported to his next battle.

Abandoned Mine

"So, what sort of place is this?" Roll asked, looking around at the rock walls around her, overhead lights shining down on her and her red-headed companion.

"This mine is just one of many used during the Soviet era. Just one of many places where prisoners were sent to work until their demise," Natsenka answered, not even bothering to turn around and look at Roll. "Why do you suddenly have an interest in where people met their end?"

"N-No, it's not that!" Roll said. Seriously lady, where'd you get all that?! "I've never been to Russia before, so I was just wondering about some of the local sites." not that this mine was anything local.

"Then you're better off in Moscow or St. Petersburg. This place is for no man or beast. We're just lucky we can stand the conditions."

So much for trying to start a conversation. Roll looked over to Beat, who was perched on her shoulder. "You know anything about this lady?" she asked.

"Natsenka here is, well, just that, a Natsenka unit." the robotic blue bird explained. "She's part of a special line developed by the Ministry of Defense for operations such as this," he explained. "Missions that are too dangerous for humans. Dr. Cossack himself was commissioned to make the first unit, and from there, the government took over in producing them."

"Oh, so you a robot made for fighting too?" Eddie asked Natsenka. "Just like Mega!"

"Not so," Natsenka answered, even if she still didn't turn around. "Your creator's fascination with emotional centers and human relations is puzzling," she said. "And despite his combat skills and programming, his circuitry lacks connection to his logical components." finally, Natsenka turned her head to look at Roll, her eyes dark but icy and cold. "You and your...companions can follow me if you want, but I'm on a mission and not here for conversation." she then turned her head away and continued walking.

"Fine, be that way then." Roll huffed to herself. Whether or not Natsenka heard her, the red-haired robot didn't respond. Roll followed but decided that having any conversation with her was pointless. Thus, she centered her attention on Beat. "So, this person you're looking for," she began, "Kalinka, right? Kalinka Cossack?" Beat nodded. "Just who is she? Aside from being Cossack's kid, of course."

"Kid?" Beat chuckled, then rolled his eyes. "I wish! She was so much easier back then."

"Back then?" Roll asked with a tilt of her head.

"It's a long story," Beat answered. Then Roll saw him gain a slight frown on his beak. "Not exactly a happy one either," he muttered. Roll was about to ask what he meant, but he spoke before she could get a word in. "Anyway, how to describe Kalinka," he said. "Well, I've been meaning to say this for a long time..."

Deeper in the Mine

It was official; she was bored.

Kalinka Cossack sat on the broken-down mattress, fiddling with her fingers as her two wards stood outside her cell. "Is this seriously what we have to do all day?" Cut Man spoke up, going over to the bars to better look at Wily's captive. "Watching this brat is like watching a goldfish!"

"Yeah," Guts Man agreed. "And even goldfish can splash and flop around. Once some of the water's gone." the enormous Robot Master also approached the cell, folding his arms as he looked at the blonde Russian. "We've already got her dad, so what do we need her for?"

"Exactly," Kalinka then said, getting off the mattress. It was impossible to lie on that thing anyway without getting a backache. "So why not just let me out of here?"

"Ha! As if!" Cut Man scoffed. "We're not going to let you just run away!"

"Yeah, what do we look like? A couple of dolts?" Guts Man added.

Oh, I have more than a few names I can think of. Kalinka thought. That would get me in BIG trouble if Papa ever heard me say it. Suddenly, her stomach growled. She looked back at her captors and had a thought. If she couldn't get them to let her out, she would make her stay with them as "interesting" as possible. Her stomach growled again, this time getting the attention of the two robots. "Looks like I need something to fill my stomach," Kalinka stated. Then, she turned her attention from her gut to Cut and Guts Man. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Cut Man asked, confused.

"Aren't you going to get me something?" Kalinka asked back.

"Get what?" Guts Man interjected.

"Some food. Duh!" the blonde girl said. Despite her thick accent, she very much had the attitude of a teenager. "I haven't eaten since you came and took me from my home, so I need some nourishment."

"What?! No way!" Guts Man protested. "You're going to sit in there, and you're going to like it!"

The human's gut made noise again, responding to the robot's rebuttal. "Well," Kalinka folded her arms. "I haven't had anything since last night, so I've been without food and water for around a few hours. And after all that time, whatever I did eat is surely digested by now," she held her growling abdomen. "And while I might be wrong, the last time I checked, I was your hostage. Which also means you're supposed to take care of me and keep me in relatively good condition," she explained. "After all, I doubt Papa, especially Wily, would like it if anything happened to me."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Cut Man told her. "You're stuck in there! If anything, you're at OUR mercy!"

"Indeed, I am," Kalinka answered. Oh, she was going to give these rusted pieces of garbage misery. "And thus, I'm your responsibility. And I want food." she then shrugged. "Who knows? I could collapse in hunger pains at this very second. And if I happen to perish from lack of nourishment, it'll be YOUR fault."

Cut and Guts Man didn't respond, looking at each other to see what the other thought about what had just been said. True, while neither of them believed that Cossack's brat was near the point of starving to death, they were technically charged with her care. And while she was probably bluffing, if something had happened to her, it wouldn't be her father that they'd have to worry about.

"A-Ah!" suddenly, the human girl cried out. "Ow...ow! Oooh!" she groaned, clutching her stomach.

"What the?!" Cut Man directed his attention back onto Kalinka. "Hey, what's wrong with you?!"

"It hurts!" Kalinka cried out. "It hurts!" she gestured to her stomach. "I need something! Anything! Ooooh, I feel so sick!"

"What's going on here?" Proto Man walked in, hearing the commotion while steaming over not being in the "roster" that would fight his brother.

"She's dying!" Guts Man cried out, growing panicked.

"She's what?!" Proto Man looked to see Kalinka had gotten to her knees, holding her midsection. "Hey kid, what's wrong with you!? Speak up!"

"F-Food!" she cried out. "I need food! Ack!" she then fell to the ground and rolled over, giving out a few more cries before she went still. Then she went quiet.

"Oh great." Proto Man grew nervous, a state Cut and Guts Man had scarcely seen from the rogue DLN. "Don't just stand there! Do something! Get something!" he ordered.

"But the only things we got is Dr. Wily's-" Guts Man began, but Proto cut him off.

"Just get it! We'll restock later! Just get something to keep this brat alive!"

Cut and Guts Man needed no more than that; the wrath of Dr. Wily hung over everyone's heads. They then dashed out of the small section of the mine containing their prisoner. Then Proto Man realized, to his horror, that he would have to deal with the brat.

"Hey, get up." especially seeing that she was clearly still awake.

Cossack Citadel

He was thankful for not needing lungs as he arrived in a chamber filled entirely with water. The area was lined with numerous pipes and lines going up the walls, and a light situated in the ceiling behind a protective covering shone down. It was as if Mega Man was in a sunken ship or submarine with the sun shining down from above. It made the blue robot think of summer and clear blue skies, a far cry from where he was now.

"Greetings, shipmate," a voice suddenly spoke. Mega Man looked to see Dive Man standing on the other side of the room, giving a small salute. "Though I didn't expect to see you so soon, " he narrowed his eyes. "But I shall avenge my brothers nonetheless, despite your capabilities in combat."

Avenge? "What are you talking about?" Mega Man asked, quite confused.

"I give you the respect I so graciously provided, yet you mock me?!" Dive Man shouted. "You slew all those that came before me!"

"What?! No!" Mega Man protested. "I didn't do that!"

"Oh? Then how did you get here?" The deep-blue Robot Master inquired. "Dr. Cossack would not have allowed you to come here unless you defeated the others."

"Well, Toad and Bright Man will probably be out of commission for a while." Mega Man admitted.

"See? A confession!" Dive Man argued back.

"What? No! Didn't mean like that-"

"It's too late to weasel your way out of it now!" The Robot Master declared, rushing over and forcefully taking Mega Man's hand.

The Blue Bomber couldn't believe it: Dive Man was the one giving HIS power. Willingly too! Wily would NEVER program a bot to do that! Much less one with decent manners.

Of course, this would have to be reflected on later, for as soon as Dive Man provided the Blue Bomber with his weapon, he leaped back in the water, rather gracefully for a more rotund-shaped robot. Then he torpedoed himself straight in Mega Man's direction, the Blue Bomber helpless to escape."

Mine

"...and that's basically how we got to where we are right now," Beat explained.

Roll was left speechless. "So, she's never been outside of that house?" She asked.

"She's been outside before, but it's always been in a small area around it. Ever since Dr. Cossack built that place up in the mountains, she's been stuck there for the past ten years."

Roll could hardly believe it: if she had to endure that, she'd probably go crazy and short-circuit herself! "So, she was five when Dr. Cossack began delving into robotics?"

"Yeah, that's right," Beat confirmed. "At first, our dear and ever-so-lovely government wanted him on board to develop machines for them, but he wasn't overly fond of that idea."

"Why not?" Eddie asked.

"So, you're disappointed that Cossack isn't a war-monger like Wily?" The blonde robot heard Natsenka say, the other femme-bot keeping ahead of Roll and Beat.

"No way!" Roll retorted. "The last thing we need is another crazy scientist screwing things up for everyone," she clarified. "But still, if Cossack made some of the robots Wily has now," something she had never known before until now, "Why did he program them to be fighting machines now?"

"Because he's good at it," Natsenka replied. "I and the rest of the units are programmed for peak performance and diligence, ready to combat any potential threat, whether foreign or domestic," she stopped. "Though that begs the question as to why you're here."

Roll was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"You're not built for combat, and given a person of interest is here, there are bound to be those watching over her."

"And?" Roll asked.

"And what? That's the issue," Natsenka turned to face Roll. "So why are you here?"

"I'm here to help my brother," Roll said.

"And how will you do that?" Natsenka asked. Roll went silent. "Just stay behind me and keep out of the way," she said. "I can't afford to care for you if you get yourself in trouble."

"Oh, don't worry," Roll muttered, brow furrowing in anger. "I won't. I won't even need you to come to save me!"

"Hm?" The redhead thought she had heard something but dismissed it upon things going quiet again.

Roll just walked behind her guide, both seething yet feeling a twinge of guilt. Did she get herself in trouble so often? And better yet, did she cause it for Mega?

Citadel

Even if it was a feature, Mega Man found his buoyancy settings a hindrance. Despite the title of "Super Fighting Robot," there were some features he could never get ahold of. For example, while he weighed a good amount of pounds from the metal he was constructed from, he still had a buoyancy feature that allowed him to traverse and swim through water. But this didn't exactly mean he was "good" at it.

"Oof!" Especially when someone larger was barreling towards you in a whirling cyclone of water.

Dive Man floated down, arms folded as he landed with surprising grace. "Why are you not using the power I gave you?" He questioned his opponent.

Mega Man needed a moment to get himself right side up again before answering. "I'm still working out how to use it! It feels different!"

Dive Man was confused. "Different how?"

"You all feel, well, different!" Mega Man answered. "Your power," he looked down at his hand. "It functions the same as before, and yet..." he was about to continue after his slight pause but was cut off by Dive Man.

"That can be discussed later. For now, however," he readied himself to attack. "We shall engage in combat."

"One last thing," The Blue Bomber then asked, "Why'd you give me your power initially?" He was genuinely curious, for Dive Man, nor any of the Robot Masters would even willingly think of doing something like that.

Dive Man held his chin high. "Because, according to Dr. Cossack, I am to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity and shall conduct myself in the highest ethical manner, be honest and truthful in my dealings within or outside my assigned duties."

Now Mega Man was sure that this new "personality" wasn't Wily's handiwork. But nevertheless, he still had the battle to provide his opponent.

Dive Man saw Mega Man fold his arms and found his body doing the rest of the work for him: a pair of underwear thrusters manifested affixed to his back as he torpedoed forward, Dive Man doing the same.

Elsewhere in the Citadel

The automated door swung open, and two Robot Masters busted in, looking for any sign of what they were looking for. They had come to a small, kitchen-like area with a single light hanging down from above. It didn't light the room well, but that barely mattered to the machines with their advanced optics.

"Where'd Wily say he kept his stash again?" Guts Man asked Cut Man, who shrugged in response.

"I don't know! I never stopped to ask him!" The scissor-headed robot explained.

In fact, now that Cut Man thought about it (he found himself thinking a lot more since Dr. Cossack gave him a "tune-up"), Wily had just told him and the others just to get Kalinka. There was no talk of how long they were holding her, so things such as food and water weren't even considered. But here they were with their hostage, about to die from hunger, and they couldn't even find the snack cabinet!

"So, where do you think Wily would keep some stuff?" Guts Man asked Cut Man.

"Just check everywhere!" The more diminutive Robot Master answered, also looking around the small space they had come up to.

They began looking everywhere, opening drawers, cabinets, and a small fridge (that had a moldy ham-and-cheese sandwich that should've been thrown out a long time ago), until finally, Guts Man lost patience and ripped the countertop off, the other half still attached to the ground displaying a treasure trove of processed edibles.

"Which ones do you think she'll want?" Guts Man questioned, gathering up the small bags of snacks.

"Just take whatever!" Cut Man said. "All that matters is that she doesn't die!"

Remembering the urgency, the more enormous Robot Master went through the automated door, Cut Man following soon behind them. The door closed, and from behind it, they disappeared.

Dive Man's Arena

Even if Mega Man had dealt with Dive Man before (particularly with a giant squid incident), these new features were challenging to control.

The primary function of Dive Man's powers was the ability to produce a trio of homing missiles that tracked the intended target (decided via each machine's accuracy detectors). Still, now a secondary function had been added by Dr. Cossack. As Dive Man demonstrated, he could now propel himself forward at a lightning-fast speed, spinning and creating a cyclone of water behind him. This, combined with his already dense structure, spelled trouble for the Blue Bomber.

Especially when the recently reprogrammed DCN stuck him, the sensation was almost like being hit by a truck at high-speed.

Mega Man was sent smashing into the wall before floating down to the floor, looking up to see a Blue Bomber-shaped indent.

"Your lackluster performance is beginning to annoy me. Are you mocking me?" Dive Man asked, still floating in the water. Before speaking any further, he seemed to be looking a little under the weather. "Oh-oooooh..." He groaned, holding his stomach.

"Seasick, Dive Man?" Mega Man jested, trying to boost his confidence due to how poorly he was doing. Then he thought about it. Seasick...I wonder...

"No, I'm fine," Dive Man groaned, collecting himself despite the wave of nausea that came over him. "E-Enough talk!" He said. "We are currently engaged in a duel! And should you succeed, there will be other challenges you'll face!"

"Yeah, I'm counting on it," Mega Man said. "It's been quiet for a while, so at least Cossack's giving me a good workout." He then saw Dive Man fold his arms, ready to charge again. But if I'm going to make it by the time limit, I'm going to have to be a little creative on how to deal with you guys from now on!

Mine

"Hey, c'mon! Get up!"

She didn't stir. Proto Man looked down at the "unconscious" teen, who had collapsed from supposed hunger pains. The stupid brat hadn't made a single move or sound, clearly playing possum to try and get him to open the door to her prison. Well, tough luck, because that wouldn't work on him! He would make sure of it.

Still, as Kalinka Cossack lay there, unmoving and unresponsive, either waiting for her ward to slip up and open her cell door, she had collapsed from hunger. Although Proto believed the latter was highly unlikely, he wasn't completely unaware that such things could happen. During the incident where Wily was building that robot copy of Mitchell Deacon (who was still on his way to becoming New York's governor), the old coot had spent many sleepless nights working on the thing. Deacon's robotic doppelgänger was nothing more than a hollow shell that Wily could input commands into, but this one had to look convincing, unlike the other robots. Which, according to Wily, meant he had to get the details right, especially if "they" we'd going to fool Mega Man.

A few days before their plan to hijack the election and replace the candidate, and just as Proto was about to turn in, he heard a clatter and ran to see Wily had collapsed. Luckily, the Three Laws didn't prohibit performing CPR, but he had to be careful not potentially to break his ribs. Thankfully, Wily quickly returned to consciousness and immediately turned in, though not before Proto Man urged him to do so ever-so-gently.

"You stupid old coot! You can't afford to stay up for days as we can! So get your rear in bed!"

Not exactly the most elegant way of wording things, but that was beside the point. Kalinka was, unlike Wily, clearly faking it, but despite that, Proto knew that if something did happen to her, it'd be terrible for him and everyone else. So, even if they all despised having to watch the brat (him especially), they knew they couldn't let her get in or put herself in any danger.

But right now, seeing as she wasn't in any danger, perhaps Proto should've appreciated the quiet. Better than listening to her talk. Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching him, Cut and Guts Man back with an entire collection of junk food.

"Quick!" Cut Man said urgently. "Get something in her mouth!"

Proto Man rolled his eyes from behind his visor. Despite Cossack's tune-ups (he never received any by his own choice), some things never changed.

Citadel

Strange strategy, but at the moment, he seemed fixated on it.

While it still wasn't easy, Mega Man had gained better control of Dive Man's spinning maneuver, turning and managing his speed in the water. For someone with as much girth as he had, Dive Man could nearly rival Quick Man for speed in the water, making Mega's task more difficult. To his opponent's confusion, Mega Man wasn't using the Dive Missile ability he had been given. Instead, he had been merely dodging Dive Man's own missiles and practicing his spin maneuver.

"Do you intend to play around forever?" Dive Man asked, growing rather annoyed.

"Nope, I think I've got it." Mega Man said, turning to face the other blue robot.

"Then stop fooling around and face me!" Dive Man unleashed a slew of missiles, all aiming right for Mega Man. "These missiles here are designed to seek out only their intended target, so don't think you can just swim on past them!"

Great, he's right. Mega thought. I'll have to use the missiles earlier than I had hoped. Mega Man then looked ahead at the group of projectiles ready to be set in him anytime. Fine. I can still make this work. "Then, by all means, fire away, Divey!"

Divey? Well, whatever. "Your poor choice of nicknames shall be dealt with later. But, for now," Dive Man thrust a finger in his opponent's direction, the missiles coming in. "Your destruction is at hand!"

Mine

She was dimly aware that something light and full of air had been tossed at her. Then another, and another. Slowly, KalinkaCossack rose and saw that a multitude of bags had been given to her. Everything ranging from Lays to Cheetos to Funions and Fritos was before her, the surface of the bags bright and shining underneath the small light above. She looked down at the bags and quirked a brow. Then she looked at her captors.

"And what's this?" She asked. It didn't seem she thought the snacks looked that appetizing.

"It's what you wanted," Guts Man said, his square jaw moving up and down as he spoke. "So eat it!"

The curly-haired blonde took in the details of the snacks before her. "This looks like stuff I'd choke on and die."

"It's either that or you can eat dirt! Pick one!" Cut Man responded.

"You guys are like the worst hosts ever!" Kalinka huffed.

But then her stomach growled again, signifying that, despite the less-than-appealing selection, she couldn't deny that she still had no food on her stomach, and what she had in front of her was all she was going to receive for a while.

"Ok, fine. I'll do it," Kalinka relented, opening a bag of Cheetos. "But I think I'm not going to like it."

Chapter Text

He swerved out of the way just in time, yet he had no time to rest before another missile came in: this time, mere inches away from his face!

Geez, Dr. Cossack DID do a number on these guys! So Mega Man thought, just barely dodging another missile. I'm beginning to wonder if I spoke too soon about his character.

"Come on! Shoot!" Dive Man bellowed, having had enough of the other robot's pussyfooting.

"Ok, ok!" Mega Man responded. "I'm just trying to decide which angle to go," he propelled himself right in Dive Man's direction, but instead of shooting, he swerved by him entirely. "Like maybe I should come at you from this direction," Dive Man then watched as his opponent dove towards him again, zooming past from underneath.

"Hey! That's against protocol!" Dive Man squeaked, feeling a little exposed.

"Or maybe I should come from over here!" The Blue Bomber said, then swimming elsewhere. Soon, he was zooming all around the underwater chamber.

"Stay still!" Dive Man ordered.

"Bet you can't catch me!" Mega taunted, relieved that the Robot Master took the bait.

"Get back here, you insolent little whelp!" The darker blue machine folded his arms and began barreling towards the Blue Bomber.

While this was what Mega wanted, he knew this was where the danger was most prevalent. He swam as his copied thrusters sent him all around the chamber, Dive Man always close behind. His speed in the water was a problem, but adding missiles really took the cake! Nevertheless, Mega knew he had to keep this up until he noticed the signs he needed to see.

"You're too slow-GAH!" Mega had intended to goad Dive Man a little more but found that perhaps he did it too well. Dive Man had managed to hit him; his blue body slammed into the wall. He turned, ready to fire if need be, but it seemed that Dive Man wasn't feeling too good.

Abandoned Mine

The blonde Russian tore open one of the bags (she didn't bother to see which one)as hunger again reared its ugly head. Her hand dove into the plastic bag and took out a single Doritos chip. She stared at it and brought it to her nose.

"C'mon, just eat it!" Cut Man said, frustrated at the human teenager.

"Hold on!" Kalinka barked back. "I'm checking to see if it's laced with anything."

"Laced?" Guts Man looked at Proto and Cut Man, but the other two reacted similarly.

"Yeah. Drugs." Kalinka explained.

"Why would we lace Wily's snacks with drugs?" Proto Man asked.

"You drugged me before!" Kalinka answered. It was that one other guy with them. I didn't get a good look at him, but I don't think he's one of Papa's. And he's definitely not one of my friends. Just who was that? And also, where was Bright Man? Where was Евлампий Михайлович? Was he here somewhere? Were the others?

Kalinka's stomach growled, and she took a bite, feeling the texture on her tongue. It wasn't the best thing she had, but it would do. She soon took handfuls of the processed snack and was tearing through the other bags. It wasn't exactly ladylike of her, yet she hadn't eaten in hours, and these idiots didn't even prepare to keep her long-term! All that mattered at that moment was filling her stomach with something.

But it didn't take long for her stomach to start acting up.

"Uh, is she sick?" Guts Man asked, only to be answered by the sight of the Russian girl hurling her guts out in the toilet.

Citadel

"BLEUGH!"

Mega Man grimaced as he saw oil and some other fluids exit Dive Man, the water causing them to float up to the ceiling. "Oh geez, ew."

"You..." Dive Man groaned. "You'll pay for that! That's...ugh!" He threw up again. "Such cheap tactics are the mark of a coward!"

"Or it's using your environment to your advantage." Mega Man quipped.

Even if things were going in Mega Man's favor, he had become rather tired of having to swim around. If he could get rid of all the water, that would give him an edge. There had to be a place where it could all be drained; it wasn't as if they were in the ocean. The Blue Bomber looked around and saw what appeared to be a lever or pulley at the top of the room.

"Huh?" Dive Man groaned, and then he heard a great suction of water from down below. "Oh no, what have you done-AH!"

Mega Man and Dive Man were swept up in a powerful underwater cyclone as the water filling the chamber was sucked down by a single drain in the floor. The two robots were helpless against the force of the draining water, but both had very different reactions to their current situation. Given there was nothing he could do, Mega Man let himself enjoy the ride, throwing in a few "Yahoos!" for good measure. But, on the other hand, Dive Man wasn't enjoying the ride. In fact, he would do anything to get off.

But eventually, at long last, the water had been drained, leaving a very wet but very empty chamber. Dive Man was on the ground, head spinning. Mega Man took the opportunity and blasted a few Dive Missiles in the Robot Master's direction, but Dive Man shot out his own at the last second. The resulting explosion from the two sets of missiles colliding sent both robots flying against the walls, but when Mega Man landed on the ground, he found he couldn't rest for too long, as he saw a blue figure propel himself through the flames, riding on the slick surface of the floor.

Mine

"So, where are we heading to again?" Roll asked Natsenka.

"This is a search and rescue mission," Natsenka told Roll. "We must search, then we will rescue."

"Oh, yeah. You kinda got to do that first, don't you?" Roll let out an embarrassed giggle. Then the red-headed bot stopped in front of her. "What's up?" She asked, peering over Natsenka's shoulder. She saw that the tunnel they were about to enter had caved in. Whether it was recent or some time ago, when it happened didn't matter. A potential path for them was blocked. "Now what?"

"Well, for one, it seems this place is dangerous," Natsenka said. "Another reason you should just leave."

"Well, too bad," Roll answered. "As long as Mega's here, so am I." Still, they needed to do something. They couldn't just stand here; if this place weren't stable, they would have to tread carefully. But then, she saw a panel in Natsenka's back open, a small, blue, egg-shaped object inside. The Russian bot took it out. "What's that?" Roll asked, Beat and Eddie also looking at the egg.

Suddenly, the egg grew a beak, eyes, and a pair of wings from various slots. "Hey, wait. They still have you use those guys?"

Roll looked over at Beat. "What are they?"

"It's a Swallown," Natsenka explained. "When he had first relocated back to this country, Dr. Cossack was commissioned by our government to create robots for aerial patrol. Given Wily started causing trouble over a decade ago, we've been taking extreme precautions," she said. "Especially after the theft of the Doctor's own Robot Masters."

The Swallown flew over to Roll, Eddie and Beat, looking them over and determining if they were a threat. "Hey pal, you were based on me! We're practically family!" He said, the Swallown pecking at him.

It gave Beat a curious look before looking down at Eddie and pecking its beak on his lid. She saw that it was irritating the energy dispenser, so Roll shooed it away.

Natsenka gave a small whistle, getting the bird-bot's attention. It then landed in her outstretched hand. "Go and scout out the area," she then reached into another panel, this one on her lower back. She withdrew a pair of binocular-like goggles and put them on. With the correct tuning on the module on the frames, she could see through the Swallown's eyes. "Once you've found a safe passage, return to me. Understand?"

With that, the Swallown flew off, propelled by a small thruster on its backside. "You think he'll be ok?" Roll asked.

"It is constructed to perform its duty to the letter," Natsenka answered. "The Swallown unit was designed for tasks such as these."

"No, I mean, do you think it he'll be ok?" Roll clarified herself.

"Whatever happens, happens," Natsenka responded. "Its job is to scout. If it serves that purpose, then that is all it needs to be fulfilled. If that's what you're referring to."

Roll was quiet. Forget it. She thought. You wouldn't get it anyway. Then she directed her attention to Beat. "Hey, not to discredit your function or anything, but I've been curious about something." She told the blue bird.

"Hm? What's that?" Beat asked.

"If Cossack's kid was hidden away in the mountains, how did Wily manage to find her?"

Beat sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "I try to be careful when I go back and forth between the Doc and Kalinka," he then looked down at the ground. "I guess this time, I wasn't careful enough."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it," Roll told him. "Wily's made a ton of stuff just to spy on us, so it's pretty impressive he's only discovered Kalinka now," she said, though this did little to soothe the bird's guilt. "Still, I can't imagine staying alone in a place like that."

"Up until now, the Doc thought that was the only way to keep her safe," Beat said. "Because Wily already took what was his before."

Even if she was concentrating on surveying the Swallon's findings, winding dark tunnels with dim lighting up above all she could see as it flew, Natsenka also heard and contemplated Beat's words. As much of a snark he could be, he wasn't foolish. He had been careful about going back and forth between Cossack and his daughter for years. And Dr. Cossack went missing before Kalinka, so either Wily knew of Kalinka before and was holding her over Cossack's head, or he had just recently found out. Whatever the case was, it wouldn't have surprised her if the mad scientist had made some other sort of "spy" sometime before or after Cossack went missing. The only question was, where was it now?

And even more, if it, or something similar, was residing somewhere in these tunnels.

Citadel

"Don't think you can defeat me so easily just because you drained the water!" Dive Man said, sending out more missiles that Mega Man had to dodge or counter. "I will end this here and now!"

"That's funny," Mega replied, ducking under another dive missile that exploded behind him. "I was thinking the same thing!"

Dive Man shot another missile, which Mega Man countered with his own. But when he rushed forward, he didn't see any trace of the Blue Bomber. "Huh?" He looked to the left and right. "Where'd he...?" He then felt a tap on his shoulder. The Robot Master turned to see Mega Man standing behind him.

"Hello." He greeted, smiling.

Dive Man was in no mood for hellos. He was about to fire off another missile, but instead of firing his own or trying to get away, Mega Man began using Dive Man's secondary ability to ski around him on the wet floor.

"H-Hold still!" Dive Man said, the image of the Blue Bomber going around and around. "I can't...concentrate!" He wasn't lying. It wasn't Quick Man levels of fast, but Mega Man was becoming difficult to track. And how he was forced to keep turning this way and that to keep track of him made his stomach begin to act up.

"Looking a little green there, aren't you?" Mega questioned, thankful that his plan was working.

"Shut up! I've got you...now...?" He tried to some, but his opponent's constant movement made it near impossible to concentrate. Not to mention that, despite not having any, he felt like he was going to puke his guts out. "Oooohhh, I think I'm gonna-"

He was about to let the contents of inner fluids from his engine seep up into his throat, but he never got the chance. When his target had come to a stop, he was too nauseous to do anything but groan. And when he realized Mega Man had his buster mere inches away, it was already too late. Mega Man was blasted, sending his pieces all over the place. Then, seeing that another of Cossack's machines had been dealt with, Mega Man went to the warp tile and exited the room.

Observation Room

"That settles it; you must've done something to your robots to make them have such goofy weaknesses!"

Cossack adjusted his glasses. "Where would you get that idea?" Wily only scowled at him, huffing like a kid. "I merely gave them the personalities they had before you came in and reprogrammed them," he said. "Speaking of, you should be thanking me," Cossack said. "Your programming skills are so simplistic; those robots you have around here had nothing but destruction on their minds."

"What else would they need?" Wily questioned, though he wasn't interested in hearing Cossack's lecture. "That periwinkle pest being crushed and made into an aluminum can is the only use they have. So why bother making them more complicated?"

"Because that would take time out of you making more of your little toys?" The Russian asked. Wily's brow furrowed, growing even angrier, but Cossack wasn't intimidated. The older man looked like a child throwing a tantrum. "It's just basic logic," the Russian scientist continued. "Higher levels of thinking lead to better performance."

"Just as long as none of them betray me." The balding German grumbled, remembering the incident with Ice Man very well.

"They rely on you for sustenance and housing. So there's little need to betray you," Cossack said. "Besides, you've probably only been saved because you still had at least some loose interpretation of the Three Laws in their systems. Otherwise, you would've been long dead by now."

Wily huffed. Who did this guy think he was? A world-renowned scientist? And even if he was, quite literally, who was he to question Wily's work? More than half of the robots here were made by his hands! So, where was his recognition for his programming skills? True, most, if not all, were created to cause collateral damage, but the way they did it had to count for something, right?

"Hey, Doc. We've got a bit of a problem." The sliding door on the left side of the room opened, revealing a rather annoyed Proto Man. "The brat's-" he stopped, seeing on the monitor that three of Cossack's robots had been defeated. "Looks like my little bro is plowing through your forces, Cossack."

"Ha! See?! Even Proto here sees it," Dr. Wily exclaimed. "You're not fooling anyone!"

"As I said before, this is a challenge, Wily," Cossack said. "And if I am at the helm of this operation, things will be done my way."

"Only so much," Wily said. "Because even if ARE complying, your life is not the one you should be worried about."

Cossack turned to face the older man, rising out of his chair. "And YOU had better hold up your end of the bargain," he said, voice deathly serious. Proto looked to see that, while he tried to conceal it, Wily was somewhat afraid of the Russian. "Mega Man's destruction for Kalinka's return."

The Red Bomber couldn't help but feel a chill, if not for how intense he was. This looked like a guy that had nothing to lose. I just hope crazy doesn't run in the family. Family...oh right!

"As promised," Wily answered. "But that means she has to behave herself. I hope she's as much of an angel as you claim her to be."

"Speaking of the brat," Proto Man interjected. "We've got a bit of a situation."

"What kind of situation?" Cossack asked. "What's wrong with my Kalinka?"

Proto was about to speak, but his audio receptor began beeping.

"Well, answer it!" Wily ordered. "Who's calling?"

"Kinda a question you should ask BEFORE answering the phone, isn't it?" Wily huffed, folding his arms. Still, Proto Man answered the call. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Put us on speaker, soldier!" Ice Man's voice ordered. "Oh, if you don't mind, sir."

"Yeah, sure, Frosty." Proto Man chuckled, setting his receptor to speaker mode. "Dr. Wily, sir! We have spotted an unidentified flying object within the perimeter." He said in his professional, commanding voice.

"Huh?" Wily was confused. "You'll have to be a little more specific than that."

"Oh, yes, sir," Ice Man said in a much meeker tone. "We are on its trail as we speak, but..."

"But what?" Wily asked.

"Well, given the nature of this operation, we have reason to believe that someone is here, trying to search for the hostage."

Mine

The Swallown flew through the sparsely lit tunnels, its eyes allowing Natsenka Unit 95 to see what path would be best to take. So far, the tunnel it was traveling down appeared stable, but it had to be sure, lest it spelled disaster later. What the small blue bird saw, Natsenka also saw via the binoculars, or as they were officially called spy eyes. While they weren't exactly alike, the particular device reminded Roll of the special "shades" Mega told her about when he and Proto were fighting once. It happened on her first day of robot college as well, and with all the excitement going on, she was disappointed to have missed it.

"What's going on?" Roll asked Natsenka.

"Pretty lady see anything?" Eddie also asked.

"Shh!" Natsenka shushed. "There's something up ahead."

"Well, what is it?" Roll questioned.

Natsenka grew annoyed. That was supposed to be a hint to be quiet!

Honestly, why did she even let this dumb blonde follow her? She had no combat experience, was infamous for getting herself into trouble, and so far, had done nothing but badger her with useless questions! It was a miracle she hadn't gotten herself scrapped by now! But unfortunately, she had no intention of leaving the Russian agent alone. She was beginning to wonder if this was what her brother had to deal with.

Nevertheless, she answered Roll's question. Through the eyes of the Swallown, she saw a dark pit below with a series of rickety railways built over it. There" were also two mine carts present at the beginning of each railway. "It looks like we have one path we could take," Natsenka said. "But I doubt it's safe." If need be, that path would only be a last resort.

"Then can we go another way?" Beat questioned.

"There are other tunnels to look over," Natsenka answered the bird. "I just have to be aware of anyone watching."

"Watching?" Roll asked. "Well, Wily's goons would probably be lurking around if this is where Kalinka's being kept."

"It's not just that," Natsenka responded. "Even with guarded forces, I doubt they found Cossack's daughter by accident."

"What do you mean?" Roll asked, then she noticed Beat looked despondent as if he were being reminded of something he didn't want to think of.

"I mean," the red-headed robot said. "Wily had somehow found out about her. Whether from Cossack or something else. Either way, her abduction wasn't something put together in the spur of a moment," she said. "And I doubt Cossack would've said anything."

"No, he wouldn't have," Beat said, Roll, noticing that his voice sounded sad.

And while he said nothing more, Roll suspected she could guess what he was thinking.

"Wait," Natsenka spoke up. "I see something." Roll leaned in closer, Beat and Eddie also peering over the redhead's shoulder.

From the Swallown's perspective, it spotted a figure below, searching the tunnel it was going down. The figure was dressed in a blue parka with large, spectacle-like eyes. "Soldier! Status report!"

From his position, Elec Man answered. "I am NOT one of your soldiers, so I'd kindly ask you to stop referring to me as such," he said. "In fact, given your recently added handicap to my superior abilities, you should perhaps be answering to me."

"Oh, really?" Ice Man asked, genuinely curious. "Sir, what do you think?" He asked himself. "Negative!" The Robot Master's "commander side" protested. "Our Commanding Officer is Dr. Wily, and for the time being, Dr. Cossack! We do not submit to you!"

"Is that so?" Elec Man asked, creating a few sparks with his digits. "Then, would you care for another demonstration of my powers?"

Ice Man paled, his more "submissive soldier" self emerging again. "Um, I don't like being shocked, sir."

"Then you admit I am worthy of your respect and obedience, correct?" The primarily black Robot Master asked the Eskimo-based machine.

"Y-Yes, sir." Ice Man stammered.

"Good," Elec Man said. "Now, keep searching on your end. I'll contact you if I see anything." With that, the call ended.

The visual captured by the Swallown's optics made Natsenka realize that, while she suspected that Kalinka would be guarded, the way these robots behaved was not aligning with Wily's standard programming. This would perhaps prove to be even more difficult than she thought. But then, Ice Man looked up, the Russian agent realizing he was looking right at her avian spy!

"Curses!" Natsenka hissed. As if things couldn't get any worse.

"What's wrong?" Roll asked.

Natsenka was quiet for a moment yet ultimately decided that, even if she wasn't supposed to be here, Roll should at least know. "I believe we've just been spotted."

Observation Room

"What do you mean we've got someone lurking in the tunnels!?" Wily bellowed, face growing red. "Did you have something to do with this?!" He demanded that Cossack answer him.

"No! I didn't!" The Russian answered frantically.

"I think the government was going to send somebody, Doc," Proto said. "But however they got here, they're going to put a dent in things if we don't take care of them."

"I know the government would send someone to try and get Cossack's daughter!" Wily exclaimed. "I just want to know how they managed to find their way to where she's hidden!" He then thought of something. "It was that bluebird, wasn't it?" He wondered aloud. "He led them here!"

"Uh, you sure about that, Wily?" Proto asked. "Because last I saw, Tweety booked it the second things got too dangerous for him."

"So? He could've followed you!" Wily said.

"Guts Man did a number on that stupid bird, so I doubt he would be functioning for much longer," Proto Man said. "And besides, what could he do even if he was here? The little pipsqueak would get him crushed like a tin can!"

"Don't underestimate Beat," Dr. Cossack told Proto Man. "It may be your last mistake."

"Ooooh, what's Tweety going to do? Do a number two on everything?" Even if he wasn't being serious, Proto Man was thankful he wouldn't have to deal with that. One of the perks of being mechanical.

"He has done his job in watching Kalinka," Cossack said. "And, whether you catch him or not, he will not stop in his quest to locate her."

"Well then, we'll have to locate HIM first, won't we?" Wily remarked.

"And your plan to do that, Doc?" Proto Man questioned.

Wily smiled. "The same way I found Cossack here," he said. "And that bluebird," he then turned to Proto. "My boy, go fetch my newest creation!" He commanded. "Those government agents think they can track me? Well, I'll just track them right back!" Then, his stomach growled. "Of course, get me something out of the snack stash before that, would you?"

"Oh, sure. Don't even ask me if I want anything." Cossack said.

"Ok, fine," Wily responded. "Do YOU want anything?"

"Nothing from you," Cossack answered, turning his attention back to the control panel and monitors.

"Fine, be like that," he then turned back to Proto. "Looks like it'll be an order for one."

"Uh, yeah. That's kinda what I came to tell you about." Proto Man said. He then pulled Wily to the side.

Cossack listened in due to it relating to his daughter, yet he found that what happened was actually something that made him laugh despite his current situation.

"WHAT DO YOU ME SHE ATE ALL THE SNACKS?!"

Mine

Just where did it go? He knew he had seen it flying around somewhere! "Soldier, do you see anything?" He asked Elec Man over his com-link, the other reprogrammed DLN searching another tunnel.

"I am NOT one of your soldiers," Elec Man told Ice Man again. "But no, I do not." The darkly clad Robot Master looked around, not spotting any sign of the bird-bot Ice Man described.

"Well, keep looking, soldier!" Ice Man commanded. "I shall give another report in due time!"

Elec Man rolled his eyes. It seemed he had completely forgotten how the electricity-wielding Robot Master put the little ice elf in his place. Just WHAT had Cossack done to your hard drive? Elec Man wondered. Suddenly, he got a message from Wily. "Yes, Doctor? This is Elec Man."

"Ah, finally!" Wily said. "Blasted weather is messing with the reception," he complained. "Anyway, can you and Ice Man hear me?"

"Loud and clear, sir!" Ice Man answered. "We are ready to commence searching for the intruder or intruders at your command!"

Suck up. Elec Man thought. Then again, Wily did tell Cossack to work on his obedience components. Though this was a bit extreme, wasn't it? You better keep that to yourself, he warned himself. You don't want to end up like the little ice elf, so keep your mouth shut.

"That is what I need to tell the both of you," Wily said to both machines in two separate tunnels. "If you see a little bird flying around here,"

"No worries, sir!" Ice Man said, giving a salute. "We shall find and exterminate any threat that-"

"No, no! I don't want you to destroy them!" Wily shouted. "In fact, I want you to let them come."

Both Elec and Ice Man were baffled. "Come again?" Elec Man asked, scarcely believing what he was hearing.

"You WANT them to locate the hostage, sir?" Ice Man inquired. "But, sir, wouldn't that jeopardize this whole operation?"

"Not with all five of you down there to take them out," Wily answered. "And to help, I'm sending Proto down with a friend to help you."

"And that would be?" Elec Man questioned.

Kalinka's Cell

"This doesn't even flush." Kalinka groaned. The contents of her stomach were in a hole that had been dug underneath the toilet. She then hurled again, Cut and Guts Man wincing in disgust.

"How long is she going to keep doing that?" Guts Man asked, not sure whether this was serious or not.

"Probably until she starts choking on her guts?" Cut Man theorized aloud.

"Whoa! What's this about choking on her guts?!" Proto Man came into the mine section serving as Kalinka's prison. Then he saw that she was not indeed choking on her innards. But she was looking rather green. "Ugh, don't get me worked up like that!" He told Cut and Guts Man. "I thought the kid was dying!"

"I'm sixteen years old, thank you kindly!" Kalinka interjected before throwing up again.

Proto grimaced at the scene, turning away from the human and to the other two robots. "So, Mega's plowing through Cossack's robots, and he's nearly halfway done."

Kalinka looked up from the toilet upon hearing that. Papa's robots? Does he mean...?!

"Who's been taken out?" Cut Man questioned.

"Toad, Bright, and most recently, Dive Man," Proto Man said. "I don't know which one Wily's going to be setting him up with next."

The blonde Russian cupped a hand over her mouth. Taken out?! Her friends?! And even more, her friends were here?! And Mega Man had just taken them out?

"I knew Toad Man would be the first to go," Guts Man said. "Stupid frog only knows how to do that stupid dance!"

Kalinka's brow furrowed. "How dare you talk about лягушачий!" She shouted, clearly enraged.

Cut, Guts, and Proto Man looked at each other, their CPUs translating Kalinka's native language. "Froggy?" Cut Man asked. "You call Toad Man 'Froggy'?"

"I know he's technically a toad, but I thought it sounded cute," Kalinka responded. "I came up with it when I was five, ok? It just sort of stuck."

Proto Man paid her no mind, his attention to the girl's prison entrance. "Where the heck is he?" The Red Bomber asked. "He was on my shoulder when I came down here."

Then, as if to answer his question, a black, airborne blur flew into the area, flying around before it came to land on Guts Man's head. The shadows cast thanks to the lightning made it difficult for Kalinka to see, but the creature on the massive robot's head appeared to be a bird of some kind. "Beat?" Kalinka asked, hopeful that the bird had found her. But the bird didn't answer. "No, you're not him!"

"Sure isn't, brat," Proto Man said; the bird then came to sit on his shoulder. "But he is how we managed to find you," he told her. "And now, seeing as your lovely government has sent one of their fine agents to fetch you," the bird on his shoulder began to chuckle darkly. "This guy here is going to go and fetch them!"

Chapter Text

When the Swallown was first spotted, the bird-bot immediately attempted to escape, Ice Man froze any spot the flying machine had been. He chased for a short while, but then he stopped in his tracks, coming across the mine carts and railways going over a dark abyss. The Swallown continued until it went out of sight; Ice Man was forced to go the other way and try to corner the bird from the other side. While Natsenka was thankful for this turn of events, now the enemy knew she was there. She, and a few tag-alongs.

"What's going on?" Roll asked the Russian agent. "Is the Swallown ok?"

"The unit is fine," Natsenka replied. "But we've been spotted, so this complicates matters."

"Who saw us?" Eddie asked.

"Former DLN-005, Ice Man." Natsenka answered.

"Oh, that guy?" Roll asked. "He's no problem. You should've seen how easy it was to trick him into believing Wily was going to betray him."

"If we were dealing with Wily's programming, I would agree. Even if that still isn't a good excuse for you tagging along," she said. "But Dr. Cossack's probably been with Wily for some time. We couldn't locate him because his tracker was destroyed, so he could've been collaborating with him the entire time or just recently."

"Ok?" Roll responded, confused. "What does that mean?"

Natsenka pulled the spy eyes from her face to acknowledge Roll; the blonde was surprised she did so. "That means Cossack could've given Wily a few tips in fine-tuning his work."

"They're still technically working for Wily, so they can't be that impressive," Roll said.

"You have no idea what you're in for," the Russian robot retorted. "But it's clear that that's not going to stop you." She then went back to surveying the mine through the spy's eyes.

That's right. Roll thought. Whether she liked it or not, at least Natsenka finally got the picture. Still, this didn't bring them closer to where Cossack's daughter was. And while she had her doubts, if the Russian robot's suspicions were correct, what would that mean for her brother? Mega.

She clutched Eddie to her chest. She knew he wouldn't want her here, but now she had no choice. There was a danger he was unaware of, and while she might've not been a "Super Fighting Robot" like him, she couldn't simply let him face this alone! And someone else's life on the line made things even more urgent. True, Wily wanted Kalinka alive, but Mega knew nothing about her.

And that balding old lunatic would surely count on that. And then, when the time was right, either he or Proto Man would come in and finish the job. But, of course, she would do anything to prevent that, even if she had to go where she probably shouldn't have been going.

It was then that she remembered something. "Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask," Roll whispered to Beat. "How did you find your way here?"

Beat put a wing over her mouth. "Not right now! Wait until later!"

"Hm?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, we weren't talking about anything, honest!" Roll said.

"What are you talking about now?" She asked. "Whatever, just don't...hm?" Natsenka grew confused at what she was seeing.

"What is it?" Roll asked.

"I see a shadow on the walls," the redhead said. "It's coming closer."

"Is it that Ice guy?" Beat questioned, perched on Roll's shoulder.

"No," Natsenka answered. "It looks like a bird."

A Distance Away

The Swallown flew in the opposite direction of the shadow, traveling as far as it could away. After a moment, it didn't see anything, but it was debating on whether or not to return to the agent it belonged to. But its programming dictated that it had to continue until the person of interest was found. No matter what it may face, or if it meant that the bird was leading it to its termination. Its mission had to be fulfilled, no matter the cost.

The owner of the shadow watched as the blue bird-bot when away, his large eyes following its movements. Dr. Wily's instructions were clear: he was to keep tabs on the other bird, but he couldn't let himself be seen. Not until the time was right. But until then, who was to say that he couldn't have some fun with the little spy first? He hadn't stretched out his wings much since he was built, so this would be fun.

Much more fun than having to track that other bird back and forth between Cossack and that house.

United States

Dr. Light's Lab

The agent dressed in the trench coat looked over the information displayed on the monitor, and every call and video chat Dr. Light had shared with Cossack was up and ready for viewing. "Is this all?" Gilbert Stern asked.

"Yes, as far as I'm aware," Dr. Light confessed. "Though there may be more. I'll admit, I can't keep track of all our talks."

"I can see why," Stern said, going down all the recordings of any sort of communication. God, man! How many times DID this guy call you? " He began typing more furiously on the keyboard. "And how do you sort through these faster?!"

Roslyn Krantz chuckled. "You need some help there?" She asked. "Gilbert?" The older agent didn't dare turn around unless he wanted her and Light to see his reddened, flustered face. "Even at his age, he's all embarrassed about his name," the tan woman told Light. "So, how'd things go with Cossack at the beginning?" She asked Dr. Light. "Did things seem normal?"

"Perfectly normal," Light answered. "We came to know each other shortly after I had finished my prototype."

"The one that was stolen?" Krantz asked.

"Better known as that good-for-nothing troublemaker with the scarf," Stern added.

"Yes, well, I have hope that perhaps his better traits will eventually shine through. I didn't program Proto Man as evil."

"Back to the subject at hand," Roslyn said, "how did your first conversation with Cossack go?"

"Perfectly fine," Dr. Light said. "I saw him before while researching how to better improve programming the guidance system," He explained. "Specifically, at an international expo held here some time ago, here in this city."

A friendship that had lasted for decades all ended within a day. Thomas Light tried to keep himself composed as he entered the building, as he had time to release his emotions the day before. He needed something to occupy his mind. Not to mention those funding his experiment would want to see results, regardless of personal issues. But still, how was he going to solve the problem with the guidance system?

The scientist made his way into the expo being held in Town Square, several minds like himself presenting what they had to offer. And a good deal of the displays gave machines built to either do daily tasks or for more secretive work, like air surveillance or delivering top-secret messages. Still, while they were all fascinating to see, none of them seemed to provide what Dr. Light was looking for. He had just built his first robot, but without proper programming, what good would that do? And now, with Albert Wily having cut ties with him, this put Thomas Light in quite a predicament.

Just what was he going to do?

But just as he pondered this, he felt something light land on his shoulder. "Oh, no, you don't! Get back here!" Dr. Light suddenly heard a voice say with a distinct, Slavic accent.

Light looked on his shoulder to see a tiny bird-like robot no more giant than a golf ball, and colored aqua had perched itself on his shoulder. He then saw who was presumably ordering it to return. A man far younger than Light approached him; a larger bird-bot of deep blue sat atop his head, smooshing down his wild, brown hair. He had eyes of green, glasses, a mustache and beard, and a somewhat frazzled look on his face.

"Sounds like you two hit it off quite well," Roslyn said.

"Well, not exactly, Dr. Light sheepishly admitted. "I was so fascinated with the Swallown and Coswallon he had brought, I sort of stayed after the presentation to ask him a few questions."

"And how did that go?" Krantz asked.

"Well, what happened afterward was somewhat awkward," Light admitted, "But his presentation was marvelous," he then looked over to the enclosure that held Mariachi, who was running in his wheel, trying to work some of the stress off."It inspired that little one over there."

Roslyn went over to look at the robotic hamster, growing intrigued as she watched the tiny thing running its metal heart out. "Well, you got the cute look down," The agent said, then she noticed Mariachi had stopped running. The hamster had just noticed her presence and began to urge her to let him out of his enclosure. So she put her hand inside and allowed the robotic rodent to climb up. "This guy sort of makes me want to get a robo-pet."

"He's also a generator, isn't he?" Stern asked. "I can understand the hamster part, but how did Cossack inspire that? He's usually known for his collaborations with his government."

"Only when he had returned to Russia from Sweden, though that's a story in itself," Dr. Light said.

"Yes, we are all aware of Cossack's history," Stern said. Indeed, even if he had been everywhere and seen nearly everything, stories like Cossack's always struck a chord with him. Mainly because what he went through was what he feared would happen when he was just a boy. "But getting back on topic," the older two agents said. "How did your talk with Cossack go?"

"He told me to get lost, actually." Dr. Light said.

"Then how is it you two even started talking at all?" Stern inquired, still going through the numerous calls the two scientists had shared. Geez! How long do these go on for?!

"That's actually what still baffles me," Light admitted. "Just as he was about to leave, he slipped me a piece of paper with a communication address," the older scientist continued. "I put in the address and found myself talking to Dr. Cossack that night."

"I heard from some at the expo that you were interested in my animal robots," The Russian scientist said, having been contacted by Dr. Light. "I ask because I have a place to set them up."

The Russian was surprised at how giddy the older scientist appeared to be. "Oh, wonderful!" Dr. Light said. "I've been meaning to ask you about your creations."

"Sure, go on," Dr. Cossack said. "I must admit, I have to apologize for my behavior beforehand. But I had gotten word that my wife had just-" He paused.

"Just what?" Dr. Light asked, confused.

Dr. Cossack bit his lip to where Dr. Light swore the younger scientist would chew right through it soon. Then, in an uncomfortably short amount of time, he calmed down."She had a bit of a fainting spell, is all," the Russian man finally said after regaining his composure. "We think it might be due to air, but we're not too sure."

Dr. Light wasn't quite sure how to respond, but he ultimately brushed it off. After all, some scientists at the expo said Cossack was a bit off. Nevertheless, that made Dr. Light want to tell him that thought out of the box always had brilliant ideas. After all, that started his and Wily's friendship in college.

Perhaps he had been wrong in not trying to contact Albert.

"Well? Are you there?" Dr. Cossack asked. "You said you wanted to ask me a few questions?"

"Oh, right, yes!" Dr. Light answered. "Well, regarding the rodent robot you presented,"

"You got all that just from looking at some robot birds?" Stern asked.

"It's not just the Swallowns," Dr. Light said. "He also built the Raton for waste management and climbing into the walls to repair broken wires."

"So, how did this lead to you making Mariachi?" Krantz asked, Mariachi grooming himself with his tiny paws that had previously been wheels.

"Well, that's when Dr. Cossack told me of how he implanted his guidance system into his robot animals," Dr. Light explained.

"So, the Coswallon is essentially the Swallown's child?"

"To a degree," Cossack said. "Their systems are linked to the other, so they are near inseparable. I tried this experiment with the Coswallon flying around and the Swallown tracking where it had gone."

"Of course, that's when it saw me, right?" Dr. Light asked.

"Yes, and it went in to get a closer look," Dr. Cossack explained. "Its secondary function is to scope out its surroundings, so I suppose it would be obvious that it would have a sense of curiosity tied to its programming."

Dr. Cossack spoke of this as something he had considered a small fact, but Dr. Light was astounded. "Really? Your machines develop a connection with their programming?"

"That seems to be how it turns out," The younger Russian admitted. "But, if I may be a bit forward, why are you wanting to know so much about the so-called personalities of my robots?"

Dr. Light then told him why he was at the expo, along with his current plight, including the fallout he and Albert had. "And that's essentially what brought me there." Then, finally, he said, speaking of his arrival at the expo.

Dr. Cossack closed his eyes as if reflecting on something from long ago. "I am sorry," he said. "Grieving never is easy, even in later years."

"Grieving?" Agent Stern asked. "Just what do you mean?" He had decided to switch places with Roslyn to sort through the files. He had gotten halfway through calls lasting over a decade, so at least she wouldn't have to scroll down too far. At least, he hoped he got through at least half of them. "If I may be so bold," Stern whispered, trying to approach the subject gently. "Did someone you know pass away?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," Dr. Light said. "That's what he called my feelings about Wily at the time."

"I take it you don't have such emotions anymore?" Stern asked.

Light shook his head, his face shaping into a look that spoke of anger and a twinge of sadness. "He's a madman that's threatened the city and the world. I cannot, in good conscience, associate with such a person."

Roslyn peeked over her shoulder, listening to Gil's question about the scientist. "It's not easy losing a friend," she said. "Oh, by the way, Doc, do you have a spare disc I could use?"

"Oh, yes, to the left of the main computer." Dr. Light instructed. He then turned back to Stern. "Regarding Wily, had I known what he would do, I perhaps wouldn't have been so blinded by our time together. I spoke of him in high regard to Cossack during our calls. Whether it was because I needed some help, or I just wanted someone to talk to, we kept on going, and then, I told him why I had wanted to ask him about his machines."

Dr. Light knew that his idea would perhaps not be accepted by Dr. Cossack, but at least he finally said it. He needed to be honest about his intentions.

"You are both insane and ambitious," The younger Russian said. "A deadly combination."

Dr. Light chuckled. "So I've been told."

"That quality is what drew your friend, Wily, to you," Cossack said.

Dr. Light was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Boundary pushers are always the ones that draw in like minds," the younger Russian explained. "And from what you've told me, you two seemed to be good counterparts for each other. It's quite remarkable you built your first robot so quickly," he then adjusted his glasses. "It's a pity it was stolen."

"It's not just him that I'm missing," Dr. Light confessed. Dr. Cossack was surprised at Dr. Light addressing his machine by a pronoun. "Even if it was the guidance system, I didn't intend for Albert to take it as an insult."

"Has anyone seen him?" Cossack asked.

"As far as I'm aware, no." Dr. Light shook his head. "His home was searched when a missing report was issued, but his interaction with me was the last anyone had seen of him."

"Indeed, very sad," Cossack lamented. No matter the scenario, a friendship being ended was never easy. "But, as I was saying," the younger Russian got back on topic. "You contact me about my robotic animals, but then I find out you want the robot equivalent of a human being?"

"Essentially, yes." Dr. Light said.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Dr. Light asked. "Robots may be more numerous than before, but their Artificial Intelligence hasn't been updated to the best it can be."

"So, you are driven by the desire for more efficiency?" Cossack asked.

"Not entirely," the older scientist said. "I suppose I want a mechanical being that's my equal."

"Equal?"

"Yes, to be just as intelligent and insightful and complex, but not just to test the limits of programming," Dr. Light told Cossack. "I want someone who I can treat as human, despite it not being so." Cossack didn't speak but listened to everything he said. "I want something that can help humanity and make the world better. Because, as we've seen, the world can be a cruel, merciless place."

Dr. Cossack was quiet for a few moments, contemplating and pondering the older scientist's words. "Do you mean this?" He asked Light.

"Well, of course, I do. Why?"

Dr. Cossack was silent for a moment. He appeared to be debating something heavily. As if he were about to make a decision that would change everything. Then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke. "Because, if you are genuine, I want to ensure you succeed."

"Whoa, wait a minute here," Stern interrupted the older man. "You're saying that Cossack HELPED you create Mega Man?!"

"Not in the sense that he contributed to their construction, but he offered me tips and fantastic starting points for my research, especially in that of brain studies and sorting out the basics for programming an advanced AI, seeing as I was doing something he had said he never considered," Dr. Light continued. "Three months later, however, Rock and Roll were born," he lowered his head. "Those were simpler times."

"All right, I'm done!" Roslyn said, holding the disk she had copied all of the calls two scientists had over the years. "Even if he didn't help build them, you give Dr. Cossack credit for helping you get started," the tan redhead then asked, "Do either Mega Man or Roll know about him?"

Light shook his head. "That was one of his conditions," The bearded scientist said. "None of my robots were to know he existed," he then sighed. "And given what happened after Rock was converted into Mega Man, I had no intention of putting anyone else in danger from Wily."

"That didn't stop him from stealing Cossack's robots, though." Stern.

"No, it didn't," Dr. Light responded. "And just when they would've been let out into the world."

Citadel

At first, Mega Man was wondering whether or not this was the right place because it looked like he had just warped into a junkyard! The room was nothing special: four walls of steel and an enemy robot of Wily's, er, Cossack's, standing a few feet away, ready to combat him, but the large amounts of scrap metal and worn down gears and screws made himself confused. But what puzzled him more was that the trash piles seemed oddly organized. Three large piles were on either side, arranged next to each other, and swept up together to keep a solid formation.

At least the last three guys had their rooms clean," Mega thought. If Roll saw this place, she'd pop a circuit or two.

Although, when the Blue Bomber saw who he would have to be facing, he got another surprise. "Dust Man?!" Indeed, Dust Man stood before him, arms crossed and letting out a small huff from his vacuum. "I didn't take you for one of Cossack's bots."

"Surely you know that much has changed since the last skirmishes we've had," the blue and black Robot Master said. "My original creator has fitted me with higher intelligence and a better functioning processor."

Upon hearing this, Mega Man began to realize a particular pattern. True, while none of the robots he fought (those who worked for Wily) were overly intelligent, some seemed slightly above average. But, compared to Cut, Guts, or even the robots Wily made himself, the robots Cossack made were higher-functioning than the others. True, he didn't know who Dr. Cossack made precisely, but in hindsight, Toad, Bright, and Dive Man were more competent than most of Wily's robots. And upon realizing that, that meant there were many possibilities of who he'd have to face next. And all with even higher-level programming.

Suffice it to say, Mega Man was growing a bit worried.

Still, he kept his composure and saw fit to make some small talk. "Yeah, I had been a while," the lighter blue robot said. "Though I don't know if my blaster is going to be able to be shot back at me," he remembered the incident in which he had been shrunk and had to contend with machines far more significant than himself, all the while trying to stop Wily from auctioning shrunken down cities. "Plasma shots aren't exactly solid in nature."

"No need," Dust Man said. Despite the trash all around the room, the Robot Master himself looked relatively clean. "I have something far better. Not to mention far more efficient."

Before Mega Man could question what he meant, Dust Man activated his vacuum and sucked in some of the scrap metal on his "side" of the room. This is his strategy? Throw trash at me?

The Blue Bomber was soon proven right and wrong as a compressed wad of scrap was sent his way. He got out his buster, but a small explosion occurred from within the small trash ball. Scrap metal was sent flying in several directions, a good number of them striking Dust Man's blue opponent.

The explosion sent Mega Man back against the wall, crashing through the piles of scrap metal. Once he was back on the ground, Mega looked to see he was quite scratched and grimy in some areas. "Now I know Roll's going to blow a circuit when she sees me."

"Like it?" Dust Man asked. "I call it the Dust Crusher."

"A little flashy, but cool," Mega Man said, quickly returning to his feet. "Now, how about you guess which one of your buddies I got this from!"

Mine

"Is it a good time to ask now?" Roll asked Beat what she had wanted to ask him before.

"Sorry, but I've got a cover to keep, too," Beat told, Roll. "If Miss Natasha Romanov here knew how I knew to come here, the Doctor and I would be in big trouble."

Roll was about to speak again but then realized what the bluebird had just said. "You know what Marvel is?" She asked the bird-bot.

"Uh, yeah," Beat answered. "We may get an image of being one, but Russia is anything but a backward nation. Especially when Dr. Cossack returned here."

"Returned?"

"Beat!" Natsenka hissed, catching Roll, Eddie, and the bird off guard, as the agent had been quietly spying through the eyes of the Swallown. "Do you have to tell everyone about our business with the Doctor?"

"She already knows why you're here and what caused this whole mess, so there's little point in keeping it secret anymore," Beat argued. "Besides, don't forget, you could've sent us away at any time, but you haven't yet."

"Because you keep tagging along." Natsenka retorted.

"But you could just desert us and leave us behind if we're such a burden on you," Beat argued.

"You wouldn't last a second without me," the redhead said. "So, it seems that, until this is over, I now have a duty of care to look after you."

"I can look out for myself just fine, thanks," Roll responded.

"Oh, yes. I'm well aware." The Russian said, returning to her work not long afterward.

The blonde robot huffed, turning her attention back to Beat. "So, Dr. Cossack didn't live here before?" She asked the bird.

"Not for a good few decades of his life," Beat said. "I wasn't made around that time, only after Kalinka was born, but the Doc spent a good portion of his life in Sweden." He then began to relay to her the history of his creator, she and Eddie listening intently to what he had to say.

Citadel

To Mega Man's surprise, Dust Man didn't suck in the Dive Missile and throw it back at him. Had he done that, the Blue Bomber would simply fire another missile just when the Robot Master was about to launch his. And while Dust Man sucked in the missile, he didn't launch it back out. Instead, he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"In case you didn't know, Dr. Cossack has alerted us that you are no longer to keep previous weapons you copied," Dust Man explained. "You are to fight us with our abilities to see which is greater: the original master or the copycat."

"Hey, I thought imitation was the greatest form of flattery." Mega Man said.

"Don't get cute," Dust Man warned. "Refuse, and the Doctor's machines shall be released onto your country. And they'll start with your city."

Mega's smile faltered, being reminded of the seriousness of the situation. "Fine," he then held his hand out. "Let's shake on it."

Dust Man took his hand, and Mega scanned and copied the Robot Master's weapon. Then he quickly let go and stepped back. "What are you doing?"

The Blue Bomber was confused. "Just being careful is all." He said. Even after all this time, he still hadn't forgotten when Proto Man broke his word about not using his buster during one of their skirmishes. A vacuum cleaner similar to Dust Man's appeared on his back.

"You needn't worry," Dust Man said. "Dr. Cossack programmed us to respect the rules. And speaking of rules, here they are," he continued, gesturing to the scrap piles. "We are to use the garbage around us to create explosives that we shall propel at each other. But," he then pointed at a marked line between him and Mega Man. "No using anyone else's scrap metal. That's your side; this is mine. Is that clear?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." It still felt weird dealing with an enemy robot he was fighting actually being honorable.

"Good. " Dust Man then began compacting the missile fired at him into a wad of scrap, then sucking up some more from one of the piles on his side. "Suck on this!"

Observation Room

Cossack watched as the battle between Mega Man and Dust Man took place, the image of the two robots firing Dust Crushers at each other reflecting in his glasses. The Russian man looked at the scene on the monitor indifferently, but Dr. Wily was getting a kick at what he saw.

"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself." Dr. Cossack said in a near-emotionless voice.

"Any time that blue blister on my life gets blasted," Wily paused to giggle madly. "It gives me hope that I'll crush him later!"

"Even though I'm supposed to crush him, right?" Cossack asked. "As in, I'm the villain here?"

Wily wasn't sure whether Dr. Cossack was being sarcastic or genuine, but he felt that the "villain" bit was directed at him. But he shrugged it off. "Oh yes, I'm a villain," Dr. Wily said. "I'm the villain of everyone that can't see how much better the world would be under my rule!"

"Everyone who was any leader in my home country thought that way too. Perhaps they still do," he then decided to see how far he could push his captor's buttons. "But should the day come when you succeed, which has yet to happen, how shall you run a worldwide government?"

"I won't have any need for that jargon!" Wily proclaimed. "There shall be only one leader, and I shall oversee all that government nonsense."

"That 'nonsense' is what you'll need if you plan to dominate the world, or at least your own home," Dr. Cossack responded. "My country didn't change because it came under the rule of a dictator, even if that was the case. People wanted a better life for themselves, and they saw that which led to the Soviet Union being a global superpower for decades."

Dr. Wily raised a brow. "You know, for one of Russia's top scientists, you don't seem to think too highly of your own country."

Dr. Cossack was silent for a moment. "I owe no affection for a place I never wanted to return to. This place has taken everything from me," He looked at Wily. "And now, you've taken the only thing I have left."

"Oh, relax," Wily said, shrugging off Cossack's concern. "As long as you do your job, and she behaves herself, you two will see each other again. Although," he continued. "When you've crushed Mega Man into a tin can, or one of my-" he corrected himself. "Ahem, Your robots take care of him; you had better compensate for your brat going through my snack stash!"

"Yes, I can get you all the Cheetos in the world after this. Happy?" The younger Russian quipped back.

Wily was about to tell Cossack to knock off the sarcasm, seeing as Proto Man provided more than enough for a lifetime. But then, Wily thought about what Cossack said. "Hm, you know, Cheetos actually doesn't sound too bad right about now," He pulled out his communicator. "Hello? Somebody come in; I need to see if there's something that brat hasn't eaten."

Cossack didn't know whether to chuckle or grow even more nervous because he was unsure of how even to process a person like Wily. True, he knew the man was known for his disregard for property and, in hostage situations, life, but the Russian found the man somewhat fascinating. He was unstable, sure, but it couldn't be denied that, with the proper programming, his robots could be lethal. Wily had so many ideas that he could make a reality in an impressively short period, but the execution was always lacking. Details were overlooked, money was overspent, and it all ended in failure time after time.

Overall, the man was, in a way, a brilliant idiot.

A brilliant idiot was also a loose cannon that had the Russian's daughter in his grasp, who had also kidnapped the Doctor from his hotel room in Japan, and kept him, hostage, for weeks. He had forced Cossack to work on his machines when the younger scientist criticized his programming skills. And as the Russian watched Mega Man fight his robots, he realized he might've made a terrible mistake. Even with the built-in weaknesses and little "tics" and "personality traits" he put in. He was only allowed to do so because it would elevate his robot's thinking level, Wily daring him to prove which programming method was better.

And while Wily liked most of the improvements (Cossack kept quiet about all the extras he had put in), Cossack still had to abide by his rules. And the rules were that no matter the personality, their loyalty was to Wily and him alone. So, having no choice but to do so, Cossack followed through, realizing now that perhaps he had been the one to doom his child. True, Mega Man had faced Wily's and Cossack's robots for sure, but even with their personality flaws, they were still brighter than before. Or, in Guts and Cut Man's case, slightly above-average intelligence.

As he watched Mega and Dust Man fight, Dr. Cossack silently cheered the Blue Bomber on. Hopefully, just maybe, he could see what was going on. And maybe, just maybe, he could perhaps find out about his Kalinka. Find her, and save her, his little raspberry. His Kalinka Malina, his Калинка малина.

Because if not…then, unfortunately for him, and perhaps the world, he would have no choice.

Chapter Text

WARNING

St. Petersburg, Russia

December 1st, 198X

This was it. Tomorrow was the big day. And while he had been looking forward to it for a long time, he was still quite nervous about it. What he and everyone else were planning to do was dangerous, not just for the adults but the children. But if his father was right and life was better where they were going, then maybe the risk would be worth it. He could only hope so because it was far too late to stop anything now.

"Mikhail, go chop up the potatoes for the Beef Stroganoff," an elderly woman commanded, her grey hair bouncy and curly, but her eyes were serious. "We're all going to have a fantastic meal tonight."

A boy with brown hair and bright green eyes with glasses went and turned on his latest invention. When his grandmother caught him building it, he was immediately relieved of his science equipment as he had used some of her cutlery for his creation. Still, upon allowing him to give it a test run, the older woman found it made for quite an effective slicer and chopper. It certainly made preparing meals much more effortless.

"Hey, Mikhail?" A far younger girl's voice said, trying to get his attention. She had bouncy, blonde curls that would remind him of his daughter upon reflection years later. She was dressed very much as he was: clothed in the garbs of their parents and grandparents; very few items belonged to them. "My toy broke again."

The young Dr. Cossack groaned. "Again, Lidia?" The boy asked, frustrated. "This is the third time this month!"

"Mikhail, fix her toy." The older woman commanded, sautéing the beef.

"Yes, Babushka," the boy said, rolling his eyes. The younger girl, Lidia, was happy things had gone her way. She grabbed Mikhail by the hand and dragged him a room over, two other boys playing with some of Cossack's inventions. "Hey!" He shouted, running over to them. "Those aren't ready yet!"

"See? I told you!" One of the boys, one with shaggy black hair and brown eyes, said to the other, whose hair was just as blonde as Lidia's. "I told you he wasn't done yet!"

"I just wanted to try and see what it was!" The blonde boy retorted. Then, he turned to the boy that would become Dr. Cossack. "Hey, Mikhail," he then asked. "What is this anyway?" He asked, holding up the unfinished invention.

"It's supposed to be a garnish cutter," Mikhail said, holding up a set of small knives connected and attached to a wooden cutting board. "But I'm trying to find out how to space the knives. They're always either too close or too far apart." Most of the tests he had done with the garnish cutter came out of his pocket, so the constant remeasuring was costly.

"What about my toy?" Lidia asked, handing the glasses-wearing boy a mechanical doll with one arm popped out of its socket.

"Ok, fine. Give it here," Lidia handed the doll over to Mikhail, who then took it over to the bed he shared with the dark-haired boy, Ivan. He then removed a small box underneath the bed, a collection of tools, gears, and other bits and pieces resting inside. Next, he grabbed a small screwdriver and began working on the doll's arm.

Mikhail Cossack wasn't related to any other children living with him. The older woman cooking dinner was the only one he had any kinship with. His mother died from typhoid when he was five, and his father was killed in an accident at the ironworks he worked at. This left Mikhail with only his grandmother, who shared a communal with two other families. Yet despite having to share a room with other kids, he found that his habit of tinkering and creating things gained him some new friends. Friends who always managed to break their things brought them to him to fix.

The door to the three-room communal opened, and a young couple and a middle-aged man came through. "Ah, there you are!" Cossack's Babushka greeted. "You're just in time, too. We're having beef stroganoff tonight."

"Oooh, excellent!" The woman said, going into the adult section of the communal and taking off her nurse wear.

"Finally, something good to eat around here!" The younger man said, joining his wife.

The middle-aged man just looked at the older woman sautéing the beef. They all put their money together, not just for this meal but for this entire trip. Everything was set, and yet it was clear everyone was still quite anxious. "Everything is still going as planned?"

Cossack's grandmother nodded. "Do you have the visas?"

"Yes, they won't suspect a thing," the dark-haired man said. "All we have to do is get past the Berlin Wall, and we're off wherever we want to go."

"Although," the older woman added. "There are rumors that the country is about to collapse," she said. "We could wait a little longer; then, we could go somewhere else without crossing so much land and water."

"I'm not letting Ivan spend his childhood in a place like this," the man said, glancing over at his son, who was looking over Cossack's "toys." "Once we get past East Germany, we immediately go to Sweden. We have to do it now, or we may not get a chance in the future."

Cossack's grandmother, Katyusha, knew that Ivan's father was right; the children, her grandson, and even Lidia and Alexi's young parents deserved a better life. But the risks they took to get there greatly troubled the older woman. She had lived in this country her entire life, so while it was a struggle to get by, Russia was still her home. But that was also just it: she was in love with the Russia that was, not what it was now.

"Do we need to go over the plan again?" Katyusha asked.

"When the children are asleep," Ivan's father said. "For now, I'm ready just to get something in my stomach."

The older woman scoffed. "Yes, because that's all I'm good for," she said, though she wasn't being serious.

Tonight was going to be a good night, for neither she nor anyone else knew what tomorrow would bring.

Sometime Later

They had been careful so far, but the last hazard remained ahead. While the three families had kept themselves undercover for a good while, the visas everyone used were discovered to be fraudulent. Thus, they had to continue their journey by another means of travel. Renting a couple of boats, the three groups began paddling across the large body of water to escape any sort of communist country. Initially, they had planned to cross over into Western Germany, but now, they had to go elsewhere, and there was no other route to go but over water.

His grandmother warned Mikhail Cossack that the trip would be challenging, but he wasn't counting on a violent storm waiting for them when they started paddling!

"Keep going, Mikhail!" His grandmother commanded. "Don't stop!"

He didn't dare stop, even as he was pelted with rain and the waves threatened to sink the boat. He and his grandmother fought against the ocean as they made their boat move forward; the ever-moving water made it a constant struggle. But, given the circumstances, they were doing all right. Ivan's boat was full of water, and Alexi couldn't paddle because he was trying to keep Lidia from falling off the boat. But they were all close; if they could get over this last hurdle, they'd be in the clear!

Unfortunately, Cossack thought, in hindsight, it seemed fate decided to take something else from him.

There was nothing he or his grandmother could do but watch as Ivan's boat took in too much water and began to sink. Mikhail's grandmother tried to steer towards him to grab him, or at least Ivan, but they didn't come back up not long after they sank. Alexi jumped into the water to try and at least save Ivan, but he soon vanished underneath the waves too. And then, to further present the direness of their situation, Lidia and her parents were taken out by a massive wave, the boat overturned, and all of its occupants fell into the water. And, despite his pleas to turn around and go back, his grandmother continued to paddle and soon commanded him to do the same, tears in her eyes.

Ironically enough, the weather began to clear up once they were the only ones left.

Warning Over

"Uh, hello? Is someone in there?" The Russian scientist was pulled from his thoughts by someone repeatedly tapping his head. "Hey, I'm talking here!"

Brought back to reality, the middle-aged man rolled his eyes at Wily's childish attempts to get his attention. "Yes, I hear you. What do you want now?"

Wily put his hands on his hips. "You act like this is boring you," the German observed. "You know, if you're that disinterested in this, I could take over from here. I, for one, actually enjoy seeing that blue boil on my life getting popped!" He then leaned over to see how the battle between Mega Man and Dust Man was going. And upon seeing the Blue Bomber nearly take a Dust Crusher to the face, only to block it with his arm at the last moment, he hissed in disappointment. "Drat! So close!"

Dr. Cossack said nothing, his green eyes on the screen displaying the battle between Light's robot and his. Even if it was against his will, he still felt tremendously guilty for doing this. Thomas, forgive me.

Dust Man's Chamber

"Heads up!" Dust Man shouted, firing another Dust Crusher in Mega Man's direction.

From ducking down to avoid the explosion to blocking it outright, Mega Man was beginning to grow a little tired of this pattern and wanted to get this over with. True, playing dodgeball with exploding trash was fun and all, but he remembered that he was on a time limit. True, he had gotten some hits on Dust Man, but the Robot Master's precision made it difficult to dodge his Dust Crushers, especially when they exploded. So he got back up to his feet and began to look for something he could use to his advantage.

Even if they were smarter, Dr. Cossack had programmed his machines with little "ticks" and traits that could be exploited due to oversight or intentionally doing so. The only question was, what? Mega Man didn't have much time to think as another exploding ball of trash came his way, forcing him to leap out of the range of the blast. He noticed some scrap nearby and sucked it in, ready to use it to create a Dust Crusher of his own.

"Hey! That's mine!" Dust Man suddenly shouted. "Stop the match!"

Mega Man was confused. "Huh?"

Dust Man pointed at the vacuum on the Blue Bomber's back. "You sucked up some of MY scraps!"

"Your scrap?" Mega Man then pointed to where the trash he had sucked up was. "It was in my section."

"Correction: it was ON the line. Therefore, it's mine." Dust Man argued. "Now, hand it back."

"Ok, fine. Rules are rules," Mega Man then shot out the scrap he had sucked in over to Dust Man's side.

It was then, however, that the Blue Bomber noticed how the Robot Master immediately sucked in the scrap. True, he would need it, but Dust Man sucked it up as if he couldn't stand the sight of it on the floor. His piles of trash were still exceptionally organized, while Mega's was covered in broken bits and pieces of metal and machinery. It was just a hunch, but he began to wonder if Dust Man's apparent need for neatness and arranging his belongings (even if they consisted of trash) could prove helpful. The only question was, what could the Blue Bomber do with this information?

"All right, now we can resume." Dust Man said, the battle between him and Mega Man continuing.

