Awkwardly and swiftly Dr. Wily, Kalinka and Bass and Metalman moved through the night back to skull fortress. It was a bit awkward having Blues knocked out in the back seat. There was awkward idle conversation about how they just nabbed a teenage boy. There were many a kidnapping jokes in the car that night. When they got up to skull fortress they hurried up and went inside seeing as how no one was guarding the door. Kalinka had looked at the time. It was about 3:35 am. She was getting sleepy but she fought off the sleep with pure anxiousness. Dr. Wily began examining Protoman quickly as he plugged him into the mainframe computer.
"Doc...did you find anything?" Bass asked.
"Yes. It's everywhere. Come take a look." Dr. Wily said with a huge grin. Bass and Kalinka looked walked over and looked while Metalman still lingered in the corner. They flinched at the sight of it.
"Oh my god..." Kalinka said as she gasped.
"Damn." Bass said. As Bass looked there was a black ink like substance all inside of Protoman's software. It looked like ink if they were to describe it down to a word. Dr. Wily was both fascinated but both scared at the situation. But all in all the best thing Wily thought they should do is remove the stuff from inside of Protoman and seal it in something reliable and then do some tests on the matter to see where and why it came from. Dr. Wily had a hunch. It was some sort of diverse life form from some type of somewhere that wasn't here. The questions however are deep. How the heck did Protoman come across this parasite and how exactly did he get it? More over...does Protoman remember anything any important. Dr. Wily had a bad feeling about the whole situation.
Dr. Wily poked at the substance with a small wrench. It made a sort of hissing noise. They had to get that gunk out of Protoman and fast it looked like it was reacting...maybe it had a weakness? Sunlight? No that was hoping for too much but it was still good to try.
"Bass...turn on the UV Lights." Dr. Wily said. Bass nodded and ran over to the control panel for the lab and turned them on. It was bright so Kalinka covered her eyes. Dr. Wily noticed this and handed her sunglasses along with a pair for him. Putting them on Dr. Wily noticed it was reacting completely differently than he thought. The black substance was rising up as if it had been awakened. Dr. Wily ran and turned off the UV lights quickly. The substance started coming out of Protoman by itself. Dr. Wily knew that this couldn't be good. Bass got out his blaster and Metalman the blades. Dr. Wily clicked the emergency button and robot masters came running in. Kalinka saw a blaster on the counter and started shooting at the parasite with it along with Bass and Metalman.
The ink parasite matter at this point had already started making itself a body. A few robot masters came to help. upon seeing the object. They shot and shot at the parasite but it still kept forming. Dr. Wily knew he had fucked up. This was bad. Dr. Wily closed off the door to the lab when he saw that the body was done forming. Dr. Wily's eyes grew wide when he saw what had formed.
It was an exact copy of Protoman. slowly gaining color more and more from its pitch black roots. The robot masters stopped shooting out of confusion. Dr. Wily knew right then and there they couldn't let that shit escape. No way they were going to ask that little blue bitch for help. All those things were running through Dr. Wily's head at that point. Suddenly at the pause the parasite spoke.
"You can't destroy me. Petty things...why did you sever our bond?" The shadow replica asked. No one wanted to answer. Suddenly another question came.
"What the fuck are you!?" Kalinka asked shooting more at the replica. The shadow smirked.
"That doesn't hurt me girl. How about I show you how it feels to be shot at." The shadow said charging up the blaster and then letting the shot out.
"Crap." Bass said pushing Kalinka out-of-the-way. Bass got hit with that charge shot but he was okay. For some reason it didn't really hurt like a charge shot too. Perhaps the copy was just cosmetic. Bass knew that if he'd really felt one of Protoman's charge shots he'd probably have a dent or a hole somewhere...but nothing. Just a small pain. He wasn't as strong.
"Doc. He's weak. We just need to find a way to attack him." Bass said out loud. Dr. Wily nodded. The shadow laughed.
"You fools can't ever defeat me." It said.
"Oh I wouldn't be so sure. Weakling." Dr. Wily said.
"What the hell Doc...why're you provoking him when we're losing...?" Bass scolded. Dr. Wily sighed.
"I was trying to be cool Bass. Why can't I be cool for once Bass?" Dr. Wily slightly whined.
"Doc. You're a cool old dude. But please...think of something so we can fix this." Bass said sternly.
"You make it sound easy."
"What if we turned off the lights completely. Since UV rays helped him darkness might make him weak." Metalman said.
"Do it." Dr. Wily said in a quick tone. Kalinka was closest to the switch she turned off all the lights.
"NOW EVERYBODY GO HAM SHOOT EVERYTHING." Bass yelled. They did just that. Kalinka turned back on the lights. There was no shadow parasite to be seen. Everyone started panicing.
"Shit,Shit,Shit,SHIT." Bass cursed.
"Very colorful Bass." Metalman said.
"I can't believe this." Kalinka said with a sigh.
"All of you shut up." Dr. Wily said. Then suddenly the glares in the room went to Dr. Wily.
"Let's turn on Protoman and ask him some much-needed questions." Dr. Wily said calmly. The glares turned away then. The access robot masters left the 4 alone. Protoman was still on the table with his chest open. Dr. Wily walked over to the table and closed the compartment and pressed the switches on the back of his neck. Suddenly Protoman shot up from the table and looked around. He calmed down when he saw the people around him. He sighed.
"I'm sorry." Protoman said out loud for everyone to hear. This took them all by suprise.
"Why're you sorry Blues?" Kalinka asked.
"Proto-creep better be sorry." Bass said with a glare. Protoman just looked at Bass with unamusement.
"Well I can only assume you had to fight the random creepy parasite dude right?" Protoman said looking at everyone.
