Note: Thanks a lot to ChaosBlade7 for the most recent reviews! Been a bit discouraged by the lack of activity in that section, so your input really got me motivated to pump out the last episode of this season faster! We're almost there, and then we can get started on Volume 2 for real this time! Truth be told, I was kinda nervous about asking the community heads of the collections where show-based fics go to include my second edition when it first came out, so my own nervousness held me back yet again.

If anyone is aware, however, of how to perhaps allow yourself to get into a community another way without having to bother people, please let me know. Thank you and hope you enjoy!

Too Many Times Part 3

© of Capcom

The clock-based android was silent for a good while, Mega Man beginning to believe that perhaps he was being too forward. Though when he heard the robot finally speak, he was then pondering whether or not anything could've prepared him for what he heard.

"Come to see me before my departure?"

The Blue Bomber's equally blue eyes and Eddy's widened in puzzlement. "What?"

"Oh, they didn't tell you?" Time Man questioned.

"Tell me what?" Mega Man asked, though he then thought. "Or rather, have they told Dr. Light?"

"...no." Time Man sighed. "They have not. And no one has said yet, but it will certainly happen."

"What are you talking about? What's wrong?" Mega Man drew closer, stationing himself beside the other DLN. "You can tell me."

"You just insert yourself into my problems?" Time Man asked, though his tone wasn't hostile. If anything, he seemed perplexed by this. "Invasive, aren't you?"

"Well...can't I just care?"

"...why?"

"If not Mega," the smaller, armless robot piped up, looking up at Time Man. "Then you can tell Eddy."

Time Man was silent for a moment, looking at the smaller mechanical being, his large, blue eyes brimming with a strange sense of comforting aura. Even now, Time Man couldn't understand it. Even during his self-incarceration in the storage closet, the little thing still insisted to come and give him energy cans in vain. Even after he had made it clear he wouldn't intake anything time and time again, the persistent little annoyance continued to come to him. Even now.

"...fine." With that, Time Man knelt down and took Eddy in his arms, he gave a start when the energy dispenser hopped out of his hold and onto the railing. Eddy gave a small smile of reassurance and gave a small twirl to see he was perfectly balanced. "Don't do that!" Time Man shouted, grabbing ahold of Eddy before he could do another, not even giving the smaller robot a chance to speak before he held him against him again. Eddy struggled a bit, yet ultimately ceased, seeing that it'd be pointless. Still, he didn't entirely mind. If Time wanted it, or better yet, needed it, who was he to deny it? Even if he'd die before admitting such a thing.

"So?" Mega Man asked, looking at the other DLN. "What's wrong?"

The violet colored Robot Master looked outward to the horizon and thick, dense forest that surrounded the currently silent, still haven he called home. Though...perhaps for not much longer. "As I said...I shall be leaving soon."

"Leaving?" Eddy asked, just as confused and Mega. "Leave where?"

Time Man went quiet. "Time Man?"

Still, silence. Nothing was said, yet whatever it was, it was clear from the Robot Master's expression that it wasn't good news.

"I am to be scrapped."

Station

"So, it's Harvey, right? Harvey Greenleaf?" The officer questioned, the blonde man nodding.

"Yeah, that's me." The man said, the officer noting the valley boy accent in his voice.

"Greenleaf…" the bearded man mused. "Sounds like some sort of flower-child name. Is it a given name or natural?"

"Oh no." Harvey chuckled. "Truth be told, my parents were involved in rather 'planet unfriendly' lines of work. Dad on an oil field while mom was a housewife, but she racked up electricity like you wouldn't believe."

"Still, they sound like reasonable folks. They keep in touch?"

Harvey shook his head. "No. They're gone. Been gone since five years ago."

The officer stopped at this. It was perhaps unwise on his part, but he felt a small pang in his chest. "Sorry to hear that."

"No, don't be." Harvey assured. "Besides, if anything, they installed in me a love for family."

Hm, now they were getting somewhere, the officer thought. Seeing as it got him somewhere before, why not revisit an old tactic? "You sound like it. I say that's the character of a man. Got a daughter too. Goes to school with your buddy's daughter. Chelsea, I think her name was."

"Ah, yeah." The blonde nodded. "Theo's told me about her. Bit of a handful, but he wouldn't trade her for anything."

"Sounds like my Janet too." The man opposite of him stated. "Course, seeing as you're his friend, you'd be willing to pitch in if he were in trouble, right?"

