Roll's recovery
Before reading: This is gonna be one whole chapter. It happens right after the "There's No I in Team" two-parter of MegaMan NT Warrior. So as anyone would say, the characters in this fic are not mine. And I'm also gonna include other media outside of MegaMan.
Beginning the story!
It was Saturday morning in Dentech City. The alarm clock hit 8:00 AM in two different houses.
In Lan Hikari's house, Sonic's theme song "It Doesn't Matter" goes on. It wakes up Lan with excitement. It was surprising since Lan would rather stay in bed, but there was something special about this Saturday. MegaMan woke up almost the same way in his PET.
In Maylu Sakurai's house, Tails' theme song "Believe in Myself " goes on. She was just about as excited as Lan was. She dressed quickly and went to make a call.
Lan was dressed and he hurried downstairs to answer the phone.
"Hello. Anybody there? Lan?"
"No. It's Sonic the Hedgehog," responded the NetBattler with a smile. His intentions paid off; he wanted to make her laugh.
"I just needed to make sure you were in a good mood. Hurry over to my house, will ya?"
Maylu didn't waste a second and got her scooter. She rode while singing to Amy Rose's theme song "My Sweet Passion." (But she kept her voice low for obvious reasons.)
She arrived in about 5 minutes. (In the anime, Lan and Maylu don't live next door to each other.)
"Hey. Did you bring your PET?"
"Yep, but let's have breakfast first."
The duo ate in a flash and hurried upstairs. Then, Maylu jacked her PET into Lan's computer. Her Navi Roll appeared, but she wasn't awake. She was still sleeping after having recovered from the Twisted Chip's effects. She was placed in recovery rings that helped restore her data.
"Our turn, MegaMan. Once inside, I'll send you the chip you asked for."
"Sounds good."
Lan jacked his PET right next to Maylu's, and MegaMan streamed into the computer.
"Ok, Lan. I'm all set."
Lan downloaded a special chip Mr. Higsby and Sal made together with their Navis Number and Wood: the first-ever Dozen Roses chip. This one had half-red, half-pink.
MegaMan slowly walked over to Roll with his roses behind him.
"So she's ok now?" the Blue Bomber asked Maylu.
"She should be. Right next to the rings is a red button. Press it to make it stop. Then you can wake her up."
MegaMan did so. He started to shake her hand gently.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
She responded, "I-I don't know… which dress I should wear…"
Everyone just covered their faces Squall Leonhart (Leon) - style.
MegaMan shook her hand again, "Hey! Pull yourself together."
Roll slowly opened her eyes and started to come around. "Huh? Who's…?"
"Yo," he answered. "Hey, beautiful."
"MegaMan! I didn't expect to see you."
"Maylu wanted the three of us to have the honor of doing so first. In fact…" He began to blush. "I brought you a little something."
Roll gasped as she saw her gift. "I hope you feel better now, Roll. I was really worried about you. I missed you, even."
She put her right hand in a soft grip close to her heart with a smile.
"If you press and hold the button while the rings are turned off, you can deactivate them."
MegaMan thanked Maylu for the kind advice. Roll jumped off gently. MegaMan handed her the bouquet and took a quick sniff.
"These are beautiful, MegaMan. You're so sweet. Thank you." The two Navis shared a heartwarming hug that lasted minutes.
So many thoughts rushed in MegaMan's mind. "She's so beautiful and kind. She's my best friend. We've been tight for months, and I already… No. I shouldn't rush things. I must take everything at its' pace. I know I can tell her, but I should give it some more time."
After they let go, Roll had a chance to speak.
"Hey, everyone. I want to talk to you guys about what happened at the tournament. You have time?"
Lan, Maylu, and MegaMan didn't give it second thoughts. They immediately nodded yes, already assured that Roll needs some comfort and support. Lan and Maylu sat on chairs as they watched through the computer screen. MegaMan and Roll sat on the edge of their platform hangout.
"While I was under the effects of the twisted chip at the tournament, I was stuck doing my own battle… one for my own survival."
(A flashback comes up. Roll wakes up in a dark void after Maylu downloaded the chip. She calls out to her friends, but there's no response.)
"Hello? Anyone? Where am I anyway?"
Suddenly, she hears a groan of pain from the outside. It was MegaMan receiving pain… from Roll! She gasped in horror, refusing to believe what she was seeing.
"No! MegaMan!"
She remembered what had happened, but she didn't know what to do. And as if it wasn't bad enough, it got worse with Devil Roll appearing before her.
"We are inside your heart. So, how does it feel to betray your best friend… your partner… your knight?"
"Who… what are you?"
"I'm you, unfortunately. Or rather, I'm an embodiment of the darkness in your heart. I took this form when that chip entered your system. And as we speak, you are fighting your former friend as your soul keeps sinking into the pools of despair. Doesn't it feel great - finally letting out the true you?"
"N-no! This is hardly me! I could never hurt my friends!"
"Oh is that so? How about when TorchMan threatened to burn the city? You and your NetOp were foolish enough to face him alone! And all out of what? Anger and confusion from a silly argument."