Observation Room

"D'oh! Just suck up his head and make something out of that!" Wily shouted at the screen as Mega Man and Dust Man continued to fight. "Who else did you send in to fight that pest? I forgot." The older scientist asked Cossack.

The Russian sighed and shook his head. This man astounded him.

"Psst! Hey! Wily!" Suddenly, the two men heard Proto Man speak, the shades-wearing robot peering out from the doorway. "Doc!"

"What is it, Proto?!" Wily questioned. "And where are the Cheetos? Didn't I tell you to go get something that brat didn't throw up?"

"That's just it! She won't give it up!" Proto said.

Wily was confused and found it odd that Proto Man mostly hid as if he didn't want to be seen. "Won't give what up? If that curly-haired little twit is insisting she keeps my snack stash to herself, then-"

"No, it's not that! Just...ugh! Get over here!"

He was unsure of what was happening, but he went to the robot to see what was wrong. Dr. Cossack continued to watch Dr. Light's robot and his fight, his mind traveling back to days long gone by.

Sweden

June 30th, 199X

WARNING

Once they had reached solid land, Mikhail swore he would never go into the ocean again, not even in the hottest summers. He and his grandmother were given very little time to grieve, for now, that they had reached their destination, their new lives would have to be made from scratch. In the years they had lived in Sweden, they found, to their surprise, that several Russian immigrants had also come to the country. Most migrated after the end of World War 2, and there were rumors a good number of them were escaped soldiers or enemies of the state back in the Soviet Union. Adjusting to life in a different country could be difficult, but Swedish wasn't a complex language to learn. While it was even smaller than the school he had back home, Mikhail Cossack had worked to enter Gymnasium (preparatory high school). He would soon be entering the Teknikprogrammet (National Technology Program).

He had come far from his time as a boy living in a communal with two other families. Now, he and his grandmother lived near Stockholm in a small house by a small lake. It was quite an adjustment to have a room to himself, but even more so when he looked outside and saw the capital miles away. Not just in St. Petersburg, but any city or metropolis made Mikhail nervous. Time in a small but spacious home in a quiet little section made him love more remote living. When he got a place of his own, he'd build it somewhere deep in the woods, surrounded by nature and hidden away from the world.

And if he needed anything, like a washing machine or dryer? He could simply make it! He had practically built all of their appliances, mainly because they kept malfunctioning initially, so there was no need to go much of anywhere. So he could stay relatively isolated from the world and be fine with it. And that life would be perfect.

He would probably be alone with very few neighbors, but he wouldn't mind. Even if he was alone, at least he wouldn't feel trapped. Not like he was back in Russia. But then, he and the rest of the world saw that the Soviet Union had collapsed, ending the communist hold in several countries in Eastern Europe. This brought in another wave of Russians traveling to settle in Sweden but also let the world sigh in relief that the Cold War was over.

But then, Mikhail heard his grandmother propose something he considered both ridiculous and downright foolish.

"Perhaps we should go visit sometime."

Mikhail nearly choked on his breakfast upon hearing that. "What are you talking about? Are you insane?!" He was confused and a little angry. "We were nearly killed trying to leave, and now you want to go back?!"

"I hated the leaders of Russia, young man," Katyusha said, voice firm to remind Mikhail who still had authority in this house. "I do not hate Russia itself."

"How?" The young man that would become Dr. Cossack questioned. "How can you not hate a place that took everything from you?" He continued. "Where were you, my parents, Ivan, Alexi, and Lidia's parents, worked and treated like machines? Where we all had to put all our money together just to buy a decent meal?" He then said something he shouldn't have in retrospect. "Where your father was sent to Siberia to his death?"

His grandmother's lips tightened, but her eyes also moistened with tears. She spoke up. "I'm more than aware of what happened to him," Katyusha said. "And I'm more than aware he was treated less than human during his stay there," the older woman's father had been quite the critic of Stalin when he was in power, and then one day was arrested and carried off, never to be seen again. Katyusha's mother died right when Mikhail's father was born from typhoid; she never got to see her grandson or great-grandson. "But I remember all the history of our country, what values were once held dear, the beauty that we could show the world," she then looked at Mikhail, her eyes gentler. "If some of us could show our country how."

Warning Over

"Wait, she won't what?" Dr. Cossack asked Proto Man.

"Shh! I don't want him hearing!" Even if he didn't see it, Cossack imagined that the robot was pointing at him. "Anyway, she says she won't give it back unless we let her out."

"Won't give what back? You haven't told me what she's taken!" Wily argued. "Just come out so I can see you!"

"No way! You come over here!" Then, Proto Man noticed Dr. Cossack was glancing over his shoulder. "Hey! Go back to watching my bro pummel your robots!"

Dr. Cossack raised a brow. "You seem quite confident that Mega Man will succeed."

"He had better!" Proto Man answered. "Otherwise, I won't get the chance to pound him!"

"Proto, we've been over this," Wily groaned. "I'm not supposed to be here. Dr. Cossack is supposed to be the head of this operation."

"At least I would be if you didn't have me install new rules into the challenge every five seconds." The Russian said.

"Because if you were, you'd immediately make it obvious that you're too nice a guy to go through all this trouble," Wily retorted. "You could even tell him that this is just a setup!"

"I value my daughter more than that, Wily," Cossack said. "If I have to make that choice, I will choose her without hesitation."

"But not before I get a chance to take him out!"

"Proto!"

The mad scientist and his most infamous lackey began arguing back and forth on the matter of fighting Mega Man, all the while, the battle between the Blue Bomber and Dust Man continued.

Dust Man's Chamber

Dust Man braced himself, ready to block the incoming Dust Crusher. But instead of an exploding ball of scrap, he saw that, once it bounced off of him, it was nothing more than just a wound-up collection of junk. He looked up at Mega Man, confused. "Well?" The Blue Bomber asked. "Aren't you going to get that?"

Dust Man was about to ask why, but then he saw that the ball of scrap had ruined the order his scrap piles were organized, so he quickly sucked up the wad of trash. Once inside his vacuum, he was pleased to see his space laid out just as he wanted it. But then Mega Man shot out another ball of scrap. Then another, and another, and another. He wasn't releasing any Dust Crushers, just wads of trash.

"Oh, sorry about that," Mega Man said. "I think my vacuum might be broken."

"It can't break," Dust Man said, another wad of trash being shot at him, and he, in turn, went to suck it up. "And would you stop that?!"

"I'm not breaking any rules," Mega Man said. "I'm taking trash from my side and not crossing the line." Dust Man was quiet. Damn, the little blue dweeb was right!"Oh, speaking of, catch!"

Observation Room

"Uh, just what is he doing?" Proto Man asked. He had come out of the doorway but was watching as his blue brother just pumped out balls of scrap at Dust Man, who then sucked them up.

"Yeah, just what IS he doing?" Wily wondered this too and then drew closer to Cossack to watch what was happening.

Upon watching it further, Proto Man smirked. "Heh, looks like you got some of me in you, after all, Bro."

Dr. Wily groaned. "You programmed a robot with crippling cleanliness?!"

"Yes, I did," Dr. Cossack answered. "Something you could probably use around here.

Stockholm, Sweden

199X

It was initially somewhat tricky, mainly due to having to make social connections, but with time, Mikhail Cossack rose to one of the highest members of the Teknikprogrammet. It wouldn't be long now before he would be applying for university, hoping that the scholarships he applied for would be able to make the journey easier. Mikhail took his grandmother's advice and had already prepared himself to go into the field of robotics. It was still a developing field, but given he was already good with machines, Katyusha believed that her grandson could contribute to helping it grow and develop. As a result, a technological boom had taken over the country, and Sweden soon rose to become one of Europe's most innovative and advanced countries.

Mikhail was unsure how or if he could even fit in to contribute to the country's development, but, according to his grandmother, it would put his talents to good use. "And maybe you could bring some of that to Russia one day." She told him.

"That's impossible, Babushka," Mikhail said to himself. "Because I'm never going back."

"Excuse me, are you Mikhail Cossack?" The Russian was suddenly aware that someone was talking to him. He saw a young woman with blonde, flowing hair and deep blue eyes standing above him; Cossack had been sitting on a bench.

"Well, yes, I am," he said. "But I don't think I know you."

"Well, no, I guess you wouldn't," the young woman said. "I'm not even in the program you're in," she explained. "My friend said she's in your class and wondered if she could copy your notes. But, unfortunately, she missed yesterday due to a doctor's appointment."

Not long after that, Mikhail and the young woman were in the school's building, copying written notes onto blank paper via a scanner and printer. "So, who's your friend?" Mikhail asked her. "Better yet, who are you?"

"Oh, right. Sorry," the blonde apologized. "You know Agnetha, right?"

"The girl with the red hair?" Cossack was about to add, "The one who always nags me about copying my notes because I supposedly have the best ones? Even if it's obvious that she doesn't want to write them herself?" But he thought better of it. After all, he might've not thought much of Agnetha, but her friend was beginning to intrigue him.

"Yeah, that's her," the blonde said. "Well, I'm Anni-Frid," she said. "And even if it's my first meeting you, I've heard much, Herr Cossack."

Mikhail was a little shocked. Just what had Agnetha told her? He was beginning to wonder if he should've tried to get on her good side, especially if she had a friend this...pretty. "Uh, like what?"

The two began talking after that, and a few days later, they came to see each other again. At first, Mikhail tried to push back the growing warmth in his chest, the feeling unfamiliar and frightening to him. But he couldn't get rid of it, no matter what he did. And Anni-Frid could see it too. And not long after that, somehow, he worked up the courage to ask if she wanted to hang out someday.

And when he asked her this, she smiled and said, "I was beginning to wonder if you got any of my hints."

But, as time went on, Mikhail found that, surprisingly, Anni-Frid had nothing but praise for his home country. She spoke highly of Russia's history and art, professing her love of ballet because of a production she saw of Cinderella when she was a child. "The company performing were native to Sweden; they just had extensive training in the art form," she explained. "Have you ever seen a Russian ballet?"

"We never had the time or money to," Mikhail confessed. "I remember Babushka saying that her mother told her about her time dancing with them."

This information immediately got Anni-Frid's attention. "Your family was in the ballet?!"

"Just my great-grandmother," Mikhail clarified. "But it doesn't matter," he then said. "Nothing from that country is beautiful. And if there ever was, it's been destroyed."

Anni-Frid grew quiet upon hearing this. "You survived, so not everything was destroyed."

"Ok, when is something going to happen?" Proto Man asked, still hiding in the doorway. "Mega's nearly blown through all of his own scrap!"

"Yeah! Why won't he-" Wily paused, confusion turning into devious joy. "That moron just supplied Dust Man with all his ammunition!" Wily cheered. "The next Dust Crusher he releases will blow Mega Man to smithereens!"

"What?!" Whether out of protest or concern, Proto Man came running up to the screen, watching as Mega Man provided Dust Man with the last of his scrap.

Dust Man's Chamber

Mega Man's side was now wholly spotless, but now all of it lay in the vacuum of Dust Man, who was eager for him to shoot the last of his scrap. Habitual cleaning or not, the Blue Bomber knew those Dust Crushers packed a mighty punch. And the last thing he wanted was the walking vacuum to produce one that'd blow him or the whole room up. He had to make this work and only had one chance at it. It was finally time to use Dust Man's secondary weapon.

"Well?" Dust Man waited, impatiently tapping his foot. "I'm waiting." As annoying as it had to pick up the trash Mega Man threw in his side, the Robot Master soon realized that the blue idiot was providing him with free ammo! This was also good because his circuits were about to go mad from having to pick up scrap ball after scrap ball.

"Ok, just give me a second," Mega Man said. He had to do this just right. The final and last of his scrap. But right when Dust Man was about to suck it up, "Oops!" Mega Man activated the heat ray built into Dust Man's combat codes, turning the scrap ball into a smelted, gooey mess.

"GAH! What have you done?!" Dust Man shrieked. "That'll be impossible to suck in!"

"Then don't," Mega Man said. "It's just a little melted; I've seen Roll scrub worse off the lab's walls," While Dr. Light was an accomplished scientist, on occasion, a test run has some explosive results. "Besides, you got all that other scrap in storage; just make use of that!"

Dust Man tried to, for the Blue Bomber was right. There was no reason for him not to compact all that he had collected into one big Dust Crusher, but the sight of the melted scrap on the floor was driving him crazy! He looked at it, then at Mega Man. Back at it, then back at Mega Man. Back at it, and back at Mega Man.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" It took some effort on Dust Man's part, but he eventually managed to suck up the gooey mess of melted garbage. "Ha!" He exclaimed triumphantly. "Now, you've sealed your doom, Mega Man!"

"Actually," the Blue Bomber then pointed at the vacuum on Dust Man's back. "I think the only thing that's sealed is your filter."

Dust Man ignored his words, but as he soon found out, Mega Man was right! The melted scrap had blocked up the filter and, in turn, the dust bag built inside him. He already had a massive Dust Crusher waiting to be unleashed, but now the Robot Master found he couldn't release the collection of scrap held together by a bomb! And then, after a few moments of pressure building, it happened.

BOOM!

Pieces of Dust Man flew everywhere; his head and attached vacuum landed right by Mega Man's blue boots. He then looked around the chamber and saw that, to his surprise, all of the scraps from Dust Man's side had been blown away to his side. The Robot Master's area was spotless, save for a dark smudge on the floor.

Observation Room

"Got to admit, I didn't expect that," Proto Man confessed. "But he still made the mistake of not scraping any of your robots permanently."

"Do the lives of your comrades not mean anything to you?" Dr. Cossack asked the red and grey robot, even if he didn't face him directly.

"Hey, it's just the way things roll," Proto Man said. "I'm just saying what I would've done if I was there," he then looked at Wily. "Which, I'm still waiting for my chance to take him on, Doc."

"If you go out there, our cover will be ruined!" Dr. Wily told him. "You're not to be in one-hundred miles of Mega Man-"

"You're in Eastern Europe; we use the metric system here." Dr. Cossack said nonchalantly.

"Look! The point is, you're NOT fighting Mega Man for now! And that's-" Wily looked directly at Proto Man, about to lay down the law to the robotic delinquent. But when Proto Man saw the older man's expression, he realized he made a mistake in coming out, having momentarily forgotten why he was hiding in the first place.

For it was then that Wily and Cossack learned why the robot was so upset: there was no scarf around his neck.

Chapter Text

When Mega Man entered the next chamber, he found himself placed in a room with a ground of dirt instead of a floor, and the interior appeared to be fashioned like that of an underground tunnel. Although, given who he saw ready to face him, perhaps the setting was fitting. Across from him stood an orange Robot Master with a green gemstone on his chest, yellow sections on his limbs, and a pair of drills in place of his hands, and his head was shaped into a drill as well. Had it not been for the face covering, it would've possibly been easy to mistake this android for Crash Man, seeing as both bore hands fashioned with spinning weapons. Mega Man suspected that, like Crash Man, this guy would have bombs as well.

"So, Drill Man," Mega Man greeted the Robot Master. "Who else am I going to run into next?"

"Don't get cocky," Drill Man said, folding his enlarged arms. "If I recall, the last time we met, you nearly lost to that strange spirit Wily released from the box."

"Oh yeah! I remember that!" the Blue Bomber said. "One of the more...interesting incidents that have happened," he then murmured. "Although, I'm still trying to decide if those Lion Men were weirder."

"Look, enough beating around the bush!" the recently upgraded and reprogrammed DCN demanded Mega Man's attention. "Let's fight!"

"Ok, ok, don't have a fit!" the azure android said. "Although, I've got a few things to ask Dr. Cossack."

The orange machine was puzzled. "Like what?"

"Indeed, such as what?" Dr. Cossack's voice echoed throughout the small chamber.

Mega Man placed his hands on his hips. "You know, for a supposed mad scientist, you're pretty courteous."

"I appreciate your words," the unseen human answered. "But flattery means nothing to me. You still have challenges to overcome."

"Yeah, about that," the Blue Bomber continued. "I've got some requests."

"Requests?" Dr. Cossack questioned. "You have a lot of nerve asking that," he said. "I may not be as unhinged as Wily," Mega Man couldn't have been sure, but he swore he heard a small voice protest in the background. "But I am a man of my word. And this challenge is for you and you alone. If you're asking if that robotic canine can come in with you-"

"No, no, I'm not talking about Rush," the cerulean robot clarified. "I'm talking about dealing with your boys here."

Dr. Cossack was silent for a few moments, pondering the DLN's words. "All right," he finally spoke. "What is it you wish to say?"

"Well, for one, I'd like to keep the power I've copied, unless I decide to change it out." Mega Man answered.

Dr. Cossack, as well as the unseen and unknown Wily, were confused. "And why is that?"

"Consider it adding a challenge for myself," Mega Man explained. "Plus, I'm on a time limit, right? I've got to get creative if I'm going to beat the clock."

"True, it is afternoon already," the Russian (partially Ukrainian) scientist observed from the hidden control panel deep within the citadel. "All right, this, I shall grant," he answered. "You shall have this. But only this. Bear in mind, you are still at my mercy."

"Yeah, I'm aware," Mega Man said, getting into position to combat Drill Man. "Although, I'm starting to think you're not exactly a bad guy."

Dr. Cossack went silent upon hearing that. Then, there was a small BLIP! and the communication was cut off.

"All right, enough talk!" Drill Man said, his namesake beginning to spin rapidly on both his "hands" and head. "Time for a dirt bath!" Then, the Robot Master jumped up at a surprising height before he dove into the dirt, drilling his way until he concealed himself in the ground.

"I told you, you need to keep yourself in check," Dr. Cossack told Wily. "What good is this if Mega Man discovers you're behind it?"

The balding German wanted to argue but only huffed in response, crossing his arms. "You had better crush him into a tin can when he gets up here."

"Trust me, I shall do whatever is necessary."

"Ahem?!"

Suddenly, Dr. Wily and Cossack were alerted of Proto Man's presence in the room. A scarf-less Proto Man. Truth be told, without it, he appeared to be somewhat insecure and bashful. If he didn't have such contempt for the robot, Cossack would've perhaps felt sorry for him.

"Ah, right, that," Wily said. "Now, what exactly happened, my boy?" he folded his arms. "You lost your scarf?"

"No! I didn't lose it!" Proto Man barked back. If he had the ability, his face would've been as red as his helmet. He was quite thankful that his eyes were hidden behind his visor. "That brat took it!"

The brunette, green-eyed scientist raised a brow. "She stole your scarf?" he questioned. Proto Man nodded. "Hm. Good girl."

"This isn't funny!" Proto Man protested. "She won't give it back!"

"So what?" Dr. Wily questioned with a shrug. He couldn't believe it, but he agreed with Cossack's dismissive attitude regarding the matter. "It's your scarf, you go get it back. Although, if I may say, it's getting a little grimy."

"Look who's talking, Doc," the red and green robot scoffed. "When was the last time you changed out of that lab coat?"

"I think all of you need basics in hygiene," Dr. Cossack said. "You all either smell of sweat or old oil," he then directed his attention to Dr. Wily. "And, in your case, both."

The older robotics expert grumbled. He then looked at Proto Man. "Well, you heard him," he said, eyes shifting to look at Cossack. "It's your scarf, go and get it back."

"But-" Proto Man began to argue.

"She's just a kid! It'll be easy!" Wily answered. "Now, shoo. I'm in the middle of watching Mega Man finally getting his blue keister kicked!"

Proto Man growled and went back in the direction he had come, back to the way that would lead him down to the underground tunnel. "Stupid brat," he snarled. "There had better not be a single thread missing, you hear?!" Although, knowing her, she'd probably do it out of spite. Proto Man tried to not think of the worst, but he couldn't deny his anxiety at the fact that his prized possession was in the hands of one who hated his internal wiring. Not exactly guts, but close enough.

He could only hope that Cut and Guts Man could keep the yellow piece of cloth safe from the sixteen-year-old drama Queen's wrath.

"Darn it, just give it back!"

"No!" Guts and Cut Man were situated outside of Kalinka's cell, the young woman huddled in a corner while she clutched the stolen scarf. "And you can tell that glasses-wearing jerk that he's not getting it back anytime soon!"

The red, scissor-headed Robot Master sighed, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous," he said. "It's not like keeping it is going to somehow get you out!" he argued with the girl. "Besides, I doubt Proto Man will leave Wily alone until he gets it back." he groaned.

"Guess again, Cut Man," a familiar voice growled. Proto Man turned the corner and laid his eyes on their blonde prisoner, concealed optics seething with hatred. "You haven't gotten it back from her?"

"We can't just go in there!" Guts Man said. "Dr. Wily said to keep her locked up, which means we can't go into the cell! She could get out!"

Proto Man was silent for a few moments before bringing a palm to his face, a low sigh coming out. "You dolt!" he rolled his eyes from beneath his visor. "She's, what, a hundred or so pounds?" he asked both Robot Masters. "You can just hold her down and take it!"

"But that would mean opening the cell!" Cut Man argued. "And Dr. Wily specifically said that," he then cleared his throat. "If any of you bolt brains let her escape, then I'll have you shoved head first into a trash compactor!" he recited the mad doctor's words, complete with an imitation of the human's accent.

"Uh, we're robots. She's a squishy bag of organs. I think we can take her," Proto Man replied. He then went over to the cell door and let himself in, entering the confined space.

Kalinka noticed that Proto Man had returned, and was somewhat startled at first, but put on a brave and defiant face. As far as she was concerned, she had the upper hand. "Any closer, I rip it!" she threatened, holding the yellow cloth before the red and grey machine.

"Yeah, try it," Proto Man sneered. He couldn't let her know that he was scared out of his mind for his precious garment. "No, seriously, try it."

Kalinka stood still, unsure of what the robot meant. Still, seeing as she already had the scarf, and he DID technically tell her to do it, she saw no reason not to. But, before she could, she felt the robot seize her arm and hold her firmly. The girl struggled, hitting at the red forearm that held her firmly. Then, before she knew it, the scarf was taken from her grasp, and she was sent to the ground.

The impact wasn't painful, but it did give her quite a start. "You...you pushed me down!" she cried out, seemingly unable to believe what she had just experienced.

"Oh relax," Proto Man rolled his eyes, putting his scarf back on. "That wasn't enough to hurt you," While she was still on the ground, he exited the cell and closed the door, locking it once again. "If anything, considering the stunt you just pulled, you're lucky I don't drag you up to Wily and let him deal with you."

"Ooooh, I am terrified. No, truly," Kalinka scoffed, her shock slowly transforming back to anger. "You can't hurt me," she said, rising and dusting herself off. "But have you no shame? Treating a lady like me so shamefully!" she then crossed her arms. "Why, what would your brother say?"

Proto's smirk immediately soured. "None of your business, brat."

Kalinka was surprised at his reaction. True, she expected him to say something snarky back to her, or maybe an insult, but her rhetorical question seemed to strike a nerve with Wily's top man. Why was that? Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to pry further, as she then saw everyone duck behind some rocks, the human puzzled as to what they were hiding from. Then, as if to answer her question, a small object flew inside, its large eyes peering down at her from above.

"птичка?" Kalinka questioned, but then saw that the bird was too small to be her avian companion. "No," she shook her head. "But, you ARE one of Papa's creations, right?" she then peered behind her, wondering just why her three wardens weren't attacking the Swallon. "Then, someone is here to help!" she then waited for any sort of move from her three guards, but still, they didn't move from their hiding places. "Hurry! Go tell them I'm here! Better yet, tell them all about Papa! Tell them that this is all Wily's fault!"

The Swallon nodded, accepting the human's orders. It gave a small, mechanical chirp in response.

"Ok, great! Now, go!" Kalinka said, pointing at where the bird had just come through. "Hurry! I don't know if Mega Man's reached him yet!"

With that, the Swallon went off, its small thruster leaving behind a small smoke trail as it flew away. Guts, Cut, and Proto Man all emerged from behind the rocks. "Good, that bird brain didn't spot us." Guts Man remarked, thankful he was able to hide his girth.

"Well, it won't do you any good!" Kalinka barked back. "Someone knows I'm here, and they've sent help!" she said. "And, knowing how our government values my Papa, it's probably one of their best!"

"Oh, we don't doubt that, Princess," Proto Man retorted. "Our feathered friend is tracking that other little birdie," he informed the Russian.

"And that's not all," Cut Man added, wanting to get in another point against their brat of a prisoner. "Some of Wily's best also know that we possibly have an intruder!"

"Yeah!" Guts Man jumped in. "And they've been keeping in touch with Wily's new pet!" Annoying as that new invention was, so far, he served his function well. "Either way, whoever sent that bird will get the message that no one is going to get through to all of us!"

Kalinka was silent, her brows furrowing. "I'm going back up," Proto Man then stated. "There's got to be some way he'll let me in with the rest of Cossack's robots." he then turned to walk away, but before he could do so, he felt a hand grasp at his scarf. However, unlike before, Proto Man was able to intercept Kalinka's attempted theft, the scarf now the subject of a tug-of-war between the both of them. "Hey! Let go!"

"What was that about Papa's robots?!" Kalinka shouted. "I demand answers!"

"I'm not telling you a thing! Now, let go!" the red and grey robot shouted back. He would've used more force to wrench the scarf from her grasp, but it was being pulled rather tight. As much as he hated to admit it, he was fearful that it would rip any second.

"What about Papa's robots?!" Kalinka demanded again. "What has Wily done to them?! What has he done to my friends?!"

"Darn it, brat, let go!" Proto Man ordered.

"Tell me!"

"Let go!"

"No! Not until you tell me!"

"Let go of the scarf, you brat!"

"Tell me whether or not they're ok!"

"Here, we'll help!"

"Wha-GAH!" Proto Man felt himself being yanked off his feet by Guts Man, who held him by the waist. "What are you doing?!"

"Yeah, what ARE you doing?" Kalinka questioned.

"Cut Man, help me out!" Guts Man called to the scissor-headed Robot Master.

It was when Cut Man got behind Guts Man and began to pull did Proto Man realize what was going on. And, at that moment, he got a good look at his scarf. In the very center was a small tear. The little brat had gone and made a tear in his scarf! But, when he saw she wasn't letting go, and neither was he...and Guts and Cut Man were...oh no. No, no, no, no, no!

"Wait!" Proto Man called out. "Guys, wait!"

"Ok, pull!" Guts Man said.

"Stop!"

"NOW!"

"STOP!"

It was too late. Even Kalinka realized just what was about to happen, but she couldn't stop it. No one could. A loud tearing of cloth echoed throughout the cavern, reverberating off the walls as the yellow garment was torn in two, along with Proto Man's metal heart. Although, he would openly proclaim he didn't have one. The three robots were thrust onto the ground, Cut Man was unfortunately crushed underneath Guts Man's bulk. Yet, if anyone were to ask Proto Man, he would say he had the biggest injury of them all.

Getting up, Proto Man grabbed and held the torn piece of yellow cloth, halved by the efforts to retrieve it. From inside the cell, Kalinka held the other half in her hand. She looked up at him, rather shocked as if she hadn't expected it to truly rip apart. Guts and Cut Man were baffled as well, their unusual jaws hanging agape as they saw Proto Man's fingers begin to curl into a fist.

"I..." she stammered. Then, she drew closer to the bars, albeit hesitantly. She did not like Proto Man's silence. "I...uh," she then tossed the half of the scarf she had through the bars. "Here!" it landed at Proto Man's feet. "So...you can just...sew that back together, right?" she asked. "I mean...surely Dr. Wily's ripped a few lab coats here and there...?"

Proto Man didn't answer. Despite the visor concealing his eyes, Kalinka felt his intense stare from behind the dark glass. He was silent for an uncomfortably long time, the girl backing up from the bars and to the corner of her prison. She didn't allow herself to completely submit, refusing to curl up on the floor, but she was beginning to fear that the robot would enter her cell. And what then?

"Cut Man," Proto Man finally spoke. "Guts Man?"

"Uh, y-yeah?" Guts Man asked, nervous as well. Even if he was the largest of the three in size, that still didn't stop those like that blue pipsqueak from taking him down. And Proto Man, even if he was the Blue Bomber's complete opposite, was Mega Man's brother. The same abilities ran through their circuitry.

"I'm going up to see the Doc," Proto Man said, his plans seemed to remain the same as before. "Watch her for me."

"Huh?" Cut Man's puppet-like mouth hung partways in confusion. "H-Hey! Wait!"

Despite the other Robot Master's calls, Proto Man continued on his way. But not before making a few calls. Specifically to a couple of Robot Masters and a certain bird.

From all three of their places in different parts of the mine, Ice, Elec Man, and the unknown Wily bot hidden in the shadows were alerted that they had received a new message.

"This is Elec Man," the black-dressed Robot Master answered.

"Ice Man, reporting for duty, sir!" the Inuit-based android responded, adding a small salute.

"Gotcha call!" the unseen figure squawked, voice high-pitched and bird-like. "Whatcha got?"

"We've got a situation," Proto Man told all three of them. "And I need our feathered friend to show you which way to go," this part of the message was for that feathered friend only. "Follow that other bird. Ice and Elec Man can follow you from your directions. Don't stop for anything."

"Roger, roger!" the squawky voice answered, giggling in anticipation. "Gotcha, gotcha!" the voice then snickered wickedly. "Gotta go! Birdy to catch!"

"Follow him, understand?" Proto Man asked.

"Very well," Elec Man responded. "We shall be off."

"Understood, sir!" Ice Man answered. "We will perform our duty to the best of our ability!"

"Look, just getting going, would you?" Proto Man groaned. He was NOT in the mood. "And stop calling me, sir! It makes me feel old." That was better suited for the Doc.

"Yes, sir," Ice Man said. "Oops! I apologize, Proto Man, sir! Oh, I mean..." silence fell in between the robotic Eskimo and the shades-wearing robot.

"Just get on it. Out." Proto Man then cut the communication off. "Stupid brat," he held the halves of his scarf in his hands. "I should let Wily do whatever he wants with you!" indeed, the sight of the blonde Russian in one of the mad doctor's various death traps brought a grin to his face. "That'd serve you right."

Then, he stepped onto a circular tile and was enveloped in green light. Then, his form disappeared.

Citadel

DLN, Dr. Light. Thomas, his friend. One of his only friends, one of the few he could trust. All of that would be gone after this. But it was all for her sake. True, if he knew anything, he knew Wily was adept at lying, but so far, he had gone through with everything he said he would do. As much as it pained Cossack, he couldn't do it. He couldn't just let his daughter fall into the same fate as he would've had in his own country.

And, ironically enough, in doing so, he was temporarily condemning her to such a fate. But hopefully not forever.

"Why are you so always so antsy whenever that blue dweeb fights one of your robots?" Wily questioned, watching as Mega Man continued to fight against Drill Man.

"Hm?" Dr. Cossack raised a brown brow. "Oh, that's right, you just stole them before they could even truly shine out in the world," he told Wily. "You never gave them the chance to make the world a better place."

"Oh stop with all that love and peace talk! You sound like one of those annoying New Age gurus!" Wily spat.

"Or maybe like your dear friend, Thomas Light?" Wily didn't say a word. "But, seeing as you're so unsure as to why I hold reservations for my machines being destroyed, it's because, unlike you, I care for their wellbeing."

"Hey, I care too!" Wily protested. "They've got to be in top shape whenever I've got something I've been working on ready to put to use," he then went giddy. "Speaking of, those other projects we worked on together will be wonderful! If only you'd let those out for a whirl instead of making everyone come to your country! We could've taken the fight right to Mega Man in New York!"

"My daughter is here, and so shall I be," Dr. Cossack answered. "But, as I was saying, the reason I care for these machines runs deeper than that," he said. "Even if I treat them as equals, I know that they are different than us, and that, ultimately, we could never relate on some things. But Kalinka...she's never seen them like that. The eight that I made."

Wily was puzzled. "And just what DID you make them for?"

The bearded Russian lowered his head. "My child had no friends," he explained. "So, I made her some."

Chapter Text

"So, how long have you known Dr. Cossack's daughter?" Roll asked Beat, she, the bird, and Natsenka still waiting for the Swallon to return from its voyage. 

"Ever since she was a kid," Beat answered. "But those seven came before even me."

"Really?" Roll asked, tilting her head curiously. 

"Shh!" Natsenka hissed. "If you're going to talk, then keep it down," she said. But, interestingly enough, she didn't tell the two to be completely quiet either. "Still, is that true?" 

"You mean you don't know either?" the blue robotic bird inquired the redheaded Russian android. 

"I knew that Dr. Cossack constructed his Robot Masters," the metal agent answered. "My combat program specifically comes from that of Ring Man. At least, before Wily went in and messed up his systems. But back to the subject at hand," she said. "His child knew of his creations as well?"

"Oh, she more than knew them," Beat told Natsenka. "Before they were even Robot Masters, Dr. Cossack programmed them to be companions for Kalinka."

Roll had already been told such before, so her reaction was much more subdued compared to her Russian companion, but the revelation was still difficult to believe. "You mean...?" Natsenka questioned, slowly realizing what Beat was implying.

"Before our dear country's government got involved, there was nothing more than a lonely man that had just lost his wife and left behind a baby girl," Beat told the dark-clad, dark-eyed combat agent. "He suffered much during his youth, so he wished to protect her from the outside world. Even still, he knew that she would get lonely, all by herself," Beat then paused, sighing as he grew despondent. "So, he did the only thing he knew he could do, for his talents would allow him to fulfill his child's wish for companionship, and keep her safe from anyone and anything from the outside," he then lowered his head, which was essentially his main body. "He made her some friends."

Russia 199X

Despite the remote location being hundreds of miles away from either country of origin, the young blonde sat at the television, transfixed by a white duck in a sailor outfit and a strange, eccentric bird that was doing everything in his power to pester the waterfowl. The special in itself was a custom passed down from the girl’s mother, for her father never celebrated Christmas growing up in the Soviet Union. His first Christmas was from his experience in Sweden, and that was when he was introduced to the annual tradition of watching Kalle Anka. Otherwise known as Donald Duck. 

“Mama,” the child no older than three turned to gaze at the woman who shared her hair color and curls. “Can I get an Aracuan bird for Christmas?”  

The woman, a Swedish-born native that had just moved to Russia with her husband, merely laughed. “Unfortunately, no, Pralin,” she said. “There are no tropical jungles anywhere in this place, let alone in Europe.”

“Then why don’t we go to Asia?” the girl suggested. “Asia’s got jungles. Or maybe we can try to get Papa to have a demonstration in someplace like China, or even South Korea!” 

Anni-Frid chuckled, lifting the girl from the floor and onto her lap. “And here your father said you would like his hometown,” she said. 

“It’s ok,” Kalinka answered. “But I wish we still lived in Stockholm.” 

“I’ll admit, it was quite an adjustment coming here,” Anni-Frid admitted, her daughter a spitting image of the woman, save for the color of their eyes. Kalinka bore the same light green as her father’s side of the family. “But, your Papa’s employers wanted him back here. And, well, it’s usually best to do as those people say,” she said. 

“Why’s that?” Kalinka asked. 

“Oh, uh, never mind,” Anni-Frid told her child. “The point is, this place is different, but it isn’t all bad,” she said. “Your great Babushka hoped that your father would return to his country.”

“Why?” Kalinka questioned, unsure of why the dearly departed old woman wanted such a thing. As far as she knew, her family, at least those that were left, enjoyed life in Sweden. True, the girl only knew of the country and its traditions through her mother, too young to truly remember living in Stockholm. But she remembered the faint glimpses of an expansive, bustling city compared to the large but lonely house in the middle of the woods. 

Her Papa promised they’d move to his hometown, but that meant the woods miles outside of it. Anni-Frid couldn’t blame her husband, yet she wished that Kalinka wasn’t so confined. There were no other children around here, and Mikhail insisted that she be schooled in private. It seemed that moving back to Russia, even if it was mostly forced, seemed to bring forth the man’s intense desire for privacy. Knowing what he endured to even make it to Sweden gave Anni-Frid some perspective, yet she couldn’t deny she worried for Kalinka’s development. 

For now, however, she would let her child experience a pleasant Christmas, the weather was almost always perfect this time of year in the forest. And, as she did since she was her daughter’s age, continued watching Kalle Anka as the snow fell outside. 

Citadel

Drill Man’s Chamber

“Ok, this is getting a little repetitive,” Mega Man murmured. Then, Drill Man sprang up from the ground again and slammed his whirling namesake down, piercing the hardened earth with terrifying speed and efficiency. “I mean, surely Dr. Cossack’s given you other skills than digging holes,” he then looked around at all the craters andhollowed-outt sections of ground surrounding him. “From the looks of it, this is the biggest board of Whack a Mole I’ve ever seen.”

Drill crossed his arms, albeit with some slowness due to his lack of hands. As much as that robot could be an annoyance, he could empathize with Crash Man’s desire for extra appendages. “Do you think this is funny?” he questioned Mega Man. “Doesn’t the fact that Dr. Cossack has threatened your country mean anything to you?”

“Of course it does,” Mega Man countered. “But, so far, Wily hasn’t been successful, and I doubt your creator will be either,” then, he wondered something. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask one of you guys,” he said. 

“Huh? Oh, sure. Go ahead.” Drill Man answered, only realizing afterward that he was giving common courtesy to his opponent! 

Nevertheless, Mega Man continued speaking. “Just how did Dr. Cossack get you guys back from Wily? I mean, if Cossack created you, then that means you all were stolen,” he then lowered his humor and grew somewhat serious. “Just like Dr. Light’s original six.”

“Yes, we were taken and reprogrammed by Wily,” Drill Man confirmed. “And, frankly, the fool did a poor job in rewriting the CPUs of your creator’s Robot Masters,” he then huffed. “Thankfully for him, our superior programming was mostly left untouched, save for our allegiance.”

“What?! You little…?!”  an enraged voice hissed from the speaker in the room, getting the Blue Bomber’s attention. 

“Shh! I’m in charge here, remember?!”

“Huh?” Mega Man turned his head to the side. That was Dr. Cossack, but that other voice, he knew it, but it wasn’t Cossack’s. Yet it did bear an accent. 

“But he…!”

“Do you want to get caught? Then shut up!”

“That sounded just like…?!” 

This momentary distraction was all that Drill Man needed to burrow himself underground once again, and this time, he managed to catch his blue opponent off guard, his drills spinning rapidly and aimed right for the Blue Bomber, ready to strike whatever body part the sharpened instruments reached first. 

Russia 199X

WARNING

When she had heard she was going out of the house today, she wasn’t as elated as she would’ve usually been, for today was not a joyous occasion. On the way to the hospital, neither Kalinka nor her father spoke a word, unsure of how to comfort the other. Even if they both knew that this was coming, it was difficult for either of them to accept. The drive was long, and the trip was solemn, yet, eventually, the Russian scientist and his daughter reached the infirmary in the small town outside of the woods where their house resided.

“All right, Kalinka,” Mikhail told the blonde girl. “We’re here.”

The girl got out of the car, dressed in a red coat and black cossack hat with beige boots and dark stockings. “Papa,” she asked, voice uncertain yet clinging to some sliver of hope. “Is there any chance Mama can come home?” 

Dr. Cossack didn’t respond to her question. “Let’s go,” he told her. “She’s waiting for us.”

The man led the child through the entrance of the hospital and to the floor his wife was on, both of them entering the woman’s room. From the looks of it, she was only growing worse. Her once bright, still youthful features were completely sapped from her, leaving her a disheveled, wrinkled mess. She had lost a great deal of weight, her skin practically clinging to her bones, and her hair had grown thin and lost much of its color. Her senses were getting duller every passing day, yet Anni-Frid had enough awareness to know that she had visitors. And upon seeing who they were, she was relieved.

“You,” she said, voice weak, but she was determined to speak. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Dr. Cossack and his child went to the bedside of his wife, the bearded man taking a hold of his wife’s hand. He didn’t wish to consider it, but she felt a little cold. “How are you doing, дорогой?” he asked her.

Anni-Frid didn’t answer at first. She only looked at her husband, the man beginning to realize just what she was implying. He grew cold, but she shook her head, alerting him to be quiet. 

“Mama?” 

The hospitalized woman looked down to see her child, who was far more lively and healthy than she. “You’ve grown,” she said. “How long has it been since I first came here? Three months?”

“Four,” Kalinka corrected. “But Papa said that if treatment is going well, you can come home soon!” neither of her parents spoke. “Right?” again, she received no answer. “Papa? Mama?”

“Kalinka,” Anni-Frid said. “Come here.”

The girl drew closer to the bed, her mother wrapping a hand around her daughter. The girl wasn’t the strongest due to her age, yet she was convinced that her mother wouldn’t stand a chance against her. It was almost as if a branch had skin and was trying to get a grip on her more solid form. 

“Mama?” Kalinka asked, her voice not as confident as before. She never realized it before, but her mother looked almost like a corpse. 

“Kalinka, I’ve had this talk with your Papa already, yet I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to have it with you.” the woman told the child.

The blonde girl was confused. “Mama?”

Anni-Frid smiled, even if it took quite a bit of energy to do so, much less speak. “I’m sorry to do this to you, yet I want you to know something, something your Papa’s Babushka told him when he first went to Sweden.”

Kalinka was puzzled but listened nonetheless. “Y-Yes?”

“Your Babushka had a hard life,” Anni-Frid said. “But…she still had hope that this place, that this entire section of Europe could be seen as a beautiful and peaceful place.”

Beautiful and peaceful? Beautiful in some areas, perhaps, but Russia was anything but peaceful. Why else would her Papa keep the girl in the house, away from everyone else save her family? 

“But, for that to happen, the right people have to use their talents to make it so,” she then stroked the young girl’s cheek. “You’re still so young, yet I sense you will do great things. Perhaps as a dancer, or maybe a scientist like your father,” she glanced at her husband, tears beginning to form in his green eyes. “But, whatever it is, you’ll be a light in a dark place. Whether for one person, or several,” the woman’s breathing grew slower, and her body grew colder.

“Mama?” Kalinka began shaking her head, realizing what was happening. “No, no you can’t be…?”

“Whatever it is, seize it, Kalinka. Seize your future,” Anni-Frid took her daughter by the hand. “Take it, and don’t let go. You are my Princess,” she said, feeling her eyes growing heavy. “But…one day, you’ll be a Queen.”

Then, Anni-Frid’s hand fell, her arm hanging limply to the side. Kalinka gripped her hand, yet it was cold as ice. She then realized why her father had insisted on taking her to the hospital today, why he hadn’t been completely honest about her mother’s condition. She realized all of this in the span of a few seconds. And before she could protest, bargain, or beg, what she dreaded had already happened. 

Her mother’s lifeless form in front of her was proof of that.

WARNING OVER

Citadel

Drill Man’s Chamber

Knocked off his feet, Mega Man was sent flying back, landing hard on the ground and skidding a short distance before he came to a stop. “What? Now that the order’s been switched up, you’re not going to have as easy a time bashing us up, huh?”

“Order?” Mega Man questioned, getting back up. “What are you talking about?”

“Oops! I wasn’t supposed to have said that!” Drill Man mentally kicked himself. “Even if Dr. Cossack restored my honesty chip.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then perhaps you can answer something for me,” the Blue Bomber replied. “Is there someone else besides Cossack that’s here?” 

Drill Man didn’t respond at first, the other machine’s words registering and processing in his CPU. “Uh, well, that’s…complicated.”

“How so?” Mega questioned. “It’s a simple question: Is Dr. Cossack the only one here?” Drill Man went silent. “Come on, now, you said it yourself,” the blue android pried. “If you’ve got your honesty chip back in, then surely you can give me an answer,” he said. “Plus, robots can’t make up lies.” Not unless they are allowed, Mega remembered, his brother came to mind. 

“Uh,” the reddish-orange, drill-headed Robot Master’s eyes shifted. “Um…”

“Better yet, how about you answer me this,” Mega Man finally asked what he truly wanted to know. “Is Dr. Wily here?”

He said nothing, and he bore no facial features save for eyes, but that was all Mega Man needed. The sudden shock registered in the reprogrammed DCN (even now, it was bizarre to think that Dril Man and all those before him were made by Cossack), and it became clear just what was going on. 

“I knew it,” the Blue Bomber scowled. True, it felt good his suspicions were validated, yet, once again, that madman was threatening the world. “So, just what’s the deal this time? Did Wily get a new best friend in Cossack because Dr. Light wouldn’t put up with him anymore?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Drill Man asked. “Besides, whether he’s here or not is irrelevant, because you’re far from done with Cossack’s challenge,” his drills then began spinning with high velocity. “And to do that, you have to get through me!” 

He then dove underground once again, leaving Mega Man surrounded by holes created in the ground. “Great,” the Blue Bomber sighed. “How am I going to get him out?” he then looked at the large vacuum still affixed to his back, then at the several holes all around.  Are these all connected?  He wondered. He had an idea, although he was unsure as to whether or not it would work. Still, if it was the only way to get Drill Man to stay out of the ground, then it would have to do.

With a powerful thrust, Mega Man converted his buster into a vacuum thanks to Dust Man’s copied ability, and, with a mighty gust, set the switch from such to blow. 

Observation Room

“And, after that, she was the only family I had left,” Dr. Cossack relied upon Wily. He doubted the man cared, yet he wished to know just how the Russian (partially Ukrainian) scientist came up with the Robot Masters he made. Thus, with little else to do but watch Mega Man combat his machines, the younger robotics expert obliged. “That was a lonely Christmas that year.”

“Speaking of, I need to look over my list,” Wily murmured. “Hey, wait a minute, I thought Christmas was outlawed in Russia.”

“During the Soviet days,” Cossack answered. “Of course, that didn’t stop people, but we had to do it in secret. But, seeing that the people would need a day of celebration in these winter months, New Year's became the Russian Christmas, if you will. The actual name is Novy God,” he said. “We even have our own Santa Claus, Grandfather Frost,” he then smiled. “Kalinka always loved the story of his companion, the Snow Maiden, Snegurochka.”

“Snow Maiden?” Wily scoffed. “What is she, five?” 

“As much as it pains me to admit it, for a good portion of her youth, her main companions were books,” Dr. Cossack said, speaking of his daughter. “Many of which are collections of old Slavic stories. Even during my time, children, even adults clung to those stories,” he then sighed. “They spoke of a country that could produce such stories of courage and beauty, that today, that same land is unrecognizable.”

“Oh, enough of this!” Wily groaned. “If you hate this place so much, why don’t you just go off the grid and live somewhere else? That’s what I did!” 

“Unlike you, Wily, I’m not a maniac,” Cossack answered. “And my government tracks me wherever I go, so I can’t exactly go anywhere I please,” he then gazed at the monitor, observing Mega Man’s battle with Drill Man. “Although considering all that I’ve done for you when Mega Man eventually gets up here, I’d like some tips from you.”

“Oh?” Wily questioned. “Why’s that?” 

Mikhail lowered his head. “Because, when Mega Man comes, I will need someplace to hide my shame.”

“Doc!” a familiar voice shouted, a figure running through the door. 

“Proto! What the…!?” Wily began, wondering just what was wrong. But, upon glancing in the Red Bomber’s direction, 

The distraught robot held a torn piece of yellow fabric in his hands, torn between despair and utter rage. “Where…are…the…needles…and…thread?”

Russia 200X

“Doctor Thomas Light,” Cossack mused, down in his lab, tinkering on one of his more animal-based machines. “Hm. Curious fellow. But he has excellent ideas.” 

“Papa?” 

The scientist saw that his young child had come down into his lab. “Kalinka, how many times have I told you not to come down here? It’s dangerous in here!”

“Only when you’re working with wiring,” the girl said. “Besides, what are you working on, anyway?”

“Oh, well, I suppose I could show you,” her father answered, allowing the girl to see the Swallon unit he was currently constructing. 

“Oh, you’re making a birdie!” Kalinka exclaimed. “It’s cute!” 

Cossack smiled. He wondered what she would’ve thought if she knew it was a “request” from his government for new surveillance. “So, you like it?” he asked, Kalinka nodding in response. He then noticed her looking longingly at it. “What is it?”

“I wish I had one,” Kalinka said. “A little birdie of my own.”

Cossack inwardly sighed. His daughter had been asking for a pet, whether it be a dog, cat, or, in this case, a bird. She just wanted some sort of companion, for, while he did the best he could, Mikhail had to admit that his daughter had no one in her life outside of him. And her mother was unfortunately long gone. The young girl, despite her father’s notoriety, was a complete enigma to the outside world.

If he could help it, then no one besides him would know his daughter existed. That way, she would be safe from the clutches of anyone that would want to use her for their nefarious purposes. Perhaps he could work something out with his superiors, as he had already done so much for them. Still, his mind then remembered his daughter’s request for a pet of her own. And then, his mind wandered to the concept of his child having friends of her own.

“Papa?” Kalinka asked, her father seemingly spacing out.

Still, Cossack didn’t answer her at first, still caught up in his thoughts. Friends…yes, he could do that for her. 

Citadel

Drill Man’s Chamber

The moment he released the gust of wind from the vacuum, the holes surrounding the Blue Bomber were propelling air from their deep depths, dirt flying everywhere as if several tornadoes had sprung up at once. “You’d think I copied Air Man instead!” Mega Man noted aloud. 

Then, thankfully, he saw who he was hoping to see, even if that someone meant him ill will. Drill Man was forced out from his hiding place in one of the several dust devils produced, the air becoming too much for him to bear. “Hey, watch it!” the Robot Master complained. “You’re getting dirt all up in my visor!” 

“Then how about you stop hiding underground and do something about it?” Mega Man questioned, ready to fight again.

“Oh, I plan to!” Suddenly, Drill Man positioned his arms straight ahead, ready for his next attack. “How about this, Mega Man? Dr. Cossack might be my creator, but Wily left me with some touches from before!” then, his drills began spinning, Mega Man sensing what was going to happen.

“It’s always missiles,” Mega Man mused. “Wonder if Crash Man served as your inspiration, or is it the other way around?” then, he heard a distant hissing sound. “Wait, what’s that?” 

“Huh?” Drill Man asked, still spinning his drills, however. “What’s what?” he asked.

“That noise, do you hear it?” Mega Man listened in closer, his audio receptors catching the sound from down below. He bore no sense of smell, yet the sound was enough to tell him what had just happened. “Uh oh,” he said. “I think you might’ve hit something while you were down there,” he told Drill Man. “Specifically a gas pipe.”

“What?! I did?!” Drill Man looked down at the holes, but then focused his attention back on Mega Man. “Wait, I see what you’re trying to do! You’re trying to distract me!”

“No, really!” the Blue Bomber said, uncharacteristically nervous in his current predicament. “If you let those things off, who knows what could happen!”

“Ha! Nice try!” Drill Man set his drills to fire. “Nice knowing ya!”

“Wait! You…oh, forget it!” Mega Man couldn’t afford to wait any longer. He ran towards the platform that had initially brought him into this room, running right past Drill Man. 

“Hey! We’re not finished!” Drill Man protested.

“Let those drills out, and we will be!” Mega Man told him.

“Enough of this! Time to blow you to smithereens!” 

Unfortunately, when the drill missiles were released, Mega Man’s terrible prophecy came true.

Observation Room

The screen was consumed by a fiery explosion, nothing able to be seen among the raging flames that spread due to the gas. 

“Mega Man!!!” Proto Man had temporarily been distracted from his torn scarf by the explosion caused by Drill Man releasing his weapons. 

Once the smoke died down, even if it took some time, the fire was still raging in the chamber, yet Drill Man’s dismantled form was on the ground. The Blue Bomber was nowhere to be seen. 

“Looks like I activated the teleportation device just in time,” Cossack said, sighting the platform designed to transport Mega Man to his various challenges. “Of course, I’m sure you’re happy about that,” he said, turning his attention to Proto Man. “One more day to try and destroy him yourself, right?”

“Wait, what?!” Wily questioned, clearly enraged. “You helped him out?!” 

“They were both going to explode if I didn’t,” Cossack responded. “Besides, he technically won the challenge, as Drill Man ultimately defeated himself.”

“That…that doesn’t count!” Wily protested. “You had that blue dweeb RIGHT THERE, and you up and let him go?!”

“Don’t worry, there are only three more of my creations to face,” Cossack told the angered German. “One of which was commissioned by you, of course.”

“Yes, that one,” Wily grinned. “If you ask me, that one is your best work.”

“And because of that, I hate him,” the Russian lamented. “After this is done, you can keep him.”

“Oh, I plan on keeping them all,” Wily told the younger scientist. “After all, I’m keeping you, aren’t I?” 

Cossack growled. “For now,” he said. “Yet, if you listened to the conversation, I believe that the Blue Bomber is onto you now.” he then looked back at Wily from the monitor, grinning. “And, if that gets out, then, well, I don’t know if I can stop Mega Man from delivering you to justice.” 

Wily crossed his arms, glowering. This man was insufferable! Nevertheless, he refused to let the brunette man get the upper hand. “Bear in mind, I still have your brat,” he said. “And, even if Mega Man figures out what’s up with the two of us, if you want her to remain untouched, you’ll do as I command.”

Cossack went silent. “Curse you,” he hissed. “I hope nothing good comes to you for the rest of your life.”

Wily scoffed. “Yes, yes, my life has already had a slew of disappointments and hurdles,” he then glanced at Proto. “Some of which don’t do anything to help mediate these events.”

“Hey!” the Red Bomber protested. “I’m fulfilling my duty in keeping my bro from screwing up your plans, right?”

“Of which are often screwed up because you go and try to defeat him on your own!” Wily argued.

Cossack listened to the two go back and forth, yet his focus wasn’t on the man and machine bickering with each other. All that was on his mind was the curly-haired blonde that, somewhere, in some place, was kept prisoner. 

Russia 200X

“You wanted to show me something, Papa?” Kalinka asked. She was usually told to keep out of the lab whenever her father was working, yet today, he was summoning her down there. Entering the door, she saw her father standing in the room as if he were waiting for her. 

“Ah, малышка, there you are,” Dr. Cossack said. 

The girl immediately noticed that her father was chipper than usual. “Papa? What’s going on?”

He smiled, She knew something was up. “Well, I’ve been thinking,” Cossack told his young child. “You’ve heard of Dr. Light, yes?”

“Oh, the scientist from America?” Kalinka questioned. “Yes, he’s your friend, right?” she then said, “I want to meet him sometime, Papa. I don’t know any of your friends.”

“Maybe later,” Cossack answered, though Kalinka felt he wouldn’t make good on that promise. Regardless, she was curious as to why she was called down here. “But, speaking of friends, you know how you’ve said you’ve always wanted some?”

Kalinka nodded. What did this mean? Was he going to bring her to town and let her play with the other children? “Papa?”

“Well,” he then stepped to the side and pushed a button on a switch located in his pocket. A door slid open, and Cossack spoke. “All right, she’s ready to see you.”

See who? Kalinka was about to ask, but she didn’t get the chance when seven figures exited the door, all of their eyes gazing upon her. They were tall and strong, towering over her, and the girl was somewhat intimidated at first. “Papa?” she then looked at her father. “W-Who are they?” 

He smiled. “They are your new friends.”

Mine

“So…Cossack’s Robot Masters were built to be his daughter’s companions?” Natsenka asked, Beat nodding in response.

“Well, sort of,” he said. “Granted, our dear higher-ups wanted Robot Masters of their own due to the six Dr. Light had created, yet Dr. Cossack was allowed to choose the designs and program their respective personalities,” the bird explained to the Russian agent bot. “And they were all based on interests that Kalinka had at the time.”

Roll was quiet for a moment, having heard this story before. Still, hearing it again still stung. “It’s…not easy when that happens,” she said. “Doc doesn’t say it, but I can tell that he still hates that occurred.” 

Natsenka looked down at the ground. Even if her mission was at the forefront of her mind, she had no idea that Cossack’s daughter had gone through so much. “So, these seven, they are here now?”

“I’d assume so,” Beat said. “After all, as long as Wily keeps up the facade that Cossack’s the one in control, then those seven will be the only ones that Mega Man fights,” he then sighed. “Then, he might have to face the Doctor himself.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Roll assured Beat. “Mega Man’s not like Wily’s goons. He doesn’t threaten to hurt humans.” 

“No, you don’t understand,” Beat told the pony-tailed blonde. “It’s not the Doctor I’m worried for. It’s your brother.”

Roll was confused. “What do you mean?”

“Hush!” Natsenka hissed. “The Swallon is returning!”

And, indeed, the little robotic bird was heading their way, ready to lead them down the path it had come from to Cossack’s captured daughter. Unfortunately, it never reached them. From out of the darkness sprung a winged creature that caught the Swallon in his talons and promptly crushed it. The robotic bird was rendered into a twisted metal mess before it was thrown to the ground, its little wings still flapping before they went still. 

“What the…?!” Roll began, yet then noticed two other figures approaching from the darkness.

“Found them!” the larger, black bird squawked, flapping in front of the two robots and the other bird. 

“So you have,” a somewhat smarmy voice observed, he and his companion making themselves known. “Two prying young ladies that need to learn to mind their own business.”

Roll scoffed. “Elec Man?” she then looked at the second Robot Master with him. “Oh, wow, Ice Man? I thought Wily would’ve surely scrapped you for what you pulled that one time.”

Ice Man gave a salute. “Forces are always low, so any support is welcome, soldier!” 

Elec Man rolled his eyes. “Enough of this,” he said, approaching the three intruders. “I don’t believe I need to tell you that we can’t allow you to continue any further.”

Roll raised a brow. “Um, are you ok?” she asked. “You seem…different than before,” she then gazed at Ice Man. “You too.”

“I told you, Cossack’s probably done some work on them,” Natsenka told Roll. “But there’s no time to discuss that now,” she then got into a fighting position, and the housekeeper realized that she had just walked into a battle. “We must fight our way through!” 

Chapter Text

"Ok, THAT was a little close." Mega Man mused as he exited Drill Man's chamber, reappearing in the central area that housed the other transporters. Suddenly, from within the center, a small stand rose, holding a single chip inside a small container. "Hm?" the Blue Bomber raised a brow at the small bit of circuitry. "What's this?"

"It's a copy chip from Drill Man," Dr. Cossack's voice echoed throughout the chamber. "I constructed duplicates in case of situations such as these," Mega Man gazed at the chip, surveying its shape and appearance. So far, it didn't appear to look like a trap of any kind. "Take it," Dr. Cossack urged the Blue Bomber. "After all, you requested that you be allowed to keep the abilities of the last Robot Master you dismantled."

Slowly pulling the top of the clear container, the cerulean DLN lightly grazed his blue fingers over the chip, finding that, indeed, his copy ability could duplicate the information available inside the circuitry. Quickly downloading the weapons component, the stand sank back into the ground. Then, another tile lit up, alerting Mega Man that it was time to continue Cossack's challenge.

But, speaking of the Russian scientist, "Hey, Doc," Mega Man spoke up. "Or, perhaps I should just call you Dr. Cossack."

"Doctor?" Cossack questioned. While Mega Man was pleased to have received an answer, he was half expecting his tormenter to not respond at all. "You don't bother giving Wily this degree of respect."

"Well, he's not exactly deserving of it, is he?" the azure android remarked. "But speaking of him," Mega Man decided to just come out and say it. "He's the one behind this whole thing, isn't he?"

There was silence.

"Look, I don't know your situation," the blue robot said. "But…I'll admit, you just don't seem like the type of guy that wants to take over the world."

"What my motivations truly are is irrelevant to you," Cossack answered. "Just complete the challenge and face me."

"But Doctor…?" Mega Man began but found that he received no answer. Cossack decided to cut off contact. "Well, ever onward, I guess." He stepped onto the platform, and in a few brief moments in a flash, he was gone.

Mine

Natsenka looked between the two Robot Masters, the large, crane-like bird flapping in between them. "Well?" she asked. "Which one of you wishes to challenge me?"

Elec Man scoffed, but he stepped forward. "I shall be your opponent," he said smoothly. "Mega Man's dear sibling wouldn't be worth the effort."

"Excuse me?" Roll questioned, shocked at what she had heard.

"Your structure is too weak, therefore, you stand no chance." the dark-colored, masked Robot Master remarked.

The blonde housekeeper grew red hot, her cheeks resembling ripe tomatoes. Her rage was evident, with Dr. Light's upgrades regarding facial sensors and heating/cooling components being put to work. "Hey!"

"Sir, allow me to engage Mega Man's sibling in combat, sir!" Ice Man suddenly spoke up, giving Elec Man a salute. "Oh, if that's all right with you, sir," he said, growing timider.

"Oh, all right," Elec Man answered. "Go on then, off with you. Do your duty, soldier."

"Yes, sir!" Ice Man turned and got in front of the blonde robot, Eddie still in her grasp.

Beat then directed his attention to the larger, longer-necked bird. "I guess that leaves you with me, buddy!"

"Buddy?" the bird asked, tilting its head in confusion. Then it began to chortle, its voice squawky and obnoxious, at least in Beat's eyes. "Ha! Buddy! Good one! Ha!"

"I know these two goons, but when did Wily build you?" Roll questioned the bird, seeing that it could understand basic speech.

"I'm Reggae!" the bird squawked. "You're the blue dweeb's sister!"

"Hey, my brother's not a dweeb, you dumb stork!" Roll retorted.

"Ha ha! Dweeb, dweeb, dweeb!"

"Enough of this!" Natsenka shouted. "We're getting nowhere standing around, chattering like this!"

"I agree, dear lady," Elec Man responded, getting into a fighting position. "So, why don't we get started?" he asked. "Ladies first."

The Russian android narrowed her eyes. She then turned her attention to Roll. "Don't let your guard down," she told her. "But don't try to be a hero. If you become overwhelmed, don't be ashamed to run."

"Run? No way!" the blonde shook her head.

"Eddie no want to leave either!" the smaller, green robot agreed with his holder.

"Don't argue! Just…do as I say, all right?" Natsenka then directed her focus back to Elec Man.

"Well?" the masked Robot Master presented a coy, mocking smirk, daring the agent to come forward.

She dashed forward, ready to deliver a swift kick to the side of his head.

Citadel

The chamber in itself was rather plain in comparison to some of the others Mega Man had entered, mostly covered in silver with the interior structure just beneath a thick layer of metal. Still, he wondered, just who else was he going to face here? Even more, which strategy was he going to come up with? Even if they provided more of a challenge for him, Mega Man had to admit that Cossack's machines were doing a good job at keeping him alert.

"Hm, so, you've finally arrived," a voice, smooth and crisp stated, taking Mega Man by surprise when he saw who it belonged to. "Cossack should've sent you to me right away and saved everyone else all the trouble."

"Ring Man?" Mega Man questioned. "Your voice…it's different than before."

"Yes, a far more suiting pitch and inflection, I think," the red and gold Robot Master responded. "And, unlike the incidents involving Dr. Petto and the amusement park,"

"Oh, right, Dr. Petto," Mega Man bit his lip and averted his eyes for a moment. "I…remember that."

Ring Man raised a brow from underneath his red helmet. But then remembered how the blue robot cut him off. "Well, now, as I was saying before being interrupted," the Cossack bot continued. "Unlike those prior events, you shall not best me," he then got into a fighting position. "Today, you shall meet your end by me!"

"You sound confident," Mega Man observed, bringing out Drill Man's weapon. "You sure you can back that up? Last I remember, Doc took you out with a hand found in the trash compactor."

Ring Man's eyes narrowed. "You'll regret everything you just said," he then waved a hand over the ring atop his head, a single, golden loop manifesting in his hand. He then readied himself to send it flying in his opponent's direction. "For I won't leave anything left to throw in the compactor!"

Mine

Natsenka's leg was mere seconds away from contact before, at a speed she didn't expect, almost as fast as lighting itself, Elec Man ducked out of the way of the incoming attack, the Russian agent kicking nothing but air. "Hm, is that the best you can do?" Elec Man questioned, not even bothering to strike the agent. "And here I thought Cossack's government sent one of their best."

"They did," Natsenka snarled. "And you have been foolish enough to make me present my strength to you!" she then drew out her pistol, seeing as, while she despised to admit it, the Robot Master was too fast for her on foot.

"Hm," Elec Man shrugged, ducking out of the way of the incoming blasts. "No matter how good of a shot you are," his fingertips began to brighten, electricity beginning to spark out. "You cannot contend with a force that moves at the speed of light!" he then shot forth powerful shocks in the agent's direction.

Natsenka was forced to make a made jump to the side to avoid the incoming surges of sparkling light, unable to make a shot at her opponent. She had just barely avoided being electrified, yet she realized that, to her shame, she had perhaps underestimated her enemy. And, if that was the case, then how was she going to be able to protect Roll?

She gasped. "Roll!"

The blonde housekeeper was facing off against Ice Man, the parka-clad Robot Master gazing intently at the robot before him. "All right, sir," he said. "We've got a trespasser!" his eyes then appeared to be consumed with static, his expression going blank for a moment. "Oh? Freeze it at all costs, soldier!"

"Uh, who are you talking to?" Roll questioned, more confused than intimidated.

"Hm? Identify yourself, soldier!" Ice Man suddenly commanded.

"Roll Light," the pony-tailed blonde answered.

"And Eddie!" Eddie added.

"Although, I'm surprised that Wily decided to let you stay intact, considering how you nearly betrayed him once."

"What? I would NEVER betray my Commander!" Ice Man protested, growing angry. "Stop speaking such lies!"

"It's no lie! Mega Man said you were going to be scrapped for sure!" Roll answered. "Although, it looks like somebody's scrapped your memory banks."

"Preposterous! I'm in tip-top shape!" his eyes glitched out yet again. "Oh, if I may be so bold as to say, sir," he then looked at Roll again. "Oh, I mean, ma'am!"

It was then that he saw her. Truly saw her. A specimen of a machine dressed in a form-fitting jumpsuit with matching boots and gorgeous, blonde hair tied up in a full ponytail, her green hair clasp contrasting with the reds of her attire. And her eyes, sky-blue and bright. Despite his name, Ice Man found himself imagining the ocean in summer, the sunlight beating down on the sand. The female robot's hair blew in the wind as she turned to give him a coy, flirtatious look.

"Hm?" Roll raised a brow, noticing the look Ice Man was presenting her. "What's up with you?"

It was then that he grew hot, even if he was made to withstand freezing temperatures. "W-What is your name again?" he asked. "I…seem to be missing some memory components, ma'am."

"Well, for one thing, ma'am makes me sound old, just call me Roll," Roll answered Ice Man. "Are you ok? You look like you're overheating."

"Ice Man! What are you doing?!" Elec Man's voice suddenly called out, gaining the other Robot Master's attention. "Take care of her while I deal with the agent!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Yes, sir!" Ice Man answered, giving Elec Man a salute.

The electric Robot Master merely sighed. "Just do your duty and be quick about it!"

"Yes sir!"

"Ugh," Elec Man groaned, turning his attention back to Natsenka. "Now then, where were we?"

"We were at the part where I shoot you in between the eyes!" the red-haired, darkly-dressed Russian robot answered, shooting another blast of concentrated plasma in the other robot's direction. Still, despite her precision, Elec Man managed to evade her every single time. "Stop toying with me and get serious!" she demanded.

Elec Man smirked, fingertips lighting up yet again. "As you wish," he then began charging up energy from within, building up a powerful charge attack. "Let's see how you react to intensive electro-shock therapy!" he then transferred all that he had built up to his fingers. "Try this! ENERGIZE!"

Citadel

"Yah!" akin to that of a chakram, Ring Man threw the spinning, hollowed-out disk in Mega Man's direction, the projectile moving at a spectacular speed.

Mega Man ducked underneath the incoming ring at the last second, yet it seemed that Ring Man was prepared for a maneuver such as this. He threw another ring, the Blue Bomber still dodging the incoming projectiles. "I think you need more practice at ring toss, buddy."

Ring Man merely stepped back, unamused by the cerulean machine's quips. Still, despite there being no mouth visible, Mega found himself imagining a smirk forming underneath that red helmet. For somebody that missed his two shots, the Robot Master seemed rather confident. "Still haven't realized it yet?" Ring Man asked, folding his arms.

"Realized what?" Mega Man questioned. For once, he found himself unable to come up with any clever comeback.

"Look above you."

Whether by instinct or a subconscious suggestion, Mega Man gazed upward and saw that the two rings were not just above him, they were hovering in the air, floating even. "What the…?!" Just when could Ring Man do this?!

"Like it?" the red and gold Robot Master inquired. "Dr. Cossack took the initiative of providing me with some skills found in Wily's robots, inferior as they are," he explained. "Specifically, Magent Man."

"Magnet Dude?" Mega Man asked, thankful he found some material to work with. "Oh yeah, that was also the incident with Dr. Petto, wasn't it?" he questioned.

"Ah, yes," Ring Man nodded. "The one where you oh-so-foolishly believed you could be a real human?"

Mega Man bit his lip. "It wasn't that crazy," he muttered. "I just…was curious, was all."

"Do you still hold onto that wish?" Ring Man inquired. "Or is it tied in with too many embarrassing memories?" he then stepped back and leaned against the northern wall, knowing that he had the Blue Bomber trapped. "Or has your circuitry still been fried since you stopped your dear brother from assassinating President Lincoln?"

Mega Man averted his gaze. "Could we not discuss that?" then, he remembered that, indeed, his brother was involved with that. "Speaking of, what's Proto Man been up to lately?"

Ring Man raised a brow. "What concern is that of yours?"

"Well," Mega Man placed his hands on his hips. "I'm beginning to think that Cossack might be the one that made you," he said. "But I don't think he's the one pulling the strings."

Mine

A blinding flash forced Natsenka's protective program to activate, her optics shutting down to prevent damage from the incoming electricity. Being left blind, she leaped to the side, just barely evading another attack. Unfortunately, she couldn't recover fast enough and found Elec Man standing above her when her vision reactivated itself.

Then, Elec Man delivered the rest of the energy he had stored up, having only just made use of half of it.

Roll's attention was drawn from Ice Man, and Natsenka's cries of pain were heard from a short distance away. "Natsenka!"

"Hey, this battle isn't over yet, soldier!" Ice Man commanded, irked that his opponent wasn't paying attention to him.

"Oh, quiet you!" Roll shouted. "You've been doing nothing but staring at me the entire time anyway! It's barely even started!"

"Wait…I have?" Ice Man questioned.

Indeed, now that he thought about it, while he was keeping his eyes on the enemy, his observation had given him more time to take in the other robot's features. As well as to further realize how appealing they were.

"Ok, you're giving me that look again," Roll said, shifting her eyes for a moment. "Are you sure you're all there?" she questioned, gesturing to his cerebral chamber.

Ice Man was uncertain of how to answer. The air around him was frigid, yet his inner circuitry was burning up. It was as if he had somehow caught a fever. Perhaps it was some form of robot cold? Could machines even get those? Better yet, could they get them by just looking at another machine?

"Ice Man, what are you doing?!" Elec Man questioned, turning his attention away from the damaged Natsenka on the ground. She was electrified quite well, so the Robot Master doubted she'd be going anywhere. "Terminate that inferior machine already!"

"Inferior?!" Roll gasped, offended. "Says the guy that has to remind everyone every five seconds of how great he is!"

"I'm merely stating the truth," Elec Man responded. Then, he made his way over toward Roll. "Your friend here didn't stand a chance against me, what makes you think you will fare any better?"

Roll stepped back, trying to conceal her fear. "Y-You don't scare me," she said, still clutching Eddie. She hated to admit it, but she wasn't her brother. She wasn't equipped with the means to engage in legitimate combat, even if she usually didn't let that stop her. Still, she knew aggression wouldn't do her any good in this situation, she had to think of something else. It was then that her eyes fell on Eddie. "You know," Roll said. "Using all that electricity must be draining your systems."

Elec Man scoffed. "As if!" he then turned around, as if presenting himself to her. "There's a generator located in this mine that I can plug into at any time. And even then, I have hundreds of hours until I need to recharge," he then turned back around to face Roll. "But you, your oil will freeze up in time, along with the less advanced electrical components of your system. Speaking of," his fingertips began sparkling. "How about I give you a charge to keep you warm?"

Natsenka lay sprawled out on the ground, the Robot Master's attack still coursing through her systems. "R-Roll…" she stammered weakly, trying with all her might to rise. "Roll, get…out of here…" she urged her.

Roll's blue eyes shifted to gaze at the downed Natsenka. "Nat…" she said. "Sorry," she said," then she turned her attention back to Elec Man. "But I think you should worry about yourself. Specifically," she then held Eddie out, his top opening up. "How many of these can you fit down your throat?!"

Eddie began firing E-Tanks in Elec Man's direction, the cans striking the Robot Master in the face, stomach, and limbs as they kept coming. It was somewhat wasteful, yes, but Roll needed to try and find a way to get out of there. At least far enough to where she could get Natsenka to safety. When one struck Elec Man right in the lightning bolt on his mask, he yelped and stumbled back, sparks of electrical circuits flying out due to the damage it received.

"My detector!" Elec Man cried out, looking on in dismay at the cracked extra detail on his mask.

Seizing the opportunity, Roll made a mad dash for Natsenka and knelt at her side. "Sorry, Eddie," she said, sitting him down. "You're going to have to walk a little bit."

"Hm?" Reggae was about to engage Beat, having finally finished mocking the other bird. But then he noticed that Roll and the Russian agent were gone. "Hey! Hey!" He squawked. "They got away!"

"Yes, I can see that, you black-feathered turkey!" Elec Man snarled. "Oh, that blonde wretch will pay dearly for that," he then pointed in the direction the two robots went in. "Well? After them!"

"Sure thing! Sure thing!" Reggae then flew off.

"Hey, wait! You're supposed to let me show off my stuff!" Beat protested, about to fly over after the other bird. But a sudden blast of ice was sent in his direction, just barely missing him and striking the ceiling.

"You can show off your stuff with us, little bluebird," Elec Man said, making some last-minute adjustments to his mask. While he was still enraged by what Roll had done, she hadn't managed to damage him too badly. "But I'm in the middle of something, so I shall leave this to you, Ice Man."

"Me?" Ice Man questioned. "But sir, what about the intruders?"

"Oh, I'll contact our friends further ahead," Elec Man said, eyeing the fluttering Beat. "There's a nice cage with room for one more."

Citadel

"Well?" Mega Man questioned, the suspense becoming too much. "Am I right or wrong?"

Ring Man huffed. "You have no proof of anything," he said. "And, even if you were correct, how do you think that makes any difference?"

Mega Man raised a brow, questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Whether or not Wily has some hand in this is unimportant, because, whatever you believe, Cossack is acting of his own volition. Which means that your demise is final when you reach him."

The Blue Bomber was quiet for a moment. "And…just how do you think I will deal with him?" he questioned Ring Man.

"The same way you intend to deal with Wily," Ring Man answered. "Bringing him to justice," his eyes then darkened. "Although, I doubt Russian justice is as lenient as in your country."

Mega Man then grew serious. "Just what is going on? Seriously?" he questioned, basically interrogating Ring Man. "What's Cossack get out of this?"

"Not much, actually," the red Robot Master answered. "Yet, if he doesn't, then it could cost him everything."

"What?" the cerulean android asked.

"But never you mind," Ring Man then made a swift motion over the ring on his head. "For you should focus more on how you plan to beat me," then, the two floating rings came hurling down at the Blue Bomber. "Of which, I doubt very much!"

Mega Man ducked underneath the rings, yet they continued to bounce off the walls, keeping the robot down on the ground. Was there anything he could make use of to deal with them? He then remembered the power he had copied before he entered Ring Man's chamber, accessing his copy chip and bringing out Drill Man's weapon, a drill appearing in place of his buster cannon.

"Well then, it looks like I'm going to have to get creative!" Mega Man retorted, finding a moment to stand, the rings returned to Ring Man, who held them both in opposite hands.

"Oh, how so?" Ring Man questioned.

"I don't know yet," Mega Man then spun the drill around. "But we can give things a spin and find out!"

Chapter Text

Another electrical surge of raw energy was fired in the blue robot bird's direction, the avian flier barely missing the blast by mere inches. Despite the accuracy feature that Cossack programmed into him, dealing with artificial lightning was testing just how well that was programmed in.

"Hold still, bird!" Elec Man shouted, growing tired of the fluttering annoyance dodging his blasts. "Ice Man! Make yourself useful and take care of this cretin!"

"Cretin?!" Beat exclaimed, clearly offended. He then looked at the multiple, unused energy cans on the ground from Eddie. "You know, that electricity must take up a lot of energy in an environment like this," he then readied himself to swoop down, a can in his sight. "It'd be a shame if you were to have to use it up all at once."

Elec Man raised a brow from underneath his golden mask. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, I think your buddy there can show you better than I can!" Beat then dove toward the can and took it in his beak, swooping up and opening the top with one of his anisodactyl yellow toes. "One question, is all that black on your body dirt?"

"What?" Elec Man questioned, then realized what the bird was getting at. "How dare you! I cleanse myself daily, thank you!"

"Oh, is that so?" Beat questioned. "Well then," he then swooped over to the Robot Master, pouring the contents of the energy can onto the taller, electricity-wielding android. "It looks like it's time for your daily shower!"

The green liquid poured all over Elec Man, coating him in the smooth, somewhat oily substance. He looked like a total wreck! "Ooooh," he growled, turning to Beat. "You'll pay for that!"

"Oh yeah?" Beat chirped cheekily. "Well, come on and get me!"

Elec Man was about to unleash an electrical charge, yet paused, a coy smile coming upon his lips. "That's a child's trick, you plan to make me shock myself, don't you?" to his satisfaction, the bird paled. "Well, in case you're wondering," his body then began to surge with power. "My non-conductive components prevent that from happening!"

Beat then realized that Ice Man was preparing to strike at him from behind, the bird corner between the two bots serving under Wily. Birdseed! He inwardly cursed, realizing he needed to think of something, otherwise, he would be little more than either a deep-fried Thanksgiving turkey or a pack of frozen Chinese oven chicken bites! But first, he needed to get out of the way as fast as possible.

