Notes from the Author: Happy New Year everyone. 2014 is going to be a year filled with good cheer indeed because for me, I'm hoping to get me a job so I can at least put my life to work. But waiting is the worst part and that really freaking sucks. But I don't think you want to hear me act like a little whiny baby right? You want to see some Reawakened? Well you got it everyone. Today on this day we got a new chapter and the best thing is that I got this done in less than two weeks. Holy crap. That is really something. Maybe because of the fact that I'm taking time off from YouTube to get my mind and body in check. I'm at least relieved because 2013 was an okay year but I feel it could be better. At least here, I'm going to be consistent and hopefully see if I can get Season 1 of Reawakened done. I want to get it done before the fic reaches it's third year so I can maybe get to work on Season 2 which will cover Mega Man 4-6. But we'll see.

I've already said enough so here's the new chapter folks. I hope you enjoy it because after the insanity that was the SparkMan chapter, I think it's time Mega Man get a chance to do battle but he ain't doing it alone. Read and see. Don't forget to review because they really do help keep me going. And if you see any flaws, errors, inconsistencies, anything that would have Mega Man be forced to grab a snake to save his own skin, be sure to send me a PM. Oh and I think I may plan on fixing up my previous chapters in the hopes of making them cleaner and more streamlined. Why? Well because I think they are in need of a major overhaul. Hopefully.

Toodles.


Chapter 6 – Slithering through Danger; Beware the Snake in the Grass

Eastern Indian Himalayas – 8:58 AM

If you thought the Amazon Rainforest was big, well this here literally takes the cake. India is home to the Himalayas, otherwise known as "abode of the snow" and many call it to be one of the biggest mountain ranges in the world. In actually, it's split into three sections: Western, Central and Eastern. Believe it or not, the Eastern part of the Himalayas is home to a huge abundance of jungle and rainforest. It's quite appropriate since they cover 20% of the country. That truly is amazing there. Much of the country's government devote their time to ensuring it's rainforest survives. Because without it you know that our planet won't be able to support human life. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let's get on with it already. As of what happened last time, Roll was able to defeat SparkMan but only because of the fact that I had to force her to make a decision. She made her choices and was able to stop him and take his weapon. That's a relief but the problem is that she hesitated. I had to be brutal with her because in battle, you can't afford to mess up. If you do then consequences will sure follow. The good news is that Roll went back to New Light Labs along with SparkMan. And if you want to know the bad news, I'm now off to seek out yet another one of Wily's rogue robots. I already arrived not too long but that is the least of my worries. Want to know what's the real worry here? Well due to the thick jungle, I'm forced to use a WideSword battlechip just to progress through. I get a look around and whoa this place is huge… huge and also filled with so much life. It's peaceful, so quiet and enough to make me feel serene. But you know the sounds of beeping within my battle gear have always been the one thing that interrupts it. I check who it is and it's Gramps, to my surprise.

"What's up Gramps? Did Roll come back?" I ask.

Gramps replies with a nod, "She did. Although I feel that Roll seems a bit distant toward me."

"Maybe cause of the fact that you're so overprotective of her. Not just her but also me."

Gramps' tone begins to change almost immediately, "Are you going at this again? Because now isn't the time."

"Of course I'm not," I simply want to change the topic before something else goes wrong, "Sometimes I need to tell you that she can handle herself just fine. I noticed how she was able to defeat HardMan and BreakMan the first time she went out."

"But she suffered severe injuries and had to go into emergency repairs."

"At least it isn't life threatening. Be grateful for at least that."

"And was it you who assisted Roll during her battle with SparkMan?"

I thought about it for a second and respond, "Yes, I did. Believe me I didn't want to see her go down against someone who was a power leech."

"This explains why she's much chipper than she should be. The damage she suffered was minor but her armor is undergoing repairs."

"Good. For the time being, I ask her to remain in the Labs to assist. I don't want two people going out and stopping whoever gets in their way."

"At least be pleased one of them has battle experience. I already contacted Dr. Regal to see if Roll can have a sparring match with his personal robots."

"Strange because he just called me and said that they would arrive in a matter of hours. I only hope by then you'll return because I have had ordered everyone to work double time on Gamma. All these problems are putting the project in jeopardy."

"As if the project's already in jeopardy. Listen, I don't think we have time to deal with this sort of thing. If you have anything to say to me, do so now because I'm about to venture deep within the Indian jungle."

This has my Gramps concerned so he presses a few buttons getting a layout of the jungles itself, "I have a fix but apparently the area itself is massive."

"I know that," That's the point Gramps.

"However something has appeared in the radar that shouldn't. I'm detecting what appears to be some sort of tower situated 25 miles east from your current position."

"What? A tower? You got a clue what it looks like because I don't see it."

"More likely it's too far off. I recommend heading towards it to find out."

"Is that all? Because knowing you, you probably have something to tell me."

"I do. Like in every instance, I'm spotting multiple readings from within the tower and the outer area. If you are to tread there, I recommend that you use caution."

"I got you loud and clear," As if I already know enough.

"Good. I'll end communication here. I recommend that you be careful. Things will become a challenge for you so keep your guard up."

"Gramps, I don't need you telling me it okay?" But my tone changes, "But I am grateful that you did. I'm at least happy."

With our talk done, I decide to venture forward. I still have WideSword equipped so cutting through is a cinch. Although my grandpa did say to watch out for anything unexpected, I can't help but feel that I may be watched. I did have my radar sensors set to high so if anything does show up, I will engage without fail. Venturing through the jungle has me seeing some of the wildlife. I take some time out of it just to get a look. It looks peaceful seeing some animals moving about. There are even insects flying to the top of trees just to get some food. It's really cool. My only hope is that when I'm done here, I ensure that the life these creatures have be a peaceful one.

