In memory of
Joe Ruby


Episode 17, Epilogue: Peacetime


Back in New York City.

The sun is beginning to brighten as dawn approaches on the east coast, and a group of Military helicopters flank a hovercraft carrier, on their way to the New York Police Station.
Right behind them are Mega Man and Rush, Roll on her SkyCycle and ProtoMan in the Red Blazer.
It was a risk transporting Wily all the way here to be jailed rather than dropping him off at the nearest military base. But, it was in Times Square where he committed his first crimes and began the war. It is only fitting that New York City is where he will get charged.

The hovercraft carrier lands on the helipad on the roof and a group of Policebots approach as the craft's back door opens and a ramp extends out. Then, A group of military members and robots walk Dr. Wily out to the awaiting Policebots, about to hand him over into their custody.
Dr. Wily is awake now, looking groggy and miserable with a black eye, courtesy of ProtoMan.

Shortly after, Mega Man and Rush, Roll's Skycycle and Proto's Red Blazer land nearby, and the Light siblings join the escort party, taking Dr. Wily to face justice which has been long overdue.


Shortly thereafter, Mega Man walks into the station, holding Dr. Wily by the back of his pink shirt, followed by ProtoMan and Roll.
Several human and Robot officers are here to witness this incredible moment, including Lynn Wersching, Ash Rose and QN-60, among others. And at the end of the line is Chief Toombs, standing with his hands on his hips and with a big grin on his face.

Mega hands Dr. Wily off to QN-60 and Officer Rose... "He's all yours, Chief. Book him."

Toombs smiles, "Aye-aye, laddy. We'll hold him 'till the Feds get here. Then, they'll take him from here."

As Ash and Sixty handcuff Dr. Wily, the rest of the officers here begin applauding and soon begin to cheer, celebrating he efforts of Mega Man, ProtoMan and Roll. Even Policebots join in on the applause.
Dr. Wily is in no mood to celebrate, and sneers as QN-60 and a few other Policebots carry him off to be locked up. The Mad Doctor keeps silent and does not even bother looking at Mega Man or ProtoMan, and just looks down at the floor as he is hauled away.

The rest of those around the station continue cheering Mega, Proto and Roll and Chief Toombs leads the charge.

"Hip-hip!" Toombs hoots.

"HOORAH!" loudly clamor the rest of the officers.

Mega Man, Roll and ProtoMan look gracious for the reaction they are receiving as several of the officers come up to them and thank them. Even ProtoMan, who until tonight had been mistrusted by many within the Human Race, is being warmly welcomed.
Finally, Chief Toombs reaches the Light siblings and gives Mega Man a hearty handshake.

"By the way somethin'... how'd that scallywag get the black eye?" Chief Toombs asks.

Mega Man and Roll both look in ProtoMan's direction. Mega answers, "You'd have to ask Proto."

"It's personal," Proto shrugs.

"I see... Did it feel good, lad?" Toombs asks Proto.

Proto grins, "You better believe it, Chiefy."

Nearby, Lynn elbows another officer in the side and says of Proto, "I told you he was okay."

The officers around continue cheering the Light siblings, and it looks like they have finally started to accept ProtoMan now that he helped bring Wily to justice (and that he knocked Wily out.)
And it looks like the very first celebration of Wily's arrest has begun right here. Once the news breaks, many more will follow around the world.


Somewhere in Arizona.

It is still dark in this part of the world, and the news of Dr. Wily's arrest has not yet broken, so things are still normal here and the streets are not crowded.

The sound of metallic footsteps can be heard walking down a street... but, there does not appear to be any robots around, However, if the naked eye looked close enough, a transparent shimmer of two figures could be seen. One human-like; the other a shorter, four-legged figure.
The sound of the footsteps (and the shimmer surrounding it) continues along until they travel around back of a building, where it stops. A few moments later, the transparent shimmer begins to fade away, revealing Bass and Treble.

While our heroes were making their final push through Skull Fortress, Bass made off with a prototype cloaking device and fled the fortress with it. The cloaking device itself was not perfect, and was not too dissimilar to the one installed in Mega Man's Stealth Suit, aside from the fact it was a portable projector that could be held in the user's hand.
Dr. Wily had been developing this device for his robots to use in stealth situations, until his whole attention went towards the construction of his Ultimate Robot and it was never properly tested. Though, it seemed to work well enough for Bass and Treble, as nobody noticed their escape.

Wearing his beige cloak (not to be confused with the cloaking device), Bass kneels beside Treble.