"Take this, feathered pest!" the black, red, and yellow Robot Master shouted, blasting a shot of electricity in the bird's direction.

Now! With that mental declaration, Beat flew upward, just barely missing Elec Man's attack.

Although, both Elec Man and Beat then realized that Ice Man had released his attack at the same time as the other Robot Master. Only, one of them was covered with freezable liquid, and by the time both of them realized this, it was too late. Ice Man was sent flying back against one of the stone walls and Elec Man found himself, to his dismay, trapped in a chilled prison of frozen consumable energy, keeping him in place and still in the position of firing his Electric Shock.

"Oh dear," Beat observed from above. "Looks like you're caught in a bit of a tight place."

Elec Man's brow furrowed. "You…!"

"See ya! Dorks!" Beat chirped and flew off, going after Roll and Natsenka. As well as that blackbird, Reggae.

"Come back! That's an order!" Ice Man bellowed, but the bird paid him no mind, continuing on his way in his search for the blonde housekeeper and Russian agent. The Inuit-based robot sheepishly gazed at Elec Man, who was still frozen in place, yet still very much aware and active. If anything, the frozen liquid just kept him stuck. "He got away, sir."

"Clearly," Elec Man scoffed.

"What are we going to do?" Ice Man questioned. His eyes then began to glitch out, binary code appearing over his large optics before they switched back to his normal, black pupils. "Sir!" he then proclaimed with more confidence. "Shall I pursue the enemy, sir?"

"Stop talking that nonsense and get me out of here!" Elec Man ordered, having had enough.

"Oh! Uh, y-yes, sir." Ice Man answered more timidly. "But…how?"

Elec Man sighed. "Never mind. Just…begin trying to chip away at some of this! I've got a call to make."

"Yes, sir!" Ice Man then produced a sharpened icicle and began hitting at the frozen energy on his comrade's form.

With Ice Man making himself (somewhat) useful, the trapped Robot Master activated his com-link.

Citadel

"Darn it!" Proto Man hissed, looking over the damage his beloved scarf had undergone. "How am I going to put this back together?"

As luck would have it, Dr. Wily had no spare needle and thread, so he had to compensate with some other means of repairing his one article of clothing. One of the few things he gave some concern about. And that little brat had gone and torn it up! True, Cut and Guts Man were partially responsible, and he'd deal with them later when this was all over, but still, that little spoiled princess had gone and ruined his scarf! If it hadn't been for her, then…gah! It was all so frustrating.

As anger-inducing as his situation was, he needed to focus. If he were going to face Mega Man later, and he would, no matter what Wily said, he would need to be prepared. He couldn't go without his scarf! But what could he use to repair it? He began searching through the drawers of the small area where Wily kept necessities, as well as other little scraps and screws that would perhaps come in handy. It was then that Proto Man found a stapler.

"Ok, maybe this could work," it wasn't a needle and thread, but it was something. Besides, as far as he knew, Wily never programmed a sewing program into his systems. With that, he went into repairing his scarf, all the while muttering insults towards that blonde-haired brat stuck in that cage below. "Stupid girl," he huffed, beginning to stable the torn cloth back together. "Stupid blonde hair with her stupid earrings and that annoying voice…!" he droned on and on as he worked, the mere sight of that kid filling him with anger. How dare she damage what was his!

"She could freeze to death for all I care." Proto Man hissed, continuing to fix his scarf. As if being torn in half, several torn edges would've severed the cloth if not taken care of. "Geez, this thing is in rough shape," the red-helmet-wearing robot observed. "Maybe I should pay sis a visit and get her to-" Suddenly, he received a call from the mine. "Huh?" he then answered. "Hey, what's up?" he asked. "You caught me in the middle of something, you know."

"What? Tending to your scarf?" Elec Man responded, confused when he received silence on the other end. "Well, regardless, we have a situation here."

"Situation?" Proto Man asked. "What's up?"

Observation Chamber

"Why does he move like that?" Wily questioned, watching the ongoing battle between Ring Man and the blue dweeb he was trying to destroy.

From the monitor, Cossack watched as his robot moved gracefully as he engaged Dr. Light's creation, reactions on point and body twisting and turning with surprising agility. And he did it all while looking as if he were dancing. "Oh, that," the Russian (partially Ukrainian) scientist observed. "Didn't you know? He used to be Kalinka's ballet teacher."

Wily's features transformed into a face of confusion and doubt. "He was a what?"

"My daughter is a well-read, cultured girl, so she is one with the arts," Cossack answered. "Something you would know if you didn't lock her up."

"Whatever," Wily answered, rolling his eyes. Geez, all he did was just lock up his kid! It wasn't as if he had cast her out into the cold! Then again, that would make for a good threat. Regardless, he was more curious about the younger roboticist's words. "So, what exactly did you mean that he was her…ballet teacher?" despite how focused he was on Mega Man's destruction, he couldn't help but find some humor in the fact the combat-based robot was once such a thing.

"All of my robots once provided my daughter with both company and help," the bearded, green-eyed man said. "As you now know, I home-schooled her after the acquisition of my robots,"

"Yes, it was my first trip to Russia," Wily reminisced. "I still don't know how people live here, it's so cold!"

"No worse than any of your hideouts," Cossack remarked.

"Hey, this is about your robot being a ballet teacher!"

Cossack shrugged. "True," he then continued. "But yes, before he was upgraded for combat, as requested by my oh-so-beloved government, Ring Man served to teach Kalinka the art of dance, as she had wished to take it up since she was young," he relayed to Wily. "Of course, thanks to you, she never got past learning the basics because she learned nothing past the age of six."

"Hey, it's not my fault you were chicken and went into hiding after I paid a visit," Wily answered. "I didn't force you to go into hiding, you made that decision."

Cossack glowered. "You are like those men who drove me and my friends to make the dangerous journey to Sweden! People are nothing to you!"

"Not exactly," Wily admitted. "There are some that I have some regard for, even if it isn't for positive reasons," he then turned away from Cossack, who was seated and observing Ring Man and Mega Man's battle. "Speaking of, how has Thomas been lately? Making any more partnerships behind my back?"

"We have no partnership," Cossack answered. "We are just friends and nothing more."

"Is that why you've never told him about your daughter?" Wily questioned. "Does he even have the slightest idea as to why you're even doing this?"

The brunette and spectacled man lowered his head. "Thomas knows nothing. And, whatever happens, should he find out, it won't be from me."

"Eh, whatever," Wily shrugged. "It's not as if it matters to me. Just as long as your brat doesn't eat anymore of my snack stash."

"Of course, that's what you'd think about," Cossack muttered, rolling his eyes at Wily's evident selfishness.

Just then, Proto Man entered the room with a "repaired" scarf held together by a plethora of staples. "Hey, Doc," he said, feeling more secure with the length of fabric back on his shoulders and neck. Still, he would need to properly get it fixed later. "We've got a situation going on down below."

Wily raised a brow. "What? You still haven't caught the intruders?" he questioned, placing his hands on his hips in frustration.

"Not just that, it looks like Elec Man's going to be out of commission for the time being." Proto Man responded.

"What?! What happened?!" Wily then turned to Cossack. "He was one of those you deemed worthy of spending more of your time on! How could he fall to a housekeeper and one of your country's pathetic agents?!"

"Actually, according to Ice Man," Proto Man said, finding humor in the situation, a nice ailment to quell thinking about the condition of his scarf. "He's more stuck than he is hurt."

"What do you mean?" Wily asked. "Well, whatever, just go down there and do something about it!"

"But Doc, I'm not done-"

"Well, hurry up and get done! We're on the clock here!"

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha." Proto rolled his eyes from underneath his visor.

He'd pay his sister and her friend a visit later. For now, he had to try and undo the damage that accursed brat had done to his precious garment.

Ring Man's Chamber

Now, instead of merely jumping or dodging the projectiles, Mega Man found himself rather pleased that he could just beat them back with Drill Man's weapon. True, he doubted that it was the actual robot's weakness, but it was better than nothing. Besides, it had been a while since he copied any of the bots with drills for hands. Speaking of, they always seemed to have missiles on them too. Well, at least that would perhaps serve him in the future, considering that Ring Man wasn't letting up in the slightest.

"Do you seriously think batting back my attacks will do you any good?" Ring Man questioned, his rings returning to him.

"I don't know," Mega Man answered. "So far, you've given me good practice on my ring-tossing," he smirked.

Ring Man was not amused. "Enough games," he said. "You shall combat me and give me the due respect a warrior such as myself deserves."

"Geez, a little haughty, aren't we?" the Blue Bomber retorted. "Did Cossack intend to make you a stuck-up?"

"Stuck up?" Ring Man questioned, his patience has finally worn thin with his opponent.

"Yeah," Mega Man responded. "In fact, I'd reckon that something is stuck up somewhere nice and tight somewhere. That's probably why you're being all sour right now."

Wait, did he just insinuate…!? "That's it!" Ring Man shouted. "If you want to know where to stick something, I have just the thing for you," he said, presenting his namesake weapons. "I shall stick THESE rings into your metal flesh and tear you in half!"

He then leaped forward, aiming to cause major damage, yet with the grace and agility of a dancer. Even if it was a life-threatening situation, Mega Man could've sworn that Ring Man's movements very much resembled that of a ballerina.

Mine

"You should've just left me," the redhead scolded the blonde, the two having finally come to a stop. "You're not designed for combat as I am."

"You think that I care about that?" Roll questioned, looking over Natsenka's form, and checking for any external damage. "You're the one that got a thousand volts to their systems. Speaking of, anything off in there?" she asked, gesturing to the Russian's forehead, where her cerebral chamber rested.

"N-No," Natsenka answered with a groan. "But…that former DLN's attack gave me a splitting headache."

Former DLN. Indeed, that was something that wasn't even at the forefront of Roll's mind. With all that they had done under Wily's command, it had been easy to forget that they once belonged to Light himself. But she didn't have time to worry about such things now, Natsenka needed tending to. "Would you mind opening your head panel up for me?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

Roll was about to speak again, yet she suddenly whirled her head around, blue eyes searching the shadows cast by the sparse lighting. Even if her vision was superior to that of a human's, she didn't possess the same features as her brother's optics. While it was necessary for his line of "work" and whatnot, Roll couldn't help but sometimes feel that Doc gave Mega all the cool stuff.

"What is it?" Natsenka questioned, wincing when another sting came to her forehead, the effects of Elec Man's "shock therapy" still lingering.

"Nothing," Roll responded. "Just…got a feeling."

"Feeling?" the redhead inquired, raising a brow. "That's odd." she was stopped from saying any more by another painful headache.

"Look, just don't talk, ok?" Roll told her. Then, her utility arm produced a small tool meant for repairs, similar to the emergency pen Dr. Light carried with him. It certainly proved useful when Mega was locked in the bathroom full of metal-dissolving acid. "Just open your head panel, I'm going to try and get rid of your headache."

Natsenka was confused. "You're not a medical robot," she said. "Let alone qualified to perform such things on still functioning machines."

"Hey, I know what I'm doing!" the blonde American robot retorted. "I've had to perform emergency repairs hundreds of times!"

"I'm not sure if I trust your capabilities to-" Natsenka began, but was cut off by another painful surge in her cerebral chamber. Indeed, it seemed some circuits had come loose. She hissed, trying to keep her groans as quiet as possible. Even if she couldn't see anything, she wouldn't put it past Wily to have some sort of eyes watching them. That black-feathered bird was already proof of that.

"Look, you want that to stop or what?" Roll asked. "Going into battle with a headache isn't exactly a good strategy."

The darkly-dressed agent paused for a moment, finally relenting when she realized she had no choice. "...very well," she sighed. "Just…be careful. My combat data is very vital."

"Yeah, yeah, got it," Roll said dismissively. "Now, open wide," she said teasingly.

"Don't patronize me," Natsenka growled, yet she nonetheless complied.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Roll's previous suspicion was correct. Hidden away in the shadows lurked Reggae, watching the two robots as one repaired the other. He didn't need much direction to know what to do next. After all, even if Proto Man was still off repairing his scarf, there were still two other robots that could take care of the two intruders.

Ring Man's Chamber

With another strike, Mega Man beat back more of Ring Man's rings, all the while noting how the Robot Master moved. After a short bout, the two jumped back to opposite corners of the chamber, eyes on each other.

"So," Mega Man began. "Looks like you could take part in the Russian Ballet."

"Oh, please," Ring Man scoffed. "Any of those amateur humans couldn't dream of matching my skills."

The blue android smirked. "Oh really? If I win, maybe you could teach me a few moves."

"Teach?" Ring Man questioned. Then, he stopped, his fighting stance slowly coming undone and his posture became uneven and misshapen. It was as if all the grace and style he had displayed before was sapped away from him. "Teach…?"

Mega Man grew confused. "Hey, are…you ok?" he asked, yet the Robot Master didn't answer.

"Teach…" Ring Man said, voice neutral and, for lack of a better term, robotic.

While the Blue Bomber couldn't see into the other robot's head, the machine's cerebral chamber was conjuring up images that he had never seen before. He had never seen the house that he remembered himself being in, living there. Under the care of Dr. Cossack. And a little girl. A little girl who wanted him to teach her to dance.

"Ring Man?" Mega Man raised a brow, unsure of what to do. True, he had an open shot, yet he didn't feel right firing a drill at the conflicted Robot Master. Still, just what was wrong with him?

"Aw, but Kольцо," the blonde six-year-old protested. "I want to jump and spin like you!"

"And you will," the red Robot Master assured the young child, who was dressed in a red tutu with matching ballet slippers and a pair of white stockings. Her hair was tied up in a curly bun, trying to make herself look dignified, but she still looked like a little girl trying to be an adult. She even went through the effort in putting on makeup, although Ring Man suspected that Dr. Cossack wouldn't be too fond of her applying such things to her face. "But first, you must know the basics. Now," he then got into position and held onto the railing situated by a wall of mirrors. A small, private studio for Kalinka to practice. He then began to bend his legs, testing out his flexibility. "Pliers are essential, for they will strengthen your limbs and ease you into becoming more agile."

Kalinka followed Ring Man's movements, bending down and working out her knees and ankles. She knew well what pliers were, as well as etendres, glissers, and relevers. She had known it since she began to dance with Ring Man, and she was getting a little impatient. "But how do I stand up on my toes like you can?"

"You need proper shoes for that, Ring Man informed the younger girl. "And you're nowhere near that skill yet."

Kalinka looked down at the floor. "I wanna show you that before you have to go out to fight," she said solemnly.

"What?" the Robot Master questioned.

"Papa said that the government wants you to be a fighting machine like Mega Man." the blonde child said. "You don't think that…well, Wily's machines will come here, do you?" she asked. "Do you think he'll…take you away like he did Dr. Light's machines?"

Ring Man shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous," he told the girl. "Your father wouldn't let that happen, nor would our country."

"But…"

"Besides, Dr. Cossack knows better than to trust men like Wily," the red Robot Master told the girl. "But, if I am made for fighting," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I shall fight to protect both my brothers and you."

Kalinka folded her arms. "Hey, I can take care of myself too," she said with a pout.

"Right," Ring Man scoffed. "Anyway, back to the lesson. You still haven't finished all of your pliers."

"Aw, but-"

No buts!"

That girl. That little girl. His girl. Well, she was shared by all of them.

"Ring Man?"

Ring Man just stood there, a million images running through his processor all at once. "D-Dance…" he sputtered, steam seen coming out from the sides of his helmet. "K-Kalinka…?"

"Kalinka?"

Then, to Mega Man's shock, the Robot Master's head just blew off of his body! Shooting up like a rocket, the head blasted upward until it hit the ceiling and came crashing back down. Ring Man's body remained motionless, indicating that he was no longer a threat. After a few moments of silence, Mega Man indeed confirmed such and went over to copy Ring Man's power.

The match had come to a rather unexpected end, but this cemented a growing suspicion that Mega Man had all along. Something was up behind the scenes, and he was heavily into believing that Dr. Cossack wasn't the one truly at the helm of everything.

Chapter Text

This particular chamber was dark, yet Mega Man could tell that the stones appeared to be made of stone, with strange shapes and figures etched into the surface of the bricks. It took the Blue Bomber a moment, yet he eventually recognized them as hieroglyphics. It didn’t take him long to piece together just who he would be facing. 

“So, you’ve come,” a low, smooth voice spoke, the pitch and tone signifying a sense of refinement and high status. 

Suddenly, the room was lit up with a radiant light, as if the sun itself had begun shining throughout the room, Mega Man was able to feel the heat. Once the light had died down, he saw a bright, glowing sphere embedded in the ceiling. Upon studying it further, the Blue Bomber saw that the source of light very much resembled Bright Man’s bulb, but there was a difference between the two. Bright Man was powered by electricity while this light felt akin to genuine sunlight. If it wasn’t for the situation, the cerulean android would’ve been tempted to catch some rays. 

On the opposite side of the ornately decorated chamber stood a tall, imposing figure dressed in a red cape and a black and gold nemes serving as his helmet. “It would be fitting that I would be one of the last you face.”

Mega Man smirked. “Phaoroh Man,” he began. “You’re looking fancy.”

The golden, green, and black android narrowed his eyes. “It’s not wise to insult your executioner,” he growled. “But, in a sense, you’re right. As haughty as Ring Man can be, appearances have a degree of importance. I am Cossack’s greatest creation, after all.”

Haughty? Look who’s talking. Mega thought yet decided not to verbalize that. Then, he realized something. “Wait a minute,” he said. “There are eight warp points, yet you’re only number seven.”

Despite his previous talk of appearances, Pharaoh Man couldn’t help but express his puzzlement. “And?”

“And,” Mega Man continued. “That means there’s one I’ll have to face after you.”

The finely-dressed Robot Master realized what he meant. “Ah, him,” he then said. “You’ve yet to meet him, I see.”

Mega raised a brow. “Him?”

“Cossack’s newest creation,” Pharaoh Man stated. “Just recently built, and constructed especially for battle.” 

The Blue Bomber smiled. “Sounds like he means business.”

“Oh, he does,” the Robot Master said. “But,” he then threw off his cape, revealing his sleek, powerful form. “You shall not reach him,” then, to Mega’s shock, the other machine was enveloped in surging, violet, and magenta energy, and then, he began to rise off of the ground. Staring down at his opponent, Pharaoh Man crossed his arms. “This chamber shall be your tomb!”

Mine

“All right, I think I’ve worked out all the kinks,” Roll informed her “patient”, who was still rolling her eyes. “You can do that, which shows I know what I’m doing.”

“All right, you’re not bad for someone who isn’t a licensed professional,” Natsenka said. “But still,” she paused, her eye twitching when Roll hit a small wire. “Watch it!”

“Oops. Sorry,” the blonde apologized. “Anyway, continue.” she then resumed her work.

“Well, you’re not bad,” the redhead resumed speaking. “Still, you put yourself in danger back there,” she said. “You could’ve very well been hit by Elec Man’s attack. And, given your design, it would’ve probably had a worse effect on you than it did me.”

Roll huffed. “So, you’re saying you think I’m weak?”

“I’m saying that your body is not designed for combat purposes,” Natsenka answered. “Your…personality or drive means nothing if your outer shell can’t withstand it.”

The housekeeping robot furrowed her brows. “You know, I’m the one operating on you at the moment…” she warned.

“I’m not insulting you, I’m saying this for your own good,” Natsenka responded. “Don’t you realize that you’re putting yourself in danger by just staying here?” 

Roll was taken aback. “What?” 

“Like it or not, it isn’t safe for you here,” the darker-skinned robot said. “You…” she bit her lip, struggling to even say it. “You could…get yourself hurt.” 

The other female-designated machine’s blue eyes widened, then her expression turned cocky. “Oh, so you’re worried about me, is that it?”

Natsenka’s nose wrinkled and she huffed. “N-No, that’s not it at all,” she answered. “I’m merely following protocol regarding the treatment of civilians, human and mechanical alike.”

“Which means you’re worried about me,” Roll smirked.

“Whether I am or not is irrelevant,” Natsenka retorted, trying to keep the heat in her body from rising. “You…” she began but found herself unable to conjure up words.

“I what?” Roll asked.

The redhead sighed, hissing a curse in Russian. “You clearly have no sense or regard for your own safety,” the agent told her caretaker. “But, even so, had you not stepped in, then…” her eyes shifted. “It’s possible that…Elec Man could’ve terminated me. In a small way, I owe you my life.”

The red and yellow jumpsuit-wearing robot was taken aback by the agent’s words. “Oh, uh…well, sure,” she said, continuing with her operation. “It’s the least I can do,” she then went silent, going on and finishing up her work. “And…done!” she proclaimed, the small space in Natsenka’s forehead closing up again, not even visible anymore. The Russian agent lifted herself up to a sitting position. “How do you feel?” Roll questioned.

“Well, my head doesn’t feel like it’s splitting open anymore,” Natsenka answered. “Although…I think Elec Man’s abilities have left me deprived of a good deal of energy.”

“Oh, that’s all?” Roll asked. “That can be fixed easily. Hey, Eddie!” she called out to the smaller green robot. “Toss us an energy can, would you?” Eddie opened his top and a small can was shot out, which Roll promptly caught in her hand. “Here,” she said, pulling up the cap and creating a drinking hole. “This’ll fix you right up.”

Natsenka eyed the drink curiously. “Are you certain?” she asked. “I somehow fail to see how a simple drink can ease my weakened state.”

“Trust me, Mega’s gotten out of hundreds of scrapes thanks to these things,” the blonde assured her. “Here,” she handed the can over, to which Natsenka took it. But, before she could drink its contents, both she and Roll heard footsteps approaching. “What the…?!”

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” a familiar voice mockingly questioned, Roll knowing well who was addressing her. Before her, Natsenka, and Eddie stood two Robot Masters she was more than well-acquainted with, the machines glaring down at her, yet they seemed pleasantly surprised to have found someone down in the mine. “Looks like these two are ‘cutting’ in where they don’t belong.” Cut Man remarked, crossing his arms. Even if his mouth didn’t have much movement, the corners of his puppet-like mouth curled slightly upward, partially resembling a smile. 

“Yeah,” Cut Man’s companion added, his larger frame towering over all of the others. He then cracked his knuckles, his blocky lower lip of blue lightly flapping as he spoke. “Maybe a little rearranging of their circuits would do them some good,” he said. “And by that, I mean,” he then lifted his fists up, ready to smash them on the ground. “Smashing them all to smithereens!”

Citadel

Floating? How was he floating?

Mega Man didn’t get much time to reflect on this sudden and strange new feature as Pharaoh Man produced his buster and fired a blast of hot, radiant energy of pure heat in the Blue Bomber’s direction, having the high ground over his opponent. While this shot missed, that didn’t stop the airborne Robot Master, continuing to unleash fiery energy in the azure android’s direction. 

“Whoa!” Mega Man shouted, barely dodging a blast that had gotten just a little too close for comfort. “Toasty!”

All right, the Blue Bomber thought. He had fought Pharaoh Man before, specifically when Wily had taken over all the electrical appliances in the city and invaded City Hall. The last time, he had managed to use the Robot Master’s weapon to his advantage, but if he tried that option, he had to get close enough to make direct contact. And that meant getting past the Egyptian-based machine’s incoming attacks. 

Producing two rings from Ring Man’s still-copied ability, Mega Man began beating back the concentrated solar flares, the light from above them continuing to beat down on the both of them. Perhaps he could reflect the attack back at the floating Robot Master? It was worth a shot, and if it got him closer to allowing him to complete his strategy, then he’d go through with it! Yet, just as the shots he beat back were heading toward Pharaoh Man, the golden, green, and white android was enveloped in a semi-transparent barrier of violet energy, a singular eye situated in the center of the protective sphere that had manifested

“Huh?!” Mega Man exclaimed, blue eyes widening in shock while Pharaoh’s optics looked on with satisfaction

“Impressed?” Pharaoh Man inquired. “A new feature installed by Dr. Cossack himself,” he explained

Mega Man smirked. “Does to go to compliment your obvious huge ego?” he asked. “And here I thought Ring Man was full of himself.”

“Unlike him, I have taken precautions,” Pharaoh Man answered, the center of his chest beginning to glow, a phenomenon Mega Man had never seen before. “And here, in my arena, I am practically immortal!”

Mine

Natsenka hissed and was about to make a move, but was pushed back by her current caretaker. “What are you doing?!” the agent questioned, bewildered by the other robot’s actions

“Stay here!” Roll commanded, gesturing to an open space in the rock wall of the mine. It wasn’t enough to cause a collapse, but it was small enough for someone to fit inside. “You’re in no condition to be throwing any punches!”

“Neither are you!” Natsenka retorted, about to go after her, but she fell to her knees, her body still suffering from the effects of Elec Man’s attack. She was about to go to the ground, but Eddie supported her with his body, guiding her over to the space in the wall. “Roll, don’t…” the redhead protested, practically begging the blonde to not go on her own.

“Eddie, watch over her for me, ok?” Roll asked the smaller creation of Dr. Light

“Yep!” Eddie answered

“And what are you going to do?” the Russian questioned

“I’ll…try and distract them!” Roll answered

“How?”

The blonde paled. “I’ll…think of something

“But-”

Natsenka got nothing more out, Eddie pushing her into the hole, and he followed soon after. Roll ducked and hid in another nearby tunnel, listening in for their incoming pursuers. A short time later, Cut and Guts Man turned the corner. “Where is that other bot?” the red android questioned his larger companion, who had responded with a shrug of his shoulders. “Hm,” he then began to wonder, his improved programming allowing for a higher level of thinking. His large eyes began surveying the environment around him, the mine appearing empty and devoid of any life safe for themselves. Suddenly, the scissor-headed Robot Master felt something perch itself atop his dome. “H-Hey!” Cut Man protested the bird that had landed flapping his wings in panic at the other robot’s sudden movement. Cut Man waved his hands over his Rolling Cutter to try and dislodge what was there

“Huh?” Guts Man looked over, confused as to what Cut Man was causing such a commotion about. He then realized that Reggae had returned to them. “Oh, it’s you,” the larger Robot Master said. “Where have you been

“Looking for you!” Reggae answered with a squawking voice. “Dumb dumbs went all over the place! Reggae couldn’t find!”

“Hey! We’re not dumb dumbs!” Guts Man shouted, raising his fists as if he were going to engage in a boxing match with the bird. “We’re plenty smart now!”

“Ha ha! Yeah, right!” the blackbird chortled. “Guys can’t even find other birdie!”

“Oh yeah,” Cut Man said, remembering Beat. “Where is that guy

Reggae then paled, realizing that he too didn’t realize where his blue self-appointed rival had gone. Last he knew, he tracked Mega Man’s sister and the agent down and alerted Cut and Guts Man of how they were heading their way, but last he knew, Beat was still dealing with Elec and Ice 

“Reporting for duty, sir!"

All three turned to see a snowsuit-wearing machine and a black, red, and gold conductor of electricity had arrived at the scene, although one of them was covered in what appeared to be frozen green chips. 

“What happened to you?” Guts Man questioned, both mockingly, but also out of genuine curiosity. 

Elec Man glared daggers in Ice Man’s direction. “We would’ve terminated the intruders, but someone seemed to have forgotten how to aim properly.”

“How many times do I have to ask for forgiveness?!” Ice Man protested. Then he shrank back. “Oh, um, if I may ask, sir?”

“Stop it,” Elec Man growled. “Or I may just have to warm my systems up by frying you.” he then held up a single digit, a spark of electricity coming to his fingertip. 

A short distance away, a figure hid in the shadows, witnessing what was going on, as well as how the four Robot Masters gathered around the space where the Russian agent and Light’s energy dispenser were hidden away. Just a few more steps, and they would surely…! 

“Uh, I don’t really like being shocked, sir,” Ice Man whimpered, eyes widening as he continued to stare at Elec Man’s growing spark. Was he seriously considering electrocuting his own comrade?

“Hey!” 

All four Robot Masters and one robot bird turned around, spotting a shape not too far away, partially visible in the dim lighting that provided at least some form of guidance in the otherwise dark and shadowy tunnels. In the light stood a familiar face, one that they had previously thought to be lost, out in the open, as if she were trying to get their attention. 

“Hm,” Elec Man hummed, his attention being drawn from Ice Man. “So, one of you finally decided to show yourselves,” he said. “Where’s your red-haired friend?”

“Somewhere you’ll never find her,” Roll answered. “But instead of worrying about her,” she then turned on her heels and began running. “You should worry about catching me!”

“Hey, wait!” Cut Man called out, yet Roll was long gone. He then turned to Elec Man, the Robot Master currently the one serving under Proto Man. “So, what do we do?” 

“What do you mean, you dolt?” the mostly dark-colored robot scoffed. “Go after her! We can’t let her potentially reach the hostage!”

“Oh, right!” Guts Man declared, realizing just how much trouble they’d all be in if they allowed that blue dweeb’s sister to free their prisoner. “After her!”

“Ahem,” Elec Man cleared his throat. “You two check that tunnel,” he ordered Cut and Guts Man, gesturing to a stretching corridor to the left, the same that Roll had previously hidden in. “You inspect the one ahead,” he told Reggae, who looked at the tunnel in front of them. “Ice Man and I shall search elsewhere.”

“Ok, fine,” Guts Man said, going along with Cut Man.

“Pompous jerk,” the red Robot Master hissed under his breath, yet he nonetheless obeyed and went with the larger android to look for one of the two intruders. 

Although this wasn’t kept quiet enough, especially given Cut Man yelped when he felt a shock on his posterior. Not wanting to suffer under Elec Man’s wrath, the other machine went off, Guts Man following. “Now,” Elec Man said, turning his attention to Ice Man. “Time to exterminate some pests with some electro-shock treatment.”

“Ready to Search and Destroy sir!” Ice Man answered.

Elec Man raised a brow. “Are you certain about that?” 

“Um…I think so?”

The darker Robot Master rolled his eyes. “Just come on.”

There was just one problem with her plan. She had no idea where she was going. 

True, while Roll had gone down the tunnels to distract those four goons and prevent them from finding Natsenka, the blonde couldn’t deny that she was essentially running blind. Just where was she now? She had to stop for a moment if not just to get a rough idea of just how far she had gone, and even more, which direction should she go? She took a few steps forward, yet as she made her way forward, her red boot hit a pebble that bounced across the ground, creating a small amount of noise. 

Roll panicked in her mind, knowing well that she was heard by someone from the sounds she heard but a short distance away. But, instead of one of Wily’s bots, she heard a feminine, young voice. 

“Hm? Is that one of you?” 

Huh? Who was that? Roll listened in, noticing that while the voice was speaking English, speaking in a heavily accented voice. Specifically Russian. Russian, Roll thought. Russian…?! 

“Well, come on and let me see you. I’m bored and need someone to talk to.” 

From the sound of it, the speaker sounded more annoyed than frightened, as if any sense of fear had worn off and was replaced with irritation and anger. And, if Roll was right by her estimates, the source lay just around the corner. 

And, indeed, turning the corner, she was proven right. 

Chapter Text

Two bright, flashing waves of pure heat projected from Pharaoh Man's chest, their wide range made it difficult to dodge. Even if it was just by a little, Ring Man's weapon assisted Mega Man in keeping the flaring surges of energy away from possibly melting his circuitry. Then, the waves began to reflect off of the stone walls, to the Blue Bomber's shock, having to continually avoid or beat back the incoming attack until it finally dissipated.

"I think, as you would say, 'sizzling circuits,' yes?" the royalty-dressed Robot Master asked, having lowered himself to the ground to get to Mega's level.

"Decide to finally face me on the ground, or do you want to continue flying around some more?" the azure android questioned with a raised brow.

"Cocky insubordinate," Pharaoh Man snarled, crossing his arms. "I shall teach you your place," he then regained his cool, mellowing out, unlike the solar heat radiating throughout his body. "But first, I should ask, aren't you wondering why my chamber can reflect my attacks?"

Mega Man was quiet for a moment, having been caught without a retort for once. "Well, yeah. It's something I'm kinda curious about," he then looked around. In truth, he began to think back to his battle with Bright Man and how each dimension of the room was filled with bright lights that would react with the Robot Master's weapon. Perhaps something similar to that was taking place here, but if that was the case, then what? From what he could see, there was nothing for the light to reflect on, so maybe whatever allowed the waves to travel elsewhere rested behind the hieroglyphics.

"If you're wondering, no, there is no gimmick or trickery," Pharaoh Man said. "My power is just that great."

"Great, huh?" Mega Man asked. Now was his chance. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow it for a moment!"

Using this moment of distraction, the Blue Bomber drew out some rings and hit the mechanical shape of the protective symbol of the two guardians of the ancient kings, Nemes the Vulture, and Wadjet the Serpent. The impact of the rings proved enough to break off both of the symbols' necks, ruining the regal look that went along with the nemes. True, it didn't serve any function, but Pharaoh Man took pride in how it made him appear. "Gah!" the Robot Master cried out, wincing at how his headpiece was ruined. "How dare you…!"

He was silenced by a blue hand seizing his forearm and, while it wasn't painful, the reprogrammed Cossack bot (despite Mega's still present suspicions) felt his ability being "transferred" from himself to another, the cerulean android smiling as he felt a familiar wave of warmth fill his weapon.

"You thief!" Pharaoh Man bellowed, swinging in the Blue Bomber's direction, but Mega Man leaped back, out of the way of the incoming attack.

"Not this time!" Mega Man said, reminiscing about the previous encounters he had with the Robot Master. "I've been waiting to get you back for that love tap!"

Mine

"Hm?" Kalinka turned her head as the approaching figure turned the corner, making herself visible in the sparse light from the few, barely functioning bulbs lining the ceiling. "You're not one of Wily's bots."

"No way!" the other blonde shook her head. "I'm much more put together than any of those clowns."

The caged human approached the bars of her cell, squinting her peridot eyes to get a better look at who had just entered her "room." "Wait a minute," she said, eyes widening. "You're one of Light's creations, aren't you?" she asked. "No, more than that…" she examined Roll closer, realizing just who had stumbled upon her. "You're the sister of Mega Man, aren't you?"

"You know who my brother is?" Roll asked. This girl seemed to know her, yet she had no idea who this prisoner was. But it didn't take her long to put the pieces together. "You're Dr. Cossack's daughter, aren't you?"

"Of course!" Kalinka exclaimed. "Kalinka Misha Cossack," she answered, placing a hand on her chest as if she were presenting herself. "And you are…" she paused for a moment. "Rolly?"

"Uh…Roll," the other blonde responded. Honestly, "Rolly" sounded like a bad nickname. "Anyway, so you're the one that Wily took."

The Russian (partially Ukranian) human nodded, looking down at the barren rocky ground. "Yes, I am," she gripped the bars, her knuckles whitening. "And his foolish subordinates have kept me here for the entire day! With barely any food or water, and even more, I'm bored!" she threw up her arms in exasperation. "They've practically been abusing me!"

Wasn't that going a little far? Still, Roll couldn't deny that ending up in the hands of Wily's bots was never a good thing, having experienced such a good few times. Something she hoped to not repeat. The least she needed was to get herself thrown in with this girl. "Ok, so…" the jumpsuit-wearing android began to inspect the cell. "How are we going to get you out of here?" She began trying to find any weakness in the bars, yet it seemed that, despite the fact they appeared old and covered in rust, they were sturdy and weren't going to break. Not under her strength.

If Mega was here, then maybe he could…?

"If I may," Kalinka suddenly spoke up. "Just where is your brother now?" she asked. "Is he…still fighting with my Papa?"

Roll's focus was drawn from the task of freeing the prisoner to listen to her words. "Yeah," the other blonde answered. "I don't know how far he's gotten," she admitted. "But my brother's tough. He won't fall to whoever's been set up to fight him."

This bit of reassurance seemed to have the opposite effect, Roll noticing Kalinka's features fall. "So…Papa's robots…" she turned away from Roll, her arms wrapping around her body as if she were being affected by the bitter cold, despite her warm attire. "They're…destroyed?"

"Yeah, Mega's surely trounced them by now," Roll mentioned, momentarily forgetting the human's distress. "But…don't worry. He beats Wily's goons up, yes, but he doesn't outright destroy them."

The curly-haired, hat-wearing human looked back at Roll. "He doesn't?"

"Well, they always come back the next time Wily's got another scheme cooking," Roll answered. "Truth be told, I don't know where some of the Robot Masters are…" she admitted.

Kalinka's green eyes grew in terrible comprehension. "Then…does that mean Wily…?" she then gasped. "If they fail, then surely will…!?"

"Surely will what?" Roll asked.

"Yeah, surely will what?" a familiar, smarmy voice questioned, the low but cocky pitch new, and yet familiar. Roll had to keep reminding herself that the Robot Masters appeared to have more "developed" personalities and quirks.

Turning around, Roll saw that she was no longer alone, her pursuers having finally caught up to her. Surrounding her were Cut, Guts, Elec, and Ice Man, all prepared to take care of the intruding DLN.

Permanently.

Citadel

This was going nowhere.

Despite having copied the Robot Master's already powerful weapon, Mega found he wasn't progressing much in this fight. True, the Blue Bomber was keeping the Egyptian-based machine from taking any shots at him, but the two were essentially locked into an ongoing contest to see who could hit who first.

Neither was winning, as the blasts from either side canceled each other out.

"Enough!" Pharoh Man commanded, Mega Man's attacks also coming to a halt. "Hm," the haughty android crossed his arms. "So, you DO know when to obey a superior such as myself."

"Naw, I'm just getting a little heated," Mega responded. Even if it was more of a sarcastic quip, he wasn't lying. He found that Pharaoh Man's weapon was heavily depleted of energy, and it wouldn't be long until he would run out completely. Pretty soon, he would have to rely on his regular buster to take his enemy out.

"You're wasting your time," Pharaoh Man boasted. "As long as Ra's light shines down on me, my energy reserves will never deplete!"

Ra's light? What did he mean by that? Mega began to think over the other robot's words, peering into what he had known and recorded about Egypt, as, until now, it had been some time since he had traveled abroad. From what he could find, Ra was the supreme deity of the Egyptian pantheon, the controller and guide of the sun. He would descend into the underworld at night, where he would battle against Apep, who sought to devour the sun for himself. All right, nice history lesson, but how was that going to help him now?

Wait a moment.

Mega glanced up, his blue eyes squinting to adjust to the powerful light. He at first initially believed it to light up the room, yet perhaps it did more than that. "Only one way to test it."

Switching out the copied ability for his regular buster, a shot of golden plasma was released, the fired blast striking the sizable lamp in the ceiling. The surface had cracked, and, judging from the sudden panic on Pharaoh Man's face, the Blue Bomber had guessed correctly.

Mine

"Um…" Roll began, feeling both very cornered and very foolish. She had just gone and walked right into enemy hands.

"I suggest you stay still and take it," Elec Man said, a coy smirk coming to his lips. "It will still be painful, but electricity is a quick worker of inferior hardware."

Roll raised a brow, then furrowed both. "Inferior hardware?!" she yelled, no longer caring about the situation she found herself in. "Can inferior hardware do this?!"

Elec Man prepared himself, yet found that, instead of a fist or leg meeting him, a cloud of dust erupted in his face from the other robot's utility arm. Her hand had slipped into the white compartment and a nozzle took its place. The dust and gathered dirt caught Elec Man off guard and sent him back, coughing and hacking as he tried to get the offending particles out of his throat and systems.

"Huh, looks like I forgot to empty the vacuum before I left the lab," Roll mused aloud. "Oh well, it's served me for now."

"You…cough!" Elec Man wheezed, his voice box acting up somewhat from the debris clogging his vocal components. "Your circuits are going to be microwaved from the inside out!"

"I've got one better!" Cut Man answered, quite literally "cutting" in. "I'll make paper dolls out of you, circuit skirt!"

"I don't even wear a skirt," Roll retorted, crossing her arms. "But fine! I can take you on!"

Cut Man removed his namesake weapon and threw it in Roll's direction, the blonde robot ducking underneath the incoming projectile that was surely aiming for some part of her. Anything it hit would've been slashed off, but just when the sharpened blades were about to return to Cut Man, Roll activated the now-empty vacuum and sucked up the Rolling Cutter, the weapon now resting in the compartment.

"Ha!" the blonde proclaimed. "Looks like I've got your power now!"

"Who do you think you are? That blue dweeb of a brother you've got?" Guts Man scoffed, flexing out his arms and presenting his girth to the smaller robot in an effort to intimidate her.

"Hey! Mega's way less of a dweeb than you!" Roll retorted. Despite the Robot Master's size, she didn't let herself be deterred or shrink under Gut Man's glare. "And besides, even if he was, it's better than being a brainless dolt!"

"Brainless?!" Guts Man roared, but then grew confused. "But we've got CPUs and processors," he then came to a realization. "Hey, that was an insult, wasn't it?!"

"And I thought Dr. Cossack was supposed to have made you smarter." Roll scoffed.

"Why you…!" the black, yellow, red, and partially blue metal giant lunged forward, intending to take the smaller android to the ground. While he had just nearly managed to snatch her, Roll jumped back out of the way, allowing her to realize that she had a straight path to the cell. And she had Cut Man's signature utensil in her grasp. She could just bust Kalinka out here and now!

"Freeze!" Ice Man called out. "That's an order!"

"Sorry, sir!" Roll called out. "I'm not one of your soldiers!"

"Oh, sorry ma'am," the Inuit-based Robot Master said. "But…I still have to attack you!"

Roll made a dash for Kalinka's cell, Ice Man all the while firing blasts of concentrated nitrogen in the other robot's direction. He cut off her path several times, and she was forced to maneuver her way against the walls and over the still-collapsed Guts Man. So close, she was so close…

Citadel

"You fool! Stop!" Pharaoh Man bellowed, thrusting his arm out and pointing an accusing finger at Mega Man.

"Why?" Mega questioned, continuing to unload his weapon onto the light above. "Afraid I'll ruin your tan?

"I command you to cease!" the headressed Robot Master ordered.

"Sorry, your Majesty, your rule has gone on long enough!" Mega Man retorted, aiming for the lamp once again.

This wasn't good, Pharaoh Man realized. He had to do something, if not just to perhaps delay what was coming a little longer! The lamp couldn't break! He couldn't allow that to happen!

"Servants!" he suddenly called out, raising his left arm. "Come to me!"

With a snap of his fingers, the Blue Bomber saw the bricks in the room begin to pull apart and shift, opening to reveal black, empty spaces that he soon learned were occupied. From within the walls emerged several robots that looked as if they were about to fall apart, all wrapped up in what appeared to be some sort of elastic material that resembled bandages.

"What the…?" Mega said aloud, studying the newly arrived fiends with curiosity and caution.

"Behold, my Mummira forces," Pharaoh Man proclaimed proudly. "Provided by Dr. Cossack himself."

"Oh, is that so?" Mega questioned.

"Indeed, it is so," Pharaoh Man responded. "Quip all you want, yet it won't save you now," he said. "These robots were designed specifically to heed my words and commands," he then thrust a digit in his enemy's direction. "And I command them to restrain you so I can finish you off!"

Mine

So close. She was so close.

"Watch out!"

But it wasn't close enough.

Just as Roll was about to slice through the bars of Kalinka's cell, a sudden and agonizing burning sensation assaulted her entire body, everything from her skin to her inner circuitry felt as if it were lit on fire. She didn't need to figure out who had just stopped her attempt to free their prisoner, and with that realization, came the knowledge that the group's most dangerous member had recovered. Falling to the ground after a few moments of spasming, the blonde robot looked up to see her attacker standing above her, arms crossed and with a very displeased expression on his features, despite his mask.

"You and your friend have caused us enough trouble," Elec Man snarled. "But since you're the weakest link, we'll take you out first."

Weakest?! As much as she wished to bite back, Roll accepted that her current reality was that of a loser. Once again, she was reminded she was never as strong as her brother.

"Now," the electricity-wielding robot said, approaching his downed target. "How about we test just how much you can take before your pretty little head explodes?"

Citadel

Mega prepared to fire, but just as he did so, he felt a strong yet flexible material seize him by the arm. Looking to see what had snagged him, the Blue Bomber found that one of the Mummiras had taken the "bandages" from his face and used them as a restraining whip. The robot's head was uncovered, however, leaving a rather unpleasant-looking face underneath. Mega attempted to free his arm but soon found his other arm, legs, and chest restrained by the same bandages, a group of Mummiras surrounding and keeping him in place.

"Even if you manage to free yourself, it will do you little good," Pharaoh Man said. "I have dozens of these peons at my disposal, and I doubt even you have enough energy to take them all out, AND me."

Darn it, he was right. As much as Mega hated to admit it, his foe had a point. Still, there had to be a way out of this, or, at least some sort of distraction so he could buy himself enough time. Blasting his way out of these bandages wouldn't do him any good, the constricting material blocking his cannon. He had to think of a plan, as well as the time to think of one!

But what?

"You have been a nuisance long enough," Pharaoh Man dismissively waved, turning from the scene. "Mummiras, tear him limb from limb."

Mine

"W-Wait!" Kalinka called out, grabbing onto the metal rods that kept her trapped. "Wait, stop! Don't do this!"

Elec Man took a moment to glance at the imprisoned sixteen-year-old. "Consider yourself fortunate that we're not allowed to handle you roughly," he told her with a smirk, generating a considerable amount of energy in the palm of his hand, bringing it close to Roll's face, her blue eyes reflecting the electrical sparks, wide and fearful. "Then again, perhaps an example of what happens when you mess with us is required for you to get the point."

He inched the electrical surge closer and closer, Roll unable to move due to the shocks still paralyzing her body. Any closer, and he would really be able to fry her systems.

Was this truly the end of the line?

Citadel

"Hm?" Pharaoh Man whirled around upon hearing an audible sizzling emitting from behind him.

The Mummiras appeared confused as well, yet when one of the bandages restraining Mega suddenly erupted into flames, it became clear just what was happening. The object blocking his buster was burnt away thanks to the small bit of energy left from Pharaoh Man's weapon, Mega Man gazed at the surrounding robots now that he was free to fire. The Mummiras leaped forward, yet found themselves engulfed in flames, the bandages on their bodies burning away thanks to the heat from the Pharaoh Shot. While the solar energy burnt off a good portion of their outer shell, the pieced-together, walking automatons of scrap metal kept coming, all with the intent to bring down the intruder as their Master ordered.

"Ok, I've got just a few more," Mega said to himself. "Then, I've got to take care of the lamp."

"Get him!" Pharaoh Man shouted, the Mummiras walking forward, despite no longer having much on their bodies anymore. If they weren't machines, the sight would've been rather gruesome.

Mega, to the other android's surprise, didn't fire back. Instead, he seemed to wait for the Mummiras to draw closer to him. Closer and closer to where they could surely restrain him again if they so chose to. And it seemed that would be the direction things would go, but then, a wave of heat blasted forth from Mega Man's buster, consuming the waling pieces of scrap and destroying them with fire. While they didn't turn into goop or burn to ash, their internal circuits were sizzling and smoking.

"Hope Cossack has a refill for me after this." Mega sighed, feeling the last of Pharaoh Man's weapon slip away. He could now only rely on his regular power. "Or should I say, Dr. Wily?"

Pharaoh Man's eyes widened for a moment, then he regained his cool. "You speak nonsense," the Robot Master answered. "There is only Dr. Cossack here."

"I thought you'd say that," Mega responded. He had an answer for that. "Then what about a Kalinka?"

Mine

"Wait!"

Roll and Kalinka, as well as Elec, Cut, and Guts Man all turned their heads to see who had just spoken, Ice Man had stepped forward, momentarily stopping the red and black Robot Master from delivering a devastating blow.

"If I have permission to speak, sir." the blue, large-eyed robot meekly asked.

Elec Man raised a brow. "What could you possibly have to say now?" he asked. "Can't you see we're about to take care of a troublesome pest here?"

"Yeah, we're taking care of a pest!" Guts Man added.

"But…do we have to do something so…drastic?" Ice Man questioned.

"What do you mean?" Cut Man asked, confused.

"Yeah, I want to know too," Roll asked, despite her weakened state. "What DO you mean?"

Ice Man began to fiddle with his thumbs upon realizing Roll had her sights set on him. And wait, Roll thought, was he blushing? "Well," he began. "Considering that she's not exactly a threat," he said. "Not to mention lacking in strength and durability in comparison to Mega Man,"

Roll narrowed her eyes. "Wow, thanks."

"All the more reason to be rid of her now," Elec Man said. "Once she's out of the way, let's see if Mega Man receives any help from a tag-along then."

"But…" Ice Man protested, no one appearing to listen to him. Then, his eyes fell on Kalinka. "How about she serves as a companion for our prisoner?"

Citadel

Pharaoh Man went silent.

"Well?" Mega asked.

Despite trying to suppress it, the Robot Master couldn't entirely keep his shock inside. "I…I don't know who you're talking about."

"Are you sure?" Mega questioned. "No one you know? No one Cossack knows?"

"No, I know no one by that name."

Mega Man crossed his arms. "Even if you clearly can, you're terrible at lying," the Blue Bomber scoffed. "I think Proto Man is a better liar than you."

"The truth is that there IS no Kalinka!" Pharaoh Man answered. "She…"

"She?"

"She…" the Egyptian-based android appeared to be struggling as if his circuitry was fighting him. "She's…" he stammered. "She's…not…his…"

His bravado began to simmer down, the cerulean robot approaching the other, all the while keeping his buster at the ready to fire. So far, so good. "Is she someone Dr. Cossack knows?" he questioned. His voice became softer. "Is there someone he knows that's in trouble?"

Pharaoh Man's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Is Kalinka in trouble?" Mega Man asked, being direct.

"She…" Pharaoh Man said, standing still until he began to clutch at his forehead. "She's…" he then began to hold it as if he were in intense pain. "She's…trapped."

Mega's blue eyes widened. "Trapped?"

"Down…somewhere…" the other robot said, spaces of silence in between words. "But…but she…"

"Yeah? Who is she?" Mega questioned. "Is she someone related to him?" he asked. Then, a particular relation came to mind. "Is she his daughter?"

Everything froze. At that moment, Pharaoh Man's processor went into overdrive, his systems navigating and searching for information that he knew once, he knew about the one Mega spoke of. Yet…it was inaccessible. He couldn't reach it. He knew the name and face…he knew HER…but from where? And why?

"Now!" Mega shouted, finally seizing his chance.

"What?!" the Robot Master realized that he had fallen into his foe's trap, his sudden onset of conflict and confusion allowing the blue menace enough time to fire at the light above until, finally, the glass splintered and intense heat radiated from above, filling the entire room.

"Oooh!" Mega winced, his vision momentarily blinded. "Did Bright Man set an extra bulb up in here?"

"Y-You fool!" Pharaoh Man roared, yet it wasn't out of anger. Not entirely. "Do you realize what you've just done?!"

Mine

"What?" Elec Man asked, almost unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Yes, sir," Ice Man replied. "I propose that she be thrown in with Cossack's child."

Cut and Guts Man didn't understand, sharing in Elec Man's befuddlement. "But…why?" the larger of the two questioned.

"Well, haven't you been complaining about her making noise?" Ice Man inquired. "How she's incredibly obnoxious and annoying?"

"I'm RIGHT here," Kalinka growled.

"See?" Ice Man said. "Even now, she won't stop talking."

"Hey!"

"So, what better way to relieve ourselves of the task of listening to her when we have someone that can do it for us?"

Elec Man gazed down at the recovering housekeeper, then at the human. "As much pleasure as I would've gotten out of frying you to a crisp, you'd at least serve a purpose," he then directed his attention to the largest of them all. "Guts Man," the other Robot Master said. "Open the door."

Citadel

"What?" Mega Man asked, finally reveling in the fact that he had the upper hand. "Your power source able to be damaged now?"

"No, you fool!" Pharaoh Man bellowed, beginning to clutch at his chest. "Cossack put a limit on how much solar energy I can absorb!"

The Blue Bomber raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"It means that you…" the other android began to speak, but he faltered, falling to his knees. "You must…escape."

"Escape?" Mega Man couldn't entirely believe what he was hearing. One of his enemies was… concerned about him?

"Find…the Doctor," Pharaoh Man said. "Find him…and…tell him…" the Robot Master knelt over, clutching at his chest still.

"Pharaoh Man?!" And, to his surprise, Mega found himself growing concerned over his own enemy. "And what? What do I do?"

"Find…her…" he stammered. "Find her…before…it's too…late…"

His body then became enveloped in light, and Mega wasted no time rushing to the portal. Not but mere seconds after stepping on, Pharaoh Man's core gave out, and his entire body exploded, bathing the room in the bright, hot light of the sun.

Chapter Text

After teleporting back to the main room, Mega Man took a moment to recline against the wall, his systems still a little frazzled by what had just happened. True, he defeated Pharaoh Man, but, unlike the triumph he expected, the Blue Bomber found himself feeling rather…torn. He had won the match, yes, but he felt no joy in his victory.

There were too many questions for him to dwell on.

Just who was this Kalinka? And what was her connection to Dr. Cossack? Better yet, how did Wily fit into all of this? All of this and more flooded his processor, but the need to let his circuits chill for a short while overruled the need to ask Cossack any questions. Besides, it had become clear that the man didn't like to answer Mega's questions.

Still, what could all this mean?

As his blue eyes scanned the room, one last warp tile remained that hadn't yet been used opposite where he currently resided. "Looks like I have one more bot to face before I can maybe find out."

A Room Behind

The waiting was driving him insane! First, he was worried when he saw the blue android enter through those doors to Cossack's challenge. Then it was followed by boredom, then back to worry, then boredom all over again. Despite this, however, Rush had only now stopped pacing back and forth. It did him little good, but what else could he do? He was left completely powerless to do anything to help Mega, and he was trapped in a room where he couldn't hear anything through the walls!

This couldn't go on any longer! He had to do something! "Reah!" he proclaimed, getting ready to charge at the door. "Ron't rorry Mega! I'm revving and ready to go!"

He dashed forward, hoping to break the door open with his head. And if that didn't work…then he'd think of something else. And if that didn't work…then…well, he'd just think of more things to try. But, just as he reached the unmovable barrier that blocked his way, he then found himself tumbling over himself into the snow outside.

"What the?!" Ivan Petrov suddenly shouted, a suddenly formed snowball rolling right toward him and knocking the Russian agent over as if he were a bowling pin.

Petrov shook his head to regain his senses, and then, a shape rose out of the snow, resembling a snowman (or snowdog) with a pair of blue eyes and a dark nose. Shaking off the snow, Rush rid himself of the dense, white powder. Only to then realize that the human he had run into resembled a snowman much more than him now.

Observation Room

"You just let him out!?" Wily asked, exasperated. "Why?!"

"Because I can relate to being locked up," Cossack responded. "Very little of my life has been free."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, please deliver more of your melodramatic life story," the balding German groaned. "You're overlooking one important thing! That blue dweeb is onto us!"

"You mean he's onto you," Cossack corrected.

"Which means he's onto YOU!" Wily exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger in the younger scientist's direction. Even when he was trying to be intimidating, he always came out looking as if he was going overboard. It'd be comical if not for Cossack's current situation. "Bear in mind, we're not the only ones involved."

The bearded Russian-Ukrainian tightened his lips. "I've done what you've wanted," he said defensively. "It's not my fault you can't be subtle. After all, who else but you would try to take over the world?"

"Hey, I've got to be sharp for any competition!" Wily countered. "Besides, that last robot of yours had better do the job, or else!"

Cossack didn't need to ask "or else what?" for he knew the horrible answer.

Suddenly, Wily received a call, the older man bringing the communication device he possessed up to his ear. "This is Wily, what is it?" he asked. "Don't tell me that brat is hungry again."

Cossack listened in, although he couldn't hear what was being said on the other end. "Kalinka…"

"Huh? Who's there?" he asked. "Well, this is something that works in our favor, doesn't it?" he sneered, the younger scientist growing worried. Just what was Wily talking about? "All right, keep her locked up. Maybe the brat will finally have someone else to annoy. Wily out."

The communication died, leaving Wily and Cossack the only two currently present. "What was that?" the younger scientist questioned.

"That's not important," Wily answered. "The point is, we've now got leverage against the periwinkle pest."

"What do you mean?" Cossack inquired.

"Oh," Wily shrugged, his demeanor a far cry from what it was previously. "Let's just say Mega's little sister decided to try and tag along."

Outside

"Ok, let's get some rules set," Ivan Petrov told the red robotic canine sternly. "I'm not throwing you a ball, I'm not playing fetch with you, and I'm not cleaning up after you."

Rush huffed. "I ron't do rat ruff…"

Petrov began to speak again, but he suddenly received a signal from a familiar unit. "This is Agent Petrov," he said into the device brought up to his ear. "Report," suddenly, he looked behind and saw Rush looking up. "Private conversation. Scram."

Rush whined when the Russian went a short distance away, but that didn't stop the dog from hearing the conversation. Especially with the more recently installed satellites in his ears. One sunk into a small hole in his head and he produced a small dish, moving slightly until Rush was able to get a clear signal.

"...so, Mega Man's sister was taken hostage?" Ivan Petrov questioned.

"That's right," a female voice responded on the other end, Rush was able to pick it up due to his recently added enhancements. "I'm here with the energy dispenser. Cossack's bird unit is nowhere to be seen, yet I think he's still around."

Huh? Bird? Energy dispenser? Did she mean Eddie?

"I see," Petrov said. "Well, if you're fit to move, continue with the mission."

"And what of Mega Man's sister?"

"She is no longer your concern," the Russian agent told the far-off caller. "Retrieve Cossack's child, and return to the entrance of the Citadel."

"You mean you wish for me to leave her?"

"That is correct."

It was difficult, and Rush couldn't contain himself entirely, yet he tried to keep his cool to not alert the human he was listening to the conversation. Still, the very thought of just abandoning Roll to a terrible fate made his oil grow hot.

"...very well."

"Good," Petrov said. "Now, continue and retrieve Cossack's daughter. The loss of Mega Man's sister is ultimately an unfortunate reality, but it must be accepted."

"But…she could still be…?"

"Unlikely, she has no combative abilities as her sibling does," the coat-wearing agent answered. "She has no chance of surviving whatever dangers come her way, so-" Suddenly, he became aware of what appeared to be a jet or some sort of aircraft taking off. "What the…?" he turned to see Rush rising into the air, having entered transportation mode and converting partially into a flying machine. "H-Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

Rush didn't answer, his thrusters going into overdrive and going in the direction of the signal, determined to reach the location. If he couldn't help Mega right now, then he could at least save Roll!

If he hopefully made it in time.

Mine.

"What did lady hear?" Eddie questioned the red-haired agent, who promptly rose to her feet. Her joints were still a little stiff, but she could at least move again.

"We're to continue the mission and rescue the hostage," Natsenka answered. "No distractions allowed."

"Distractions?"

"Yes," she said, looking back at him. "I…need you to stay behind."

"Why?" Eddie asked, both confused and a little hurt.

"Those are my orders," the agent responded. She then began to leave, yet stopped for a short moment. "Thank you for all that you've done for me, but…I have to follow my directive. And that's to obey the orders I've been given."

"But…what about Roll?" Eddie questioned.

Natsenka went quiet for an extended period before answering. Another, it was not one Eddie wished to hear. "I'm sorry…but if it comes to it…her fate is out of my hands," she then dashed off. "Exit this mine while you have the chance!" And with that, she was gone.

Aha! There it was! Following the signal Rush had tracked from Petrov's call, the red, robotic canine flew down and landed in front of the gaping entrance to the dark tunnels within the mountains of Siberia. While he found it somewhat strange that he would just be released from the confines of the citadel, but his more instinctual processor dictated that such details could come later. For now, he had Mega's sister to rescue!

Entering, the dog's nose lit up, the illumination system activating in response to the dense shadows inside. Walking a few steps, Rush found no one nearby, neither friend nor foe. So far, that was good, yet it was now that he realized he had no idea where to go. Perhaps Petrov would've said something about that if he had listened longer, but there was also no guarantee that the human would've given the dog any tips at all.

He hadn't even started his journey, and he was already lost.

"Ooooh, where are they?"

Huh? What was that? Rush straightened one of his ears, and indeed, caught a voice speaking in the distance.

"At this rate, I'll never find them OR Kalinka-" A blue, round shape with wings suddenly emerged, catching Rush off guard. "Huh? Whoa, easy boy!" the bird exclaimed, just as surprised as the robotic canine. "I'm not one of Wily's bots! I'm with Cossack!"

"Rossack?" Rush asked before remembering why he was even here, growling in response.

"No, you don't understand!" the bird tried to explain. "He's innocent! This is all Wily's fault! And Roll's now in danger!"

"Roll?" Rush asked, aggression lessening. "Where?" he asked. "Where she go?"

"I think you mean 'where DID she go,' don't you?" the bird questioned, noting the dog's unusual speech pattern. "Well, we got separated thanks to running into Wily's bots, but I know where we were last together. Maybe we can retrace our steps from there."

"Yeah, yeah!" Rush yipped. He then ran forward but then stopped. "Rait," the dog said. "Who are you?"

"Beat's the name, and flying from place to place is my game!" the round avian robot responded. "It's sort of what I was made for," he then fluttered ahead. "Anyway, let's go!"

Both dog and bird delved deeper into the mine with a renewed purpose, as well as hope that Roll would be all right, for, despite not being the one they wanted, she was possibly in more danger than even Kalinka.

"So, you're Dr. Cossack's child?" Roll questioned, Kalinka nodded in response.

"His only child," the other blonde answered with a slight flip of her curled locks. "And his best."

A little bit of an ego, Roll thought. Still, from what little she had seen, the human girl seemed like a decent person. "Sorry about your situation," the other blonde said. "I know what it's like to be a hostage."

"Yes," Kalinka answered. "But getting taken from my home wasn't the worst part," she said. "None of these bolt heads will even acknowledge me! I've been so bored ever since they brought me here!"

"Well, it's not like they'd make for interesting conversation," Roll told the human. "Even if your dad's upgraded their intelligence," she then glanced over at Cut and Guts Man, who served as their wardens for the time being. "I can't be too sure about those two."

"You say something, girly?" Guts Man questioned.

"No, nothing you need to worry about, big guy," Roll replied.

"Was that an insult?" the Robot Master inquired.

"I don't know," Roll shrugged. "Take it however you want."

"Well…I'll go with what makes me less mad!" the larger robot began to walk off. "I'm getting Ice Man, I'm tired of watching over these two." Guts Man left, leaving Cut Man alone with the two.

"Hey, wait!" Cut Man said. "I don't want to watch over them!"

"Then get Proto Man!" Guts Man called back.

"He's still working on his scarf! He still hasn't come back!" Cut Man argued back.

"Well, just wait there until Ice Man gets there!"

"But…" By the time Cut Man had conjured up a solid argument (or at least solid in his mind), Guts Man was gone.

"Wait, what happened with Proto Man's scarf?" Roll questioned.

"Oh that," Kalinka said, chuckling nervously. "There was a little…accident."

Observation Chamber

This was getting him nowhere.

The Red Bomber looked down at the torn piece of yellow cloth put back together with staples, but even with the tireless work of trying to get it to stay, Proto Man still couldn't stand to look at the garment. It just wasn't the same, it wasn't how his scarf was supposed to look.

"Stupid brat!" he hissed, balling the cloth up in his fists. "This is all your fault! If you were here, I doubt even your dear daddy could stop me from putting you in your place."

"Are you done yet?" the door to the small room to the side of the main deck was opened, revealing a frustrated Dr. Wily.

"I'm…getting there, Doc," Proto answered

Wily rolled his blue eyes. "Well, get there soon, because Mega Man's about to face the last of Cossack's robots, and I need you for Phase 2 of the plan."

"Phase 2?" Proto Man questioned. "Last time I checked, the plan was to take Cossack as an unwilling lab partner, and then grab his kid to keep him going with this charade."

"This charade may almost be over," Wily growled. "Cossack intends to go through with his word, but still, you know how that blue pest can have unexpected bouts of luck."

"Do I ever," the red and grey android agreed. "Seems Bro has got an ongoing fling with Lady Luck."

"Well, I'm about to cancel their date!" Wily declared. "Because, even if Cossack loses, that blue dweeb won't achieve victory! And that's what leads into Phase 2."

"Phase 2?"

"I'll let you know what it is when we get there," Wily told his right-hand bot. "By the way, we caught your sister sneaking around with one of those government agents," he said. "The agent is missing, but blondie is stuck listening to the brat complain."

Proto Man raised a brow from underneath his shades. "Sis is here?" he asked. Then, he looked down at his scarf. "Hm…hey, as long as she's not going anywhere, you mind if I borrow her for a moment?"

"Borrow?" Wily questioned. "What do you mean borrow? She's your sibling, do whatever you wish to her! Blow her to pieces if you want!" he suggested. "It's not like Light can't just make another bot to take care of the house. Already had a maid with that spy bot, Doris…" the balding German trailed off, leaving his Second-in-Command in the room by himself once again.

"I've got to get this fixed," he muttered. "I've got to look good from when my Bro and I DO eventually face off."

Of course, that led to the next issue: how to deal with the guy Mega was supposed to fight. The one that Cossack had made under the "guidance" of Wily. The one that had been with them when they had first gone to acquire Kalinka. The one that had, frankly, given him and everyone else the creeps. Many weren't willing to admit it openly, but everyone got a shudder up their spine whenever he passed.

The way he looked, the way he talked, those blasted eyes of his, everything about him was fashioned to be as "scary" as possible. At least, in the eyes of dear ol' Dr. Albert Wily.

Proto Man knew he had to act fast if he wanted to get to Mega Man first, but, truthfully, he wasn't sure how he was going to get past that guy. True, he knew that the new Robot Master was technically an ally, but Proto, while he'd never openly say it, he was a little hesitant about taking him on.

"Are you prepared?"

Just as the Red Bomber was thinking of that other robot's cold, smooth, and slightly husky voice, that same cadence and pitch reached his audio units, sending a sickening chill down his metallic spine. "Oh, heh, heh…" Proto nervously chuckled. "Hey there," he didn't bother turning around. Just seeing the body that the voice was attached to only served to make him even more nervous. No! He was being ridiculous! There was nothing special about this other robot other than the fact his appearance was a little…grim. He was made of metal and wires, just like Proto himself! There was nothing to fear! "So," Proto cleared his throat, turning around to face the figure in the doorway, bathed in shadow, hiding his appearance. Only serving to make him appear even more creepy. "What…" Proto paused, an involuntary gulp coming to him, despite the fact he had no gag reflux. Weird how traits like that popped up, he thought. "Brings you here?"

The figure was silent for a moment, gazing down at the floor. If Proto didn't know any better, he would've assumed that the shadowy robot looked almost…unsure. Nervous even. "I…" he began, voice still low and intimidating. Yet there was strange softness. As if he were trying to make himself sound more pleasant to the ears. "I have a…request."

"Request?" Proto Man questioned, confused. "What are you asking me for? Shouldn't you be telling this to the Doc?"

The Robot Master was quiet for a short time. "I am…unsure if the Doctor would adhere to it," he confessed. "Thus, I am asking you."

The red and grey android wasn't entirely sure what to make of this. Nevertheless, he didn't want to potentially risk seeing what this guy was like if he said no. "Ok," he began. "What do you want?" he then paused. "Wait," the other robot was about to speak, but Proto cut him off. "Before you do, if I do this, I have something to ask of you too."

"Very well. What is that?"

"Well," Proto said. "How about you go first, and we'll see where we go from there."

Mine

"You ripped it?!"

"By accident!"

"Still! You ripped it! You tore it apart!"

The reminisced event was anything but funny to Kalinka, but Roll apparently found it hilarious. So much so, that her tear ducts began leaking small amounts of artificial moisture, as if she were actually crying with laughter. Kalinka and Roll were sitting on the ground in casual positions, Roll with her arms clutched over her stomach while Kalinka was taken aback by the other's hilarity.

"Oh, I would've given ANYTHING to have seen the look on his face!" the ponytailed blonde chortled. "Serves him right! I would've torn that thing up myself long ago if I ever had the chance to!" she began to calm down. "So…heh…I guess I should say…thanks for doing it for me."

"Oh, uh…sure," Kalinka answered. "No problem," she then smiled. "Truth be told, I took it from him when he and those other goons tried to get me in the woods," she then folded her arms. "I still wish I told Beat to put it somewhere up in a tree. Let's see him try to get it then," she then remembered. "Speaking of, have you seen him?" Kalinka asked. "Is he…all right?"

Roll pondered the human's question for a moment. "Last I know, he was ok," she said. "He was fighting off that other bird that ambushed us along with Wily's bots."

"Yes, that one," Kalinka muttered. "It'd be fitting that'd thing be a creation of Wily. It's just as annoying and foul as him."

"Sounds like you're not a fan of him either," Roll observed. "Granted, no one is, but you seem to be a little…I don't know, bitter."

Kalinka drew her legs into her chest. "...I guess you could say that," she said.

"What do you mean?" Roll questioned.

The Russian closed her eyes, memories both pleasant and horrible coming back and playing before her mind's eye. "Because, if not for him, I'd still have my friends."

"Oh yeah," Roll realized. "Beat told me about that."

Kalinka closed her eyes, trying to not get too emotional, although it was difficult. "Even if it's been years, I've never forgotten them…"

"Really?" Rush asked, running while Beat flew above.

"Yeah! All those guys were once Cossack's robots!" the bird answered. "Of course, they came before me!"

Still, the fact that Mega was fighting machines that once belong to someone else was news to the robotic dog. Even more than they were once not as bad as they were now.

"Who's there?" a voice suddenly asked, catching the attention of the two mechanical animals. Both Rush and Beat went over to a cracked section in the wall and found a green energy dispenser hiding in the hole. But, upon seeing who had discovered him, he was no longer filled with dread and potential fear. "Rush! Beat!"

"Eddie know bird-bot?" Rush questioned the other DLN.

"Yeah!" Eddie chirped. "He's a friend," he then grew more somber. "So is that other lady."

"Speaking of," Beat fluttered down to Eddie's level. "Eddie, do you know where Roll and Natsenka went?"

"Wily bots chase us, and pretty lady hurt," Eddie explained. "So Roll tried to hide her. They still find us, so Roll ran to get them to chase," he then looked down at the ground. "That…all I know."

Beat bit down on his beak. "I see…" he murmured. "Is she ok?"

"Don't know," Eddie confessed. "But pretty lady said somebody told her to look for someone else. Don't know where she is either."

"Well, if that's the case, all the more reason to get going, right?" he asked the others. "Roll's in trouble, so we got to help her!"

"Reah, reah!" Rush nodded and yipped in agreement. "Save Roll! Save Roll!"

"And save the pretty lady!" Eddie added.

"Hm?" Beat was puzzled. "Not that I'm advocating for leaving her, but what's with your concern over Natsenka?" he asked. "If anything, it sounds like she just left Roll to be on her own."

"Pretty lady's boss told her to," the green robot argued. "She has no choice. And no everyone is nice like Dr. Light."

None of the machines could argue with that. Even if they weren't Wily, robots were still products of human effort, and thus, some humans believed this meant they could be ordered to do anything. Even if it potentially harmed someone else.

"Well, ok, we'll look for both of them." Beat said.

"Yay!" Eddie cried out. Rush grabbed him by the backside with his mouth and flipped him upward, the green robot now essentially riding the robotic dog as if he were a small pony.

"All right, let's go!" Beat shouted, all three of them going off into the depths of the mine with a renewed purpose and drive.

Unaware that they were all being watched from the shadows.

Chapter Text

200X

Russia

"Friends?" Kalinka questioned, unsure of what her father meant.

"Well, somewhat," Dr. Cossack clarified. "These seven units were designed for specific functions all requested by our…lovely government," he had to refrain from letting too much venom seep into his voice. "But, for you, they shall be your friends, as well as your teachers."

"Teachers?"

"Yes," Cossack answered. "You need variety with your homeschooling, so I would say these robots will work out just fine. Although, they are technically working machines, so they won't be around all the time."

Kalinka still didn't entirely understand, but then, all of a sudden, the eyes of the robots opened, all looking down at the far smaller girl before them. "Who…are they?" she asked. They all had appearances drastically different from each other, but none of them looked scary to her.

"Well, perhaps it's best if they tell you themselves," Cossack said, pressing a switch on a device he had in his lab coat. One by one, each of the machine's eyes lit up as their systems activated, bringing them all online and functioning.

"Dr. Cossack?" the robot fashioned after an Egyptian Pharaoh said, speaking on behalf of the others. "Why have you awakened us? I thought we were to do so when we were transported to our designated…" the machine paused, catching the visage of a small form close by. "Who…is this?" he questioned, studying the curly blond-haired child.

"This, Pharaoh Man," Dr. Cossack explained. "Is my daughter," he said. "And, in turn, your sister, in a sense."

"Sister?" the robot with the large bulb on his head questioned. "Well, she's quite a little sister."

"I'm not THAT little!" Kalinka protested. "I'm almost ten!"

"Oh, sorry," the android apologized. "I meant no offense." It was then that the girl started giggling. "Huh? What?"

"Your voice," Kalinka answered. "You sound funny!"

"F-Funny?" the lightbulb-headed robot asked. "I'm funny?"

"Yeah," Kalinka said, directing her peridot eyes to one robot fashioned after a particular hopping amphibian. "You're funny too!"

"In a good or bad way?" the green robot questioned.

"...I don't know how it'd be bad," Kalinka answered. "But why are you a frog?"

"Toad, actually," the robot corrected. "Specifically, Toad Man."

"Toad Man?" Kalinka questioned. "I still think you look more like a frog."

"I believe the young lady is confused," the machine with a ring atop his red helmet interjected. He then stepped forward. "We are Robot Masters developed by the hands of your father, Doctor Mikhail Cossack," he said, gesturing to the bearded man with spectacles. "Each of us was fashioned for a specific purpose, designated by the Russian government."

"Exactly," the one her father called "Pharaoh Man" added. "Such as Toad Man here, who was constructed for tests regarding weather manipulation,"

"Of course, Dr. Cossack's going to send me to a remote village in Africa that's suffering from a drought," the green Robot Master clarified. "It's a reward for a favor, but I'm glad I get to go somewhere with no snow!"

"Africa?" the Russian girl's eyes lit up. "They've got all sorts of frogs and toads there! And lots of other animals!" truth be told, she barely knew this robot, and she was already feeling jealous of him.

"Bright Man was constructed to light up areas during mass blackouts," Pharaoh Man said, directing his attention to the lightbulb-headed robot. "Given our country's rather…tumultuous history with its neighbors, I feel he will be needed most here."

"But things have been rather peaceful, haven't they?" Bright Man asked. "After all, Dr. Cossack is the head of the Science Department of Russia! They haven't asked him to make any weapons yet!"

"No, but he has made me for combat," the robot with the affixed ring said. "Of course, you should introduce our dear companions to the young lady before us," he said to Pharaoh Man. "After all, save the best for last."

"Near last," the royalty-based Robot Master retorted. "But yes," he then gestured to a machine with a large vacuum attached to his back. "Dust Man was designed to clean up debris and hazardous chemicals."

"I'm all about sanitation," Dust Man spoke. "Speaking of, you washed your hands before you came in here, right?" he asked.

"Enough of that," Pharoah Man sighed. "Dive Man was built with the AI functions of a submarine. He is specifically designed to assist the Russian Navy."

The deep-blue Robot Master gave a salute. "Prepared to perform my duties at any time, Captain!" he proclaimed. "Er, Doctor!"

"Yes, yes you are," Pharaoh Man answered with a roll of his eyes. "Drill Man here was designed to work at construction sites, and given that Russia is wishing to expand its technological prowess to other regions of the country, there will be a lot of ground to cover."

"I just hope that there aren't a lot of gas lines where I'm having to dig," Drill Man mentioned, rubbing the back of his namesake head with one of his hand-less arms.

"I shall introduce myself, thank you," the ring-headed robot told Pharaoh Man. "DCN-006, I am Ring Man," he proudly proclaimed. "I was specifically designed for combat, as requested by the Russian Defense Department, yet I have proven to be quite agile and flexible."

"Oooh! Like a ballerina?" Kalinka asked.

Ring Man didn't know how to respond. "What?"

Taking advantage of the other Robot Master's confusion, Pharaoh Man took the opportunity to finally introduce himself. "And I, am DCN-007, Pharaoh Man," he said, puffing out his chest and folding his arms, adding to his regal and royal appearance. "My function is to explore the ruins and ancient structures of the past. I have been granted high resistance to weather conditions, agility, and the adaption of lighting up dark areas," as if to demonstrate, the symbol of the cobra and vulture began to glow. When it ceased, he knelt and took the young girl's hand. "But, now that we have met you, our function is for your protection."

"Protection?" Kalinka asked.

"Yes, we are at your service, Young Miss." the Egyptian-based Robot Master told her.

The other Robot Masters bowed as if she were truly a little Princess. "We are all at your service."

Present

"Wow," Roll said, unsure of how to process what she had just heard. "So, you knew these guys for a long time."

Kalinka nodded. "Since I was in single-digits," she confirmed. "It wasn't long, but…in a way, it kind of makes it worse," she then turned her attention to the red, scissor-headed android serving as her current warden. Then she turned her eyes to her imprisoned companion. "Speaking of, what of Light's robots that were also stolen?" she questioned. "Do you or Mega Man ever think of them?"

"Them?" Roll asked. "You mean like…Cut Man over there?"

"What are you two talking about?" the aforementioned Robot Master inquired, hands on his hips.

"Oh nothing," Roll answered. "Nothing that concerns you."

