Chapter 4: Election Day.


Late that night.
Vick-Tek Corporate headquarters.

Even though it is nearly midnight, Marcus Vickers, Scott Erikson and Vickers' team of atterneys are preparing for the meeting with Dr. Mikhail Cossack which is set to begin any minute. The reason this meeting is so late is so that it can be held at a convenient time for Dr. Cossack, where it is early in the morning in Russia.
Vickers straightens his tie and makes sure that not a hair of his caesar cut is out of place. On the desk in his office are several documents, with all of the vital statistics and info on Dr. Cossack that there is to know.
And of course, as promised, there are a few Russian nesting dolls in the background.

Vickers cannot help but feel both excited and just a little bit fearful about what is about to take place in mere minutes.

"This is it, Scott," he says as he awaits Dr. Cossack's 'arrival ' to the meeting.

"Yes, it is, sir," Erikson nods.

"I haven't felt butterflies in my stomach like this since when I first launched this company nearly twenty years and two marriges ago. Thank God for prenups and palimony," Vickers adds.

Shortly thereafter, a message appears on the large viewscreen installed on the office wall. It reads, "Incoming transmission from M. Cossack. Location: Moscow, Ruissia."

"Oh, my God. Here he is!", Vickers barely says, feeling the aformentioned butterflies in his stomach stronger than ever.
"Accept the call," he says to a technician in the room.

"Accepting he call now, sir," the techie replies.

Seconds later, a live shot of Dr. Mikhail Cossack appears on the screen. And the long-awaited meeting is about to take place.

Vickers is all smiles as he sits behind his desk and says, "Dr. Cossack, it is a pleasure to finally with you! I know that a man of your intellectual stature is very busy, but I'm glad you finally have time to hear our proposal."

"Mr. Vickers, let us dispense with the over the top pleasantries and get down the business. I don't think you contacted me for sixteen months just to say hello and show me your Babushka collection,"says Dr. Cossack, speaking in English and referring to the Russian dolls in the background.

Vickers momentarilly feels all of the hairs on his neck stand on end when he sees just how much of a no nonsense kind of person Dr. Cossack is.
"Of course not, Dr. Cossack," Vickers responds, "We are here to discuss business... robot business, to be specific. So, let's get down to brass tacks... I want you to build me a robot."

"Yes, I figured as much, Mr. Vickers," Cossack says.

"But, not just any robot, Dr. Cossack," Vickers explains with a confident grin, "I want you to build me a robot that will have the world talking."

Dr. Cossack leans into the camera slightly and strokes his sandy blonde beard, looking interested.
"Go on," he says.

"Dr. Cossack, as you know, the world is not exactly safe anymore," Vickers begins, making finger quotes to emphasize the word safe, "I'd be so bold to say that thw world has a disease... and that's disease's name is Dr. Albert Wily, am I right?"

"Yes, it is. Do go on," Cossack responds.

"Like all diseases, we have to find the cure... and I think we are the only two men that can do it," Vickers continues, "I'm not going to beat around the bush here, Dr. Cossack... I want you to create the world's next great Robot Warrior. A Robot Warrior that will stop Dr. Wily once and for all."

Dr. Cossack's eyebrows furrow, then he briefly glances to something to his side before looking into the camera again.
"Well... that is an interesting proposal if I ever heard one. But, Mr. Vickers, I believe that is Mega Man's job, not mine."

"Yes, and he's doing a fine job," Vickers replies, "... but I think we can do a better job, together."
With his undeniable charisma, Vickers continues, "I am sure that together, with your genius and my nearly unlimited financial resources, we can make the world's most powerful robot. A robot that Dr. Wily wouldn't ever stand a chance to defeat... a robot that can, and will, put an end to this war.

Vickers has a feeling that he has Cossack's interest, because the Russian scientist is leaning closer to the camera again and is still stroking his beard. Vickers can see the wheels turning in his mind, and he is sure he also has the man who will make him his Robot Warrior.

"Now that you know what my staff has been hounding you over for sixteen months, let us discuss the terms of your deal, should you accept it," Vickers elaborates, "Dr. Cossack, this project will be my company's top priority, so therefore, you will have whatever you desire. To prove how serious I am about this, I am going to offer you a One-Hundred-Million dollar per-year sallary to work on this project."