I press a few buttons on my Buster arm until the map was shown as a hologram, "Gramps wasn't kidding. The jungles are huge. He did say that the tower is 25 miles east. May as well head for it."

The jungle here starts getting thick and yeah, I use my WideSword to cut my way through. But as I continue through I feel that something about it is weird. I know that in my previous experiences, there was a reason to get to a place like this here and stop the bad guys. It happened with CutMan when he threatened to tear the Amazon rainforest apart. But that changed when I went after WoodMan. He simply didn't want to do a thing. All he wanted was a fight and he got it. But now here we are. Gramps said that a tower was situated here but the wildlife around remains unaffected. Could it be that most of the area had been sealed off? I don't know but I do feel that whatever the reason, one thing is clear. I'm going to find out who it was that made the tower and hopefully discover if the thing is either good or not. Guess today is going to be really interesting.

"Huh?" I look at my radar, seeing some blips up ahead, "Looks like I'm not alone."

My eyes dart all over the place. The radar did say that someone or something is there but where? What's going on? Worrying about it isn't going to make things easier. I continue on. Maybe whatever it is that the radar spotted will show up eventually. Minutes pass and my trek through the jungle becomes long and strenuous. One swipe after another has me cutting through some thick foliage. Most vines go down easy but not in a place like this. They take multiple swipes. After a while, my blade gives out so I'm forced to activate something else. I activate a FighterSword. With it, I continue onward using the blade to cut my way through. I only do it when necessary because I don't want to damage a place like this. Damaging it hurts the environment and believe me back in the 20th century, stuff like the environment are serious issues. Nowadays we don't contend with these problems. Our focus is making our world a better place, provided that stuff like this doesn't hinder the peace. Let's continue. It's been half an hour now and I've already trekked two miles. I still haven't seen the tower yet but I know it'll take me a couple of hours before I reach it.

"Man this place is the pits. The absolute pits!" It's rare you hear me complain in a mission like this.

I slash another set of vines and continue on. Despite me feeling a bit on edge, I still have a job to do. But even if I were to continue all the way, I'd reach the tower by sunset.

"This isn't working. Battlechip, DashCondor!" A yellow Fishy appears in front of me. I get on top and it gets to work. To be fair though, I should have done this from the beginning.

My radar then kicks in immediately. Remember what I said earlier about the blips? I spot several and all of them are aiming at me. It means that know I'm coming. Suddenly I spot lasers coming from the ground below. They come in fast, forcing me to veer the DashCondor away. If my ride gets hit then it's going to make my trek difficult. I take aim with my Mega Buster and fire some blasts. None hit where the lasers are firing. But then a stray shot hits the DashCondor causing it to veer onto the jungles below. I get off my ride, only for it to crash onto the ground below. It blasts away one of the laser turrets that attacked me. Hitting the jungle grounds, my eyes notice several robots ready to pounce on me. You all know the drill. I take aim and start blasting. It's the traditional stuff here with your basic Mettaurs and Hammer Joes. The Mettaurs are just small fry but the Hammer Joes prove to be a challenge. Sure they can be taken out with a few blasts but these guys are armed with wrecking balls. So if you aren't careful then expect to get whacked. I avoid one of the Hammer Joe's attacks and deliver a shot straight in its eye. He's nothing but scrap now, but there are three others just waiting to deliver pain.

"You guys just want to take me down would you?" That isn't the right word to say here.

One doesn't hesitate and attempts to deliver me a good heap of pain with that wrecking ball. Like the last one, he goes down with a well-timed shot. The other two go on the attack. But I give them a special delivery, courtesy of two Shadow Blades. Each blade hits an eye sending them on a one-way ticket to the scrap heap. But these three are just the starting point. More robots start showing up from above. They swoop down, attacking without mercy. I dodge but then I spot them drop something. I had no idea what it was until that thing hit the floor. It explodes and then I knew that these guys are dropping their bodies as bombs. Several more of these Pottons show up delivering a payload. I use my Mega Buster to blast them one by one. Since they aren't much of a threat, they're defeated easily.

"I don't have time for these bots. Got to keep moving," I do just that, heading to where my Gramps told me.

More Pottons show up but they get easily taken down. But then another enemy shows up, catching me by surprise. A trio of small robots shows up carrying poles that look like plungers. I do have to say that they're very good with their running. But once they hit the poles on the ground, they perform some kind of pole vault going over m but not doing a thing. I wonder if these guys are even a real threat. Probably they aren't. But regardless I stay cautious. The trio then race toward me. My instincts kick in and I simply get out of the way and fire a few shots at them. It's like nothing happened. The only response I have for this is just… what the hell?

"No seriously, what the hell? What are these things? If this is all that the have to offer then I'm just really disappointed," I shouldn't be letting my guard down though.

More of these robots (called Bubukans) appear and like before they perform the pole vault move. With skill like that, I think they should be competing in the Robot Olympics or something. They head closer towards me. I get out of the way and with Shadow Blade at hand, I fire straight at them. Next thing I know, these things go down.

"A shame they aren't threatening but I swear… a coliseum is so much better for them than this," I then turn and went forward.

But then I trip on some sort of vine, hitting the ground with a thud. I turn and notice a squad of snakes. Now these aren't real poisonous snakes. If they were, I would pretty much move away from them fast. These snakes are made of technology and they shoot fireballs out of their mouths. How crazy is that? I roll out of the way, responding with shots from my blaster. They took some punishment but clearly they are tough foes.