"If you're trying to find a way to escape, don't bother!" Cut Man retorted, not exactly sure of a witty comeback to use. "There's no way out!"

"Yeah, yeah, we kind of got that already," Roll said. Then, she went back to conversing with Kalinka when the Robot Master's back was turned. "You want to know if we think of them?" Kalinka nodded. "Huh," Roll thought. "You know…I…haven't thought about it."

In truth, while she had thought of Light's stolen Robot Masters, the housekeeper only thought of them as persistent pests that gave her brother and the world grief. They may have been built by her creator's hands, but they were essentially Wily's now. The moment they were built, they were installed and sworn to the mad doctor's side, and since then, they had been nothing but a nuisance. Still, hearing Kalinka's words brought forth thoughts that Roll never had before. Ponderings and questions regarding the six that were originally taken.

For, in truth, both she and Mega, then Rock, could've shared in their fate.

"You hate them, don't you?" Kalinka asked, catching Roll off guard.

"What?" she asked. "Well, yes, but…I don't know about…hating as in, HATING, but…"

"It's fine. I'm not judging you," the Russian/Ukrainian/Swedish human said with a shake of her head. "You've only known them as they are now. How could you do anything but hate them?" she then turned her eyes to Cut Man, who had his back turned, oblivious to the conversation the two were having. "If I had known Papa's robots as they are now, I would've probably grown to hate them too."

Cut Man turned his head. "Are you two talking about me?" he asked.

"Uh, no, why?" the human inquired.

The Robot Master was silent for a moment. "Never mind, just…go back to what you were doing," he ordered. "But no planning escape attempts!"

"Yeah, sure," Roll answered dismissively. "So, Beat came after that?" she asked Kalinka.

"Yes, but he wasn't made until my father started to travel aboard," the other blonde clarified. "Before that, there were only my seven guardians," she said. "My…friends."

200X

Russia

"So, the Prince came upon a hut in the dense, dark forest. But not just any hut, oh no, this hut belonged to a powerful figure of old, long before the land was founded and people began to settle," Toad Man said, book in hand and an entranced Kalinka listening intently to his words. "He called to the hut, 'Little hut, turn you back to the trees and your face to me!' The hut turned to face him, and the door opened, revealing…her."

Kalinka leaned in closer.

"Baba Yaga, the witch of the deep woods, as old as the forest itself, even older if some legends are true. She turned to him, a bony hag with a snag-like nose. 'Russian blood that I have never met before, now I smell at my door. Who are you? Where did you come from? Where are you going to?"

Kalinka listened on as Toad Man detailed how the Prince told the witch how to find his wife, the titular character of the story, the Frog Princess, Vasilisa the Wise. Just one of many young women with that name in the various tales of Russia. She listened to how Baga Yaga told the Prince how his wife was now in the clutches of Koshchei the Deathless, and how he would need a duck's egg that was in a hare that was in a stone casket. Which would somehow lead to a needle destroying Koshchei, and restoring Vasilisa to her human form.

"And then they got married?" Kalinka asked.

"Yep," Toad Man answered. "Now, this is the last story. To bed with you."

"Ok, ok," the blonde girl answered, getting under her sheets. "Лягушачий?" she asked, addressing the Robot Master by his designated pet name. Even if he wasn't a 'froggy' at all. "What's it like, well, doing what you do?" she asked. "Like…well, like Vasilisa, you can make strange things happen like create rain. Do you like doing that?"

Toad Man pondered this question. "Hm, well…" he said. "I just always thought of it as my purpose. What I was made for," he answered. "But I like the fact I get to travel. And, even if I'm a toad, I still love the rain."

"Then maybe Vasilisa should be the Toad Princess instead of Frog," Kalinka suggested. "You're making toads sound cooler."

"Cool?" if he had the ability, Toad Man's cheeks would've been flushed. "Wow…somebody thinks I'm cool…" he then got ahold of himself, realizing what time it was. "Well, guess I better let you get some sleep," he then shut the light off and made his way out of the room. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Kalinka replied before the door was closed. "You know, even if your looks are a little rough, you could perhaps be somebody's Prince. If you wanted to be."

Present

Roll stared at Kalinka, flabbergasted. "I didn't picture Toad Man to be the type to read bedtime stories," she said.

"He was the only one that put effort into it," Kalinka replied. "Everyone else was so emotionless or couldn't do the characters right," she said. "Even if it was far from what his intended purpose, I think he was a better storyteller than a rain dancer." despite the small jest, the human still appeared sullen.

"Hey," Roll began, trying to divert to a happier subject. "It's December, so it'll be Christmas soon. Got anything on your list?" she asked. "Do you guys even have Santa over here?"

"If you mean Santa Claus, that's a complicated question," she said. "Russia and Christmas have a complicated history, so we usually base it off Swedish traditions, which are more in line with what is recognized as 'Christmas'" she paused. "Like my Mama did when she was young."

200X

It was almost time!

"Ok, is he ready?" Kalinka questioned the others, who nodded in response to her question. "Good, Papa will be here any minute now, so we've got to get this right."

At first, Dr. Cossack was unsure as to why his daughter had requested his robots be present at the house before he arrived from his meeting with the Science Department, but he nonetheless granted it. Upon all seven of Cossack's machines arriving at the house hidden away in the woods, the decorating began. Kalinka had already planned everything, now it was time to put it into action.

"Here he comes now!" the girl whispered, hearing the front door unlock.

Dr. Cossack entered the dark abode, looking for a light switch to not wander blindly through the house. But, he soon found no need to do so, as lights manifested and lit up all around him. Along the walls, doorframes, and even the chandeliers and stairs were lines of lights of all colors, all bright and welcoming. Even more, they seemed to be guiding him toward a destination. He followed the trail of lights up to the den, where an even larger surprise was waiting for him.

"SURPRISE, PAPA!" Kalinka shouted, she and the Robot Masters were all present and surrounding a rather unusual "tree."

Bright Man, wrapped in the green wreath and more lights stood in place of where an evergreen tree would usually stand, a bright, star-shaped bulb in place of his standard one, the star steadily changing from red to green to blue to a golden yellow.

"Merry Christmas!"

Present

"So, Bright Man was your Christmas Tree?" Roll questioned, quite amused by the tale Kalinka had just told.

"Papa told us to choose one from outside, but I thought this was a better idea," the other blonde giggled. "True, Евлампий Михайлович wasn't too thrilled about being decorated, but it was just for one night," she said. "Besides, I did the decorating, so I say he looked divine," she then sighed. "New Year was just as great. Bright Man helped with my Snow Maiden dress, so the snowflakes glowed!" she wondered if that photo was still intact, or if it was another casualty in the destruction of her home.

"Snow Maiden?" Roll asked.

"Yes," Kalinka said. "Given the Soviet Union's ban on religious holidays, the people either celebrated in secret or had to find a substitute. Eventually, those in charge found out a Santa-like figure could spread the joys of communism, so Father Frost became the symbol of winter holidays," she explained. "Of course, I'm not complaining about New Year, it allows me to dress up!"

"When we get out of this, if you could, you should come down to New York for New Year. We don't have a Father Frost, but we Americans know how to celebrate!" Roll grinned.

"When?" Kalinka questioned.

"Yeah," Roll confirmed she hadn't misspoken. "Mega's going to discover Wily's behind this," she assured the human. "The old guy's a mad scientist, but he's not exactly intelligent."

Kalinka stared at the ground. "How are you so sure?"

"Mega always trounces Wily," the robot told the human with confidence. "Nothing bad is going to happen to your father. Trust me, Mega's not that type of guy."

"But he probably has destroyed some of Papa's creations already," Kalinka said. "Or…when this is over, Wily might be the one to destroy them."

Roll was quiet.

"I just remembered something else," Kalinka suddenly said. "It was the day after New Year, so the house was sort of trashed," she recalled. "I had longer hair then, mainly so I could braid it to resemble Vasilisa,"

"The Frog Princess?" Roll asked.

"No, Vasilisa the Beautiful," Kalinka corrected. "There's more than one Vasilisa, like how there's more than one Jack."

"Ah, I see," Roll nodded. "So, what happened?"

200X

Unlike Christmas, Cossack spent New Year out of the home with the higher-ups that kept him in good standing with the government, if he wanted his living conditions to continue. Thus, the house was free to Kalinka and the robots. The girl always insisted that there be a celebration to welcome the New Year, and thus, the house was always a mess the next day. Thus, come morning, Dust Man went to work cleaning up before Dr. Cossack came home a couple of days later.

So far, everyone was still in sleep mode, so he could get to work on the main living area first. Activating his vacuum, Dust Man steadily sucked up the various streamers and bits of glitter that littered the floor. Then, to his surprise, he saw a yellow piece of what he believed to be a rolled-up party streamer go into his vacuum. At first, he thought nothing of it, until he realized that, from underneath the blanket the streamer was sitting on, something was attached to it.

"Huh? What the…AH!"

Scratch that. Make that someone.

"OW! HEY! OW! STOP!"

Dust Man tried to stop the suction, but it was too late: Kalinka was dragged from the couch and into the vacuum itself, her lower half struggling outside of the Robot Master's cleaning device. "Oh no! Oh no!"

"What?!" Pharaoh Man asked, the others following in after him. "What is it?!"

"Get her out! I can't shut it off and get her at the same time!"

Quickly spotting Kalinka in the machine's vacuum, Ring Man swiftly leaped over and grabbed the young girl by the waist, pulling her from the darkened tube and back to the outside world. Dust Man managed to turn the vacuum off, sighing in relief. "Oh, Kalinka, are you ok?"

Kalinka only gave a tired, dizzy look, her head still spinning from the ordeal of getting her head sucked into a super-powered trash collector. "She is fine," Ring Man answered. "Although," he then examined some of her hair, which now had become impossibly tangled and frizzy. "I don't think this part of her is."

Present

"And since then, I've always kept my hair no longer than past my shoulders," Kalinka explained, giving her blonde locks a little bounce.

"Sounds like it hurt." Roll winced.

"I lost some hair that day if you must know," the other blonde explained. "I had a few small bald spots for a few months before they grew back."

"Ouch," still, Roll was getting her to talk about happier things. True, in the grand scheme of things, it did her little good, but the least she could do was make this girl's imprisonment a little more bearable. "So, who else do you remember some good times with?" she asked.

"Well, in the summer, Papa had a pool installed in the house," Kalinka relayed. "It wasn't overly big or anything, and it never went deeper than a meter at most."

Which meant around four feet, Roll told herself, calculating the difference between the American and metric systems. True, Dr. Light used it, and it was technically more accurate, but living in the United States simply made her and Mega more accustomed to their native way of measurement.

"Anyway, the pool wasn't deep, but, well, Papa was kind of paranoid I'd have an accident, so, when Dive Man had some free time, he took it upon himself to give me a few swimming lessons."

200X

"And what do we do when we fall into the ocean without any flotation device?"

"Since when am I ever going to get near an ocean?"

"That's not important. What do we do?"

"We tread water by keeping ourselves calm and making sure that we're buoyant."

The swimming lesson had been over, yet Kalinka was just wanting for it to be over so she could goof off in the water. True, she understood her father's logic behind Dive Man's classes, but when she heard a pool was being installed, she wanted to use it for fun, not survival tips.

"Speaking of the ocean," Kalinka then said, drying herself off. "What's it like?" she asked Dive Man. "See anything interesting?"

"Well, so far, I've mainly been patrolling the waters around the country," the blue, submarine-based Robot Master said. "But, I am scheduled to go to Australia next month."

"Australia?!" Kalinka asked, excitedly. "Are you going to the Great Barrier Reef?"

"I'm not sure," he confessed. "But I can certainly try and get some pictures or footage for you."

"Wow, thanks!" Kalinka chirped. "Still," she then said. "I wish I could go out with you."

Dive Man sighed, sensing where this was going. "Your father just wants nothing more than your safety."

"I know," the blonde girl replied. "But I just wish he could do that without keeping me cooped up in here!"

While Dive Man wouldn't say it aloud, she could tell that, even if he wouldn't admit it, he sympathized with her plight. And, even more, she sensed that he sort of agreed with her. "You know," he then said. "I don't know if I'll be successful," he confessed. "But maybe I can convince him to let you at least go into the city."

"The city?" Kalinka asked.

"Yes," Dive Man answered. "St. Petersburg is where your father usually meets up with his superiors. In a sense, it'd be much more convenient if he had a residence there, and this was just a summer home."

Kalinka thought about that prospect. It was impossible, but there was so much to be gained from it. She could maybe go to a regular school, play with other kids, or even maybe meet some people that worked with her Papa! "I don't know if you'd be able to convince him." she then said solemnly.

"Maybe not," Dive Man admitted. "But," he then added. "Your father isn't unreasonable. Perhaps something could be arranged."

Present

"And, believe it or not, he did it," Kalinka informed Roll. "Papa was convinced, and we purchased a place in the city."

"How'd he do it?" Roll questioned, quite curious.

"Well, it wasn't easy," Kalinka confessed. "It took a lot of going back and forth, as well as input for all of the other robots, but Papa eventually found that I needed some interaction outside of them and himself."

"Well, duh!" Roll agreed. "I'm a mean cleaning machine, but I don't think I could stand being at the lab every hour of every day." she then turned her attention back to Kalinka. "So…what then?"

"I turned a year older, and we all moved to St. Petersburg," Kalinka answered. "And, at first, everything was fantastic," she said. Then, she went silent. "It should've perhaps been a sign that things were too good to be true."

Observation Room

"So, you want me to…?"

"Go down and get my sis," Proto Man told the figure in the doorway. "And I'll let you get a look at the brat."

"The child?" the figure asked.

"Yeah, whatever," Proto answered. What was with this guy? So weird and creepy. "Look, just…go and get her, I need this scarf fixed if-"

"If what?"

"If…" Proto scrambled to think of a fitting response. Or, at least one convincing enough. "If I want to put this thing back together." he lifted up his stapled-together, but falling-apart scarf.

"Very well," the figure answered. "I shall go collect her." with that, he turned to leave, Proto Man once again alone.

"What's your fascination with that brat anyway?" he wondered. "Well, whatever," he said. "The minute sis patches this up, the sooner I get to face my bro," he gazed at his scarf. "Of course, I've got to get past you, first," he thought aloud. "But…we'll burn that bridge once we've crossed it. For now," he lifted up his torn garment, wincing at the shape it was in. "I've got to get this baby patched up, or I'll never be able to face Mega again."

Chapter Text

200X

"So, these are from South Africa?" Kalinka questioned, standing atop a stool as she studied the round rocks before her, Drill Man by her side.

"Yes," the orange Robot Master answered. "Although these are geodes, so there's no way to tell what's in them by just looking."

"Well, let's crack them open and see!"

After a short while, all of the round stones were drilled into and cracked open, revealing the glimmering, shimmering contents inside.

"Wow…" Kalinka gaped in awe at the crystals that lay within the dusty-brown confines of the rock.

"These are spares, so they're not for the museum. So, if you want," Drill Man said, the blonde girl looking wide-eyed at the Robot Master.

"You mean…?!"

"You can choose one to keep if you want."

"Wow, you mean it?" she asked. Drill Man nodded. "Ah!" she hopped off the stool and embraced the taller machine's legs. "Thank you!"

"Um…yes, sure." Drill Man said, feeling somewhat awkward. Rarely did anyone touch him in such a way. Nevertheless, he found he didn't mind it too much.

The girl immediately went to work surveying the gems before her, unsure of just what to choose, but she would make her decision in due time. Something to compliment the abundance of red in her room…

Present

"I chose the one that I thought was a diamond," Kalinka relayed to Roll. "Turns out it was just opal, but it still looked perfect on the shelf," she then frowned. "It's probably been trashed along with the rest of the place."

Roll looked on sympathetically. "Sorry about all that," she said. "When this is over, we'll be sure to help clean up the place."

"If the people Papa works with will let that happen," Kalinka responded. "I don't know what's going to happen after this. If Mega Man realizes Papa isn't behind all of this."

"Well, back to what we were talking about earlier," the other blonde said, trying to redirect the conversation to happier subjects. True, there wasn't anything good about their current situation, but the least she could do was try and lift this human's spirits. "What about Ring Man? That guy sounded like he was on something the last time Mega fought him."

"On what?" Kalinka asked.

"Uh, never mind," Roll replied. "But, you said that he taught you ballet?"

"Oh, yes," Kalinka answered. "Although, it wasn't right away. I had to do a little convincing first."

200X

"I still say you look like you're dancing."

Ring Man ceased his regular practice and turned to look at the girl who had just entered the small training room. "You should not come in when I am perfecting my skills," he told her. "It's too dangerous."

"I trust you to be careful," Kalinka told him, unafraid. "Anyway, I actually came here to ask you something."

"You wish for me to teach you how to master the art of ballet, is that correct?"

Kalinka was rendered speechless for a moment. "I don't know about master, but I'd like to learn a few moves."

"And what makes me so qualified?" Ring Man questioned. "Not that any of my abilities are to be underestimated, mind you."

It was then that the young girl knew how to get her way. "No, not at all," she said. "In fact, it's because of those things that make you the perfect instructor."

"Perfect instructor?" the instructor part wasn't too appealing to him, but perfect? "Go on."

"Well," Kalinka began conjuring up any sort of compliment she could think of to try and persuade the Robot Master. "You're flexible," she said.

"Yes, that I am." Ring Man agreed.

"And you're graceful," she added.

"Hm," Ring Man nodded. "Form is always important."

"Not to mention well-built and with a good form." Kalinka could swear she saw Ring Man begin to examine his muscles.

"Not as large as Dive Man's, but I am built for speed," the red Robot Master said.

"And, even more, ballet can lead to better coordination and fighting ability." the girl said.

Ring Man placed his hands on his hips. "It's clear that you have no intention of giving up, do you?"

Kalinka blushed sheepishly. "Is it that obvious?"

Ring Man's expression softened. "I still believe it's ridiculous," he told her. "Yet, if it shall give you a true demonstration of your father's brilliance when it came to my construction," he then gave a fast-paced twirl before bowing gracefully. "I shall be your teacher for the time being."

Present

"I wasn't really that graceful as a kid," Kalinka admitted. "But, given I had gone through the trouble of convincing Ring Man to teach me, I wanted to stick with it."

"I've never seen the Russian Ballet, but I heard they're amazing," Roll added.

Kalinka chuckled. "I always wanted to be like them when I was young," she said. "Not so much in that, I wanted to dance, I liked to, but that wasn't my main motivation."

"Then what was it?"

The blonde, young Slavic woman leaned back against the stone wall of her prison. "I wanted to be able to travel the world," she said. "And not just Europe, I wanted to go anywhere and everywhere."

"Like where?"

"Well, there's France, the United Kingdom, America, yet for the longest time, I wanted nothing more than to go to Egypt."

"Ah, Egypt, interesting place," Roll said. "Kind of funny that Wily hasn't tried to dig something up from any ancient tombs yet. There's probably something cursed in one of those." if that old man found a box with a malevolent, all-powerful spirit inside, who was to say what else was out in the world?

"I always badgered Pharaoh Man with questions whenever he came back from one of his excavations," Kalinka admitted. "He sometimes brought trinkets home from there, as well as the other countries he explored." her smile then faltered. "Although," she said. "There was one sample he brought back that was supposed to be sent off for study at the Science Department."

"What was it?" Roll questioned.

Kalinka took a moment to answer. "I'm…not entirely sure," she confessed. "He was showing me a hidden passage they had discovered in the Khufu's Pyramid, they had taken pictures for me to see," she explained. "Yet, that wasn't all."

200X

"So a king once lived in this place?" the blonde girl asked, gazing at the photographs in her hand.

"Not exactly," Pharaoh Man told her. "But, it was meant to be a resting place for him," he explained. "All of his possessions would go with him to the afterlife, along with his body and organs."

"Organs?!"

"Yes," Pharoh Man answered. "The process of mummification was a long and rather gruesome procedure. The only thing separating it from actual torture is that the subject is already dead."

"EW!" the girl grimaced in disgust. Then, she noticed one particular photo in the collection that caught her eye. Mainly because an eye was the centerpiece of the entire photograph. "Hm?" she raised the picture to the light shining above in her father's laboratory, the man not home at the moment. As long as she was supervised by one of his machines, she could enter, just so much as she didn't touch anything. "What's this?"

The Egyptian-based Robot Master gazed at the photo she held, immediately recognizing it. "Ah, yes, that one," he said, analyzing the image. "It is an…unusual find."

"What is it?" Kalinka asked, trying to make sense of what was before her.

The photograph presented the image of what appeared to be a black sphere with some sort of symbol carved into its surface. It almost resembled an eye, yet it was not akin to the Eye of Horus of Amon Ra. No, this eye was much different, more…alien. Why that term came to her mind, Kalinka knew not, but it seemed to fit all the same.

"We are unsure," Pharaoh Man confessed. "At first, we believed it to be a treasure that was part of the Pharaoh's possessions, but the material is solid and sturdy, having seemingly survived being out in the desert since when the Egyptians were still building the pyramids."

"That old, huh?" Kalinka asked, studying the photograph more. "Still, is this a symbol of some sort of god they worshiped?"

"That is hard to say," Pharaoh Man answered. "It matches no iconography associated with any member of the Egyptian pantheon, yet there is a great resemblance to already existing symbols regarding the image of the all-seeing eye."

The all-seeing eye…Kalinka pondered such a thing. As far as she was concerned, her government was an all-seeing eye from the way they kept an eye on her father and tracked where he went, making sure they kept up with every step they took. Yet this eye, while Kalinka wasn't too sure why, but it appeared to serve something of a similar purpose.

As if it were watching the ancient world of Egypt, somewhere buried in the sands.

Present

"Huh," Roll said, pondering what the Russian had just told her. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen a symbol like what you described either."

"The Eye, from what Pharaoh Man told me, was supposed to represent the sun, as Ra traveled through the sky, carrying the sun with him to light up the world, and then, he descended into the underworld, thus bringing the night."

"Yeah, but what made this symbol so different from those found in Egypt?"

Kalinka thought back to the photograph, trying to recall the details she had once remembered so well, but now were a partially spotty memory. "It was an eye, yet, I don't believe it represented the sun," she said. "Rather, it was as if the eye itself was consuming the sun, taking it over."

"Taking it over?"

Kalinka nodded. "Almost as if…" she paused. "It was…becoming the sun. The new sun. A sun that would block out the one familiar to the world." she then looked up to the ceiling. "But…I don't think that would be a good thing."

Roll looked at the entrance to this part of the mine, noting that Cut Man had been absent for quite a while. True, it wasn't as if she WANTED his company, yet it still seemed odd that there wouldn't be someone watching over them. Then again, where could they go?

"Greetings, prisoners!" Ice Man proclaimed, entering the chamber with a salute. Of course, his professional demeanor faltered when his eyes set themselves on Roll. "Oh, assuming that you are in decent conditions, regarding your current situation."

Roll raised a brow. Just what was with this guy? "Uh, yeah, it's great. Thanks."

"Ah, excellent!" the Inuit-based Robot Master said.

Has this guy never heard of sarcasm? Roll pondered.

"Well, alert me if you are in need of anything, as it is my duty to provide the necessary means for your survival whilst in our possession."

"You could just let us go," Kalinka suggested.

"Unfortunately, that is a request I cannot grant," Ice Man responded. "But," his eyes fell back onto the other blonde, her blue eyes radiating confusion, but also presenting such a brilliant hue, Ice Man found himself getting lost in them.

"Uh, you ok there?"

"Oh, yes! Always alert and on duty, soldier!" the Robot Master was roused from his stupor and gave another salute. "I shall be your warden for now, so behave yourselves!" he then faltered. "Oh, if that's all right with you."

Roll and Kalinka looked at each other, clearly sharing in the other's bewilderment. "Yeah, we got it."

"Performing my guard duties now!" Ice Man began to patrol the outside of the cell, although there wasn't much area to walk.

"Geez, Wily must've REALLY done a number on him," Roll remarked. "Last time, he was totally ready to betray that guy."

"Hm?" Kalinka tilted her head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, that happened some time ago," the ponytailed robot said. "Oddly enough, it started out as a pretty normal day," she relayed, recounting the tale of one of her and her brother's many scuffles with the mad scientist. "We went to a school where we had to look after these three kids…"

"How much further?" Eddie questioned, still trying to maintain balance on Rush's back.

"I'm not sure, I don't know the layout of this place!" Beat answered. "But she's got to be around here somewhere. That Swallon managed to get a glimpse of her, so she's somewhere in here."

"And Roll roo!" Rush added.

"And the pretty lady!" Eddie chirped afterward.

Beat continued flying forward, but couldn't help but wonder where that black robot bird had gone. Reggae, he believed his name to be, had engaged in a fight with the blue bird bot, but retreated just as Beat was getting the upper hand (or rather, upper wing). True, Beat had come out a little scraped from the skirmish, but the damage was nothing serious. But that still meant Reggae was still out there, probably lurking in the shadows, tracking them.

Waiting for the right moment to pop out and alert Wily's other bots that the intruders were right at their doorstep.

Still, he knew they had to continue. Now, not just for Kalinka and the Doctor's sake, but also for the one who had rescued him from the snow when he first arrived in this snowy landscape. If anything, he had to make sure both of them got out ok. The Swallon hadn't been so lucky, but if it had to come to that…then so be it.

"Beat?" Rush yipped. "Rut rong?" he questioned.

"Eh, nothing," the bird answered. "Now, come on! We've got to get going if we're going to find them in time!"

"Right!" the robotic canine barked, dashing forward ahead of the bird, nearly dislodging Eddie from his place atop the dog's back.

"Hey, wait!" Beat called out, flapping furiously after the two.

Unfortunately, his suspicion regarding the blackbird couldn't have been more true. He watched them go, but for now, would just follow. He knew this mine better than them due to the downloaded map Wily had put in his processor, yet he knew better than to risk getting scrapped by all three of those dolts. No, he would need some help. And, luckily, he knew a shortcut to get there before they did.

"How many times is he going to keep doing that?" Kalinka questioned, having grown bored of watching Ice Man patrol long ago.

"As long as you are our captive, sir!" Ice Man responded. "Oh, uh, ma'am."

"Don't call me that, it makes me feel old," Kalinka huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well…how about…?" Ice Man began, but his vision suddenly spazzed out, his eyes turning briefly into static. "Soldier! No wasting time conversing with the prisoners!" he then saluted. "Yes, sir!" he then went back to patrolling.

With that, Roll and Kalinka began talking again. "So, what happened?" Roll questioned. "I mean…so far, it seems things were going pretty well."

"They were," the human answered. "My Papa even said we were getting a house in St. Petersburg, and I could go to an actual school with other children!" she said, clearly enjoying reminiscing about her childhood. "True, I had to wake up early, but I enjoyed it for the most part. I even made some human friends when I was there!"

"So, what happened?"

Kalinka grew quiet. "Seeing that in places like, say for example, Japan, or, your country, the United States, were developing their own robotics programs, Russia decided they wished to present there's with Papa as the face of Russian Science," she looked down at the rocky ground. "It was at a conference in the Capital," she explained. "I was off from school that day, and I wanted to see my friends go out and be admired by everyone. True, I didn't care what this meant for the country, I was just happy to see Papa's robots were going to be used as the official faces of Russian robotics," her peridot eyes closed, the memory still unpleasant to remember. "Then…that's when he came and ruined everything."

200X

"Is everyone ready?"

"I believe so, Doctor," Pharaoh Man answered, looking over the other six machines and inspecting them for any sort of dirt or filth that needed to be cleaned.

"I am fine, thank you," Ring Man told Pharaoh Man, clearly insulted. "I ALWAYS happen to be in perfect working condition, as well as presentable."

"Still, I'm a little nervous," Bright Man said. "I mean, the most important people in Russia, even some guys from all over Europe are here! They're going to see us and think that this is the best we can do!"

"Well, isn't that good enough?" Toad Man asked.

"Yeah, but…but what if they don't like us?" Bright Man asked. "What if we don't impress them, and they might ask the Doctor to scrap us and make better robots?"

Kalinka watched on as her father conversed with the machines he was going to present, yet what was this talk of scrapping robots? Surely her Papa had no such plan for her friends, right?

"No such thing will occur, that I promise you," Dr. Cossack assured his creations. "You shall show the world that, despite our history, this part of the world can create something beautiful," he then went quiet. "Just as Babushka wanted," then, he regained his normal volume. "Well, I believe they'll call for us soon, so we should be going," he turned, the robots going with him, but he stopped before they made their way to the stage hidden past the curtain. "Remember, Kalinka, you're to stay behind here while the presentation is being given. Understood?"

"Yes, Papa." Kalinka nodded.

"Good," Dr. Cossack replied, then turned to leave. "Now, let us show them that we can make more than just weapons in this country."

Sometime Later

So far, so good.

From her place behind the curtain, the blonde child could see scientists and reporters from various countries surrounding Russia to those further west, such as Belgium and Germany. Indeed, it seemed many from various parts of the continent had come to see her father's work. For the first time in a while, it seemed that the world could see Russia offering the world machines built for peace and the betterment of life than to destroy or cause terror. And, even better, her friends would be the ones that the world would come to see as the pinnacle of not just Russian science, but science from all the Slavic nations in the East.

And, even more, if things went well, maybe her Papa would finally let her outside of the country! She wanted nothing more than to travel with one of his robots to the world beyond the borders, to Africa or Asia. Perhaps even to the western side of Europe, or even the United States! There were so many possibilities, and they were all about to possibly happen! She was nothing short of ecstatic!

Still, she kept herself as quiet as possible as her father spoke, his machines lined up and presented before the audience, cameras flashing and reporters asking as to what inspired him to create each machine for its specific function and appearance. Frankly, Kalinka knew all of that stuff already, she just wanted to get to where maybe her Papa would let her possibly explore this place with one of her friends after the presentation was done.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling outside. And before anyone could do or say anything, the ceiling of the building was smashed through, a group of robots entering through the newly created space and dropping down to the ground in front of the frightened crowd.

"Greetings, scientific minds of Russia!" a male voice with a heavy German accent said, words echoing throughout the building as he spoke from what appeared to be a flying ship shaped like a skull. "Especially you, Dr. Cossack!" the voice continued. "I can see that our intel was true, you ARE one of the most brilliant minds in this freezing pit of the world."

The brunette spectacle-wearing man stepped back, green eyes glancing over to where Kalinka concealed herself behind the curtain. "You're the mad scientist that took Dr. Light's robots, aren't you?" Cossack questioned. "Dr. Albert Wily?"

"Ah, so you've heard of me!" the aforementioned Wily proclaimed, clearly pleased with the recognition. "I see my reputation has spread beyond the American landscape."

"Anyone that's in robotics has heard of you," Cossack answered. "And I think I know why you're here, right?"

"We're here for your robots, Cossack!" Guts Man answered, stepping forward.

"And from the looks of it," Cut Man added, surveying the line of seven machines. "Dr. Wily's right. We SHOULD take them all!"

"We'd have to do it anyway," Proto Man rolled his eyes from beneath his visor. "Anyway, here's how it goes," he began. "If none of you fine people want their heads blown off, those seven dolts of yours will save everyone the time and get on the ship."

"You can't do that," Cossack said. "The Three Laws forbid-"

"And you think Wily programmed such limiting things into his machines?" Proto Man scoffed. "Oh no, we can do WHATEVER we want. It's a perk of being a bad guy."

The Russian man glanced at the spot his daughter hid, praying that none of the hostile androids noticed or took interest in the small shape behind the curtain. "You're bluffing," Cossack told Proto. "Wily wouldn't be that foolish to not program adherence to the Three Laws."

"You want to test that theory?" Proto questioned again, drawing out his buster and pointing it at the scientist. "You're a man of logic and reason," he said. "In order to test a theory, you have to go through a few test subjects…"

"STOP!"

Dr. Cossack's eyes widened in horror, but not for himself. Rather, it was for the smaller, blonde shape that ran out and tried to shield him with her tiny body. "K-Kalinka!"

"Little Miss!" Bright Man called out in concern.

"Wait!" Pharaoh Man ordered the others. "Keep an eye on her, but don't make any moves yet."

"Don't you dare hurt him!" the young child shouted at the taller, more muscular robot, trying to appear intimidating, yet she bore the ferocity of a miniature poodle. It was adorable, really.

"Who's kid is this?" Guts Man questioned.

"Who cares?" Cut Man answered. "She's a child, so she's already an ideal hostage!"

Hostage?! Dr. Cossack whirled around, facing his machines. "All of you! Run!" he ordered. "Get her out of here!"

"Yes, Doctor!"

Ring and Pharaoh Man, as well as Dive and Drill Man, stepped up to defend the Doctor and those surrounding him while the other four worked on getting Kalinka out of the area. "Wait!" Kalinka called out! "Papa! Кольцо! Матрос! Копатель! Фараон!"

"Little Miss, come on!" Bright Man pleaded. "This place is dangerous!"

Kalinka continued to protest, but she couldn't hope to fight against the android's superior strength. She was led to the emergency exit of the building, and all the while a battle ensued between her father and Wily's machines.

A fight that she didn't witness, but had heard in her mind for years since then.

Present

"Wait, you actually MET Wily before all this?" Roll asked, shocked.

"I guess you could say that," Kalinka shrugged. "Although, he didn't know who I was, let alone that I was related to Papa. I think he just thought I was some brat who got up on stage or was some devoted young fan of his," she then looked up at the ceiling. "Either way, he didn't realize that I was Cossack's daughter until just recently. Although, I guess, in retrospect, it wouldn't have made a difference whether he kidnapped me at five, ten, or sixteen."

Roll glanced over at Ice Man, who was still patrolling the outside of the prison, yet, upon facing the entrance to Kalinka's confinement, he saw a tall shadow looming, casting itself on the wall underneath the dim lights. It crawled toward the ice-based Robot Master, the large-eyed android feeling, ironically enough, a chill go up his spine. "H-Hello?" he asked, momentarily stepping out. "Who's there? Identify yourself, soldier!"

From the shadows in between the lights, a figure walked forward, head just inches below the bulbs that were struggling to glow. The electricity to this place was being pushed to its limit, and the generator would have to be recharged soon. Still, that didn't explain just who had come up to him at a time like this. It was brief, yet the flashes served to give brief glimpses of the machines before it made its way up to Ice Man, staring down at him with glowing red eyes.

Back in the space containing the prison, Roll and Kalinka continued their conversation. "So, what happened then? If you don't mind saying."

"No," Kalinka answered. "Actually, it's been sort of…relieving, to be able to talk about it," she took a moment to breathe before continuing. "Anyway, I was led to the emergency exit, but when I went through, some of Wily's robots were coming to the door. In order to keep them from noticing me, they shut the door." she then lowered her head. "And…that's the last I saw of them."

Roll glanced at the other girl's face, noticing the beginning of tears in her eyes. "I'm…sorry. About what happened."

"Don't be," Kalinka answered. "You're not responsible. Just Wily and your brother."

"He is NOT my brother," The other blonde made that clear. "He and I have NO relation."

"Is that so?"

Both robot and the human froze. "Wh-Who's there?" Roll asked, the suddenness of the voice spooking her. As well as its general tone and pitch.

"You are…DLN-002, are you not?" the voice asked, low and foreboding, but seemingly intrigued.

"Who wants to know?" Roll asked. "Where's Ice Man?"

"He is…around," the figure answered, stepping before the two of them. "But, that is not why I am here."

Towering over the two stood a black and white robot with the helmet/face of a skeleton, his armor ivory and gold, yet the sections connecting his limbs were the darkest blacks. An emblem of a smaller skull was on his forehead, and no flesh could be seen in the spare open spaces underneath the eyes, the surface a solid black, almost resembling the surface of oil or tar. His eyes contrasted heavily with the darker sections of him, his optics large, but irises small and somewhat slanted. Yet the most distinguishing feature was their color: a deep, burning red that eyed the two imprisoned individuals as if he were a predator deciding whether or not they were suitable prey.

"So," he spoke again. "You are the child," he said, addressing Kalinka. "Yes?"

"If you mean Cossack's, then yes," Kalinka answered. "But who are you?"

"I am your father's latest creation, a collaboration between himself and Dr. Wily," the Robot Master extended his arms, presenting himself. "I am DWN-032. Skull Man."

Chapter Text

Both human and robot were rendered speechless by the towering figure before them, those piercing, red eyes continuing to observe and study them. Finally, after a short time, the Robot Master, this "Skull Man" had requested something that neither Roll nor Kalinka suspected.

"Come closer."

Roll and Kalinka were unsure of how to respond. "W-Who are you talking to?" Roll asked, finally working up the courage to speak.

"The Child." Skull Man answered.

Kalinka raised her hand to her chest. "Me?"

Skull Man nodded. "Come, I wish to observe you closer."

Kalinka sat in place, unsure of what to do. Roll kept shaking her head 'no' in order to try and dissuade the human from approaching the other robot, but, ultimately, the organic blonde rose and began to slowly walk toward the skeleton-based machine. If not just out of fear of what would happen if she refused his request. Closer and closer she drew, those red eyes both frightening her but also drawing her in. The contrast between fear and fascination over who this figure was made her already present nervousness worse, but it also kept her going. If not just to hopefully provide some relief.

Finally, Kalinka reached the bars, and Skull Man reached through, surprising the blonde by taking one of her curled locks in his hands, the lightly-colored fibers of hair draping across his darkly-colored digits like a vibrant wave. "Hm…I see. It's true. You DO have hair of gold," he said. "Although, your father said you had more when you were younger."

Kalinka's peridot eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Although, from what the records show, you decided to keep your hair shorter after an incident regarding Dust Man…" Skull Man mused aloud, but Kalinka spoke again.

"How did you know that?"

"Your father has programmed information regarding you in the processors of his machines," the black, white, and gold Robot Master informed the human. "Although, only so much information regarding your location and current age. Anything related prior to their acquirement by Wily was discarded."

The blonde lowered her head. "So…they don't…remember me."

Skull Man studied her curiously. "This upsets you?"

"Of course it does!" Kalinka suddenly shouted, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "They were my friends!"

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends!" Kalinka repeated. "Friends that stupid old lunatic took away from me! He and his robots ruined everything!" she then lost her composure for a moment and a few tears traveled down her cheeks. Then, once the wave of sadness had come, a burning rage replaced it, the girl slapping the Robot Master's hand away, despite the fact she only moved it a small distance with her blow. "But what would you know about that? Wily just made you for fighting Mega Man, and nothing more!"

Skull Man was silent, unsure of how to respond to her words. If there was even a response he could conjure up that would be satisfactory.

"What are you doing here?" Roll asked, having gathered the courage and gone to the human's side.

"I was requested to fetch DLN-002, Roll, younger sibling unit to DLN-000." Skull Man told the two.

"DLN-000 is NOT my brother," Roll corrected. "And what do you need me for?"

Skull Man was quiet for a short time, pondering how to properly articulate what he wished to say. "DLN-000, officially named 'Proto Man' upon completion from Wily," the skeleton-based Robot Master clarified. "He…requires your presence."

"It was an order," she told herself as she continued her journey through the mine, eyes and ears primed for any hint of enemy detection. "It's in my programming. I must obey my superior."

All of this was true. In the end, she had no choice in the matter. So why did she feel such a weight on her chest whenever the ponytailed blonde came to her processor?

Natsenka wandered the tunnels of the mine, searching for any signs of Roll's presence, yet she kept to her main objective of finding Cossack's child. Still, that didn't allow her to stop thinking about her former companion, along with Eddie and Beat.

"I told her," the red-haired agent muttered. "I TOLD her she shouldn't have come along. It was too dangerous!"

This was ultimately her own fault, she should've known better than to put herself in such danger! But no! She had to go and be stubborn, following her own way instead of logic and reason! It was little wonder she was getting into trouble all the time!

Of course, that same fool had saved Natsenka's life, something that she didn't have to do. Didn't have to, shouldn't have to. The Russian was a unit made for such missions, the fact she had fallen so easily to that electricity-wielding robot was disgraceful. And now, Roll had gone and gotten into more danger, yet it was for her sake.

But she couldn't even repay that kindness.

With a heavy sigh, Natsenka continued her journey, all the while hoping that maybe, just maybe, the creation of Light was somewhere safe and functioning. Perhaps she had been taken hostage as she had been before. It wasn't an ideal situation, but at least she would still be alive.

Of course, it would've been too fortunate for her and Cossack's daughter to be in the same place at the same time.

"He wants what?" Roll questioned, raising a brow.

"He requires your assistance in repairing his garment." Skull Man confirmed with a nod.

"Well, he can forget it!" Roll huffed, crossing her arms. "After all he's pulled, that robo-creep isn't getting one ounce of help from me!"

"We have an arrangement," Skull Man told her. "I see the Child, and I bring you to him."

"Well, too bad! I'm not going!"

Silence fell in between the two robots, making Kalinka nervous. Perhaps she was just growing paranoid, but she swore she saw the Robot Master's red eyes narrow in frustration. "Wait," she suddenly spoke up. "I've got something to ask."

Skull Man was puzzled, but nonetheless obliged. "Very well," he said. "Go on."

"Well," Kalinka began. "Since my Papa is your co-creator," she said. "That means that you are obligated to obey whatever orders he gives you, right?"

Skull was unsure of where this was going, but he nonetheless responded. "...yes?"

"Well, when he programmed his seven original creations, he also input a directive that would allow me to give them orders if the situation should arise," the human informed.

"And?" Skull Man questioned.

Roll too was confused. Where was Kalinka going with this?

"So, if he made you, did he not put in the same command?"

Skull Man was about to retort but found himself uncertain of how to respond. Did Dr. Cossack program such a thing into him? If so, it certainly wasn't Dr. Wily's idea. He searched his programming details, scouring for some sort of pre-input directive that the girl spoke of. What he found, instead, was not a command, but rather a suggestion. There was only an option of adhering to what she said, but he didn't have to obey it.

In other words, she was wrong.

Still, Skull Man grew curious as to what the girl was trying to do. "Why are you telling me all of this?" he questioned Kalinka, who tried to keep on a brave face despite the intimidating figure before her.

Kalinka tried to conjure up a convincing answer. It seemed that she would need more than just her Papa's programming to help her and Roll get out of this. Even if just temporarily.

"If you're one of my father's creations, albeit a co-creation, then I think it's only right that what I say, as the child of one of the members of the team that made you, should have some weight to it. Is that not logical?"

Skull Man didn't respond at first, still confused as to what Kalinka was trying to do. Still, despite trying to work her way around a problem that had no solution, the Robot Master was nonetheless intrigued. "What is it you exactly want?" he asked.

Kalinka paled. It seemed she wasn't going to get as far as she thought, and this machine seemed to not exactly be the type to negotiate with. Still, she had to try. "I…" she said, stringing together what she thought was the best, most honest answer. It's not as if she had any choice but to answer honestly now. "I want to see my Papa."

Citadel

Maybe a little bit more, then he'd continued.

True, Mega Man knew that perhaps it wasn't wise to lollygag, yet his body was still recovering from the skirmish with Pharaoh Man, and with no Dr. Light to rely on for repairs, that meant he would have to let his self-mend feature go to work. It did its job, albeit slowly, as it was a new feature Dr. Light had installed. Still, as he waited for his systems to get right again, the Blue Bomber couldn't help but reflect on all that had just happened.

He knew something was off with this whole thing the moment Dr. Cossack made his announcement, but it was only now that he was able to put the pieces together. He didn't know everything, but this 'Kalinka' had an important role in all of this. She must've been someone special to Cossack, and she was most likely in danger.

A classic hostage situation. It was nothing new to Mega Man after years of dealing with Wily's madness.

Still, if this WAS indeed a hostage situation, then that meant Mega still had to be careful. Yes, so far, there hadn't been any issues yet, but there was always a chance of danger when someone was being held captive or for ransom. And, judging from the Blue Bomber's past experiences with the balding German, he possibly was someone who wasn't afraid of going through with a threat.

Regardless, Mega Man knew that he had to try and play detective in his own time, as he was still on the clock. He turned his blue eyes to the last warp pad active, the final robot that he would have to face.

He would enter soon and take care of things, and then, it would be to go to Dr. Cossack himself. He was hoping that the Russian scientist would be receptive to some questions, perhaps an offer for help.

Assuming that the man would be willing to listen.

Mine

Papa? "As in, Dr. Cossack?" Skull Man questioned.

"Yes," Kalinka answered. "I want you to take me to him."

"That's not possible," Skul Man answered. "I am tasked to bring DLN-002."

"I'm NOT doing any favors for that jerk!" Roll protested.

The Robot Master seemed unaffected by her response, but he had something to say himself. "If you refuse," he said. "Then I am permitted to use force if necessary."

Roll tried to not show it, but she scooted back against the wall, those red eyes following her every move. "Y-You don't scare me."

"Unusual observation," Skull Man said. "Yet I suggest you have a healthy sense of caution if you wish to not possibly be dismantled and thrown into the recycling bin."

"You wouldn't…"

"No, not me, but I cannot guarantee what any of the others would do. The fact you're in this cage now signifies that Wily's bots have no issue with getting you out of the way."

Kalinka was silent for a moment, pondering the situation laid out before her. Then, she thought of something. It was perhaps risky, and maybe it wouldn't even work…but she had to try. If not for her Papa, then for Roll's brother. She just hoped that it would gain her at least some form of progress.

"Well," she began. "It seems we've reached an impasse."

Roll raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Kalinka turned her attention to Skull Man. "You say you have an order to carry out, and she says that she won't do it," she gestured to Roll. "But the question I have is that, do you really have to do what you've been told to do?"

The skeleton-based Robot Master grew befuddled. "What do you mean?"

"Dr. Wily didn't give you that order, did he? Nor did my Papa?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Exactly," Kalinka interjected. "Neither of them told you to do it, so you technically don't have to."

Roll wasn't entirely sure where this was going, yet she chimed in, agreeing with Kalinka. "Yeah, it's not like that Proto jerk has any real authority!"

Skull Man pondered this statement, going over the technicalities and possible routes in which the Child's words made sense. "In a manner, I suppose you could say that…"

"And, from what you've said, all he needs is someone who can sew," Kalinka continued.

"Yes, he requested that." Skull Man confirmed to her.

"Well," the curly-haired human glanced back at Roll, then she took a moment to examine herself. Specifically her skin, hair, eyes, shape of her face, then she examined Roll, taking in her features. "In that case, if it's just someone who knows how to sew, then it doesn't matter who you take up, does it?"

The Robot Master was quiet, unsure of how to answer.

"Got to admit, I agree with her logic," Roll added. "But," she then pulled Kalinka closer. "What exactly are you planning with this?"

Kalinka bit her lip. "It's a gamble, I'll admit," she said. "But…"

"But what?"

The blonde Russian (partially Ukrainian and Swedish) shifted her gaze from Skull Man, then back to Roll. "Listen," she said, then gesturing to the robot's utility arm. "What all do you have in that thing?"

"This?" Roll asked, Kalinka nodded in response. "It's got a vacuum, a heat sensor, some haircare utensils,"

"Like a curling iron?" the human questioned.

"Yeah," Roll nodded, slowly getting at what the girl was getting at.

"And maybe some color contacts?"

"Why?"

Kalinka shifted her eyes. "I've got an idea, but…I'll need your clothes," Roll was confused, then the human had directed her gaze toward the Robot Master. "And we'll both need some privacy…"

"How is it that you, a supposedly well-trained soldier, as you so claim, are afraid of someone who looks like a cheap Halloween decoration?" Elec Man groaned, going to Kalinka's holding cell, Ice Man following him.

"I…I just don't want to face him alone, sir," the snow-based Robot Master confessed. "He's a somewhat overbearing figure," he then shivered, despite his namesake's ability to withstand cold. "That machine is the newest of Wily's, and from what I've heard, he's rather unpredictable."

"Whatever the case, a few hollow bones will splinter the very second they feel my lightning touch," Elec Man declared posthumously.

"Here's hoping," Ice Man gulped, turning the corner to see that, indeed Skull Man was there, but he was outside of the chamber holding Kalinka and Roll, his eyes turned away as if he dared not to look inside. "Hm?" Ice Man tilted his head curiously. "State your status, soldier!" he commanded, then his eyes glitched out and he grew much more timid. "Um, if that's all right with you sir."

Skull Man was puzzled once again. Sir? The machines of Wily were all very strange. "I am standing guard," he responded, tone neutral yet low and foreboding, even if he didn't intend for such. "Although, the prisoners have requested some privacy."

"Privacy?" Elec Man questioned. "For what?"

Skull Man averted his eyes. "Well," he said. "They are in the midst of making themselves presentable."

"Why?" Ice Man inquired. Although, honestly, the blonde Light bot didn't need any further glamour, he thought.

"Proto Man has ordered that DLN-002 be brought up to him, yet she wished to…freshen up, given that this mine is coated in, in her words, dirt." the other Robot Master answered.

"Why does Proto Man want her?" Ice Man asked. "Oh, right, his scarf."

"If you're here too long, don't think he won't try to take your place in fighting Mega Man," Elec Man told Skull Man. "So I'd head back up and get into position."

"Understood," Skull Man answered. "I shall retrieve her." he then entered the small section of the mine. It didn't take long for him to exit with Roll.

At least, at first, it LOOKED like Roll.

"Um…" Elec Man raised a brow. "Is this…Mega Man's sister?" he asked, eyeing the figure Skull Man had brought up with suspicion. "Roll" wore the robot's clothes, and boots, and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. Yet there were noticeable differences. "Why is her hair a little shorter?" he asked. "Not to mention curlier?" he took a lock and twirled it in his digits.

"She had decided to do her hair when in captivity," Skull Man answered.

"Can't she speak for herself?" Elec Man inquired, turning his attention to "Roll" herself. "So, answer, why is your hair different?"

"Roll" shifted her eyes, which were wide and somewhat panicked, as if she were trying to mentally conjure up an answer. "It's…" she began, her voice somewhat similar, yet it was as if she were doing an imitation of her own voice. Assuming this was indeed the "Roll" they had imprisoned with Cossack's child. "It's just like he said," she answered, gesturing to Skull Man. "I wanted to curl my hair," she then crossed her arms. "I hate Wily and that other jerk, but I want to at least look nice."

The masked Robot Master rubbed his chin, having more questions in mind. "And haven't you gotten a little shorter?"

"I'm…" "Roll" stammered. "I'm…wanting to try out a different height?"

Elec Man still eyed her suspiciously. "If I may," Skull Man suddenly spoke up. "Even if it is my role to fight Mega Man, Proto Man assisted with the capture of the Child, thus, I am indebted to provide him a service in return."

The electricity-wielding robot was puzzled. He looked the "robot" over again. Despite some differences, there were many traits she possessed that were the same: hair and eye color, skin tone, facial shape (perhaps a little more youthful and round), and general body type.

"If he would try to take my place," Skull Man said. "He won't do it without his scarf."

"And you want to help him possibly do that why?" Elec Man asked.

Skull Man sighed. "I do not have time, unfortunately. I must deliver her to Proto Man as soon as possible. Otherwise, I MAY indeed get replaced."

After a moment of silence, Elec Man rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said. "Bring her up."

"Roll's" eyes lit up. "You mean it?"

Despite her momentary hope, the robot's eyes made it clear that he didn't entirely buy the situation. Still, even if this was indeed a ruse, what could either of the prisoners do? "Take her to the warp pad, Ice Man shall stand guard over Cossack's daughter."

"Oh, uh, yes sir!" Ice Man saluted. "Reporting for duty, sir!"

"Just get in there."

Skull Man went off with "Roll", the two traveling a good distance before they came across a single platform situated in the ground.

"What's that?" "Roll" asked, puzzled.

"This is what allows for access between the Citadel and here," the Robot Master explained. "And, through here, is where you shall find Dr. Cossack."

"Roll" stepped ahead of Skull Man and went on, the platform sensing her weight and immediately beginning to activate. The taller android quickly followed, surprised by the suddenness of her actions. Despite this, he made it in time, and both figures were enveloped in a green light before their shapes were consumed entirely and then disappeared.

And now, all that there was left to do was hopefully stop this before it continued any further.

Chapter Text

“Hm?” 

Proto Man turned upon hearing the door slide open, revealing the forms of Skull Man and his hostage. 

“And where have you been?” he questioned, folding his arms over his gray chest. “Dr. Wily’s getting all uppity about you getting into position and all that!” 

“Did you not request that your sibling be brought up to repair your garments?” 

“Garments?” Proto questioned. Even if Dr. Wily had programmed (or rather, Dr. Cossack) the Russian language into his and the other robots’ databanks, he still wasn’t exactly articulate. It was the same problem with both Wily AND Cossack! Why not just use terms everyone understood?! True, he could research ‘garment’ in his built-in electronic dictionary, but he deemed that to be a waste of time. “Look, whatever, as long as she repairs the scarf, fine,” he said. “For now, you probably should get to your position before Doc loses it.”

Even if she had promised herself to remain silent, upon hearing about Dr. Wily, a noise escaped her lips. “How-” she spoke, realizing the heaviness of her accent was slipping out. She panicked when she drew the attention of Wily’s second in command, Skull Man’s optics silently urging her to stay silent. 

“Huh? Sis?” Proto Man suddenly approached his “sister”, concealed eyes beneath a darkened visor studying her appearance. 

“Roll” shifted her “blue” eyes to the side, adjusting her hair (which had become surprisingly curly, despite still being held up in a ponytail.) “Um…yes, brother?” 

The red and gray android raised a brow. “Brother?” 

“Y-Yes, that is what you are, right?” “Roll” continued, the accent in her voice steadily being “Americanized” as best she could. 

“Yeah, but…” Proto Man said, still confused. “Mega calls me that. You don’t.”

“Roll” then remembered what she had been told by her cellmate, “Kalinka,” who was back in the mine. “Um…yes, that’s right,” the blonde ponytailed “robot” answered, brows furrowing as she got herself into character. “Yes, I…I hate you!” she shouted, giving the robot a punch to the chest. Only to then pull her hand away, as if it had caused her pain.

Proto wasn’t sure what to think. This girl LOOKED like his sister, and could even sound like her to a degree, but it was clear either Dr. Light had a budget and decided to repair her with cheap materials, or she hurt herself punching his chest. 

Skull Man could tell that things weren’t going in their favor, so he stepped in to try and redirect the other machine’s attention. “Either way, she is here, isn’t she?” he asked. “Surely you don’t want to continue much longer without your…” he gazed at the other robot’s bare neck. “Cloth.”

“Roll” was shocked upon seeing it, but she swore she saw Proto’s cheeks flush with embarrassment. “It’s a scarf, Bones,” he told Skull Man. “But sure, whatever. Just go get in position before Wily takes things out on me.”

Skull Man nodded. “Yes, I should be going,” he turned toward the door. “I shall see your brother shortly.” with that, he left.

Proto frowned. “Yeah, we’ll see about that, Skully,” he then turned to his “sister” a short distance away, drawing closer and taking in her appearance. “So…Sis,” he said, handing her the torn scarf. “How about you start repairing the damage the brat downstairs did, hm?” he questioned. “Gotta look my best for OUR brother in a short while.” 

“Roll” raised a brow, confused. “Wh-What? What do you mean?” 

The robot smirked. “Why, Sis, surely you know how this goes by now, right?”

Mine

Ice Man glanced over, having taken over watching one of the prisoners, the other having been taken to the Citadel. He was somewhat disappointed, for he had saved her from harm to get a chance to speak to her, but his chance had slipped away, once again. Of course, he then considered that, given the time they spent together, perhaps Wily’s more “human” hostage could fill him in on some info. 

“Kalinka,” noticed the Robot Master approach, her peridot eyes (that didn’t possess a small tint of bright blue) gazing into the large, spectacle-like optics of the android originally built to withstand sub-zero temperatures. “Hm?” she blinked. “What’s up?” she asked. But then remembered that she was supposed to be Russian (and partially Swedish and Ukranian). “Oh, uh…Как дела́?”

Ice Man tilted his head upon hearing her voice. True, she had the accent, yet there was something…different about her voice. And, perhaps he was seeing things from the sporadic lighting, but “Kalinka” appeared to have suddenly gained a few inches of hair. And he could feel small bits of heat emitting from her curled locks as if they had just been done recently. Odd. 

Still, if this was perhaps an opportunity that had once again been so graciously offered to him, he had to take it. 

“Kalinka” then saw the thickly-dressed android straighten out his outer cover, giving his optics a small polish, as if he were trying to make himself look presentable. Presentable…for her? “Ahem!” Ice Man began, clearing his throat, a small stream of visible breath exiting his lips. Though whether this was due to his built-in liquid nitrogen generator, or due to the low temperature in the mine, “Kalinka” didn’t know. 

“Um,” Ice Man started, clearly trying to sound confident, but his general demeanor said otherwise. “So,” he said. “Greetings, prisoner.”

"Kalinka" responded. "Yeah, greetings." Just what was he doing here, she wondered. 

This was it, he had his chance. "Ahem!" Ice Man cleared his throat again. "Prisoner, given that you are our hostage, I am granted the privilege to interrogate you for information, should it be deemed necessary."

"Kalinka" tried not to show it, but her eyes grew wide with trepidation. "Ok...and do you intend to interrogate me?"

"Yes," Ice Man answered. "Oh, um, if that's all right with you, Miss." 

The "human's" fear immediately died down, remembering that the Robot Master's personality was completely different than before. "Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Well," Ice Man began, pushing his pointer fingers together. "It's not so much information about yourself, but rather, your cellmate."

Cellmate? "Wait," "Kalinka" said. "You mean...?"

Ice Man nodded. "You spent some time with Mega Man's sister, have you not?" he asked, "Kalinka" nodding in response. "Well..." he began, feeling a swelling heat develop in his core. "Do you...mind if you share some details with me about her?" 

Warp Chamber

Just one more. That was what he kept telling himself. Just one more robot to face, one more battle until he could try and get to Cossack. One more chance to perhaps get some answers. 

Specifically, just who was this “Kalinka?” 

Stepping onto the platform, Mega Man was transported to another confined chamber, only now, he could barely see. The night vision feature built into his optics seemed to be near useless as he could only vaguely see strange shapes and what appeared to be the outlining of bricks. 

“I have been waiting.”

Mega Man whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice, low and husky, almost naturally intimidating. He didn’t try to let it be noticed, but he felt his circuits growing a little frigid. “Wh-Who’s there?” he questioned, cursing the stammer in his voice. He gathered up his courage and furrowed his brows, giving a determined look, even if perhaps the source of the vote wouldn’t notice due to the overwhelming darkness. “Show yourself!”

“Gladly. For you have earned that right.”

Earned what right? Before Mega could inquire just what this unseen figure meant, he noticed a strange anomaly manifesting before him, his blue eyes both startled yet then steadily captivated and intrigued. Small flames of blue began dancing around him, floating and bobbing up in down in almost hypnotic patterns. Just what were they, the blue robot pondered. True, he had seen more than his fair share of crazy things, but he had yet to see a phenomenon such as this. His processor went to theorizing, the closest thing coming to his computer brain was that of a Will-O-Wisp, yet he was far from any forest, let alone anywhere near Western Europe. Then again, perhaps Russia held its secrets too. 

The blue flames then began to migrate to the opposite side of the chamber, all surrounding and illuminating a shape that the Blue Bomber had only become aware of now. As the lights drew near, the darkness began to fade away, the chamber becoming bathed in a cool blue hue despite the source being fire. 

Then, the blue faded away, and light, albeit sparse, shone down from the ceiling, allowing Mega Man to truly see where he had warped to. 

The chamber’s walls were very reminiscent of Drill Man’s mostly being composed of solid rock, yet these slabs of stone appeared to hold some contents within. Fossils were shown openly, having been carved out of their original resting place and situated into the wall. The bones ranged from ribs to skulls, to nearly complete bodies, yet they were all the same. All hollow, all still and motionless, all quiet.

All dead.

The blue lights faded away, the figure that had presumably summoned them standing at attention. And, needless to say, despite himself, Mega Man found himself somewhat startled by the robot before him. Sitting in a criss-cross position, as if he were waiting for his opponent to come, the tall android of white, gold, and black rose, standing tall, surpassing the Blue Bomber by a good few inches. 

“So…” Mega Man began, trying to appear brave. “You’re the last of Dr. Cossack’s robots?”

The other machine nodded. “I am he that prevents you from reaching my creator himself,” he said. “I am Skull Man,” he introduced himself. “I am unlike those that you have faced before me, as I have just been given life recently.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I recall seeing you before,” Mega Man confessed. “What, did Cossack think you were too scary to finish right away?”

Skull narrowed his eyes, irises glowing red. “Your quips will not save you,” he told the Azure android. “The machines before you were built with a previous purpose in mind. True, some had some sense of combat in mind, yet fighting was not their exclusive purpose,” he said. “I, however, do not share such a trait with my brethren. I am as you are, a fighting machine.”

“You mean, ‘Super Fighting Robot,’ don’t you?” the Blue Bomber questioned. True, perhaps he shouldn’t be teasing a bot that looked like he wanted to rip the blue boy’s head off, but it was alleviating his anxiety, so perhaps he could at least build up enough bravado to even get right to fight. He would never say it, but, Mega found that, if there was a way, he’d rather avoid this Skull Man entirely. 

“I am more than ‘super,’ fool,” Skull Man growled. “I am a Supreme Combat Machine!” 

“Same thing as Super Fighting Robot,” Mega interjected, earning him a glare. 

“Not quite,” Skull Man answered. “For clarification, your combat presets were added after your initial creation, were they not?” he inquired, earning an expression of surprise from the Blue Bomber. “Yes, I know of your history, DLN 001, or, rather, Rock Light, as your creator christened you upon activation.”

Mega Man was left speechless for a moment, taken aback by the knowledge Skull Man had been given all the details regarding everything from his creation to now. Still, with that came a question. “So, Dr. Cossack’s done a little digging on me?” the Blue Bomber asked. “Anything come up on just why I had to go from being Rock to Mega Man?” 

Skull Man didn’t appear to possess any outer mouth, but he spoke nevertheless, voice having a slight echo to it. “A man by the name of Albert Wily, yes,” he answered. “A German immigrant that migrated to the United States in 195X and graduated from the same university as your creator with a degree in robotics. Anything more you wish to hear about what you should know already?”

“Well, I just can’t help but notice that, while I’m not denying you’re built by Dr. Cossack, I’ve known Wily for a good while,” the Blue Bomber said. “And one thing I’ve learned is that the guy has a bit of an affinity for skulls. Like, he likes skulls.” 

Skull Man narrowed his eyes. “You are implying something.”

“Not so much as in trying to get somebody to admit it,” Mega Man retorted. “It’s obvious Wily’s got some part in all of this, so why not come clean and stop with this whole charade?”

The skeleton-based Robot Master was puzzled, yet also slightly intrigued. “You speak as if Dr. Cossack was innocent,” he said. “Yet, was it not he who challenged you to fight his machines? And was it not he who will release his creations onto New York City if you didn’t comply with his demands?” 

“Yes, but he didn’t mention a name that I’ve been hearing lately. Perhaps you know it?” the Blue Bomber responded.

“Know what?”

He wondered if there was any point, yet still, he had to try. “You wouldn’t happen to have heard of anyone named Kalinka, would you?” Despite the lack of change in Skull Man’s expression, limited as it could be given his facial structure, his silence was all the confirmation Mega needed. “She’s in trouble, isn’t she?”

Skull Man was silent for a short time, the Blue Bomber assuming that the other robot wouldn’t answer. Yet, to his surprise, he received one. “She is safe and unharmed if that is what you wish to know.” 

“She’s got a connection to Dr. Cossack, doesn’t she?” the DLN continued to interrogate the recently built fighting machine. “Is she his wife? Sister?” he questioned. “Daughter?” 

Skull Man said nothing.

“Wily kidnapped her, didn’t he?”

“That is none of your concern. Your battle is with me.”

“If someone’s in trouble, then I can help! This is far from the first time Wily’s taken somebody hostage!” the blue robot’s mind briefly had an image of Roll flash by. Even if she had been told to not follow him, Mega couldn’t help but feel that his younger sibling was in some sort of trouble. And, if so, then maybe helping this ‘Kalinka’ would help her as well. 

Skull Man still said nothing.

Mega Man parted his lips to speak again, yet the bone-based Robot Master interjected. “Enough. You are my opponent, and we are to duel until one of us is reduced to scrap.”

Mega felt a chill. Scrap? What was wrong with just making sure your enemies fell to literal pieces? At least they could be put back together. Then again, this guy didn’t look like the type to consider that. Or, perhaps he did, yet he preferred a more sure, definite way to make certain his opposition would no longer fight back. 

“Now,” Skull Man said. “Your move.”

Observation Deck-Side room

“Are you done yet?” Proto asked for what “Roll” assumed to be the umpteenth time. 

“I’m going as fast as I can! Geez, haven’t you heard patience is a virtue?” his younger “sister” retorted, wincing as she once again poked herself with the needle. 

True, while “Roll” was out of her cell, repairing this jerk’s scarf wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Still, despite herself, she was ultimately willing to do it. If not for herself, then for another. 

“In case you haven’t noticed, Princess, I’m not exactly a virtuous kind of guy,” Proto Man scoffed. “That’s more of a ‘Light’ trait than a ‘Wily’ one.” 

“Roll” raised a brow. “Weren’t you initially constructed by Dr. Light AND Wily as a collaborative project?” 

The red and gray robot shrugged. “Technically, yes, but Wily’s the one that finished me up,” he answered. “Your dear ol’ Doc wanted to alter my guidance system, so, if anything, Wily did me a favor.” 

“Somehow I doubt that.” the stolen DLN’s “sister,” remarked. “Still, if I get this thing done, will you let me see Dr. Cossack?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever,” Proto Man answered with a dismissive wave. “Although, I’m not sure why you’re so concerned about that guy.”

“Because, since his capture, I doubt that you’ve been taking care of him.”

Oh, the old man’s fine. If anything, Wily’s the one that’s in poorer health from just dealing with him. Guy’s such a paranoid nutcase! If it wasn’t for Wily finding out that he had a brat, then we would’ve never gotten him to work with us in the first place,” he then chuckled. “I know Russia’s a crazy place with crazy people, but I think this guy’s out there, even for them.” 

“Roll’s” eyes flared. “Papa-” she began, but bit her tongue the moment the word exited her lips. 

From beneath his darkened visor, the former DLN gazed at his “sister” curiously. “What was that?” 

“I mean…Dr. Cossack,” the blonde “robot” corrected herself. “He is a perfectly respectable man compared to that balding loon-ow!” her opinion on the Russian and German scientists was interrupted by the needle once again sticking her finger. “And…he’s a way better programmer.” 

Proto smirked. “Yeah, I won’t lie, he is,” he admitted. “But that’s just going to make the challenge all the more interesting. Besides, these guys have been a little stupid for far too long.”

“Oh please,” “Roll” scoffed. “Like you even have a fourth of your supercomputer brain functioning. I doubt Wily’s even updated you to the latest CPU model,” now she was the one smirking when she saw her captor’s grin fall, replaced by an indigent frown. “Am I wrong?”

“Tch! That’s none of your business!” Proto Man huffed, turning his head away. “Just…get that thing fixed!” the red and gray robot then turned to the right, preparing to exit the small room.

“H-Hey! Where are you going?!” “Roll” questioned, shocked that he was leaving her. 

“I’m checking to see if Bone-Head’s gotten any progress on his fight with Mega Man,” Proto answered. “If that’s repaired by the time I come back, I might let you come in and watch how our Bro is doing.” 

“Roll” grimaced. “You enjoy watching others suffer, don’t you?” 

“Depends on what mood I’m in and who’s the one suffering,” Proto admitted. “Besides, isn’t the golden rule of comedy that it’s based on someone else’s misery?”

“Roll” fumed. “Just…go look at your stupid video or whatever it is of Mega Man fighting! Just listening to you is making me mad!”

“Yeah, whatever,” the visor-wearing robot scoffed, going through the door. “I’ll let you know who’s winning,” he answered before the door shut. “And I’m going to make sure it’ll be me.”

Citadel

Realizing there was no way out of this, Mega Man drew out his buster and fired. Skull Man leaped in the air, landing right in front of the Blue Bomber, but he did not strike. Mega Man appeared confused, but then he threw a fist forward, gaining a reaction from his opponent. Skull Man grasped his fist and, with one swift motion, flipped the Blue Bomber onto his back. 

Yet, to Mega’s surprise, the other robot allowed him to get back on his feet. “Well, you’re certainly more honorable than some of my family members,” he said. Then, he got a thought. “Speaking of, how is my brother doing these days?” 

Skull Man narrowed his eyes. “He is not your concern,” he told Mega Man. “Considering some of your recent interactions, one would think you would want his head,” he said, noting how Mega Man appeared unsure of what to say. “No shame in it if you do covet his helm. You’re far from the first.”

“I can deal with Proto Man in my way,” the Blue Bomber said. “And that doesn’t have to involve destroying him.”

“Then do you plan to bring him to Dr. Light?” Skull Man questioned. “Reprogramm him with a mindset such as yours?”

“A little attitude adjustment is something he’s needed for a while, frankly.” Mega Man answered. 

Skull Man was silent for a moment. “Hm, I see,” he said. “Then…I suppose that path is not open to me either.”

The Azure android was confused. “What do you mean?”

“There’s no point in discussing it with you,” the skeleton-based machine shot back. “Focus on the battle taking place now! Can you not see that your life is on the line?!” Skull Man questioned. “I was constructed to terminate you!”

“But you’re still Dr. Cossack’s robot, right?” the Blue Bomber questioned. “If you know him, then surely you know Kalinka too!” Skull Man said nothing, but he froze up, all but confirming that there WAS indeed a connection between Cossack and this mysterious girl. “If you’re loyal to him, then you’d be loyal to her too, right?” he asked. “Assuming Wily’s not involved, if you want to continue keeping that lie up.”

Despite his limited ability to emote, the fighting machine turned his red eyes to the ground, silent, yet his processor was the equivalent of a roaring, untamed tempest, wild and free to lay waste to the land as it saw fit. “Just as I must do to you,” he muttered.

Mega raised a brow. “What?”

“I cannot tell you of this Kalinka,” Skull Man told his opponent. “But,” he then paused, as if he was hesitant in what he was about to say. “If you care for her safety as you claim you do, then you shall continue your fight with me!”

Mega Man didn’t grin or smirk back. Not this time, not with the knowledge he had now. “If I do, will she be ok?”

Skull Man nodded. 

“Then fine,” he said. “For her sake.”

“For the sake of a young woman that you don’t even know?” Skull Man inquired. 

“For the sake of somebody who needs help.” 

The ivory, gold, and ebony machine was rendered speechless. “...you are a naive fool,” Skull Man said. “Yet…I trust that you will hold up your end of the bargain,” the strange softness in his voice then vanished, the robot thrusting a bony finger in Mega Man’s direction. “But that changes nothing!” he bellowed. “I shall STILL best you in combat and crush you with my bare hands!” 

“Crush’s more of Guts Man’s thing, isn’t it?” Mega Man questioned, a small smile coming to his face. True, he was still serious, yet he had to admit that busting bad bots always gave him some stress relief. “Personally,” he then drew out his buster. “I prefer to blast the competition!”

Skull Man chuckled. “Hm, interesting tactic,” he said. Then, to the Blue Bomber’s surprise, the other robot drew out a blast of his own. “Hope you don’t mind if I borrow it.” 

Chapter Text

Despite wishing to see just what his dear younger brother was up to, he was still self-conscious about his uncovered neck, a hand routinely massaging his throat to give the sensation that something was there. He entered the small room concealed from the rest of the Citadel's view, Wily and Cossack observing the ongoing battle between his brother and the Russian man's latest creation.

Well, technically, co-creation.

"Oooh!" Wily winced, yet it was clear that he was enjoying what he was witnessing. Currently, while Mega Man was doing surprisingly all right, given what this new robot was supposed to be made of, Skull Man delivered a swift right hook to the underside of Mega's jaw, sending the blue bot a good few feet back. "Yeah! About time someone landed a good hit on that periwinkle punk!"

Cossack merely rolled his eyes. "I'm pleased to know that you revel in seeing a defender of the world, perhaps the human race, being pulverized by a machine that is bent on nothing but annihilating his opponent."

It was then that Proto fully processed what the younger scientist had just said. True, each of the robots before Skull Man had it out for his little bro, but, the longer he watched, the Red Bomber began to realize that, while he was still the best at trouncing his younger sibling, this bone-head was…a little good.

Okay, maybe more than a little he was too good.

Good enough to maybe get the drop on Mega before his elder sibling could.

"Hm," Wily hummed, satisfied. "It seems that you finally managed to pull through, Cossack," the younger scientist was about to respond, but the older man cut him off. "But, just in case, I suggest you get ready."

Cossack was puzzled. "Get ready? For what?"

"To test whether or not that Last Weapon of yours is actually up to snuff."

Both Proto Man and Dr. Cossack paled upon hearing Wily. "The…the Last Weapon?" the younger scientist stammered. "B-But, but Mega Man hasn't defeated Skull Man yet!"

"Exactly," Wily answered. "That's why, as much as I've…appreciated our time together,"

"That's a bit of an overstatement," Proto Man whispered. His snark might've been seen as normal, yet, behind his darkened visor, his optics were full of worry.

Wily huffed in response to the machine's comment but continued nonetheless. "If Mega Man defeats your newest robot, then there's only one last line of defense. And, given that there are now TWO hostages within our grasp, I suppose that means you'll take this battle EXTRA seriously."

The Last Weapon. While it wasn't one of his creations that Wily would release onto New York, and, in turn, The United States, it was still a machine that he had constructed to deal a considerable amount of damage, specifically against a certain blue robot.

"Bear in mind, one is a pain in the keister, but she's necessary. The other can just be tossed into a trash compactor," Wily told Cossack. "And, while I know you have nothing to fear for yourself, surely you still care about whether or not that blue dweeb's little sister lives, right?" The younger scientist said nothing. "Go get ready then," he ordered. "Mega Man will probably get to you sooner than you know."

The brunette, green-eyed man furrowed his brow, yet, ultimately, to his shame, silently admitted defeat. "...very well," he said. He then turned away, going toward another door, separate from where the scarfless Proto Man had entered. "Bear in mind, however, that, while we have a bargain, I shall fulfill my end of it," Cossack hissed. "Should anything, ANYTHING befall my Kalinka,"

"Then what?" Wily questioned with a raised, scruffy brow. "Going to pop out a matrushka-doll robot? Maybe one that's supposed to learn ballet?"

The younger man's eyes narrowed. "Then you will be at your blue foe's feet, begging for his protection," Cossack answered. "Because, while he still may have to adhere to the morals Thomas Light programmed into him, he is still a machine bound by the Three Laws," he then grew quiet. "I, on the other hand, have no such limitations."

It was then that, to the red and grey robot's shock, the balding German appeared, of all things, intimidated by the younger scientist. "You…" Wily stammered. "You…you need me," he said. "I brought you here, and only I can let you go! The very fact you're still here is that I saw value in your skills as a roboticist! What? You believe that just because Mega Man is almost here, that you can get cocky with me?! Don't forget who you're dealing with here, Cossack!"

"Oh, I know well who I'm dealing with," Cossack retorted, voice calm and even, unlike the older man's. Frankly, this only served to make the Russian even more intimidating in Proto Man's eyes. "But, I promise you, should anything dire befall my darling," he gave one last glance back at the older man, voice icy and full of intention. "Then I'll send you to join her, wherever she is. And then, I shall follow."

With that, Dr. Cossack made his exit, leaving Dr. Wily and his co-creation with Dr. Light alone in the Observation Deck.

"Geez, what a stiff," Proto Man scoffed, rubbing his neck. He tried his hardest to not show it, but he felt practically naked without the article of clothing. "Anyway, Doc," he began, turning his attention to Wily. "Regarding the current setup we've got, maybe after my Little Bro takes out Bonehead down there, I could give Cossack a few extra minutes to prepare with-"

"Forget it, boy," the older human cut the android off. "You're not letting Mega Man even know you exist at all," he told Proto. "Let alone are you going in and picking any fights."

Behind his visor, the prototype stared at Wily with flabbergasted eyes. "What?!" he cried out.

"You heard me," Wily said. "You're just going to have put having one of your little duels for a later time."

Proto Man began to protest. "B-But, but what if that stupid skeleton pummels him before I can?!"

"Well, I guess either you better hope Light has a spare backup CPU, or you're going to have to put him back together yourself," Wily told him dismissively. "Frankly, right now, I just need to keep that guy ready and willing to do whatever is necessary to take out that meddlesome merry good-doer!"

"Yeah! I'M the one supposed to take out that meddlesome merry good-doer!" Proto Man countered. "He's MY Brother! My rival! Mine to take out!"

"Usually, I wouldn't have a problem with letting you blast that dweeb's head off, but if you think I'm going to risk putting this operation at risk because you just want a tussle with your younger sibling, you are unfortunately mistaken, my boy."

"Doc, c'mon-"

"Proto Man!"

To his shock, the red and grey robot immediately shut up, the old man sounding uncharacteristic…well, he was almost always angry and aggressive, but not to his right-hand bot. At least, not like this. A part of Proto wanted to reply with a potential deal or bargain, but the old man shut that down before he could even get one word out.

