Note: Short chapter, yes, yet I felt making it part of the last one would be too long. So...here it is. Unless you guys want another episode or two, this is the last 'episode' of Missing Episodes, Installment One (Or Mega Man:Season 3, starting from that one with the evil toys and whatnot). I admit, I'm sort of worried about this particular fic going on too long, as I want to get onto the next part, yet it's mainly due to me not wanting something with 100+ chapters on it (I don't believe I could handle all that, just the sight of it would be too overwhelming). That said, give me your input whether you want a bit more or not. Enjoy!
Chapter 45 -Welcome to the WRA Part 5
Mega Man © of Capcom.
In that moment, he would've prefered to have been bored. True, it was still far from desirable, yet at least it was something of an indicator that things were going soothingly.
The ringing of a near deafening alarm was definitely NOT.
'Oh, Shadow, you had BETTER pull this off!' Gyro Man mentally hissed. At this point, it seemed that only the skies would be their refuge. And even then, who knew how long that would last.
Inside
The alarm sounding off its telltale screech was immediate, Martian bringing his hands to his ears and clamping down, his teeth clenching as even with his attempts, the blaring still penetrated his flimsy defenses. Yet though his hearing was temporarily compromised, his sight wasn't, seeing the bladed, four point star that had broken through the gate and some of the bars of his cell began to twitch and shift, steadily easing itself out of the place it had embedded itself in. Eventually, it was freed, flying back in the same direction it had been launched, right into the awaiting fingers of the robot it belonged to. The lights coming back on did momentarily blind him however.
"I already know of the small bit of history you have with the Doctor." Shadow Man remarked, Martin puzzled at first and barely able to hear. Yet he had seen this face more than a few times on the news to know who this machine belonged to. "I'm not willing to risk yet another human potentially jeopardizing this." With that, he took off, already hearing the sound of pounding shoes echoing down the hall.
Cell B-05
Finally, at long last.
Lifting himself off the cot and going to the bars, the swiftly approaching figure of indigo and white stopped in front of the scientist's cell.
"It's high time you showed up!" Dr. Wily hissed.
"You've only been in here for little more than a day." Shadow Man responded, aiming another one of his shurikens, though he held no intention of flinging this one.
"A few minutes here is already too much!" the old man answered back. The DWN dare not mention it, already more than aware of the man's less than amiable mood, yet if his eyes did not deceive him, he could've sworn that there was an unmistakable fear lingering in Wily's blue eyes. Perhaps he detected Shadow Man observing this as well, forcing it back and bringing forth a sense of anger and frustration at the helm once again. "That cheap recycled Gyro Man also here?"
"Affirmative." Shadow Man answered, having begun to work his bladed instrument through the bars. Seeing as they were supported both above and below, he'd have to create an outright hold instead of simply knocking them over. "He's waiting for us to make our exit."
"Then he's at least good for something." Wily muttered, the shinobi-based machine having completed his task.
"Come!" he asked, Wily somewhat miffed that this sounded somewhat like a demand. "Time is short, and-"
"And you're right about that."
The cocking of drawn pistols and the widening of the aged man's eyes said all that need to be said.
"Step away from the prisoner, and nobody gets hurt."
Outside
"Oh, what have you done?!" the green, flying DWN hissed, the entire penitentiary seemingly nothing short of an absolute madhouse, and this was just from the view of an outside observer. Only his current accomplice knew what could've possibly been going on in there.
Even with that, his immediate reaction being to fly on over there and make a little 'break in' of his own, Gyro Man stood where he was ordered to. Despite the ninja's relative coldness, his words rang true all the same.
'...it's likely that we'll only be presented with one chance to perform this correctly.'
It was more than clear that he was indicating the other DWN would've been a hindrance.
'Not my fault these are so big.' he gave his propellers a light 'spin'.
All the same, he did not move. Despite his own lingering impatience, that now compounded with utmost worry, Shadow Man, as much as he hated it, arrogant as he was, was absolutely right.
'It's just us that'll be at risk if this doesn't work either.' Gyro Man mused, the sirens and lights continuing on as he reluctantly watched. 'We all will.'