Harvey went silent for a moment. "That's what friends do, right?"

"I'd say so." The officer agreed. Now he was getting somewhere. "And would you consider Mike a friend?"

Harvey then grew silent. "I thought he was. We all thought that."

"And yet he's the one taking responsibility for the whole thing." The bearded man drew closer. "Now, friend or not, that strikes me as a little odd, don't you think?"

Chronos Institute

"So, you are to depart for Japan soon?"

Kobayashi nodded to Light. "That's correct." he answered, running a hand through his dark hair. Despite being a cousin to Kouin, he bore far less of...well…'him' in comparison, resembling that of a big brother of sorts if the older scientist had to compare the two. "As you're now a member, I suppose it'd only be appropriate that I drop the act." both of them looked to Brainbot.

"Not to worry." Brainbot in turn said. "All that will be said here will be put on an external storage system that can be deleted at will." Despite his matter-of-factness, the walking supercomputer felt his lip twitch a bit. As if the beginnings of a frown were taking place. "Precautions are of the utmost importance."

"Indeed." Light agreed, more than eager to change the subject. "So, if I may, what will your contribution be to the WRA? I'm rather interested to hear as to what your plans are. I'll admit, it's all rather new to us, but I can't deny that the prospect of it all is exciting."

Kobayashi gave a nervous chuckle. "Well...truth be told, I'm still kinda working on it." he rubbed the back of his head. "It's going to get done, don't get me wrong, but, eh, things kinda happened and all…" he then grew silent for a moment. "But I'll admit that I'm happy to be going home. Yuuta and Akane are probably a bit anxious as well, even if they won't admit it."

"Your children?" Light asked, Kobayashi nodding.

"Completely different from each other, but they're mine."

"As all children should be." Light answered.

While this was a better subject to be discussing than what had brought the Japanese man here, Brainbot found himself butting in. "Sir, if I may," he then said. "There's still the matter to discuss involving…"

"Yes, yes, I know." Kobayashi sighed, directing his attention from the green android back to said android's creator. Dr. Light sighed as well, knowing that this couldn't be avoided forever. "It's mainly about our...newly gained...asset."

No one needed to ask what said 'asset' was. Let alone who provided them with 'him'. "What of it?"

"Well...it's like this." Kobayashi began. "Even if you contributed in the creation of the Robot Master, Time Man was granted ownership to Kouin and the Institute's studies as a whole."

"Yes, he was." Light answered.

"Yet upon his research being stolen and a new product created with said research, this leaves us with a bit of a dilemma."

"As in?"

"Well...it's like this."

Brainbot watched on, taking in the words exchanged between the two men, trying to keep himself as neutral as possible, going over the logistics and general procedure that went with this entire process. There was nothing that he could do, he had no hand or input in this save for the recording of research and assistance in experiments, just as he would with any other facility he was sent to grant his programming prowess to. Nevertheless, despite himself, Brainbot found that this discussion, even with his insistence to fulfill his duty and record it, was one that he wished not to have to hear.

Dare say, he outright hated it. Yet that wasn't part of what he was made for, was it?

Remains of the Skull Fortress

Folding his arms, Tomahawk Man viewed as the crew went to work, their tools slowly yet steadily working away at the massive draconian form he had contended with but a short while ago.

"Big guy, isn't he?" Roslyn Krantz questioned, overlooking the dismantling of the massive machine. "Can't believe that something like this was hiding under here the whole time."

"Can't believe Wily found time in his schedule to even work on a hunk of junk like this." Gilbert Stern huffed, taking another puff of his lit cigarette. This earned him looks from both Tomahawk and Roslyn, yet he paid them no mind. He had been doing this for the past twenty plus years, and not one sign of lung cancer yet. "It's even crazier that there are people that want to do something with it."

"The source of our paychecks mainly." Roslyn answered. "If anything, since Wily's been gone, his technology isn't. And seeing as he's clearly not going to claim it, then it's essentially up for grabs."

"I say that it should all be destroyed." Gilbert growled. "Every last bit of it. Damn madman and everything he's shat out has been nothing but trouble."

"Funny, considering that you said the same thing about Light a few days ago." Roslyn smirked.

"I did NOT say that!" Gilbert protested. "I only said that he should CONSIDER maybe putting a stop to all these projects of his." he took another puff. "Considering how many of them went haywire."

"Because of Wily, mind you." Roslyn added in. "You can't hold Light responsible for whatever Wily does."