"I think we're in the clear, Treble. Nobody is coming after us yet."

Treble snarls.

"No. We're not returning to Dr. Wily anymore. This time, it's permanent," Bass responds. "Your only loyalty is to me, like always."

Treble makes low growling sounds.

Bass answers, "We go where we want. We don't know how many uses of this device we'll get at a time, so we'll have to lay low. But, we'll survive. We have before."

Bass and Treble walk off into the shadows, now free of Dr. Wily. Because of their infamy, they are still considered fugitives of the law and the authorities will be looking for them.
Though they have retreated for now, the world has not heard the last of Bass and Treble. Next time, it may not be bad news for the citizens of the world, but rather, those who do wrong.
Bass got enjoyment out of punishing those who were committing crimes in his vicinity in the months before the end of he war. He is now free to do it again.

Treble snarls to Bass once more.

"I know what justice is now... and there is nothing saying we can't pursue it in our own way," Bass responds.


We now see a live news feed from Channel 7 in New York, which has a live shot of the hallway at the White House where a podium and a microphone sits empty. At the bottom of the screen is a graphic that reads, 'President Henry to speak shortly.'

Anchors Kirk Trujillo and Trish Falkenburg are at the news desk speaking to the audience.

Kirk narrates, "We are waiting a news conference from President Henry, though we do not have confirmation on exactly what he will be reporting, though we do know it is not an update on the condition of Dr. Thomas Light. We have heard unconfirmed reports of heavily military presence in the badlands section of Arizona just hours ago, which is where Dr. Wily's fortress is located. It is possible that it could be related to that, and if it is, we can only hope that it is good news we will be hearing shortly."

We then see President Henry walk into view, walking towards the podium, and Trish wraps up her narration... "And, there is President Henry, which means it is now time for the announcement. To address the nation, The president of the United States..."

Once President Henry reaches the Podium, he looks directly into the camera and begins announcing the news the world has been waiting for...

"Good morning... Today, I can report to the American people, and to the world, that the United States conducted an operation early this morning that has resulted in the arrest of Dr. Albert Wily, a domestic terrorist who was responsible for the murder of hundreds of innocent people. The operation was a joint venture by the Army and Air Force, and was led by Mega Man. The operation resulted in no casualties."

Henry continues, "It was Three and a half years ago that a beautiful spring day in Times Square was darkened by the very first terror attack carried out by Dr. Wily and his robots. Twenty-two victims were killed in one of the darkest days in American history... many others have fallen victim at the hands of Albert Wily since that day... But, also, since that time, the resolve of the American people has remained strong, as it has before in dark times...We picked our neighbors up when they were down, we showed compassion instead of callousness, and instead of cowering to the specter of fear, we stood strong... and at the center of it all, we had a beacon of hope. A light to shine through the darkness. A Defender who, along with his family, sacrificed so much so that this day would finally come.
And to my friends, Mega Man and the family of Thomas Light, I can only say this... Thank you all... We could not have weathered this storm without you."


Later.
Back in New York.
At the Hospital.

After the President's announcement aired, celebrations began taking place all over the world, particularly here in New York. The biggest celebration is at Times Square, where so many have gathered to celebrate, it looks like New Year's Eve with the sun out.
Nearly everyone is celebrating because the war is finally over. Even here at the hospital, many people's moods seem a bit brighter. However, the mood is still subdued in the room currently occupied by Dr. Light.

The Good Doctor rests in a private room here at the hospital, surrounded by Mega Man, Roll, ProtoMan, Rush, Tango, Beat Peekaboo and Eddie, who all wait for him to wake up. It has been ten hours since his emergency heart replacement, and Dr. Light has been enjoying a long rest for much of that time. Perhaps the longest he has been able to have in a while.

Finally, Dr. Light's eyes open, and though he looks and sounds groggy, he appears to be okay. After he looks around and the sight of his children and a smile comes across his face.
The Light siblings and the little robots come to attention to greet Thomas as he awakens.

"He's waking up, guys," Mega announces.

"Oh, my children," Dr. Light says, sounding tired.

"Welcome back," Roll says, happily.

"After what happened, I was afraid I never would be back again," Thomas replies.

"How do you feel?" Mega asks.

"Sore, certainly. The doctors work must have been extensive for me to feel this sore. But, aside from that, I feel adequate."

"Not bad for a guy who got a plasma blast," Proto quips.

"Yes. I would not wish that on anyone, " Thomas then remembers why he is here in the first place. "... The Candidates...?"

"They're alright. You saved them," Mega Man says.