Inside
'Kill them.'
He wanted nothing more than to say that.
'Kill them! Slit their throats!'
Oh, nothing more, especially at this very moment.
And yet he knew well that it would bring nothing. Perhaps that was why the only personal here were strictly human. It was something Wily had only noticed when he reviewed his 'initiation' into the barracks of this place. Unfortunate, he thought. Most, most unfortunate. A sure way to make each and every one of these useless beings pay for daring to believe they could imprison him. Him! Dr. Albert Wily! That alone just made his current predicament all the more rage inducing.
"Step away, I said!" one of the armed officers demanded yet again. "No one has to get hurt here!"
"...unfortunately."
Said officer turned to Wily. "Quiet, you!" the old man glared daggers, yet the uniformed man paid him no mind. "If anything, you're lucky that you're even kept here in safety! I know a good few people in here that wouldn't hesitate in giving you a piece of their minds!"
"Oh, you're lucky!" Wily argued back. "You're REAL lucky that I still take the Laws into consideration!"
"Yeah, in finding loopholes and bending them to your benefit!"
Shadow Man tried to shut out the ongoing banter, surveying the environment, trying to conjure up some means of an escape. Quick and Elec Man definitely had it easy when their heist was performed. All they mainly had to deal with was other machines. The human populus of this building would prove to be troublesome. What to do, what to do, what to do...wait a moment.
"And you!" the officer proclaimed, realizing that trying to combat the old man's verbal onslaught would get nowhere. "Turn around so we can see you!"
Shadow Man's back stiffened, the words he left Gyro Man with echoing from within the chambers of his processor.
'One chance…'
"Turn around!"
'One chance.'
He did so, though his face was turned to the floor below.
"Lift your head up!"
'One chance.'
"Now…"
'One chance.'
Unknownst to the officers, a small, spherical capsule rested in the palm of Shadow Man's left hand.
"Hands up!"
'One chance.'
"As you wish." he let the capsule drop, none of them able to question, let alone process what it was, as soon, everything became nothing more than a blur of darkly colored, all consuming smoke.
He was being lifted, that much he was aware of. Two inhumanly strong arms scooped him up as if he weighed next to nothing out of the hole in his bars and carried him off, the blinding fumes of the smokebomb fading away, an empty, lit hallway coming to meet his vision.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Wily demanded, far from liking the fact that this machine now held control over the situation. True, it was in an effort to rescue him, yet all the same, it was HIS rescue. Thus, should he not have been the one to take the helm once again?
"Where we can meet up with Gyro Man with the least amount of effort!" Shadow Man answered, not stopping for a moment, veering down the winding corridors and hallways in sharp, dizzying turns that made the Doctor more than a little nauseous. "There's an elevation in the land west of here, and if Gyro Man has actually LISTENED to my commands, he'll be there still!"
Commands? Commands?! Had it not been for the predicament he was in now, Wily would've wasted no time in giving this machine a piece of his mind!
No time for that at the moment, shamefully. That would have to wait for later.
"FREEZE!" Shadow Man stopped dead in his tracks, a flurry of officers coming their way from the east.
He retreated to the west, yet heard more coming that way. Then from the south. The hallways on either side were about to be flooded with humans, they were completely surrounded! They were coming from all directions!
All except the direction they had just come from.
"What are you doing?!" Wily hissed. "Do something! Make yourself useful and get moving!"
It would be difficult, and frankly, it was nothing short of something completely reckless and bound to be plagued with trouble. How ironic, for now, it seemed as if that was his only option.
Outside
"Gyro Man! Gyro Man, you had BETTER answer me, or I shall see to it that you are dismantled and slapped back together with nothing but bits scraped from the bottom of a trash compactor!"
The green DWN jumped at the voice screaming into his audio receptor, yet with that, instant relief followed as the voice definitely didn't belong to Shadow Man. "Dr. Wily?! Is that you?!"
"Yes it's me, you dolt! Who else?!"