At the moment Vickers declared how much he was willing to pay Dr. Cossack, Erikson nearly choked on the glass of water he was drinking at the time, and a noticable series of gasps were audible in the room, all coming from the sound of the Vick-Tek atterneys.
Even Cossack looks surprised to hear the astronomical figure Vickers is offering, but tries not to outwardly show it too much.

Vickers continues, "And that's just your salary. I'll give $25 Million just for signing the contract. Just think, Dr. Cossack, you would have more than enough money to finance any project you want. I heard you have a daughter, Kalinka is it? Just think of what you'll be doing for her by signing with us. Not only will you help ensure that she will live in a peaceful world, but she'll be financially set for life, and so will her children... hell, so will her grandchildren. She'll not only have enough money to go to a college university.. she will have enough money to buy a university. "

On the screen, Cossack leans back in the chair that he is sitting in as he thinks about this mindblowing offer he has on the table.
Vickers can sense that he has gotten through to him, especially after buttering him up with the promise that Cossack's daughter Kalinka would be more than financially secure.
"I know that this is a very important decision to make, so I'll give you a few minutes to think about it as we send over the contract."

"Thank you... I do need time."

"Take as much time as you need and message us when you're ready," Vickers says as the microphones are cut off.


Cossack Family Citadel.

As Marcus Vickers mutes the videoconference on his end, Dr. Cossack steps away from the computer station to consider this guargantuan offer he has just recieved.
Not only would he have enough money to both finance whatever project he wanted and have more than enough for Kalinka to live on for a double lifetime, but he also knows that this could be the project that cements his legacy for all time.
Fueling this desire to be the best in the world his his continued desire to outshine Dr. Thomas Light's sucess. And this robot would give him the opportunity to finally be on a level playing field with him.
But, there is somebody else here who is not in favor of this idea...

Kalinka had been in the office the entire time, sitting just out of camera range and listening to the videoconference. The moment she heard that Vickers was looking to create his own Super Fighting Robot - a robot that would surely become competition to Mega Man, Kalinka's personal idol - Kalinka didn't like it.

"Father, do you realize what you're doing?", she asks in Russian, stepping up to her tall father.

"Kalinka... this is what I've always been waiting for," Mikhail replies, trying to explain to Kalinka, "I have the chance to create the ultimate robot, one that our government would never give me the money to make. We can take Dr. Albert Wily down and end the war."

"But, what about Mega Man?", Kalinka asks, "He's the Defender of the Human Race. That's not for some American corporate tycoon to decide."

"But, Kalinka, this robot would only make his job easier... he could help Mega Mam," Dr. Cossack counters, "And if I take this deal, I would be doing it for your future."

Kalinka looks over to the screen which is still showing Vickers on it. She knows from taking just one look at this guy that he's not really in it for the good of humanity, just for his own bottom line.
"This is wrong, father," Kalinka asserts, crossing her arms.

"You're only feeling this way because of Mega Man, aren't you?" Mikhail asks.

"No, I'm not... I don't like this man. He's a snake in the grass," Kalinka answers, sneering at the image of Vickers on the screen as he stares into the camera.

Just then, the contract arrives, quickly being printed out of the printer.
Dr. Cossack grabs the contract, which is still warm from being freshly printed and begins reading it.

In a last ditch attempt to talk her father out of what could be a mistake, Kalinka says, "He's only in it for the money, father... he will backstab you in the end."

Hearing that makes something click in Mikhail's mind. "... Just like Wagner," he says, remembering hearing about how quickly Dr. Wagner was uncerimoniously dumped from the company and how he will not talk about it to this day.

Maybe Kalinka is right. Maybe this foolish American Suit is everything she says he could be.
Mikhail looks up the monitor and sees Vickers having a rather animated conversation with his portly assistant...


Back at Vick-Tek corporate headquarters, Scott Erikson is trying to talk some sense into his employer after his insanely large offer he made to Dr. Cossack.

"Sir... 125-Million Dollars?" he asks, clearly worried.

"It's worth it, Scott. Every penny of it," Vickers replies, rubbing his hands togethers and stareing ahead at the monitor waiting for Dr. Cossack to return.

