Disclaimer: I do not own anything portrayed in this fanfic, which includes characters and scenarios. Everything is the property of Capcom, the rightful owners of the Ryuusei no Rockman franchise. Also, I do not claim the translations of what people are saying in this fic as my own work. All spoken lines in this fanfic have been taken directly from the Ryuusei no Rockman episodes 26 & 27 subbed by DATS.
Warnings: angst, SPOILERS
This fic is basically a recount of specific parts of Ryuusei no Rockman episodes 26 and 27, so I hardly need to say that this fic is one gigantic spoiler. If you haven't watched these episodes and are planning to, I suggest you press the back button before you learn of a major plot point.
Rockman was speeding down a wave road away from Cygnus Wing. After a brief fast paced fight with him he had discovered that Cygnus had been controlling Utagai for too long, and there was no guarantee that he would release Utagai after being defeated.
"What are you doing?!" War-Rock yelled. "Attack, Subaru!"
"But..." Subaru said uncertainly. If I attack Cygnus Wing, will I be hurting Utagai as well?
"If you don't, he'll kill us!"
Those words seemed to sway Rockman. He raised his left hand and was going to shoot but came to a dead stop, his foot braced behind him on the wave road as he skidded to a halt. It was Utagai standing in front of him, not Cygnus Wing, and he was defenceless.
"Help me...help me, Subaru-kun!" he cried out.
"Utagai-san..." Is it really him?
"Don't hesitate, Subaru!" War-Rock urged.
"But...!" Even if it isn't him right now...
"Don't be fooled by his tricks! Attack!"
...I still can't attack! "I can't! He's human!" If I attack I'll be hurting Cygnus AND Utagai!!
"He's not human now! Hurry up and shoot!!" War-Rock screeched.
"No...I can't..."
"SUBARU!"
"That's right, Subaru-kun," Utagai/Cygnus said, interrupting their argument. "The humans are like worms to the FM lifeforms. That's why he can tell you to shoot me so easily! Just like that time...when he attacked the space station!"
The world seemed to slow as Subaru heard those words, for there was only one space station Cygnus could be referring to.
"The space station?" he said, his mouth dry, dreading what the FMian would say next yet desperate to know anything about his father's fate.
"A squad of FMian lifeforms, under War-Rock's command, obeyed the FM King's orders to attack your father's space station!"
It felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped on him. No, anything but that...but it's not true...it CAN'T be true...War-Rock would never...!! But of their own accord, pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. War-Rock's unexplained knowledge of Hoshikawa Daigo and his avoidance of the topic...the reason Cygnus supplied fit perfectly. Subaru dimly heard War-Rock call out something but was too engrossed in his own thoughts to hear it. On the other hand, there was no reason at all he should believe an FMian intent on killing him, even if he did look like Utagai, but this was the first piece of news he'd had about his father (besides all the cryptic hints War-Rock occasionally dropped) in two years, regardless of it possibly having catastrophic consequences. He couldn't just ignore it.
"The one who killed your father was...War-Rock!" Cygnus said triumphantly.
Those words hit Subaru like a physical blow. His body was frozen to the spot, and he could hardly breathe from the shock of hearing those words. But yes, it was logical that if War-Rock was the leader of the squad that attacked the space station, then he was the one that was responsible for it's destruction. Even if he had not killed Daigo personally, he had as good as signed his death warrant with his actions.
Should he believe Cygnus? What was the truth and what were just lies...?
After what seemed like an eternity he mustered enough energy to whisper, "Is that true...War-Rock?"
"Concentrate, Subaru! If you don't I won't be able to maintain the Denpa-Henkan!" was the only reply.
Denpa-Henkan? At that moment, Subaru didn't give a damn about it. He didn't care that he was on a wave road far from the ground or that he was supposed to be the hero Rockman. The only thing he cared about was that War-Rock was not denying anything Cygnus had said, which meant his father was dead. The fragile hope, the now ridiculous belief that Daigo was still out there somewhere had been shattered, leaving a gaping hole where it had been.
"It's the truth! You are in a Denpa-Henkan with your father's murderer!" Cygnus said, the look on his face showing he was clearly enjoying this.
Yes, that was right...if he accepted that his father was dead, then he was accepting that War-Rock, his friend, someone he thought he could trust, had killed him. Now there was not one but two empty spaces in his heart, and they both hurt as much as the other.
Subaru could feel the Denpa-Henkan starting to break but it didn't really matter to him. How could it matter when his life had been ripped to shreds? But, as he saw Cygnus Wing hurtling straight at him, using his Dancing Swan attack, he realised he had made a mistake. Rockman gave a cry as he was hit, saw a blur of colours as the world tilted, and fell. The last thing he could remember before blacking out was hearing War-Rock cry out his name.