Thomas looks at Mega's and Proto's damage, and looks concerned. "Are you boys alright?"

"We got a little banged up last night taking on the bad bots, but we're okay," Proto answers.

"The battle must have been worse than I realized. When I get home, I can repair you," Dr. Light says.

"Don't worry about it. Brain Bot said he's flying in to repair us while you recover" Roll says.

"I just hope he doesn't make any unwanted upgrades," Proto remarks.

"I hope he does not take long. We can't afford to lose time in case Albert Wily tries anything else," Dr. Light says.

Mega, Proto and Roll all look at each other after their father's last comment... he clearly doesn't know the big news yet. Proto then gives a nod to Mega, signifying that he should give their father the news.

Mega then turns back to Dr. Light... "Yeah... about Wily..."

Dr. Light now looks at Mega, paying close attention.

"Father," Mega says. "While you were knocked out... we got him."

Dr. Light looks surprised, almost at a loss for words. "You... you caught him?!"

"Yes. Dr. Wily's in jail right now," Mega says, smiling, "Skull Fortress has been secured and the Robot Masters were defeated. And Bass abandoned him... The war is over. All of it."

Dr. Light sits in silent amazement, thinking about how this endless suffering that his family and he have had to endure is finally over. Thomas then looks back up to each of his children, looking at them all with such pride... "This is the best news I've heard in a long time. And to think, I missed it all because I overslept."

Roll smiles, "That means you can finally take a vacation. You've earned it."

"All of you have earned one too. But, I don't think I'm ready for one myself," Thomas says, sounding more enthused now. "Now that the war is over, we have a whole new world to help build! And it can be a peaceful one, at last! All because of you, my children."

"We couldn't have done it without you, too," Mega Man adds. "Back at the auditorium, after you got shot, were so afraid we were gonna lose you."

Dr. Light puts his hand atop of Mega Man's. "I was afraid as well. Not of death, necessarily, but of leaving all of you behind. But, if my new heart works as well as the they are advertised, I believe you kids will be stuck with me for a little while longer."

"That's fine by me," Mega smiles, as he and Dr. Light, soon joined by Roll and Proto and the others.

Now that Dr. Light has pulled through and that the Light family will remain whole, now they can finally relax and put the destructive conflict with Dr. Wily behind them once and for all.
The war is finally, truly, over.


Cossack Citadel.

While things are looking up around the world with the news of Dr. Wily's arrest, Dr. Cossack is trying to use this to get himself out of his obligation to build the forthcoming Ra-Moon project, and to hopefully get it cancelled outright.
At the moment, he is in his laboratory, pleading his case to Mr. Malenko who is back in Moscow via teleconference...

"With Albert Wily now captured, there truly is no need for a project like Ra-Moon."

Malenko retorts, "Nonsense, Dr. Cossack. As we discussed, Ra-Moon is the revolutionary technological achievement that will propel Mother Russia to the front of the world."

"Surely there are other projects we can develop that can make us the envy of the science world. Ones that don't require an unshackled artificial intelligence," Cossack argues.

"There is nothing like this, Dr. Cossack. And you will make Ra-Moon a reality, as you have been requested to do. You do remember what the consequences will be for refusing to comply, correct?"

After a pause, Dr. Cossack bitterly replies, "Yes, Mr. Malenko."

"Then, I suggest you get back to work, Dr. Cossack. If you have complications, you correct them. If you need funding, you will have it available. There will be no excuses for not building Ra-Moon, Dr. Cossack. We demand satisfactory results, no matter how long it takes, no matter the sacrifice. Good day to you, Doctor."

Malenko ends the call and Dr. Cossack is left frustrated, and also afraid of what potential dangers await when Ra-Moon is brought into this world. He balls his right hand into a fist and hits his desk with it.

"Damn it!" he snaps.

Then, one of Cossack's robot assistants calls the lab. "Dr. Cossack, Kalinka has requested time to speak with you."

Mikhail tries to simmer down and calm himself. If there is anyone who can keep his emotions in check, it is her. He does not wish to let his frustrations out when she is around.

"Tell her I will see her in a few minutes," he answers.


Kalinka waits in the Citadel's main study area, using her telephone screen to watch video of the celebrations taking place around the world.
Finally, her father enters the study and Kalinka puts away her phone.

"Have you heard any reports on Thomas Light's condition?" Dr. Cosssack asks.

"Rock sent a message. The doctors saved him."

"Good. Very good," Dr. Cossack says. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes. I have a suggestion I wanted to make," Kalinka says.