"Oh, Doctor, I'm so relieved! You know, Shadow Man went on and on about how risky and dangerous this was, yet we've only been here for-"
"I'm not interested in whatever exploits you damned fools had to go through to get here! If anything, you're a good twenty-four hours late!" the link went silent for a moment.
"Gyro Man," another voice echoed through, belonging to the ninja-based Robot Master. "Make your way to around the western corner of the building. It's right ahead from where you're positioned."
"What?"
"Do you not understand simple directions?"
"Yes!" the green flier exclaimed, more than a little offended. Honestly, as someone who knew the skies, the grounded machine dare ask HIM if he knew his directions. "You're just not being specific!"
"It's cell block B, 05!"
"How am I supposed to know where that is from out here!"
"I'll provide a signal! You just come over when it's given!"
"What?! How in the world am I going to know it's you?! Let alone what this 'signal' even is?!"
"Trust me…"
Inside
"...you'll know." with that, the link died.
Despite his current position in the robot's arms, Wily began to steadily realize that his surroundings began to look startlingly familiar. "Wait…" he began, yet Shadow Man continued on. "Wait a minute! Where are you going?!"
"Doctor, there's no other option."
"Like hell it is-no!" Wily began to struggle, realizing what was happening. "Don't go that way! You idiot!"
"The guards are cornering us, there's nowhere else to go but here!"
"All the more reason you shouldn't!" soon, his cell was right in front of them, mere feet away. "So help me, Shadow Man, if this fails, each and every one of you will be punished! Hell, while we're at it, I've been running low on spare parts as it is-" Wily was cut off, the DWN leaping through the small opening he made in the scientist's bars. Then, to his surprise, he was set down.
"It'd be best you not get too close."
Outside
It was difficult to spot at first. In fact, had he not been drawing closer and closer to the compound, he would've perhaps missed it outright. The fact it had nearly hit his head didn't help either.
'That's your signal? Really?'
Well, whatever. He'd take it. Gyro Man activated his propellers and once off the ground, he directed himself over towards the window of broken glass and cut bars.
Inside
"Go!" Shadow Man hoisted Dr. Wily up to the window. "Mind the glass."
"That's not all you're going to have to mind, Doc."
He had yet to even get half of his body through the small space the ninja created before Wily felt a strong force from behind drag him back, his fingertips catching the small space in the wall that lay between the bars and the glass.
Had it not occured so suddenly, Shadow Man, to his shame, would've reacted sooner. At first, upon turning to face the Doctor's would be capturer, he was anticipating a uniformed human, yet instead of deep blue, his optics were met with the complementary shade of orange, the individual garbed in it, however, bearing far more muscle and girth compared to a good majority of the guards stationed here.
"Who are you?!" Shadow Man blurted out, not that the question would serve either him or the Doctor much good.
"Never you mind!" the dark skinned man snarled, directing his attention back to attempting to pry Wily off. "Course this bot of yours is right about something, Doc!" he shouted, a developing glee in his deeply toned, husky voice. "Watch yourself on the glass! You taught my little girl that the hard way!"
"The hell are you talking about?!" Wily roared, Shadow Man stepping to try and pry the other human's hands off of the older man's legs (granted, his exertion of force had to be limited).
"You don't know me, and I'm sure you don't know anyone by the name of Tammy Martin!" the man roared, Shadow Man in turn steadily upping his game in trying to relieve Wily of this inmate's hold. "But that's fine! I'm sure there's a TON of folks you don't bother to take account of! They're nothing more than just passing faces that you forget about whenever you go off cooking up another bullshit project of yours!"
"You...how dare you-" Wily's grip momentarily slipped, the old man wincing in pain, shards of glass having scraped and pierced some of the flesh on his fingers and upper palms.
"How did you even get out?!" Shadow Man questioned, the man fighting back against him. Indeed, at times such as these, the Laws be damned.
"Let's just say I've got some buddies in here that are just as eager to kick your Doc's ass! Me," the inmate directed his attention back to Wily. "I want to at least give him a little taste of what he and you lot gave my little girl!" he pulled and pulled. "You've got a LOT of enemies here! Should've kept your attention of that Mega Man to know it! Only now, ain't no Laws going to be saving your neck!"