The first sight that greeted Subaru when he opened his eyes was an unfamiliar ceiling. He quickly looked around and saw his mother sitting in a chair to the left.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"Mum..." She smiled at him. "Where am I?"
"The hospital. Amachi-san found you."
"Amachi-san?" Amachi had found him?
"Are you all right? Not hurting anywhere are you?"
"I'm fine," he responded automatically.
"Okay. That's great." Akane twisted the handkerchief she was holding, indicating she had been more worried than her cheery tone was letting on. "I'll go tell the doctor you're awake. Stay put."
She left the room, closing the door quietly. Subaru lay in the hospital bed for a few moments. His brain fet foggy and it felt like something was eluding him, something important. He was in hospital because he passed out, and he'd passed out because...
"He attacked your father's space station!" Cygnus said.
Oh, right, Cygnus said War-Rock had killed his father.
Everything Cygnus had said came back in painfully vivid detail. Shock, dread, anxiety and an overwhelming desire to know the truth swamped Subaru. He quickly grabbed his transer and flipped the top panel, but War-Rock wasn't in it.
"He led me to you." Subaru looked up and was surprised to see Amachi. "War-Rock," Amachi added, if that wasn't already obvious.
"Amachi-san!"
"He also told me about Rockman." He WHAT?! "You've been fighting these dangerous beings all this time...I'm amazed to see you've gotten away with only a few scratches," Amachi said, frowning. It looked like he didn't exactly approve of Subaru being Rockman.
"Where's War-Rock?" Subaru asked, sounding a lot calmer that he actually was.
"I don't know. He said he'd leave the room because the treatment machines will affect him."
It could be that...or it could be he's avoiding me!
Subaru tried to get up but Amachi put his hands on his shoulders. "Subaru-kun!"
"I need to talk to War-Rock!"
"You can't get up yet!"
"He...War-Rock might be the one who killed my dad!" Subaru burst out, with a stricken look on his face.
Amachi was clearly shocked by this, and he loosened his hold enough so Subaru could break free and run out of the room.
"Subaru-kun!"
The door to the roof of the hospital opened. A rectangle of light appeared on the concrete, but the majority of it was covered be the shadow of a twelve year old dressed in clean white hospital pyjamas. Subaru ran out onto the roof, slightly out of breath. It was a perfect night for stargazing, with clear skies and easily visible stars, but he didn't particularly care about that right now. He went to the right side, put on his visualiser and looked around but didn't see War-Rock anywhere. Where is he?!
"If you're looking for me, I'm right here."
Subaru turned around to see the green alien floating a few metres away from him.
"I have to talk to you War-Rock. About my dad..." he started to say.
"It's true that I attacked the space station," War-Rock said bluntly.
Despair coursed through Subaru as War-Rock confirmed what Cygnus had said, but it was soon replaced by burning rage.
"What?!" he exclaimed.
"I was the captain of the attack squad. That's why I won't complain if you hate me for that. But.." he trailed off.
"But what?!"
War-Rock remained silent.
"Answer me War-Rock! What happened at that space station?!" Subaru demanded.
"Let's stop. I'm done with this topic."
Stop? STOP?! "Why, War-Rock?! I knew it! You killed my dad! That's why you can't say anything!! RIGHT?!" he screamed. He could feel tears threatening to spill over but he couldn't break down, not yet.
Subaru too War-Rock's silence to be a yes, and his rage intensified. He isn't even going to admit it?! He gripped his transer with his right hand. "We're through War-Rock," he said quietly, his voice shaking with emotion. He turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut briefly. When he looked back, his anguished and livid face was something War-Rock would remember for a long time. "DON'T YOU DARE APPEAR BEFORE ME EVER AGAIN!!!"
There was a moment of tension filled silence. "I see..." War-Rock eventually said. "There's nothing I can do if you din't trust me anymore. We only knew each other for a short time..." He sounded sad and resigned. "But you know Subaru...I was raised to be a bloodthirsty savage on the FM planet, but you've taught me one human emotion I think I can understand. That thing you call 'friendship' or something."
Subaru looked and felt like he'd been slapped. HOW DARE HE?! How dare he talk about friendship and claim he understands it when he's betrayed me, his friend?!
It looked like War-Rock knew what Subaru was thinking, as he said softly, "Guess I was wrong." He looked him in the eye, calm red eyes meeting brown eyes filled with tears, pain and anger. "Bye, Subaru." He disappeared in a flash of green.
He's...gone...? Subaru stared in disbelief at the spot the alien had been a few seconds ago. As rude as War-Rock could be, Subaru was sure he would grant him his wish. He would never see War-Rock again.
"WAR-ROCK, YOU IDIOT!!!"