"Battlechip, Boomerang!" I summon a large Boomerang in front of me.

I launch the thing at these snakes. The sounds of parts smashing are what I hear and also what they are going through. I get moving once again but then, something else has to interrupt me. If dealing with robots in a jungle like this is bad then I can only imagine this is much worse.

"Mega Man, be careful. There are claymore mines around here."

"Huh? Who is this?" I try to get a fix on whoever it was that contacted me but no luck.

"My name is of little importance. All you should worry about is what's up ahead. You can't see it with your naked eye but I know they are there."

"What do you want me to do then? Any ideas?"

This guy then suggests, "Use a mine detector."

"Mine detector? I don't have anything like that!" I respond back.

"If that's the case, you should have something that can help you detect them. I don't want to see you die when you're trying to get a job like this done."

"How do you know I'm doing this?" I ask him.

"It's not how I know. I recommend you take my advice."

"But I have something to ask you… who are you? How did you get into my frequency? Better yet, if this is a trick, you better hope I don't find you."

"You want to know who I am? Just call me… Deepthroat."

Now I'm really confused by hearing this, "Deepthroat? Seriously? Is that your name? Are you the same guy from that Watergate Scandal of the mid 20th century? If that's your name then you ain't fooling me. You need a better name than that!"

"You want a better name? Fine. You can refer me as Dark or in a sense… one of your fans."

"Dark huh? At least it's better than what you gave me before," It still isn't helping me out.

"But wait a minute, what did you mean when you said 'one of your fans'?" I didn't get a response. This alone scares me.

I try to get in contact with whoever it was but to no avail. The signal was lost. Trying to track it didn't make things any better but his advice is something I can't get out of my head.

"If there really are claymore mines here, I should watch my step," But that's when I had a better idea in mind.

I activate communications but this time, it's for summoning Rush. If there's anytime I need him, it's now. He shows up in a red light and upon arriving, glomps me licking my face. That alone makes me really happy but now wasn't the time for fun. It's time to find my way through this thick jungle.

"Okay Rush, I need your help here. There are some mines here I need you to sniff out with your nose. Can you help?" Rush doesn't waste time. He barks and gets to work.

I see him move about gently, sniffing for anything that may be otherwise. Just like Dr. Light said when I first met Rush, he has abilities that will prove beneficial. This here is one of them, the Rush Search. Using his nose, Rush can find anything hidden within the ground. Also keeping in mind that his nose can also detect anything that may deem dangerous. When it happens, I'm the first to know. Fortunately it spots something up ahead. His nose is sniffing it like mad and the light on his tail flickers rapidly.

"Good boy Rush. I knew I would count on you," I pat Rush's head and he barks saying you're welcome.

I gently push some dirt out of the way, revealing what Rush discovered earlier. It looked like a small yellow box and it's somehow been placed recently. I also notice that the mine has been active for some time. If I fiddle with it, the thing would explode and I don't want that to happen. So instead I use some stuff to open up and disarm it. My radar notices that upon touching the claymore, several blips appeared. Looks like there's more than one claymore buried around here.

"You see this Rush?" I ask him. He responds with a bark and gently sniffs it to get a clue.

"I need you to check and see if there are any more of these here. Can you do that?" Rush didn't have to tell me twice. He barks and gets on moving.

Within seconds, he barks telling me he found one. It doesn't end there. He moves about and finds another and then another. I get to work disabling each of them, one by one. Although I have to do it one at a time gently, Rush is able to detect a total of eight claymore mines. That's a good boy all right. My radar picks up the data from Rush and with it I gather the rest of the mines in one place. Since they're all together and not buried under the ground, this makes the threat less of a pain.

"Whew. That should take care of it. Alright Rush, Jet mode!" Rush barks in response, turning into jet mode.

I get on top and we fly off toward the tower up ahead. At least from here on out, there shouldn't be any problems… or so I thought. I see the tower and by it's look, it's tall at about 80 stories. It was colored white and I'd say that if it didn't have any other color, it'd stick out like a sore thumb. At least the morning sky helps blend in with the tower. Upon noticing it, I ask myself why the heck is it here? The Indian government didn't say to have something like this made. I would wonder more but something interrupts it and it's big and deadly. Remember what I said about those snakes? Well if you thought the little snakes were a threat, then get a load of this.

Rush yelps and my response is, "What the hell?!"

A large green Snake like robot shows up. It wastes no time and attacks but unlike its smaller brethren where they shoot fireballs this thing unleashes a flamethrower.

"Rush, veer east now!" I shout. Rush does that and avoids the flame blast.

"Battlechip SuperVulcan!" I need to fight back or else I'm a sitting duck to this freak. My hand becomes a multi-fire turret gun.

I then make good on my words, "Eat lead snake breath!"

I fire a major dose of bullets onto that viper. They hit but the monster just keeps on coming. It spews out another blast of flame and Rush doesn't hesitate in moving out of the way.

"Hold steady Rush. We better not let this snake stop us!" I tell him. Rush barks, knowing he won't let it happen.

My gun keeps on firing. The giant Snakey bot continues taking in the punishment. Ultimately after a bit, it gives in and goes out in a huge explosion. I hang on hoping to avoid getting blown away. When it ended, a cloud of smoke heads to the skies above but my gut tells me that I wouldn't be seeing the last of it. But then I spot something up ahead. Clouds appear around the large tower but that's ridiculous. Clouds normally would be visible at around 20-30,000 feet, unless these puffs of air aren't legit.