"But, sir, do you realize the impact that contract would have on this company?"

"That contract is the future of this entire company," Vickers drones.

"It could be self-destructive," Erikson explains, "Hundreds of employees could lose their jobs. The investors might panic."

"It'll all be worth it in the end, "Vickers says, stareing ahead. Just by the look in his eyes, this is no longer just a desire to have a company robot... this has become an obsession.

"Mr. Erikson is right, sir," says one of Vickers' atterneys, "Dr. Cossack's salary would be too much for this company to handle."

"Then, I'll pay him out of my own pocket, "Vickers counters, now sounding agitated.

Another lawyer replies, "That would be in violation of the Employer Law. You can only use personal wealth that is not in the company's budget to pay employes that are already under contract-"

Vickers then slams his fist on the desk and snaps, "Then, dammit, we'll find a way to get around it!"

A hush falls in the room and everybody stares at Vickers, who is still staring at the screen. None of them - even Erikson - have ever seen him act like this.

"I'll be damned if I'm going to let this project go down in flames!", Vickers now hisses, "I will have a robot warrior, if it's the last thing I ever do... and nothing is going to stop me."

After an awkward moment of silence, Dr. Cossack finally steps back in fron tof the camera and Vickers gets a cheshire cat grin on his face.

"Dr. Cossack, have you made a decision?", he asks.

"Not eaxactly, Mr. Vickers," Cossack responds, "I see there is an exclusivity clause in the ontract. I want it removed."

"Absolutely, Doctor," Vickers obliges.

"Also, if I were to sign this contract, I want a guarantee that you will not give me the same treatment as you give Dr. Arnold Wagner if you do not find my first effort satisfactory," Cossack demands.

"Yes, anything you say, Doctor," Vickers obeys, "We'll prepare the new contract right away."

Dr. Cossack presses, "Actually, Mr. Vickers, we should discuss this project furthor before I sign anything... what do you have to gain from this project?"

"I want what everybody wants: for this war to be over," Vickers replies.

"And, I assume, to make a profit as well. Just like American corporations do," Cossack astutely suggests.

Knowing that Cossack is a tough nut to crack, Vickers fires back, 'Well, let's discuss what you have to gain from this project. If our Robot Warrior is a success, and with a man of your intelligence teaming with a pwerful man such as myself, it will be , you will become the most famous scientist in the world, and everybody will come to appreciate your talents. And let's not forget what we've already discussed and how your daughter will benifit from this. Hell, if you make more than one Robot Warrior for me, you'll be richer than any man in Russia. You would need your own country."

Realizing that this man does focus on the financial side too much (and how self-centered he sounds,) Dr. Cossack realizes that Kalinka's suspicions are rright on.
He says, "I would like more time to consider your offer. I don't feel comfortable making a decision tonight."

Vickers mutters, "... Why? After making me wait sixteen moths, I think I deserve an explanation for why I've got to wait even longer."

"Honestly, I have some misgivings about this project," Cossack answers.

Vickers' eyes narrow. "... Misgivings, you say?"

"Uh-oh," Erikson shudders, knowing what it's like to witness one of his boss' fits of anger.

"Dr. Cossack, "Vickers says, "It doesn't matter what misgivings you have about this project. I am handing you the golden opportunity. If you don't take advantage of it, you will be in Thomas Light's shadow for the rest of your life! And don't flatter yourself, because you know you are in his shadow. And the sad thing is, you're doing that same work he does, but your work fades into obscurity, because nobody cares... because you're not Thomas Light. And you know it!"
Sounding more aggressive, Vickers continues, "I am giving you the chance to be bigger and better than he is! To beat him at his own game! With all due respect, Doctor... without me, you will always be number 2... never number 1. So I suggest you sign the contract."

Dr. Cossack's eyes narrow behind his eyeglasses, not happy with what he just heard, and remains silent for a few seconds.
Finally, he replies, "I'm affraid you've misjudged me, Mr. Vickers... I did not enter these negotiations to have my work and my legacy scrutinized by somebody the likes of you!"