"Martin!" Shadow Man whirled his head back, inwardly cursing at the crowd of officers coming their way. "Martin, hold him there!"
'No, damn!'
"Shadow Man, you piece of filth! Do something!"
"Doctor, I cannot go any further!" the aforementioned Robot Master responded. "My systems won't allow it! If I apply more strength, then I will surely cause irreparable damage to his bone structure!"
"CURSE YOU!" Wily roared, eyes wide and bearing a far greater resemblance to a frenzied, rapid animal than a man bearing the title of 'Doctor'. "CURSE YOU TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF HELL, YOU METALLIC WASTE! CURSE ALL OF YOU!"
"Dr. Wily!"
The haggard, old man didn't even have time to turn to the owner of the voice, his slipping hands grabbed by another from outside the window. "Gotcha!" Gyro Man declared, triumphantly. "Ok, hold on!" the propellers were winding faster and faster, Wily feeling himself being dragged forward instead of back. "Watch it!" he called out. "Watch the glass, you idiot!"
"Oh, hell no!" Martian roared, intensifying his efforts. "Don't you DARE think of getting away! You're little tin soldiers can't do anything save you now-"
HISS!
Martin held no idea what was happening, only that once the cell was clear and his prey was right in front of him. The next moment, he was coughing up a storm in the thick, developing clouds of smoke. And even if his and the incoming guards had their sight compromised, they could assume well enough that from the sound of another making their exit through the window, that Lompoc Penitentiary just lost one of its 'guests'.
Outside
Get away. Get away, and get away far. And here Gyro Man thought 'mantras' were only reserved for bots like the ninja.
Speaking of, he was here as well, the ariel based Robot Master hoisting him up whilst he in turn held Dr. Wily in his arms. It took some time for the flying machine to adjust to the added weight, yet ultimately, it did little to slow him down. In fact, they were miles and miles away from the penitentiary by now. Everything was fine now, they had been successful! True, how the Doc managed to even contact them remained a mystery, yet such things were minute details! Everything was going to be fine now! And they'd be able to make that blue dweeb pay! Oh yes! He had been itching to get him back since that 'Cold Steel' incident!
Everything was back to normal, or at least it would be. And yet...and yet, why was no one else reveling in such good news?
It was too quiet, and frankly, he wasn't in the mood for any more tension, especially if it was unnecessary. "So…" Gyro Man began, attempting to sound jovial, yet it was clear there was an uneasy waver in his voice. "Close call back there, huh?" No one answered. "H-How are your hands, Doc?"
"What do you think?" the human snarled. "Just keep flying, you imbecile." it was brief, almost completely missable, yet Gyro Man could've sworn that the moment Wily made that comment, he saw Shadow Man's lips tighten, his eyes growing dark.
"Anyway, we should be back at the Skull Fortress in no time-"
"No."
The urge to stop outright nearly caused the flying machine to do so, and if not for the fact he was carrying a human as extra 'cargo', he would've very well done so. "Wh-What?"
"Land." Wily commanded, motioning to the thick forest below.
"That's not entirely wise." Shadow Man finally spoke up, though his voice was cold and smooth, seemingly any former, genuine concern regarding the scientist gone. "They have surely put out forces to search for you."
"Land you fool!" Wily shouted, completely disregarding the shinobi's words. "That's an order!"
'Oh, lovely.' the ninja mused. Unable to disobey, and with a good amount of reluctance, Gyro Man steadily descended, and after some time, they finally reached the ground.
"Doc," the green DWN began, it clearly obvious that the human wasn't, yet some portion of him begged and pleaded for this to all be some sort of joke. "Doc, what are you talking about?"
"Did I stutter?" Wily hissed. "We are NOT returning to the fortress."
"But...but why-"
"Why do you think?!" the balding man cut his creation off. "This dolt here said it himself! They're already looking for us! Where do you think they'll go first?!"
