Disclaimer: I do own it!! I do! Points to her copy of the Megaman Anniversary Collection See.Shrugs Just not the rights.
Author's Note: This is my first Megaman fic. Please tell me what you think. Thanks, Sky.
"Brother?"
The dark alleyway concealed Protoman's position as he struggled to run. Trash bins helped further hide his position as he ran further in the night. His breaths came in short, unregulated gasps as he struggled to stay mounted upon his feet.
"Oh, Protoman. Where are you?"
I've got to hurry. Proto heard himself subconsciously will his body on. If I don't find some place to hide soon, I'll be caught for sure. Oil obscured his vision as it dripped from beneath his mask. How did I get myself into this mess anyway? What a minute, he scolded himself; this is all Wiley's fault! I didn't even DO anything.
"How dare you?!!"
Protoman jumped up from his bed. "How dare I what?" Wiley was always a little crazy but his smirk had a new glimmer to it that Proto had never seen before. He hesitantly took a small step back.
Dr. Wiley growled in anger and lunged at Protoman. Before he knew it, Wiley had him pinned up to his bedroom wall. "How dare you betray me?"
"But," he stuttered, "I didn't." 'What the hell is going on?' He thought to himself. He could feel the fear mounting in his eyes and, as numerous times before, he was thankful for his visor that helped conceal his emotions. Caught up in his thoughts he didn't see the fist coming until it was too late. Proto couldn't believe it. Sure, Dr. Wiley had been mad at him before but he had never hit him. Protoman's eyes widened in shock. It wasn't that the blow hurt but the realization that he was indeed over his head in trouble.
"Wiley, you crazy ole coot. What was that for?"
Though Protoman did not believe it possible, the anger in Dr. Wiley's eyes seemed to increase. He pulled his creation toward himself and grunted in disgust as he cast him across the slightly furnished room.
The small reploid tried to rise but he felt two arms encircle his own, effectively binding him. "Wow Protoman. You really messed up this time." He heard Cutman's annoying laugh right before his world tilted and darkness enveloped him.
He felt a cool hard surface below him as he started to regain his senses. A small groan managed to escape his constricted throat as he tried to remember where he was. It wasn't until he opened his eyes that he remember what was going on. Great, he groaned, and here I was hoping that it was all some terrible dream. He tried to rise from the lab table only to find that his wrists and ankles were firmly latched down.
"Well, I see you're finally awake." Protoman struggled against his bonds. "What's your problem doc? Let me up from here, now!"
"Now why would I do that? After all you've betrayed me. It's only fitting I should betray your trust as well." Proto blinked in confusion. 'Betray you?' Protoman shook his head. He couldn't think of even one time that he'd ever betrayed Wiley. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything."
"You can't lie your way out of this, you useless bunch of scrap metal. I know what you did and as repayment," Wiley grinned evilly, "I think a little reprogramming is in order."
Protoman's gasped and his eyes rose in fear. NO! Ever since the beginning, when he was first activated, Protoman had been cautious when it came to anyone messing with his internal functions. He never let anyone work on him. When there was an upgrade for his system, he installed it himself. Any and all forms of maintenance to his system were performed souly by the robot himself. He didn't even let anyone work on him when he was seriously injured opting instead to suffer through the pain while he repaired the damaged organs HIMSELF. "You can't be serious!"
"Oh, I'm very serious Protoman. Say goodbye. You and I, or should I say this you and I, will never speak again. You are going to die for what you've done." He turned around to start the controls on the machines. He turned around with his equipment in his hands. His head tilted forward slightly as he spoke, "I hope it was worth it."
The red robot struggled as Wiley approached him with his drill in hand. The bands around his wrists broke and Protoman quickly unlatched the cuffs around his legs and jumped up off of the lab table.
"Stop him." Wiley ran over to his computer and hit the emergency button. Red light blared around the red robot as he ran down the corridor. "You won't escape me traitor!"
Protoman heard Wiley's screams as he turned one of the various corners on his way to the fortress' exit. He heard the taping of several more pairs of metal feet against the marble floor and realized he was being followed. He chanced a quick look behind him and his heart sunk at what he saw. Elecman and Cutsman, two of his friends, were determinedly chasing after him. 'My friends… I guess I don't have friends anymore. I can't think about that now.' Protoman pushed his sorrow to the back of his mind as he searched for the closest way out of the complex.
He rounded the next corner only to run smack into Gutsman. "I got you." "No," Protoman yelled in protest. "Let me go." Protoman's feet scuffled loudly against the hard floor as he fought to remove himself from Gutsman's strong grasp.