Vickers can feel his whole body go numb when Dr. Cossack chews him out, and starts to beg. "I didn't mean it like that, Doctor! I have nothing but the utmost respect-"

"Don't patronize me," Cossack calmly interrupts, "Mr. Vickers, you wouldn't know what to do with a Super Fighting Robot if you had one.. and after your display of disrespect, I'm not about to help you find out."

"NO!", Vickers pleas, "You can have $150-Million! Name the price and I'll make it happen!"

"The answer is no," Cossack responds, "Good day to you, sir."

The videoconference connection is severed and Vickers stares at the blank screen, watching his last best hope of the Robot Warrior project becoming a success go up in smoke.

Not breaking his stare at the screen, and rarely even blinking his eyes, Vickers mumbles, 'Everybody leave. Now."

With that instruction, Erikson and the lawyers hastily leave the office, leaving their employer alone. Erikson takes one more look behind to his boss, only to see that he still isn't moving, almost looking catatonic.

For nearly a minute, Vickers stares at the screen, still shocked that the chance to sign Dr. Cossack is gone... and he's the one who runined it al.
Finally, he reaches for the shiny red button on his desk and presses it, jettisoning himself down the trap door and into the parking garage sand pit down below.

Happy Election Day.


The next morning. Election Day.
In the skies above New York City.

Well above the streets of New York, Mega Man and Rush are patrolling the area. As the pair flies above Manhattan, attracting the attention of citizens down below, Mega thinks about yesterday's events.
As much as he still can't bring himself to fully trust his brother ProtoMan just yet, Mega feels that some progress is finally being made at healing the old wounds between them. And after seeing how much he appears to have changed, especially seeing how he apolgized for what happened to Doc the Met, Mega is willing to give him the chance to prove himself.
But, Mega is still keeping his guard up, not just because of ProtoMan, but this is also Election Day. And since Mitchel Deacon's parade this past Sunday was attacked by the Robot Masters, that means Dr. Wily will most likely try to attack Deacon again... and possibly ProtoMan too.
Mega Man knows that if anything is going to happen, it's going to happen today.

"Hey, Bro!", calls the voice of ProtoMan from behind him.

Mega looks over to see his older brother flying beside him with his yellow scarf flapping in the wind, operating the seldom used Transport Item #2.

"You mind if I join you?", Proto asks.

"Go ahead," Mega replies as Rush barks.

As Proto catches up with Mega and Rush on Item #2, he says, "I think today was the first day that our sister has ever been nice to me."

"That's because you did what was right. You need to keep it up," Mega states.

"That's all well and good, but does that mean I have to go get cats out of tress?", Proto asks.

Mega shakes his head and sighs, "You still don't get it, do you? If you're going to do this job with, then you're going to have to learn to do what's right for everybody, not just your family."

"Well, since you put that way, alright," Proto agrees, before adding, "But, you're the one who's doing all of the lame tasks like rescuing cats from trees."

As the brothers fly ahead, Proto glances over to Mega Man, wondering if he's feeling the effects of this scrambler chip he planted on his brother. He feels a feeling he's never felt before when he remembers planting the chip on him... he regrets it, especially after hearing how Mega truly feels about him yesterday.
Proto doesn't even know how it works or how bad it will hurt his brother, but he wishes he could have found some other way to get him out of the way without planting this chip on him, but Wily's orders are orders.
But, maybe... just maybe... he could still find a way around this...

"Hey, Rock," Proto asks, "Are you feeling okay?"

Mega looks over and asks back, "Why do you ask?"

"You look like somethin's bothering you... but, according to Roll, you've looked like this a lot lately," Proto replies.

"I just have a bad feeling today is going to be a busy day," Mega answers, not letting on that he feels physically odd. He still doesn't trust Proto enough.. as far as he knows, he could have done something to him.
If he only knew.

Proto looks ahead, careful not to let out his frustration that he may have just missed his opportunity to get his brother out of danger, because he knows what's about to take place any second... at least he thinks he knows.

"Boys, this is Dr. Light. Come in," says the voice of Dr. Light from Mega's and Proto's forearm commiunicators.

"We're here. What's wrong?", Mega replies.

"Four of Wily's robots have been spotted at the Governor's Mansion in Albany. They don't appear to be cause real harm right now, but I think they are trying to lure you both out."