"There was a misunderstanding! I mistook what MegaMan said to me as an insult. He always knew I was strong. He cleared it up after it happened. He said, 'What I meant when I said you couldn't have seen World Three even if you were looking was that World Three might have found a way to cloak themselves so no one would suspect it was them all along.' But yeah, I did almost endanger the city. And ever since, I've worked hard to make sure I didn't do it again!"
"Hmph. Well you only have one way out of this, pink Mega-faker. You can accept what you have become."
"And what if I refuse?"
"Then you'll be forced to endure the pain you are causing him!"
Roll watched as she was fighting alongside Torch and Wacko to eliminate MegaMan in the cyberworld. She began to cry, wishing it was all a nightmare. And she watched as the hero kept holding back from fighting her.
Roll narrated the flashback to her friends (but avoided certain parts that involved her feelings for MegaMan), "I watched as it all went down. That horrid witch was causing pain in two places at once. She kept telling me I was a pawn of darkness, and she attacked my best friend. I was lost... I didn't know what to do..."
"MegaMan, please! Why aren't you fighting me? You don't deserve to suffer. Just finish me off!" she cried in the flashback with tears, but again no answer.
"There is no use in calling out to him. The poor lovesick fool can't seem to fight you even if he wanted to. You're too good for him."
"MegaMan has a stronger heart than you say! Even if he can't hear my voice, he'll always find a way to make things right. That's what a true friend would do." Then she saw MegaMan dodging attacks long enough to get rid of the twisted chip.
"How pathetic, seeing him struggle when he can't simply do the easier solution."
"Shut up! What kind of sick witch are you?! I would still prefer he fight me, but at least he's not giving up the true fight."
"Seeing as how you don't want to accept the facts, I'll have you see things my way by force!"
The two girls fight for control over their body. Roll fights with physical attacks, since she's far beyond help from battle chips. Devil Roll has the upper advantage from both sides. She had wounded the real Roll down to the ground from the inside while grabbing MegaMan by the face from the outside.
Roll thought to herself, "At this rate, MegaMan will be destroyed. I have to think of something."
Suddenly, she heard Maylu's words of what she truly is. Then MegaMan had his say. MegaMan's words in particular were what really touched her. Then, she remembered something: a piece of advice from MegaMan. He told her this before the match began:
"If you feel like the opponent has you overpowered, just keep believing in yourself and fight on. Sound good?"
It didn't take long for her to stand up, and this time with more determination.
"MegaMan… everyone… I'll be strong! I won't lose to this monster!"
Then, she unleashed her never-before-seen Roll Buster. She sent charged shots straight towards her. Once the devil was blinded, Roll quickly charged for the enemy and fought with physical attacks until the Devil Chip was finally released. The NetBattle resumed in the CyberWorld as Roll sent TorchMan away with a Cyclone arm.
(End flashback.)
Roll grabbed her hands together, her head bent down and tears dropping from her eyes.
"MegaMan... everyone... Please forgive me... I'm so sorry..."
"Hey, hey," MegaMan said gently as he grabbed one of her hands. Roll turned to see MegaMan smiling.
"It wasn't your fault. You'll always be our friend."
The two got up and had another heartwarming hug. Roll smiled as she embraced her hero. "Thank you. And, MegaMan?
"Hmm?"
"Don't ever change."
"Heh..." He blushed to her comment without letting her see his face. "Consider it done."
Then, MegaMan had a chance to catch her up to speed about what happened in his team-up match with ProtoMan against Stone and Blaster. She was most proud about MegaMan finally pulling off the Program Advance with perfection.
That gave Lan an idea. "Hey, Maylu, how about we teach Roll how to perform the technique?" Maylu was surprised at first, but she agreed as long as Roll was down with it. She said she needed the exercise.
After about two hours, Roll finally pulled off the program. It was just as powerful as MegaMan's.
Then MegaMan suggested, "How about a one-on-one right here and now?" Roll was a bit surprised. Knowing MegaMan, she would've thought he'd be against the idea. She asked him if there were any reasons in particular. His answer was,
"Truth be told, I need someone I can spar with so I can be ready for the final match against ProtoMan. And more importantly, I owe you this much. If things have gotten our way and not World Three's, you and I could've faced each other in the final for sure."
It took Roll ten seconds to say, "You're on!"
The two Navis stood in opposite directions of the room. Then, the match began. Speed, power, defense - they were mastering these abilities, equaling them with each other's even. Lan and Maylu kept downloading battle chips. This time, they didn't call them out so one wouldn't know the other's moves. They wanted to keep the fight as even as possible.
MegaMan's Wide Sword clashed against Roll's Long Sword. It was the fight of the century for them. It was so intense that it ended in a tie.
"I look forward to the next time I fight you, Roll."
"Feeling's mutual."
Then, someone was calling through Lan's PET. It was Tory saying viruses were infecting the mainframe in their clubhouse at Yai's mansion. He and Ice called Yai, Dex, Glyde, and Guts, but they said they were gonna be late. "IceMan won't be able to fight them on his own for long. Can you guys help?"
Lan was already determined, "Like we're gonna say no to one of our buddies? Hang tight. We'll be right over!'
"Two program advance are better than one." MegaMan thought to himself. "We'll finish this in a flash."