"About your academic future, I am certain," Mikhail assumes.

"Yes," Kalinka admits. "Now that Dr. Wily is gone, I was wondering if I could transfer to another university... Preferably in America... In New York, specifically."

"To be closer to Mega Man," Dr. Cossack presumes.

"I know him as Rock Light. But, yes," Kalinka confirms.

At first, Dr. Cossack seems at odds with the idea of Kalinka not just abandoning the college that all Cossacks have attended for generations, but also the idea of her leaving home.

"Kalinka" he begins... before stopping himself mid-sentence.

Dr. Cossack has a realization that he had not considered until now. He realizes that it may be a good idea to get Kalinka out of the country, so that hopefully she will not get dragged into the middle of the Ra-Moon situation, and that Malenko will not mess around with her future like he is doing with Dr. Cossack's own.
And, even though she will be far from home, at least Kalinka will be with Mega Man if she transfers to America. Dr. Cossack knows Mega will protect her, with all he has. And with Dr. Wily out of the way, he knows she will be safe there now.

Mikhail straightens his lab coat and clears his throat before continuing... "I would miss you very much if you left home, my little angel."

"I know, and I would miss you as well. But, I can't stay holed up in the family Citadel forever," Kalinka counters.

"No. And I understand. You are becoming an adult before my very eye. The time has passed much too quickly," Mikhail says. "I wanted you to finish your academic career here, like Cossacks usually do. And I also don't know if any university in America can compare..."

The elder Cossack pauses and Kalinka waits silently.

Dr. Cossack continues, "But, if I would approve of you transferring to another university outside of home, do you promise to graduate this time?"

"Oh, yes, papa. I would. Even if I have to redouble my efforts," Kalinka says, clasping her hands together.

Mikhail shrugs his shoulders and adjusts his glasses. "Then, so be it. I'll inform the university and begin the process shortly."

Kalinka becomes overjoyed and begins hugging her father, profusely saying, "Thank you so much, papa. Thank you!"

Dr. Cossack advices, "Now, remember, American youths are different from those in Mother Russia. So, I want you to be mindful of that. And I still wish for you to call me while you are away. It will be difficult enough not having you home."

"I will, father. And I won't let you down I promise..." Kalinka says, "I suppose I will have to apply for a Student Visa right away."

"I can help make sure it happen smoothly. We do have some powerful friends there that could help make this happen," Dr. Cossack answers, referring to the Light family.

"Thank you, so much," Kalinka gushes again.

As Dr. Cossack hugs his daughter, he feels happy for her, because he hopes this can help inspire her to graduate, and it is good to see her so happy instead of battling depression like she did after her mother's passing. But, Dr. Cossack feels sad for himself, because Kalinka's forthcoming absense feels like another major piece of his life is now gone.
But, deep down inside, Mikhail is confident that this is for the best. She will be safe. And with the money Dr. Cossack made selling his old robots and creations, Kalinka can have enough to live on and help pay off tuition.
Most importantly, she will be far away from here when Ra-Moon comes into existence. It will spare her the embarrassment... and possibly doom.


Two days later.
New York Federal Courthouse

The courtroom is at full capacity as the arraignment hearing for Dr. Wily is about to take place.
Most of those who are here are members of the press, but other noteworthy figures are here, including the New York District Attorney, who is one of those prosecuting the case against Dr. Wily, as well as the U.S. Secretary of State.

Finally, the doors to the courtroom swing open and a group of human and robot Federal agents walk Dr. Wily - clad in leg irons and handcuffs - into the courtroom, and the cameras from the press are heard shuttering as they take pictures of the sight.
Not only is Dr. Wily restrained, but he is also missing his usual lab coat, shirt and tie. Instead, Dr. Wily wears a prison jumpsuit. And it is a dark blue jumpsuit too... Dr. Wily hates blue. It reminds him of Mega Man.
It appears Dr. Wily has no attorney representing him yet, eiether. Though, it would be a tough sell for anyone to try and defend he actions of Dr. Wily at this point.

Once Wily is walked to the defendant's table on the left side of the courtroom, the court bailiff announces, "All rise."

The Judge then enters the courtroom, walking up to his seat and sitting down. With one hit of his gavel, the proceedings begin and the courtroom goes silent.

The Judge speaks, "Albert W. Wily, you have been charged with domestic terrorism, multiple charges of murder, destruction of property, theft, assault and battery, conspiracy against the United States and the attempted assistination of a sitting President. Do you acknowledge the seriousness of these charges and the potential sentence you face, Dr Wily?"