"We're on our way," Mega says.

"Don't worry, Dr. Light. I won't let you down. Dr. Wily's about to learn his lesson the hard way," Proto adds, not sounding cocky and cool, but with a seriousness in his voice he has rarely used.

Mega Man glances over to ProtoMan and still can't believe what he's seeing. It's so good to know that he is working alongside his brother instead of against him.
But, it still semms too good to be true.

As the brothers head towards Albany to repel the Robot Masters that have asembled there, they both recieve another call from Dr. Light.
"Mega Man, ProtoMan, it's Dr. Light again. There's another emergency. Bright Man has been spotted at Mitchell Deacon's campaign headquarters."

"It was a trap. Wily's trying to get us away from Deacon so he can attack him," Mega exclaims.

"You go back and deal with Bright Man. I'll take out these bucketheads in Albany," Proto says.

"You'll be outnumbered, Proto!", Mega protests.

"If I've learned anything over the past two years, it's that one of us is stronger than four of them. Trust me, I know what I'm doing," Proto says.

".. fine. Rush, turn back towards Mr. Deacon's headquarters," Mega reluctantly orders.

Rush barks and turns around, taking Mega Man back to Manhattan as ProtoMan uses Item #2 to head towards Albany.

"What the hell are you trying to pull, Wily?", Proto snears, "Is this one of your tests to prove who's side I'm on?"


Governor's Mansion.
Albany, New York.

Outside the Governor's Manion, the Robot Masters ElecMan, Metal Man, Skull Man and Hard Man stand outside and await the arrival of their enemy.
Aside from taking out the Governor's Securitybots and causing some property damage, they aren't doing much else.

"Where is he?", Metal Man rasps, "I want to decapitate him!"

"Dr. Wily says he's planned a diversion," ElecMan silently replies, "He's sure Mega Man will go back and protect Deacon while ProtoMan comes here to battle us."

"And they'll both fail! Ha Ha!", Hard Man laughs.

"But, why would he send only one Robot Master to attack Deacon's headquarters when he should have sent a whole team?", Metal Man asks, "Bright Man doesn't have the killer instinct. He will not stand a chance."

All of the Robot Masters remain silent, knowing that Metal Man is correct. It does seem very strange that Dr. Wily would send Bright Man to attack Deacon alone. But, then, ElecMan spots their target.

"Look who just showed up!", ElecMan says, pointing up to the sky, as ProtoMan arrives.

"Hey, it's my four favorite failures!", Proto smiles, "How've things been back at the Fortress?"

"So you think you can mock us and stab Dr. Wily in the back, do you, ProtoMan?" ElecMan snaps.

Proto grins and shrugs and scarf-clad shoulders. "It sure looks that way, doesn't it?"

"And now you are going pay for your herecy, and you blood will flow from your body like a oil derrick!", Metal Man rasps as he pulls his metal blade off of his head and preapres to fling it at ProtoMan. "HAVE AT YOU!" he yells.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun!", ProtoMan grins.

As the Robot Masters use their weapons to attack ProtoMan, Proto leaps high into the air and avoids their attacks.
Once he powers up his blaster, ProtoMan targets Hard Man first and fires a blast in his direction. The shot hits Hard Man in his weakest area: his face, which is the only part of his barrel shaped body that isn't reinforced with titanium.

Hard Man goes down with a ground rumbling crash, but ProtoMan isn't finished yet and neither are the remaining Robot Masters.

ProtoMan lands and ducks to avoid being sliced by Metal Man's blade and runs towards him at full force. ProtoMan knows that Metal Man is not a tough without his blade.
Proto jumps up and kicks him in his face, right between his evil red eyes, knocking him down.

ElecMan fires several shots of lightning from his fingertips at ProtoMan, but the Red Raider dodges them and blasts the Robot Master twice in his chest with two plasma shots, both striking the yellow lightning bolt symbol in the center of his chest armor.
Perfect bulls-eye.

ElecMan gets knocked back and crashing into a water fountain on the property, and begins power surging once he is submerged in the water.

