Disclaimer: Capcom owns characters, I own plotline.

First Megaman fic - be gentle!

It's the year 200X5, and one thing is for sure; life's definitely not like living in a video game. Watching from the rooftops of Dentech's skyscrapers, you can see the way the sunrise has changed over the years; the sky is streaked with orange and smoggy blue, the smell of gas and oil permeates the air, the sound of screeching tires on tarmac and the cries of small children ring in your ears. Feels like the end of the world, but you know, unfortunately, there is a long time to go before we get to leave this place for good.
Welcome to DenTech city.

I leaned over the side of the Makuri business tower, watching as people filtered through the streets. Behind me, my two partners were bickering about our last mission. I'll admit...it was pretty costly. My arm seemed to agree as it crackled and blistered with pain. I clutched it to my stomach, cradling the wrist as it buzzed with protest. Behind me, the bickering continued.

"Thanks to you, his arm was damaged!"

"I was trying to protect him from that rogue navi!"

"That is my job!"

"Who said?!"

"You're a girl! You aren't supposed to protect us, we're meant to protect you!"

"That is sooo sexist!!"

"CUT IT OUT!" I yelled. They both stopped, but I could sense that unsaid phase 'We'll talk later" was passing between them. To be honest, I didn't care anymore. "I need to get to SciLab. It's just a momentary pit-stop, and then we'll be back in the game, okay?"

"Okay." They agreed simultaneously. I gave them both a good eyeballing before I back flipped off the edge, and started to scale the 62 storey building.

Dr Watari was at the head desk when we arrived. She looked surprised to see us, but that can't be helped. We are hardly seen here anymore, we're always busy elsewhere. We only turn up for reparations, and the team here know it. She pushed her askew glasses up her nose as she smiled."Long time, no see."

"No time, unfortunately. We still have a mission." I replied with my own smile.

She sighed. "Are you ever gonna give up? He's gone. Even Dr Hikari knows that."

I felt my entire body freeze up. "He is not 'gone'. No-one just vanishes into thin air. He has to be out there somewhere, and I vowed that I would find him."

Dr Watari shrugged. "Fine. Suite yourself. Now what've you done to yourself this time?"

I pulled at my long-sleeve top, coal black as midnight, revealing the damage that stupid energy ball had done to my lower arm. Wires protruded, frazzled and smoking at the ends, like spaghetti of electricity. The bionic tissue glowed an aerial blue around it, making it look alien to the human eye. That's the problem with having a artificial body – you have all the cons of humanity, like aging and call of nature, but one blast on the arm and it's not a doctor you need, but a robotics specialist. Great.

"You've done yourself a number, haven't you." She commented, pulling out a number of tools. She glanced behind me, where my partners stood talking in hushed voices. The heated tremor was still there; they were fighting again. I sighed.

"If either of you need medical attention, Dr Hishuma should be in his office." Offered Watari, not looking up as she began to poke and prod at the wires in my arm.

"Thanks, but we're fine."

"Maylu, you should see a doctor about your leg."

"I'm fine."

"You're no use at all in your condition."

"It's just shrapnel!"

"It'll get infected!"

"Guys...." I groaned, cutting them off. The pain was pretty sharp, and I could feel absolutely everything Watari did with that scalpel. "Just quit fighting for five minutes. Maylu, go see a doctor. Chaud's right, that wound will get nasty."

Maylu put her hands on her hips and stalked off down the hall. Chaud gave me a helpless look. "Keep an eye on her." I instructed him. "When he gets his memory back, I'm sure he won't want her to be hurt."

Chaud nodded in understanding. Five years ago, we'd both been shocked when Maylu had stated she was coming with us on our quest. She'd been stubborn, firm as a rock and completely immovable on the subject. She's been studying at various libraries on our travels, to keep up on school work. Chaud has already graduated High School. As for me, technically I'm dead. Therefore I have all the free time in the world. And what do I need to know, anyways? Other than how to blow the enemy's head clear from their shoulders?
All was quiet once Chaud and Maylu left. Watari was focused on my arm; she knew I wanted to be out and back in the field as soon as possible. So that meant that the only option left was to think.

This was never a good thing.

When I get the chance to think, I mean really deeply, then I start questioning things; the good old 'what if?'. What if I had been more alert? What if they never caught him? What if we'd found him in those first five weeks? What if we hadn't failed him...?
When I think, my mind runs through every possible scenario. Each one has a happier ending than reality, and each one taunts me mercilessly.

Time must've flown pretty quick without me noticing, because suddenly Watari was finishing the stitches on my organic skin, saying "There!" in a final manner. I flexed my arm, testing the muscles and nervous tissues.

