Interlude, part 5: Shaken.
(Features scenes based on the events of the episode "The Big Shake" by Richard Merwin.)

The next day.
Governor's Mansion.
Albany, New York.

"You have a visitor, Mr. Cochran," states the Governor's assistant on his intercom.

"Who is it?", asks the Governor.

"It's your son William," replies the assistant.

The Governor pauses and sighs, "Let him in."

William enters his father's office, wearing one of his three-piece suits and a cocky grin on his face. He sits down on the opposite side of his father's desk, still smiling.
William had served his time in jail and was let go, but still had to perform community service as well as pay for the damages he was responsible for last month.

"I hope you've finally learned your lesson... unless you're here to give me a hard time," says the Governor.

"I want want you to admit I'm right," William says with a bold tone to his voice.

"I see... hard time, it is," The Governor sighs.

"You can't deny it. Not anymore," William grins, "In the past month, random appliances started attacking us and your great robot defender Mega Man leveled a building and almost killed our President... pretty much what I said would happen."
William puts his feet up on his father's desk and continues, "So, I want you to admit that I was right all along about robots turning against us and also I want you to appologize to me for embarassing me in public."

Governor Cochran replies in a gravelly voice, "I'm not doing anything until get your feet the hell off my desk."

William grins again and does as his father says, taking his feet off his father's desk as the Governor contines, asserting, "First off, you embarassed yourself in public, I didn't. And second, Albert Wily was the one responsible for what's happened in the past month, not robots in general and not Mega Man."

William chuckles. "You are so blind," he says, "You're so quick to blame Wily, but he's just a part of the problem. They are all responsible for this. Wily, Light, Cossack, the list goes on. These abominable pieces of garbage are going to be the ruination of society one day."

"Are you finished with your racist garbage yet?", the Governor asks, "I have more important things to do than listen this dreck."

William's smile vanishes and he is angry. He leans on his father's desk and stares him right in the eyes.
"One day, you're going to see that I was right all along," William says with a forbodding tone in his voice, pointing his finger at his father, "These wonderful robots that you love so much will turn on you... and nobody will be able to do a damn thing about it, even you. I just hope that I can stop it in time."

The Governor sits back in his chair and asks again, "Are you finished or not?"

William only grows angrier, but instead of yelling, he stands up and calmly responds, "I'm finished. You may be my father, but you aren't my Governor anymore."

"What is that suppsed to mean?", Mr. Cochran asks.

"I'm leaving this hole of a state," William answers, "It's quite obvious that I make you sick... and honestly, the feeling's mutual. You can live your life with your robots... and you can die with them."

William turns around and storms his way out of his father's office and out of his father's life.

The Governor remains seated in his chair and appears to be calm, but he was just rattled by his son's comments. As much as William always disappointed him, he always hoped that his son would make him proud and change his attitude. He still cared about him... but, it appears William has shut his father out of his life for good.

"Mr. Governor, the Mayor the is on line 1," his assistant says on the intercom.

Cochran leans in his chair and replies in a choked voice, "Give me a few minutes."

The Governor grabs a nearby pencil and can feel his emotions rising. Without even realizing it, his large hands snap the pencil in half.

"Damn you, William," he mutters.

New York Police Precinct.

A man who likes to call himself Vinnie Shipwreck (real name: Vincent Kerwin Houser the 4th) sits behind a desk in the interrogation room of the Police station, handcuffed to a rod on the side of said desk.
Vinnie looks like a chump. He is slightly obeese with a brown mop of hair that hasn't been cut in months, a pock-marked face full of stubble and pale white skin.
Vinnie isn't as much of a user of drugs as much as he is a dealer, but today, it appears his dealing days are done. He sold some Hydro-X to an undercover officer posing as an addict. That's when the police moved in and arrested him. His entire stash of drugs has already been confiscated and he is most likely going to jail for conspiring to distribute illegal materials.

Right now, Vinnie is joined by his attorney (yes, this man has a lawyer... and his lawyer is a robot who is wearing a three-piece suit and a toupee on his steel body,) and he is awaiting to be taken to jail, where he will most likely attempt to post bail and await his trail.

But, he gets an unexpected visitor. The door to the interrogation room opens and Lynn Wersching walks in. Vinnie squints his eyes when he sees Lynn enter the room. "Have I seen you somewhere before, baby?", he asks.

"Oh, you might have," Lynn replies, "I'm here to ask you a few questions in regard to a missing person you have dealt with in the past."

Vinnie's robot lawyer puts his metal hand up and drones, "My client does not have to talk to you if he does not wish to speak with you."

Vinnie shrugs and smirks. "I don't know what to tell you, sweetheart," he says.

Lynn decides to play ball with this jerk. "I tell you what... if you tell me what you want to know, then maybe I can give you some legal advice that will help trim some of your sentance. Believe me, with the charges you have, you stand no chance of winning."

"I'm sorry, officer Redhead," Vinnie says, "I don't have to talk anymore. Ain't that right?"