"Cossack is brilliant, but, he's also foolish," Wily began. "And by that, I mean, while his programming skills are…" he paused. "Somewhat…halfway decent compared to mine,"

"Is that why he hasn't shut up about how he thinks your way of making stuff is, and I quote, some of the most nonsensical, haphazardly put together-" Noticing the furrow in the old man's brow, the robot quickly zipped his lips. Still, he had to get in one last remark. "Hey, he's the one that said it, not me. Besides, I'll stop. After that, he got a little mean and started saying words I can't exactly repeat for something rated TVY7-"

"Normally I'd indulge in whatever that diabolical mechanical brain of yours can conjure up, but, for now, the last thing I want to do is give Cossack a reason to not stop at Mega Man," Wily said. Then, he turned to go toward the same door Cossack exited out of. "I'm following to make sure he and Mega May meet. You stay put and watch over his brat."

"But, Doc, wait!-"

"Proto!" the old man said firmly. "I'd hate to admit it, but Cossack is right," he said. "Hostage or not, he's not someone that's easily intimidated. It's only due to his daughter that I even managed to get him to comply at all," he then closed his eyes. "But…with all that I've heard him say, both about himself and me, disrespectful as it was,"

There was a degree of humor in the Russian's insults, Proto Man inwardly snickered, but he didn't get to articulate this thought before Wily kept going.

"Cossack is not someone who has concern for his own life. Whatever sense of self-preservation he had disappeared long ago," the balding German continued. "That brat iy the only thing that matters to him anymore. And, if she's out of the picture, or worse, something happens that's irreversible," he then went quiet for a moment. "Then I don't doubt that he'll find some way to retaliate against me," he then turned to face Proto Man once more. "And, if that happens, he retaliates against you too. So, if anything, Skull Man is doing you a service in keeping this operation going, thus staying in Cossack's…somewhat amiable graces."

The red and grey machine was quiet, lips parted, trying to figure out some sort of counterargument. "But, Doc…I-"

"Just keep the brat under watch and in a cage," Wily cut him off. "No further arguments."

"Doc, please-"

"No. Further. Arguments."

Then, with that, Wily left, leaving the robot alone, concealed eyes fixated on the monitor as he observed Mega Man battle against Dr. Cossack's newest combat machine.

He's good. The prototype collaboration of Light and Wily mused. Darn it, he's good. If he keeps this up, then…

"Ouch!"

"Roll" winced and shut her "blue" eyes, the suddenness of the opening door catching her off guard and distracting her from watching her needlework. Although she had mostly been toying around with the sharpened instrument to test its effectiveness. She turned to see her technical "older brother" standing in the doorway, arms crossed and frustrated.

Yet, upon seeing "Roll" with her finger in her mouth, he grew confused. "What are you doing?" Proto Man questioned. His "sister" was about to answer, but, as Wily had done with him before, he cut her off before she could even reply. "Well, whatever. Mega's on the ropes with Bonehead, so I'm going to need that scarf patched up ASAP."

"Wait, what?" "Roll" shot up to a standing position. "He's fighting Skull Man? Now?"

"Yep," Proto Man confirmed. "Although, in a few minutes, that's going to be ME fighting him," he then rubbed his bare neck. "But there's no way I'm going out like this."

The blonde "robot" gazed at him with wide eyes, flabbergasted by this jerk's gall. "Wait," she then said. "What makes you think I'm going to put one thread in this thing?" she questioned, holding up the yellow article of clothing. Seeing as Mega Man is our brother, I should have the right mind to tear this into even more pieces!"

"Don't you dare!" Proto Man shouted, about ready to grab the scarf from his "sister", but she pulled it back. "That little half-pint already did enough damage, I don't need anything else happening to it!" he pointed to the torn cloth.

Of course, had his focus been on his "sister" instead of his prized accessory, he would've possibly noticed "Roll's" features take on an offended expression upon being referred to as "half pint."

Still, she said nothing, remembering at the last second what she was up here for. "Well, if that's the case, then you have to let me see Papa-" the blonde caught herself. "Er, Dr. Cossack afterward, deal?"

"Sorry, sis, but that's not going to be able to go through, and it's actually because I can't meet it on my end." Proto Man answered. "Doc's got the 'other' Doc setting up for when Mega Man reaches him," he then folded his arms and grinned. "Of course, little bro's going to have a bit of a surprise before he goes and meets Doc's newest partner."

Partner?! It was then that "Roll" threw away all her previously held restraint. "Then you can fix this stupid thing yourself!" she shouted, throwing the scarf to the ground and promptly stomping on it.

"Hey, be careful with that!" Proto Man shouted, stepping forward and grabbing the scarf from underneath his "sister's" boot, yanking it out from underneath.

Although, to his surprise, "Roll" appeared to be a little more lightweight than he previously remembered, for this action caused the blonde "robot" to lose her footing and fall to the ground, a pained cry exiting his "sister" as she hit the surface of the floor. The ponytailed "machine" winced as she rubbed her assumedly sore behind, yet this prompted Proto Man to question as to why. She was made of the same stuff he was, right? Why would that hurt?

It was then, however, that the red and gray android realized that, to his horror, his "sister's" boots were rather coated in dirt, the fabric of his once yellow scarf practically painted in dusty brown patches. Proto Man stared at his precious article of clothing, then at his "younger sister" still on the ground. She couldn't see it, yet his expression grew dark underneath his blackened visor.

"Ow…" "Roll" groaned, hissing as she touched the sore area of her rump. "Geez, you've got no idea of how to treat a lady-" She was cut off when she suddenly felt her shoulders being seized, realizing that Proto Man had grabbed her, his hold solid and firm. He said nothing for a short time, yet the other "robot" could practically feel his concealed optics boring into hers, the shades surely concealing an expression filled to the brim with rage.

It was then that "Roll" found herself pondering if she had perhaps gone too far with the stomping part. Before she could say anything, she was yanked off the floor and to her feet, standing at full height with her "brother" standing above her, clearly of superior stature.

"It's been a while since we've done this song and dance, sis, but let me remind you of how this goes," Proto Man said, voice even and calm, but it was clear that he was just barely holding back from exploding on her. "Our little boy blue gets into a tussle with me, we duke it out for a while, and either I finally manage to wipe the floor with him, or, once again, some other interruption interjects itself," he explained. "But, either way, one thing is for sure," he then brought her closer to where they were only mere inches apart. "You're not involved in the fight, unless it's as a bargaining chip or, in a case like this, your domestic skills are needed. So I suggest you start reminding yourself of that before things have to get ugly."

"Roll's" eyes widened, her breath hitching and body beginning to tremble. Had her "brother" not been so caught up in his anger, he would've perhaps questioned why a fellow mechanical being such as himself would be short of breath, let alone need to breathe in the first place. "Wh-" the blonde stammered, realizing that she was just barely standing on her tiptoes in her red boots. Although, again, this detail appeared to be yet another element her "brother" didn't notice. "Are you…going to hurt me?"

Proto Man's fury halted for a moment, the uncertainty in the blonde's voice giving him pause. She seemed to notice this detail, yet before "Roll" could verbally mention it, her "older brother" continued with his speech.

"No," he told her. "But I can't promise the same for your new friend downstairs," the robot told "Roll" as she still rested in his grip. "Her dad might be overly attached, and, for some reason, Wily thinks that she's worth keeping around, but if I had my way, I would've sent her out in the snow a long time ago."

"Roll" froze. Again, her question gave him pause, and now he was beginning to find himself questioning things about his "sister's"appearance. True, she probably had one installed, but the last time he knew, she hadn't inserted a curling iron into her utility arm. So, how'd her ponytail get so curly? And since when did her bangs have a part in them?

"You…" his "sister" stammered again. Her voice…it was just for a moment, but it sounded different. As if it suddenly gained a very strong accent. "You…can't do that," she said. "The Las of Robotics…even if Wily doesn't have a problem with letting you all cause destruction, you can't harm a human directly. Otherwise, what's to stop any bot here from overthrowing that Развалюха?"

"What was that?"

"Roll" paled, realizing the country's native tongue slipped from her lips. "N-Nothing!" she shouted. "Y-You're just saying lies to scare me!"

"Why would you be scared? It's not you I'm threatening."

Again, his "sister" went silent for a good few seconds. "But…but you…you can't…"

Proto Man smirked. Gotcha now, brat. Or, should that be, Жoпа? Finally, he could shoot back something smart. "Oh, but sis, don't you know?" he asked. "I've got a little something special inside me."

"Roll" tried to make herself seem unaffected, yet still, she couldn't stop the ever-present glint of anxiety in her eye. Her very, oddly organic-looking eyes. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, really," Her "brother" responded. "I don't know much, never really found a reason to look into it, but, Light had a little dooikie put in hit prototype's head that Wily collaborated on him with. Something to do with a guidance system or whatever."

"G-Guidence system?" his "sister" questioned with a stammer.

"Hm? You don't know what that is, sis?" Proto Man inquired with a knowing smirk.

"I…" the blonde "robot" got ahold of herself and presented the other machine with a scowl of disdain. "Of course,e I know what a guidance system is! It's the component of a robotic life form's moral thinking and values!" she retorted before giving a dismissive snort. "It wouldn't surprise me if you didn't until I even mentioned it."

Proto scowled, yet, instead of throwing his "sister" to the ground, he merely shoved her to the side. His push was somewhat strong, "Roll" stumbling back a bit, yet she quickly caught herself before she fell. This unsteadiness didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong, sis?" the red and grey android questioned. "A little light on your feet?"

"Roll" huffed in indignation. "No! I just didn't want to spend another moment getting touched by you!"

Again, this was enough to erase the cockiness the robot presented on his youthful features. Now he appeared to be legitimately angry with her. Still, he didn't move in her direction, his initial plan to watch his brother fighting Dr. Cossack's skeleton Robot Master still at the forefront of his mind. But, before that, he was going to leave her with a parting reminder.

"Well, regarding the guidance system, Wily took that out of me when he spruced me up after Light decided it was better to trash me."

"Roll" stood in place, fingers clutching at the torn scarf in her hands. "Th-That's impossible!" she protested. "Every robot has a guidance system! They must! It is both the regulations and requirements for a robot to be released to the public and for use!"

"Yeah, but Wily's never been one to follow the rules," Proto Man countered. "I'd think you'd know that by now…sis."

"Roll" just scoffed. "Yeah, I pity that she has to be related to you," she muttered.

Did she seriously think his audio receptors wouldn't catch that? Well, whatever. He still had a point to make. "As I was saying, sis," he repeated. "That guidance system stuff isn't installed in me," he told her. "Oh, sure, my system knows the basics, but, unlike Mega, or you," he eyed her from behind his visor. "I don't possess such scruples," he then got close to her, face mere inches away from her own, the blonde attempting not to show it openly, but it was clear she was intimidated. "Which means, I've got no problem blasting anybody, man or machine."

"Roll" bit her lip. "You're bluffing."

Proto Man chuckled. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," he told his "sister", the facade steadily breaking before his eyes. "Don't worry, I've got no reason to hurt you, you don't have weapons like little boy blue, so there'd be no point."

"Roll" slowly forgot their fear and scowled. "So, why are you telling me this?"

"Glad you asked," Proto said. "See, I'm not interested in roughing you up, at least not to where it leaves anything permanent," the red and gray android told her. "And Mega, well, he can take care of himself just fine," he continued. "But the brat? She's helpless against me or any of us."

The blonde "robot" stepped back a little. "What are you implying?"

Proto grinned. Finally, he was knocking some sense into her. And give her a rather important warning. "See, without the guidance system in me, I've got no qualms about blasting a human's head off," he told her. "Like the kid."

"Roll" widened her eyes and took another step back. "Y-You can't do that," she said, trying to keep her voice even. Still, despite this, she couldn't entirely hide that she was steadily growing afraid. "You need her," the other "robot" said. "Without her, Papa-" she stopped herself. "Dr. Cossack wouldn't have even considered working with Wily."

"True," the red and grey android agreed with a nod of his head. "Roll" could see her reflection in his visor, her nervous expression presented before her to see, yet she couldn't discern what sort of look he was giving her. Suffice to say, it certainly didn't help matters in her case. "I can't do that. But, what if, say, an accident were to happen? Could be anything, really," he said with a dismissive shrug. "Maybe somebody got tired of dealing with her, maybe she brought it on herself, but, either way, anything can happen."

Proto Man then closed the gap between him and his "sister" and his visor flashed as if a thought had just come to his processor. An idea "Roll" didn't believe she would like in the slightest.

"And, you know what the best part is? We wouldn't even be the cause of it," he told her. "There's an entire tundra just outside of this place. Even with that coat and those other stupid things she wears, she won't last forever. Eventually, the cold will take care of her for us."

"Roll," she said nothing at first, unable to truly believe what she had just heard. It took her a good few moments before she was able to conjure up an insult to say, yet, before she could respond, Proto Man left her with one last command, presenting her with the torn, yellow scarf.

"Don't want that to happen?" he asked. "Fix this. Now."

He practically threw it at his "sister" before he turned to enter the Observation Deck, leaving "Roll" alone in the small room. She looked down at the torn scarf, fear now transforming into tearful frustration. Without even thinking, she wiped her eyes with the fabric and was just about to blow her nose, yet stopped herself. As much as she hated it, nothing could happen to this stupid thing.

Despite how tempting it was to rip it to shreds.

Still, regardless of her current predicament, "Roll" couldn't help but wonder about "Kalinka" down below. It was also then that she realized what the old, raggedy, clearly worn-out accessory meant, both for herself and the "human" she had left back in her former prison.

"Roll…" the "robot" muttered. "Papa…" After a short time of silence, a heavy breath exited her, and her eyes burned with determination. "Fine," she whirled around to where Proto Man had left, narrowing her brow with scorn. "You want this fixed? No problem," she hissed., I plan to sew this so well, you can go and hang yourself without it breaking!" As she gazed at the fabric in her possession, she sighed.

Even if it wasn't likely, hopefully, "Kalinka" was doing better than she was at the moment.

Visual Reference for Kalinka, Dr. Cossack, and Beat, along with "Roll"

Chapter Text

Plus, bonus. 

Ocean Group dubbed both and now I can’t get it out of my head.

Chapter Text

"So, that's why you've brought me here?" Dr. Cossack questioned Wily, the two men currently situated in a tiny room hidden underground, Proto Man guarding the door to prevent the Russian scientist from leaving.

So far, it had been two weeks since he had been abducted from traveling back home, and the other government agents escorting him back were quickly dealt with and disposed of. At first, Cossack had assumed the worst, yet an hour later revealed that the other humans had just been robbed of their equipment and stranded out in the middle of the Swiss Alps.

"You do realize that no one is going to know they're up there, right?" Mikhail asked Albert Wily, although he knew that his inquiries would ultimately amount to nothing. "They have no way to contact Russia, let alone anywhere else in the Baltics without a means of communication!"

"Geez, don't get so freaked out, four-eyes," Proto Man told the panicking human with a dismissive shrug. "Besides, it's Switzerland, right? Maybe they'll learn how to yodel and can take a goat taxi down the mountain."

Dr. Cossack rose from his seat, rather enraged by the robot's words, much to the aforementioned robot's shock. "You think the prospect of innocent people growing helplessly lost and potentially starving to death funny?"

Wily looked on in surprise as well. While he wasn't exactly worried about his right-hand-bot's safety, the middle-aged human was far from possessing enough strength to leave a single scrape on Proto Man's frame, yet the intensity of his reaction caught the German off guard. True, while he wasn't above admitting he too could become passionate and emotional under certain circumstances (especially those that involved crushing that blue dweeb), but Cossack's reaction to what was nothing more than a joke gave Wily pause.

And convinced him to stay quiet and observe.

"And you immediately assume they will?" Proto Man questioned the Russian human, puzzled by his reaction, but amused to be riling him up. Especially considering he had been little more than an emotionless husk the last few days. "It's not like we dumped them out in your literal neck of the woods," he then smirked. "Heh, maybe we should've, considering that the bears and tigers up there will make sure nothing is left behind."

Cossack was about to practically roar in Proto Man's face, completely dismissing the fact that he was a mere man and the other was a hardened, potentially killer machine. True, he hadn't heard of any incidents of the scarf-wearing robot taking a human's life, yet he didn't dare dismiss the possibility. Yet, before he could retort, the red and grey android went on.

"Then again, getting eaten would probably draw too much attention to the place, wouldn't it?"

Cossack paused. "...what place?"

"What other place would I be talking about? Your place, old man!"

It was then that Wily saw it, the other man's features froze in fear. Neither the German scientist nor his co-creation (albeit he did most of the work, not Light!) understood entirely why, yet the distinct reaction of utter dread that came to the younger scientist's face was unmistakable.

"Hm, you seem a little nervous. Have something you don't want us to see up there?" Proto man questioned. "Any illegal pets? Projects? Growing something the dear people of your government wouldn't be too happy about?"

Dr. Cossack parted his lips, seemingly desperate to conjure up some sort of response. Yet, after a few moments, it became clear that he could dig up nothing.

"Actually," Wily suddenly spoke up. "I'm somewhat curious about what goes on at your hidden little abode too," he told Cossack. "Maybe a certain little bird can give us some intel on what you're trying to keep us from discovering."

Present Time

Kalinka's Cell

"..and last time I checked, her favorite color is red," she sighed, speaking the last of Roll Light's favored and preferred things. Despite possessing no need for it, "Kalinka" found herself to be somewhat winded and in need of letting her vents take in some cool, Siberian air. Even if said air was somewhat stifled and trapped in a cave. "Need anything else?"

From behind the aged, rusted iron bars, the captive "daughter" of Mikhail Cossack sat upon the ragged mattress that served as her only source of reclining material, relaying every detail regarding Mega Man's little sister (only technically, no matter how many times he added "baby" in there) to one of her captors. Specifically, the Innuit-based Robot Master constructed to withstand sub-zero temperatures, now possessed a rather striking difference in demeanor compared to when they had last met.

"Oh, uh, for the time being, no Sir, er, Ma'am," Ice Man answered. He then gave a salute. "Thank you for your cooperation, soldier!" he paused. "...or…would you technically go by comrade?"

"Kalinka" raised a brow. "Ok, I've got to ask," she said, unable to keep her curiosity contained. "What happened to you?"

Ice Man tilted his head. "What do you mean, soldier? Er, comrade?"

"...just Kalinka will do, soldier."

"Oh, really?" the reprogrammed DLN responded meekly. "W-Well, if you say so, com-, Ma'a-oh, I-I mean, Kalinka," he bit his lip. "...Ma'am," he winced. "Sorry. A glitch in the system, I believe."

"You don't say?" The "human" answered. "Still, really, how in the name of Asimov himself are you even still here? After what happened with you and Wily trying to freeze everything, I thought he would've recycled you for sure!"

"Recycled? Oh no, Kalinka, Ma'am," Ice Man shook his head. "There wasn't a bolt left of me when Dr. Wily ordered me to hop into the trash compactor," he then took a moment to grimace. "Not an experience I'd prefer to go through again."

Now it was Roll's turn to be sick. "Uh, yeah, I've already had one close call with the one installed in the lab, so…" Still, a detail he had said gave her pause. "...how ARE you still here? Or, rather, how'd you even get considered for reconstruction?"

Ice Man shifted a bit in his place. "Well, truthfully, I'm not the only one that's recently come back."

Further Back in the Mine

She had a mission to fulfill, that had been cemented in her objective directory. She knew this and had come here knowing nothing was guaranteed. Her superiors and her government told her that her mission was simple yet ultimately dangerous, but she was set to accomplish it.

And she did not refuse, although whether she even could was unknown, even to her.

Natsenka Unit 095 was just that, a unit, one of many specialized security machines developed for the nation of Russia by Dr. Cossack, and, from what she had become aware of, more such as herself were being produced in other Slavic countries such as the Ukraine and Belarus. Of course, unlike the days of the Soviet Union, the separate lands surrounding what was once the Motherland had decided to construct their machines based on their standards. True, she remembered hearing from Cossack himself when she and 96 were being built that Russia wasn't too pleased with this answer, grumbling about how even after decades of collapse, the "Soviets" couldn't help but "put their fingers everywhere they didn't belong," and how perhaps "nothing had changed at all."

Even if her circuitry hadn't entirely been put in as of yet, the Natsenka Units worked on in pairs of two, 95 couldn't help but detect a distinct hint of bitterness in the human's voice. That, as well as a good degree of experience. She recalled it distinctly, although she wasn't entirely sure why.

It was the first time she had seen such…intensity from a human. From a living thing.

Something she was, according to her status reading "currently active," yet it was not long after she was activated and given a number that she found such a thing only applied in name and name alone.

…so, even if she failed this mission, then there would be others who could take her place.

That, she could deal with. Yet, regarding Mega Man's sister, the red-haired agent found herself more…conflicted.

…but it couldn't be helped.

Her directive was to locate Kalinka Cossack and bring her to safety. Anything else was deemed unnecessary. And while Unit 95 found she could apply this way of thinking to most things, Mega Man's sister had left a considerable impression. One she wasn't entirely sure she could shake, programming or not.

Amid her musing, however, she caught sight of a large, strangely shaped shadow trailing along the wall, immediately drawing Natsenka's attention to whatever was behind her, only to see nothing when she whirled around.

Wasting no time, she ducked into a nearby corner, drawing her plasma pistol as her darkened eyes spotted the bizarre form inch itself closer and closer, the Slavic-born Unit unable to discern just what she was looking at. Was it some twisted new creation of Wily that he had thrown down here?

Whatever the case, she charged her weapon, ready to fire at the appropriate time.

Natsenka waited until the shape drew closer, yard becoming feet and feet becoming inches, (or, in her case, the metric system) optics peeled to see the towering form had come but mere centimeters away from her hiding place in the wall.

Kalinka's Cell

"Wait…so, you and several others were destroyed?!" the supposedly Russian "human" exclaimed, momentarily losing her accent for a moment, giving Ice Man pause. Thankfully, "Kalinka" rectified this, quickly regaining her distinct pattern of speech. "I mean, well, I can't say I'm entirely surprised, seeing as this is Wily we're talking about," she said, crossing her arms. "Someone that's clearly shown little to no care for anyone or anything other than himself," she then paused. "And maybe Proto Man…but, who knows what their relationship is, if it's even genuine at all," she then noticed Ice Man studying her with intrigue and perhaps a small hint of suspicion. Redirecting herself back on topic, "Kalinka" continued the conversation. "But still, some of you guys were the most dangerous Mega Man has ever faced!" she went on. "I mean, yeah, I wouldn't have thought you would've up and betrayed Wily, or at least thought to do it, but still, you gave us a bit of trouble back then!"

"Indeed, I suppose I did," Ice Man responded with pride, puffing out his chest somewhat. "My prowess and specialized abilities proved to be quite beneficial in the Doctor's ambitions," he answered. Then, as if something had quite literally snapped in his head, Ice Man's large optics went blue and displayed a continuous feed of the word "ERROR" scrolling across the thick glass of his sizable oval eyes. "Ooh! Oh, um, pardon that, Ma'am, Miss," he told the captive "human" in the cell. "It seems there are still some aftereffects from the…fine-tuning, soldier."

"Kalinka" bit back the urge to correct the Robot Master, more or less somewhat unsettled by the sight of the former DLN. This is getting weird. She thought but went on. "What sort of fine-tuning?" the "Russian" questioned.

"The insertion and general updates given to our CPUs and processing chips," Ice Man answered. "Although," he then noted. "How were you aware of what led to my eventual reprogramming?"

"Kalinka's" eyes widened, shifting for a moment to try and conjure up an answer. "Uh…Roll told me while she was in here," the "human" answered. "Yeah, we…uh…we talked a little before she went up."

Ice Man pondered his hostage's reply for a moment, considering each word carefully. "Plausible," he said aloud, tapping his chin. "Still, rather specific detail. Has Cossack's daughter ever seen me before?"

"She saw you while she was here, wasn't she?"

The Robot Master considered this statement.

"And, even more, just what did Dr. Wily do to your circuitry? Anyone with eyes can at least see that the you now versus the you from then are completely different!" the "human" observed openly. "And even if Roll did tell me about when you and Wily tried to freeze everything, your personality now isn't exactly like those the old guy tends to keep close to him," she said. "Especially that of Proto Man."

Ice Man tilted his head curiously. "You're rather curious considering you've never seen me or any of the other robots here," he said, then he paused. "No, that's not entirely true. Dr. Cossack's original machines, you would've known them, save for Skull Man."

"Uh, yeah, that guy…" the "human" said. "Don't think I know him."

"He's new. Quite literally," Ice Man shuddered, ironically enough. "But he's a little…peculiar, Soldier. Er, Ma'am!"

"...you know what, I'm fine with whatever by this point," "Kalinka" stated with a roll of her eyes. "But still, I always thought Wily just up and…well, trashed you guys once he got tired of you," she bit her lip, realizing just how grim the very thought was. "And while I can understand him realizing he might need someone like Bright Man or even Cut Man," she then shrugged. "I…still don't entirely understand how you're back, of all bots."

"Oh, there's much that's changed since then, Soldier, Ma'am, Miss," the Inuit-based Robot Master responded. "For one, my loyalty centers are tuned up to the max, making any potential betrayal impossible," he said. "Besides, even if I did somehow betray Dr. Wily, I could only go so far. We are, after all, machines."

"Kalinka" was about to nod but stopped herself. Did he…?

Then, the other android's optics glitched out again, static filling his mind until he was able to find his thoughts yet again. "Oh, wait, forgive me, Soldier, you're not a robot," Ice Man said as if seemingly just realizing this fact. "I momentarily forgot you were human for a moment."

"Uh, y-yeah, I look like Kalinka Cossack, right? That should be enough confirmation!" "Kalinka" insisted, as if trying to assure her captor of her own identity. "But, as I was saying," she then tried to redirect the ongoing conversation yet again. "How did you come back?" she repeated. "Did the ice maker break and Wily was just desperate for something cold?"

Ice Man just stared at her. "...did you happen to read the files detailing my reformatting?"

"N-No, just a guess," the blonde "human" assured him. "I mean…you ARE meant to freeze stuff, after all, right?"

Ice Man thought on this. "...true. And, according to my memory banks, you're right."

Wow, she didn't think the reason she proposed would've been the real one. Still, all the same, it didn't answer her question. "Still, there has to be more to that, seeing as Wily's kinda notorious for taking a bruised ego oh-so-well."

Ice Man went quiet again. "Dr. Cossack had suggested that he reformat many of those Wily had previously scrapped," he admitted. "Yet, my programming dictates that I be honest and relay that, while your father proposed the idea, he was not the one to ultimately convince Wily."

"Kalinka" was somewhat taken aback by this. "Then…who was?"

Further Back in the Mine

Now!

Wasting no time, Natsenka Unit 95 (or was it just Natsenka, as Roll had called her? She was unsure) leaped out and thrust the cannon of her plasma pistol directly in between the eyes of the figure that was following her.

"Eep!"

Only to find herself pointing a pistol at the forehead of a rather startled blue robot bird that jolted from its place atop a green energy dispenser. Who was sitting atop a medium-sized robotic canine, who was also started by the Russian agent's sudden appearance. The bird flew upward and hit his head on the rocky ceiling, the energy dispenser tumbled forward and was powerless to stop himself due to his lack of arms, and, finally, the line of falling dominoes was complete when the red dog found the other green robot's dome falling atop of and smacking right into the center of his helmet with an audible CLANG!

In the span of a few short seconds, all three were lying on the ground in a dazed, slightly damaged heap, yet were nonetheless functional.

Natsenka Unit 95 could only look down in confusion and growing embarrassment, realizing that she had gotten worked up over what was essentially nothing.

Soon, Eddie regained his senses as his optics stopped spinning, his image scanner steadily piecing together the visage of a red-haired, sightly tanned woman before his far smaller form. "Ah! Nice Lady in Spandex!"

Unit 95's dark eyes widened, stumbling back a bit. If she could, her cheeks would've possibly been as red as her hair and lips, perhaps even more so. "Technically it's a flexible bullet-proof fabric, but close enough," she muttered, trying to shield her embarrassed face.

The dog was the next to rise, Beat still trying to gather his bearings. The robotic canine glanced up at Unit 95 with curious blue optics, the striking color, and hue indicating that, despite his outward appearance, he possessed reasonable intelligence for a machine of his caliber.

"Rhm?" the dog lifted his ears, his puzzled growl sounding oddly human (or at least more of an imitation of an animal) as he went up to the red-haired agent, lightly examining her with his hyper-sensitive, radiation-detecting nasal passages and sensors that felt for strange readings in her circuitry. Although, given the sound of his voice, Natsenka herself assumed that the dog was the one with a few srcews loose. "Rou ron't rell rike randex."

The agent paled. "Rou ron't…what?"

"Oh hey, it's you!" Beat spoke up, fluttering over to sit atop Rush's head, much to the dog's annoyance. "Sorry for losing you back there, I was caught up with that stupid crow."

"Rrow?" Rush questioned, Natsenka too wondering just what Beat was speaking of, if not due to the fact she couldn't understand the dog in the slightest. Seriously, how did Mega Man work with this animal?

"That lousy bird Wily put together," Beat informed the canine. "Reggae, I think he called himself," he then scoffed. "Stupid name, I say."

Natsenka was about to speak, yet Eddie's voice cut her off. "Great luck we find you, lady!" the smaller, armless android chirped happily. "Now we can go save Roll and Kalinka together!"

"Wh-What?" Unit 95 questioned, yet got no chance to continue, the others joining in with Eddie.

"Rut?!" Rush cried out in shock, turning to face Eddie. "Roll rot raptured?!"

"Unfortunately, it seems," Beat added, still using the dog as a perch. "I didn't hear much, but I heard Reggae squawking about something Wily contacted him about regarding a new prisoner," he hissed. "Cowardly feather-brain flew off before I could give a good ol' Beat Attack right to his stupid steel skull!"

"Reat Rattack?" Rush questioned.

"Yeah, it's my specialty!" Beat proclaimed with pride, puffing out his already large round chest. "Dr. Cossack programmed it into my hard drive specifically for that purpose!" he boasted before tapping his helmet with his left wing. "Not to mention he re-enforced my dome just to be able to handle it!" he then began thrusting his wings out and punching rapidly as if boxing, feathers at the end of his wings curled into makeshift fists. "Oh yeah, just wait until that stupid blackbird comes around again! I'm gonna be giving him the Sweet Beat Retreat!"

"Sweet Beat Retreat?" Eddie asked although he and the others were unaware of Unit 95's dwindling patience.

"Yeah, I'm gonna start with a Sweet Beat," the bird explained, throwing a few punches. "And then, I'm gonna hit him with a hook so hard that he's gonna have no choice but to retreat-"

"Enough!"

The robotic canine, avian, and energy dispenser ceased their talking, all drawn to the Russian agent with wide, bewildered eyes.

"Look, while I'm…glad you are safe," Natsenka stated, simmering down a little. "You can't come with me."

All three of the smaller robots didn't entirely understand. "Wh-What?" Beat stammered, wondering if he had heard right.

Unit 95 steeled her gaze and tried to appear strong, despite how her lower lip began to lightly tremble. "...my mission requires that I bring only Kalinka to safety," she said, although her tone was far from indicating she enjoyed what tumbled from her lips. "...I cannot make time to look for Roll."

Two Months Prior

"Hmm, interesting," Wily mused, looking over the footage captured from his newest creation, as well as a particular figure he didn't expect to see. "And here I thought you lived alone."

After the incident at the amusement park and the debacle regarding the mass brainwashing of humans into robots, the German scientist and Proto had to lay low for a while, only happening upon Cossack returning to Russia by pure happenstance. Indeed, after such a crippling and humiliating defeat (yet again), this stroke of good fortune (well, for him at least) was just what the aging scientist needed to begin his next project.

However, that also meant getting his newest hostage to start cooperating with him.

Honestly, while he would never admit it openly, especially in front of the likes of Proto Man, Dr. Albert Hans Wily was beginning to run out of options on just how to get Dr. Cossack to work with him. Well, conspire was a better term, as the Russian man spat back at the German himself, yet all the same, Wily's desires and intentions were made clear.

And yet, Cossack didn't seem to care.

Indeed, this man appeared to be afraid of nothing. No threat of harm or torture, or even having his mustache and beard shaved made him consider Wily's offer, Cossack outright refusing to assist him in any way. Wily didn't entirely understand, but, while perhaps there was some instinctual fear for his self-preservation buried deep within, the Russian scientist put on quite the poker face. It seemed he was completely unafraid of even the potential of something terrible happening.

Thankfully, just when he had begun to lose his patience, Cut Man alerted him that their little "sky spy" had caught something. Something that was, in the Robot Master's words, "sharp" for a featherbrain like the old man's newest creation.

"Well, do you hear that, Cossack?" Wily questioned. "Sounds like you've been keeping secrets from us."

The spectacle-wearing scientist lifted his head, rising from the single chair in the small room that served as his temporary living quarters. "If you're here with another threat, then I'll tell you I'm becoming a little bored of-"

"You didn't tell us about the little woman you have at home."

Wily smirked upon seeing the younger man's defiant, green eyes freeze over as if he had been touched by the tundra of his homeland. Finally, the madman had him.

"Kalinka," Wily mused aloud, rubbing his chin in thought as he then gazed down at the small picture that Cossack had finally surrendered to him, then at the still shot Reggae had captured on the monitor. "It looks somewhat like her, but…" he trailed off, mentally noting both the similarities and differences between the photograph and shot, steadily putting the pieces together from what he could see before him and the slew of information Cossack began sputtering out.

The second this enigmatic "Kalinka" entered the picture, the Russian's demeanor changed completely, much to Wily's pleasure. At last, he had leverage to use against the defiant younger scientist, although this also meant he had to put together another plan on the side to complement the main goal of using Cossack's skills to finally squash Mega Man. That part would be easy, the real challenge lay in getting to and acquiring his only child.

Granted, it was perhaps a good thing Proto Man had insisted on speaking to him when he did, all things considered, as the robot's persistence served to eventually lead to this discovery. Although, his proposal caught him off guard when he first heard it.

He wondered if his right-hand bot had a bolt or two come undone up in his dome.

Present

Kalinka's Cell

"And you know all of these specific details how?" the "human" questioned with a raised brow. While she didn't exactly consider Ice Man a liar (she wasn't even sure if he was capable of such a thing now), his retelling of what had supposedly occurred still felt off.

"Dr. Wily uploaded the recorded footage into my memory banks, Kalinka, Ma'am," the Robot Master responded. "Even if they're low quality, he's got cameras set up in every one of his hideouts, no matter how small."

"Kalinka" rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that sounds like something the old coot would do," she muttered. "Still," she continued. "That doesn't exactly explain how you're back, along with some of the others you've said have been restored."

"Ah yes, well, that would be Proto Man's doing," Ice Man informed the captive "daughter" of Dr. Cossack. "He proposed the idea to Wily that it would be more beneficial to him if he had more machines around for various duties instead of just handing them to the select few bots standing around. For example, Fire Man's recently been assigned as the residential generator or heater whenever we need-"

"Yeah, I got that. I mean WHY did Wily decide to bring you back? Better yet, how did he reprogram all of you anyway in such a short time?"

Ice Man glitched out again for a few moments upon pondering her question. "Ah, yes, well…there's that too," he confessed.

"What do you mean?" the blonde "human" openly wondered.

"Before now, he never really made any protest about our…disposal," the blue-coated machine admitted.

"Kalinka" rolled her eyes. "Doesn't surprise me in the slightest," she scoffed. "He'd probably want Wily's attention all to himself when he can't get Mega to play into one of his games."

"On the contrary, it's probably to lighten his workload," Ice Man answered. "B-But, that's just a theory, Miss, Ma'am.

"Workload?" The blonde "Russian" questioned with a cross of her arms. Then, she scoffed. "Ha! The jerk just used your all as a way to get out of doing chores?!"

"According to him," Ice Man answered. "Although, there are those that have been around for nearly as long as him that have their doubts that's the only reason."

"Well, whatever they are, it's not my concern," the "Russian" huffed. "Still, I'm surprised that he brought it up."

Ice Man glitched out for a second.

"Ah! Oooh, you ok there?" the "human" inquired, concern genuine.

"Y-Yeah," Ice Man responded. "Pardon, but where was I, soldier?"

"Kalinka" didn't bother correcting him this time. "Proto being the one to bring this up is surprising."

The thick-coated Robot Master tilted his head curiously. "How so? If I may ask, Miss."

"Well, given how obsessed he is with defeating Mega, I would assume that he only saw you and everyone else as competition."

Ice Man, despite his title, appeared as if a deathly cold chill had begun to crawl its way up his metallic spine. "Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't see us as anything," the Robot Master confessed. "However," he then paused.

"Kalinka" raised a brow. "What?"

Ice Man stalled in answering her, yet ultimately loosened his lips. If not just out of obligation due to his captive's status as a human. "No one's gotten a true answer out of him as to why. And, when asked, he immediately tries to change the subject," his optics turned to the side, looking over into the darkness. "It's as if he's afraid to say it."

Observation Chamber

Finally, she was in!

Entering through the open door, albeit one she had to push aside, a task that took a considerable amount of effort to do, "Roll" looked on at the multiple screens before her, eyeing each of them. Eight screens for eight robots, and before her she saw the damaged remains of her father's machines.

Her friends.

...

She had to do something.

She was the only one who could do something.

At least, the only one in her current position at this very moment.

Still, even with the desire to do something, no, the drive, the need, the duty to do something, just what would that be?

Indeed, as of now, "Roll" was beginning to doubt if the Blue Bomber would even be in one piece by the time Proto Man reached him, which was another problem altogether! She couldn't just stand here, she had to make some sort of effort, an attempt at least to try and divert the direction of this whole situation into finally maybe going in everyone else's favor aside from Wily's.

But what?

Chapter Text

Two Months Prior

"Well, since you're my only company at the moment, I suppose I should ask," Dr. Cossack began, furrowing his eyes at the red and grey machine residing in the room with him. "How did you even discover my home?"

Proto Man cocked a brow from underneath his helmet. "That's it? That's what's at the forefront of your mind?" he questioned the Russian human seated in a chair, arms tied behind his back. "You've basically had your machines stolen from us once already and become part of Wily's forces, and you're more concerned about how we found out where you even live?"

Cossack glanced up. "At the moment, what's currently at the forefront of my mind isn't my own wellbeing," he said. "But someone like you wouldn't know about that, would you?"

The red and grey machine crossed his arms. "Nothing wrong with having a sense of self-preservation," he remarked. "Although given you're so concerned about whatever is in that house, I'm surprised you seemingly haven't given your robots a second thought," he said. "After all, aren't you supposed to be one of those guys that actually like your machines?"

Dr. Cossack was silent for a few moments. "...the grieving for them began after you stole them the first time," he said. "I have accepted their fate. It's something you must do to continue through life," he then went quiet, muttering the last part under his breath. "Still, if you had to do it, could you not have waited until her mother's death had been a less recent event?"

"You say something, Doc?" Proto Man questioned, then chuckled. "Heh, guess I got to call you something else, seeing as Wily's not the only 'Doc' here at the moment."

Dr. Cossack said nothing, only turning his head away in disgust.

"Look," Proto Man began again, circling around the bound scientist. "Wily sent me in here to get answers, and he sent me in here to get answers from you because, well, he wants to give you a chance before he finds out for himself just what you're hiding up in that little mansion of yours out in the woods."

The bearded Russian raised a brow and gazed inquisitively at the red and grey Robot Master. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the thing is, my bro's kinda messed things up for the Doc again," Proto Man explained, yet then stopped for a quick moment. "Oh, by Doc, I mean Wily, just so you know," he clarified. "Anyway, let's just say, he's not exactly in the best of moods right now, and, well, let's just say that, when he's like this, something usually gets broken," he then sneered. "Or someone."

"Like you?" Cossack shot back, Proto's grin vanishing in that instant, replaced by a scowl. "And it's as I've already told him, the land that is technically my home has taken more from me than any man or machine ever could," he told the robot plainly. "Your hollow threats mean nothing to me."

Proto Man huffed. "Whatever," he scoffed. "You may be hailed as one of the world's most brilliant minds, but you've got to be pretty dense if you don't realize that this is the chance you could get your machines back."

"They are not my machines anymore," Cossack answered. "Besides, even if I were to reprogram them to their former selves, it would do no good, the world would not accept them," he narrowed his brows. "The work of your creator has seen to their return never being a possibility."

"Then why not use them to work with the Doc?" Proto Man suggested, completely brushing off the Russian's observation regarding his creations being let out into the world again. As if it touched on a subject the robot himself didn't exactly wish to acknowledge. "From the way I see it, despite being a hostage now, it doesn't have to stay that way," he said. "You could use your machines to finally make the jerks that made your life miserable pay!" he declared, pounding his fist into an open palm for emphasis.

Still, Cossack appeared unaffected.

This was getting frustrating. True, Proto Man didn't exactly trust that this guy would go with whatever insanity Wily had planned this time (whatever it was, he honestly didn't care, just as long as he got a chance to tangle with his brother), but he was technically given a task to fulfill. And, quite frankly, while he wasn't one for following rules, he wasn't exactly in the mood to be on the receiving end of his co-creator's fits.

Especially given both the robot clones of electoral candidates and Fun World were a bust.

"I always wanted a real brother relationship…"

"...you do?"

It was then that the red and grey machine noticed Cossack studying him. "What?" he questioned, the snark formerly present in his tone completely gone.

"You appeared lost there for a moment," the scientist noted. "Something on your mind?" his green eyes grew into slits. "Someone, perhaps?"

Proto Man swiftly turned his head. "None of your business, old man." he hissed.

"That's funny, considering your creator is decades older than I," Cossack answered back without any perceived offense. "Although, it seems that your years of existence have given you no sort of developmental growth."

This struck a nerve with the red and grey machine, he in turn whirling around to face Cossack. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you speak of how I would benefit from extending my services to Wily, yet there's nothing on your end of just how it's going to benefit you."

Proto Man was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Consider it," Cossack continued. "I have the opportunity to rebuild my Robot Masters, the ones that you and Wily stole from us-" he stopped himself. "From me and my beloved Annie Frid."

"Annie Frid?" Proto asked. "Isn't she from ABBA?"

The Russian shrugged. "Sweden is a nation known for many things, a pop group just being one of them," he said. "Yet, regarding what I was saying, the machines that I built, the ones stolen, they're all gone now, right?"

The red and grey Robot Master paused. "...yeah? And?"

"Think of it," Cossack went on. "They're all gone, presumably scrapped, yes? Some of Wily's more useful troops, right?" he then centered his gaze on Proto. "So, what's to say the same won't eventually happen to you?"

Present

"Psh! What does he know?" Proto Man hissed as he went along, continuing his way through the secret corridors that ran throughout the entire fortress, taking a few seconds to look at the map installed in his CPU to get an idea of where he was. "Ok, so Bones' turf is this way," he said aloud, tracking both Skull and Mega Man's signatures as he ran toward his destination. "Bro, you better not let yourself get pounded by some bot going through an edgy goth phase," he snarled to himself. "That's MY job!"

Two Months Prior

It took a few moments for him to process just what had been said, yet the stunned stupor didn't last long, the red and gray machine scoffing at the human's words. "Yeah, right," he snorted. "That'll never happen."

Cossack raised a brow. "And how are you so sure?"

Proto Man huffed. "Oh please," he retorted. "Wily helped out with the guidance system installed in my head here, so there's no way he'd damage what he essentially considers his greatest creation!" he proclaimed, gesturing to his dome.

Cossack did not appear impressed. "He considers a disobedient, defiant, and overall undisciplined and ill-mannered delinquent the pinnacle of his scientific achievement?"

The Robot Master's pride was struck, somewhat taken aback by the human's brazenness, yet it didn't take long for the context of his words to set in. "Hey, I take pride in that!" Proto Man retorted. "In fact, I'd say those aren't even my best features." he puffed out his chest.

"Wouldn't that be worst?" Cossack questioned, once again catching Proto off guard. Yet, instead of giving him a chance to respond, he continued. "Then again, given your general behavior, it'd be fitting that you'd see your situation from a childlike perspective."

The android snarled, any shock occurring this time not lasting long. "Are you calling me dumb, old man?!"

"I'm pointing out your lack of perception, yes, if that's what you mean," the Russian scientist answered. "You seem to look at things as if Wily is your caregiver," he said. "Your parent, in a sense."

Proto Man grew puzzled. "Well…he kinda is, isn't he?" he questioned rhetorically. Quite frankly, he'd be more than happy to gag Cossack at any moment. "I mean, he's far more of a parent than Light ever was," he said. "At least he wasn't going to open my head and screw around with what's inside."

"Hasn't he already threatened you with that several times?" The Russian scientist questioned him. "In fact, didn't he say he'd intentionally cross your wiring if you couldn't get me to cooperate with you all?"

"He's bluffing," Proto Man scoffed. "It's one of his usual threats, but he'll never go through with it."

"And you know this how?"

"Because I'm not the source of his grief, my bro is," the red and grey Robot Master responded. "I'm one of the Doc's few reliable sources of assistance he's got."

"For now," Cossack stated. "Again, you seem to have this misconception that Light would be the one to change you and not the madman you currently reside with."

"Light was the one that was going to reprogram the guidance system installed in me!" Proto retorted. "Or, what was me, at least," he clarified. "I wasn't as tall when I first started out," he then examined himself with a smirk. "Wily saw fit to add the more chiseled parts."

"And what? The scarf was your idea?" Cossack rolled his eyes.

"Why yes, it was actually," Proto Man declared with pride. "Light never lets Mega wear something around his neck."

"Have you ever considered it's simply because he doesn't want to?" the human pondered aloud. "And your guidance system clearly has a flaw in the way it processes basic concepts! Perhaps Light tinkering with it would do you some good!"

The scarf-wearing robot brushed the other man's remarks off. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, let alone the worst. "Either way, no one is getting into my head," he said, his hand then coming to rest on his chest, directly above his core. "No one is getting into any part of me."

"You can't guarantee that," Cossack warned. "If Pharaoh and Ring Man were deemed worthy of being scrapped, then what saves you from the same eventual fate?"

Proto Man was about to retort, yet was cut off by a familiar voice coming over the intercom. "Proto," the German-accented, clearly frustrated scientist began. "Would you mind coming to the control room?" the robot didn't even get a chance to either question why or to say yes or no. "Now."

Present

He stopped in his tracks, pondering, for the first time he set off on his quest to meet his brother, what exactly he was doing.

In a sense, that was a simple question: he was doing what he was almost always doing, trying to trounce his baby blue goody-two-shoes bro and maybe perhaps convince him to come on over to join his side.

Yet, at that moment, the intrusive thoughts and memories regarding his talk with Cossack and what led to Wily's arsenal being nearly empty to almost full again in the span of a few months began to make him question a few things.

And, quite frankly, he didn't particularly care for it.

He was so close now, Skull Man's chamber was just a short distance away! He could slip in and go in from there! What was he afraid of?!

…what indeed?

Two Months Prior

Geez, just what the heck did that balding old coot want now?!

"Yeah, yeah, what is it-" Proto Man began, only to find a wrench being thrown in his direction, the robot just barely dodging the incoming projectile. "Whoa!" he then looked at the elderly man who had just displayed some surprising strength. "Just what in the name of Isaac Asimov was that-"

"Shhh!" Wily hissed, cutting the android off entirely. "I'm trying to see what our newest little friend is trying to get a view in on."

Proto Man slowly approached the monitors and saw that Reggae was perched on a tree branch, having caught sight of someone at the window. But they went off, and now the bird was trying to relocate the figure occupying the house.

Reggae…he didn't know why, but the musical theming of his name seemed to fit with the rest of his world, Proto Man thought.

"So, who did he get a view of?" Proto Man questioned Wily. "Wife? Kid? Some friend?" he listed off the options, as sometimes the more obscure people in their hostage's lives had to become useful.

"That has yet to be seen," the old German confessed. "Yet, Reggae's caught sight of someone, so Cossack isn't living alone."

"Well, who could it be?" the red and grey machine inquired. "I thought he said his wife died."

"She did," Wily answered. "Which is why you're going to update him with this news and perhaps we'll be able to finally get an answer."

Proto Man shrugged. "Yeah, don't know if you'd be successful in that, Doc," he said. "He hasn't said a peep since we caught him back up in the Swiss Alps, and I doubt you'll be getting anything out of him now."

"Oh, I'm not going to get anything out of him," Dr. Wily clarified, turning to face his co-creation. "You are."

Proto Man raised a brow from underneath his visor. "Uh, didn't you just hear me? I said-"

"I heard," the human interrupted. "But it seems you didn't hear me," he said. "I am tasking you with getting answers out of Cossack," Wily informed the robot. "And, unless you want your entire cerebral chamber rearranged into that of a washing machine, you'll take this assignment given to you."

Present

He didn't believe him at first. And, frankly, even now, he still didn't entirely believe him. Threatening to reprogram his systems was an act Wily hung over Proto Man's head any time the machine got underneath the human's skin, yet that particular incident seemed to stick with him. Whether it be due to Cossack's own words, his protests, or how Wily seemed to be, at that exact moment, proving everything that the Russian had said would happen, the former DLN couldn't entirely say.

Whatever it was, however, he found himself feeling rather self-preserving in that moment, although he wouldn't go as far as to say afraid. No, he could never be afraid of Wily. Not ever.

…no, of course not.

Two Months Prior

Upon hearing the door open, Dr. Cossack's green eyes turned upward to see Proto Man had re-entered the room. Only, while his face was somewhat obscured by his visor, he didn't appear as cocky or sure of himself as before. "Back so soon?" he questioned.

"We know you're lying about living alone, Cossack," Proto Man didn't even bother with presenting a confident facade, getting right down to business. "Our newest little sky spy just caught sight of someone in the windows."

It was for a mere second, yet the robot saw the human's features become grim, blood surely turning into ice. Just where he was needed.

"...surely you could assume that I have help keeping up the place while I'm gone," the Russian scientist replied, trying to dispel the theory that was clearly developing in Proto's head. "Haven't you heard of butler bots?"

"Or maid droids?" the red and grey Robot Master retorted back. "Last time I checked, unless they're high quality, robots don't have that high of quality of hair," he said. "Unless they're like my sis, but hair is a difficult feature to include for a machine."

"There's the existence of wigs, you know," Dr. Cossack suggested. "And, besides, how do you know that this person you saw even lives with me? They could be an intruder for all I know."

"An intruder that has reportedly knows their way around as if they've lived there all their life?" Proto inquired. "Who are they, Doc?" he interrogated the human.

Cossack was silent for a few moments. "...and if I refuse to tell?"

The red and grey android grinned, the ball finally back in his court. "Then I'll go pay them a visit myself," he told the bound scientist. "And, contrary to whatever you might think, I'm probably the last bot you want going to your place."

Present

As to what that meant exactly, Proto then went into how he wasn't like the others in Wily's arsenal in that, unlike them, he possessed no automatic ties to the Three Laws obeyed and embedded in all robotics. Even Ice Man, with his previous betrayal, could not eventually bring himself to terminate the human himself, having planned to simply imprison him in a little igloo prison he planned to craft by hand.

In the end, Proto wasn't like them in the sense that, technically, should he have wanted, he could indeed do whatever he wanted with Wily.

Anything.

Still, even with this present freedom compared to the rest of his comrades, Proto Man himself saw no point in terminating Wily himself, let alone Cossack's child when he found out about her. True, the threat was useful to get the scientist to comply with them, finally, yet the truth was, even after all the years he had been in this game with Light, with his brother, he found that he had never gone further past threatening the lives of humans.

No human themselves had actually perished by his hand.

Of course, Cossack didn't need to know that, let alone that Proto wouldn't do it if his brat became too much to handle. That got him actually pleading with the robot. Seeing as he was now the one in control, the red android saw fit to wrench every piece of usual information from the Russian to deliver to Wily.

Fitting, considering that, just as Cossack had finished telling him everything, the German had called him again.

Two Month's Prior

"Daughter, eh?" Wily asked, clearly intrigued by this brand of news.

"Yeah, apparently," Proto Man reported. "He didn't say the age, but from the other snapshot our Reggae was able to get," he glanced at the information sent to them via the black bird's camera system, presenting a portrait of a younger Cossack with a blonde woman and a younger blonde girl. "I'd say that she's our ticket in."

"Yes, this will do nicely," Wily observed, the wheels in his head turning as he viewed the shots. "Relatives are almost always guaranteed to get some form of compliance." It was then that the old man saw his robot's features fall, an unusual sight for him. "What's going on with you, Proto?" he questioned, seeming to surprise the machine that the human even noticed. "Something on your mind?"

"Oh, uh, well…" the red and grey Robot Master stammered, feeling a little put on spot at the moment. "Sort of, I guess you could say," he admitted. "Or, rather," he said. "It's something I remember Cossack saying he'd do as long as we don't hurt his kid?"

The balding German raised a brow. "And that would be?"

As quickly as his uncertainty was present, it was quickly concealed again with a knowing smile. "Oh, he said he'll take care of all the hard construction stuff," he said, knowing Wily wouldn't be able to refuse. "But, since he's now willing to work with us, he's got a proposal put out for you."

Present

At least, he initially believed that Wily would take the offer.

Yet, to his surprise, as well as dismay, the old man outright said no.

Indeed, when he first proposed Dr. Cossack's supposed "bargain" with them to prevent anything from happening to Kalinka, Proto Man added that he would be willing to tune up the other Robot Masters' control chips, seeing as that was the one thing Wily was almost always guaranteed to keep, even after a machine had been reduced to tin foil.

Although, given what it would lead to, perhaps, in retrospect, Proto Man had already pushed his luck by even mentioning it. Especially given what occurred when the subject of bringing all the Robot Masters that had been destroyed back.

Two Months Prior

"You're up to something, aren't you?"

Proto Man's eyes widened from beneath his visor, unsure of just what Wily was saying. "I…don't think I'm catching you, Doc."

"Don't play dumb with me," the German growled. "You're planning something for them all, aren't you?"

The red and grey machine shook his head. "What? No! What would I even-"

"You and Cossack, you worked something out, haven't you?" Wily continued. "You think his child is someone you can use to force Mega Man to fight you, or maybe you want her for yourself!"

"Wait…what?! No! I don't even know how old she is!" Proto protested. "Plus, she's a human! She's gonna get all old, like you!"

"Then Cossack has worked out a deal with you so that he really can surpass Dr. Light before I can!" the human declared with an accusing tone. "And, with the Robot Masters by your side in an army, you can simply leave me on my own and go destroy Mega Man yourself!"

The android shook his head, trying to dissuade the old man's accusations. "Doc, you're crazy! What gain would I have in-"

"Don't lie to me!" Wily bellowed. "You've been planning this for some time, haven't you?! Planning to get rid of me, or at least ditch me for your own way! I know how you operate, boy! I LITERALLY made you!"

"Now wait just a minute-"

"Dr. Wily?"

The door opened to reveal the last three machines left aside from himself, Cut, Guts, and Elec Man all witnessing the seemingly frenzied old man about to try and throttle Proto Man via strangulation. Although, given the other possessed no lungs, all three wondered just what good would that even do.

Present

He would never dare admit it aloud, yet Proto Man had never been more thankful for their intrusion, specifically those two dolts.

Apparently, Cut and Guts Man had heard the commotion while Cossack somehow managed to gain Elec Man's attention and request that he tell Wily of the Russian's offer for the safety of his child. While the electricity-wielding Robot Master had yet to receive his "newer" personality in regards to programming, his retelling of Cossack's proposal probably saved Proto's skin, so to speak, as it actually got Wily to listen.

True, he gave the red and grey machine the side eye for a little bit after that, but still, everything eventually worked out. So everything was fine, right?

…then why was he still getting that feeling that he was forgetting something? Something that could perhaps completely screw things up for later?

…

Well, whatever. Too late to turn back now. And no stupid skull-brain was going to rob him of his chance to face his brother!

Besides, even if his sis was able to somehow get in, what could she do? She'd let herself get caught instantly!

Everything was fine!

…just fine.

Chapter Text

“You know,” the blue android wheezed, dodging yet another blow sent in his direction by his opponent. “For a guy made out of bones, you’re holding up rather well!” Despite his lack of lungs, he was beginning to feel a little heated and winded, the Robot Master before him still continuing to give him trouble.

Aside from his Skull Barrier, there wasn’t too much Mega Man himself would consider special about Dr. Cossack’s supposed newest creation, yet apparently, the Russian scientist had decided to go bare bones in apparel in order to implement endurance and a rather sharp sense of precision.

Indeed, there was no way this guy was programmed by Wily, something that gave the Blue Bomber pause. Yet, still, even if this particular robot was of Dr. Cossack, something about all of this just still didn’t feel entirely right. 

WHACK!!!

Just when he believed the other to be drawing out his own buster, Mega Man drew out his own weapon, yet found himself overwhelmed with a flurry of screaming skulls dosed in flames flying right for him, their intense vapor and smoke allowing his adversary to come in with a right-wing hook, sending the Blue Bomber off his feet and flying to the side, bouncing off the floor for a brief few moments until he came to a stop. He began to try and rise, yet a boot placed on his chest prevented him from rising. 

“And you would hold up better if you kept that tongue of yours from going wild,” Skull Man mentioned, glancing down at Mega Man with piercing red optics. “But I suppose quips are a natural part of your programming to fit the hero motif?”

“I actually happen to like them, thank you very much,” the Blue Bomber retorted. “But I acknowledge not everyone is a fan.”

Skull Man narrowed his eyes. “You know,” he began. “I thought you the more disciplined of the two,” he said. “Yet you’re just as foolhardy and reckless as your elder sibling.”

Mega Man, despite the pressure being applied to his chest, glanced up at his aggressor. “Y-You know Proto Man?”

Skull Man huffed. “Only in passing,” he answered. “And I speak of him because I wish to,” he clarified. “Despite your opposing views and sides, you two could serve was rather stark reflections of each other.”

The azure android appeared to wrinkle his nose upon hearing this. “Yeah, even if there are some physical likenesses, I prefer to not emulate him, thanks.”

“You don’t think highly of him then?” the Robot Master questioned. 

“That’s putting it mildly,” Mega Man answered. “It’s like I said in one of our more recent bouts,” he then paused. “He’s bad to the bone.”

Regardless of how the phrase itself perhaps applied to himself, Skull Man paid it no mind, continuing with his inquiry. “And yet, he’s your brother, yes?” he asked.

Mega Man didn’t respond this time.

“Hm. Well, regardless,” Skull Man continued, his opponent wincing in pain as he continued to apply greater force to the Blue Bomber’s chest plates. “Unfortunately, for you, he has no part in any of this.”

“...not initially.”

Wait, that voice…it couldn’t be…?! 

Turning his head along with Skull Man, Mega, and the skeletal-based fighting machine witnessed a familiar figure dressed in red, gray, and yellow via his signature scarf standing a short distance away, that tell-tale grin the only feature discernible on his mostly concealed face. 

“Proto Man?!” Mega Man called out, Skull Man pressing his boot back down when the blue robot attempted to rise. 

“Nice to see you too, bro,” the red Robot Master greeted. “Work up a bit of a sweat on the previous guys to work up for me?”

“You idiot!” Skull Man suddenly roared in fury, ruby optics seemingly blazing with raging fire. “You can’t be here! Your presence will ruin everything!”

“Wait a minute,” Mega Man said to himself, still on the ground, yet thankfully not as subdued due to his aggressor’s distraction. “If you’re here, then that settles it! Wily’s GOT to be involved somehow!”

The Cossack bot clenched his fists, optics practically burning with abject anger. “You moron!” he bellowed, thrusting an accusatory finger in Proto Man’s direction. “Don’t you have any concern for how this will affect the plan?! How it may affect Dr. Cossack or The Child?!”

“The Child?” Mega Man asked, Skull Man realizing, to his horror, that his grilling of the Blue Bomber’s brother led to some secrets being revealed. “So, there IS someone else involved,” the azure defender pondered aloud. “And this whole thing is also linked to a hostage situation Wily’s also got going on, isn’t it?”

Skull Man didn’t answer, yet he sent a look Mega’s way that indicated he wanted the other to shut their trap for a moment or two, lest he direct his near-exploding anger in the wrong direction. Swiftly abandoning his focus on Mega Man, the recently-built DCN glowered in Proto Man’s direction, the red jerk appearing rather pleased with himself. 

“Get out!” he shouted. “There’s nothing here for you!”

“Wrong, bone-head,” Proto remarked, gesturing to the blue robot held on the ground via Skull Man’s boot. “He’s here, and I want a fight.”

“Proto Man…” Mega Man groaned, still trying to get out from underneath Skull Man’s force. While it was rather validating to know that, indeed, Wily WAS involved in all of this, the fact remained that, now, he also knew that there was someone most likely in danger. 

“Out of the question!” Skull Man bellowed back, indignant that his battle had been so rudely interrupted. “Leave! Go back to your post before your absence is noticed!” he ordered. “Mega Man is scheduled to duel me, and he shall duel me, and ME alone! You are not a part of this!”

The scarf-wearing robot smirked. “You’re new, so maybe you don’t know this,” he said, taking a few steps forward. “It’s the same I told the Doc. I’ll do what you say,” he then drew out his buster, energy already beginning to fester and develop from within. “When I want to.”

Observation Deck

Skull Man received a blast right to the chest, the red gem in the center of his external ribcage shocked with a fresh amount of plasma energy and other electrons, sending him back and off from Mega Man, the fighting machine taken off guard by both Proto Man’s maneuver and sudden appearance. 

“Roll” brought her hand to her mouth, gasping in shock at the display of cruelty. Yet her disbelief had quickly given way to anger. And, even more, determination. Her “blue” eyes scanned the control panel before her, eyeing several buttons and modules that she frankly had no idea how to operate. Yet, ultimately, she set out to discover how. If that balding old coot could work this thing, then so could she!

“Then…” she muttered to herself. “Then I get to see Papa again.”

Skull Man’s Chamber

“Skull Man!” Mega Man called out, rising to his feet and going over to the slightly injured Robot Master. 

“I’ll take my thank you now, if you don’t mind.” 

The Blue Bomber turned to see a nonchalant Proto Man approaching, confident grin plastered on his features. Mega Man instantly returned the look with a livid scowl. “You had no reason to do that!” He shouted. “If you want me, then leave him out of it!”

“Oh, relax, that was nothing,” the Red Bomber in turn scoffed. So self-righteous, he thought. “He was built to withstand way more than a little knock to the chest.”

Skull Man rose to a sitting position, his rib cage still somewhat feeling the effects of the direct shot, but, otherwise, he found that the damage was minimal at best. Still, what he lacked in external harm, he made up for in now boiling rage. 

“You underhanded, backstabbing cheat-Gah!!!” The Robot Master hissed, yet when he tried to get to a standing position, he found himself forced to the ground yet again, feeling as if his joints were locked up, rendering him unable to move without an electric sensation running through his entire body. 

Wait, electric…

“Like Elec Man’s newest little feature?” Proto Man coyly questioned. “It’s new and still has unpredictable results, but so far, I’d say it’s doing well.”

“I brought her to you so she would be safe! Not so that you could interfere with what has been planned!” Skull Man snarled, wanting nothing more than to lunge forward and choke the other robot until his neck was little more than a crushed tin can. 

“And she is!” Proto Man answered, then he turned to Mega Man. “I took the liberty of having our sis give this here a few finishing touches,” he said, giving his scarf a small flip with his hand. “Darned brat tore it in half, so consider the fact she’s not out in the snow somewhere my act of mercy.” He added, centering his concealed eyes on the downed Skull Man. 

“Wait, Roll’s here too?!” Mega inquired aloud. “Where is she?! What did you do to her?!”

“Oh, she’s fine!” Proto assured his younger sibling. “She’s just being kept higher up than the brat,” he answered. “Although her red-haired friend is still sneaking around somewhere down there…” he then redirected the subject. “But none of that’s your concern right now, little brother,” he said. “At the moment, your battle is with me.”

Mega Man narrowed his brows, glancing at the still semi-paralyzed Skull Man on the floor, then to the ground itself, finding that, to his dismay, he had been put into a corner. “…it seems I have no choice.” He ultimately sighed, drawing out his buster once again. 

Proto smirked. “Did we ever?” 

Silence fell in between the two of them, the other waiting to see if his brother would make the first move. Mega’s features awash with frustration while Proto’s displayed utmost contentment, as if this very scene was what everything was supposed to be. Where they truly belonged. 

Where he truly belonged. 

Fighting with his brother. 

Although, there was still the offer he had yet to give his younger sibling, something he always did before one of their skirmishes. Yet, just as his lips parted to deliver the prepared speech of how things would be better if Mega just saw reason and came over to his side,

“Pzzzt!!! H-Hel…o?” 

The intercom activated, a voice echoing throughout the entire room. Although, unlike before, it was not Cossack’s. Nor was it Wily’s.

“Hey! Pzzt!! Can any-ne hear me?!”

And it definitely wasn’t Roll’s. 

Mines

“Why then?” Beat questioned. “Why can’t you go and maybe get Roll out of this jam too?” 

“Because she is ultimately not part of the objective,” Natsenka replied, frustrated at the bird’s consistent prying. “It’s unfortunate, but my orders are to acquire Kalinka Cossack, and then leave. Roll has no place in the programmed agenda.”

“But Lady can’t leave Roll behind!” Eddie argued, walking alongside the tan-skinned, red-haired agent. “Eddie thought Lady was Roll’s friend!”

Rush was about to add to his fellow robot’s statement, yet paused upon hearing the faint sound of what appeared to be two voices conversing with each other. True, it was somewhat muffled due to the mine’s walls, yet there was no mistaking that one of the voices was surely female. 

It wasn’t long after this discovery that Rush also then discovered a small hole in the wall that allowed visual access to the tunnel next to them. 

“Whatever she is or isn’t to me is irrelevant,” Natsenka responded to Eddie, folding her arms. “My superior’s orders are clear and concise: the mission must be completed, and the subject of interest must be delivered to protective forces once acquired,” she then paused, biting her lip. “Neither Roll, nor either of you were meant to ever come here.”

“But…but Roll saved Lady’s life,” Eddie weakly protested, looking down at the ground. “And…and Roll likes Lady.”

Natsenka glanced down, uncertain of how to respond. 

“Don’t bother, Eddie,” Beat inserted himself in the conversation. “She’s with our dear government,” he said, landing atop of the energy dispenser’s dome. “Anything outside of what they tell her to do is out of the question,” he continued. “She can’t do anything that actually requires higher-level programming.” 

The agent found a lump in her throat metaphorically developing upon hearing that, yet she herself wasn’t entirely sure why. Nonetheless, after a few moments, she scoffed. 

“Go look for her if you wish, I’m certainly not going to stop you,” Natsenka told the bird. “But my mission must be completed to the letter, whether you like it or not.”

She turned to leave, a heartbroken Eddie and indignant Beat looking on, yet the sound of approaching footsteps drew all their attention. Drawing her pistol out, Natsenka and the others found none other than a red robotic canine prancing toward them, seemingly pleased with himself. 

“Round rer!” Rush cried out with an excited yip. “Round rer!” 

Beat was puzzled, Eddie too not entirely understanding. “Mind running that by me again, boy?” He asked the dog, who nodded in response.

“Rai round rer!” Rush repeated. “Round Rarinka!”

“Rarinka?” Beat repeated, uncertain as to what exactly the dog was trying to say. Then, after a short few moments, he was able to put the pieces together. “Oh! You mean…?!”

It now too dawned on Nastenka as to what the dog meant to convey. “You saw Kalinka Cossack?” She asked, the dog once again nodding in response. “Where?”

“Where? Where?! Ha ha!”

A cackling squawk drew everyone to turn their heads, optics focused on the black bird with a sizable fan-tail that seemed to take amusement in the sudden burst of hope they had come across. 

“Where where is,” Reggae declared. “Is NOWHERE for you!!!”

Skull Man’s Chamber

“Ah, finally! It’s working!” The voice on the intercom cheered, pleased they had succeeded in maintaining control over the system. “Hey, you!” They then shouted, all three robots hearing them, yet their words were directed toward another. “How dare you fire at Skull Man!”

Proto Man stammered, completely taken aback by what, no, who he was hearing. “N-No way…” 

Mega, on the other hand, began to wonder. “Excuse me,” he began. “Would the name Dr. Cossack mean anything to you?”

“Yes, he’s my Papa!” the voice answered. 

Papa? Little girl…now it all made sense. “You must be Kalinka then!” the Blue Bomber exclaimed. 

“But…but how did…” Proto continued to stammer, clearly baffled. “How did you…?”

“What’s wrong, Proto Man?” Skull Man questioned, still on the ground, yet his vocal components were still functioning just fine. “I thought you said that it was your sister that had repaired your scarf.”

If it wasn’t for the lack of movement, let alone the lack of a present “mouth” in a sense for the skeleton-based Robot Master, the red and gray machine swore that the other android would’ve been smiling at him. 

Still, that left him with one question. “But wait, if you’re here,” he said. “Then that means the you down there is actually…!!!”

Mine

Swooping down, Reggae greeted the group with an open beak shooting down small but compact pellets of plasma from his throat, forcing everyone to scatter away from their current position to avoid the shots. Flying overhead, the bird gave everyone a momentary reprieve, albeit forcibly, as he wasn’t about to waste his ammo. Still, upon seizing this chance, Natsenka quickly got into position and fired her pistol, aiming for the black bird’s wings in an attempt to ground him. Unfortunately, the blasted squawker seemed to sense this was her tactic and kept maneuvering back and forth, out of the way of her line of fire and creating a series of random patterns. 

Cursing internally, Natsenka saw that Reggae was about to come down once again, yet just as he opened his beak, a blue blur shot up from below, slamming into the black robotic bird’s stomach, sending him flying into the ceiling and choking on the pellets gathering in his elongated throat. 

“Take Eddie and go!” Beat told Natsenka as he and Rush got side by side as Reggae was beginning to recover. “We’ll take care of the Dodo here!” 

Eddie began to shake his head. “No! Eddie no wanna leave!” He protested, yet he was swiftly scooped up in Natsenka’s arms, the red-haired agent glancing at the blue avian unit and red canine. 

Beat looked back. “You’ve got a mission, don’t you?” He asked. 

Natsenka said nothing and, after a few more moments of silence, she left with Eddie, leaving Beat and Rush to now face a recovering Reggae. 

Skull Man’s Chamber

It was then that he noticed a detail missed in the rush to get to his brother, Proto Man taking the end of his yellow scarf and spotting an oddity among the aged fabric fibers: a small drop of red that had begun to turn a dull brown, the size a perfect fit for a small droplet to come out of a fingertip. And, now that he thought about it, “Roll” seemed a little less coordinated with that needle and thread. 

Mega Man continued to watch on, the speaker then directing her attention to him. “So, in a sense, we finally meet, Mega Man,” she greeted. “From what I’ve heard, it seems you’ve also heard of me.”

The Blue Bomber nodded. “Guess I wasn’t supposed to, but it looks like Wily hasn’t improved at managing to keep secrets after all this time,” he said. “I take you’re Kalinka Cossack?”

“The one and only!” She responded with a considerable amount of pride. “And I should expect that you would see through this ruse! My Papa is nothing like what your country or Dr. Light thinks he is!”

The azure android bit his lip, and recent memories of his battle with Ring Man came back to him. As well as the others. “Then you were the one that they all…” he never experienced such before, yet he found a strange sense of guilt sweeping over him the longer he heard the human’s voice. 

“Mega Man,” Kalinka began. “I know the conditions my father has placed before you, but I ask that you please not harm Skull Man any further,” she implored. “I may not know him well, let alone for long, but I wouldn’t have gotten this far if not for him. So, please,” the blonde begged. “Don’t hurt him anymore.” 

The Blue Bomber glanced at the downed Skull Man, who, in turn, appeared completely baffled by the young woman’s request to his opponent. “C-Child…” he stammered. “But…but…”

“Relax, I don’t plan on hurting him anytime soon,” Mega Man assured Kalinka, then giving a look over toward Proto Man. “And I’ll make sure he won’t be giving Skully a hard time either.”

“...don’t call me that.” Skull Man muttered.

“Better yet,” Mega Man thought. “Maybe YOU could tell us where Dr. Cossack is currently being kept!” he questioned accusingly, thrusting a pointed finger in Proto Man’s direction. 

Realizing that he was still stuck in a shocked stupor, the red and grey machine quickly collected himself and dropped the dumbfounded state he was formerly caught in. “The joke’s on you, little bro, I’ve got no idea where Wily’s sent that guy.”

“You lie!” Kalinka shouted over the intercom. “You know where he is! Or, at least you know someone who does!” she declared. “So, as you Americans say, spill the beans now, or get someone who knows the beans to spill them for you! Where is my Papa?!”

She was about to continue when she then felt a hand on her shoulder, twisting her body around to where she nearly lost her balance due to the heaviness of the metal boots she wore. “Roll” found herself face to face with a balding elderly man dressed in a lab coat and pink shirt with a distinctive red tie and a considerable amount of body spray to mask the fact that he probably hadn’t showered in some time. 

Chapter Text

"Hm?" Ice Man peeked out from the small cavern entrance, seeing no one in particular among the shadows.

Still, if that was the case, then where did that noise come from…?!

BOINK!

A sizable rock met the back of his dome, crushing his helmet and rendering him momentarily unconscious, albeit still muttering sweet nothings related to "Mega's Sister."

She still had no idea what that was about.

"Good work, Eddie." Natsenka congratulated, although the energy dispenser didn't appear as eager to answer back as before. It didn't take her long to process as to why his mood had soured, yet ultimately pushed it back. After all, the mission had to be completed. And, judging from the sight of the red-dressed figure locked in the cell Ice Man was guarding, it appeared she had done just that.

"Kalinka" turned her head when she heard someone, presumably Ice Man, collapse outside, yet her apprehension quickly turned into relief upon seeing just who had happened upon her.

"Are you injured in any way?" the redheaded agent questioned the blonde. Huh, she thought. Compared to what her internal database displayed, Cossack's daughter appeared…different. And yet…wait.

Eddie's eyes, once melancholy and downcast, lit up immediately upon seeing just who was in the cage, Natsenka was soon able to see past the familiar red coat and Cossack hat, noticing how Kalinka's hair appeared much straighter than in her initial reference photos.

"Roll!" Eddie cried out, clearly overjoyed at the sight of the found prisoner, leaving Natsenka even more confused, yet slowly realizing what was going on.

"Eddie?" the "Russian" asked, her green eyes suddenly removed from her optics, revealing a sapphire-blue iris modeled after the human eye, yet still bore a sense of artificiality to its appearance.

Just the same as the agent's own dark visual receptors.

"And Nat! You're here too!" the "Kalinka" in the cage greeted the redhead with a grin, the accent she initially held dying the second she recognized just who had arrived to her cage. "It looks like you're ok too," she said, viewing the dark-clad agent over. "I'm glad," she then turned to the green energy dispenser. "Been taking care of her, Eddie?"

"Yep, yep!" Eddie responded with a small mock salute, despite possessing no arms.

"I…" Natsenka stammered, her processor trying to comprehend just what, no, who was in front of her, separated by aged iron bars. "I don't…understand," she said. "If you're here, then…then where is…?"

Observation Deck

Upon feeling the sensation of softness against his palm as he pressed down on her shoulder, Albert Wily came to realize that, not only had he come upon an intruder that had broken into the Observation Deck, but they had also not been who he initially suspected it to be!

"Wha…but…but how did you…?" the balding scientist stuttered, the Roll-doppelganger before him that was a disguised Kalinka staring at him wide-eyed, she too trying to figure out just what to do. "You're supposed to be…but, if you're here, then…?!"

Needless to say, it didn't take long for the younger of the two humans to take action.

"OOOOHHHFF!"

In a panic, "Roll" proved Dr. Wily's theory by slamming her fist directly into his stomach, sending the old man to his knees and then to the ground while she burst out of the door and started running.

Hearing all this from the battle arena certainly gave the three robots inside a new dilemma to worry about.

Skull Man's Chamber

"Doc?!" Proto Man called out, only receiving moans of pain and shuffling to try and get up in response. "Oh man…" the robot paled, beginning to realize that perhaps he hadn't exactly made the best move in doing this.

Still…if Wily had just let him fight his brother, then none of this would've happened! His scarf wouldn't have been ripped had he not been put in charge of watching her, so…so this thing wasn't his fault!

Of course, where the blame fell didn't exactly rest at the forefront of either Mega or Skull Man's minds, the two machines immediately understood that Kalinka's safety was now in more potential jeopardy than ever. The Blue Bomber was about to try and look for an exit outside of the platform, yet Wily's voice came up on the intercom, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Don't try it, blue boy!" the scientist warned. "Any attempt to get to me will result in letting Cossack's new toys out on New York! And then the rest of the country!" Mega Man didn't respond, lips tightening. "Dr. Cossack is already waiting for you, and it seems Skull Man won't be going anywhere for some time," the platform serving as the only means of leaving conventionally activated, its pale light seemingly beckoning the Blue Bomber. "If you care anything about his child, then I suggest you hurry."

Mega Man said nothing, glancing at Proto, then at Skull Man, giving each a few moments of silence before going to the transportation device and teleporting out of the chamber, leaving the two machines alone with each other.

Dr. Wily seemed to have gone, and no answer came from the speakers above.

Mine

"Hm?" Natsenka, Eddie, and "Kalinka" looked in the direction of the voice, the tone and cadence of a far more refined and flamboyant than that of Ice Man. "What's all this?"

"Shoot!" the recently revealed Roll hissed, immediately trying to find a weakness in the bars. "I don't suppose you've got anything on you that's useful for unlocking stuff, right?" she asked the Russian agent with a weak smile.

Before the redhead could even respond, Eddie piped up with a frightened squeak when two shadows made themselves known, Natsenka whirling around to find both Elec and a newly awakened Ice Man standing before her.

Skull Man's Chamber

"...well?"