"Keep your guard up Rush. We're not out of the woods yet." Rush barks, telling me so.

My Mega Buster is ready. We trek through these strange clouds and my hunch proves to be right. Some of the clouds have eyes popping out. They move slowly but in a way not to attract attention. A smart idea, if only a timed shot I fired blew their cover. That cloud reveals itself to be a bullet, a flying bullet no doubt. I fire a shot again and it gets reduced to nothing but ashes. It doesn't take long before the other clouds head to where I am.

"I think a clearing is needed don't ya think so Rush?" I hear him bark saying in agreement.

"Battlechip, AirSword!" In my buster's place, it becomes a blade that when I swing, a gust of wind is unleashed on any poor sap that is in the way.

I make good on my word and unleash an AirSword swing. The winds that unleash from it rid away the clouds revealing an entourage of flying bullets. They fly straight for us at high speed. I guess you can say now that they're exposed, they want to commit seppuku and get rid of us in the process. Rush looks at me, noticing my nodding at him. It's a signal meaning that I'm taking the plunge. He goes into Coil Mode and I use it to pull off a high jump. Hitting jet mode after that, I only have no less than a few seconds to make this count before I free fall 8000 feet into the ground. All these bullets have me in their sights.

It's now or never, "Program Advance! Battlechip, Spreader! Triple!"

Each hand becomes a Spreader gun until I lift both my arms up, which causes them to glow. Once that's done, my hand becomes a powered up burst cannon called the Hyper Burst. The one shot I hope to fire upon will rain death down on these poor robots. I take my chances, unleashing a shot that splits into a multitude of plasma blasts. All the Bomb Fliers get wiped out as a result. But though what I did is a risky venture, I start to descend at a rapid pace. The only thing on my mind right now is not dying. That gets put to rest the moment Rush shows up. He swoops in, saving me. His thrusters go into high gear with my landing being minor.

"Thanks Rush. You really outdid yourself boy," I pat him on the head. He deserves a lot of praise for helping out.

"Okay, let's head for that tower. Time to see what's really going on." In response, Rush barks.

His jets accelerate us forward to the tower. I did mention that it's 80 stories tall but I notice an entryway somewhere within the 20th floor. There's also a landing pad, which is going to help. We land on the pad. I take the time to explore the area while Rush disengages and takes a stretch. He deserves a little break from all that flying. I open a compartment on my other arm, containing a Battery Biscuit inside. How I put it inside there is something I don't know. Let's just move on.

"Here Rush. You deserve it after helping out," Once I gave it to him, he devours it almost immediately.

I then open communications, hoping to update Gramps on things, "Gramps, are you there? I reached the tower."

There's no response. Signal lines aren't tampered or anything so nothing's wrong. I try again and then nothing. This isn't good. Either Gramps is busy with everyone on Project: Gamma or someone forgot to turn on the transceivers at Light Labs. Rush notices me frustrated. He heads toward me hoping to see what's wrong. Upon noticing him, I pat his head, a way of telling him not to worry.

"My guess everyone's busy today. Let's head inside the tower." I say, hearing Rush bark in response.

Entering the tower has all my senses on high alert. The place is empty. I hear nothing. No people, no technology… it's totally lifeless. Rush is on the move, sniffing about. He's always the ever curious and that I don't mind. I look around as well. I spot some foliage, a result of the tower integrating with the jungle life here. My instincts tell me that something isn't right. The tower still stands yet no one told anybody that it ever existed. Most of the place looks man-made so my guess it's a mix between human and wild life. I continue walking, slowly. My senses are already at high gear. Man this is really starting to freak me out.

"Rush? You there?" I said. I hear Rush bark up ahead. But his bark doesn't tell me that he's around. It's something else entirely.

"Rush? Where are you?" I then spot him up ahead, "There you are."

I notice Rush next to some kind of robot. It's head looks like some kind of snake. That's when it hits me. It's SnakeMan! I pat Rush for finding him while I then focus on finding a way to get him back online. It didn't take long and before I know it, SnakeMan's back on his feet.

"Huh? What? Where am I?" He says, before getting a look at me, "Oh, Mega Man. I'm sssso glad to ssssee you."

"SnakeMan, what happened? Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yessss, I'm alright."

"Who attacked you and why are you in a place like this?"

"I wassss ordered by Dr. Light to recover one of the Energy Elementssss. But thissss tower became abandoned when I arrived. I fear we may be too late."

"Too late? What do you mean? You haven't answered my question."

"Forgive me… sssstill ssssuffering from an ambush."

"Ambush?" This is interesting.

"Yessss," He explains, "We were attacked by ssssome ssssort of enemy. They attacked us without warning, leaving no ssssurvivors. When I entered the tower, I found the Element. I then contacted Dr. Light. He wassss able to transport it back to the Labssss."

"Thank goodness for Gramps. Anyway, I have to ask, what's a tower like this doing here in the jungle?"

"I'm… I'm not ssssure. From what I've heard, this place was made yearssss ago."

"Years ago?" SnakeMan nods at me in response. At least with that, it makes sense.

I then wonder about his condition, "Are you still functional?"

"Other than a few bruisessss, I am fine," He responds.

"That's a relief. I'll head outside to get in touch with Gramps. You stay here in case any robots show up."

"Right."

I call Rush but he doesn't respond. Instead, I see him growl violently at SnakeMan.

"Rush, is something wrong?" He doesn't respond. Instead he growls and barks at him, keeping his distance as well.

"What's the matter? Why are you being hostile with SnakeMan?"

SnakeMan notices me and respond, "Don't mind him. Just make sssure he doesn't attack."