"That is correct," Vinnie's robot attorney says, "My client does not have to speak with you unless he chooses."

Lynn is fed up with this robot and steps over to him, grabbing his neck and shutting him off (it was an older unit with an easy ON/OFF switch.) Vinnie's lawyer now stands lifeless with his head slumping down and the dealer is freaking out.

"There's no lawyer," Lynn says staring accross from Vinnie, "there's just you and me."

"I know where this is goin', I've watched those cop shows," Vinnie mumbles, "You're gonna go all crazy on me, aren't you?"

"As much as I want to, I'd get in trouble for it," Lynn replies, "I just want to know when you last saw a man named Castor Wersching, and I'll be gone."

"Castor?", Vinnie asks as his eyebrows go up, "I remember him. He was one of my bros, and my best customer. He couldn't live without Hydro, man."

"Your 'customer' was my brother! Now, where is he?", Lynn asks, her voice lowering into a more intimidating sneer.

Vinnie freaks, "Oh, man! you are gonna snap aren't you?"

"Tell me what I want to know, and I will leave," Lynn grits, now leaning towards Vinnie.

"Okay... I haven't seem him since last year. I tried to call him a few weeks ago, but some Chinese dude answered the phone. He just disappeared. Maybe he's tryin' to get clean... he doesn't have the strength if you ask me."

"That's because you're an enabler!", Lynn now shouts in his face, "He was going to be something in life, and you ruined him!"

Vinnie cowers under the desk when Lynn shouts.

"So, you don't know where he is?", Lynn asks, calmly.

"N-no Officer, um, M-ma'am," Vinnie stammers, "If I did I would'a told you!"

"Don't lie to me," Lynn asserts.

"I really don't know, man! Please believe me!", Vinnie whimpers.

"Can you tell me where you think he might be?" Lynn asks.

"I don't know w-where he would be," Vinnie answers, "The last few years I knew him, he never left home, he was a hermit."

Lynn figures that this moron has already reached his breaking point and she's not going to get as much as she hoped out of this moron.

"Here's your legal advice," she says, as promised, "Pray like hell the judge doesn't throw the book at you."

Lynn switches Vinnie's lawyer robot back on and leaves the interrogation room.

QN-60 stands outside the room and walks with her. "I admire your intimidation tactics, Lynn," he says.

"Thanks, Sixty," Lynn sighs. She had hoped she would find out something about her brother, but this guy knew nothing either.
Until she finds him, she just hopes he's alright and that he's trying to stay clean.

Later that month.

Dr. Wily's latest plan involves altering the underground faultlines of the country to create earthquakes whenever he desires. Today, Wily created several earthquakes in New York, and one of them was centered close to Dr. Light's lab, nearly destroying the entire complex and almost killing Mega Man in the process.
Mega Man survived however and is about to lure Wily out to ground level so he can end this deadly plan of his and hopefully apprehend him.

Mega Man, Roll and Rush entered the damaged city with the destroyed hulk of Dr. Light's anti-quake stablizer to attract Dr. Wily's attention and soon ended up in a battle.
Roll managed to dispatch Cut Man, but ProtoMan swooped in and captured her, bringing her back with him to Dr. Wily's Skull Driller vehicle, the instrument of destruction responsible for today's earthquakes.

Mega Man and Rush are in pursuit of Dr. Wily to stop the madman and to save Roll.

Dr. Wily's Skull Driller.

Roll tries to brake free from ProtoMan's grip, but he is too strong. Dr. Wily meanwhile is travelling down a tunnel and is heading towards another fault line. With all of the damage that has been done already, the next quake will be catostophic if Mega Man doesn't stop him.

Sitting at his control console, Wily looks over towards Roll and she gets an angry look on her face. Wily grins and gets out of his the Skull Driller is on autopilot. Albert had some very cruel things going on in his mind.

"I take it you don't like me very much," Wily says as he steps over to Roll.

"I hate you," Roll hisses, "You killed my friend."

"Yes, the little robot with the hardhat," Wily says, snapping his fingers, "The one I shot in the head, right?"

Wily's comments only make Roll even angrier.

"I can't imagine what kind of pain he must have felt before he died," Wily taunts, trying to get Roll upset, "He must have suffered, badly."

"Don't you talk about Doc!", Roll threatens.

Wily continues, "And just think, he would still be alive today if you had just stayed home. But, you couldn't, could you? You had to join your brother and be a hero too."

"Stop it, you monster!", Roll snaps, "Or else I'll-"

"You'll what?... Kill me?", Wily chuckles, "I don't think you would violate the prime directive of robotics, would you? Of course you won't... I guess Doc's death will go in vain!"

"Leave him alone, you bastard!", Roll shrieks.

Wily chuckles, "Aw! You're a bad girl for using language like that. I'm sure Doc wouldn't like to hear you say that!"

Roll tried to kick Wily, but she was too far away.

ProtoMan has remained silent as he kept his grip on Roll and he feels extremely uncomfortable with the direction Wily is taking this. He is very close to telling his creator to knock it off, but somebody is about to drop in before Proto can do that.