Proto Man was startled upon hearing the sudden voice of the newly built Robot Master, turning to see the skeletal android still partially paralyzed and on the ground. "Well, what?" the red and grey machine asked, startled, yet also confused as to what exactly he could want.

"Go collect her." Skull Man said plainly, throwing the other robot for a loop.

"You can't be serious," Proto Man laughed, unbelieving at what he had just heard. "You, you're not-"

"I've never been more serious," the other android snarled. "Kalinka has escaped due to our intervention, and now roams around, unprotected," he said. "And since you've rendered me temporarily out of commission, and your brother is busy with her father," his ruby red optics narrowed. "There's no one else but you left to deal with her."

Mine

"That's not Cossack's daughter, you idiot!" Elec Man shouted, slapping the Innuit-based Robot Master on the back of the head. "Her hair and facial features are nothing like the Blue Dolt's youngest sibling!"

"Hey, don't call my brother a Dolt, you Yellow-Bellied Creep!" Roll shot back at the electricity-wielding machine, indignant at the insult directed toward Mega.

"Actually, it's red, thank you," Elec Man corrected. "Too much yellow would be overwhelming."

"Oh really?" Roll questioned sarcastically.

"Yes. Besides," the electricity-wielding Robot Master continued, fingers becoming engulfed with a freshly brewed charge. "If I'm going to be brilliant, then I prefer to cover all areas," the surges began to grow, his attention turned toward Natsenka. "Speaking of, dare I say, I think your hair would look divine when it's fried black!"

A bolt of lightning was sent in the agent's direction, the redhead just barely managing to dodge the incoming blast, along with Eddie.

Landing on the ground, Natsenka pushed the green robot to the side out of the way while she drew out her pistol and began firing, all shots sent in Elec Man's direction. The red, black, and golden Robot Master got into position and dodged the incoming shots, all the while firing back at the Russian agent with bolts of lighting and high-powered electrical charges, all of which just barely managed to strike the other robot, if not for her continuous movement.

Still, she couldn't continue this forever, she knew. Elec Man was ultimately too fast for her to evade the entire time. Still, she was in this now, there was no going back. She had to complete the mission.

Even if Roll was right there.

"I'll assist you in your endeavor, soldier!" Ice Man proclaimed, firing a freshly brewed wave of frosty liquid nitrogen and other chemical compounds in Natsenka's direction, who had found herself near the bars of Roll's cell. The Ice Breath coated a good area of the rods that held up the structure of the cage, both Roll and the redhead getting out of the way of the incoming blast. Still, afterward, both of them couldn't help but note how oddly fragile the portions of iron bars appeared now, rendered to crystalized splendor that, while pretty, was far less durable.

"Hey, watch it!" Roll shouted, just barely managing to dodge Ice Man's attack. "You nearly froze my hair to the wall!"

"Oh, pardon my recklessness, sir," Ice Man responded, albeit not without some additions. "Oh, I mean, ma'am!"

Of course, it was then that the blonde robot realized that the Robot Master had hit the cell's locking system, spotting that the frozen nitrogen crystals eroded and essentially rendered the programming useless. She couldn't help but wonder. "Hey, Natsenka," she whispered, catching the redhead's attention. "How hard can you deliver a punch?"

The Russian agent didn't entirely understand the legitimacy, let alone the reason for such a question to come up, yet she ultimately answered nevertheless. "Around the average force of Eastern Europe's highest-rated pro-boxers. Why?"

Roll glanced at the other half of her locking mechanism, still unaffected by the ice outside. She gave it a light touch and received a mild shock. "Well, I hate to say it, but I don't think that it'll work from my end."

"I'm not sure as to what exactly you're referring to," just as Natsenka understood what Roll meant upon seeing the frozen outside half of the lock, a certain electricity-wielding robot made his presence known again. "But if you're thinking of letting our prisoner escape, then I'm afraid I'll have to deliver some shocking news!"

Skull Man's Chamber

"Wait, what?" Proto Man questioned aloud, almost doubting what he was hearing.

Yet the other Robot Master was neither mistaken nor in any sort of humorous mood. "You heard what I said," he answered bluntly. "I'm incapacitated, and thus, unable to move," he explained as if his fellow high-tech machine was a child. "Your brother is on his way to deal with Dr. Cossack, and I assume that Wily is already planning something of a plan B in case this fails. So," he concluded. "The only one available to tend to Kalinka Cossack is you."

The red and gray machine stood in silence for a few moments, although only a few, as he soon broke out into laughter, as if the other android had just said something outlandish.

"This is no joke, fool," Skull Man remarked. "I'm being completely serious."

"And that's what makes it funny!" Proto responded. "You actually think I'd go pick the brat up and bring her back here!"

"There is no one else!" Skull Man argued. "You must!"

"Yeah, don't think so, bone-head," the Robot Master with flesh answered. "Little cretin ripped this baby here," he gestured to his scarf. "For all I care she can take a hike and freeze to death!"

Skull Man clenched his fists, and not from the paralyzing electricity. "You have no regard for The First Law?"

"Not really," Proto proclaimed. "Besides, if she goes and gets herself killed, it's not my problem."

The skeletal Robot Master was inwardly fuming, practically a raging volcano on the brink of eruption, yet the last portion of what Proto Man had said intrigued him.

"Not your problem, you say?" Skull Man questioned.

"Exactly," Proto responded. "She's basically on her own right now."

The other android's Ruby red optics shut, contemplating his next words carefully. "…interesting."

The red and gray robot quirked a brow from beneath his thickened visor. "Interesting how?"

"That you think this has nothing to do with you."

Proto folded his arms. "That's because it doesn't!" He answered. "I never wanted to be part of this stupid plan involving Cossack or his brat in the first place! There's no reason Wily can't let me fight my brother at any point during this!"

Skull Man huffed in amusement. "You say it has nothing to do with you," he said. "But I doubt Wily will see things that way."

The other skin-covered (at least facially) robot was puzzled. "Hey, I told Cut and Guys Man to send up my sis, it's not my fault they…" he then paused. "Wait a minute," he then pointed an accusing finger in Skull Man's direction. "You knew, didn't you?" He asked, the other machine's silence serving as an answer enough.

"It's not my fault you didn't notice," Skull Man told him plainly. "And you can't prove anything happened between the child and I," he said. "However," he continued. "I can prove that your actions resulted in the plan being sabotaged."

Proto went silent for a few moments before scoffing dismissively. "I only gave you a light shock. It'll wear off eventually," he answered. "Besides, my brother and I fight whenever he's doing something big like this," he explained. "Wily knows it's what we do."

"At the expense of the entire operation?" Skull Man questioned. "I doubt it."

"Well, whatever! Mega's going to fight Cossack anyway, isn't he? So what's the problem?"

"The child is out there!"

"Why are you calling her that? She's not some kid!" Proto retorted. "And it's not like you were around when she was even one! What, just because Cossack had a hand in making you, you think you're like the others?"

Skull Man went silent, Proto's comeback seemingly having an unintended effect on the other Robot Master.

"…well…either way, it doesn't matter!" The red and gray machine huffed, turning his nose up in the air. "I'm not going to have anything further to do with that stupid brat, and that's final!"

Mine

A stray bolt nicked her thigh when she, once again, leaped out of the way of an incoming attack.

Only now, it seemed Elec Man was getting better with his aim.

From her place on the ground, Natsenka saw her goal mere feet away from her, frozen outside of the locking mechanism. Yet a few feet more, and there stood the one intent on ending her life.

"Must we continue this unnecessary dance?" The black, red, and gold Robot Master questioned. "As fun as it's been watching you fight for your right to existence, I find it beginning to grow old."

Natsenka rose to her feet, getting into position. "Then why not finish it?" She proposed. "I've been getting tired of listening to that smarmy tone coming from your vocals."

The electricity-wielding android narrowed his gaze, intensifying the already-charged sparks growing at his fingertips. "Gladly."

Sending forth a wave of high-powered lightning, the redheaded agent found that the bolts were spread too wide and branched off in too many directions, and soon, she could outmaneuver their movements no more.

Yet, in that moment, her last-minute motion had more of an impact than she could've possibly imagined.

Before a branching electrical bolt made contact with her form and gave her systems quite a literal shock, the Russian agent performed a karate chop on the frozen half of the electronic lock, the motion stopped prematurely from delivering the full force intended behind the attack.

Yet, it was enough to make contact.

Natsenka's artificial flesh touched the surface of the lock and sent Elec Man's own power surging through her, which, in turn, went to the other side of the mechanism, the unfrozen section that was still quite receptive to electronic input.

BOOM!

Especially if the charge proved to be too much of one.

Roll stepped back as the lock quite literally exploded, sending bits and pieces of the device flying in various directions, smoke momentarily blinding the blonde's optics, the disguised robot stumbling through the cell door as the dark vapor began to fill the chamber.

"Hey, are you ok?" Roll questioned Natsenka, helping the red-haired agent to rise to a standing position.

Not expecting the blonde's sudden appearance, let alone getting free from her prison, Natsenka was speechless at first, barely able to string together a complete sentence outside of "I…how did you…?"

"Oh, I do hope you don't plan on leaving," Elec Man said, seemingly disappointed before a gleeful grin came to his features. "After all, seeing as you're not human, I can see how much it takes until you pop like that lock!"

"S-Sir, wait!"

"What the…?!"

Just as Elec Man was about to deliver another blow against the two other machines, he found his arm suddenly growing cold and numb, all sensation being lost in its function, Ice Man having just reached out to take hold of the extended appendage.

Seeing the opportunity presented to them, Roll took Eddie in one hand and supported Natsenka with the other, running out of the small area and into the further depths of the mine.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" Elec Man questioned Ice Man, more than a little flabbergasted at the other Robot Master's actions.

"S-Sorry, sir! But…" the other Robot Master stammered. "But…she's…"

"She's not Kalinka, you fool! Or did you already forget that!?"

"No, sir! It's just…"

"Whatever! It doesn't matter!" Elec Man rolled his eyes from beneath his mask. Steadily thawing out his arm, he then looked in the direction the three other robots had escaped in. "We can't let them reach the surface! We can't let them get the word out!"

Skull Man's Chamber

"...nothing further?" Skull Man questioned. "Is that right?"

"Right," Proto Man answered. "Sooner she's out of the way, the better."

Skull Man closed his optics, pondering on just how he could swing this in his favor. True, it was clear that he wouldn't convince the red and gray machine with pathos. At least, none that didn't relate to himself.

…maybe he didn't have to change his tactic much after all.

"Then what of her father?" Skull Man questioned. "What of Dr. Wily?"

Proto Man raised a brow from underneath his visor. "What of her old man? Or mine?" he asked.

"Both will have rather displeased reactions upon hearing that she's in potential danger," he said. "Besides, especially now that Mega Man is involved, it's imperative that we find her first."

"Then someone else can do that!" Proto argued. "Cossack brought back everyone, right? She's sure to bump into someone along the way!"

"And if she doesn't?"

"She's got to!"

"If she doesn't?"

"Why does it matter if she does or doesn't? It's not like she's going anywhere!"

"Exactly."

This single-word response caught Proto off guard. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Skull Man repeated. "Think about it," he continued. "This fortress is in the middle of Siberia, and the only village nearby is hundreds of miles away. Should she happen to escape this place, there would be nowhere for her to escape to before the elements claim her."

Proto shrugged. "So? All the more reason to not bother tailing after her. There's nowhere for her to go."

"She won't see it that way," the skeletal Robot Master retorted. "If your existence with Wily is any indication, surely you would've realized by now that humans aren't exactly the most logical of creatures when under duress," he explained. "And I'd concur that she'll be doing anything she can to get to her father," he said. "Even if she perhaps has to get help from the outside herself."

Proto said nothing.

"And, should something unfortunate happen to befall her, then who do you think will be held responsible for this?" Skull Man questioned.

"None of this is my fault," the red and gray machine retorted. "If Wily had just let me get in at least one round with my bro, then-"

"Then what? You wouldn't have jeopardized my battle? Brought her up to repair your scarf?" he then narrowed his optics. "Allow her to slip by because you were so focused on a singular goal, nothing else mattered to you?"

More silence, something the scarf-wearing machine was beginning to not exactly care for.

"...fine, FINE!" he finally exclaimed after those darned optics bored into his. "I'll go see where the brat's gone to!" he admitted. "If I can find her."

Skull Man narrowed his eyes, ruby red irises glinting dangerously. "For your own sake, you best hope you find her soon."

Chapter Text

"Thank you," Roll told Natsenka, the redhead confused as to what exactly she was talking about.

"For what?" She inquired with a raised brow, all the while she, the robot disguised as a human, and Eddie ran forward, looking for a way out of the mine, or at least in the direction the real Kalinka had gone.

"For coming," Roll answered. "I'm not sure how you figured out I was in the cage," she then thought about it. "Then again, I don't exactly have a good track record with keeping out of a set of bars sometimes."

"Wait a moment," Natsenka paused. "You believe that I came to rescue you?"

Roll tilted her head. "That IS what you were doing right?" she asked. "After all, it's not like you would just leave me behind," a small smile came to the blonde's lips. "You're too cool for that."

The redheaded agent was silent as if just suddenly struck by an unfamiliar emotion. Emotion…now that in itself was up for debate. Still, seeing Roll's optimism and hope in the other machine couldn't help but bring a sinking feeling to her core.

Dare she correct the one who believed her to be her savior?

"You're certain they went down this way?"

"Positive, sir! At least, judging from the shadows on the wall."

Both Natsenka and Roll were drawn from their conversation as the two familiar voices echoed down the tunnel, Eddie held tightly in Roll's grasp against her chest. "Oh, great!" the blonde hissed. She then turned to Natsenka. "I don't suppose you know the way to where we came in, do you?"

"I have our pathways tracked in my processor, but we won't be able to get past them here!" the Russian alerted the American robot. "And besides, from what you said, Cossack's child went upward, right?"

"Yeah, with Skull Man," Roll relayed, earning a shocked look from the other machine.

"What?!" Natsenka cried out. "You allowed her to go with one of Wily's machines?!"

"Technically one of Cossack's," Roll corrected. "But, oddly enough, I don't really think that guy's like the others."

"How is…you know what? Never mind," the agent shook her head. "We can discuss that later. For now, we just need to find a way to the upper levels!"

"But how?" Roll questioned. "Unfortunately, I don't see any stairs nearby!"

The two continued to run, out of answers and any other options. Still, they knew they couldn't continue on forever, Elec and Ice Man would eventually close the distance between them, and both had their doubts that they would be simply thrown back into their prison. One of them would surely be scrapped, Elec Man seemingly itching to make use of his powers to their maximum setting.

They had to get away, or at least draw closer to their goal! But how?

"Hey, what's that?" Eddie asked, Roll and Natsenka looking forward to seeing, oddly enough, a pair of minecarts deserted in the middle of the tunnel, two parallel trails going forward into the deeper darkness of the ever-extending corridor.

Both humanoid machines gazed at the transport vehicles, then back where they had come from, seeing the beginnings of shadows dancing on the walls, indicating that their pursuers were closing in on them.

"Get in!" Natsenka ordered, Roll hopping in along with Eddie while the redhead began running, pushing the cart's weight until it began to gain momentum. Then, once it had reached an adequate speed, the agent leaped upward and got in as well, opposite of Roll and able to view what was behind.

"See?" the blonde then said. "I knew you would come through."

Natsenka ultimately didn't respond.

Citadel

All right, she did not think this through. But what else could she have done? Dr. Wily was right there, and he would surely send her back down into the mines again! She had to run! Still, running meant nothing if she had yet to learn where she was going.

"Not to mention these boots are so heavy." Kalinka sighed, pausing momentarily to rest against a wall.

Even as she let herself breathe for a moment, the Russian/Ukranian/Swedish girl couldn't rest yet, knowing well that Wily wouldn't stay down long. And, even more, who was to say he hadn't already sent some of his goons to come collect her? So much to do all at once, and she still had no idea where her Papa was being kept!

It was then that she noticed a nearby computer panel with a medium-sized screen, detailing the location of all the building's occupants via glowing dots upon a schematic of the structure. The sight of a small square surrounded by eight larger spaces drew her attention, a dot in the center of the smallest, yet then it appeared that the occupant wasn't alone, as a red dot manifested in the middle, the yellow dot approaching the red, yet pausing just before the two of them made contact.

It was just a hunch, yet Kalinka couldn't help but wonder if one of them was the one that she knew was on her way to see her father. Which also led to her wondering if she could perhaps follow.

The platform in the center shifted, rising upward to reveal not a stand or any other sort of device, yet what appeared to be some sort of elevator, the destination surely where Dr. Cossack would be. Normally, Mega Man would enter without hesitation, yet now, he found himself rather unsure of what to do.

What he had initially suspected was true, Dr. Wily was involved and responsible for all of this, but also that an innocent party was involved and, for all he knew, either fleeing somewhere in this massive building or back in the mad doctor's clutches. Nevertheless, he had no way of knowing, let alone, to his chagrin, any way to do anything about it.

Just as Cossack himself.

Blue optics eyed the elevator, mechanically powered legs slowly taking him forward until he was inside. The transport acknowledged the added weight and that it had just become occupied, rising upward through the ceiling and to the highest point of the fortress, Dr. Cossack surely waiting for him.

For once, the Blue Bomber wasn't certain he wanted to do this.

So, that was where he was going! Well, if that was the case, then she would simply follow! The only thing was, where to find an elevator?

"Hey! Look!" a voice suddenly declared, high-pitched and somewhat nasally, not to mention more than a little familiar. "I see her!"

Whirling around, Kalinka backed up, spotting Guts and Cut Man a short distance away. How did they get up here?! Regardless, she had no intention of going back underground anytime soon, so she wasted no time in turning tail and running as quickly as her legs could carry her, weighted boots notwithstanding.

"Oh no you don't! Get back here!" the larger of the two, booming and gruff, demanded, he initiating the chase after the human, along with his robotic partner.

Mine

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Natsenka lamented, biting her lip.

"What do you mean?" Roll questioned. "So far, this is the most fun I've had on this entire trip."

"Fun?" the Russian Agent was flabbergasted. "You call this fun?"

"Well, most recently, I was almost ground up in the clocktower of Doc's School, so this is sort of a breeze at the moment," the blonde explained. "What about you, Eddie? What do you think?"

The green energy dispenser chirped with glee. "Eddie like minecart ride! Wheee!" he declared, twirling around and tripping, falling on his head, in where he had to be collected by Roll.

"Well, I only bring it up because we have no idea how stable this vehicle is, let alone where these tracks lead to," Natsenka responded, eyes on the walls, watching for any potential changes. She didn't see anything yet, but she couldn't help but sense that they weren't alone. "Not to mention that this entire mine hasn't been used since the Cold War, so much of it has already been…wait," she paused, turning her attention back to Roll. "Did you say…School?"

"Ruff! Rome on ran right!" Rush barked, raising his paws as if they were fists and he a professional boxer ready to take on his opponent.

Reggae merely huffed, flapping high up above the robotic dog. "Fat chance, mutt!" he squawked, seeing Beat coming in from behind, and, with one swipe of his fan-like tail, took out the blue bird, sending him plummeting to the ground.

"Reat!" Rush cried out, running over to the downed bird, who thankfully still showed signs of functioning.

"Whoa, I'm fine, Rover," the blue bird assured the red dog. "However," he then looked, noticing that all he could see of Reggae was that blasted tail of his. "It looks like the blackbird is getting away!"

"So, let me get this straight," Natsenka repeated. "Your creator, Dr. Light, began a School for Robots?"

"Yep!" Roll answered with a nod. "We had students and everything! I even enrolled in a few classes!" she relayed excitedly. "Of course, Wily had to go and screw things up with Doc's gravity device. Not to mention I got my robo-heart played with by some jerk named Toppy-"

"Wait a second," the Russian Agent interrupted yet again. "Gravity device?"

"Oh yeah, Doc was having some of the students help build it," the blonde responded. "Of course, Wily stole it and jostled up some buildings downtown, but things got set right. Not to mention Mega totally kicked that Proto-jerk's butt-"

"You speak of all of this as if it was some sort of pleasant journey!" Natsenka declared, completely baffled by both what she was hearing and the other robot's general attitude regarding the situation. "Dozens of robots could've been reprogrammed into Wily's forces, not to mention that you said you were nearly crushed by a pair of gears!"

"Well, yeah, that wasn't exactly my favorite part," Roll confessed. "But everything before was awesome!" she then crossed her arms, giving a disappointed sigh. "Shame they had to close it down because of that old coot tarnishing its reputation with the whole gravity device fiasco."

The redhead paused. "It was…closed?"

Roll nodded. "Within its first weeks of being open too," the blonde responded. "The entire project with the gravity device was to better relations between robots and humans, at least in the sense that we could do more than just destroy or smash things," her brows narrowed in anger. "Everything Wily destroyed in a matter of a few days."

The darkly-dressed robot turned her gaze downward, feeling a twinge of a bizarre sensation developing in her core. Nevertheless, it compelled her to speak. "...I'm sorry."

The coat-wearing machine looked up, and Eddie was confused as well. "For what?"

"The way you speak of it, the other robots you met," Natsenka answered. "It seems that you enjoyed it."

Roll's frustration aimed at Wily slowly transformed into a more lamenting nostalgia for that short period in her life. "It was fun while it lasted," she told her present company. "I'll admit, I still wish I could've convinced Mega to take a few classes. I would've totally loved to see him and Kung-Fu Bot have a match or two together!"

"Another student at the school?" Natsenka inquired.

"Yeah, along with a few others," Roll relayed. "I think I got a few offers for the cheerleader squad, although I was honestly a little more interested in the archery club," she stopped, realizing she was getting off-topic. "But the point is, it just seems that no matter what Doc tries to do, Wily's always one step away from ruining it all."

Natsenka was silent for a few moments, taking in all she had just heard. "A school," she muttered. "Not a training facility or camp," her dark eyes then turned to Roll again. "Were they all different?"

"Uh, yeah, each of us was unique in their own way," Roll confirmed. "Even the cheerleaders and football team members had their own individual quirks," she noticed the agent's expression. It appeared downcast. "Why?"

The redhead bit her lip, uncertain of how to answer. "Things seem so different for you where you are," she mused aloud. "Your creator…he seems…involved."

The blonde grew confused. "Wait, you're a creation of Dr. Cossack, aren't you?" she asked.

"Technically," Natsenka answered.

"Well then, doesn't he come and see you?"

The other robot was quiet for a moment. "I'm the ninety-fifth unit based on his design," she answered dully. "He probably doesn't even know I exist."Roll was about to speak again, yet the familiar sound of wheels rolling against a track met her ears. "Look!" Natsenka cried out, Roll turning her head to see the second cart that they had seen before barrelling in their direction, a pair of hostile Robot Masters occupying the vehicle.

"There they are!" Elec Man declared, gesturing to the other cart, then turning to Ice Man. "Now, go on! Fire! Freeze the wheels!"

Ice Man wasted no time in doing so, his blasts of frozen energy at the tracks, missing by mere inches, yet he managed to snag a few hits on the cart itself. Ducking downward, neither Natsenka nor Roll, nor even Eddie, were prepared for the sudden pull of gravity to take them down.

"Where did they go?" Elec Man questioned aloud, seeing the cart quite literally go over the edge. "Wait…" he paused, noticing that they too were approaching the same drop-off point. "Stop the cart!" he commanded Ice Man. "Stop the-?!"

Too late.

They went over as well, vanishing into the darkness below, the mine then going silent.

Citadel

Momentarily ducking behind a corner, the blonde let herself have another breather, the air in this place stifling and far from the best quality. Not to mention Roll's boots felt as if they were small weights attached to her legs. Still, she had to keep going, not just for her father, but for her friend's family as well.

"Ok, I have an idea of where Mega Man may be going, and where Papa may actually be," Kalinka mused to herself. "If I can get there, then maybe I could try and convince them not to fight!"

"Don't count on it, brat!"

The Russian gazed upward and found Cut and Guts Man had caught up, standing above and towering over the smaller, more demure human.

"And if you think of trying to put a stop to Wily's plans," the red, scissor-headed robot removed his namesake weapon, holding it dangerously close to the young woman's neck. "We'll have to CUT that out, won't we?" a breathy giggle followed, the blonde biting her lip, trying to look for a potential escape route.

"You can't hurt me," the human rebuttaled. "You're not allowed to."

"Maybe not directly," Cut Man admitted. "But once you're back down in your cell," he began, letting his girthier partner take over.

"We'll have fun tearing Mega's sister apart while you watch!" Guts Man added, reaching forward to make a grab for the young woman.

Upon hearing such a threat, the blonde girl stumbled back, the added weight of Roll's boots causing her to fall, but this allowed her to escape the grasp of the larger robot, Guts Man's massive hand missing her by mere inches.

"Ok, I can't continue on with these!" Kalinka remarked, removing the robotic footwear and leaving her with little more than a jumpsuit and socks.

"Hey, stop!" Cut Man shouted, yet was met with a red boot being thrown directly at him, hitting his facial place directly in the center. Guts Man followed suit but was also stopped by another boot, this one knocking his blue jaw to the side while it disconnected at the right.

Seeing that this at least put some distance between her and her pursuers, the human wasted no time in finding an elevator, immediately pressing the first button that her fingers landed on and letting the doors shut. Where she was going now, she had little idea, yet at least it would be away from here.

And perhaps closer to her Papa.

Outside of the safe confines of the elevator, Guts, and Cut Man were recovering from the surprise hits only to find the girl nowhere in sight.

"Hey, you two!" a familiar voice called out, both Robot Masters turning to see a rather disgruntled Proto Man approaching them. "A blonde brat come this way?"

"Blonde? That's yellow hair, right?" Guts Man questioned. Proto nodded. "Oh yeah, we saw her! She threw these shoes at us! The nerve!"

"Forget the boots, which direction did she go?" the scarf-wearing machine inquired, wanting nothing more than to throw the disrespectful cretin back into a cell where she belonged!

"Oh, that," Cut Man said. "Well…she…kinda took the elevator."

Lower Levels

This wasn't the right way, she knew that much. But she couldn't go back up, not unless she wanted to go back to her cage. Stepping out of the elevator, Kalinka found herself meeting a long hallway that seemed to have nothing but a door at the end. Was that maybe the way?

Running to the door, the girl opened it wide, letting in a burst of fresh, Siberian air that chilled her to the bone and almost robbed her of breath upon meeting it face-on. She quickly shut the door, allowing the heat of the place to warm her flesh once again. Still, she then realized her dilemma.

She couldn't stay here, yet she couldn't just do nothing. She had to contribute somehow! She had to make some sort of change! Yet what could she do?! Her Papa was being used as a pawn by a madman while America's biggest hero was at his mercy! Or lack thereof, considering it was her life that was on the line.

Opening the door again, albeit slowly this time, it was then that Kalinka noticed something, a sight in the distance that she hadn't realized through the dense snowfall, yet upon examining her surroundings further, she saw its vague outline among the sea of white.

A small village was nestled a few miles away from the citadel, small and probably not too populated, yet there were a few homes that resided together in what must've been some form of community. A community that could perhaps help her.

Her time would be short if she stepped out in this freezing tundra. She probably wouldn't reach it. Not by a long shot.

Still, it was better than staying here, doing nothing.

She had to contribute, somehow.

Chapter Text

In a time long past, deep within the lush forests of a nascent Kingdom of Russia, there resided a merchant who cherished a single daughter. His beloved wife had tragically passed away shortly after the girl grew to the age of eight, leaving a void in their lives. 

The girl was named Vasilisa, and her radiant spirit became the sole beacon of happiness for her father, earning her the endearing title of Vasilisa the Beautiful.

As the shadows of death loomed closer, Vasilisa’s mother, frail, beckoned her beloved daughter to her bedside. With trembling hands, she presented a precious gift—a meticulously handcrafted Motenka doll, unlike any toy Vasilisa had ever seen. Its delicate features were imbued with love and care as if it had a spirit of its own. With a voice filled with both sorrow and hope, her mother instructed Vasilisa to keep the doll close, a hidden treasure in a world now fraught with uncertainty. She emphasized that no one, not even her father, must ever know of its existence. Should Vasilisa find herself in need, all she had to do was offer the doll a small portion of food and water, and it would respond to her call, granting her the solace she sought.

When the day came, and Vasilisa discovered her mother’s still form, the world around her shattered into a sea of grief. In the depths of her heartbreak, she recalled her mother’s words with clarity. With trembling hands, she nourished the Motenka, and at that moment, she felt an unexpected warmth and comfort enveloping her, as if the doll were sharing in her sorrow and providing a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

Despite the crushing loneliness that her mother’s absence brought, Vasilisa summoned an inner strength she didn’t know she possessed. She longed to be a beacon of light for her father, to bring joy back into his life. But her father, consumed by his grief and believing that his daughter desperately needed a mother’s love, made a decision that would change their lives irrevocably. In an attempt to fill the void, he remarried, not realizing the storm of turmoil this choice would unleash upon Vasilisa. From that moment on, her once idyllic life began its descent into a shadowy realm of hardship and despair.

She ought to have discovered some way to protect her feet from the piercing chill of the snow. 

Admittedly, she had no clue where to look for such a thing, and the thought of being thrown back into her underground cell for even attempting it loomed over her. Still, the relentless bite that gnawed at her sock-clad skin was unbearable, making each step feel like an uphill battle.

If she had ventured out here by her own choice, she would have considered the idea of attempting such a feat utterly impossible, perhaps even downright foolish. However, at that moment, Kalinka Cossack felt no worry for her own safety. No, the true victim of this entire debacle, this plot to strike against the Blue Bomber, he was still at the mercy of the madman orchestrating this entire ordeal. 

“I have to reach that village,” the blonde whispered to herself, her teeth chattering in the biting cold. She wrapped her arms tightly around her exposed skin, seeking some semblance of warmth against the stinging icy snowflakes that greeted her every step. “I have to get help.” Pain surged through her, sharp and unrelenting, yet she pressed on. She had no choice.

Yet, if anyone had been watching, they would have seen her pace faltering, dragging heavily through the deepening snow where her determination once propelled her forward.

“Papa… Roll… Beat…” Kalinka exhaled, a plume of white mist escaping her lips and momentarily obscuring her face in a shimmering veil. “I… I don’t know if I’ll make it.” She closed her eyes, drawing on memories of her father and his seven stolen creations, those precious moments before Wily’s arrival that filled her heart with a flicker of warmth against the frost. “…but I will try. For you. For all of you.”

Mine

“Hey! Open your eyes!” 

That voice…the red-haired Russian droid could’ve sworn it sounded like…?!

“Eddie still alive, Pretty Lady!” 

Natsenka's core raced like a wild drum as the staggering truth washed over her: they were not dead. A firm hand gripped her shoulder, compelling her to pry open her heavy eyelids and face the reality that they still inhabited the realm of the living. To her astonishment, they were indeed alive, but the ominous threat that loomed over them remained very much intact. The vehicle that had once been their singular mode of transportation—frail, wobbly, and profoundly unreliable—had now morphed into their sole sanctuary and source of security. Every alternative option presented itself as a perilous plunge into certain doom or a harrowing risk of injury, where the most probable fate awaited them: a prolonged existence trapped in despair until their dwindling battery finally drained, silencing their core forever.

Encasing the Russian agent and her newly formed allies were towering stalagmites, their jagged points piercing the air like the teeth of a slumbering giant, and hanging stalactites, which dripped ominously from above like the fangs of a beast. The oppressive weight of the natural formations surrounded them, creating a tight embrace that felt both protective and suffocating—a stark reminder that their dreams of escape may not just be elusive, but wholly unattainable.

Natsenka turned to Roll, her voice imbued with curiosity and a hint of desperation, “I take it your brother hasn’t faced a situation like this before?” The blonde DLN sensed a rare vulnerability in the usually steadfast agent’s tone, which only deepened her concern.

“Well, possibly?” Roll replied, her voice attempting to sound comforting, though unease knotted in her stomach like an unrelenting coil. “I mean, he’s ventured underground a few times,” she said, glancing at Eddie for support. “And remember that time at Red Gulch? He and Rush had to sneak in on a minecart…” The memory hung in the air, a fragile thread of hope amidst their current perilous predicament. 

“That’s great and all, yet if I may be so bold,” Natsenka interjected. “How is that going to help us here? From what I see, your brother’s canine unit is nowhere to be seen.” 

True, Roll thought. Still, she wasn’t ready to simply allow the situation to get her down just yet. But just as she was about to relay this to her red-haired companion…

“Get down!”

ZAP!!!

A brilliant bolt of lightning arced across the cavernous ceiling overhead, illuminating the shadows that clung to every surface. In a flash of instinct, Natsenka grabbed hold of Roll and Eddie, yanking them down to the bottom of the minecart just as the blinding light enveloped them. For a fleeting moment, the vast chamber transformed into a dazzling spectacle, revealing stalactites and glistening rock formations before everything was swallowed once more by an oppressive darkness.

“It’s a little dark in here, don’t you think?” a mocking voice called out, resonating through the gloom. The three occupants of the cart lifted their heads, dread pooling in their stomachs as they recognized the source of the taunt. Elec and Ice Man had caught up to them, the former leaning confidently against the front of the adjoining cart. Flickering arcs of electricity danced playfully between his fingers, casting erratic shadows that flickered against the walls. With a dramatic flourish, he thrust his hand forward, his voice piercing the silence. “Then, I say, let there be light!”

Siberian Wilderness

When young Vasilisa first encountered her new stepmother and stepsisters, a wave of excitement washed over her. She still cherished the memory of her biological mother, but she felt a glimmer of hope for her father’s new wife, who had recently lost her own husband, leaving her children without a guiding figure. Vasilisa imagined that this shared experience would forge a bond among them. However, in the absence of her father, the true nature of her stepmother began to reveal itself.

The woman, striking in her beauty and captivating in appearance, concealed a heart that was chillingly cruel and vengeful. She subjected Vasilisa to a life of servitude, reveling in the sight of her toil as she piled on an overwhelming amount of work—tasks that would typically require the strength of several men. Her aim was to crush Vasilisa’s spirit and reduce her to despair. The stepsisters mirrored their mother’s malice, complicating Vasilisa’s existence further by pilfering her garments and undermining her efforts at every turn. If not for the comforting presence of her doll, it was likely the girl would’ve taken her own life before long. 

When Vasilisa’s father declared his intention to embark on a journey, her stepmother seized the opportunity to sell their home and move them to a secluded dwelling deep in the forest, far removed from the reach of society. In this isolated haven, she found even greater freedom to torment Vasilisa, delighting in transforming the girl’s existence into a relentless nightmare, as if she were the very embodiment of evil.

Naturally, upon hearing the whispers about the sinister reasons behind the desolation of that shadowy part of the world, her stepmother devised a wicked scheme to rid herself of Vasilisa for good.

The biting cold enveloped her, leaving her wondering if it was merely an uncomfortable chill. She had lost feeling in her lower extremities long ago. Her icy hand pressed against the rough bark of a nearby tree, offering some semblance of support. However, warmth seemed like a distant dream. 

"I should have planned better," Kalinka murmured through chattering teeth, contemplating the possibility of frostbite as her toes turned numb. But…if I go back…” she didn’t finish, her body suddenly wracked with incessant trembling and the knowledge that she couldn't go back, no matter how badly she wanted it. “If I go back…then Papa…Roll…and Mega Man…they’ll be…” the blonde shook her head, furrowing her brows in determination, even if it would do little good. 

Nothing would do her good at this point. Not out here.

…but she wouldn’t be a pawn in Wily’s worthless game. 

She would never. 

Never again, would she let herself be used in such a way.

Never, ever, EVER again!

…

….

…..

Of course, such a promise had little meaning when you were freezing to death. The memory of that scarf-wearing android standing but a few feet away emerged at the forefront of her mind, that insufferable smirk plastered on his face. 

“Oh, I’m fine out here for a good while, Princess,” his words echoed, seemingly merging with the wind, almost mocking, teasing, openly presenting a sick sense of satisfaction. “But the same can’t be said about you.”

Mines

“Arrogant cretin!” Natsenka hissed, ducking under another one of Elec Man’s attacks, the surging lightning striking just above her, Roll, and Eddie’s heads as they were forced to duck to avoid the incoming blow meant for them, yet it managed to strike a nearby formation of rock instead. “You think we’ll just stand by helplessly?!” the redheaded agent rose to a standing position, drawing her pistol and aiming at the aggressive Robot Master. “You must not be familiar with Russian programming!” she declared, firing red-hot lasers, thin yet precise and direct, at her targets, forcing the enemy to duck for cover as they had been forced to do so before. 

While he wasn’t so foolish as to ignore the incoming fire in his direction, the fact that this indigent machine believed she held a chance against him was laughable. Yet, her continuous presence was beginning to become old. 

Elec Man fired back, lightning shooting from his fingertips and surging their destructive, powerful energy toward the other minecart, his opponent, in turn, blasting hot red lasers back in his direction. While he held the utmost confidence in his superior firepower compared to the agent’s pathetic puny pistol, her constant firing made getting a direct shot more difficult than he would’ve liked. 

“Ice Man!” the black, red, and gold Robot Master called out, gaining the other android’s attention. “Make yourself useful and take care of that woman!” 

“Yes, Sir! Elec Man, Sir!” the Inuit-based machine exclaimed, snapping to a crisp salute. Its body radiated the cold, shimmering essence of its signature Ice Slasher, the distinctive chemicals within beginning to swirl and churn in anticipation. As the Robot Master opened his mouth, a powerful torrent of icy wind and glacial chemicals erupted, aimed directly at the pursuing minecart. Meanwhile, Natsenka, determined and resolute, rose from her position, ready to unleash a torrent of fire upon her relentless pursuers once more.

In that pivotal instant, the redheaded agent seized the opportunity to fire a shot that struck the side of the opposing cart, the sound echoing like thunder in the chaos. But her triumph was short-lived; horror struck her as she felt an icy grip envelop her hand and, by extension, her pistol, rendering it immobile. 

“Nat!” Roll exclaimed, her voice laced with concern as she rushed to the side of her companion. She carefully grasped the other robot’s iced-over limb, examining it intently while skillfully ducking beneath a flurry of electric attacks from Elec Man. The bright flashes of electricity crackled around them, illuminating the tense atmosphere. “Oh geez,” she murmured, biting her lip in anxiety. Her mind raced, gears figuratively turning as she desperately searched for a solution to their dire predicament. “All I’ve got is this.” 

With a swift motion, she peeled back the sleeve of Kalinka’s thick, protective red coat, revealing her utility arm beneath. It was a sleek, silvery forearm, gleaming under the harsh light, extending from her wrist and ending just below her elbow joint. Roll felt a surge of worry; without the added protection of her outer shell, this vulnerable limb was exposed to the chaotic environment around them. Yet, in that moment, she resolved that she had no other option that might provide even a glimmer of hope.

As she activated the limb, various components shifted and rearranged, machinery whirring softly in response. The flesh-colored hand of the blonde robot slipped into her wrist, seamlessly transforming. In place of her hand, a hairdryer emerged, its nozzle extending outward and set to high heat—an unusual tool for an urgent crisis, but one she hoped might prove useful. 

“Okay, here it goes,” Roll said, attempting to infuse her words with a sense of optimism, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her anxiety. However, Natsenka remained unresponsive, her expression one of silent resignation. She didn’t share the faint glimmer of hope that Roll was trying to conjure, and perhaps it was too much to expect her to feign optimism in the face of such overwhelming danger. The electric energy in the air weighed heavily on them, and the stakes had never been higher. 

As Roll busily worked to thaw Natsenka’s icy arm, Eddie was enveloped by a sense of helplessness and frustration. He felt utterly useless, acutely aware of his limitations. Without arms and equipped only with short, stubby legs, he couldn’t defend himself or join in the fight like Mega or the Robot Masters, who were firing energetic blasts to hold off their attackers. The urgency of the situation weighed heavily on him; he knew he couldn’t simply stand there and do nothing. He had to take action—something, anything—for the sake of everyone involved. 

But what could he possibly do to make a difference?

“Get back here, you stupid oversized crow!” 

“Huh?” Eddie’s optics widened, his audio receptors recognizing the somewhat high-pitched tweets and chirps of a familiar avian android. 

“Reah! Ret rack rere!!!” 

Eddie's core raced with excitement as he gazed upward, his eyes catching sight of two remarkable objects shimmering in the distance. One of them had gracefully outstretched wings, adorned in a dazzling display of vibrant blue and fiery red hues, serving as another source of light amidst the over-encompassing darkness. The other glided effortlessly through the air, propelled by powerful jets that roared like thunder on either side. Despite the impressive transformation, Eddie could still recognize the familiar contours and features of his canine form, a warm reminder of who he once was. It was a breathtaking sight, filled with a mixture of wonder and adrenaline!

“Beat! Rush!” the green energy dispenser shouted with pure joy, his voice trembling with excitement. “Come to save us!”

In that exhilarating moment, the smaller robot became aware that the bluebird and red dog were not alone in their quest. Above them, the inky darkness concealed the stealthy approach of another flying machine, likely the source of Rush and Beat’s mounting distress. Eddie adjusted his vision, his optics sharpening to focus on the object that was slowly drawing nearer. As it approached, its once-thin tail unfurled magnificently, resembling an extravagant fan painted in shades of ivory and green, creating a stunning spectacle against the cavern's ceiling.

Siberian Wilderness

Vasilisa's stepmother burdened her with arduous and exhausting chores, as well as meaningless errands that sent her deep into the forest around their home. Vasilisa was unaware that her stepmother intended for her to meet her demise. The forest was rumored to be the realm of Baba Yaga, an enigmatic and feared witch who was said to feast on the flesh of people. Although her stepmother loathed Vasilisa enough to want her dead, she preferred not to stain her hands with blood or arouse suspicion from Vasilisa's father. Therefore, she repeatedly sent Vasilisa into the woods, hoping the cannibalistic witch would eventually find her and make her a meal.

On several occasions, Vasilisa narrowly escaped this grim fate with the aid of her doll. Frustrated by the lack of results, the stepmother decided to alter her approach. One evening, she extinguished all the fires in the house and, pretending ignorance, instructed Vasilisa to fetch another source of warmth from deep within the forest, where it was said Baba Yaga used the fire to cook her victims.

Fire... Yes, the warmth would be a welcome relief. Much better than the relentless biting and stinging that clawed at her legs, creeping up to her knees. The young woman trudged onward, her feet sinking into the thick, icy blanket of snow that enveloped her, each step heavier than the last. The cold seeped through her clothing, a sharp contrast to the image of flickering flames that danced in her mind, promising comfort and solace from the frigid landscape surrounding her. 

It was amusing, almost ironic, that a story from her homeland played out vividly in Kalinka's mind. Yet, if she had to be honest with herself, at that moment, she felt much more like the Little Mermaid—lost and yearning in a world both beautiful and cruel. With every painstaking step she took through the deep, unyielding snow, it felt as though a knife of solid ice was piercing the soft flesh of her soles. The biting cold seemed to creep up her legs with each movement, leaving her to grapple with the numbing sensations that followed.

In her struggle, her feet twisted unpredictably beneath her, catching her off guard time and again. As a result, she stumbled and fell into the soft, dense blanket of snow that surrounded her. The crystalline particles sparkled like diamonds in the pale light, yet they felt sharp and unforgiving against her skin, encasing her in a glittering prison.

It hurt, a sharp, biting pain that should have anchored her to reality. Yet, paradoxically, she could feel herself growing numb, both from the pain and the frigid air that filled her lungs. The ache in her legs began to fade into a distant memory, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of detachment.

But she couldn’t stop; she had to keep pushing forward.

Kalinka had to find Baba Yaga's house, the fabled dwelling steeped in folklore and mystery. It represented her fire, the warmth of an old home nestled deep in the forest—the only flicker of hope and light amid a surrounding sea of darkness.

Now, however, the young woman found herself consumed by the relentless, brilliant whiteness of the snow around her. It enveloped her like a suffocating veil, luring her deeper into a vast and treacherous world that seemed to stretch on endlessly. She steeled her resolve, determined to find her way through the mesmerizing yet perilous landscape that threatened to swallow her whole. 

…but Vasilisa continued forward, despite her fear. 

She had no other choice. 

The forest was cold and ruthless.

Baba Yaga’s fire was her lifeline. 

Her only source of hope and life…

…and her potential death. 

Mines

“Ha ha! Can’t catch me! Can’t catch me!” Reggae squawked with gleeful mockery, glancing back at the considerable distance that separated him from the other metallic animal pursuers, their mechanical forms glinting in the sparse amounts of light emitted from their flight components.

Seething with frustration at the blackbird's audacity, Beat, a vibrant blue avian, decided he had tolerated enough. He activated his thrusters, and a brilliant flare erupted behind him, quickly transforming into a roaring fireball as he surged through the air, narrowing the gap between himself and the taunting blackbird. “Hey, you!” he shouted, his voice laced with anger. “Your voice is driving my systems crazy! And I thought I’d struggle to get used to Rush’s speech pattern!”

“Ruh?” came an inquisitive whine from behind, echoing through the air and causing Beat to cringe. He realized he might have said too much.

“Uh, nothing, red guy! Just keep flying!” Beat chirped back hastily. The advanced hearing of the canine trailing him had proven advantageous so far, but at times, it felt more like a burden.

“Bluebird said you—”

“Shut it, you duck-billed jerk!” 

But not as much of a burden as this insufferable buzzard!

Watching the struggle from below, Eddie pondered just what he could do if anything at all. Yet he soon found himself on the receiving end of a potential divebomb. Beat had decided to strike into Reggae’s side, sending the larger bird spiraling downward and diving right into the middle of the minecart. This jostled everyone inside and sent the smaller robot flying upward and forward. Nothing but his own momentum carried him forward as nothing but pitch-black darkness lay beneath him. 

“Eddie!!!” Roll cried out, she and Natsenka watching in horror as the little green machine soared overhead, seemingly to his very destruction as it appeared that there was little other option for him at that moment. 

Siberian Wilderness

Vasilisa stood at the edge of the foreboding forest, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. A palpable terror coursed through her veins, each beat echoing the dread she felt for what lay ahead. Baba Yaga, the fearsome witch known for her insatiable appetite for the flesh of the living, haunted her thoughts like a dark cloud. The stories told around the flickering fires of her village were steeped in horror—tales of the witch’s ghastly lair and the fates of those who had dared to enter her domain.

Yet, to her astonishment, the tiny doll she had been gifted advised her to press forward. It was a curious thing—a seemingly harmless trinket that held more wisdom than she could have anticipated. With her heart clenched tight in fear, Vasilisa reluctantly wrapped her fingers around the doll, the cool material providing a strange sense of solace amidst the encroaching dread. 

Clutching a small candle in her other hand, she took a deep breath and stepped into the forest. The gentle flicker of its flame illuminated her path, casting dancing shadows that leaped and swirled like lost spirits around her. Each step she took seemed to draw her deeper into the heart of the woods, where the trees hugged close like ancient sentinels guarding the secrets of the night. 

The forest itself was alive with whispers—the rustling of branches, the crunch of frost underfoot, and the chilling howl of the wind that sliced through the stillness. It swallowed the light of the moon, enveloping her in a cloak of inky darkness that threatened to engulf her entirely. The air was sharp with the bite of winter, each breath a reminder of the cold fingers of fear that clutched at her spine. The shadows stretched and twisted, creating an overwhelming sense of isolation as if the very forest conspired to consume her. 

But Vasilisa pressed on, every flicker of her candle a beacon against the encroaching void, each footfall a testament to her resolve. She could not turn back now; the doll’s quiet confidence bolstered her spirit, leading her further into the unknown as she steeled herself for whatever lay ahead in the depths of the dark woods.

…

…

…only, she never got that far.

The winter and biting ice were cruel and unforgiving, wearing her body down until she had no choice but to lose her sense of everything. She fell to her knees, then to the snowy ground below, the doll in her hand slipping from her hand, and the candle landing in front of her still, frozen form. The flame that had once been a small yet reliable and steady source of warmth and light now weakly flickered, the wind threatening to snuff it out at any moment. 

“Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Where in the world is she?!” the red and grey machine hissed, his voice echoing against the howling winds. The relentless snowstorm outside the crumbling building created a blizzard-like veil, obscuring everything in a blanket of white, despite his advanced optical sensors. “It’s nearly subzero temperatures out here; there’s no way that brat could have gone too far…” 

Suddenly, Proto Man froze, his sensors locking onto a peculiar glint of gold peeking through the swirling snowflakes. 

Gotcha, he thought, adrenaline-esque stimuli surging through his circuits. 

He navigated through the thick drifts of snow, each step crunching against the icy ground until he came upon a figure partially buried in the white. A smirk crept across his metallic face as he recognized Kalinka, her form swathed in his sister’s oversized clothing, save for the shiny metallic boots that contrasted starkly against the fabric. “This is quite an imaginative snow angel you’ve created, sis,” Proto remarked, amusement dancing in his voice as he approached. He knew the game was up. “You usually put up more of a fight when I come to collect you,” he chuckled, but the figure of his “sister” remained eerily silent, caught in the stillness of the frost-laden landscape. 

The disguised human lay unmoving, the snow gently settling around her, momentarily freezing the playful banter in the frigid air.

“...Princess?” 

Chapter Text

For Eddie, the concept of being airborne was not just an adrenaline-fueled thrill, so to speak; it nestled comfortably within the range of his everyday experiences. It was about as routine for him as sipping from his daily cup of lukewarm E-tank, the vibrant energy source that powered The Blue Bomber. As the designated understudy to this remarkable machine's primary energy source, Eddie had grown accustomed to the exhilarating sensations of soaring high through the stratosphere or, on less fortunate occasions, plummeting from the sky with all the grace of a malfunctioning satellite.

His interactions with the clouds had become so frequent that they felt like familiar companions; their fluffy forms blurred past him, the sun-drenched sky his ever-changing backdrop. If clouds handed out frequent flyer miles, Eddie joked to himself, he would be well on his way to a first-class upgrade—perhaps to a seat beside the pilots, surveying the world below with the calm confidence of someone who has mastered the art of flight. The thrill of altitude was no longer a concern but rather a testament to his proficiency, a skill etched into the fabric of his daily life as he navigated the skies with a blend of expertise and a touch of reckless enthusiasm.

Despite all the experiences he had amassed throughout his years working alongside Mega, the green machine found himself facing a remarkable challenge. Maintaining the sensation of zero gravity—or at least the convincing illusion of it—for more than just a few fleeting seconds was a phenomenon he hadn't truly encountered in a considerable length of time. The exhilarating weightlessness, which had once felt second nature during their high-stakes missions, now seemed elusive, leaving him acutely aware of the passage of time and the strain of his prolonged efforts. Each second spent suspended in that airy realm felt like a test of endurance, drawing upon memories of past adventures that now felt like echoes in the vastness of space.

"EDDIE!" Roll's voice rang through the dark, damp tunnel, a shrill cry laced with a terrifying urgency that was completely uncharacteristic of her usual composure. Her eyes, wide with horror, were fixed on the familiar green figure soaring above, casting an eerie silhouette against the flickering lights of the cavern, as if to signify he was going further and further out of reach.

Out of reach to make contact, and perhaps, to even rescue.

Beside her, Natsenka stood frozen, shock etched on her face as her core raced. A swell of concern bubbled within her, escalating with each second as the reality of the situation sank in. Despite the chaotic turmoil spiraling around them, she knew that giving in to panic would serve no purpose. They had to stay focused; clarity was essential if they were to confront whatever threat hovered just out of reach in the shadowy darkness above.

Just then, the distinct sound of a thruster engaging pierced the air, catching the attention of the Russian android. With a swift motion, the redhead turned to witness an astonishing sight: Roll had climbed onto Rush, the vibrant crimson robot canine. In an impressive display of mechanical prowess, Rush had transformed into his jet mode, the sleek contours shimmering as he readied himself for takeoff.

Roll's epicenter raced as she faced the uncertainty ahead. "It's just like riding a skateboard, right?" she murmured to herself, trying to reassure her nerves more than anything else. The words felt hollow but served as a desperate attempt to bolster her confidence. "It can't be too hard," she thought, though an anxious flutter in her stomach suggested otherwise.

Well, if there was one positive, at least she didn't have anything to puke out.

"Ha-Ha! Bluebird is too slow!" Reggae squawked, his voice echoing mockingly through the cavern as he effortlessly outpaced his pursuer. Beat, the frustrated bluebird, was hot on his tail, his mechanical feathers rustling with agitation. "Slow as a snail on a Sunday! Ha-Ha-Ha!" Reggae taunted, his fan-like tail feathers flickering with amusement.

Beat's internal gears were grinding with irritation. "Stop your silly dancing and face me, you feathered fool!" he squawked back, his voice a blend of exasperation and fury. "I'll pluck those arrogant black feathers of yours one by one, starting with that ridiculous tail of yours! Let's see how you fly without it!" Beat's eyes flashed with determination as he pushed his mechanical wings to their limit, the wind rushing past his beak in a whistling symphony of frustration.

While Reggae did not respond to Beat's sharp verbal jab, the concern over the potential harm to his tail was taken to heart. The smaller yet feisty spitfire of a bluebird's threat resonated deeply, prompting Reggae to soar ahead, his wings unfurling majestically as he ascended high above the bluebird.

Yet, instead of charging forward, Reggae opted for a strategic retreat, skillfully maneuvering backward into the embrace of the cavern's hanging stalactites. The shadows cast by the dim light above played tricks on the eye, allowing his sleek, dark form to seamlessly blend into the surrounding gloom, effectively camouflaging him from the vibrant bluebird below. In this moment of tension, the dance of light and shadow became a vital ally for the clever blackbird.

Beat halted abruptly, his sudden stop creating a small dust cloud as his momentum sent him into a tight loop. He slowed to a hover, his mechanical heart thrumming with irritation as he scanned the area where Reggae had seemingly vanished. "Blasted feathers, where did he go?!" Beat hissed, his duck-shaped bill contorting into a scowl of frustration. His advanced optics diligently searched the cavern ceiling, amidst the jagged rocks and shadows that danced menacingly above him.

Yet, despite his keen sensors and the thoroughness of his search, there was no sign of the cocky blackbird. The cavern, once filled with the taunting echoes of Reggae's voice, was now an eerie silence, a silence that sent a shiver through Beat's mechanical frame. The bluebird's internal systems hummed softly, the only sound in the vast space, as he hovered there, confusion and suspicion gnawing at his circuits. Where had that arrogant crow gone, and why did the cavern suddenly feel so foreboding?

"No!" Beat thought, his internal monologue a sharp, resolute command. "I can't afford to get all paranoid now! I gotta keep my wits about me, my reflexes sharp! For Roll, for Natsenka, and especially for Kalinka, I won't let them down! I cant'!"

His determination burned like a furnace, fueling his resolve. He would not let that blasted, raggedy raven outmaneuver him so easily. Beat's optics narrowed, his focus intensified, and his mechanical body tensed, ready for any sudden movement or ambush. "I will not be caught off guard," he vowed, his voice a low, determined rumble. "I will find you, Reggae, and when I do, you'll wish you'd never taunted a bluebird with a mission!"

Suddenly, Beat's sensors picked up a faint, almost imperceptible movement above him. His head snapped up, eyes locking onto the slight disturbance in the shadows. A cold, calculated smile formed on his beak as he prepared to strike.

"EDDIE!"

The green machine's optic sensors flickered open, the sharp, desperate call of a familiar female voice piercing the fog of his resigned acceptance of impending doom. In an instant, he was enveloped in a pair of strong, humanoid arms, clad in a thick, crimson fabric that formed a rugged, Russian winter coat, the embrace both fierce and tender. The sudden warmth and pressure against his metallic frame sent a jolt through his systems, temporarily disrupting his otherwise steady hum.

"Roll!" Eddie cried out, looking down to see that the blonde robot had taken to riding atop Rush to catch him. Of course, while the rescue was successful, the problem now lay in keeping her balance atop the red canine.

"Geez, given how Mega uses you to get everywhere, I thought riding you would've been a little easier!" the blonde DLN exclaimed, wobbling back and forth as the robotic dog in jet mode kept moving forward, all the while trying to ensure his owner's sister didn't suddenly topple off. "Hey, lower down a little, would you, boy?"

"Ruff, ruff! Rure ring, Roll!"

While the dog ultimately meant well, Roll wondered if it was even possible for dogs to have a malicious bone or circuit in their bodies, whether they were organic or metal. His descent was still a sharp and sudden one, jostling her and Eddie from their place, with Roll's boots momentarily leaving the surface of the dog's backside.

Or rather, Kalinka's boots.

Kalinka…

"Oof!" the long-haired blonde grunted as she quickly grabbed the side of the flying dog and pulled both herself and Eddie back onto Rush, positioned in such a way that she was in a kneeling position with Eddie clutched in the crook of her other arm. "Ok, we got Eddie, now to find-"

"BEAT!"

Indeed, Eddie spotted the bluebird, yet the alarm in his declaration far from indicated that the creation of Dr. Cossack was in any favorable situation. And upon looking in the direction the smaller green machine had caught sight of him, Roll saw that a feathered fiend was currently accosting her feathered friend!

Clutched in Reggae's larger talons, the blackbird forced the bluebird to stretch out his wings, the joints and wires attaching the appendages meant to carry the mechanical avian through the air stretched and strained, the creation of Wily's making his intentions clear.

"Why don't you just stop horsing around with me and get it over with?!" Beat shouted, although more or less out of pride and an urge to get one last jab at the other bird, should this indeed be his last stand. Gosh, he realized that it was ultimately useless, but he couldn't just let this flying feather-duster get the last laugh! Geez, he sounded like Kalinka, stubborn little thing!

Kalinka…

"Horse…ing?" Reggae paused, turning his head and elongated neck from side to side, as if searching for something. "Hm, no, see no horses here. Or any horsing," he reported. "Not even ponies ponying."

By Asimov, this guy was an idiot.

"Well, doesn't matter," the larger blackbird grinned. "Still gonna pluck you!"

The pressure and tension returned, Beat sensing that his wings, even with the expertise of Dr. Cossack behind them, were still light and meant to mostly keep himself airborne. This guy, pea-brain circuitry aside, was ultimately the stronger of the two. He ultimately couldn't hope to gain victory in this battle.

Roll, Beat thought, the stretching feeling as if his wings would be ripped from his body any second! Promise you'll save that blonde brat for me, would you?

"Hey, you!"

Reggae ceased his efforts to rid the other bird of his flying instruments, his spherical eyes gazing downward to see a figure in a red coat riding atop a red robotic dog. Wait a moment…"Squawk!?" he proclaimed, releasing Beat out of shock at what, or rather, who he was seeing. At least, who he believed to be. "Royal Brat not back in cage?!" Then, while it wasn't instantaneous, the bird began to take notice of some peculiar details. "Wait a minute…OOF!"

Seizing the opportunity, Beat bit at the other avian robot's neck, his duck-shaped beak proving to have enough reach to clamp around the entire limb, allowing the bluebird to swing the other darker-colored foe into some of the rocks that clung to the surface of the mine's ceiling.

Roll flew over to the recently freed bird-bot. "You ok there, little guy?" she inquired, visually inspecting his wings for any outward damage.

"Y-Yeah, I think so," Beat answered, giving his appendages a few flaps to get everything back into place. "There! Good as new!"

"Roll! Beat!" Eddie chirped, gaining the others' attention. "Pretty lady still with Wily bots!"

The blonde DLN and robotic bird realized in horror what the smaller green machine meant. "Natsenka!"

Tundra

"Hey, Princess, get up," Proto Man barked, his voice sharp as a whip as he closed in on the prone figure of the blonde human girl, her body clad in his sister's garments, except for her notably absent boots, leaving her socks soaked and caked with snow. "Come on, Sleeping Beauty, your fairytale is over, so rise and shine!"

Yet, there was only an eerie silence in response. No smart-aleck retort, no soft moan of pain, no lazy request for "just five more minutes…" before drifting back into the abyss of unconsciousness. Nothing stirred, nothing moved. The girl lay as still as a statue, her chest not rising or falling with the rhythmic dance of breath. The only sound was the soft hiss of the wind whipping through the desolate landscape.

Nothing.

No words.

No movement.

No breath.

No…

"...no…"

A sense of unease washed over Proto Man, his casual stride quickly morphing into a desperate sprint as he hurried to her side. He skidded to a halt, his shielded eyes scanning the lifeless form that was splayed face down in the thick, untouched snow. With a sense of dread, he extended his red-gloved hand and touched her arm, his fingers meeting cold, unyielding flesh. The once-pale skin now bore an unsettling hue, a stark contrast to the vibrant life that should have been pulsating beneath it.

"The heck?! You're practically a bratty half-pint popsicle!" the Red Bomber exclaimed, his voice a harsh growl as he knelt beside her, his internal systems humming with a mix of concern and urgency. His sensors picked up the intense cold radiating from her body, a stark contrast to the warmth pumping through his own mechanical frame. "How long have you even been out here?!" he demanded, his words sharp as shards of ice, yet, in truth, much to his own surprise, he was beginning to grow nervous.

The vast, frozen expanse swallowed his voice, returning only an echoing silence that seemed to stretch on forever. The tundra, a desolate and unforgiving wasteland, offered no answers, only the mournful whisper of the wind as it swept across the snow-covered ground. Kalinka Cossack lay motionless, her body a stark contrast to the vibrant life suggested by her golden hair, which danced and shimmered in the wind, occasionally catching the glint of ice crystals that clung to its strands. Oddly enough, even if the red and grey android still thought it looked like a crazed mop of yellow curls, they were now the sole aspect of her appearance that hinted at any semblance of life, a cruel mockery in the face of her otherwise still and silent form.

"H-Hey, brat, come on, get up," Proto Man stammered, his voice quivering with a mix of desperation and disbelief as he knelt beside the fallen figure. His words grew softer, more pleading, each syllable accompanied by anxious bursts of laughter that rang hollow and forced. It was as if he were trying to convince himself more than her, to deny the harsh reality staring him in the face. "Come on, you're gonna make the Doc even madder than he already is if you don't…" he trailed off, his sentence hanging in the air like a fragile hope. His hands hovered over her body, trembling slightly, as if unsure whether to touch her or not. His eyes darted between her face and the surrounding snow, a frenzied energy taking hold of him. He paused, his breath hitched in his throat, a visible struggle playing out across his features as he grappled with the truth. "He's…he's gonna be mad if I…" he managed to choke out, but the words felt empty, a mere shadow of the concern he was trying to express.

His mind screamed in denial, a frantic refrain of "No, no, no, no!" echoing through his consciousness. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't real. It was just a bad dream, a momentary lapse in his otherwise infallible perception of reality. He would wake up, and everything would be back to normal. But as he looked down at her still form, the snow beneath her untouched and pristine, the harsh truth began to sink in, chilling him to the core.

Mine

"Blast it all! These Americans are relentless!" Natsenka thought, her internal monologue tinged with a mix of annoyance and grudging respect. Truth be told, Roll and her blue-clad brother were living embodiments of those darn Western ideals—brave, bold, and stubborn as all get-out. But Wily's henchmen? They're cut from the same cloth, never backing down until they've achieved their goal. She let out a mental sigh, her systems humming with a sense of inevitability. And in her case, that goal is likely to be her demise.

Another jolt of electricity crackled through the air, forcing the red-haired, leather-clad agent to duck and weave in his rickety mine cart. The cart, a relic of better days, rattled and shook as it chugged along the tracks, serving as a makeshift shield and mode of transport. That was too close, the agent mused, her processor debating on what her next strategy should be. "This old cart's seen better days, but it's all I got to keep these electrical blasts at bay!" She peered over the edge, dark eyes sparkling with determination as she kept her pistol close, the cart continuing to go down the track through the treacherous tunnel, sparks flying and wheels roaring as they spun wildly.

"You like this game, huh, agent? Well, I can play all day!" Elec Man taunted, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he crackled with electricity. "But you know what? I'm feeling a bit drained, so let's wrap this up, okay?" His bright blue eyes, sharp and cunning, scanned the cavern ceiling, zooming in on the pointy stalactites hanging above like nature's own deadly chandelier. "I've got a little surprise for you, my friend. Something that'll make this showdown unforgettable!" He rubbed his fingertips together, sparking with anticipation. "Let's turn this cave into a real light show, shall we?"

Tundra

"...she's dead."

Proto-Man stared at the lifeless form, his shielded eyes narrowing as he took in the stark reality before him. The girl, once full of life and vitality, now lay still and cold, her body stiff and unresponsive. Her skin was pale, almost blue in the harsh glow of the moonlight, and a chill ran through Proto-Man's systems as he processed the finality of it all.

He stood there, in the deep snow, his mechanical body humming softly, a stark contrast to the silent, frozen landscape. "Great," he murmured, his voice a low, uncertain rumble.

The word hung in the air, heavy and meaningless, as if he wasn't sure what else to say or how to feel. This situation, so final and human, didn't make sense with his usual operation parameters. Yet, beneath the confusion, there was a spark of something else—a flicker of emotion that he couldn't quite identify. Perhaps it was confusion, a sense of finality, or maybe just a tiny but still resonant sense of loss. Whatever it was, it left him standing there, in the snow, grappling with the unfamiliar weight of…whatever this was.

Still, now what?

"You've really done it this time, Princess," Red Bomber snarled, his voice a low, grating growl as he knelt beside Kalinka's motionless body. The Russian's form was a stark contrast to the harsh, mechanical landscape, her once-vibrant presence now reduced to a fragile, broken shell. Her lips were a deep, almost purple blue, her skin a ghostly pale, and her cheeks were sunken, highlighting the sharp angles of her face. Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, each one a labored effort that spoke volumes about the extreme hypothermia gripping her body. Her eyes, once bright and full of life, were now glazed over, their usual spark dulled by the relentless cold. Turning her gently, Red Bomber got a full view of her face, the severity of her condition hitting him like a punch to his mechanical systems. "If Dr. Wily doesn't axe me off first, I hate to think what your dear ol' dad will do to me." he muttered, his voice a mix of frustration and a touch of something else—perhaps a glimmer of concern hidden beneath his rough exterior.

No, no, there wasn't, he chastised himself.

Stop that.

He wasn't his brother.

His oh-so-noble, do-gooder brother. The Righteous Little Boy Blue, the Blue Bomber, Defender of the Human Race…heh, Proto Man thought. Whoever came up with that title for him must've been a major fanboy. Or girl.

Well, whatever the case, he hadn't been the one to leave the half-frozen brat practically buried in this snowy grave. She was as good as gone, her body nearly frozen solid, her breath shallow and labored. With that stark realization came another wave of thoughts: Did anything he did—or could do—even matter? Should it matter? Was he obligated to try and save her?

Proto-Man's internal systems hummed softly as he processed these questions, his shielded eyes flickering with a mix of confusion and indifference. He reminded himself of all the trouble this human, Kalinka, had caused him. Her meddling, her stubbornness, her relentless pursuit of her own agenda—it had all led to this moment, and he owed her nothing. He was under no obligation to save her or any other human. Their lives were fleeting, their struggles insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Yet, as he stood there, the wind howling around him, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than just a simple choice. Something about the way she lay there, so fragile and broken, stirred a peculiar sensation within his mechanical body—a sensation he couldn't quite identify. But for now, he pushed it aside, focusing instead on the cold, hard facts: she was nearly gone, and he was not responsible for her fate.

This wasn't his fault.

There was nothing he could do.

…nothing that would matter now.

Mine

"There she is!" Roll exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the mine cart that Natsenka was desperately trying to keep under control. The old, rickety cart creaked and groaned, struggling to contain the determined robot as she ducked and weaved, firing shots at her relentless pursuers. "Darn it!" Roll hissed, momentarily forgetting that Elec Man and Ice Man were still hot on the red-haired agent's tail. "First things first, we gotta take care of those guys!"

Roll kept a safe distance, her blue eyes narrowing as she assessed the chaotic scene unfolding below. She made sure to stay far enough away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire or drawing any unwanted attention. "Huh, would you look at that?" she mused with a sly grin. "I'm actually being cautious. Who would've thought?"

Down below, Natsenka's plasma pistol blazed to life, the intense heat of the shot illuminating the dim cavern as she aimed. She fired with precision, her target either the wheels of the enemy kart or the relentless robots swarming around her. The rickety mine cart she rode in lurched and swayed, its aged wood and metal groaning under the strain of the high-speed chase. Sparks flew as the cart's wheels sparked against the tracks, sending showers of embers into the air. Natsenka's core pounded in her mechanical chest as she ducked and weaved, her plasma pistol never ceasing its fiery dance. "Come on, you rust buckets!" she shouted, her voice a mix of defiance and desperation. "Is that all you've got?" The cavern echoed with the symphony of clashing metal and the roar of plasma blasts and resulting surges of electricity and ice, the very air thick with tension and the promise of more action to come.

Of course, whether or not she would survive said action was yet to be seen.

"As fun as watching you show off has been," Elec Man taunted, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he prepared his next move. "I think it's time to wrap up this little chase of ours!" He turned to his blue-clad partner, his voice dripping with malice. "Ice Man, my friend, would you mind giving our dear lady's ride a little... cooling down?" He chuckled at his own joke.

Ice Man, with a swift salute, responded with an eager, "Yes, sir!" His optics flared to life, locking onto the mine cart speeding ahead of them. He zeroed in on the left rear wheel, his frost-covered fingers crackling with icy energy. "Here we go! Releasing sub-zero mixture forty-five!" he shouted, unleashing a blast of cold that sent a shiver down even Elec Man's circuits. The chase reached a fever pitch as Ice Man's power clashed with the speeding cart, the outcome hanging in the balance.

A deafening, ear-splitting screech tore through the air, assaulting Natsenka's audio receptors with an almost unbearable intensity. The mine cart lurched and bucked wildly, slowing down at an alarming rate as it shook violently from side to side. Natsenka's optics widened in alarm as she looked down and saw the cause of their sudden deceleration: the left rear wheel had been encased in a thick layer of ice, frozen solid and utterly motionless. The other three wheels struggled to compensate, their strain evident in the groaning of the cart's aged frame as it careened along the rickety tracks, sparks flying and wood splintering under the intense pressure.

"Ha! Looks like I didn't even need to add any fireworks this time!" Elec Man cackled, his voice echoing through the cavern as he reveled in Natsenka's loss of control. "Though I must say, I think fireworks would look best shooting out of your ears and eye sockets!"

Ice Man turned to Elec Man, his optics narrowing in confusion. "That's a bit gruesome, don't you think, Sir?" he asked, only to then glitch briefly, his digital eyes flashing before he snapped, "But who cares? Enemies are only good for one thing—being defeated!"

Natsenka gritted her mechanical teeth, her grip tightening on her plasma pistol as she prepared to fire again. But suddenly, a sharp, icy sting shot through her hand, forcing her fingers to curl inwards against her will. The pain was instant and intense, but just as quickly, it faded, leaving her hand numb and unresponsive. She tried to fire again, but her trigger finger refused to budge, and no heated red laser emerged from the barrel. Her mental commands fell on deaf ears as her systems struggled to respond.

Her fierce, dark eyes widened as she realized that her hand, along with her weapon—her main line of defense—had been completely frozen solid, trapped beneath a thick layer of ice, rendering her pistol and her hand entirely useless.

"No... not again," she growled, her voice a mix of frustration and determination. "I won't go down without a fight!"

Just moments before, Natsenka would have scoffed at such a daring maneuver, deeming it foolish and doomed to failure. Yet, as the mine cart beneath her groaned and shook, its stability fading with each passing second, she found herself with few options left. Her internal systems hummed with a mix of trepidation and resolve as she weighed the risks. The cart's violent lurches and the relentless assault of her enemies left her little choice but to act.

To the astonishment of both her adversaries and herself, Natsenka sprang into action. With a mighty leap, she launched herself from the edge of the careening cart, her mechanical body soaring through the air in a blazing arc. The shock of her daring maneuver was palpable, a moment of suspended disbelief as Elec Man and Ice Man watched, their optics wide with surprise. Natsenka's trajectory was a streak of defiance against the backdrop of the cavern, a testament to her refusal to go down without a fight.

Then, she landed a swift kick straight to Ice Man's chest, knocking the other robot out of his kart. The Inuit–based android barely saved himself at the last moment by grabbing the edge of the moving vehicle.

Despite Natsenka's daring leap, Elec Man remained unfazed, his confidence unshaken. A smirk played on his lips as he taunted, "Bravado becomes you, agent. But even you must see that you stand no chance against me, let alone anyone else if you somehow manage to escape."

Natsenka's optics flashed with defiance as she retorted, "Who said anything about escaping?" A small shiver ran through her systems at the grim prospect, but she held her ground, her voice steady and resolute. "Whatever comes..." She paused, allowing a small hiss of air to escape through her vents, a peculiar display for a being that didn't require oxygen. Was this what humans called a "stress sigh"? The action seemed almost involuntary, a testament to the depth of her determination. "...I am ready to face it." Her stance was firm, her resolve unwavering, despite the odds stacked against her.

Elec Man's grin widened, a cruel and sadistic satisfaction curling his lips as he crossed his arms, openly reveling in her predicament. "Are you sure about that?" he mocked, a menacing glint in his optics. He held up a finger, a small but steady and ominous charge of electricity crackling at its tip, the air around it humming with dangerous energy. "You see, my processing power might have seen a recent boost, but even before that, I have a habit of enjoying the company of those who think they can take me on." He leaned in, his voice a low, dangerous purr. "And let me tell you, they all ended up just the same—beaten and broken. Even that blue nuisance, Mega Man, couldn't stand against me."

"Then why is he still around to talk about it?" Natsenka shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm as she bucked against the restraints. Meanwhile, Ice Man, with a cold and calculated precision, inched his way back onto the kart, his boots clanging against the metal surface, sending a shudder through the already unstable vehicle.

As the sound of his footsteps grew louder, Natsenka braced herself, ready to spin around and face her foe. But before she could react, a pair of icy, ivory metal arms wrapped around her midsection, clamping down with a force that left her gasping. Her arms were pinned to her sides, her movements restricted as she struggled against the unyielding grip. "Let me go!" she demanded, her voice a mix of frustration and desperation. With her arms immobilized, her options were limited, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet. She could still use her legs, and she intended to make every kick count.

Her kick was powerful and swift, a blur of metal and determination aimed straight at Elec Man's smug face. But just as her foot was about to make contact with his smooth, unyielding features, a cold, unyielding grip clamped down on her ankle, halting her momentum mid-strike. The reprogrammed DLN, its optics glowing with a sinister light, held her captive, its mechanical fingers digging into her ankle with a force that sent a shudder through her systems. She struggled, trying to wriggle free, but the grip was like a vice, unyielding and unrelenting. "You're not getting away that easily," the DLN seemed to taunt, his voice a low, mocking hum as Ice Man held her firmly in place, thwarting her escape. "Not until I've had my fill," Elec Man then brought his sparkling digit closer. "Or rather, you've had your fill of me."

Before Elec Man could follow through on his threatening promise, a small but solid object came hurtling through the air, striking him square on the top of his head. The impact chipped off the top of his lightning bolt-shaped mask, leaving a noticeable dent in his otherwise sleek armor.

"GAH!" Elec Man exclaimed, his hands flying to his head as he turned his attention away from Natsenka. "My face! My beautiful face!" he wailed, his voice echoing dramatically through the tunnel. "It's ruined! Completely ruined!"

A high-pitched, mocking voice chimed in, "Oh, relax, you overrated circuit board! It's just a little chip. It's not like your face cracked open like an egg!" The reprogrammed DLN turned to see the source of the voice, its optics narrowing as it took in the sight of Beat and Roll, accompanied by Rush, speeding towards them.

Elec Man's optics flashed with rage as he spotted the culprit. "You little green menace," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom as he aimed his electricity-charged fingers upward. "I'll make all of you pay for this insult!"

As Natsenka realized who had come to her rescue, a surge of determination coursed through her systems. Seeing Elec Man about to unleash his electrical fury on Roll, Rush, and Beat, she redoubled her efforts to break free. Ice Man, momentarily stunned by Roll's sudden appearance, struggled to maintain his grip on Natsenka, his arms tightening around her midsection as she bucked and thrashed with renewed vigor.

"Sir, I mean, Elec Man, I'm losing my grip! I can't—" he cried out, his voice a mix of surprise and alarm as Natsenka's struggles intensified. Before he could finish his sentence, a powerful force seized his arm and with a swift, fluid motion, he was thrown over Natsenka's shoulder, his trajectory arcing through the air before he collided with a resounding clang into the other DLN, the force of the impact sending them both tumbling across the uneven cavern floor.

Just as Natsenka's world tilted, the mine cart groaned and toppled over, sending her and her captors tumbling into the abyss. She plummeted, the darkness enveloping her as she fell, the cold air rushing past her systems. But just as she braced for impact, a small, firm grip clamped onto her bodysuit, the flexible fabric allowing for a secure hold. Looking up, she saw the diminutive yet determined form of Beat, his talons digging into her suit, his wings beating furiously to keep them both aloft.

"All right, good job, Beat!" Roll's voice called out, her tone a mix of relief and pride. Natsenka turned to see her friend riding atop Rush, Eddie cradled safely in her arms. "Keep going until we reach solid ground!" Roll commanded, her voice steady and resolved.

Natsenka, despite the chaos and the danger, felt a surprising sense of concern for Roll and the others. She had not expected to care so deeply for their well-being, but in that moment, as they soared through the darkness together, she realized that she did. And with that realization came a newfound determination to see them all through this ordeal, whatever it may bring.

