A/N: Hopefully, you took the time to read the foreword. Well then, let's get cracking! If anyone is interested in being a beta reader, PM me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mega Man. Mega Man and all respective elementsare copyright Keiji Inafune and Capcom. I dare say that this story idea is copyright me, but I wouldn't want some lawsuit from Capcom.
Chapter 1: Genesis
The year is 21XX. Thanks to one Dr. Cain, the fields of robotics and machinery has made mass bounds and leaps. Being somewhat discontent with his already astounding accomplishments, Cain looks for some "inspiration" for his next robotics project...
An expedition group bolted through an abandoned jungle. They traveled at a swift pace, even though they were weighed down by heavy equipment. Their ranks were made up of both humans and robots, although there was more of the latter than the former. A few stopped and scouted out the area while the others pressed on ahead. It appeared that they were taking part in a reconnaissance mission of some sort.
An old man with a cane slowly walked up to the others, escorted by a few men. Once he stopped, the man coughed a few times. His escorts ran over to aid him, but the man merely waved them away, insisting that he was fine. He was balding and what little hair that remained was white, but he possessed a lengthy, mustache-and-beard combo that fell down to his upper chest. The man wore an intricate and majestic blue robe with red and green trims and a golden sash. He appeared somewhat weak and frail, but there was an odd liveliness to his dark grey eyes. The elder scanned the area, as if he was searching for something...
A short youth whose features were obscured by a helmet and pair of crimson goggles approached him and saluted. "Dr. Cain! Sir, we're scouting out the area as we speak."
"That's good to hear. If the energy signatures are right, then there's an old lab somewhere in the vicinity of this jungle. And private?"
The adolescent turned around with a puzzled look on his face. "Yes, sir?"
Dr. Cain's face was grim and solemn, almost as if he planned on scolding the younger man. The private began to tremble with anxiety as the older man approached him.
Dr. Cain slowly lowered his hand on the private's shoulder. "You don't have to be so formal. I'm not your superior." Dr. Cain turned around with a smile. The private initially looked confused, but soon laughed it off.
Just then, a few men and robots rushed back to the others. They were all garbed in clothing similar to the private.
The first one to arrive, a human, put his hands on his knees and gasped for breath. He slowly rose up to face Dr. Cain, and then saluted. "Sir, we've just found what appears to be an abandoned complex. Shall we check it out?"
"Yes. Proceed. Notify us if you find anything of importance." Dr. Cain, although he was elderly, issued his order with the authority of a general on the battlefield.
"Roger!" The majority of the group rushed back in the direction they came from.
The man who delivered the message shook his head. "If I wanted this kind of exercise, I'd go to the gym!" He took a deep breath and sprinted to rejoin his already far-off comrades.
Dr. Cain let out a soft laugh before contemplating the situation. Have we finally found it? pondered the old man, burying himself in his thoughts.
Inside the complex, there wasn't much but ruined and primitive computers. Cobwebs and dust covered the walls, ceilings, and floors.
The lone female of the group was clearly disgusted. "Eww! What filth! Disgusting! Now my nails are dirty! Ick!" Little did she notice that a lock of her fiery hair was covered in cobwebs.
One robot expressed a mild amusement at his partner's comment and predicament. "Shut up. A little dirt never hurt anyone."
The woman childishly stuck her tongue out at the smirking robot. The mechanical man returned his attention to his surroundings. "Just look at this place. So... old. How long do you guys think that it was here?"
A bespectacled male answered him. "From the looks of it, at least half a century, if not more."
Three more robots searched the area. "Is there even anything here?"
"Maybe the readings were an anomaly."
Another male decided that nothing of importance resided in the building. He leaned against a wall, clearly tired. "Man, I'm spent. There's really nothing here."
A robot passed by the male, an odd device in-hand. Several beeping noises came from the gizmo in his hand. "No... there's definitely something here. We just haven't found it yet."
The whiner huffed before falling back against an unseen switch. The wall behind him started to collapse as he continued to lean back, not knowing that a hole now existed in place of the wall.
"WHOA!!!" The man tumbled down a hidden staircase. He lost most of his materials and equipment on the way down. The last thing heard was a muffled cry along the lines of "HOLY SHI-aaaaaaaaaa!!!" accompanied by several thuds and the clanging of various metals.
Obviously, the man's wails were so loud that the entire regiment heard the commotion. "This way!" The leader motioned towards the passageway as he and the rest of the group chased after their comrade.
After what seemed to be eternity and beyond, they arrived at an unforeseen destination: an underground computer lab. A functional, high-tec, underground computer lab.
The group leader signaled to a robot and the female. "You two. Go get Dr. Cain. Now."
"Roger!" As the two ascended the lofty flight of steps, a message lit up a screen in the lab.
A figure appeared on the screen, but the bewildered viewers couldn't seem to make out who it was.
"Greetings. I assume that if you're watching this message then my time has come. And I can longer protect him..."
More of the figure was revealed. From the voice, one could assume that the message was given by a male. His voice was calm, but underlined by a tone of unbearable sadness. He had the appearance of a human and wore gilded and crimson body armor that was in a state of critical disrepair. His face was not only obscured by the shadows but by a pair of black sunglasses. He appeared to be sitting in a chair of some sort.
"Heh, it seems that even coming here could not keep away intruders. Very well. As you might have noticed, there's a door situated in the back of this room." The figure pointed towards the far end of the room.
The recon unit, with awe in their eyes, turned their heads in the direction of the man's finger. The male resumed his speech.
"You probably want to head towards it, open it, and look inside, right? Too bad. What lies in that room is your world's only hope for a bright future and with every discovery, there's a story behind it. Besides, that door that you're curiously inspecting-"
Two robots were furiously tugging at the door, trying to force it open.
"-won't unlock until this transmission ends. So then, let me humor you with a story. One that begins with a beginning, a middle, and an end. But let's start from the middle, shall we? There's a saying that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, so I heed you to pay attention. The year was 20XX..."
The year is 20XX. Humans and their creations, advanced robots, co-exist in a life of peace, prosperity, and unity. Together, they strive to build an utopia for all people, man and machine. However, just as there is peace, there will always be war to break those bonds...
In a metropolis, somewhere in the United States... Many robots and humans traversed through the streets, carrying on with their usual lives.
One individual, in particular, stuck out like a sore thumb: an adolescent boy with spiky brown hair. His eyes were cerulean and his features were soft and gentle. He wore a blue hoodie with white stripes and brown cargo pants. On the back of his hoodie was a peculiar emblem: a "L". He strode through the streets with his hands in his pockets and a bright smile on his face.
The times were a peaceful one and everyone managed to get along. Little did they know that their everyday normality would soon come crashing down upon their heads...
A/N: Just a short introduction to the main story. Believe me, things will start to pick up from here.