With the help of Drill Man's copied drill power, Mega Man drills a hole in Dr. Wily's Driller and drops into the craft. ProtoMan lets go of Roll so that he can try to get a good stun blast on his brother and to keep his sister out of the crossfire.

Mega Man fires off the drill out of his arm and at his brother. The drill grinds into Proto's blaster arm and causes it to malfunction. "Still fighting dirty, huh brother?" he smriks.

Dr. Wily enters a command on his console, but Mega Man shouts. "It's over now, Wily!"

Wily puts his hands up and slumps into his chair and ProtoMan joins him, sitting in the other seat beside Albert's still clutching his left arm.
"It looks like you've beaten me at long last," Wily says, "But, I don't plan on staying for the victory party... and you may not live long enough!"

Then, the roof opens up on the Skull Driller and Albert's and ProtoMan's chairs begin taking off like space shuttles, sending them flying off.

Mega can see the console on the Driller's controls read "Self Destruct: 10 seconds."

"Let's go!", Mega shouts as both he and Roll leap out of the same hole that Mega Man created to make his entrance and run onto the back of Rush, who was waiting for them outside. Rush jets Mega Man and Roll to safety as the Skull Driller explodes.

"Now we've got to get Wily," Roll says pointer his right index finger, "That way!"

Rush soars Mega Man and Roll past the wreckage of Wily's Driller and sees that there is a three way fork in the underground railroad.

"He went... that way, I think," Roll says, "Or maybe... to the right?"

"He got away again," Mega sighs as Rush slows down and he steps off.

"No! He's gotta be around here somewhere!", Roll frets, "... it's all my fault."

Roll walks away and kicks some of the gravel on the ground with an angry grunt.

Mega Man follows her and tries to calm her down. "It's not your fault, sis."

"Yes it is," Roll now mopes, her voice starting the shake, "I never should have come along... just like when Doc died."

"Roll, if anything, you helped me a lot out there," Mega says, "Cut Man could have buzzed me up there, but you stopped him. If anything, you helped make this mission a success."

Mega steps in front of his sister and holds her by her hands. "Wily might have gotten away this time," Mega assures, "But, we stoped him. And we'll stop him again."

"And what if he gets away again?", Roll whimpers.

"We'll still stop him," Mega says, "Wily doesn't escape because it's anybody's fault. He escapes because he knows what he's doing. But, he can't get away forever. He'll face justice one day, and soon. So, don't give up on me. I need ya', sis," he gently says with that irresistable smile, "we're partners, remember?"

Roll nods as the tears begin to flow from her eyes as Mega admits that he accepts Roll as his partner in crimefighting. All she wanted was for her brother to let her be his partner because he was just as much her hero as everybody else's. And right now, he's here for her like he's been there for the human race.
"Yeah, partner," Roll weeps, trying to smile as Mega wipes away the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

Later that night.
Dr. Light's lab.

The lab is still in shambles following the massive earthquake that hit here. However, despite the power of the earthquake, Doc's tree still stands undamaged.

Roll steps up to Doc's titanium headstone and places a new flower beside it and lights a new candle in front of it. She backs away from Doc's resting place and gets on her knees, staring at his headstone.
It's been over a month since she lost Doc, but it still hurts like it was just seconds ago.

Roll gets emotional when she thinks about what Wily said today. She cannot shake the notion that she was responsible for Doc dying. If she could do everything differently, she would have made sure she had stayed home (even though her brother would have been outnumbered, and might have been defeated.)

"I wish you were still here, Doc," Roll weeps, "I miss you every day."

Roll thinks about Doc again remembers how happy they used to be together. She remembers all the times they played Skyblasters and read his favorite book, and she remembers how much his beeps sounded like such a cute giggle when she would tickle his big yellow feet.
And she also remembers a personal trait he always had. Whenever Roll felt down, he would always try to cheer her up because he wanted her to be happy again. All he really ever wanted was for Roll to be happy, because she was his best friend.
And if he was here right now, he would be trying to cheer her up.

Roll's wet eyes look up to the sky, knowing that if Doc is up there, he still wants her to be happy.
Roll then thinks that maybe the best way to honor Doc's memory is not bringing down Wily, but to keep living life with the rest of her loved ones while she has them... because if she misses that time with them now, it might never come again.

Roll barely smiles and crawls over to Doc's headstone and rubs it, her fingers running over the large 'Doc' letters engraved on it.
"Thank you, Doc," she says, "I love you forever."

Roll gets up and goes back inside to be with her family, whom she also loves.

Before she enters the damaged back door, she turns back around to face Doc's resting place.
She gives him a little wave with her fingers and walks back inside, just as a butterfly lands on Doc's headstone and slowly flaps it's wings... almost like it's waving back, then flies away.

If there is a place in heaven for robots, Doc is watching over her... and he is smiling again too.

Author's notes:

As you can see, One one scene from Big Shake was featured here. There are only two chapters left in this interlude, so Episode 4 is not too far away now.

Please don't forget to review or comment.