Elsewhere

Kalinka Cossack's mind swam in a haze, her memories flickering like a dying flame. She struggled to recall the sequence of events, her thoughts snagging on the moment Vasilisa ventured into the woods for a spark of fire. The details of that journey, the dense, foreboding woods, and the encounter with the infamous Baba Yaga—all of it slipped through her mental grasp like sand through a sieve.

How could this be? Kalinka had known the tale of Vasilisa since childhood; every young girl in these parts did. Vasilisa the Beautiful, Vasilisa the Wise—her stories were as familiar as the back of their hands. From being turned into a frog by a demon king to facing the destructive Firebird, Vasilisa's trials were legendary. Yet, here Kalinka was, teetering on the edge of consciousness, unable to recall a crucial part of one of the more straightforward tales.

What came next? Her mind raced, desperate to piece together the fragmented narrative. There was something before Vasilisa entered the woods, or perhaps before she met Baba Yaga. A crucial detail, a turning point, but it eluded her, dancing just out of reach.

Kalinka's breath hitched, her systems faltering as she hovered between life and death, unaware of the precarious state she was in. Her eyes fluttered, her vision blurring as she clutched at the fading threads of her memory, praying for clarity in the chaos.

"How's your hand holding up?" Roll asked, nodding towards Natsenka's frozen limb, the plasma pistol still clutched tightly in her grasp. "That looks pretty uncomfortable."

Natsenka attempted to flex her mechanical fingers, trying to restore some feeling to her numbed hand. "I'll manage," she assured Roll, her voice steady despite the strange sensations coursing through her systems. "But the sooner we can thaw this out, the better."

Roll's optics scanned the dimly lit tunnel, her brow furrowing in concentration. "There's got to be something around here we can use," she murmured, more to herself than to Natsenka. "I mean, it's not like I'm worried or anything, but having a firearm handy is never a bad idea, you know?" She then paused, her optics narrowing as she spotted something in the distance. "Hey, what do you make of that?" she asked, squinting into the shadows.

Natsenka followed Roll's gaze, her own optics adjusting to the low light. "Well, would you look at that," she muttered, a mix of surprise and amusement coloring her voice. "It looks like we've got company."

Kalinka's mind began to stir, the fog of her memories slowly lifting as she grasped at the fragments of Vasilisa's tale, using the story as a lifeline to pull herself back from the brink. She remembered now—Vasilisa's journey into the woods was not a straightforward path to Baba Yaga's hut. No, there were encounters, trials, and omens along the way.

Vasilisa did not immediately cross paths with the infamous witch; instead, she met three figures, though she only acknowledged two. The first was the Rider of the Dawn, a spectral figure cloaked in pristine white, blending seamlessly with the snow and radiating the pure, brilliant light of the rising sun. His steed, equally ivory and ethereal, moved with an otherworldly speed and grace, leaving Vasilisa in a daze as he passed her by, his presence a fleeting vision of hope and renewal.

But who came next? Kalinka's mind wandered, teetering on the edge of consciousness as she fought to recall the details. The Rider of the Night, perhaps? A figure shrouded in darkness, his black steed banishing all light, casting everything in its path into a chilling, deathly shadow. Death...

Kalinka's breath hitched, her systems faltering as she clung to the narrative, using it as a beacon to guide her back from the abyss. The story was her anchor, her way to fight against the encroaching darkness that threatened to consume her. She had to remember.

She had to live.

"...rise and shine, Princess…"

Wait, she thought, her mind grasping at the elusive threads of her memory. An image began to take shape before her, blurred and indistinct, yet unmistakable in its vibrancy. Colors started to emerge from the haze—rich, vivid reds and a resplendent, shimmering gold that seemed to dance and shift before her optics. The figure was cloaked in a mantle of golden light, as if he wielded the very power of the sun itself, his shoulders adorned with a radiant, otherworldly glow that commanded attention and respect. He was a beacon of warmth and life, a stark contrast to the icy tendrils of death that threatened to claim her.

The Rider in Red... yes, that was it! The Rider of the Day, cloaked in a vibrant crimson that mirrored the setting sun, his presence a defiant stand against the encroaching darkness. He was the embodiment of the sun's power, his cloak a blazing tapestry of red and gold, shimmering with an intensity that demanded awe and reverence. He had come for her, his message clear and unyielding: it was not yet her time to depart this world.

His voice echoed in her mind, a deep, resonant command that cut through the fog of her memories. "Not yet," he declared, his words a beacon of hope in the face of despair. "There is still time. Time to save your father, time to protect your homeland and that of the one the true evil has lured here, time to still hope."

Kalinka's systems surged with renewed determination, her optics flaring with a newfound resolve. She would not succumb to the darkness, not while there was still a fight to be won, a purpose to fulfill. The Rider of the Day had spoken, and she would heed his words, clinging to the promise of hope that he offered.

"...Kalinka?"

Voices echoed in her mind, distant and muffled, like whispers carried on the wind. "Hey, Kalinka? Can you hear us?"

The vibrant figure of the Rider of the Day seemed to shimmer and fade, his form dissipating like a mirage as a pair of strong, warm arms enveloped her, pulling her close. Kalinka's chilled, nearly paralyzed body ached with the sudden movement, but the embrace was comforting, a stark contrast to the icy grip that had held her before.

"She's freezing!" a voice exclaimed, laced with concern. "Where in the world are her shoes? I mean, your shoes?!"

Kalinka's optics fluttered open, her vision blurred and disoriented. The Rider of the Day was gone, replaced by the worried faces of two young women, their voices filled with anxiety and relief. "Oh geez, she was wandering out there without any protection? No wonder she's practically frozen solid!"

One of them turned to the other, her brow furrowed in worry. "Question is, can she even understand us right now?"

Silence fell as they waited, the only sound the soft rustling of their clothes and the distant drip of water. Kalinka's mind raced, her thoughts a jumbled mess as she tried to piece together what was happening. The red and gold hues that had filled her vision began to fade, replaced by the concerned faces of the two women. As her vision cleared, she saw that the vibrant light she had associated with the Rider of the Day was now a long, shimmering veil draped around one of the women's shoulders, catching the light and casting a warm glow over her features.

"R-Roll?"

Kalinka's response was faint, her voice barely above a whisper, exhausted and frail. "Y-yes... I'm here," she managed to say, the words slipping out like a sigh of relief. The sound of her own voice, hoarse and weakened, was a welcome assurance that she was still alive, still fighting.

At the sound, a wave of emotion washed over the blonde DLN, a mix of joy and relief that threatened to overwhelm her systems. Beat, sensing her master's relief, fluttered excitedly to her side, his small form a blur of blue and white as he nuzzled gently against her neck. The sensation of his metal bill against her flesh was strange yet comforting, a tangible connection to the world around her.

"I thought I lost you," Beat chattered, his voice a soft, worried coo. "I really thought you were gone this time, Kalinka," His optics shone with a mix of concern and happiness, his small form trembling slightly as he held her close, his wings fluttering gently against her cheek. "But you're safe, that's all that matters."

Even if her movements weren't as fluid or quick as before, the partially frozen Russian reached forward to give the bluebird a gentle series of pats on his dome. "I've missed you too, Ptchika." she muttered, reclining more into Roll's form, the seanation of her far warmer body immediately drawing Kalinka's approval.

The heartfelt reunion was short-lived, as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the tunnel, growing louder and more insistent with each passing second. Natsenka's optics snapped to attention, her body tensing despite her weakened state as she turned to face the new threat. Rush, ever the loyal companion, mirrored her stance, his powerful form lowering into a defensive crouch, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

The footsteps grew closer, the echo bouncing off the cold, hard walls of the tunnel, creating an eerie symphony of uncertainty. As the figure rounded the corner, Natsenka's grip on her plasma pistol tightened, her finger hovering over the trigger, ready to unleash a blast of concentrated energy at a moment's notice.

But as the figure came into view, Natsenka's eyes widened in surprise, and her finger eased off the trigger. Rush's growl softened to a confused whimper, and Beat let out a soft chirp of uncertainty. The figure before them was not the enemy they had expected, but someone—or something—else entirely, leaving them all momentarily stunned and unsure of how to react.

Skull Man halted abruptly upon reaching the small gathering, his ruby-red optics locking onto Kalinka Cossack, taking in her bedraggled and frost-bitten state. "She still breathes," he observed, his voice a smooth, almost mechanical drawl, devoid of much emotion. Yet, beneath the monotone, there was a subtle undercurrent of relief. "That is good."

With a fluid motion, he stepped forward, his metal fingers gently but firmly taking Kalinka from Roll's grasp. He cradled her in his arms, his touch surprisingly gentle for a being of his stature. "Then there truly is still hope," he said, his optics flickering slightly as he looked down at the unconscious woman. "Hope not only for Dr. Cossack but for Mega Man as well."

His voice held a note of determination, a spark of something deeper than his usual stoic demeanor. It was a moment of vulnerability, a glimpse into the depths of his concern for his comrades.

Chapter Text

This was the culmination, the raison d'être that had driven him to this forsaken, frost-kissed corner of the globe. A Super Fighting Robot, a Sentinel of Justice, a Bulwark against the forces that threatened humanity—such was his purpose, his destiny, his very meaning for existing. Yet, as he stood before the elevator that would carry him upward into the unknown, Mega Man felt an unfamiliar hesitancy grip his circuits.

The elevator doors, cold and unforgiving as the environment beyond, stood open like a maw ready to swallow him whole. The chamber, a stark contrast of metal and ice, echoed with an eerie silence, as if the very air held its breath in anticipation. Mega Man's internal systems hummed softly, a counterpoint to the oppressive quiet, as he grappled with the finality of his decision.

After a few tentative moments of silence and mental debate, Mega Man ultimately stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut behind him with a finality that sent a shiver through his mechanical frame. The elevator began its ascent, carrying him upward into the heart of the facility and toward the unknown that awaited him. The hum of the machinery was his only companion as he rose, the air growing colder and more sterile with each passing second, yet even the cold ambiance served as more preferable company compared to his own thoughts.

What he had once merely wondered about and subsequently come to suspect had finally been unambiguously confirmed: Dr. Wily was indeed the puppet master orchestrating this entire chaotic affair. The telling intervention of Proto Man during his fierce battle with Skull Man was a glaring indication, a haunting echo of the mad scientist's voice that resonated through the crumbling remains of the battlefield, commanding the farcical drama to persist even in the light of this shocking revelation. In any other circumstance, that would have been the unmistakable signal to launch himself into action, to thwart whatever sinister plot the deranged roboticist had conjured this time. He was driven by the urgent need to rescue any hostages caught in Wily's web of madness, all while thwarting the maniac’s relentless pursuit of power, rare materials, or whatever else had seized his twisted imagination this time around. 

And yet, despite the clarity of his newfound knowledge, Mega Man found himself shackled by an overwhelming sense of impotence, his usually relentless drive to act stifled by an unseen force. The truth had been laid bare: Dr. Wily was the sinister conductor behind this symphony of chaos, pulling the strings from the shadows with a madman's precision. Yet, here he was, Mega Man, the Blue Bomber, the erstwhile savior of countless worlds, reduced to a state of helplessness, his circuits burning with frustration as he grappled with the harsh reality of his situation.

Dr. Cossack, a man of science and reason, had been reduced to a mere pawn in Wily's twisted game, his will subjugated, his actions dictated by the madman's whims. The once-proud scientist was now a victim, a marionette dancing to Wily's tune, his every move a testament to the depths of the mad scientist's control. Mega Man's optics flickered with a mix of anger and sadness as he pondered the sight of Cossack, a man his creator had once respected, now reduced to this pathetic state, a slave to Wily's insidious will. The Blue Bomber's core ached with the knowledge that he was powerless to intervene, to free Cossack from his bonds and put an end to Wily's machinations. 

Which was where the second factor of his enforced decision-making came into play. 

As Mega Man lay there, the pieces of the puzzle began to slot into place, each battle with the Robot Masters acting as a grim breadcrumb leading him to this stark realization. The mad scientist's influence was not merely a matter of direct manipulation, but a twisted web of control that ensnared even the most innocent of pawns. And in this case, the perfect tool to bend Dr. Cossack to his will was none other than his own flesh and blood: his daughter, Kalinka. Mega Man's optics dimmed slightly as he contemplated the depth of Wily's cruelty, using a child as a bargaining chip in his never-ending quest for power.

"Kalinka," Mega Man thought, his internal voice heavy with concern. Up until a short time ago, he had no idea she even existed, yet her presence couldn’t be denied now. "She’s just an innocent girl, used as a pawn, a tool to be used and discarded at the whim of that madman." His circuits ached with the knowledge that she was still in potential danger, her safety hanging by a thread, contingent upon Wily's fickle plans. "I cannot afford to risk her life," he told himself, his resolve firm despite the turmoil within. "Not when she is the key to Cossack's compliance, not when her existence is the sole reason he continues to do Wily's bidding."

Mega Man's frustration grew as he realized the precarious situation at hand. He was metaphorically immobilized, unable to act, and Kalinka's life hung in the balance. Every second that passed as the elevator ascended was a second too long, a second where Wily's plans could unravel, where Kalinka's safety could be compromised. "I must find a way to move," he thought, his determination unwavering. "For Cossack, for Kalinka, for everyone caught in this web of madness. I can’t let them down, not when the stakes are so high, not when the life of an innocent is at risk." 

Yet, for now, Mega Man was left with little choice but to bide his time, his internal clocks ticking away the seconds as he awaited the elevator's ascent. As the platform began to rise, carrying him closer to the heart of the conflict, a sudden realization dawned on him: a third factor influencing his decision to confront Dr. Cossack. It was a revelation that went beyond the manipulative strings of Dr. Wily and the innocent life of Kalinka.

Mega Man's optics flickered with a newfound understanding as he processed this additional layer of complexity. Dr. Cossack, much like Kalinka, was a pawn in Wily's grand scheme, a captive to the mad scientist's will. But there was more to it than that. As a machine, Cossack was programmed to obey, his actions dictated by the commands fed into his system. In that moment, Mega Man understood that the knowledge of Wily's involvement and Kalinka's plight ultimately didn't change the course of action he was set on. His programming, honed by Dr. Light himself, kicked in, aligning his priorities with the task at hand: dealing with Dr. Cossack.

"Even with all I know," Mega Man thought, his internal voice steady and resolute, "my purpose here remains clear. I am to face Cossack, to put an end to his involvement in Wily's schemes." It was a stark reminder that, despite the twists and turns, his mission remained unchanged. He was the Blue Bomber, the relentless force against the forces of evil, and he would not waver from his path.

As the elevator doors opened, revealing the path ahead, Mega Man stepped forward, his body humming with anticipation. He was going after the one who served as the puppet for the true mastermind, Dr. Wily. Yet, in Dr. Light's initial request, Wily's name was conspicuously absent. Instead, it was the name of a friend, a fact that Mega Man himself was unaware of. A friend whom Dr. Light held dear, and for whom he had sent his creation to intervene.

With a final burst of determination, Mega Man charged forward, his resolve unshaken. He was Mega Man, and he would see this through, no matter the obstacles in his path. The Blue Bomber, Defender of Mankind and the Human Race, Mega Man, who was always relentless, always brave, always true to his mission.

His body a prison, his mind a storm of thoughts and strategies, his core aching with the weight of his responsibility.

Mine

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Roll interrupted, her brow furrowing in skepticism. "You're telling me you want to go back to the teleporter? The one that's probably crawling with Wily's bots, just waiting for their precious prisoner to return?"

Skull Man nodded, his ruby-red optics burning with an unyielding intensity. "The machines guarding this area have been neutralized, according to your report," he said, his voice a smooth, almost hypnotic drawl. "But we can't leave anything to chance. Dr. Cossack's upgraded systems make it unlikely that the remaining bots will simply surrender."

Natsenka crossed her arms, a wry smile playing on her lips as she added, "Which means we're still racing against the clock, and both natural and man-made obstacles are stacked against us. You know, this is starting to feel like a typical Tuesday for me."

Roll's eyes widened in a mix of surprise and awe. "You deal with stuff like this all the time? That's insane!"

Natsenka nodded, her voice taking on a more formal tone. "Gathering intelligence on enemy forces and monitoring suspicious activities are among my primary functions. Although I must admit, most of my missions do not involve quite so thrilling a mode of transport as a minecart."

Roll was silent for a few moments. “...but it was kind of fun, right?” 

She paused, her optics flickering with a hint of amusement. "I…suppose variety is the spice of life, even for a robot like myself."

The blonde DLN smiled with full, pink, glossy lips. “Hey, yeah, you’re getting it!” 

“Well,” Kalinka, regaining some of her strength, spoke up, her voice laced with determination. "Even if they don't surrender, I'll make sure Dr. Wily does,” she declared, clenching one hand into a fist while the other was an open palm, sending the fist colliding into the latter. “ He's going to pay for what he's done to my father, and I won't rest until he does." Her peridot irises flared with a mix of anger and resolve, a promise of the battle to come. 

Satisfying as it would be to let you pummel that old geezer to the ground, maybe we should leave that to the authorities,” Roll suggested. “We don’t need you having any more close calls." 

"Besides,” Natsenka interjected. “The Russian government is quite interested in seeing what charges can be brought against Wily, considering he’s all but confirmed to be responsible for the months-long disappearance of one of the country’s most brilliant scientific minds.” 

The blonde human turned to face the tanned robotic agent. “Is that all Papa is to your people?” she inquired, even if she already knew the bitter answer. “Is that what his seven Robot Masters are?” she bit her lip, trying to keep herself from losing composure. “My братья?” 

“Братья?” Natsenka repeated, somewhat taken aback by the budding young woman’s terminology. “You call your father’s inventions your brothers?” 

“Of course,” Kalinka replied, though the slight tightening of her jaw revealed her offense at the agent’s dismissive and skeptical tone. “Who else would they be?” she pressed, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of urgency as she fervently defended the creations of Dr. Cossack. “I’ve known them since I was little more than a toddler—growing up in the shadows of their brilliance. I was only ten when Wily came and took them!” Her voice quivered with emotion, as if she were grappling with a painful truth that clawed at her heart. “It…it’s only been five years, which isn’t that long…” 

Turning her gaze to Roll, Kalinka's eyes shimmered with a mix of hope and desperation. “Anytime you’ve seen them, did they say anything?” she asked, the weight of her past hanging heavily in the air.

“Anything about what?” Roll replied, her brow furrowing in confusion, unable to decipher the depths of Kalinka’s worry. 

For a moment, Kalinka considered giving up, feeling the sting of Roll’s obliviousness wash over her like a cold wave. Yet something compelled her to press on, as if leaving any room for doubt might allow her to deceive herself further. “Anything about me?” she ventured again, her voice barely above a whisper, as if the question itself held the power to bridge the chasm between her past and present. 

Roll didn’t answer at first, realizing that her answer would provide little to no comfort for the young woman. Yet her systems compelled her to be candid, despite what she knew would follow. “Up until today, I didn’t even know they were created by someone outside of Wily,” the android, still garbed in the Russian’s clothing, relayed. “I didn’t know that Dr. Cossack even knew Dr. Light,” she paused, biting her lip. “Or that you even existed.” 

She tried not to show it, knowing well that Roll only provided her with what was asked, yet the results were the same. A single tear trailed down her still slightly chilled cheek, head turned toward the ground as the dim lights above served as almost a light balm for the wound just inflicted, albeit unintentionally so. 

“Kalinka…” Roll began, guilt-ridden with what she had just said, torn between whether to leave the human be or try and alleviate her distress, even if only by a small margin. 

“W-Well,” the blonde suddenly spoke, voice slightly hitching and broken, yet the human banished her tears, wiping those that threatened to slip out from the corners of her eyes. “Then there’s only one thing we can do,” Kalinka then stated, filled with resolve. “We can at least save my Papa,” she then paused, turning her peridot eyes toward Roll. “And your brother.” 

Roll found herself robbed of speech, optics widening as she realized what the human was indeed saying. “...thank you.” 

Kalinka presented the blonde android with a grin, the DLN doing the same for her, a silent promise made between the two in regards to the preservation and safety of their families. 

“Hey, guys!” a high-pitched chirp drew the focus of the small band of machines and a singular human, a blue robotic bird flying in their direction while a red mechanical canine came bounding down one of the tunnels, a smaller green robot seemingly “riding” him as if he were some noble steed. “Good news! The teleporters is still where Skully said it was!” Beat alerted the party. “And it’s still in working condition!”

“Yeah!” Eddie added, hopping off Rush’s back. “Bad robots didn’t smash it!” 

“Yet,” Skull Man corrected, crossing his ivory and coal-black colored arms over his rib-cage-esque chestplate. “If they suspect that you’re trying to make your way to the citadel itself, then I wouldn’t put it past them to try something of the like.”

“All the more reason we shouldn’t lollygag and hurry,” Natsenka added. “Still, Laws of Robotics or no, it’s been proven that Wily’s machines have been doing everything to keep Cossack’s child alive while the natural elements outside nearly snuffed her out,” the red-haired agent countered. “Should we even be letting her risk having another potential near-death experience?”

“I’m going,” Kalinka stated firmly. “I might still get in trouble, but Papa’s still Wily’s prisoner,” She paused for a moment, her fist clenching in steadily growing fury being kindled by the desire to see the man safe. “If he sees me, if he sees that I’m all right, then not only will he learn the truth, but Mega Man will also not have to face him!” 

Natsenka's voice was firm, her tone laced with a mix of concern and authority. "It would be safer for everyone if you stayed out of harm's way. We can simply inform your father that you've been found and there's no further need for him to continue this dangerous mission."

Kalinka's response was immediate and passionate, her eyes flashing with determination. "He won't stop! Papa won't rest until he believes I'm safe, and if that means going up against Mega Man himself, then so be it. If an old man and a woman can cross the sea in a boat to another land, then dealing with someone he can simply 'smash up' will be no issue at all."

Roll's optics widened, her confusion evident as she tried to decipher Kalinka's words. "What are you saying? Are you implying that your father would go and outright scrap my brother?"

Kalinka turned to face Roll, her movement abrupt and her optics narrowing as she met the blonde android's gaze. The sight of Roll's light-green irises stopped her dead in her tracks, her internal wiring seeming to chill as she caught the cold, unyielding hardness in those eyes—a stark contrast to the youthful vigor she had expected.

“I’m not implying,” the young woman answered, voice deathly serious. “I’m saying that my Papa could very well beat Wily in destroying the Blue Bomber once and for all.”

Citadel

At long last, he reached the door. 

True, the jaunt from the elevator to the sealed entryway wasn’t exactly a long one, little more than a few yards to be honest, yet given all that had occurred before now still weighed on his mind. Indeed, this case had proved to be far more complicated than the standard skirmish with Dr. Wily and whatever mechanical menace he had constructed to take down the azure android. At least until Proto Man came in and either sabotaged the old man’s efforts or simply went in to face Mega Man himself. 

He never thought he would see the day, yet the Blue Bomber found himself wishing for one of the crazed scientist’s schemes at the moment. At least then he wouldn’t have any qualms about what he was required to do. At least it wouldn’t potentially involve sending a mere victim of the balding madman to be confined to a cell. 

Even if Mega Man himself now knew the truth, the sheer possibility of Dr. Cossack reaping potential punishment for being a hostage made his circuitry twist. 

Still, he has his orders, commands given for him to fulfill. 

Justice to enforce.

With a tentative sigh, the Blue Bomber strode forward, his blue boot hovering momentarily over a distinct tile on the floor of the desolate, narrow hallway. The echoes of his step reverberated through the emptiness, a solitary sound in the oppressive silence. 

CLICK! 

In that instant, as the azure android registered the subtle shift beneath him—a trigger for what he now recognized as a rather obvious trap—gravity descended upon him like an unseen hand. The floor beneath him crumbled away, and Mega Man found himself plunging into the abyss, the world above swallowed by an all-encompassing darkness. 

It was a stark contrast to his recent ascent, where he had risen with purpose; now, he was spiraling downward into a void that seemed to stretch infinitely. 

After what felt like an eternity of freefall, the moment of impact arrived. He landed abruptly, the solid flooring beneath his boots providing a jarring but welcome reassurance that he had reached a new, albeit foreboding, destination.

“Приветствую тебя, Синий Спаситель Запада,” a calm, cool voice echoed throughout the expansive chamber, lights, bright yet limited in number, flashed from above, illuminating the area yet still allowing dense shadows to conceal a good portion of the enclosure. “Unfortunate as it is, I have been expecting you.” The voice concluded, the transition from native Russian to English near flawless, yet the distinctive Slavic accent still clung to the words spoken, further reminding the Blue Bomber he was no longer dealing with Wily. 

Much to his collective dismay and chagrin.

Instead of a mobile machine fitted with wheels of a tank or loaded with visible and extravagant missiles and weaponry, Mega Man found himself faced with what appeared to be a hanging apparatus of machinery, a maneuverable weapon that could presumably travel wherever its pilot wished, linings in the darkened ceiling above all connected in a hexagonal spider web that was crafted all throughout the canopy. 

And nestled inside the hanging machine itself was the unwilling puppet mastermind, the light reflecting off the surface of his spectacles, concealing his eyes from view. 

“Hm, indeed,” Dr. Cossack observed, as if the azure android was some sort of subject of interest to him. “Thomas constructed you well,” it was somewhat difficult to tell, yet the Blue Bomber could’ve sworn that there was a sense of fondness in his voice. “You look just like his younger self, Rock Light.” 

Mine

"There it is!" Beat exclaimed, his wings fluttering excitedly as he hovered above the small group, having turned yet another corner. The teleportation device, the very same Kalinka—disguised as "Roll"—had made use of before, stood proudly against the rugged, northern wall of the mine. It seemed to hum with an otherworldly energy, as if it had been patiently waiting for their return.

Natsenka approached the machine cautiously, her optics scanning its intricate details from a short distance away. "Advanced technology or not, teleportation is still a somewhat unknown field, even amongst the scientific minds of my country and that of places such as Japan," she remarked, her voice a mix of awe and wariness. "Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea if all of us tried to warp out of here at the same time."

"Indeed," Skull Man affirmed, his nod a firm, decisive motion. "To ensure the teleporter functions as intended, it would be prudent for no more than two of you to enter one at a time." His ruby-red optics flickered, scanning the shadows cast by the dim lighting, ever vigilant for any signs of danger. "However, time is of the essence. You must hasten if you are to reach Mega Man or Dr. Cossack before it's too late."

“If that’s the case, then you should go in first,” Roll recommended to Kalinka, being reminded once again that the blonde human was once again “borrowing” her clothes for the time being. Although it looked like her boots would need some replacing. “After all, if your Dad is like you said he is, then the sooner he knows you’re ok, the sooner Mega can get out of this mess too.” 

“Yeah, but what about the other bots roaming the place?” Beat inquired. “After all, trying to escape them is what sent you outside in the first place, right?” 

“Right,” Kalinka confirmed, biting her lip. “Then, in that case, maybe someone like Natsenka or Skull Man should go first,” she suggested. “Not to say I don’t trust in your abilities, Roll, but…?” Before she could finish, a distant sound drew her focus, her ears picking up the sound of approaching footsteps. 

Heavy footsteps. 

Those belonging to men of metal. 

Citadel

It took a moment for the meaning behind the Russian scientist’s words to sink in, the azure android standing still as realization washed over him like a tidal wave. His brilliant blue optics widened in astonishment, reflecting the harsh lights of the metal-clad vehicle surrounding them. “What did you just call me?” he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

Dr. Cossack, momentarily taken aback, raised an eyebrow, the hint of confusion painting his features. “You ARE still named such, right?” he inquired, his tone laced with incredulity as though he were unaware that he was currently inside a contraption designed for the blue robot's annihilation. “Or has Tom perhaps decided to refer to you as Blues instead?”

Blues? The name struck him like a thunderclap, but why? It wasn’t as if he had ever known anyone by that name before. 

“Wha, uh, n-no, Sir,” Mega Man stammered, trying to collect his thoughts. “But, yeah, I am Rock. It’s just… no one outside of Doc or Roll has called me that,” His voice trailed off, revealing the weight of nostalgia that accompanied his true name, a name he wore like an old, forgotten cloak. “Did Dr. Light tell you that?” Mega, Rock asked. “About us? Me and…?”

Cossack's nod was slow and heavy, a weight of regret and resignation evident in his movements. "Your creator and I, your father in a sense, share a history—one that is both intertwined and hidden," he explained to the azure android, his voice a low, somber rumble. "It's a shame, really. There was a time when I might have introduced you and your sister to my own child," He paused, his eyes closing briefly as if to shut out the painful memories. "But that future is beyond our reach now. Here and now, this is our reality, and we must face it." 

His expression was one of deep sorrow, a man despising the path before him but seeing no other choice.

Mine

“Someone’s coming!” Kalinka hissed, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with fear. She instinctively backed away, seeking refuge behind the imposing, towering figure of Skull Man, whose sheer size emanated a sense of formidable security.

“Then we can’t afford to wait,” Natsenka declared, her eyes narrowing with determination as she swiftly drew her sleek plasma pistol, the weapon gleaming ominously in the dim light. “Roll, you need to enter the teleporter first!”

“What? Why me?” protested the blonde DLN, her brow furrowed in confusion, caught off guard by the Russian agent’s urgency. “Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to go instead? Kalinka could use the—” she hesitated, the words catching in her throat, acknowledging an uncomfortable truth. “—Extra protection and all.” 

“Perhaps that wouldn’t be the wisest course of action,” Skull Man suggested, his voice steady and measured. “Yes, on a physical level, Natsenka Unit 95 might provide an added layer of protection, as you mentioned. However, she is also a representative of his government,” he continued, his tone tinged with caution. “A regime that, while distinct in its ways, still embodies an oppressive power—one that he once fought tirelessly to escape. Seeing her might provoke a strong, unfavorable reaction from him.” 

“Huh? Why would that be?” Roll asked, her brow furrowing in confusion at such a troubling idea. “She’s an agent, right? I mean, sure, I come from the West, but can’t anyone see when someone’s coming to help?” Her bewilderment hung thick in the air, as she struggled to comprehend the implications of Skull Man's words. 

The skeletal Robot Master seemed firm in his decision, the red-haired agent herself turning to the blonde robot. “He's right, Roll,” Natsenka answered. “Dr. Cossack, even if my design came from him, he will most likely see me as someone sent to take him back,” She then paused, as if she had just become aware of a fact or detail she had known all along, yet only now fully understood what it meant. “With or without his daughter found safe and alive.” 

“But…he made you,” Roll countered. “You’re one of his creations! His children even!” 

The tanned agent looked down, her gaze cast to the barren ground beneath her boots, starved of nutrients by the harsh tundra, and her past life as just one of the many labors assigned to the tragic souls condemned to the Gulag that once resided here. The Gulag that had been transformed into the very fortress Dr. Cossack had been forced to take command of. 

“Just because he had a hand in making me,” Natsenka responded, voice surprisingly lacking in its usual firmness and resolve. “Doesn’t mean he views me as his,” she answered. “She is the key to his freedom,” she continued, gesturing toward Kalinka. “I, on the other hand, represent his imprisonment.” 

Roll was stunned by what she had just heard, about to protest (though she found herself somewhat hesitant about what exactly she could argue with), yet Skull Man spoke up before she could get a single word in.

 “Neither of us is fit to see Dr. Cossack right now,” the more recently assembled Robot Master said, his tone still grim and serious, but with a hint of solemnness in his delivery. “We are only foul reminders of what he wished to shield his child from all this time.” 

Roll found herself rendered silent, anything that came to her processor ultimately being disregarded as useless. Unfortunate as it was, it appeared that the minds of the two other machines had been made up. “But-” still, a part of her wanted to try at least—just one more time. 

“There’s no time!” Natsenka interrupted, the sound of approaching footsteps now being accompanied by a collection of voices. Rather familiar voices attached to some rather familiar (and rather unsavory) characters. “If you’re caught down here, then it’s over! But if you go up, then you at least have a chance!” 

A thick silence enveloped the small group, punctuated only by the faint hum of the teleporter. Roll's cerulean optics flicked from the shimmering device to Skull Man and Natsenka, a flicker of concern threading through her thoughts. 

Suddenly, her keen ears picked up muffled sounds approaching from the distance. The voices—distinct and laden with a sense of impending chaos—grew louder, each familiar tone igniting a sense of foreboding. She braced herself, knowing all too well that the figures drawing near were always accompanied by trouble.

With a swift motion and heavy core in her chest, the blonde DLN grasped Kalinka by the arm and dashed for the mechanical device, both she and the female human able to fit inside, albeit just barely. Skull Man then came forward and entered a code unknown to either Roll or Kalinka, even though the latter had seen the imposing Robot Master make use of the keypad beforehand. 

“Just open the first door you see, and you will know where to go from there,” Skull Man instructed the two. “If my skirmish with him is any indication, you will at least have some time to reach him,” he reminisced. “He does not go down easily.” 

“Of course he wouldn't!” Roll, her eyes sparkling with pride and determination, turned to Kalinka with a fierce smile. "My brother is the strongest in the world," she declared, her voice filled with unshakable conviction. "He'll be waiting for us, ready to take down anyone who stands in our way."

Kalinka, however, felt a pang of worry in her heart. She looked at Skull Man, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "Will I ever see you again?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Skull Man's gaze remained steady, but he offered no words of reassurance. Instead, he reached out and pressed the red button on the keypad without a moment's hesitation. In an instant, Roll and Kalinka were enveloped in a swirling vortex of light and color, their forms dissolving into the very fabric of the machine's technology. When the light faded, there was no trace of them left, only the lingering echo of Roll's declaration and the unanswered question hanging in the air. Skull Man stood with Natsenka, his expression unreadable, as he prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Citadel

The colossal metallic claw shot forward with breathtaking speed, a glint of sunlight reflecting off its polished steel surface, catching the Blue Bomber off guard. Mega Man, usually so precise in his calculations, had grossly underestimated the sheer scale and agility of Cossack’s formidable machine, which moved with an unexpected fluidity that belied its massive size. With a quick, agile leap backward, Mega Man braced himself, the familiar weight of his weapon steady in his hands, prepared to unleash a barrage of pulsating energy blasts. Yet, a sinking realization washed over him—his shots would likely strike the machine's intricate electronic components but leave the human pilot untouched, just as they had in his past confrontations with the cunning Dr. Wily.

This time, however, Mega Man faced not the twisted ambitions of a megalomaniacal old man plotting conquest, but the desperate, relentless determination of a father pushed to his last resort, a protective instinct fueling the confrontation with an intensity that neither of them could ignore.

“Wait! Dr. Cossack, please! Just listen to me!” The Blue Bomber's voice rang out, echoing against the cold, metallic walls of the lab, but his usual bravado had evaporated, replaced by a palpable sense of urgency. Gone was the fearless hero who faced off against Wily’s contraptions; in this moment, he felt like a mere negotiator, desperately wielding his words as his only weapon to gain control over the mounting chaos. “You don’t have to do this! I know there’s more to this than you!” he implored, his eyes searching for any sign of humanity within the imposing figure of the larger-than-life machine before him. “I know about Kalinka! I’m aware that Dr. Wily has your daughter!” The words hung in the air, charged with emotion, as he fought to reach the man beneath the steel exterior. 

Cossack remained silent for a moment, weighing his response. Finally, he spoke, though his words came out heavy and weary, lacking the sharpness of sarcasm. “...you think I'm not aware?” His voice bore the weight of exhaustion, echoing a fatigue that seeped deep into his bones, gnawed at his mind, and dulled his spirit. “Your knowledge of the truth ultimately changes nothing.” 

Mega Man’s cerulean optics widened, a wave of shock washing over him as the grim reality sank in. His carefully crafted strategy, along with the truth he had clung to, was slipping away like sand through his fingers. “But, Doctor—”

“Once you departed from Skull Man’s arena, after your wayward estranged sibling so rudely interrupted your match, Wily informed me that Kalinka had fled into the wilderness beyond this grim stronghold,” Cossack interjected sharply, cutting off the Blue Bomber’s plea. The staggering revelation hung heavily in the air, stealing the words from Mega Man’s lips. 

“My daughter, my beloved Kalinka, is out there,” Cossack continued, his voice trembling with a mix of despair and urgency. “In the bitter cold. Alone, lost, and...” he paused, the weight of his words almost too much to bear. “They have still yet to find her.”

The azure android clenched his fists, cursing the fact that he was unable to do anything as of now. It wasn’t as if he could just fly out of here. Rush wasn’t with him, and that would technically breach the agreement between him and Cossack regarding his “challenge”, the command to deal with the Russian scientist still at the forefront of his processor, whether he wanted it to take precedent or not. 

“And should I refuse to partake in this battle, then Wily’s alerted me that he wouldn’t be willing to send his machines out to search. Too much area to scour and too many resources to be wasted, he said,,” the bearded roboticist relayed, his clammy, weary hands gripping fiercely at the controls in the machine he piloted. “If anything, according to him, whatever happens is only what she brought on herself.”

Mega Man’s fists trembled, freshly ignited fury burning against the balding German that had orchestrated this entire thing. He wished to say something, a declaration, a promise he would find Dr. Cossack’s daughter; he could do it far better than any of Wily’s machines. If only the Doctor would relent, if only the human would let the reformatted DLN go so he could truly do something that would remedy everything. 

And yet, he found himself with nothing, his processor unable to conjure or construct a sound argument. Or rather, one that the human would accept, having made his intentions known, as well as the strength of his will. 

“Should your father, Thomas Light, be in such a dilemma, what would you do?” Dr. Cossack inquired. “Or better yet, your sister?”

Again, Mega Man had no answer that would prevent what was to come.

“Then you should understand.” 

Lower Portions of the Citadel

The same dazzling array of lights and vibrant colors bombarded their senses, one experiencing it for the first time and the other revisiting a familiar spectacle. Just as quickly as their surroundings had been swallowed by the brilliant yet blinding display, it all faded away, leaving the robot and human in an unremarkable room that felt oddly detached from the world beyond. The walls were bare and unadorned, the air still and heavy, with only the teleporter nestled against the northern wall, its cold, metallic surface glistening faintly in the dim light.

“Where is this place?” Roll exclaimed, her voice echoing slightly in the emptiness, her mind racing to comprehend the sudden change in environment. 

“It must be somewhere within the Citadel itself,” Kalinka replied, her brow furrowed in thought as she examined their surroundings. “But this is different from where I was taken last time.”

It was then that Roll’s attention was drawn to a particularly curious and oddly rectangular crease etched into the southern wall, its outline stark against the rough texture of the surface. As she stepped closer—her metallic feet echoing softly in the confined space—she began to feel around the edges, her fingers gliding over the cool, unyielding material. “Look! A hidden door!” she exclaimed, excitement sparking in her voice.

Kalinka moved in closer, her interest piqued, eager to witness the unfolding mystery. With a gentle but deliberate pressure applied to the frame of the panel, Roll felt a subtle shift as the mechanism responded to her touch. The panel slid aside smoothly, revealing a vast chamber beyond, filled with eight teleporters that hummed softly, similar to the one they had just exited. In the center of this expansive room stood an elevator, its doors wide open and seemingly inviting them in, radiating an air of anticipation and uncertainty. 

Cossack’s Chamber

The ground beneath Mega's boots erupted into a chaotic dance, surging and plunging in wild, unpredictable waves as if the very earth sought to unseat him. The relentless motion was a cruel addition to the already daunting challenge, each shift threatening to send him crashing to the unforgiving surface below.

Cossack, in the towering mechanical beast, loomed closer, its hulking form a menacing shadow. With a sudden, fluid movement, it veered to the left, its colossal claw lashing out like a striking serpent, aiming to ensnare the Blue Bomber in its unyielding grip. The air crackled with tension as Mega, poised on the edge of disaster, braced for the impending clash.

In a heart-pounding dash, Mega Man launched himself aside, narrowly evading the crushing grasp of Cossack's claw. He landed with a jolt on the far side of the chamber, where the floor heaved and bucked like a wild beast beneath his feet. Cossack, his mechanical titan, pivoted with a screech of metal, the glass canopy of its cockpit reflecting the harsh glow of the chamber's lights. With a cold precision, the pilot's certain yet shaking and unsteady hand reached for a button, and in an instant, twin cannons erupted from the machine's flanks, their menacing barrels gleaming. A trio of missiles streaked from their depths, cutting through the air with a fierce hiss, each a harbinger of destruction aimed squarely at the Blue Bomber himself.

Leaping out of the way at the last second, Mega Man found himself on the opposite side of the chamber with rising and falling flooring, Dr. Cossack turned the machine he piloted and, from within the protective barrier of glass on the top half, pressed a button that produced two small cannons to emerge from the sides of the machine, releasing three separate shots that were soon discovered to be three separate missiles. 

In the fleeting seconds available to him, Mega Man skillfully evaded the first missile, his instincts (or programming) kicking in as he assessed the chaotic scene unfolding before him. The projectiles soared through the air, each one launched with precision, programmed to follow distinct trajectories.

The initial missile shot straight at him, set to travel at a deadly 0 degrees. Without missing a beat, he shifted his weight, narrowly escaping its path. His keen eyes followed the second missile, slicing through the air at a sharp 45 degrees, forcing the azure android to duck, his movements fluid and agile, instinctively. The third missile, however, raced toward him with menacing intent at a full 90 degrees, its metallic body glinting ominously as it streaked forward. In this high-stakes moment, Mega Man’s core raced, heightened sensory input, and electronic “adrenaline” coursing through him as he prepared for the next move in this deadly game of evasion.

Citadel

“Can’t this thing go any faster?!” Kalinka openly complained, the elevator taking her and Roll upward, not exactly traveling at an ideal speed. At least, not fast enough for her. “At this point, we’ll never reach Papa or Mega Man!” 

“We’ll get there!” Roll assured her, a mechanical hand concealed by a layer of artificial skin, placing itself on the human’s shoulder. “If we're lucky, maybe Mega’s already convinced your Dad that he doesn't have to play along with Wily’s game anymore!” 

Kalinka bit her lip, torn between the comfort the DLN’s words promised and the cold reality she feared would await them both upon arrival.

“These things always work out,” The blonde android told the young Russian woman. “I’ll admit I don't exactly know how, but so far, it hasn't ended badly for anyone but Wily himself!” 

That actually managed to garner a grin from the troubled Kalinka. “Seeing that loathsome roach get his comeuppance is something of a motivation in of itself, it seems,” she noted aloud. “But if that's to be the case, then it would only be fair to have your brother involved.”

“Ok, sounds like a plan!” Roll agreed with no hesitation, yet before she was willing to let the gentle hum of the elevator overtake the environment once again, there was something that had been on her mind. 

Something she ultimately never had a chance to address until now. 

“Hey, Kalinka?” 

“Yes?”

“What exactly happened back there?” Roll asked. “You know, when Natsenka and I found you half frozen and all.”

“Oh, that,” Kalinka paused. “You know, I don't entirely remember what happened out there,” she confessed. “I ran to escape Wily’s robots, and then, I woke up to see you.” 

“And that’s it?” the blonde DLN pried further. 

“Wait,” the young woman spoke up after a brief period of searching through scattered and barely discernible sights and sounds she could scarcely remember during the in-between state she found herself thrust in during her time in the unforgiving cold. “There is something, I think.”

Roll raised a brow. “Yeah?! Like what?”

Kalinka shut her peridot eyes, recalling the brief moments of consciousness she clung to before darkness seized her senses. “I was rescued,” she stated, as if just realizing such herself. “I was saved,” the mental image of the figure she thought of manifested in her mind’s eye, male and toned, yet with a band of shimmering gold draped on their shoulders. “I was saved by the Rider of the Day.” 

Mine

“Quickly,” Skull Man urged, his voice a low, urgent whisper as he glanced over his shoulder. The flickering lights cast ominous shadows on the walls, heightening the tension in the air. “Grab the animals,” he continued, his eyes fixed on the red-haired agent, “and don’t forget the green one. You need to find a good hiding spot.” He gestured toward the dimly lit corners of the room, where danger loomed large. “I’ll create a distraction to draw their attention away from the teleporter. That will give you the chance to catch up with Roll and The Child.”

Natsenka narrowed her reddish-brown optics, turning her attention to the aforementioned band of robotic critters (and energy dispenser with legs), then to the black and ivory Robot Master. “And you?” she inquired. “Do you plan to take them all on yourself?” 

“Indeed, I do,” Skull Man responded as if the prospect of a potentially brutal fight was just another everyday occurrence. “Don’t tell me you’re going to follow the stubbornness of those two,” he remarked, gesturing toward the teleporter Roll and Kalinka had escaped with. 

Natsenka glanced at the skeletal Robot Master, then at the smaller robotic beings she was trusting him to guide to safety. She was silent for a few moments, saying nothing but locking intensely with the other robot’s ruby-red optics. “Kalinka expects to see you again,” the agent told him. “Spoiled as she is, it would be a shame if this request couldn’t be fulfilled,” she added. 

Then, with a swift turn, she, Beat, Rush, and Eddie scampered away, finding a nearby corner to conceal themselves behind as they waited for the owners of the approaching shadows to come into view fully, Skull Man preparing himself for whatever was to come next. 

Citadel

“What did you say?” Roll asked, a confused frown creasing her forehead as she tried to grasp Kalinka’s recounting. “Who exactly are you talking about?”

“The Rider of the Day,” the blonde Russian replied, her voice steady despite the gravity of her words. “I can’t explain how he appeared or how he knew exactly where to find me, but there’s no mistaking it.” Her conviction was palpable as she continued, “He fits the description perfectly.” 

Kalinka's eyes illuminated with a distant glow as she entered a trance-like state, recalling the vision. “He was clad in brilliant red, so vivid it seemed to pulse with life, and the very sunlight itself danced around his collar like a halo. It felt as if he carried the essence of dawn with him.” She closed her eyes, letting the memory wash over her. “If it hadn’t been for him, I don’t think I’d be standing here right now.”

A myriad of questions swirled within the DLN’s processors, yet when the elevator doors slid open, she found her voice frozen in silence. Before her stretched a narrow hallway, its stark, metallic walls reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights above. At the far end, a gaping hole loomed ominously, its edges rough and uneven, suggesting a descent into the unknown. The blonde figure, both robotic and human, stood poised nearby, their expression unreadable as the air hummed with anticipation.

Cossack’s Chamber

In the heart of a frenetic battle, the Blue Bomber, Mega Man, and his adversary, the self-constructed Cossack Catcher, clashed in a symphony of mechanical might and scientific prowess. DLN-001, the embodiment of the Russian scientist's genius, darted and weaved through the air with precision, his movements a dance of calculated agility. With lightning speed, he leaped and slid across the battlefield, his azure armor a blur against the backdrop of crumbling infrastructure.

The Cossack Catcher, a monstrous amalgamation of steel and circuitry, loomed menacingly, its namesake claw snapping outward in a relentless attempt to seize its agile foe. The machine's joints whirred and gears ground as it shifted, anticipating its next strike. Its sensors and the human piloting the machine, eyes hidden behind twin lenses that reflected a cold, calculating light, tracked Mega Man's every movement with unyielding focus.

As the Blue Bomber darted and dodged, he waited for the perfect moment, the split second when his enemy's defenses would falter. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance, his buster arm glowing with pent-up energy. In a flash, he unleashed a barrage of blasts, each one aimed with deadly precision at the machine's cable, the heart of its mechanical being’s movement. 

The battle raged on, a relentless exchange of power and skill, as Mega Man and Cossack Catcher engaged in their lethal dance, each determined to outmaneuver and overpower the other in this clash of metallic titans. 

“This is getting nowhere,” Mega murmured under his breath, frustration lacing his voice as he felt the weight of exhaustion settle heavily on his systems. His circuits hummed with fatigue, and his stamina dwindled like a flickering candle. The bright chaos of colors from the oversized arcade game loomed above him, a towering monolith of flashing lights and pixelated heroes. “I’ve got to figure out a way to bring that behemoth down to my level. But how?”

True, he had proven the cable connecting the Cossack Catcher to the ceiling wasn't invulnerable and could receive damage from his buster, yet he had yet to get close enough to deal anything more than a few scuffs on the metal surface protecting the vulnerable wires and fibers inside. 

Still, he wondered, what if he somehow found a way to get closer? 

Citadel

“So…do you see any ladder or rope?” Kalinka's voice was laced with a hint of desperation as she scanned the dimly lit room, her eyes darting from one shadowy corner to another.

Roll shook her head in response, her expression a mix of frustration and resignation. "Given what your Dad said back at the convention and Wily's general formula, I'd imagine that there's only one way in or out," she replied, her tone heavy with the weight of their predicament. "It seems we're at an impasse."

As Kalinka and Roll stood at the edge of the opening in the floor, a sense of vertigo washed over them. The gaping maw seemed to yawn endlessly, a chasm that plunged into the very depths of the earth. The darkness below was absolute, a void that swallowed all light, offering no hint of a bottom. It was as if they were staring into the abyss itself, a terrifying expanse that promised only uncertainty and dread. The further their eyes strained to see, the more the darkness seemed to deepen, a black so profound it felt like a physical force, beckoning them to their doom.

“Well,” Kalinka began, breaking the silence with a nervous swallow, her peridot eyes turning to Roll. “After you.”

Cossack’s Chamber

The air crackled with tension as the Cossack Catcher's massive claw, a grotesque appendage of metal and malice, clamped down with brutal force. The Blue Bomber, Mega Man, found himself ensnared, his azure armor groaning under the crushing pressure. The claw's jaws tightened, each movement a testament to the machine's relentless pursuit, ensuring its prey could not escape.

"GAH!!!" Mega Man's voice was a guttural cry, laced with pain and defiance. His body tensed as the claw's mechanism engaged, pulling him inexorably closer to its heart. With a final, grinding motion, the claw lifted him upward, a gruesome trophy suspended before the glass barrier of the upper half. Through the transparent yet unyielding material, Mega Man could see the looming form of Cossack Catcher, a silent sentinel watching his struggle.

"Here it goes," Mega Man strained, his voice barely audible over the whirring of the machine's gears. "Just hope this works." His chest ached where the claw pressed, and each movement was a labored effort.

"Is this somewhat unusual for you?" the Russian scientist inquired, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Not facing a giant death machine, you’ve proven by now that’s more than standard."

Even amidst the discomfort and the hidden agenda, Mega Man couldn't resist a quip. "For Wily, each time he unleashes something to try and scrap me, it’s a day he hopes will live on in infamy," he said, his voice tinged with bitterness and sarcasm. "For me, I usually find myself blowing them up every other Tuesday."

Dr. Cossack's laughter, a rare and fleeting sound, hung in the air like a forgotten melody. Even amid this mechanical maelstrom, the scientist found himself momentarily disarmed by the Blue Bomber's wit. His defenses, usually as impenetrable as the armor of his creation, wavered for a moment, a crack in the facade of his stoic demeanor.

Mega Man, seizing the opportunity, pressed on. "So, Doc, are you any good at games? You've been handling that Cossack Catcher like a pro," he quipped, his voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and sarcasm.

Dr. Cossack's eyes narrowed, a flicker of nostalgia passing through them. "Games, you ask? My childhood in the Soviet Union was far different from the tales of abundance and leisure you might imagine. We had our share of hardships, but even then, there were moments of respite."

He paused, his mind drifting back to a time long past. "Arcade games, though not as abundant as they were in the West, still found their way into our lives. They were a rare treat, a glimpse into a world beyond our own. I remember the first time I saw a game like that, the lights and sounds, the thrill of the challenge. It was a world away from the stark realities of our daily lives."

Dr. Cossack's voice softened, the weight of his memories evident in every word. "Those games, they were more than just entertainment. They were a testament to the human spirit, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was room for joy and competition. Perhaps that's why I find myself here, battling with my creations. It's a game, of sorts, but one with much higher stakes."

Mega Man listened, the weight of the scientist's words sinking in. In that moment, the battle between them seemed to pause, a brief respite from the relentless clash of metal and energy. The Blue Bomber, for all his mechanical prowess, couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the man behind the machine.

Yet he also knew he may not get another chance such as this.

The air crackled with the anticipation of a final confrontation as Mega Man, seizing the moment, unleashed a precise blast from his Buster arm. The energy beam sliced through the cable holding the Cossack Catcher to the ceiling, a crucial connection severed. Sparks flew as the cable frayed, and a surge of electricity from the ceiling raced down, arcing through the damaged wires. 

The Cossack Catcher shuddered, its panels of buttons and keys exploding in a chaotic symphony of smoke and sparks. The machine's interior, once a seamless network of circuitry, now belched acrid fumes, a testament to the destructive force of Mega Man's assault. The air filled with the acrid scent of burning metal and the hiss of escaping steam, a cacophony of destruction.

As the claw released its grip on Mega Man, the Blue Bomber, driven by a sudden surge of concern, rushed towards the trapped scientist. But in a twist of fate, the bottom compartment of the Cossack Catcher opened with a grinding clang, and Dr. Cossack tumbled out, his descent a desperate plunge towards safety.

The Cossack Catcher, now a ticking time bomb of damaged circuits and overloaded systems, exploded in a blinding flash of light and sound. The force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the chamber, shaking the very foundations. Mega Man, caught in the aftermath, braced himself, his azure armor absorbing the brunt of the explosion.

As the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Mega Man found himself standing amidst the ruins of the battle, the Cossack Catcher reduced to a smoldering wreck. Dr. Cossack lay nearby, his breath labored but alive, a survivor of the mechanical maelstrom they had created. The Blue Bomber, for a moment, paused, reflecting on the strange turn of events that had led them to this point, a battle of wits, machines, and the unexpected bonds forged in the heat of conflict.

Dr. Cossack, his movements unsteady and labored, pushed himself to his feet, each breath a ragged effort. Mega Man, poised to offer assistance, hesitated as the scientist held up a hand, a silent command to stay back. The Blue Bomber complied, his eyes narrowing as he watched the man who had orchestrated this mechanical ballet.

From the folds of his lab coat, Dr. Cossack extracted a small device, a switch adorned with a myriad of buttons, each one a potential trigger for untold destruction. One button, prominently red, stood out amidst the chaos of controls, a sinister promise of annihilation. "With this," he rasped, his voice laced with a mixture of exhaustion and resolve, "I can set my machines on New York. One step closer, and it's all over."

Mega Man, his mind racing, tried to reason with the scientist. "Dr. Cossack, this doesn't have to end like this. There's always a way forward, a chance to make things right." His voice, usually a beacon of calm, now held a note of desperation.

But Dr. Cossack's eyes, once filled with the fire of ambition, now held only a profound sadness. "A world without my daughter is a world I have no interest in continuing to live in," he said, his words a stark reminder of the pain that had driven him to this point.

As the tension in the room reached a fever pitch, a sudden noise from above shattered the fragile silence. Both men looked up, their eyes widening as the sound grew louder, an ominous rumble that promised more chaos to come. The source of the disturbance, still unseen, loomed over them, a new variable in the equation of their confrontation.

The sudden appearance of the two figures, one cradling the other, sent a jolt of surprise through both Mega Man and Dr. Cossack. The Blue Bomber's eyes widened as Roll, his trusted companion, gently set Kalinka down on the ground. "Ok, now’s your chance," Roll whispered, her voice a soft murmur. "Go to him!"

Kalinka, freed from Roll's embrace, rushed towards Dr. Cossack, her movements filled with a mixture of urgency and trepidation. Roll, meanwhile, turned her attention to Mega Man, her relief evident as she threw her arms around him. "Oh, you’re ok! Thank goodness!" she sighed, her voice tinged with emotion. "You had me worried there for a little bit, you know!"

Mega Man, still processing the whirlwind of events, stared back at Roll, his expression a blend of confusion and recognition. "Roll?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Roll nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Who else?" She glanced down at her attire, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "Well, we did sort of pull a bit of a switch-a-roo sometime back, so I guess I can see the confusion."

As Roll and Mega Man reconnected, Kalinka approached her father, her steps hesitant. Dr. Cossack, his eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and despair, looked at her but seemed unable to fully comprehend the reality before him. "Papa?" Kalinka called out, her voice quivering with emotion.

Dr. Cossack's gaze flickered, a spark of recognition slowly dawning in his eyes. But it was not until Kalinka took down her ponytail, allowing her hair to cascade down, that the full weight of the moment hit him. His eyes widened, and a smile, filled with joy and relief, spread across his face. Tears streamed down his cheeks, a silent testament to the depth of his emotions.

"Kalinka," he whispered, his voice choked with tears. "My Kalinka."

In that moment, the world seemed to stand still. Dr. Cossack, overcome with the sheer magnitude of his feelings, reached out to embrace his daughter. But as he did, his body, pushed to its limits, gave way. He collapsed, his eyes fluttering closed as he succumbed to the overwhelming joy and exhaustion.

Chapter Text

"PAPA!" the young woman shrieked in sheer horror as she witnessed the man she had been desperately searching for collapse in a heap right before her eyes. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she sprinted towards him, but in her haste, she quickly discovered that she had overestimated the strength in her trembling legs. The grueling escape she had just experienced from the very clutches of death weighed heavily on her body, leaving her unsteady and breathless.

A part of her, despite her overwhelming fear and urgency, began to wonder—almost unconsciously and against her will. Would he, too, catch sight of the Rider of the Day, that benevolent figure who brought solace and warmth? Or would it be the ominous Rider of the Night who would come forth to claim him instead, draping him in shadows and despair?

And more importantly, death?

The thought sent chills down her spine as she knelt helplessly beside him, her heart racing in a frantic rhythm with the chaos swirling around them.

"Kalinka!"

The young blonde woman turned her head abruptly toward the source of the voice. The DLN, clad in familiar clothing, rushed toward her, accompanied by her blue-armored sibling. Kneeling beside the collapsed figure of Dr. Cossack, Roll positioned her pointer and middle fingers delicately on the sides of his throat, her expression focused as she sought the faint rhythm of the organic components hidden beneath layers of skin.

As she scrutinized the unconscious scientist, Kalinka's gaze shifted, meeting the striking blue optics of the android—an entity that had been as much a pawn in this harrowing ordeal as she had. A mixture of awe and recognition flickered across her features.

"I-It's you," she stammered, her heart racing as she absorbed the detail of the azure robot's design, the light catching in its sleek surface. The rich blue of its armor gleamed like a precious gem, and she could see her own reflection dancing in its crystal-clear eyes. "Мега Человек," she whispered in her native tongue, the words draping themselves in the weight of her admiration, before she repeated the title in English, her voice trembling with reverence. "Mega Man…"

Mine

Skull Man's ruby-red optics locked onto the distant horizon, his mechanical gaze unblinking and intense. Natsenka, concealed behind a jagged corner, watched with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes darted between the shadows and the looming figures, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. The mission had taken a turn, and she found herself at a crossroads, a place she never imagined she'd be.

Before this pivotal moment, Natsenka would have followed Skull Man's orders without a second thought, her loyalty unwavering and her actions swift. But something had changed. A spark of hesitation flickered within her, a surprising realization that she couldn't ignore. She yearned to stay, to stand by the side of the lone android, even though every fiber of her programming urged her to follow the plan.

Skull Man braced himself, his metallic frame tensing as he prepared for whatever lay ahead. The shadows on the walls seemed to come alive, detaching themselves from the darkness and coalescing into three distinct figures. As they drew closer, Natsenka's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ruts Ran?" Rush whispered, noting the presence of the girthy and behemoth of a machine, Guts Man.

"Scissor-Bot?" Eddie questioned afterward, spotting Cut Man among those they were told to hide from.

"Not just them," Natsenka added. "Looks like a member of Roll's estranged family joined the scene as well."

Indeed, as observed by the three robots concealing themselves from view, Proto Man, Guts Man, and Cut Man approached the skeletal-based Robot Master, their expressions a mix of determination and curiosity.

"Huh?" Proto Man stepped forward, his voice echoing through the air with an unspoken question. "What brings you all the way down here, Bone Head?" he asked, his tone laced with a mix of intrigue and caution. The air crackled with tension, and Natsenka found herself holding her breath, unsure of what would unfold next.

Skull Man's voice, cold and measured, cut through the tension. "I could ask you the same, Proto Man. Lurking down here, away from your post, is suspicious in itself." His optics flashed with a hint of challenge, daring Proto Man to contradict him.

Proto Man's response was swift, his tone equally measured. "Hey, don't turn this around on me! The same could be said about you, Skully!" he huffed. "Besides, I'm wondering, what brings you here, away from a dreary dark corner you can make just a twinge spookier?"

Skull Man's optics flashed. "I know why you're here, Proto Man. You're looking for Cossack's daughter, aren't you? And you brought your friends along for support." His voice held a note of mockery, as if he found the entire situation amusing.

Guts Man perked up. "Friends?" he questioned, tone puzzled yet somewhat, oddly enough, hopeful.

"You think of us like that? Really?" Cut Man interjected, turning his optics to Proto, who felt rather put on the spot. Of which was surely Skull Man's intention, no doubt.

The three robots exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them. Proto Man's expression remained impassive, but there was a flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes. "Looks like you've got a bit of brain in that skullhead of yours," he remarked, still projecting an image of aloofness and detachment. "You're right. I'm looking for the brat. But what business is it of yours? Or are you here for the same reason?"

Skull Man's optics narrowed, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "Let's just say I have my own interests in this matter. And I won't let anyone stand in my way." The air crackled with an undercurrent of threat, and Natsenka could feel the tension rising, ready to explode at any moment.

Cossack's Chamber

"How is he?" Mega Man asked, his voice laced with concern as he watched intently, his expression grave. Roll, her brow furrowed with worry, meticulously examined the dormant figure of Dr. Cossack, Kalinka's heart racing with anticipation and dread as she watched in anxious silence, barely daring to breathe.

Finally, Roll was ready to deliver a report, her voice quivering slightly. "He's alive," she announced, relief washing over her like a warm tide. The green-eyed young woman could hardly contain her emotions as she studied the frail form of the middle-aged scientist. "But he's not exactly in good condition," she added, her tone shifting to one of urgency as she continued her examination.

"Mostly exhaustion and slight malnutrition, I'd wager," Roll observed, noting the prominent lines etched into his face. The once-robust contours of Dr. Cossack's cheekbones were now starkly visible, his cheeks slightly sunken, hinting at the toll that neglect had taken on him. "But staying here isn't going to do him any good. He needs a doctor as soon as possible." Her voice was firm, underscoring the critical nature of their situation.

"I'm sorry," she heard Mega softly say as he examined Cossack next to her. "If I had maybe gotten here sooner, then-"

Roll's voice, a gentle yet firm reprimand, sliced through the heavy air like a blade. "Mega, don't you dare shoulder this burden. You did everything you could." Her eyes, soft with concern, held a maternal warmth as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If anything, it's a wonder I arrived in time to prevent further harm. Cossack's condition is grave, but it could have been so much worse."

Mega Man's gaze, usually distant and analytical, flickered with a rare vulnerability. He turned his attention to the room, his eyes falling upon Kalinka. She stood in the shadows, her presence a quiet storm of emotions. Her medium-length, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders in full, voluminous curls, and her eyes, a light green that once spoke of a vibrant, cheery spirit, now appeared haunted and held a world of untold stories.

Mega Man hesitated, his mechanical heart thudding with an unfamiliar rhythm. He took a tentative step forward, his voice low and cautious. "Kalinka," he began, his words laced with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Kalinka Cossack? That...is your name, right?"

As he approached, the chamber seemed to hold its breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on them all. Kalinka's eyes met his, and for a moment, time stood still. The tension between them was palpable, a silent exchange of questions and unspoken fears.

"Yes," Kalinka's voice was a whisper, barely audible. "I am Kalinka Cossack." Her eyes, though haunted, held a spark of recognition. "And you... you are Mega Man, aren't you? The first of officially licensed functional automatons. Or, as you're labeled in the records, DLN-001, right?"

Mega Man's optics flickered, a sign of his internal processing. "Yes, that's correct. I'm registered as DLN-0001, but I usually go by Mega Man now." His voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of emotion, a mix of relief and caution. "I've heard about you, Kalinka. About your father and the trouble he's in."

Kalinka's expression hardened, a mix of determination and sorrow. "Then you know why I'm here. I need to find out what happened to him. And I need your help, Mega Man," she approached him. "I need the help of you, Rock Light."

Mine

"So…wait," Guts Man's brow furrowed, a mixture of confusion and exasperation etched on his angular features. "Hold on a minute," he interjected, his deep voice booming through the tense atmosphere. "Are we friends or not? I'm genuinely confused here." His gaze darted between Skull Man, Cut Man, and Proto Man, seeking clarification on the ambiguous remark that still hung in the air like an unanswered question.

"Ok, back on topic," Proto Man began, redirecting the subject of conversation. "So you're down here for the brat too, huh?" He snidely asked, Skull Man in turn nodding in response. "Why?"

"She's currently being held in her cell, isn't she?" the skeletal-based Robot Master questioned. "She isn't there; thus, the only conclusion is that she is elsewhere," he answered. "Surely you realized that, if she were anywhere, she'd most likely be in the citadel itself, considering how she managed to slip past you and Wily himself wearing your sister's garments."

The scarf-wearing DLN was rendered without any sort of comeback or retort, yet quickly recovered with a burst of anger. "Oh yeah? Then how come I heard you were the one who brought her up to the control room, also believing that she WAS my sister?" It was then that, to Proto Man's shock, he witnessed the usually stoic and grim android that was assumedly affected by nothing appear to slightly react upon hearing the other robot's counter. As if he had just unintentionally uncovered a bit of information that held more to it than what was on the surface. "What?"

"N-Nothing," Skull Man remarked. "Either way, given that Cossack's child has escaped, it's imperative that she be found and recovered before she somehow manages to reach her father, or even more, Mega Man."

"Uh, mind telling me how she's going to do that?" Proto questioned, clearly not regarding Skull Man's scenario with much weight, let alone respect. "Unless she learns how to fly or somehow climb walls, there's no way she'd ever reach that paranoid schitzo," he affirmed. "Least of all MY brother."

Skull Man was quiet for a few moments, ruby-red optics turning to the surrounding tunnels, his and the forms of the other metallic beings scarcely illuminated via the lights lined along the rocky, uneven ceiling.

"You know something we don't?" The red and grey android inquired, raising a brow from underneath his darkened visor. "Why so secretive?"

"What do I know?" Skull Man recited, all the while conjuring up a decent-enough counter in his processor.

"Yeah, what do you know?" Cut Man interjected (aka cut in, so to speak), also growing suspicious of the new guy's evident evasiveness. "What are you hiding?"

"Yeah!" Guts Man chimed in, more or less because everyone else was talking and he didn't wish to be unincluded. Not exactly the greatest of reasons to contribute to the conversation, yet he was going to get a word in and make his voice known, or, by Asimov, he was going to smash something! "Are you thinking of sabotaging Dr. Wily's plans or something?!"

Proto Man let out a brief sigh. "Or something." he repeated, tone far less fiery than his more physically imposing companion (friend? No, he wasn't getting into that, it felt too weird).

Skull Man didn't speak for a short period, seemingly contemplating his words. Yet after a few tentative moments, it appeared he finally had a response he could present. "Sabatoge?" he questioned aloud, the other three machines somewhat taken aback by what sounded like, of all things, a twinge of amusement in his normally lower, gravely voice. "Interesting you should mention that," he began, ruby optics centered on Proto Man. "Just as you sabotaged my bout with Mega Man so you could get in a few shots of your own?"

Proto Man's optics flashed with a mix of annoyance and defiance. "Oh yeah? And what about you, Bone Head? You've been guarding some juicy secrets, aren't you? What are you planning?"

"No more than you're planning," the recently constructed Cossack bot responded. "If anything, I've done all that's been required of me, so far save for concluding the battle with Mega Man. Of which, your abrupt entry revealed the true head of everything and, in turn, nearly jeopardized the entire operation?"

Skull Man's ruby optics centered on Proto Man; a cold smile would've been on his metallic lips if he possessed any. "Mega Man is MINE," the scarf-wearing DLN stated with an unusual amount of firmness, neither Guts nor Cut Man had been entirely familiar with. "No one else is to deal with him but me. That is MY right, and no one else's."

You're the one who's been playing both sides, aren't you?"

Skull Man's voice rose, a note of accusation in his tone. "And that gives you the right, no, the privilege in meddling with affairs that don't concern you?" he questioned. "You think you can just waltz in and take control? Dr. Cossack's plan, or perhaps it's more appropriate to say, Wily's, is delicate, and you've essentially jeopardized all of it with your possessive behavior."

Proto Man parted his lips to argue back, yet the taller android didn't allow him the opportunity.

"And what's this of jealously guarding my secrets? Perhaps. But unlike you, Proto Man, I haven't been testing Dr. Wily's patience for a good long while."

The red DLN, despite donning a rather warm color scheme of crimson and yellow with contrasting grey, looked as if every inch of his internal wiring had just turned to ice. "Who's who?" he asked with an accusatory tone. "The new guy who hasn't even been active for an entire week so far?"

Skull Man chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "I may not have been able to move, let alone speak or articulate much during my creation, but I was able to hear," he relayed. "I was able to hear and understand, and from the brief periods my creator and Dr. Wily conversed, I came to know some peculiar details of those serving under the ambitious yet slightly unhinged scientist."

There it was. Scarcely seen, yet neither Guts nor Cut Man could deny it. An expression of pure dread fell over Proto's features, as if he had just been reminded of a terrible, if not outright soul-destroying truth.

Sensing that this perhaps would be the only opportunity they would get, Natsenka herded the smaller robotic companions tagging along with her to the teleporter, all of them managing to fit inside with a small bit of wiggle room.

Of course, now came the challenge of teleporting out of here without being noticed.

Cossack's Chamber

"…which is ultimately how I ended up in your sister's clothes and her in mine, and, well, I suppose it's still somewhat obvious as to what exactly occurred in between the match with you and Skull Man."

"And when Proto Man decided he couldn't stand seeing someone else give me a few licks, he cut in to get the privilege of taking me down himself," Mega Man concluded, Kalinka responding with an affirming nod. "Proto stepping in was honestly something I was waiting for since I got here to be honest." the Blue Bomber confessed.

Kalinka, in turn, tilted her head in puzzlement. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, while it was your father that hacked the presentation at the Science Expo back in the States, I sort of had a hunch that Wily was somehow behind all of this," the azure android paused for a moment, turning his gaze toward his sister garbed in the Russian's attire as she continued to examine the unconscious Russian roboticist. "I…" he started, yet soon found himself halting. As if contemplating if what he was about to say would truly mean anything at all. "I'm sorry," he softly muttered. "Even if my orders were to take care of Dr. Cossack…had I maybe gotten here sooner, then maybe he wouldn't be…" The Blue Bomber, usually a source of hope and answers, found himself feeling like anything but.

"Absoloutely not," Kalinka interjected, drawing closer to the armored robot and keenly locking eyes with him, the intensity of her stare somewhat off-putting to the machine. "If anything, I should be thanking you for holding back," she bit her lip. "Even if it clearly looks like Papa's done a number on you."

"Y-Yeah, I'll probably have to swing by the Lab and have Doc patch me up just a little," Mega remarked, trying to keep and maintain an in-control demeanor. "Assuming we can find a way back to the States in the next hour or so." He was being generous, yet he truthfully had no idea of how long they would be here, let alone with a clearly unwell Dr. Cossack.

Then, various shapes fell from the shaft above, landing on the ground and revealing an entourage of familiar faces. A red-haired, tan-skinned android garbed in a short-sleeved turtlenecked leotard rose to a standing position after making contact with the ground. She turned her attention to the Blue Bomber.

"How about in the next few minutes?"

Mine

Surely they would've made it by now, he thought. Or rather, he hoped.

"Oh really? Care to explain just what exactly you've heard with that supposed little brain in that skull of yours? Oh, right, you don't have one."

Well, if what he had heard was true, then perhaps this was the only sure tactic to guarantee Natsenka and the rest got to safety and, most importantly, to Roll and Kalinka, if the two had even made it to Cossack by now.

"You're the one who's been a thorn in Wily's side more than any other, Proto Man," Skull Man stated, voice cold and as deliberate as a scalpel to flesh that was to be operated on. "True, your programming may have a significant amount of perks compared to the more basic and rudimentary personalities and general traits assigned to Wily's other machines, both before and after Dr. Cossack's adjustments,"

"Hey!" Guts Man protested. "We're not that dumb!"

"Yeah!" Cut Man chimed in with the larger reprogrammed DLN. "I've got fifty-two and counting unique comebacks aside from making paper dolls out of my opponents!"

"However," Skull Man continued, completely brushing the two other androids off completely. "With the benefits that come with such a divergent method of thinking in regards to unique problem-solving and the generation of more creative concepts and ideas," he directed his ruby red optics directly at the subject of interest. "Wily has expressed that there are just as many setbacks that have come from allowing you to retain your initial programming."

Proto Man tensed. "What are you implying?"

"Just what was implied when Dr. Cossack 'agreed' to work with Dr. Wily in the first place," Skull Man clarified. "Surely you haven't removed such a crucial memory from your banks, have you?" he inquired, seeing that he was succeeding in riling the red and grey android up. "Or did the love-tap your brother gave you rattle your CPU just a little too much this time?" he added. "I've also been told that's a common occurrence when hanging around you lot."

Despite the concealing blackness of his visor, the red-armored android was fuming, lips tightened into a firm line, optics locked onto Skull Man while the other did the same. To either side of Proto Man, Guts and Cut Man found themselves pondering just how tense things would get before things inevitably exploded.

"You think they're gonna fight?" the blue-jawed former construction droid inquired of his red scissor-headed companion.

"If so, my zenny's on the skeleton guy," Cut Man whispered, trying to keep his sentiment hidden from Proto Man. "Mega Man only won against him because Proto stepped in. If that hadn't happened, then this guy would've done more than just trounce that blue dweeb."

"Oh yeah, what?" Guts Man asked. "Make 'paper dolls' out of his scraps?"

"No," Cut Man retorted. "He would've been so badly torn up that even a million-year-old fossil would be better held together than what would be left of him!"

"If you're trying to say something," Proto Man snarled darkly, his nonchalant attitude gone entirely and replaced with a deathly serious air. "Then just spit it out," In that instant, his hand sank into his red-armored forearm, the cannon of his Proto Buster presenting itself in full view for the other android to see. "Or maybe I should actually look and see if you've got a brain in that chrome dome of yours after all!"

The air crackled with tension, two robots locked in a verbal duel, their words sharp and cutting, while the remaining duo watched in brimming anticipation. The weight of their accusations hung heavy, and the future of their mission teetered on the edge of collapse.

Cossack's Chamber

The Blue Bomber rose to his feet, facing the approaching female android. "If I may be so bold, who are you, Miss…?"

The redhead reached into a hidden compartment on the back of her left knee and popped it open with little effort, retrieving a small handheld laminated card displaying a photograph of her face, information regarding her identity, and her function, printed for anyone to see.

Still, introductions were standard, even for secret service agents such as herself. "Natsenka Unit 95, Sir," she responded, giving the azure android a salute. "I'm well aware of who you are, DLN 0001, or as you go by currently, Mega Man."

"Oh, so you do know," the Blue Bomber openly expressed, although he wasn't too sure about the "Sir" bit being tied to him. "So, I guess you're connected to the somewhat grizzled guy outside?"

"Ivan Petrov of the Special Forces," Natsenka confirmed. "Or, more specifically, Colonel Ivan Petrov of the Special Operations Forces of the Russian Federation," she added, even if said addition was quite more than just a few words. "Although, for simplicity's sake, we also go by Special Operations Forces, or just SOF if you prefer."

"I'll…keep that in mind, thanks," Mega responded, the other android radiating just as much a sense of professionalism as he (or rather, he maintained), yet it was far more distant and detached. As if any sense of connection, whether human or even robotic, such as herself, was almost foreign to her. "Still, how'd you get here? Better yet, how'd you get here?"

The agent crossed her arms, as if anticipating his series of questions. However, just as she parted her ruby lips to answer his string of inquiries,

"Well, well, well," a familiar accented voice that held traits of Central to Eastern Europe boomed throughout the chamber, aged yet still energetic and rather snide tone radiating all around the machines and two humans, one of whom was unconscious. "Looks like I've got no choice now," Dr. Wily remarked, timbre still devious and scheming, yet there was another emotion present as well. Neither Mega nor Roll were strangers to, yet this time, the mad scientist's aggravation seemed…different. Almost as if he were purposefully restraining it. "The jig may be up, you Blue-Bellied Brat, but I think this counts as a violation of the rules!"

The rules…the Blue Bomber paled. "Oh no…"

"Heh, heheheheh, and I think you of all individuals know that rule-breaking of any kind isn't allowed."

Mine

Just as an outright brawl was about to erupt between the scarf-wearing and skeletal Robot Masters, Wily's thundering voice was slightly distorted by static caused by the weather conditions. This put a strain on the limited machinery in the tunnels, bringing everything and everyone to a halt.

"Attention all personnel!" the scientist bellowed over the intercom. "There's been an abrupt change of plans!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

Cut and Guts Man collectively asked, all the while, unbeknownst to either of them, Skull Man witnessed Proto's features change. For the briefest of moments, the color drained from his face, his confrontational demeanor being rendered to dying embers. Almost as if he were fearful that the scientist had just discovered something he shouldn't have.

Something he had believed he had covered his tracks on.

Then, the elderly mad scientist spoke again. "Seeing as circumstances have made it to where the original head of our operation is currently unable to continue in his duties, I shall be taking charge of everything from now on," he declared. "And so, the first order of business is to unleash the collaborative between Cossack and I onto the Western World!" the manic human cackled wildly, finding a strange sense of release at being allowed to openly bring his blue-clad adversary down, even if just verbally for the time being. "To begin, I think the best place to start would be the landmark of all sorts of folks joining together to try and strive for a better…?" The old man paused, halting in his speech as he then felt a strange rumbling begin from underneath his shoes. "Huh? What the…?"