"Don't worry. I won't."

I head outside hoping to get Gramps on the line but I then get in contact with someone else, "Mega Man, that robot is leading you into a trap! You have to destroy it!"

"What? You're nuts. There's no way SnakeMan would even do such a thing," I argue in response.

"You're a fool if you think that this machine came for your supposed aid. Have you ever heard that snakes wait for the right moment before striking their prey?"

"Huh?" Upon hearing it, Rush barks loud getting my attention.

I then see SnakeMan ready to pounce on me with his arm, looking like an actual snake's mouth complete with fangs. My instincts kick in and I duck his swipe. In response, I deliver a swift kick to his chest followed by a right hook. SnakeMan backs away but then Rush shows up attacking him. I should have noticed Rush's animosity towards him. My Buster is already primed and ready. His laughter is all I hear along with the winds of the daytime sky. I should have known that all of this was a trap. Damn my gullible naiveté.

"To think that you would have the gall to pull shit like this? I should have listened to Rush instead of my own gut," Which I should have.

He laughs in response to this, "Ssssimply predictable MegaMan. You always were the sssshort end of the ssstick."

"Cut the crap! What's really going on?"

"It's quite ssssimple. I'm only following orderssss. You sssshould know better than anyone."

"If this is another one of your tricks," My eyes already start to squint. "I'll make sure you end up on the recycling bin."

"Empty threatssss from an empty ssssoul. Even you know that you would never do ssssomething like that."

"If force is necessary then I will. Where's the Element?"

"I'm afraid it's not here." Hearing that just simply boils my blood.

"What?"

"Apparently the Element has already been taken. You are too late."

"At least I know you're coming with me. I'm only giving you one option and that's to surrender."

But knowing robots like him, their response is rather typical, "Sssurrender? Unlikely. I will not be forced by ssssomeone who is sssso gullible."

Here's my response, "You better take that statement back before I make good on my threat."

"For ssssomeone who thinks of doing what's right, your wordssss are meaninglessss."

"If I can't convince you with words…" It then leaves me with little choice, "Then I will convince you with my actions!"

SnakeMan laughs it off, thinking that I mean it, "You want to sssstop me? Then go ahead and try."

I don't waste any time. I went for it, running to him with a tackle to the ground. Punches come flying into him. I don't stop. I want to make sure he pays. But he delivers a knee to my back kicking me off. SnakeMan goes at him, using not only fisticuffs but also his fangs. I mean that literally because one of his arm is an actual snake's head. I know how dangerous the bite of a snake is and I avoid it by whatever means. Rush tries to help out in the fight but he gets slammed aside. That's enough to get me mad so I deliver a sack to his face. He didn't pay attention to my offense so that gets him a hint of karma.

"Insolent brat!" SnakeMan shouts.

"You lay off my dog man!" I then respond with using my Mega Buster, firing several shots.

Like a snake, he quickly evades using his movements and responding with a hit of his own. I get hit hard but it doesn't stop me one bit. SnakeMan then lunges forward with that snake arm of his. I avoid like before giving him a punch to the side of his face but he blocks it. This gives his free hand, his snake fang hand a chance to pounce. I duck it in the nick of time and deliver a knee to the chest. This has him backing away but the guy is still going strong. He really is.

"Like an animal, you don't know when to quit." I say, keeping my guard up.

"And for ssssomeone like you, you are persistent and one that refusessss to give in," In his response, that's me in a nutshell.

"I refuse to give in especially to you. I will beat you and bring you back so that way you can do good instead of this."

"But do you think that by doing thissss, are you doing the right thing?"

"Of course I am. I'm a robot that fights in the name of not only robots but also humans."

"Sssshort-ssssighted fool. You fight for the wrong reasons."

"And you think that what I do is right? Your processors really need to be rearranged."

"Maybe you need to rethink thissss through Mega Man. Think about it. Why has a human like Dr. Light orderssss you to hunt us down?"

This has me thinking about it for a minute. SnakeMan has a point. I have been working hard in bringing them back but what does all of this have to do with Gamma. All they're good for is finding the Energy Elements needed to power him. The other Robot Masters are assisting too but I wonder… is what I'm doing a waste of time?

SnakeMan heads closer as he continues, "Why do humans have to force us to do their work? Don't you think it's wise for them to do it themselves?"

"But we need robots in order to develop Gamma. Robots are like humans."

"They are NOT like these pitiful humansss. Humansss are weak, ssssimple-minded yet they desire only themselves. They are greedy, they are corrupt and above all else, they are pathetic!"

"You're wrong!" My eyes now shift towards SnakeMan. It's as if something has possessed me.

"Then tell me. Why do you side with them? The humans that prefer to favor themselves over you."

"You should know that I'm not like other robots. I'm neither dead nor living… just simply in-between. I'm surprised even a robot such as yourself would know this and if you think you're going to fill my head with your lies, then you are sadly mistaken."

"I thought you were as gullible as I thought you'd be. Ssssuch a predictable pest." Now this guy really pissed me off.

"Your lies won't work as me you deceitful sack of crap!"

"Then in that case, prepare to meet your doom." His fang arm transforms into a blaster like mine, "Search Snake!"

He fires a set of small snakes that hit the ground. I avoid their oncoming rush but something unexpected happens. They head in the other direction aka straight for me. I use my blaster to fire some shots. Two of the snakes get taken out but the third heads for my position and latches onto my leg. It proves to be a problem as SnakeMan attacks. He gets a clean hit with his snake fangs. It hurt like hell and believe me, nothing hurts more than getting bit by a snake's fangs.