ProtoMan faces Skull Man, who has several small skulls rotating around his body, designed to absorb plasma shots.
ProtoMan knows that he would be wasting time trying to blast him so he runs towards Hard Man's fallen body and grabs his arm.
Skull Man begins to run towards Proto and the Red Raider knows that he doesn't have enough time to copy Hard Man's fist weapon, so he grabs the big robot's arm and enters an override command. Once he's done, he aims Hard Man's fist at Skull Man and the fist fires from the fallen Root Master's arm, tearing through the Skull Shield and knocking Skull Man down, cracking his own skull.

Now that that is taken cae of, ProtoMan stands up and brushes his hands. "It sure feels good to actualy hit my targets for a change," he grins.

Metal Man barely tries to crawl away, still dazed after being beaten by ProtoMan. But, Proto walks over to him.

"Do you really think that you are going to get away with this, you heretic?", Metal Man rasps, "Dr. Wily will kill you for your betrayal. And he will kill your new family too."

ProtoMan kneels down and pulls Metal Man's chest armor off and tosses it aside. "Wily didn't tell you, did he?," he says, "I guess weren't important enough to know."

"Know what, heretic?", Metal Man rasps.

ProtoMan leans close to Metal Man's shielded face and whispers, "I haven't really turned on anybody. We're still on the same side, you idiot."

"What? That's impossible!", Metal Man growls., "Why didn't Dr. Wily tell us?

"'Cause we've gotta make it look good," Proto smirks, grabbing Metal Man's vital circuits and ripping them out of his body, causing sparks to shoot out for a second before Metal Man's body falls limp and lifeless.
Proto knows that this will not kill him, just incapacitate him... he also knows that these guys and the other Robot Masters probably won't be happy when they learn that Wily had kept them all in the dark, but they're all good little soldiers, so they'll stay in line.

ProtoMan sees somebody approaching nearby and sees the current Governor, George Cochran nearby.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you would be helping us... but, thank you," The Governor says.

"I never thought I'd say the day myself... but, you're welcome," Proto replies as he steps back abord Item #2. "I've gotta go, my little brother needs my help. Sorry about the mess," he says as he flies off back to Manhattan to catch up with Mega Man and his battle with Bright Man.


Outside of Mitchell Deacon's campaign headquarters.

Mega Man and Rush arrive to Mitchell Deacon's headquarters and he sees something flash on the ground down below. A second look confirms his suspicions. "Rush, take us down. Bright Man's already attacking!"

As the duo approaches the area, they hear horrified human screams and see more flashes. Then, Bright Man steps out into view and is seen menacing the humans down below.

"Let's take care of this buffoon, before anybody else gets hurt, boy!", Mega says.

Rush soars down to the surface, but,before Mega Man could leap off of him, he feels a sharp stabbing pain in his head. He clutches the right side of his helmet as he winces and lets out a pained yelp.
This strange and painful feeling is so strong, Mega falls off Rush and his body hits the pavement below, cracking it.
Rush wails as his master falls down and goes after him.

Bright Man steps up to the fallen hero and laughs, "Hey, Mega Man! You don't look too good. Maybe your day needs to be brightened up! Hee-hee-hee!"

Mega Man tries to stragger to his feet and take aim with his blaster, but his vision is severely distorted. "I can't get... a lock on him," he says to himself.

"Say Cheese, Mega Man!" Bright Man says, as he activates his Bright Flash weapon.

As if Mega Man's vision problems weren't bad enough, falling victim to Bright Man's flash weapon makes it much worse. The Blue Bomber falls back down to his knees. He breathes heavy as he looks up and tries again to blast his opponent.
Now all Mega can see is a large orange and yellow smudge in his field of vision. It looked enough like Bright Man, so he tries to fire, but sparks and smoke fizzle out of his blaster arm.

"What's... happening to me?", Mega groans.

Bright Man keeps his bright flash on, temporarily blinding everyone around him, even Rush who tried to attack the Robot Master.
"Looks like Mega Man's down for the count for good!", Bright Man laughs.

Then suddenly, the manhole cover Bright Man is standing on explodes, thanks to a very powerful plasma blast from down below. Bright Man flies up in the air, only to come crashing down.

ProtoMan leaps out of the sewers and approaches Bright Man with his blaster at the ready. He growls, "Get outta here, Bright Man! I'm not gonna warn you twice!"