Gilbert huffed, coughing a bit due to the cigarette smoke. "Tell that to how many people that have been affected by all the shit he's done. Moon coming out of orbit, giant robot dinosaurs walking the streets...last thing we need is whatever THIS is getting out. Hell knows what our own government wants with the damn thing. Or those Robot Masters that Mega and this guy here managed to find."

Tomahawk Man remained silent throughout the entire discussion the two humans were having, observing the slow process of taking apart the metallic creature he had 'slain'. Still, the words of the two agents didn't escape him. Far from it. In fact, involuntarily, he found himself pondering such things. From one standpoint, yes, if Dr. Wily wasn't going to claim these articles anytime soon, then it would simply be up for anyone to take. And with that, given the circumstances, it would best be in the hands of those that would know how to maintain and keep it secure. Along with those that he and Mega Man managed to acost, and those before his intervention due to his dealing with this 'beast'.

Still, regardless, he found that their words brought a sense of...conflict. As of now, the fates of those Robot Masters captured were being debated, though neither option was exactly optimal from their standpoint. Either to be accosted by the government, sent to a scrapyard, or to be accosted THEN sent to a scrapyard. Scrapyards as a whole were little more than a recycling plant for mechanical automatons, where everything from simple, man operated machinery to more advanced technology, such as himself, were sent to be checked, licensed, and promptly dismantled for either to turn into literal scrap or recycled for use in the construction of another machine. Tomahawk Man, as well as several others, if not all those like himself were aware of, yet he admitted that the thought of it wasn't something entertained by his processor much. And he wondered whether or not it was entertained by the processors of others. Still, talks of it, and seeing what was taking place before him forced these, albeit rather useless, musings into his CPU.

Even if it was a well known thing, he found that the details of a scrapyard were a mystery to him. No one, save for those that operated them knew exactly what went on in the confines of the darkened walls. And frankly, no robot or creator found themselves talking of them too much. It was simply something that...just was. And something acknowledged little to never. Yet now, Tomahawk couldn't help but ponder such places given what was taking place before him now. And those of Wily's that were captured...what of them? Given their abilities, it was likely that there would be those in high ranking positions that would be interested in utilizing them for something, but even if so, what then?

What then...if the possibility, however slim it was...for him?

"You ok?" a female voice broke through the thickened walls of his musings, his trance dismantled and he brought back to the present world. "You look like you're thinking pretty deep about something. Something wrong?" Roslyn questioned, tilting her head.

"No. It's nothing." Tomahawk Man shook his head. "Sorry to trouble you, miss."

"Miss?" the tan woman elbowed Gilbert. "Why don't YOU ever call me 'miss'?"

"Because I'm not your boyfriend." the older man stated. "Besides, if he really saw you, it'd probably be a far cry from anything relating to 'miss'."

"Oh? And what's that supposed to me?"

The two went into yet another conversation, albeit a bit more heated than that last. Ok, a lot more heated. Still, the Robot Master found that the prospect of a potential future regarding such a place wouldn't leave him. Yet...no. No. Such a thing wouldn't happen. He...Olson had made him for a purpose and he represented the man's and the state's history itself. He was a testament to its past, a past that, as the head of the state's Historical Society, Olson dedicated himself to paying tribute to.

So...no. No, such a fate would not await him. As for the others...it was...out of his hands.

'...pity.' The thought came to him, he was unable to stop it. 'Great, great pity.'

Chronos Institute

How many times she adjusted her sitting position in the waiting room, she was unsure, yet it was official: she was bored out of her processor. "What's taking so long?" Roll outwardly pondered, head resting in her hands, one stationed on each side of her face, elbows on her knees. Ok, so many it had only been a few minutes or so, but still...did things have to be so damn quiet around here? Last time it at least had SOME activity!

"Roll?" The blonde housekeeper turned to see Rush, his paws folded over each other, he pausing to yawn. It was clear that he was rather bored too.

"Hey, boy." Roll began, rising from her seat. "Why don't you say we go exploring?"

Note: This chapter was a bit of a hodge podge of things as my stupid self labeled two separate documents as Chapter 4 when one is supposed to be three. That said, here's what is 3 now, so here's hoping I can keep track of it. Anyway, there There will be mentions of the scrapyards and the general attitude towards them in later episodes as well, as it will play both into Mega's and the other robots' learned 'helplessness' regarding such things, which leads to rather uncomfortable things that Mega and the others will have to come to terms with, as well as challenge it later.