"So you know about him?! What is he or it or whatever?"
"I have no idea. All I know that it's some awkward thing that started talking to me on the nigth I..." Protoman stopped in his tracks. Had he really want to tell them that he'd killed a human? Protoman realised who was all in the room. The only person that would probably care would be Kalinka...Dr. Wily probably wouldn't give two shits. Bass wouldn't either...Metalman...Protoman couldn't always figure him out. He decided to tell them.
"The night you what? Dude out with it...are you hiding your secret stripping career or something?" Bass said.
"No. Keep dreaming." Protoman answered.
"Honestly I could see you doing that if you couldn't pay your bills." Metalman said as he started imaging it.
"Blues would never do something like that. He's too proud." Kalinka said with a look of disapproval.
"Anyways. It appeared on the night killed a man. His name was Xavier Pain." Protoman said.
"Oh. Well. erm...Why'd ya kill him?" Bass asked Protoman.
"Well the parasite took control of me for the first time then." Protoman answered.
"Did it just go after him? Or were you endanger or something?" Dr. Wily asked.
"I was. The dude kidnapped me after I tried to stop his rape attempt. Then after finding out I was a robot he wanted to dismantle me and sell my parts...after torturing me...At least that's what I think his plan was." Protoman said while remembering the thing.
"So when exactly did it come out...and did the guy do anything ya know "wierd."?" Dr. Wily asked.
"Erm...well he got out his odd red button thing... and pressed it and then I passed out. That's how he kidnapped me in the first place." Protoman explained.
"Alright. It all makes sense." Dr. Wily said.
"What?"
"Yeah. That switch is actually an illegal device called "The scrambler." It was made by an under ground syndicate with dark matter from Duo's planet. It was deemed illegal and all of the switches were supposed to be destroyed. I think that dark matter got in with your complex programming and made that disaster." Dr. Wily said.
"Alright so how do we stop it?" Protoman asked.
"You're the only one that can kill it." Dr. Wily said looking at Protoman.
"Why?" Protoman asked.
"It's apart of you. If you get it back into your body and carry it back to the lab I can completely killed it with the mainframe computer here." said.
"Well damn." Protoman said with a sigh.
"But that doesn't explain something. How does it have personality?" Kalinka asked suddenly.
"And why did it have a goal." Protoman asked..well more like demanded.
"Kalinka...I have no idea and Blues...please explain." Dr. Wily said rubbing his temples in irritation.
"Well it told me that I had to help it until September 27th of this year. I had to go and protect and or kill a list of people. He never shared the list. Just said them off at random. Then if I would refuse he'd take over my body." Protoman said.
"Interesting. DId he say anything else?" Dr. Wily asked.
"He said his name was Martin...? I don't know if that helps." Protoman said.
"Oh wow. New theory." Dr. Wily said.
"Alright. Shoot." Bass said.
"Martin was one of the code names for one of the men who developed the dark matter." Dr. Wily said.
"Soooo...?" Kalinka asked.
"Well. They died making the dark matter. So if he died wouldn't he want to get rid of all his enemies and help his allies even in death?" Dr. Wily said.
"Wait a sec...So you're telling me that a disturbed parasite that came from the aftermath of the shock is trying to get revenge and help his allies?" Protoman asked.
"Yes." Dr. Wily said.
"Well the old man is normally right so I believe him. Especially with all the shit I've seen today." Bass said.
"I just want to know what's up with the date he mentioned." Protoman said.
"What if that's when he'll fade away. Dark matter expires eventually. It's not imperishable. Maybe he knows his time limit." Dr. Wily said.
"Alright. I get that...but...can't we just let him go loose and just be lazy and let Dr. Light and little blue kid deal with this?" Bass said.
"As much as I want to...no. I'm about 100% sure it'll come back for Blues once it realises it's weaker now." Dr. Wily said.
"So how're we going to kill it?" Kalinka asked.
"Well you're going to go home after this...but We're going to kill it by trapping it and letting it go past the date it claims everything has to be done. What was it again?" Dr. Wily asked.
"The 27th." Protoman answered.
"See there we go. Solid plan. Now get out of here kids I'm tired as hell." Dr. Wily said.
"We all know we're not going to sleep." Protoman said with a smirk.
"Yeah you're just going to work on Zero again." Bass said.
"When will he be finished anyways?" Metalman asked suddenly out of the blue. Protoman jumped because he completely forgot that Metalman was in the room.
"Pffft. years on years." Dr. Wily said waving the kids out.
"Alright just don't work yourself to death old man." Protoman said as he started waking out.
"Proto-Creep it's a bit dangerous to go home by yourself." Bass said.
"Yeah let me drive you Blues."
"Blues..." Metalman.
"Wow. You guys really care...nah I don't need your sympathy. I'll just head home by myself." Protoman shrugging everyone off. Kalinka scowled.
"I won't take no for an answer." She said as she yanked him by the scarf and pulled him out the door along with her.
"Well she's got us beat..." Metalman said with a sigh.
"Pffft. gaaaaaaay" Bass said as he walked away. Metalman threw a blade at Bass' back. Bass however just kept walking.
"He wants the Proto-D." Metalman said. Bass turned around and looked at Metalman with a deathglare
Metalman laughed. Bass just walked away with no comment to keep his dignity.
"He probably has a scrap-book of just Protoman." Metalman said out loud. Dr. Wily laughed in the background.
Metalman walked out the lab with a smirk. Protoman reluctantly got drove home by an aggressive Kalinka. Scarf abuse level :7
Everyone got their rest for the night. Today was something...but when they'd wake up tomorrow it'd be a nightmare.
To be continued.
Them proto-panties. *^*. Welp that's enough out of me. I'll go work on the next chapter while I'm still alive.