"Did you enjoy that?" He tells me.

"That hurt," I try to keep myself focused but I start feeling weak. Turns out SnakeMan did more than just give me pain he also poisoned me.

"I guess you are feeling the effectsss of my Ssssnake Fang. Perfect for pathetic robots that dare to intervene. My fangs hold a lethal poison and once hit, it'll ssssoon be a doorway to your demise."

"Y-you'll pay… you'll pay for this."

"Judging by your resistance, I will give you credit. Not many can withstand it. I'd say an hour or so and then, you will be food for my pets."

I shake off the convulsion and try to keep myself focused, "I won't let you win."

"Then go ahead and try… I doubt even you can handle me now that you're poisoned boy."

"I can do so much more. Bring it on!" Rush heads beside me, ready to help. At least with him on my side we won't lose.

"As you wish. Search Snake!" SnakeMan fires another round of his Search Snakes at us.

We both avoid but they home in on our movements. Rush ends up part of a chase with the Search Snake following it. It's rather humorous but my focus is on the other two snakes. I use my blaster to reduce them to nothing. SnakeMan goes at it once again firing more of these ground reptiles. I take my shot, blasting one of them. The other however, ends up chewing my leg. I have to literally rip him out. SnakeMan takes advantage of this and attacks me with another hit of his Snake Fang. I felt more poison entering into my circuitry. All of this begins to wear me down. Rush notices and helps out but SnakeMan shoves him aside.

"Insolent pup. I sssshall teach you respect!" He fires a helping of Search Snake, except they go straight for him like they're missiles.

My instincts kick in. I don't want anything to happen to my dog, so I jump in the way taking the full force of the attack. Rush looks in horror. My armor starts getting bite marks due to the Search Snakes chomping on them. I get them off one at a time and when that happens, the snake tries again to attack. I smack it, which causes it to hit the ground again. Removing the other snakes prove to be a challenge in of itself, made worse is that the poison is still flowing through my circuits. If I am to fight it, I have to keep on going no matter what.

"Like a true master, alwayssss loyal to itssss pet," He says, having that insufferable tone.

"Rush is more than just a dog. He's my friend," I stand my ground, I ain't letting anything reach Rush.

"Sssso, you would rather risk your life for ssssomething like that?"

"Of course."

"A sssshame. Ssssuch a shame."

"You know nothing. All you do is put people down with deceit. Just like a snake, you feed them lies and deliver them nothing but heartbreak. The only thing I'm making sure is that you're going to get a one-way ticket to the junkyard. I promise you that!"

"Do you think you can be able to make good on your promise? Let us ssssee if you have what it takes."

What happens next will have me question it. SnakeMan takes a few steps back for a bit. I keep my guard up in case he does try something. Of course, if you guys have been keeping track then this is the point where they literally bring out their worst. Next thing I see, a large snake appears behind him. It's the same color as SnakeMan's head except it's eyes are of a venomous crimson. Letting off a loud roar is enough to make anyone's spine shiver with fear. He gets on top of the giant snake and I wonder what the hell he'll do next. My buster then starts beeping at me. I know for sure it is trouble.

"Danger! Poison level at 40%. System will enter emergency shutdown in 15 minutes."

"Great. Now I'm on a time limit. Can this get any worse?" Sad to say that it will.

"I can feel the poison in your ssssystems. You know you will not last against me Mega Man. It issss no use! Ssssurender!"

Input response for deceitful snake, "As if, no way."

"Fine. Then prepare yourself. Prepare for your doom!" SnakeMan's giant pet snake lets out a roar.

"Ssssavor the fury Mega Man… the fury of the viper! Venoshock Splash!"

SnakeMan along with his giant pet let out a torrent of poisonous acid. It's so huge that I didn't have any time to avoid or even plan a counteroffensive. My body becomes completely drenched in the acid. The sting from the Snake Fang didn't help make matters any better. In fact it made things worse. Now my time limit has been reduced to about 5 minutes. Every second I now waste leads me one step closer to my body unable to do a thing. I get the acid out of my body and armor but the residual effects still linger.

"Rush! Jet Mode now!" I'm on borrowed time. Rush follows my orders, transforming and activating his thrusters.

I get on top and he hits full throttle. SnakeMan and his pet continue their attack. This time the Venoshock Splash becomes a stream of acid. Rush sees it and how the acid eats away some of the ground on the platform. He yelps in response but I can't say anything yet. I feel like every portion of my body is trying to fight this poison but it's too strong. But I can't give in. Not yet. I hear his yelling and his snake slithering his way for another attack. My computer then beeps once again. I know I'm in trouble.

"Poison level at 70%. 5 minutes till emergency shutdown. Repeat, 5 minutes till emergency shutdown."

"I don't care what the risks are now. Either I stop him or he stops me. Right Rush?" I look at Rush who barks, agreeing me.

He then wonders if I'll be okay to which I reply, "I'll be okay. We just need to take down that snake. I need your help now more than ever."

Rush is already at full forward thrust. I need to get as far away from him as possible. SnakeMan wonders if I'm cowering out in defeat. To him he simply wants to prolong my demise. Without a word, his pet preps up his attack. I look ahead to find that a large tail coming out of the ground. It flings at us. Rush is lucky to get out of the way but that thing is persistent. The giant snake attacks with that acid blast of his. It fires a constant stream and I can tell that it's going to do major damage to the jungles below. I already notice as most of the stream hit the ground. Many trees begin to break down and wither. Wildlife being hurt badly and I can tell the Indian government isn't going to be pleased with it. Hell this makes CutMan's attempt to destroy the Amazon Rainforest seem miniscule. This here is grade-10 threatening and I can't just keep running away. SnakeMan watches me move about. He waits and hopes that the right opportunity to strike will end me.