"Good job Gutsman. Now hold him still." Cutman threw his scissor weapon at Protoman but he dodged just in time and it hit Guts instead. Protoman sprinted towards the fortress' exit without even glancing back. 'Just a little more.' He encouraged himself. He ran out into the night as he fled the castle. He could just make out the tree line of the forest surrounding the area. He knew that if he could just make it to the trees that he would be safe. The dark shadows cast in the wilderness would conceal his fleeting form from his would be captor's vision.
Unfortunately at that very moment he felt a thunder beam strike his back and sunk to the ground. He turned with his blaster charged and fired at Elecman. Protoman struggled to rise but was overtaken by Gutsman and thrown back to the ground.
"Get off me!"
Gutsman grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Protoman struggled against the grasp and his now limited range of motion. He rapid fired over his head with his buster. Gutsman grunted and then wrenched Protoman's arm further behind his back as he knocked the red and gray robot to his knees.
Proto wasn't sure which came first: The unnatural sound of his joint popping or the tremendous pain emanating from his now dislocated shoulder. His vision blurred and he struggled to stay conscious. He looked up just in time to receive a direct blow to the face from Cutsman. He stilled in his captors arms as his vision began to swim again. "Come on, let's get him back to Dr. Wiley." Cutsman said as he turned and started to lead the others back into the castle.
"Not so fast."
"Great, the blue dweeb."
Mega Man jumped out of the forest's shadows where he was hiding and cast a glance as his brother. "What's going on here?"
"I should have known he'd call his bothersome brother to come and save him."
Protoman shook off the vertigo he was feeling and focused on Dr. Wiley's emerging form. "Wiley, What's going on in that twisted mind of yours?"
"Quiet yourself you insolent traitor!"
'Traitor?' "Wiley, get it through your head. I haven't betrayed you!!"
"I've heard enough." Mega Man took a few more steps forward. "I don't know what's going on here but I came for the crystal alloy. Hand it over!"
"Oh, you mean this." Dr. Wiley reached into his coat pocket and held up a spherical object for his enemy to see. "Sorry but I have plans for this. Gutsman, Elecman, Cutsman. Dispose of them." He cast an evil glance in Protoman's direction. "Both of them." His insane laughter followed him as he traveled deep into his fortress.
Protoman could only gasp in astonishment before he saw the ground rising to meet him. He hit the floor hard and found himself clutching feebly at his injured arm. He could hear energy being charged directly before him and he knew his end was near. The only thought that seemed to register in his mind was one of denial. 'No, not like this.'
He watched as Elecman charged his weapon and waited for the blast. Suddenly another flash of energy streamed by his face and knocked his attacker down.
'I know that attack.' Protoman's eyes rose in disbelief. 'Why would he try to save me?' Protoman struggled to gain his bearings and finally contented himself to watch Mega man pick off the rest of the robot masters.
Protoman watched somewhat amused as Cutsman and Elecman gathered up Gutsman's parts and high tailed it back into the castle. However his happiness was somewhat sort lived and he grunted as he saw Mega Man approaching him.
"Can you stand?"
"Of course I can stand you dimwit!" Protoman managed to make it to his haunches before his vision blurred again and he fell weakly back to the ground. "Okay, maybe not."
He felt a strange trickling feeling beside his eye and automatically reached beneath his visor to rub his face. He withdrew his hand and froze when he saw the golden brown liquid on his fingers. 'Is this Machine oil? How did I get myself that damaged?'
Mega Man followed Protoman's line of vision and gasped. "Come On." Mega Man reached down and picked up his protesting brother. He turned and began to trench back into the forest.
"What do you think your doing?!"
Mega Man sighed. "Would you quit moving around? I'm gonna drop you."
"Just put me down!"
"No! I'm taking you back to doctor light."
"No!" Protoman tiredly continued to fight off the arms carrying him. He was hyperventilating and Mega Man could tell Protoman was using up the last of his strength.
"Please Protoman!! All your doing is wearing yourself out. Save your energy. As soon as we outdistance Dr. Wiley's force fields I'll teleport us outta here and Dr. Light will help repair you."
"I don't want his help."
"Well you can't stay here can you?"
Protoman's struggles fell. He hated to admit it, but his annoying brother was right. He couldn't go back; he could never go back. Proto felt his conscience leaving him and his troubled mind blissfully fell silent. His vision tunneled as all of his strength left him. He took one last glance at his brother and a confused frown graced his face before he passed out.