Bright Man whimpers, "I don't want any part of you, ProtoMan! Dr. Wily's gonna disassemble you when he gets a hold of you!"

As the Robot Master runs away, ProtoMan just grins. "Now I know why Wily named you Bright Man... running away from me is the brightest thing you've ever done," he says.

As the citizens cheer, ProtoMan accepts the accolades until he sees his fallen brother and runs over to him. "Mega Man!", he cries out, "Rock... are you okay?"

Mega Man doesn't respond and the crowd quiets down once they see that their hero is hurt.

"Come on, little brother," Proto says, "What's wrong with you?"

Of course, ProtoMan knows exactly what's wrong with his brother and he is just putting on an act for all of the citizens watching... but, it's not entirely an act.

ProtoMan looks up to the security guards who have come pouring out of the building and shouts, "He needs help! Let us in!"

As Proto Man helps his brother up, he looks over to see a familiar person standing nearby... it's that big schmuck he saw in Central Park yesterday, the one with the black hair. He was standing in the crowd of citizens who had gathered since the attack started.
The guy certainly looks like he's concered about what's happened here. Once he sees that ProtoMan has begun looking at him, he soon starts clapping his hands and all of the other citzens clap their hands too.


Shortly thereafter.
Inside Mitchell Deacon's campaign headquarters.

Still feeling woozy and weak, Mega Man's eyes slowly open. The first thing he sees is his older brother looming over him.

"Hey!", Proto says with a grin, "Welcome back!"

"Mega! Are you okay?" That voice belonged to Roll, who raced over here as quickly as she could.

Mega Man barely moans, "I don't know what happened to me. I was fine, and then everything went haywire."

"You overheated. At least that's what your energy meter won't shut up about!", Proto replies.

"No, it's not just that..." Mega says, as he sits up, "I felt a sharp pain in my head. Then I got woozy and my blaster went crazy."

"... a sharp pain in your head?... ", Proto asks with honest concern, the kind of concern you just cannot fake. He starts wondering if the scrambler chip he placed on his brother gives him a similar pain to the kind that Proto himself felt on his first night alive.
All of a sudden, Dr. Light's story about Dr. Wily's poor programming of Proto's guidence system sound a little more believeable... it doesn't quite sound like a story anymore.

"We've gotta got to get you back to Dr. Light's lab. Maybe he can help you," Roll says.

"There's not much time," Mega says, "I've gotta be on duty tonight."

Mitchell Deacon walks in and approaches the robotic brothers. "Mega Man, are you alright?", he asks.

"I don't think so, sir," he replies, "But, I don't know if I'd still be alive if it wasn't for ProtoMan."

"Don't go thankin' me now, little brother." ProtoMan interrupts.

Deacon says, "No, he's right. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what could have happened. You're a hero, ProtoMan!"

ProtoMan smiles and replies, "Well... it's an honor, sir."

"In fact, I want you and Mega Man to be on my security team later tonight when the results come in. That is, if Mega Man is able to be there."

"I'll be there, Mr. Deacon," Mega replies.

"I don't think so, Bro," Proto interrupts, "You're in no condition to-"

"Like I said... I'll be there, Mr. Deacon," Mega firmly insists.

"That's my little brother," ProtoMan grins, "You can't ever count him out."

ProtoMan helps Mega Man to his feet and his smirk slowly melts. Mega Man isn't going to step aside quite as easily as he had hoped, and the feelings he has been having since he returned to Dr. Light's lab are starting to bother him more than ever.
Proto doesn't know much more of this mission he can take.


Author's Notes:

First, I must reveal that the entire Cossack/Vickers sequence was written down from pencil to paper, thanks to my ongoing computer problems. I later typed in the entire sequence after it was done and made some adjustments.
The same goes for the scene following it with Mega Man and ProtoMan before they begin their fight scenes.
I must say it was an interesting experience and I think it helped the scenes.

Take notice how much more difficult it is for ProtoMan to carry out this mission.

Please be sure to leave a review or comment. And if you see any typos, please let me know in a PM. (It's hard for me to catch typos when the screen is messed up. I'm sorry.)