"You think you can evade my sssstrikes? Think again! Attack my pet! Ssssmother that fool with your venomous poison!" His pet didn't have to say a word.

It lets out another blast of venom courtesy of the Venoshock Splash attack they share. That gets avoided but instead of dodging, Rush and I head straight for him.

"We got one shot at this boy. If we miss this, we're done for you hear?" Rush responds with a bark and saying that we won't miss.

"Alright let's do it!"

Rush's jets hit high speed as we head straight for SnakeMan and his giant snake. Upon noticing this, he unleashes a torrent of Venoshock acid at us. We move slightly to avoid it and I respond with a shot from my Mega Buster. It didn't work but at least we need to use something to fight back. SnakeMan shrugs my attack off like it's nothing. So did the huge snake he has. My free arm is still holding onto my chest as a result of the poison attack earlier. I feel like it's only a matter of time before the poison gives away and takes me out. I can't let it happen because if I don't, SnakeMan will continue his brutal fury throughout the world. Even now as Rush's jets help me reach that venomous viper, I continue to fight it. I am not going to let it win. I refuse to!

"Awaiting your doom right here sssshould have been a ssssmart thing to do Mega Man. I promise to make your end quick and painlessss." Does this guy ever shut up?

"Go ahead and try. I'm ready to end it right here," I reply.

"As you wish. Let us end this ssssquabble here and now! Now my venomous pet, we end this! Unleash the fury upon our gullible foe. Venoshock Splash!"

SnakeMan and his giant snake pet unleash a combined attack upon us. Like I said, we got one shot at this and if we miss, we're screwed. I'm now ready to take the shot. Upon the attack reaching us, I jump off the Rush Jet. It went past us in a flash. SnakeMan didn't expect that huh? Now that I have a clear shot, it's now or never.

"Battlechip! QuadNeedle! DrillArm!" One arm turns into a crossbow while the other becomes a drill-like arm. I'm already at high speed so that gives me a lot of added force and velocity.

SnakeMan doesn't expect me coming. I first fire four steel needles from my crossbow. They come in so fast that SnakeMan didn't see it coming. Each arrow hits where it hurt. He yells in pain due to how fast they come in. I then come in with DrillArm in hand, literally stabbing him square in the chest. He gets flown off the giant snake and lands on the ground hard. I didn't stop. That drill just keeps on spinning and damaging him in the process. Upon seeing his master fall, SnakeMan's pet lunges to attack.

I for one am fed up with this, "So you want to take me down too huh? Battlechip, Slasher!" My hands revert back to normal and in its place is a LongSword.

It roars, letting out its venomous fangs. I simply stand and watch it head closer. The look I have on my face is a pissed off one. I've already had enough of all this. I just want to get this shit done before the poison in my body completely takes me out. The alert is already blaring that I have 3 minutes left before it shuts me down. May as well make the most of it.

"You know what? I've had enough. I really have had enough," And my anger continues to accelerate violently, "I've had enough of them motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking place!"

With just one slash, I split that giant snake in half. Pieces of metal, oil and just about everything else come crashing down on the ground below. As for SnakeMan though, I think he's suffered enough. Besides even if I were to break him down even more, Albert wouldn't be happy with it. Of course he still feels that I should have stopped ShadowMan before he went AWOL but that's beside the point. I walk closer to him. My body is already on its last legs and using whatever leftover energy it has. I touch his snake arm giving me his Search Snake weapon. Judging by my battle, I know I'm going to be making a lot of use out of this weapon. Although before I did anything, I hear someone chuckle. It's SnakeMan no doubt. I guess he wants to add more salt to the wound.

"Ha ha ha ha… remarkable. Ssssimply sssspectacular. You impressed me Mega Man. To think that ssssomeone like you be able to deceive me… a ssssnake," And I thought he would shut up by now.

"It looks like you still open your mouth. What does it take for me to shut you up huh?!" I'm still fed up with him. I just want to take the blade and use it to ram through his head and completely fry his memory circuits.

"N-no need… it does not matter anymore. It sssseems that it is I who has lied… lied… to myself. How sssstupid of me to do this."

I have no idea what he's talking about but this guy keeps on yapping and yapping. But then I notice the damage being too severe for him and suddenly he shuts off. About time, maybe now I can get some peace and quiet. I never get the chance. My body just stands still as if something possesses me and then I collapse on the floor. The poison left behind by his Snake Fang attack has taken full effect, and as a result, my body shuts down to prevent it from reaching any of the more fragile circuitry such as my brain and heart. Rush heads to where I was at and tries to wake me up. It didn't work. Nothing worked because as I said already, I've shut down. Even licking my face didn't help.

Rush barks over and over wondering if I'll say something. Nothing happened. To find that your master and friend went down this way it happened is sad. Now I'm not saying it for the sake of shock value. No way. It's the fact that the poison simply took over and just did major hell. Is it really the end for me? Is my journey going to end here? Only two robot masters remain and deep within that hollow body of mine, I say again and again not to give in. But how can I when I'm not even moving? I'm dragging it on ain't I? My fault. Anyway, Rush decides to just be next to me. He doesn't notice that my face moves gently, forming a smile. It goes to show that Rush really is truly a man's best friend. A few hours pass and the daytime sky becomes drenched in a mix of orange and red. The sun is already down and the view of this is just exhilarating. Rush is still there, next to me. He's on guard in case someone wants to try and attack us. My body however is still offline, the poison is still in there and I don't know if I'll ever wake up. A red light approaches from the sky onto the ground below. Because of the sunset, Rush doesn't see it. He then spots someone heading toward him. Thinking it's the enemy he kicks in a defensive stance, ready to attack if it gets closer.