"Hey, what's going on?" Guts Man questioned aloud, his and the others' current location a distance away from the actual Citadel, yet their audio receptors could register that a series of strong vibrations had been taking place, distorting the communications between the fortress and underground even more than they already were.

Cut and Proto Man glanced at each other, sharing in Guts Man's already evident bewilderment and confusion. Skull Man, however, presented no reaction.

If anything, he seemed to have been expecting such a thing to happen.

Cossack Chamber

"Whoa!" Roll exclaimed, she and the rest of the large room's current inhabitants registering that the entire environment was beginning to shake violently.

Mega Man's eyes widened as the tremors intensified, bits of metal and dust raining down from the ceiling of the Cossack Chamber.

"We need to get out of here—now!" he shouted, voice cutting through the noise as he reached for his helmet.

Without hesitation, Rush transformed with a mechanical whir into Jet Mode, crouching low enough for both Mega Man and Roll to hop on. As soon as they were secure, Natsenka moved swiftly, her servo-assisted limbs enabling her to lift Dr. Cossack and Eddie with surprising grace.

"I've got them!" she confirmed, her voice calm despite the chaos around them.

Kalinka stumbled as the floor gave another shudder, eyes darting around in panic. "Where do I go?!"

Before she could even finish, Mega Man reached down and grabbed her with his free arm, pulling her onto Rush behind him. "Hold on tight!"

With a roaring burst of plasma propulsion, Rush launched toward the narrow shaft that led out of the chamber. As they soared through the passageway, Mega Man turned his head just long enough to glance back at the elegant elevator platform below.

"Sorry, but I really hate ruining fine craftsmanship," he muttered, then fired a charged blast from his Mega Buster.

The elevator exploded in a shower of gears and steel, sealing the chamber behind them and cutting off the route for anything—or anyone—that might be following.

They rocketed downward, the sound of destruction behind them drowned by the roar of Rush's engines and the growing urgency of whatever catastrophe had just been set in motion.

Observation Deck

"Ach du grüne Neune!" Wily yelped in shock and alarm as a sizable portion of the ceiling came crashing down, just barely missing him by mere inches. "What in the name of Einstein is going on?!" he looked around, the control panel being destroyed by another falling slab of debris, prompting the old man to make a mad dash for the door.

"GAH!"

Only for his sole means of exit to be cut off, essentially trapping him in the same room where, for the majority of this operation, Cossack was confined to for the sake of maintaining the illusion of his supposed villainy.

It was in that moment the old man paled, realization and horror dawning on him in what he was beginning to believe could be his very last moments.

You madman, Wily mused as the shaking increased, his legs beginning to have difficulty maintaining balance. You…you planned this from the beginning, didn't you? Didn't you?!

With a thunderous CRASH, the sealed door to the chamber exploded inward, fragments of twisted metal scattering like confetti. Guts Man barreled through the wreckage, smoke and sparks still curling off his massive frame.

"Doc! You in here?!" he hollered, brushing aside a smoldering beam with ease.

Cut Man followed swiftly behind, eyes darting around the crumbling room. "I think I see him!"

Proto Man stepped in last, scanning the area coolly despite the chaos. His red scarf fluttered wildly in the turbulent air.

From beneath a dangling array of sparking wires, Wily stumbled forward, coughing and flailing his arms in frustration. "Finally! Took you long enough, you bucket-brained dolts!" he snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at the trio. "Do you not hear the entire fortress coming down around us?!"

Cut Man flinched slightly. "We had to take the long route! Communications are shot!"

"No scheisse they're shot!" Wily barked, throwing his arms up before grabbing his coat and hurrying toward them. "Cossack's activated a self-demolition failsafe! He's going to bring the whole place down to bury his stupid shame and me with it!"

Proto Man raised a brow under his visor. "Cossack did this?"

Wily grit his teeth, rage and fear mixing in his voice. "Of course he did! That smug son of a soldering iron—this was his plan from the start! Now stop gawking and get me out of here before I'm turned into villain purée!"

Without another word, Guts Man lifted the old man under one arm like a sack of flour. "Let's move!" he grunted, turning and barreling back toward the hallway, the others at his heels as the Citadel around them began to fall into chaos.

Elevator Shaft

The whine of Rush's engines echoed harshly through the narrow elevator shaft as the group descended at breakneck speed, walls blurring past them. The space suddenly lit up with violent bursts of fire as explosions began to tear through the structure—metal shrieked and buckled, sending hot debris spiraling past them like shrapnel.

Roll gripped Mega Man tightly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "The whole place is blowing up! What's happening?!"

Natsenka, flying slightly below with Dr. Cossack and Eddie held protectively in her arms, answered with grim clarity. "The charges must be placed throughout the entire facility. A complete structural collapse… it's been planned in advance."

Mega Man's expression darkened, eyes narrowing as they dodged another sudden explosion that cracked the shaft wall open to the subterranean abyss. "I knew Wily was a lot of things, but even he wouldn't go this far… not with his own hide on the line." He clenched his jaw. "Trying to bury everyone? That's not his style…"

Just as another fireball erupted above them, Kalinka's voice came small but sharp over the chaos. "It's not Wily's doing."

Mega Man turned, startled. "What…?"

Kalinka's eyes glistened with something deeper than fear—something closer to heartbreak. "It's my father. He built this failsafe into the Citadel himself."

A heavy silence, more deafening than the blasts around them, fell over the group for a moment.

Mega Man's voice was low, incredulous. "Cossack… did this?"

Kalinka nodded, clutching him tightly as the shaft around them continued to collapse, her voice a whisper against the roar. "He never wanted any of this to last."

Observation Deck

As the tremors rattled the inner corridors of the Citadel and the group sprinted through collapsing halls, Proto Man kept pace behind Guts Man, who still carried Wily like a sack of priceless, angry cargo.

Suddenly, Proto Man slowed, casting a glance back toward the ruined shaft they had just left behind. "What about Mega Man?" he called out sharply, his voice cutting through the noise. He hesitated for a split second before almost adding, "and Roll," but the word caught in his throat, left unsaid—buried beneath his visor and pride.

Wily didn't turn. "This is out of my hands," he snapped, a rare flicker of guilt breaking through his usual arrogance. "A fact I am not proud of… but they'll have to fend for themselves."

Proto Man clenched a fist at his side, the red of his scarf catching embers as another explosion rocked the ground beneath them. "He's your enemy, fine. But you know she's not."

Wily growled, twisting in Guts Man's grip just enough to glare at him. "Enough! You're coming with me, Proto Man. That's an order."

Proto Man's jaw tightened behind his mask, a storm brewing beneath his impassive tone. "You can't seriously expect me to just leave them down there."

"I can, and I do," Wily barked. "This operation is compromised. The moment you start letting emotions steer you, you become nothing but a hindrance to me." His voice dropped low, icy. "You disobey, and I'll deal with it accordingly. Understood?"

The red warrior stood still for a moment, surrounded by the growing collapse of the Citadel, his fists trembling at his sides—rage, regret, and something painfully close to helplessness roiling inside.

Then, without a word, he turned and followed, his scarf fluttering behind him like the last shred of defiance he had left.

Central Chamber

The elevator shaft opened out with a final burst of scorched wind into the massive, domed central chamber—now trembling under the strain of the self-destruct sequence. Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor, and the support columns groaned like dying giants. Smoke drifted in long fingers from the walls, curling around the scorched outlines of once-proud teleporters.

Mega Man brought Rush down in a hard but stable landing. The moment his boots hit the ground, he took in the room with a hollow stare.

This place… this was where it all happened.

Where he had gone back and forth, teleporter after teleporter, fighting advanced robots—faster, more strategic, more aware. At the time, he'd assumed they were Wily's newest monstrosities. But now?

No… not Wily's. Cossack's.

They hadn't been built to conquer. They hadn't been designed to destroy.

They had once been machines of progress. Helpers. Servants to mankind. And he had dismantled them, one by one.

"Mega?" Roll's voice cut through his thoughts, gentle but urgent.

He turned, snapping back to the present. The whole fortress was moments from collapse.

"We need to move," he said firmly, waving them forward. "The front entrance—go!"

Rush quickly adjusted to carry Roll and Kalinka again, while Natsenka took to the air with Eddie and Dr. Cossack clutched close. Mega Man led the way, his boots pounding against the cracked tiles as the group dashed for the corridor leading to the main entrance.

As he ran, his mind refused to let go of the truth.

I wasn't fighting Wily's hand-built goons… I was fighting relics of a better dream. A dream Cossack must have once believed in…

Another explosion roared behind them, cutting off the chamber completely.

And now he's burying it all.

Outside

Outside the crumbling Citadel, the ground convulsed violently, sending fractures through the icy landscape surrounding the once-pristine fortress. Snow and ash were beginning to mix in the air as the structure moaned and shuddered under its own weight.

Ivan Petkov, stationed near one of the outlying observation points, stared at the catastrophic scene unfolding before him. His knuckles were white as he gripped the rail, face frozen in a mix of shock and dread.

"What in the name of God has Cossack done…?" he whispered, breath visible in the frigid air as the foundations of the Citadel gave a low, dreadful crack.

Before he could blink, the reinforced entrance to the structure burst open with a roar of escaping pressure and heat. A streak of light shot out—Rush, in full jet mode, with Mega Man at the helm and the others clinging tightly behind.

"Ivan!" Mega Man shouted, voice distorted by wind and adrenaline.

Petkov barely had time to react before the Blue Bomber reached down and yanked him into the air by his coat collar. "Wha—wait, what are you—?!"

"No time!" Mega Man barked, just as a titanic plume of dust and flame surged out from the collapsing Citadel behind them, rolling like a tidal wave of pulverized stone and scorched steel.

The group shot skyward, propelled by Rush's engines and sheer necessity. The explosion chased them with terrifying speed, but Rush's maneuverability outmatched it—barely.

As they finally broke clear of the danger, Mega Man looked back.

Where once there stood the lonely yet beautiful silhouette of Cossack's Citadel—snow-dusted towers rising like spires of forgotten hope—now remained only jagged ruins and a smoke-choked crater. Glowing embers dotted the wreckage like fading stars. The air shimmered with heat and memory.

Mega Man stared, core metaphorically sinking beneath his armored chestplate.

"That wasn't just a fortress," he murmured aloud. "That was a man's dream."

No one responded. There was nothing left to say.

Mine

The distinct VWAAAAMP of the teleporter charging down and disengaging snapped Skull Man's attention toward the far end of the clearing. The glowing energy column flared, then dissipated in a surge of static light—revealing a very awkward, very cramped arrangement of bodies crammed within the platform's limited space.

Guts Man had his shoulder wedged against the control panel, Cut Man's scissors were dangerously close to someone's face, and in the very middle, snarling like a cornered animal, was none other than Dr. Wily himself. Proto Man stood silently just behind them all, arms crossed, his visor unreadable.

Skull Man stepped forward from the treeline, apparently having arrived just moments earlier by his own means. His voice was as flat and unaffected as ever.

"Welcome back, Doctor."

Cut Man leaned in toward Guts Man, voice low. "Okay, I know we've seen some strange guys before, but this one's… off."

Guts Man nodded quickly. "Yeah, he's giving me 'creepy toaster' vibes."

Dr. Wily, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with indignation. With a loud "hrk," he shoved himself through the tight cluster of limbs and pistons, finally falling free from the sardine-can arrangement. He stumbled, coat flapping wildly, before catching himself and spinning on Skull Man with a look that could have melted titanium.

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?!" Wily shouted, jabbing a bony finger in Skull Man's direction. "Standing there like some malfunctioning cemetery ornament while I nearly got crushed, cooked, and telefragged all in one day!"

Skull Man tilted his head slightly, like an owl regarding a storm. "Perhaps I heard Dr. Cossack muttering something of bombs, yet given his status as my co-creator, my hands were tied, so to speak," he explained with an uncanny nonchalant manner. "You survived. That is ultimately what matters, is it not?"

Wily's eye twitched. "Don't play logic games with me, you walking skull rack! You could've warned me!"

But Skull Man simply stared back, impassive as ever. "Would it have changed the outcome?" he inquired, voice still unnaturally even. "As surely you've seen by now, Mikhail Cossack is a rather…unpredictable individual. Why would a potential warning simply not result in him finding some other means to bring the fortress down?"

The balding scientist was about to answer, yet was then drawn to the rhythmic beat of boots pounding on cracked, barren earth. From around the corner emerged an alarmed and ready Elec and Ice Man, both also seemingly aware of what had just occurred.

"And where have YOU two been?!" Wily angrily questioned, the black, red, and gold Robot Master, somewhat intimidated by the old man's evident rage, his Inuit-influenced companion shrinking behind him to shield himself from the human's wrath.

"Uh…apologies for the delayed arrival, Doctor," Elec Man responded, trying to sound placating. "There were some…unforeseen difficulties that arose and momentarily… sidetracked our progress."

"We both just managed to climb out of that chasm, Sir," Ice Man muttered, his cheeks oddly warm with embarrassment despite his intended purpose of utilizing sub-zero chemicals and enduring sub-zero temperatures. "Still, I accept that we should have been more punctual with our time, Soldier!" he then declared with an authoritative promise.

Still, he was debating whether to reveal to the scientist that Reggae had also been found. Just not in one piece. Or two, or three, four, five, and…truthfully, Ice Man wasn't sure if the bird could even be repaired with what little of his body actually survived being crushed by a rock.

Wily let out a guttural noise somewhere between a groan and a hiss, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "You all test my patience," he snarled, reclining against a nearby rock wall and sinking down to the ground. "Still, if there is any sort of consolation," he continued, his frustration and lingering effects from the bursts of adrenaline steadily beginning to wind down as he retrieved a rectangular-shaped device from his labcoat pocket in the back. A replica of the same that Cossack himself threatened Mega Man with. "I at least have a Plan B should that Slavic fool chicken out at the last second."

Outside

A short distance from the crash site, the smoke finally began to thin under the cold breeze. Ivan Petkov knelt beside a makeshift medical station that had been hastily put together from salvaged supplies. He watched as Dr. Cossack lay unconscious on a thermal mat, his breathing shallow but steady beneath the emergency blankets. While it took a few more miles of flying, they all managed to eventually reach an outpost that had been stocked with the bare minimum of supplies, the building all but abandoned entirely.

Still, even if it wasn't much, it ultimately served to be just enough.

Roll knelt beside him, gently checking his vitals with soft movements. Her worry was plain, though she worked with a practiced calm.

"He's stable," she said quietly, "but whatever he did down there… it took a toll."

Petkov nodded grimly, his jaw clenched behind his scarf. "He's lucky to be alive. The failsafe protocols he installed were only theoretical—none of us ever believed he'd actually use them. But…" he trailed off, looking over at the smoldering crater in the distance. "Something must've pushed him past his breaking point."

Roll glanced down at the doctor's pale face. "Or maybe… he thought it was the only way to stop Wily. To stop himself."

Kalinka remained silent, her weary eyes shifting between her father and the harsh tundra beyond. She felt a deep sense of understanding for both the man she loved and the relentless landscape that surrounded them, each reflecting a heaviness she couldn't quite express.

It was as if the very world around her made it its primary mission to remind her of where she was, what sort of dire situation her only remaining parent was now in.

And, most importantly of all, that, even with the brief glimmers of hope here and there, there was still no escape.

Meanwhile, outside the confines of the outpost, not far off, Mega Man stood apart with Natsenka near a bent column of scorched metal, the smell of char and ozone still lingering in the air. The two of them, along with Rush and Beat, had gone back to the site where the towering building once stood. Beat's mechanical wings folded neatly to his sides, though his posture upon the Russian agent's shoulder remained alert, as if expecting something else to go wrong.

"So how did you even know he was missing?" Mega Man asked, his tone low, thoughtful. "Most people still thought he was working with Wily."

Natsenka's eyes narrowed slightly, her voice calm but edged with military precision. "Because he stopped sending signals. No communications, no updates, not even ghost signals. That's not like him." She glanced over toward Cossack's resting form. "We didn't know if it was a kidnapping or a desertion… but my superiors feared the worst."

Mega Man nodded slowly, looking down at his gloved hands. "And they sent you."

"Exactly," she corrected. "I was based on a design crafted by him years ago. I came to finally see him after my unit was deployed to counter a reactor collapse in Yekaterinburg." Her expression softened slightly. "Still, even with all that, I cannot say I actually know the man himself."

Mega Man looked over at her, their eyes meeting briefly—his blue, her reddish-brown, sharp and calculating. "Still, I guess we both owe him to an extent."

She nodded once.

Behind them, another distant rumble echoed from beneath the earth—more of the Citadel settling into its grave.

Whatever had been built there was gone now. But what remained—who remained—had managed to escape the destruction.

"Upon Dr. Cossack not returning to his home country on the scheduled date, my…" Natsenka paused, as if struggling to speak what had once been able to slip through her lips with ease. "...superiors, shall we say, took measures to discover where he had gone. Or, as we discovered, where he had been taken."

The Blue Bomber nodded. "And Beat here was your means of keeping tabs on him while he was abroad, right?"

"More or less," the robotic bluebird confirmed. "Although, given that they managed to eventually track me through him, I suppose it'd only be fitting that Wily would capitalize on that," he remarked. "Probably is what inspired him to make that mangy blackbird with the annoying voice." the smaller yet equally peculiar-sounding birdbot growling in disdain.

"Maybe," Mega agreed with a nod. "Still," he mused aloud, voice laced with underlying concern. "With all he's gone through to set this entire thing up," he stated. "I highly doubt that Dr. Wily is just going to call it quits just yet."

New York City

The hum of life buzzed through the streets as usual. Yellow cabs honked impatiently, neon signs flickered above crowded avenues, and pedestrians hurried along sidewalks, dodging street performers and vendor carts. The rhythmic chaos of the city that never slept pulsed like clockwork.

In Times Square, massive digital screens streamed live news, fashion ads, and ticker updates as tourists posed for photos under the LED glow. Everything seemed perfectly normal.

Until the light changed.

Suddenly, the afternoon sun vanished in an instant, swallowed by something massive overhead. A collective pause fell over the city—people stopped mid-stride, looking upward in confusion.

And then came the shadows.

Three colossal, inhuman shapes began to blot out entire buildings, their edges indistinct yet impossibly tall and wide, crawling across the concrete jungle like descending titans. One after another, they arrived—unnatural silhouettes sweeping across skyscrapers, casting blocks of the city into pitch-darkness.

The silence snapped like glass.

Screams erupted as panic surged through the streets. People scattered in all directions, shoving past one another, clutching children, abandoning bags and phones. Vehicles screeched to a halt or swerved into one another as their drivers tried to look skyward.

On a rooftop, a lone bystander raised a shaking phone, trying to film the source—his lens capturing a blurred, monolithic figure with glowing eyes cutting through the smoke and clouds like a specter.

Then, a sound unlike anything the city had ever heard tore through the air.

A mechanical roar, ancient and furious.

And all at once, New York City was no longer normal.

Light Labs

The quiet hum of computer systems and gentle whir of machinery had been abruptly drowned out by the faint, distant tremors that rolled through the foundations of the building. The vibrations were subtle at first—but they were not natural.

The front door to Dr. Light's retro-futuristic styled home-laboratory burst open as Agent Gilbert Stern stormed out, green trench coat flapping behind him, red tie undone, and face locked in grim disbelief. He rushed down the entryway steps and out into the open, his eyes already locked on the skyline—where Manhattan's towering silhouettes had been replaced with others.

He stopped cold.

Three towering figures loomed among the skyscrapers, unnatural and hulking, backlit by the flickering glow of burning neon and warped sunlight. Their outlines shimmered like something out of a dream—or a nightmare.

"What in the name of General Patton?!" he muttered.

Moments later, his partner, Agent Roslyn Krantz, stepped outside, phone still in her hand, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's with the shaking? I thought this part of the city didn't get—"

She stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of the skyline.

Her breath hitched. "Oh my God…"

In the street, horns were already blaring. Alarms joined in seconds later. Helicopters could be seen mobilizing in the distance—but they looked like insects compared to the titanic shadows.

From behind them, Dr. Thomas Light stepped through the doorway, shoulders slumped, his lab coat still stained with the residue of hours spent in deep thought and deeper regret. But he did not step forward. He did not look.

Instead, he stood on the threshold, staring down at the concrete beneath his feet as if the very ground held him accountable.

Agent Stern glanced back. "Doctor… What is this? Are they Wily's? Something from Russia? Another private weapons lab?"

But Dr. Light didn't answer right away.

He closed his eyes, clenched his trembling hands, and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"…It's too late."

Krantz looked back at him, stunned. "What do you mean too late? What are we dealing with?"

Light opened his eyes slowly, and for the first time in decades, the brilliance in them was gone—replaced by a heavy, inescapable grief.

"I thought Mega, that Rock could stop it… stop him," he murmured. "Before I got to this point."

And then, quietly—almost inaudibly—

"But it seems I have provided you all with false hope. Now…it's all over," he spoke with a heart weighed down with lead. "The city will be no more."

Chapter Text

"Whoa, hey," Roll exclaimed, her tone sharpened by urgency as she swiftly caught the attention of both Ivan Petkov and Kalinka Cossack. Her outstretched arm pointed directly at the flickering screen of the weathered television set perched precariously atop a crooked, dust-caked wooden shelf. The old device, caked in grime and the weight of years long gone, sputtered with static and light, somehow managing to summon life from its frail circuitry. "You have to see this!" she added, her eyes wide with a gleam of electrified curiosity, clearly captivated by whatever strange scene now danced across the screen.

Though Dr. Cossack had recently been confirmed to be in passable health—an impressive feat considering he had spent the last several weeks as a coerced companion of her brother's greatest enemy—an atmosphere of unease still pressed heavily over the room. The icy grip of the Russian winter beyond the thin walls, with its relentless flurries and muffling snowdrifts, did little to soothe the rising tension simmering just beneath the surface. Tired of being kept in the shadows, Roll had scoured the small, cramped cabin for anything of use, her golden hair catching the light as she paused before the nearly forgotten relic of a television. With a flick of a switch and a hopeful breath, the machine sparked to life, humming and glowing as its worn tube warmed up, finally resolving into a shaky, grainy image of a snow-blanketed street in Moscow. The frame wobbled slightly, but unmistakably in the distance stood the colorful domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, faint but recognizable—anchoring them to a place now caught in the eye of something far larger than themselves.

With a slight twist, the screen flickered violently before cutting to black—then flashed again, struggling to catch the next signal. She squinted, adjusting the antenna with one hand while the other nudged the dial further. Static gave way to another flickering image: the opening sequence of Nu, Pogodi! began to play, the cartoon wolf slinking across the screen with mischievous glee.

"I remember this one…" Kalinka murmured, stepping closer, her voice tinged with melancholy. "It used to be one of Papa's favorites to put on when things were… calmer."

Roll gave her a quick glance but didn't speak—her focus remained sharp. Another click. This time, Channel One Russia emerged from the fuzz, broadcasting a grainy but audible evening news bulletin. The anchorwoman, framed by patriotic blue and red graphics, spoke rapidly in Russian, the words running almost too fast for Roll to follow—but Kalinka tensed slightly.

"They're talking about unusual energy spikes," she whispered, more to herself than the others. "And military interference near a classified facility just outside Moscow…"

The report cut out abruptly—another burst of white noise—before a softer tone emerged: the whimsical opening of Cheburashka, the stop-motion crocodile plodding into view beneath a snowy city backdrop. Roll turned the dial again, the screen jumping to a scene from Kultura, where a solemn violinist played in front of a painted winter mural, the peaceful notes a stark contrast to the unease tightening in her chest.

She clicked past STS, its grainy sitcom laughter bubbling over pixelated actors, and then to Russia-24, where the ticker at the bottom of the screen scrolled ominous text. Kalinka began to translate aloud: "Disappearance of Dr. Mikhail Cossack…" she muttered. "Investigation underway… Emergency forces en route to Sector—'" the audio garbled, cutting her off mid-sentence. "He's…set his machines to attack the United States?!"

"What?!" Petkov shouted in shock, quickly making his way toward the small, worn-down television. Indeed, as he too witnessed, the screen displayed scrolling text detailing how the country situated in the West was currently creating havoc on American soil.

Specifically, New York City.

Outside

"Hm?" The Blue Bomber turned, feeling a gentle metallic paw delicately scratching at the back of his knee. The sensation pulled his attention away from Natsenka and the crumbling remains of what was once Cossack's fortified Citadel, redirecting it to the eager robotic canine seeking his owner's focus. "Yeah? What is it, boy?"

Rush let out an enthusiastic bark, his bright eyes shimmering with excitement as he gestured toward the frozen expanse that lay behind them. The landscape was a vast sea of white, with countless snowflakes swirling gracefully down from the heavy, mist-laden sky above, each one unique in its fragile beauty.

Suddenly, a distant, muffled roar pierced through the howling winds of the Siberian tundra, steadily rising in intensity. It was the unmistakable sound of a powerful engine, cutting through the biting cold air, hinting at the approach of something significant amidst the snowy desolation.

Then, from the dense veil of snow and ice, a silvery small aircraft fit for only a few passengers landed before both Mega and Natsenka, Rush in turn running toward the aircraft in case it was a potential enemy.

"Rush, boy! Come back!"

Whether it was due to his own programming or perhaps the natural sense of loyalty that seemed to manifest in all canines, whether metal or organic, Rush's need to secure Mega's safety overrode the Blue Bomber's order to stay put, the red robotic rover continuing forward toward the silver jet.

Then, when he got in range, he could see two figures situated in the front: the Russian agent was seemingly piloting the aircraft while the blonde human that had just been saved was to his left.

No, wait.

That wasn't Dr. Cossack's offspring.

"Rega!" Rush called out, his shirt tail beginning to rapidly wag back and forth. "Rits Roll!"

Despite the countless hours spent together, Mega Man often found himself pausing to decipher the energetic barks and playful gestures of his red robotic canine partner, DLN. The complexities of canine communication sometimes required an extra moment of mental processing. However, there was one name that never failed to cut through the confusion—his partner's name, filled with familiarity and affection.

As he sprinted toward the aircraft, excitement surged within him. Natsenka and Beat trailed closely behind, their footsteps echoing in unison on the pavement. Mega Man's instincts kicked in, and he sensed that Agent Petkov was intricately connected to the mysterious vehicle that had just landed. The sleek design of the aircraft hinted at advanced technology, a fitting choice for a mission filled with urgency.

Upon catching sight of the scarred human waiting on board, Mega Man quickly pieced together the situation. The presence of his sister and, presumably, Kalinka suggested that a significant task lay ahead—a clear indication of the agent's intentions. With determination pumping through his circuits, Mega Man readied himself for whatever challenge might await them, fully prepared to assist in any way he could.

Ministry of Defense HQ

Airstrip

"How much of the city has been damaged?" the Blue Bomber found himself reluctant to ask that, mentally chastising himself for such cowardice. Yet he knew he had to. He had to get at least a small estimate of what had occurred while he was out of his country's borders.

Of what he had been unable to stop.

Failed to stop.

Issac Petkov gave out a light huff, the chilled air making his open exasperation visible for all to see. "From what I'm aware, our flying unit, the Mothraya, has already made use of its capabilities in Brooklyn," he was silent for a few moments, the vapor of his own breath steadily rising and fading into invisibility further cementing that even crucial moments such as this couldn't last too long for the sake of everyone else. "Either way, it seems Wily had this in mind the entire time," he lamented aloud. "Cossack's plan to take the madman down with him notwithstanding."

"And it probably urged the old coot to step up the game," Roll added. "Darn it, we were forced to play another one of his stupid games the entire time!" she finished with a furious hiss.

"Easy there, Sis," Mega assured her, a blue hand placing itself on her red-coated shoulder. "This isn't the first time Wily's managed to get a few steps ahead of us," he admitted, pausing for a moment upon catching the skeptical and questioning glance of the Russian Agent. "And we've managed to stop him every time, right?"

She was about to counter with another point, yet upon catching Petkov's expression, she too realized that there was a secondary motivation to her brother's encouragement. "Well, yeah," the blonde android agreed. "I mean, we've yet to let him get away with any of his plans so far," she added, yet before she had the chance to either speak for or against her older sibling's display of optimism, the Russian Agent cut in for her.

"Either way, you certainly won't be doing your country or ours any favors if we keep standing here merely speaking of stopping him," Ivan Petkov interjected. "This aircraft will be temporarily loaned to you to serve as your means of returning to the United States," he stated, gesturing to the flying machine situated a short distance away, silvery and reflective, not to mention seemingly far more spacious than that of the jet used to arrive here. "I can trust it to be returned intact and still functional, yes?"

"Oh, uh, yes, Sir," Mega answered with a complementary salute. "Once Dr. Wily's latest scheme's been put on ice, this will get back to you, good as new!"

"I'll believe it when you return it," Petkov responded. "AFTER you've taken care of that blasted balding Фриц."

Mega nodded in acknowledgment. "Understood. Best get going then, I guess."

With that, he and Roll made their way to the aircraft, the door allowing entry, pulling to the side, and letting the two androids board. A short time later, the machine itself revved its engines and began to rise off the ground, then propelling in an upper-diagonal angle, piloting off to the west.

And, in turn, to once again play the role of the upstanding "Super Fighting Robot of the 21st century."

Even so, Ivan still didn't entirely share in the Blue Bomber's sanguinity, whether it be genuine or performative.

Then again, considering what he was, perhaps, Ivan mused to himself, it was a degree of both.

Elsewhere

"So, what, it's around 3,800 miles back to New York from here?"

"Actually, the closest estimate is around 6,000 miles, Dr. Wily, Sir," Ice Man answered, large spectacle-like optics studying the digitized map on the small monitor located near the front of the Skulker Ship. "Had we been closer to the Bering Strait, we could have potentially crossed over into Alaska, yet seeing as the procedure of maintaining Dr. Cossack's supposed declaration of war was at the forefront, just flying in now after Mega Man knows the truth could be disastrous for us."

"Ok, so where are we now?" Wily continued, the reminder of the jig being up (once again), not doing anything to improve his already sour mood.

"Well, the original base of operations was located near the East Siberian Sea, which is around the Bering Strait in itself, Sir," Ice Man responded. "Of course," he continued, growing somewhat more timid. "Even if that would shorten the trip to the United States, it wouldn't bring us much closer to New York City itself."

The grizzled scientist just let out an exasperated sigh, throwing up his hands as if presenting his surrender to whatever higher power that could've potentially been watching this all unfold.

"Gah! All right, fine! Do whatever you have to, just get us there as fast as possible!"

And most likely finding his own suffering quite amusing.

The Inuit-based Robot Master glitched out momentarily, expression altering from subservient and demure to steely and serious. "My comrades and I shall perform to the best of our abilities, Soldier!" Ice Man answered with a confirming declaration.

"Hey, I ALWAYS perform to the best of my abilities!" Guts Man rebutted, clearly taking offense at the other DLN's response. "Who else do you think saved the Doc from being crushed back there?"

Wily only slumped in his seat, situated in the very back row, while Ice and Elec Man handled piloting the Skulker at the front. Guts and Cut Man were placed in the center row (no way was Wily going to let those two anywhere near the controls, Cossack's little touches notwithstanding) while he found himself regulated to the very back, alone.

Or, at least he would be, if not for the scarf-wearing prototype sitting to his right.

Borrowed Aircraft

"You notice something?"

Mega momentarily turned his attention away from the mass of clouds and blinding snow to address his sister. Probably not the best maneuver to make given the current conditions and overall situation, yet her tone indicated that she had something she wished to share with him.

"Like what?" Mega inquired, Roll, in turn, biting her lip.

"All that guy mentioned was stopping Cossack's machines," The blonde android recounted. "At least the three that had been set out in the city, right?"

"Right," Mega confirmed. "The Mothraya Unit, the Square Machine, and two linked robots by the name of the Cockroach Twins."

Roll froze, blue optics radiating with evident disdain. "Dr. Cossack went and built a giant cockroach?!" She exclaimed in abject disgust. "Two of them?!"

"Uh, no," the Blue Bomber responded, gesturing to the small monitor located near the steer and other controls. Pressing a button located on the lower left of the screen's border, the small cover of glass lit up, providing both DLNs a look at the aforementioned Cockroach Twins in question. "According to the records Agent Petkov's provided us, they were originally intended for building maintenance," Mega clarified to his blonde younger sister. "Specifically dome shaped structures that were a rather popular model used in the country's architecture as a whole."

"The onion domes, right?" Roll inquired. "Like the ones on St. Basil's, right?"

Mega nodded. "Speaking of, according to these files," he continued, navigating the detailed report on the dual creations of Dr. Cossack, sorting through various snapshots showcasing their past contributions to the Russian Federation. One of which included the Cockroach Twins themselves, seemingly posing among the onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral itself. "They've got a rather extensive line of work in their files."

The initial subject Roll had intended to discuss found itself momentarily put to the side as another detail became realized upon reviewing what she had known so far about Dr. Mikhail Cossack. "But wait a minute," she stated. "Didn't Wily help make those? I thought that was sort of the whole point?"

Mega shook his head. "Wily probably added a good amount of weaponry to their frames or altered their programming," he clarified. "Probably to where Dr. Cossack doesn't even see them as his anymore," he then paused for a moment. "Outside of Beat, not much of what's truly his is left," his azure optics then fell on his sister's attire. "And her."

Skulker

"You're awfully quiet."

"No I'm not!"

He didn't mean to let it slip, let it be known that he was waiting for his silence to be noticed. Let alone by the old man of all those in this flying skull-faced hunk of junk. And yet, still, to his own shame, he found himself, despite the periods of mental preparation he had undergone before the dreaded subject would inevitably be brought up, Proto Man still found his response would only serve to unravel everything he thought (hoped) he had prepared for.

"And considerably more jumpy," the balding German added. "What's going on with you, boy? Ever since we left that desolate wasteland of snow, you've been on edge like Elec Man's delivering routine shocks to your systems," Proto Man bit his lip. "What's going on with you, boy?"

Not the smartest move, to be honest, yet he went with his first instinct to try and deflect from the subject. "Oh yeah? What's going on with you?"

Wily raised a brow, yet even with his clear puzzlement, the fact that Proto was outright saying that HE was the one being weird didn't exactly sit right with him. "Watch it, you bolt-brained brat," he chastised aloud. "You're already in enough hot water for interfering with Skull Man's scheduled skirmish with your blue-clad do-gooder brother, so if you don't want your red hide to be whipped, you'll keep in mind to be careful of what you say."

He flinched.

By the great Einstein himself, the Red Bomber just flinched.

"Wh-What?" Proto Man barked back, more in trying to get the old man to stop studying him with those worn yet observant blue eyes.

Same color as Mega's.

After a few moments of silence, Wily continued. "As I was saying," he resumed. "As anger-inducing as your incessant need to prove yourself by besting Mega Moron," he crossed his arms. "What occurred with Skull Man, of which I am STILL quite displeased with, mind you," the balding German clarified, making sure the red and grey machine knew he wasn't in anyone's good graces, least of all his. "In retrospect, it seems you too were just as much of a sap as I was."

From beneath his visor, Proto raised a dark brow. "Sap?" He questioned, maintaining an air of eager confrontation, of potential offense.

And yet, a wide smirk traced his lips.

Another oddity, Wily took note of, yet decided to keep to himself. But he would remember it. He would keep it well-stored in the back of his mind.

Still, at the moment, he reveled in the small victory he had just claimed in being able to counter the android's protest. "Yes, a sap," Wily continued. "Not just you, though. Or me," he clarified. "We were all used and played for fools," he then narrowed his greying brows. "Played by a conniving little Princess acting out her devious machinations."

Russian Aircraft

"Ok, so these machines," Roll inquired. "They were all originally meant for beneficial use?"

Mega nodded in response, blue optics turning to the small monitor, the schematic of a winged insectoid-like robot. "The file says this one was originally built for the area we were just in," he informed his blonde sister. "At least, areas like it. According to Dr. Cossack's description here, the size and powerful thrusters were originally designed with the shattering and breaking apart of glacial ice, particularly large clusters found around the coastline," he then paused. "Not much of a coast to enjoy though, unless you like spending your summers in subzero temperatures."

"True, although it's not exactly too warm in New York either," Roll remarked, mentally sorting through the information she had contained in her processor. "Of course, the Christmas and New Years season certainly helps lighten things up."

"New York's full of lights already though, isn't it?" While the Blue Bomber had rode atop his robotic canine several times, of whom was situated in a dormant position behind the pilot's chair, in many cases, he found that, whether the electricity and/or the appliances that ran on the energy source were either acting abnormal or an outright outage occurred (both of which happened courtesy of Wily), there was always at least some form of source of light present. Whether it be his built-in night vision or the natural light of the sun or moon, the way forward was never entirely cast in total darkness.

Although if he even considered it for a moment, Mega decided to keep such a conclusion to himself. One, it most likely had nothing to do with what Roll was meaning, and two, such an internal musing brought forth several things that he himself wasn't entirely sure of how to respond to.

Let alone if there was a way to even do so.

"Well, yeah," Roll responded. "But you have to admit, December as a whole makes everything seem a little more…pretty."

He noticed a small flicker beneath the glass of his sister's optics, as if she were trying to perhaps find another term or descriptor, seemingly dissatisfied with her initial response. Wanted to think further, deeper, and yet, found an invisible wall in her path.

"Hm, yeah, I guess that fits," she ultimately accepted with a shrug. "Still, that kind of makes me wonder something."

"Like what?" Her blue-armored brother questioned, taking note of a sudden fall in the blonde's features.

"After this is over and done with," Roll began, tone torn between genuine interest and underlying tension. "What do you think is going to happen to Dr. Cossack?"

Skulker

"Hm? Hey, wait!" Wily called out, Proto Man rising from his seat and heading toward the back of the ship. "Where do you think you're going? I'm not done talking here!"

"Yeah, I know, Doc," the red and grey renegade DLN responded. "And I'm already bored just listening to you."

At the front, Cut Man registered the other Robot Master's words and found he didn't entirely comprehend. "And where are you going to go?" The scissor-headed robot asked. "Nowhere else to go outside of here," he then paused. "Unless you want to see if you can use Ice Man's weapon to make a snowflake parachute."

"That's dumb, even for you," Proto answered back. "I'm heading to the cargo hold. The noise in here is driving me crazy."

The door to the aforementioned location shifted open, allowing the scarf-wearing robot inside, the panel shutting not long afterward.

Guts Man turned to his co-pilot (although not once had either of them offered any sort of beneficial advice on smoother flying), not entirely understanding. "What good is that going to do?" He asked. "The thing is already going to be full of holes!"

"Exactly."

Silence.

Then the two androids joined together in uproarious laughter, although Cut Man's was far more of a raspy wheeze.

Elec Man huffed, crossing his arms. "Well, I for one have been mindful of myself this entire flight, thank you very much," he then turned his optics back to the door, then to the present seats that were filled, immediately noticing the peculiar number. "This aircraft is only equipped with six seats, including the pilots up front."

Dr. Wily raised a brow in confusion. "Yeah? What of it?" he questioned. "I just had this thing expanded when Cossack convinced me of the benefits of bringing back my robots," he grumbled. "Are you suggesting I go and add more to it already?"

"Not quite," Elec Man answered. "Although some additional space is never necessarily a bad thing," another huff from the aging scientist. "Still, there are six present seats, and one has just been emptied."

Wily was only growing even more frustrated. "Yes, yes, just get to the point!"

"I-?"

"If I may, Sir," Elec Man was cut off before he could even respond, Ice Man taking over the conversation upon sensing the slightest bit of potential conflict. "Er, I mean, Dr. Wily, Sir, the issue is not the number of seats, but the number of us machines that can occupy said seats."

This served nothing beneficial, only prompting the roboticist to be even more confused. "What are you trying to even say? Just spit it out already!"

"What I wish to explain, Sir, er, Dr. Wily, Sir," the blue and ivory colored Robot Master clarified. "There are six seats," he described. "Yet this ship in itself currently has seven occupants."

Russian Aircraft

"What do you mean?"

That in itself was perhaps, as he heard some say, a stupid question.

"I mean," his sister began, not sure if he was either unaware or just hadn't run by the scenario in his advanced AI, but he knew. He knew exactly what she was referring to. "When Wily, well, technically Cossack's machines, but Wily's been behind everything, so maybe…"

"Maybe the authorities will give him some leniency?" her blue-clad brother finished for her.

Silence overtook the entire small aircraft, Roll once again being reminded that the clothes she still wore and had yet to change out of (the urgency of the city being attacked) were not hers.

Their owner was still stuck in a situation they held no control over.

"She loves him, you know," Roll told Mega, the Blue Bomber not needing to ask whom his sister was speaking of. "If she wasn't talking about her friends or how much of a jerk Wily and his goons are, all she spoke of was her father."

Mega Man adjusted his grip on the controls, the soft thrum of the aircraft filling the uneasy pause. He knew what his sister was circling around — the fact that Dr. Cossack had not chosen treachery of his own will. Wily's hand had been behind it all, twisting loyalty into fear, forcing a father into obedience for the sake of his child.

"He didn't want any of this," Mega said at last, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "He built those machines for good, to better the country and life of those he left behind long ago. And he then altered them because he thought he had no choice. Because Wily made sure he believed Kalinka's life was always on the line."

Roll's hands tightened in her lap. She imagined Kalinka — her bright smile, the way her eyes lit up when she spoke of her father — and the quiet despair she must have felt, knowing she was the leverage that kept him chained to Wily's schemes.

"That's why I think they'll understand," Roll whispered. "If the authorities hear the truth, both here and back home in Russia, maybe they'll realize it wasn't betrayal. Maybe they'll see him as a victim, too."

Her brother exhaled slowly, the sound barely audible over the steady engine. "The question is whether the world will be willing to forgive. To them, he still unleashed chaos. He still gave Wily the tools to bring not just New York, but perhaps other areas of interest to their knees," he paused, a memory of when Wily had snuck in an intrusive chip under the guise of the nonexistent Dr. Petto, who turned out to be little more than a machine himself. "People don't forget that so easily." Even if everything had been cleared up, things such as that still lingered. In both his own processor and in the minds of the humans involved.

"But they should," Roll countered, her voice trembling with conviction. "Because it wasn't really him. You saw it, Mega — every time his name was mentioned, Kalinka defended him. Every time she could, she reminded me who he really was. A scientist. A father. Not a tyrant."

Mega didn't argue. He remembered the girl's eyes, full of fear for her father but never of him. He remembered the way she stood between them and the truth, desperate to protect the man who had been forced into a corner.

"You think the governments will listen?" he asked, quieter now.

Roll looked out the window, where the sea of clouds began to disperse slightly, dense vapors becoming less thick and filled with icy snow. "They have to. If they don't, then what chance does anyone have of mercy?"

The words hung in the air. Mega wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that justice could be tempered with compassion, that the world could see shades of gray where it so often demanded black and white.

At last, he gave a small nod. "Then we'll make sure they know the truth. Both Washington and Moscow. If anyone deserves a second chance, it's him."

Roll leaned back, relief mingling with uncertainty in her expression. For the first time since they left the battlefield, her shoulders eased, if only slightly.

"Always the hero," she said softly, a flicker of warmth in her tired eyes.

Mega's lips curved in the faintest of smiles. "Not always. Just when it counts."

The aircraft pressed on through the darkened sky, its course set toward whatever awaited them. Ahead, there would be questions, investigations, trials perhaps — but also the possibility of redemption. For now, though, the siblings let the silence return, bound by the same hope that the truth might be enough.

Skulker

The cargo hold was dim, lit only by a few narrow strips of light bleeding through the hull. Proto Man leaned against the wall, visor tilted down, scarf shifting with the faint vibration of the engines. It was the closest thing to silence he could find — muffled voices from the cabin reduced to a dull murmur.

"You hide it well," a voice said, steady and low.

Proto's visor caught a small flash of red as his head lifted. "Figures," he muttered. "Of course it's you."

Skull Man emerged from the gloom, steps measured, each metallic footfall echoing softly. His piercing red optics fixed on Proto without expression. "Noise is not what you run from. You endure chaos in battle without pause. This is different. You come here because their words cut deeper than you allow."

Proto gave a short, humorless laugh. "You spend a lot of time thinking up fortune-cookie wisdom down here, or do you just enjoy hearing yourself sound creepy?"

Unmoved, Skull Man tilted his head. "Wily speaks of loyalty, betrayal, and creation. He says things that bind you to him… and yet break you as well. You cannot hide it from me."

Proto pushed off from the wall, closing the space between them in two strides. His voice dropped, sharp and cold. "You don't know a blasted thing about me. Whatever you think you see or think you have seen, keep it to yourself. You try to run your mouth in front of others, and you'll regret it."

The threat hung in the air, heavy. But Skull Man neither flinched nor stepped back. His skeletal visage betrayed nothing.

"You misunderstand," Skull said evenly. "I am not afraid of you. If anything, you should be wary of me."

Proto's smirk faltered, just slightly.

Skull continued, his voice like ice: "Had you abandoned her in the snow… had Kalinka been left to die beneath that storm… I would have done more than speak." The ruby optics of his helm fixed unblinking on Proto, his tone still calm, but edged with something darker. "I would have broken you. Not for Wily. Not for Cossack. For her."

For a moment, the engines seemed the only sound in the hold. Proto's hand twitched near his buster, but he stopped short, scarf swaying faintly with the tension in his frame.

"You talk big," he muttered, visor narrowing, "But don't mistake me for someone who takes orders from you. Or anyone."

Skull inclined his head, as if conceding the point, though the ruby optics, that ever-present glow, never wavered. "I do not give orders. I am in no position to do such. I only state the truth. Whether you heed them or not is your choice."

Proto turned away sharply, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed once more, hiding his unease in practiced indifference. "Do whatever you want. Just remember: silence keeps you intact."

Skull Man did not answer. He only stood there, statue-like in the shadows, watching. And though Proto tried to ignore him, the weight of that gaze lingered, unspoken and unshaken, long after.

"And ignorance is what will keep you from being tinkered with."

Russian Aircraft

Back in the cabin, the laughter of Cut Man and Guts Man had sputtered out into idle muttering. Roll shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing down at the oversized coat that still wrapped around her shoulders. The garment smelled faintly of snow and oil, a reminder of the girl who should have been wearing it instead.

She touched the fabric, her expression softening. "I should… go put this somewhere where I'll know where it is," she murmured. "Besides, I'm missing wearing shorter sleeves."

Mega Man turned from the viewport. "Now?"

"I know she's probably been sent somewhere she'll be cared for, but she did seem to like this thing," Roll said, already rising. Her voice carried a quiet insistence. "And besides… it doesn't feel right, me keeping it. It's hers."

Without waiting for his reply, she moved toward the back of the aircraft, boots clicking softly against the floor panels as the door to the cargo hold slid shut behind her.

Mega remained at the front, hands resting loosely on the armrests, eyes fixed on the darkness outside. The hum of the ship should have been steadying, but instead it seemed to amplify the churn of his thoughts.

Cossack.

He knew the truth now — how the man had been cornered, forced into servitude under Wily's threats. Yet knowledge did not ease the knot in his chest. Would the authorities in America, or in Russia, truly see it as coercion? Or would they only remember the destruction that followed?

Mega clenched his hands lightly. He wanted to believe that mercy would prevail, but the memory of crumbling cities and broken streets suggested otherwise.

And then another thought struck him, heavy and sudden.

The Robot Masters. Specifically, those seven. Or, as of now, eight.

His eyes drifted toward the rows of seats around him. Toad Man, Dust Man, Dive Man — he had fought them all, time and again. He had thought of them only as Wily's pawns, tools of conquest and chaos. Yet now, with Cossack's story clearer in his mind, the realization unfolded like an unwelcome revelation.

They had once been something else. Someone else's.

Cossack hadn't built machines for war. He had built them for progress, for hope — to better the lives of his people, and perhaps most of all, to keep his daughter from loneliness. Friends for a child growing up in the cold expanse of Siberia. Companions who were never meant to be soldiers.

And what had Mega Man done?

He saw again the flash of Bright Man's bulb, the bursts of speed and elegance Ring Man displayed, the still commanding presence of Pharaoh Man — all moments where he had met them not as friends, but as foes. He had destroyed them, dismantled their purpose, never realizing what they had once been.

His gaze lowered, heavy with the thought.

Did Kalinka know? She must have. Those machines weren't just her father's creations — they had been her playmates, her protectors. And he had stood against them, cut them down, without ever asking what they truly meant to her.

A weight settled in his chest, sharper than guilt, colder than doubt.

Did she hate him for it?

The question lingered, unanswered, as the cloudy horizon stretched endlessly ahead.

The click of the cabin door made Mega glance up. Roll stepped inside, or so it seemed. Her familiar yellow jumpsuit clung neatly to her frame, her hair tied back in its usual ponytail. She moved with casual ease, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeves as she made her way down the narrow aisle.

Oddly enough, though, the boots she wore seemed to be rather quiet compared to before.

"You're back already?" Mega asked, relief threading through his voice. "That was quick."

She gave him a small, almost shy smile before slipping into the seat beside him. For a moment, Mega allowed himself to relax. The image was so familiar, so reassuring, that he didn't question it.

But then—

"Mega?" came a voice from behind. "Who's…this…?"

He stiffened. Turning his head, he saw Roll peeking out from behind one of the forward seats, still wearing Kalinka's coat and clothes, her hair loose and disheveled from the frantic escape earlier. Her optics blinked in mild confusion as she registered his expression.

Mega's gaze darted back to the figure beside him. And suddenly, the details shifted into clarity — the faint curve of the jaw, the pallor of human skin, and above all, the unmistakable brightness of green eyes staring back at him.

Not Roll.

Kalinka.

She froze in the seat, equally startled, hands clutching at the jumpsuit's sleeves as though only now realizing how much of herself she had revealed. For a long, taut instant, neither of them spoke.

"You—" Mega began, his voice catching in his throat.

Kalinka swallowed, her lips parting as if to form an excuse, a protest, anything to break the silence. But nothing came. Her eyes stayed wide, searching his face, as though afraid of what judgment she might find there.

Mega's own surprise mirrored hers. For all his battles, all his encounters with Wily and his schemes, nothing had prepared him for this — the sight of the girl he had fought so hard to protect sitting beside him, clothed once more in her own skin, reclaiming the smallest piece of what had been taken.

"Kalinka." he breathed at last, her name little more than a whisper.

Chapter Text

Her fingers tightened against the fabric, knuckles paling, and she looked away toward the cabin window. But not before he caught the flicker of vulnerability in her eyes.

And Mega realized, with a sudden heaviness, that she must know.

Know about the machines he had fought, the ones she once called friends. About the destruction he had brought, even if unwillingly, to the world her father had built for her.

The silence between them deepened, heavy with unspoken questions neither dared to voice.

Roll’s voice cut through the oppressive quiet, soft but edged with curiosity. “Kalinka… what are you doing here?”

Kalinka’s gaze flickered between Roll and Mega, a mixture of determination and unease in her posture. “Since my Papa’s machines are causing trouble in New York City… it seems… you’re going to be in need of assistance.”

Both Mega Man and Roll froze, the weight of her words sinking in. Mega’s hands twitched slightly, a faint tension in his shoulders. Roll’s eyes widened, her mind racing. She glanced at Mega, and in that silent exchange, they both understood exactly what Kalinka meant — the machines, the chaos, the inevitable call to action.

The Blue Bomber’s voice dropped, almost a whisper. “You… you mean you want to help us fight them?”

New York City

“I still don't understand why we're even going along with this,” Stern openly lamented, he and his younger partner situated in the back of the modified vehicle while Dr. Light took to navigating the now hectic streets of the Big Apple. “The way I see it, we’re not going to be doing any good if we end up getting crushed or run over!”

Krantz bit her lip. “Or we end up running over someone ourselves,” while she didn't wish to insinuate that the driver was acting erratically, she couldn't deny that the scientist at the wheel wasn't helping in alleviating the already hectic environment. “Dr. Light, please, slow down! Someone might get hurt!” 

“Apologies for the lack of a smoother ride, Agent Krantz and Agent Stern,” the bearded roboticist called back to his two unsteady passengers. “But if I don't act now, even more people may potentially be injured or worse if I don't manage to at least accomplish this!” he proclaimed, continuing on with his rather dangerous and unpredictable route through the already chaotic streets.

“And, may I ask,” Stern began, being forced to stop when some passerby nearly ran head-first into the vehicle’s windshield. “Just what exactly that is, Doctor?!”

Light didn't answer at first, dark eyes turned to the small case in the front passenger seat, a small pistol of sorts resting atop it.  “Something I probably am not qualified for,” he confessed. “Still, if this will help Mega, then so be it.” 

Russian Aircraft

Kalinka nodded solemnly, her usual composure tempered by the gravity of the situation. “I’m afraid so. My Papa… he doesn’t see the danger. But we do. And if we don’t act…” Kalinka’s gaze didn’t waver, her posture firm despite the unease in the space inside aircraft. “I have to help,” she insisted, her voice calm but resolute. “I can’t just stand by while this is happening —while he, Papa—continues to have his good name dragged through the mud.”

Mega Man shook his head gently. “Kalinka… it’s too dangerous. You can’t—”

Roll placed a hand lightly on the human’s arm, nodding in agreement. “He’s right. This isn’t something you can just walk into. It’s not that we don’t trust you… it’s that we don’t want to lose you.”

Kalinka’s lips pressed together, but she didn’t relent. “I know the risks. But I also know I can be useful. You’re not the only ones who want to protect New York.”

Mega Man sighed, exchanging a brief glance with Roll. “We can’t let you come along. You’ll have to stay on the jet while we handle this.”

Her eyes softened, and for a moment, she simply nodded. “…I understand.”

As she stepped back, hiding her disappointment behind a composed expression, Rush lifted his head up, noting some movement going on behind. His sensors flickered as he noticed Kalinka’s fingers subtly crossing behind her back, a secret little gesture that betrayed the hope she still carried.

The aircraft’s interior fell into a tense silence, each of them acutely aware that the coming battle in New York would test them all—but for now, Kalinka would wait, her resolve unbroken, even if it meant watching from the safety of the jet.

The Skulker

“Ah, there it is!” Guts Man announced with triumph, the visage of a regal, feminine statue of green garbed in ornate robes holding a stone torch up to the heavens able to be spotted a short distance away. “Hey, maybe Lady Liberty should make herself useful and let that glowstick of hers be a landing spot, right, Dr. Wily?”

“Oh, I have plans for our dear American Mistress in Green,” the elderly German scientist answered. “But that’ll have to wait until I perfect the proper components. For now,” he leaned forward, the sight of the distant east coast metropolis bringing a wry grin to his lips. “I want to see just what sort of havoc these machines Light’s new-best-friend built can really do!” He exclaimed, rather giddy at the very prospect of it. “Just imagine, hapless morons and supposedly ‘untouchable’ politicians alike, running around like freshly decapitated chickens while the authorities try in vain to take those oversized toys down! And the best part?” He paused, stifling a giggle. “They’re not even mine!” 

The balding scorned roboticist cackled in revelry of what was to await him upon entering New York City, all the while, Elec Man took notice of how, while Wily’s current behavior was more than expected, another’s was not. 

“Odd.”

He waited, audio receptors tuned for some sort of response. Yet, to his own shock (so to speak), he received nothing. 

“Normally, the prospect of causing wanton destruction is right up your alley, but here you are, sulking in the back of the ship.” 

It took a few moments, but Elec Man at least managed to garner a shrug. “Not much different than usual,” he muttered, voice completely devoid of any hint of intrigue or, Asimov forbid, that semi-childish excitement he always seemed to possess whenever he got an excuse to break something. “If anything, I was hoping we’d actually pilot those toys of Cossack’s ourselves.”

Elec Man huffed. “You know that they were modified to be controlled from the inside in place of any human interaction outside of Dr. Wily’s,” he stated. “You knew that before you left to go and snatch up his miscreant blonde brat who-“

“Would everyone just stop talking about the darned kid already?!” Proto Man bellowed, rising from his seat and getting dangerously close to Elec Man, mere inches away from the other rogue DLN. “The worthless little shrimp is out of our hair, she’s been nothing but an absolute nightmare to deal with ever since she was tossed in that cage, and she nearly ruined my scarf!” He spoke the latter portion with a considerable amount of disdain. “If anything, that old Russian coot should be thankful I didn’t just leave her out in the snow to…”

The interior of the Skulker went silent, everyone from Elec and Ice Man to Dr. Wily himself fixing their eyes/optics on the scarf-wearing android. The suddenness of the outburst drew the attention of even the two Robot Masters situated at the front of the ship. 

His response wasn’t loud, hardly. Barely more than the volume of a rodent’s squeak. “…I’m gonna die.” 

A Short Time Later

New York City

“Hey, Ros,” Stern began, a hand placed on her blue-clothed uniform and directing her line of sight to the right outside his partially pulled-down window. “Look at that! Doc! You too!”

Upon hearing the directions given to his partner, Dr. Light suspected that the government agent would also want him to observe whatever Stern had caught sight of. At first, he was puzzled, the exterior of the small incoming aircraft resembling that of the Russian military. 

“Mikhail?” He questioned aloud, voice echoing a clear sense of confusion, yet also a degree of hopefulness. As if the scientist himself had come up from whatever predicament he had been in to remedy what had been unleashed onto the city. 

Of course, witnessing who emerged from the aircraft upon landing in a nearby area of trimmed greenery, the scientist grew even more confused. 

“Mega?!” 

“Doc!” 

The Blue Bomber, he, Roll, and Rush dashing toward the bearded roboticist who had just exited his own vehicle to run to his children, despite the calls of both Agents Krantz and Stern to either come back or be careful. 

“Doc, are you all right? How’s everything here?” Mega wasted no time, checking both the status of his creator as the surrounding buildings all throughout the area. 

“Well, things haven’t gotten any better since the arrival of those machines,” Dr. Light confessed. “But, if we act now, we might be able to prevent any further damage.”

This small bit of assurance was all the Blue Bomber needed, a small grin creeping across his lips. “From that, I guess you already have a strategy in mind?” He inquired, the grey-haired scientist handing Mega Man a small handheld device, the upper portion displaying a digitized map of all districts of New York City, four particular locations highlighted with glowing red dots. 

“It was risky and I had to rely mostly on Agent Stern’s sharp shooting,” Dr. Light admitted to the azure android. “But we managed to scout around and plant tracking devices on each of Cossack’s robots,” he explained. “All of which have been directed toward vital boroughs of the city.”

Stern himself heard such from the stationed vehicle, his partner smirking at the heat rising to his cheeks. “Well, looks like the old tinkerer does appreciate human efforts after all.” 

Gilbert cursed himself for such an open display, even around someone like Roslyn. “I never said I hated him,” he muttered. “All I said was that he’s a little too friendly with these machines is all.” 

“And that’s a bad thing?” Roslyn teased, bringing out Mariachi, who had been riding in her blue sleeve. “This little guy seems to think you’re ok.” 

The small handheld mechanical rodent gave a small squeak, although not quite the same as that of a mouse, and hoped from Krantz’s hand onto Stern’s shoulder, the government official not exactly sure how to respond. 

“Uh…hi?”

Mariachi then turned to face the exterior of the vehicle, and then, to the bewilderment of both older man and younger woman, the orange robotic robovinski hopped out of the open window and landed on the concrete below, scattering toward the still speaking scientist and his blue-clad creation. 

“Whoa, hey, HEY! Where do you think you’re going, pipsqueak?! It’s dangerous out there for someone like you!”

The hamster ultimately paid no mind, continuing forward in an effort to reach Dr. Light and Mega Man before the discussion of the plan to snuff out this latest stunt of Wily’s before it got even more out of hand. 

“So, Wily’s sent these four bots of his to these select areas, right?” Mega Man questioned, blue optics glancing from the small monitor to Dr. Light himself. 

“Cossack’s,” Dr. Light corrected, yet not in reproach or scorn. Rather, it was almost a solemn reminder that the creations he was about to face weren’t initially made with malice in mind. “But yes, Dr. Wily’s deployed them in these specific sections as they are the most vital to both the city’s economic and administrative structures, as well as places such as monuments and cultural centers.”

Mega Man nodded in acknowledgment, turning his gaze back to the small monitor, four particular locations marked and glowing on the map: Lower Manhattan, both the Upper East and West Sides, and the center of ABC City. 

Although each origin of the tracked signal was already moving away from their current locations.

“Given we had a ride here, Rush is good on fuel for the time being,” the aforementioned red canine barked in confirmation, allowing for the Blue Bomber to board upon altering to jet mode. “Guess now is as good a time as any to get going.” 

“Wait!” Roll called out, Eddie in her arms as Mega began to rise upward. “Take one of these, at least!” The smaller green machine in her grasp opened up his top and fired an E-tank in Mega’s direction, the blue DLN catching the fluid-filled canister with a last-moment grasp.

“I’ll keep it somewhere safe, thanks, Sis!” He thanked before going off, knowing well that there was no time to lose. 

Roll watched as he went off, all the while silently hoping for his safety. It was only then that she registered she hadn’t even acknowledged Dr. Light yet, but as she turned to face the older man, she found herself being stared at as if she were a complete stranger. 

“Uh, Doc?” Roll questioned. “You ok?”

Dr. Light said nothing for a few moments, seemingly examining her as if she were a subject of study. Then, his eyes widened in realization. “Roll?” He blinked, as if trying to rid himself of any doubt. “Oh, it IS you!” He then stepped forward, pulling the blonde robot in an embrace. “Forgive me, dear,” he expressed with regret. “I thought that you were someone else.”

“Hm? Oh yeah,” Roll acknowledged, gesturing to the red coat still on her shoulders. “I guess the situation here put getting my clothes on the back burner,” she then glanced back at the aircraft used to make it back to the eastern United States. “Granted, I’m kinda out of a pair of boots, but I guess that’s why it’s good I’ve got some duplicates in storage.”

“Boots? What do you mean?” Dr. Light asked, looking at his daughter, going over her attire once again. “Better yet, where did you get these clothes? Why do you have them?”

“Actually, Sir, if I may,” a feminine yet accented voice spoke up, a figure dressed in his daughter’s own jumpsuit exiting the aircraft, her hair tied into a somewhat shorter, yet still identifiable ponytail held together with a green fastener. “They’re mine.”

Dr. Light turned toward the green-eyed blonde dressed like Roll, momentarily releasing his daughter and approaching the young woman. That same studying look came over his features, yet then, with brief realization, a strange sense of relief.

“You’re her, aren’t you,” Thomas Light inquired, voice somewhat uneven and trembling, as if a great weight had finally been tossed from his shoulders. “You’re the one that he did everything for.”

Downtown Manhattan 

There it was again! 

“Hm?” Mega Man glanced down at Rush, the robotic canine lightly trying to paw at one of his back thrusters with his somewhat limited but still maneuverable paw. “Hey, what’s up boy? Feel something weird back there?” 

“Ruff…ggrrrr…” Rush responded, although even for one of limited speech such as himself, he knew that didn’t give the Blue Bomber much of a diagnosis.

“Hm…can you still fly?”

Rush nodded with a confirming bark, yet now it felt as if the cause of the strange sensation had moved further up. 

“Sorry, but if it’s nothing serious, I’m afraid it’ll have to wait until we’re done here. Can you do that?”

“Ruff! Rep!” The dog answered with a salute. 

Mega responded with a thumbs up. “Good boy!” He was about to continue further, yet then took notice of a far-off yet rather massive object, red-hot lasers blasting from its forehead. “Now, how about we swat some bugs out of the sky?”

“Ruff, ruff! Reah! Reah! Ret’s ro!”

The Blue Bomber and his canid red steed propelled forward, and while Rush held every intention to assist by any means possible, that blasted little itch wouldn’t leave!

If he didn’t know better, the robotic dog would’ve assumed a mouse or something had crawled up his tailpipe. 

Central Park 

“I knew it,” Dr. Light expressed, locating a nearby bench to recline in so he could truly let his racing thoughts catch up with his ailing body. “I knew it the entire time,” he kept saying. “I just KNEW that all of it just wasn’t in Mikhail’s character. That he just wouldn’t do anything like this without some concrete reason.”

Kalinka bit her lip. “…and they still didn't believe it?”

“I never told them, dear girl,” Dr. Light confessed. “I never told Agent Stern or Krantz of how I believed that there was someone like you behind the scenes, someone being used as a pawn to force Mikhail’s hand into doing such things,” he then smiled at her. “And it seems that Mega Man thought the same.”

Kalinka chuckled slightly. “When I had finally gotten to where Papa was being held, he was gone by then,” she recounted with a hint of evident sadness. Had she been faster with that blasted scarf, perhaps it could’ve ended sooner, she could have met him sooner. “But…even then, Mega Man was already asking Skull Man about me and if I was somehow in trouble. Even from what little he actually knew, he still presented concern about me, someone he wasn’t even sure existed,” she paused again, turning to face Dr. Light. “You never knew I existed either, did you?” 

The bearded scientist turned his gaze toward the fertile grass underneath his shoes and the bench itself, his shadow seeming to join with the seat’s, the beaming sunlight, unable to penetrate the density of the collective shade. “I am truly sorry, Miss Cossack,” he answered. “If I had known,” he caught himself. “I mean, I suspected that there was either something or someone who was ultimately the drive behind your father’s actions,” he then stopped himself. “But, ultimately speaking, I didn’t believe that the agents my government sent would be entirely willing to accept a mere ‘gut instinct’ about everything.” 

“It’s fine,” Kalinka assured the older man. “The government made an agreement with my Papa to keep my whereabouts a secret since his line of robots were taken in Moscow,” she clenched her fist, fingers tightening. “It’s no wonder he didn’t tell you,” the blonde girl expressed. “Nor those agents.”

Oh yes, Dr. Light realized, glancing back at the parked vehicle taken from Light Labs. “They said that they were sworn to secrecy, courtesy of a clause relating to the ongoing relations between the United States and Russia,” he then sighed. “Even so…I wish…I wish I had said something sooner. Or at least,” he paused, a surge of guilt coursing through him. “I wish Mikhail felt that he could’ve told me,” he expressed. “I don’t mean to insinuate I’m blaming him, but…”

“You wish he could have said something about me,” Kalinka finished for him. “That maybe, even with everything he had experienced, you could be someone he could trust,” she continued. “The world knows of your children, and they have no means to hide or have a shield of anonymity,” the blonde shifted her line of focus to Roll, still dressed in her clothes. While out, a quick trip to a nearby business earned the Russian a pair of red sneakers, allowing for smoother travel. “I guess, seeing what Wily was willing to do with them, and then Papa’s own robots, why not make use of human bait too?”

“Indeed,” Dr. Light agreed. “You’re far from the first he’s been willing to either capture or imprison,” he then paused. “Your father, how is he?”

Kalinka’s peridot eyes grew somewhat dulled. “He’s in medical care back home,” she answered. “But, while he’s in critical condition,” she seethed with utmost hatred for the balding German manifesting in her mind. “His work has been hijacked and used to fulfill the whims of a childish madman,” she then turned toward the aircraft. “I can’t stand for it any longer.”

Lower Manhattan 

Well, it wasn’t exactly the “lowest” the massive machine could have gone, yet given the mechanical behemoth was currently busy blasting lasers at the shrubbery and pathways of Washington Square Park, the towering robot positioned high above the public area, its focus occupied at the moment by the destruction of the landscape, firing on both natural flora and manmade additions to the center of Greenwich Village. 

As he drew closer, Mega Man was able to garner a clear enough picture of its appearance, and indeed, the android resembled the file aboard the Russian aircraft to a tee. 

The main body was a pair of circular and oval shapes of bright yet pale pink, bearing resemblance to the halved or thrice-divided sections of insects. Behind the pink metal were two parallel cylindrical or capsule-like structures, primarily colored in shades of purple and lavender with white or light pink accents on the lower front. Both portions of the insectoid machine possessed a metallic, glossy look, as if it had just freshly emerged from a cocoon or chrysalis. The winged machine also possessed a pair of large, prominent blue, bug-like eyes on the upper front of its torso, Below, a stylized "nose" or mouth area, which extended into a short, trunk-like appendage or, more likely, proboscis, colored in metallic purple/grey with a red accent near the end of sharpened tip. And behind all of that were two very large, curving, peach or orange-colored "wings". Small red spheres or lights were positioned on the upper portion of the body, a small yellow crown or insignia at the very top center. And a long, segmented, metallic lavender/silver tail or drill-like appendage extended downward from the main body, terminating in a sharp, purple, arrowhead-like point or spike.

These tools of flight sported sharp, dark red/black geometric accents Mega theorizing them to be either functional or stylized armor/fins. Either way, a metallic apparatus connected all of these elements to the main body, allowing the flying insect to make use of each of these tools. 

Instruments once intended to banish ice from the corners of the Earth, now free to banish everything in its path should its programming deem it necessary. 

“A giant bug, wanting to rain down fire on a local park?” the Blue Bomber stated in jest, wasting no time in transitioning into firing mode, aiming his buster directly at the red gem-like module on its lower stomach. “I don't think so!”

Central Park 

“Now hold on a minute!” Roll dashed forward, easily catching up to Kalinka before she could reach the aircraft’s doors. A gloved hand placed itself on the human’s shoulder, keeping the heated and headstrong Russian in place. “You can’t seriously be thinking of flying off to where Mega is, are you?”

“Of course not! That’s the maneuver of an idiot!” The Slavic blonde retorted, trying to free herself from the female DLN’s grip. “But you and your brother said it yourselves: there’s information on each of those machines in the ship’s built-in database,” she argued. “Couldn’t Mega Man use an extra set of eyes and ears with access to means of how to defeat them close by?”

Roll’s response had crumbled before she had the chance to even start it, blue irises shifting in their ivory sclera, all of which were behind a protective layer of glass. “I understand what you’re saying,” the youngest of the first three of Dr. Light’s creations answered. “And yeah, Mega can use all the help he can get,” she continued, pulling Kalinka back when the human tried to make another attempt to board the aircraft once again. “But that responsibility doesn’t fall on you,” Roll told her, voice possessing a maternal sternness. “And it never should, seeing as you’re only involved in any of this because of blackmail and intimidation.”

“I didn't ask to be involved, but as I am now,” Kalinka countered. “Then shouldn't it be my obligation to assist in any way I'm able to?” the blonde Russian argued. “The people of this city still believe that my Papa is responsible for all of this,” she expressed solemnly. “But he can't do anything himself to dispel this notion.”

“Which is why you being here to speak for him is crucial, my dear,” Dr. Light told Cossack’s daughter, approaching both Kalinka and his own daughter. “We first became aware of something being afoot at the expo earlier, yet with you now here, you can be the one to attest to his true character to those that still know no other truth outside of Wily’s deception.” 

Kalinka bit her lip, light-green eyes looking downward at the fertile grass beneath her recently purchased sneakers. “But…?”

Somewhat puzzled at first, Dr. Light soon registered that the young woman’s confusion wasn't directed at the bearded scientist, but at the two approaching figures coming up from behind the older scientist. 

“Hm?” Light turned to see Agents Stern and Krantz heading toward them. “Is something wrong?”

“Huff, huff, that… that little guy,” Stern began, albeit far more winded than his more youthful partner. “The…one you just built, the gerbil…”

“Hamster, Gil,” Krantz corrected. “Hamster.”

“Y-Yeah, right,” Gilbert sighed, turning his attention back to Dr. Light. “Y-Your newest robo-pet, the orange mini-robo mouse-”

“True, he fits under the category of ‘robo-pet’ in terms of classification,” Dr. Light countered. “Yet the intent behind Mariachi is that he's an energy generator-”

“He’s not going to be generating anything outside of smoke and sparks in the next few moments if he doesn't skedaddle out of dodge, Doc!” 

Dr. Light was rendered silent, alarm seizing him just as much as puzzlement. Roslyn stepped in.

“While you were reconvening with Mega Man,” Agent Krantz explained. “Mariachi hopped out of the car and headed your direction,” she clarified. “Did any of you see him?”

No one answered at first, Roll turning her blue optics to the skies above. “No,” she ultimately admitted. “But I think I have a pretty good idea of where he is at the moment.”

Washington Square Park

The phrase of how this was almost too easy nearly slipped through his lips, yet he stopped himself at the last second, despite managing to get a few good shots in. His theory was correct, the weak point was indeed the gem on its lower abdomen. 

Still, while things were not exactly different from before, they were beginning to feel more in-line with how things usually went.

Mega himself couldn't entirely understand, let alone explain it, but, with time, his experiences, seemingly beginning at his transition from Rock to the Blue Bomber, appeared to have some form of rhythm to their general pattern. 

Essentially, while things had some divergences here and there, the formula had been as such: Wily makes a new bid for power or valuables known, or disguised himself as someone in need of assistance (sometimes outright building a full-on interactive robot human duplicate, a la Dr. Petto), where Wily would ultimately reveal himself in some fashion to take credit for Mega Man supposedly incoming demise. 

Of which would either be thwarted by Proto Man, another bot under Wily (Ice Man in one particular instance), or by the balding madman himself, allowing the Blue Bomber to retaliate and put a stop to whatever insanity the disgraced scientist had cobbled together. Sometimes in an instant, sometimes with a stroke of luck at the last second, but the end results were always the same.

And so far, while he still had to be careful and on guard, things appeared to be swinging back in that direction.

For the time being, at least.

So far, while the large robot was a hazard in of itself because of both its size and mass (especially should it fall), the Blue Bomber had managed to keep Mothraya and the Russian creation’s attacks both mostly directed at him and confined to the general area of the center of park, the only major obstacles to be wary of being the Washington Square Arch and the Central Fountain, of which continued to release and spray upward, catching the sunlight in the reflective surface of the droplets. 

At the risk of cursing himself, the azure-armored android found that it was almost as if a battle scene was being set up just for him. 

ZAP!!!

Of course, it was only recently that he was reminded of the “battle” portion, a fiery red beam heading right in his direction. 

Thanks to Rush swerving in time, however, Mega Man managed to avoid the incoming shot meant for him. “Good boy!” a sudden gush of water from one of the recycling systems built in the fountain (that kept the water supply both ongoing and essentially endless) sprayed upward, momentarily concealing the Blue Bomber from Mothraya’s view. 

The massive construction of Eastern Europe went to work in clearing its optics of excessive moisture, a pair of wipers ridding the round, orb-like structures of the insect-based machine. 

By the time the larger robot caught sight of a coupled flash of blue and red, a searing fire had already met its gemstone, the surface cracking and then finally giving way, allowing the plasma blast to travel inside-

BOOM!!!

And make a direct shot toward its core. 

Manhattan Streets

Agent Stern’s hands gripped onto the wheel as if he were holding on for dear life, eyes centered on the mostly empty road the car was traveling on, an abandoned vehicle up ahead, most likely deserted when those machines made landfall. 

“Hang on,” he warned the two passengers with him, Dr. Light and Agent Krantz. “We've got another roadblock coming up.”

While the three ground-based humans had to contend with the obstacles and debris in the streets, the two occupants of the Russian aircraft were flying above the slower-moving car.

“How are they doing down there?” Roll questioned, taking the controls while Kalinka resided in the passenger seat, peeking downward to keep track of the vehicle below. 

“They are working their way around a deserted truck at the moment,” the Russian-native reported to the aircraft’s pilot, although her green eyes searched around whenever they could, all in a search for any sight of the azure android and his red canine. “Do you think he’ll need any further assistance in fighting against Papa’s machines?” she questioned. “Not to say I have no faith in him, but,” she paused, almost about to lament on the further destruction of her father’s work. “Papa was instructed by our ‘dear’ government to make them all rather durable for their respective tasks.” 

Roll didn't respond at first, finding that, despite being pushed into the role of a solid foundation to lean on, the blonde DLN found herself to be not as prepared or, dare she say, “solid” as her brother, Rock. 

“He will have to be careful with both his movements and maneuvers. Especially since Wily’s clearly forced Papa to rewire their programming.” Kalinka added, trying to add a sliver of potential in Mega’s favor, but she found she couldn't lie about his odds either. 

Roll still didn't speak for a short time. Yet, unlike before, she actually nodded in acknowledgment of the human’s sentiment. “Yeah, he will be,” the android responded. “Which is why, while he does his part,” she continued, the vehicle below finally moving on. “We do ours.”

Washington Square Park

The blast in itself, while breaking through the module’s surface area and striking the vulnerable wiring and metal beneath, yet, as Mega Man found, a majority of the work would be done by the surrounding natural elements.

The open cavity that had been created allowed for both moisture and the fountain’s water to seep in, the far larger machine suddenly becoming overtaken with sparks, inner circuitry unable to contend with the influx of foreign bodies entering places they were never meant to. As Mothraya continued to spasm and spark, Mega silently urged Rush to back up, the robotic red canine’s ears twitching from the reception of the electricity. But just as it seemed that the insectoid-based robot would reach such a critical state, the massive android suddenly shot upward, thrusters built into its sizable wings propelling it far upward, away from the damaging effects of the water. 

Still, not all was well with it.

Power was low, and internal damage would see to it that shutdown would eventually come. It needed a source of energy until it could either repair itself or locate its registered creator.

Yet was there even a viable source anywhere in this city?

Mothraya’s optics centered on a far-off object, a figure of green seemingly standing amidst a sprawling, glistening ocean, dressed in ornate robes and a torch in their left hand.

A torch that held access to a near abundance of electricity. 

Mega Man and Rush watched on, the Blue Bomber realizing that the moth-based machine had just found its flame. 

“This is bad. Very, VERY bad.”