"Check your hand is working." Watari instructed. I did as I was told, watching as the palm of my hand opened up, and the barrel of an energy blaster slowly extracted out of it. I let the barrel charge for a moment, and then let it die in my palm.

"My blaster functions are fine." I stated, pulling my sleeve back down my arm. "When can I take out the stitches?"

"Two weeks." She replied stiffly. I raised an eyebrow at her. I could tell something was on her mind. She hesitated, then asked "Should I inform Dr Hikari you were here?"

I thought for a moment, then said "Tell Dad that I'm fine, and that I'll find him soon."

Watari shook her head. "You three have been on the news a lot lately. I'd be surprised if you were as 'fine' as you say."

I shrugged. "Life's hell. For all of us. Once I've found him, I'll destroy the ones causing all this suffering, and then we can all truly say we're 'fine'. I promise."

There was a moment's silence. Then Watari said. "They've got him, haven't they? The people causing this hellhole, they've got him."

I nodded once. "SoulCam. I'm going to find their leader and kill them."

"Good luck." She said simply.

"Oi! Are you finished over there?" called Chaud.

They'd got back from Dr Hishuma; Maylu had a bandage around her left leg and Chaud had gauze pressed to the side of his head. I frowned. "Are you gonna be okay?"

They smiled at me, that old determined smile. They both knew I'd rather be doing this mission alone. Any weakness shown by them would only back up my argument. So they never showed weakness. They tried not to show pain. And, as Maylu had last night, they tried to prove again and again that actually, yes, I did need their help.

"We'll be fine, don't worry about us!" laughed Maylu. "What about your arm? Can you still use the blaster?"

I nodded, showing them my hand. Chaud nodded approvingly, and Maylu sighed with relief.

"So where to next, Boss?" teased Maylu.

I thought a moment, before answering "Amerope. See if we can find any leads on SoulCam there. If not, we move on to Kingland...and so on and so forth."

Chaud smiled grimly. "No matter what, we just keep going."

Watari smiled weakly. She too noticed the tired note in Chaud's voice. I let it slide; If I was honest, I was tired of this quest too. Five years was quite a long time to be playing the same damn game of treasure hunt.

We gathered ourselves together, thanked Dr Watari, and began to make our way out of SciLab, when a voice rang down the hall.

"Hub?"

I turned, confused. Then it all made sense; Dr Hikari walked as quickly as possible to meet me. I sighed and turned to face him. "Hello, Dad."

He gave me a pleading look as he said "Don't go again. It's over, we lost, and he's gone. Accept that and come home."

I felt a surge of emotion rip through me. Anger; how could he just give up?! Sadness; He's right, this mission just seems futile. Compassion; how hard was it to say that he's given on him? But finally, I settled on an old favourite; Determination.

"I know he's out there. I know that there is a chance, no matter how slim, that I can save him. I can't give up, not after all this time. And what is more, I have to find and stop SoulCam before it hurts anyone else...My brother is out there, Dad, and I am gonna find him."

Dr Hikari blinked twice, before resigning himself. "There's no stopping you then, huh? Okay, you have my blessing." He looked me straight in the eye. "Just promise me something."

I gulped. "Yes, Dad?"

"Keep yourself alive and unharmed for me, okay?"

I laughed. "I'll try, Dad."

"And one more thing." He murmured, and then suddenly I was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. He whispered in my ear "Bring Lan home."

AQ: for all those totally oblivious; Megaman is Lan's older twin brother who died of a heart disease, but was salvaged by technology, okies?

Anyways, to clear up: Lan was kidnapped in the year 200X and for the last five years Megaman (Whose been going by his human name; Hub Hikari), Maylu and Chaud have been searching for him and his captors. With the whole 'Megaman in da weal wurld' issue, his body is cyborgish, in that he has weapons (aka his Megabuster) inbuilt into him, but he can still age and grow. Everyone is now 16 going on 17.
SoulCam is the new Net Mafia, buuut their goal is muchly like loony Mr Wily's; to make humanity's existence miserable. Think of the really rough, ghetto parts of cities. That's what the whole world is like. Also, SoulCam is a bit like Big Brother and The Party, only not as discreet. Where World 3 and Grave and Darkloids...etc...Failed, SoulCam succeed: World conquest. World suffering.

As for what happened to Lan after being kidnapped...you'll have to keep reading to find out! Teehee!
FIRST 10 REVIEWERS GET A CHOCOLATE FONDUE KIT WITH MARSHMALLOWS AND CHAUD OR LAN (You choose!) Teehee!

Queenie xx