"I'm here to help… please, there isn't much time," Upon hearing him, Rush stops growling and lets the guy pass.

Upon looking at him, Rush notices that his armor is similar to mine. The difference is of its color and design. He sees the robot head towards my body, taking out some kind of injector from one of his compartments. He then injects me with some kind of strange liquid. Once that's done, he moves my body until my chest is fully seen. Pressing my chest opens up revealing a lot of things such as my Lightanium heart and a shiny red button. Why is it there? I have no clue. He presses it causing my systems to start up again. Due to the poison that I have been inflicted earlier, it's taking longer than normal. Knowing that I'll wake up and see whoever it was, the guy (knowing his job is finished) preps up to leave.

He turns to Rush and says, "As soon as he wakes, give him this." Rush then sees him take out some kind of canister and places it next to him.

Rush wonders what it is. He explains, "I injected a suppressant that can stabilize the poison but it'll only last for a few hours. This canister contains an antidote. It will purge the poison within him completely."

He backs away slightly and then vanishes off in a red light. Rush then turns to see me fully awake. My diagnostic kicks in almost immediately. I check to see if anything happened but the good news is that the poison has been stabilized, but only temporarily. I see Rush next to a canister so I take it to check. Rush meanwhile licks my face, happy that I'm back to normal. I hug my dog. It's thanks to him that we're able to take out SnakeMan the way we did.

But something inside me starts to worry so I open my com-link and check up with everyone back at the labs, "Is anyone there? Gramps? Tron?"

I then hear a voice, "This is Light Labs. Who is this?"

Something about it feels very off, "I'm Mega Man. Now I want to know who you are."

"This is Darian Darhk. I take it you have succeeded in defeating SnakeMan?"

"I did. SnakeMan is down and the damage isn't severe. Where is everyone?"

"Everyone has since gone home. I'm the only person here making calls. Why do you ask?"

Was I knocked out for really this long? I got to head home and fast. My hunches start kicking in automatically.

"Nothing. I'm going to head back. Think you can teleport SnakeMan back to the labs for repairs. At least the damage he's got isn't as serious as the others."

"I will work on it momentarily. I recommend you head back."

"You sound like someone I know."

Darian chuckles it off like it's no biggie, "At least things with Project: Gamma are doing a lot better since SparkMan has been taken out."

"I am aware," Thank the maker for that.

I look to see SnakeMan teleport away. My work is already done so Rush turns into his jet mode and we both head out of this place. I then remembered the canister that I got earlier. Taking it out from a compartment in my chest armor, I get a look. It looks like a normal E-Tank so why am I so worried. Rush may know something so I ask him.

"Hey Rush do you know anything about this E-Tank?" I hear Rush respond that someone gave me this. In addition he tells me that someone came in and was able to stabilize the poison within my circuitry.

"What? Really? No wonder I feel so different. Do you have any idea who helped me?" All I hear from him is that some guy in red injected me with something then jump-started my circuits.

This has me thinking. A guy in red… could it be? No. He can't. Why would he help me? That guy wants me dead. Or better yet why would he even give me this? It doesn't make any sense.

Rush wonders if something's up with me. Hearing him breaks my focus, "Huh? What is it? I'm okay… just thinking about something.

He then replies that I should just drink the E-Tank and to be fair, Rush makes a valid point. I don't waste time so I just drink the damn thing. With each gulp, my energy reserves increase all the way to the max. I then feel something strange. My systems undergo a cleaning. The poison that was kept in check within my body has suddenly disappeared. After finishing the E-Tank, I check to find that I'm completely cured. No traces of poison are detected. Looks like I'm finally getting a clean bill of health. But I had one last thing I need to check up on.

I ask him, "Rush, that guy in red you saw… did you happen to meet BreakMan?"

"Ruh? Reakman?" He replies, in his traditional dog talk. He doesn't know, mostly because this is the only time he's ever seen him.

"Never mind. Let's go home. I think you and I deserve some much needed rest." Rush agrees with my response.

To be fair, today has been a heck of a day. I went through the intense jungle dealing with badniks, disabled a few mines with the help of some mysterious dude and gave SnakeMan a serious dose of pain. Unfortunately it ended up getting me poisoned but even with the little time I had, I gave this son of a bitch the pain he so rightfully deserves. But it only ends up putting me in emergency shutdown. Then someone Rush told me was able to stabilize the poison in my body. Not to mention I got something that has the cure. All of this now starts to put thoughts in my head. Rush doesn't know who it was that helped me but I did. I know for a fact that it was BreakMan but the question is why. Why did he? The guy would normally leave me to die but he didn't. He chose to do this. If I ever do encounter him, I only want to say… why.

つづく

On the next Mega Man: Reawakened

Finding out that BreakMan saved him from a poisonous fate has left Mega Man pondering as to what's really going on. But he wouldn't have any time to figure it out as he's off yet again. With Rush at his side the two then venture into a strange cavern where everything glistens like a mirror. And as if things don't get any more problematic, they have to contend with a foe that has a split personality and a hell of a coin flip. One side is calm, the other being vicious. But even with his faithful companion at his side, is it going to be enough to defeat someone who has a dual identity? There are always two sides to this and Mega Man is about to experience it first hand in the next exciting episode, Mirror Mirror in the Night; Double Trouble for Robert Light.

A hero isn't born, it is created.