'And suddenly, my words hold merit now?' the darkly colored ninja narrowed his red eyes.
"But…" Gyro Man began sputtering. "You…"
"I, what?"
The robot shrunk back. "You have all of us...waiting for you."
"There are a good number of them that are in need of care." Shadow Man added. "Proto Man has managed to make some progress, yet supplies are low, and we must restock on necessities."
Wily went silent.
Would it matter? A portion of the two machines suspected that the desirable results would not come. Yet surely...surely he couldn't be this blind. After all, they were just two of his abundant number of forces. Even if they should return to the fortress, they'd at least perhaps have some time to maybe scrape at least some of themselves together before...well, whatever would come next. Neither could say for sure, though they held one particular scenario in mind. And surely the human scientist would be able to see it too. It would be too much of a risk.
Surely he could see that. Surely. He couldn't be that-
"Then they know where to go if the need would arise."
They had known it. They had known it all along. And even still, neither of them wished to accept it.
"You...you're serious?" Gyro Man stammered, Shadow Man saying nothing, he just turning away from the balding human.
"I've never been more serious." Wily confirmed. "Did you two believe that I called you here for that?" rhetorical question, yes, yet Gyro Man found himself nodding. "Well, unfortunately for you, our destination is somewhere far, far away from here."
He...he couldn't believe this. Or rather, he WISHED he had that option. "L-Like...where?"
The old man drew close to the fifth-line Robot Master. "Tell me, how far can you fly? Better yet, how fast?"
"As...as far as you wish of me." Gyro Man answered. "Why?"
A smile curled on the old man's lips. "Well, let's just say that we're going to take a little trip. A trip I should've taken a long time ago." neither machine held any clue as to what he was talking about. "Bear in mind, it isn't complete. And even then, it'll be some time before it is. But now...it seems there's nowhere else to go."
He said no more after that.
A short while later, all three of them were in the air once again, Gyro Man following a new set of directions, though he found his head turning back in the way they could've, should've been going. Yet there was little more he could do now. There was little either he or Shadow Man could do.
'This is all your fault.' Wily thought to himself, the cool, night air against his skin not even register to him. The damned itching had gotten worse. 'Even Flash Man...had you nor that blasted prototype arrived...at the very least, something would've been salvaged from that excursion!' the night was cool, yet the man's blood was nothing short of boiling. 'Don't you dare believe this is over, blue boy. You want to test me?! This was me being tame!' a low, rattled sigh escaped him. 'Fine then. I'll bite. In fact, I'll bite and tear and rip until you and everyone else that dare get in my way is little more than either scrap metal or bloody pulp! Prepare yourself, Mega Man. Oh yes. Prepare…' he smiled. 'For I guarantee you...once I make my grand return...you'll realize you've seen NOTHING yet!'
Note: Unless you guys want more, here it is. The finale of the first of what I'm planning to be 5-6 installments. Please forgive me if these author's notes are short, yet I'll admit, I am wanting to go through everything, lay it out, find out what worked, what didn't, what I can touch more on/improve on, etc. As well as set some ground rules for the future installments.
'episodes' extending over 5 parts. Really, I had no idea what I was thinking, anything past that, in my eyes, is a little too long.
2.I'll try to make everything less stuffed and drag less. Indeed, I really need to cut some of the 'fat' off of things.
stated before, I want to keep these at least least less than 100+ chapters. I have no problem with longs stories (I'm far from one to talk), and it's nothing against those who do have stories of such length. I just don't think I could handle it, just seeing the number makes me a bit overwhelmed.
left hanging in this story WILL be addressed and/or come up later. Don't worry. In fact, while I don't want to give anything away, I'm going to be building up something that is just a minor detail here, but will steadily grow and develop more and more as the stories go on, accumulating in the final 'season'.
With that all said...here's hoping that I managed to entertain you decently with this first installment. Again, alert me if you wish to see a bit more. Yet with that said, I thank you all dearly for the support, and I hope to see you all again for the next and 2nd installment, aka,
Mega Man-Missing Episodes 2 (Season 4)-World Traveler!