Dr. Wily leans into his table's microphone and answers, "Yes."

The Judge then asks, "How do you plea?"

"... Not guilty," Dr. Wily answers.

Many in the courtroom begin to speak aloud and a loud murmur is heard all throughout the room. Nearly everyone is appalled or at least surprised that Dr. Wily had the audacity to enter a Not Guilty plea after everything he has done, and is easily provable that he did it all.
The commotion is so much that the Judge has to bang his gavel again.

"Order! Order in the court!" The Judge announces.

Dr. Wily, meanwhile, makes no expressions after giving his plea. Not even a slight grin or a snicker. He just keeps his expression neutral. He does not want to do anything that could arouse suspicion back the face that he has one last ace up his sleeve buried.


The next day
Dr. Light's lab

After spending several days in the hospital, Dr. Light has finally come home. Morris opens the door, allowing the Good Doctor to enter, with Roll and Peekaboo walking behind him.

"Welcome back, Dr. Light," Morris says, his expression not changing much, but just enough to make a slight smile.

"It's good to be back, Morris. Thank you," Thomas says, walking inside with Roll and Peekaboo behind him.

"I will have you know that everything is in perfect working order since you left. Mr. Brain Bot had to return to his laboratory last night, but he sent his regards as well," Morris says.

Roll and Peekaboo step around front of Dr. Light and she speaks with a hint of anticipation, "I know you just got home, but there's something waiting for you in the lab. I guess you could call it a present."

"Sweetheart, my birthday is still months away," Thomas says.

"It's kind of a 'Welcome Back' present," Roll shrugs. "Come on. You'll love it."

"The last time you said that, Roll, I was bombarded with your music at an unpleasant volume," Thomas recalls.

"Yeah, I know, but this time you really will love it," Roll insists.


Dr. Light, Roll and Boo arrive to the lab, and Thomas is surprised at what he sees inside. Or rather, who he sees.
With Mega Man and ProtoMan standing nearby, Dr. Light sees his six original Robot Masters: GutsMan, Cut Man, ElecMan, Bomb Man, Fire Man and Ice Man.
They are all powered down and not awake at the moment, but they are in a standing position.

"You recovered them," Thomas exclaims.

ProtoMan announces, "Yep. After Brain was done repairing us, he got to work on reprogramming these guys. And it was our little brother's idea, too."

Mega adds, "They're not the only ones we saved, either. All of Wily's robots at the Fortress were recovered after the battle. The rest of them will be reprogramed too, and given a chance to help the world instead of hurt it."

Roll also adds, "Best of all, Brain Bot gave ElecMan a new personality. He'll be more pleasant to be around... It's about time, too."

Dr. Light is thoroughly pleased by this news as he looks upon his original six Robot Masters...
"Just think of all the good these robots can do now. We truly will live in a world where humans and all robots can coexist peacefully. There will be no more fighting. And hopefully, no more problems. It will be as it was before Wily started this war, and maybe better."

"I just hope the humans don't give 'em as much of a hard time as they did me," Proto remarks.

"Now that I'm home and ready to resume work, the rest of the Robot Masters and Wily's other robots can be sent here for reprogramming," Thomas says.

"You just got back a few minutes ago, pop. You don't want to overwork yourself straight out of the gate," Mega Man advises, almost laughing.

"Reprogramming them should be easy. I'm not worried about that," Dr. Light says, "In fact, now that this war is over, I could revert you to your earlier physical form, Rock. That is, if you want me to."

Mega Man smiles at the thought of being just plain Rock again. "I'd like that," he says.

Thomas asks, "None of you have to risk your lives fighting anymore. You can live your lives however you wish now. What do you want to do with them?"

The siblings are silent for a moment. Their lives had consisted of the constant presence of Dr. Wily they did not always think about what they could do.
Roll is the first to chime in.

"I'm going to finish up at Light University. But... I think I'd rather keep doing it from here. I don't want to leave home after all," Roll smiles.

Dr. Light asks, "And what about after graduation?"

Roll shrugs, "Well...I've always dreamed of being a rock star."

Roll then looks down at Peekaboo, and she smiles and picks him up. "Though, I still want to help people, and robots too."

Dr. Light recalls, "I remember quite well how you aided several Mets back to health last year. You would make a fine doctor, if you wanted to be one. You certainly have a big enough heart for it."

Roll looks to Boo and asks him, "I'll have to think about it. Let me ask you, Boo. How does Doctor Mom sound?"

Peekaboo bleeps approvingly.

Dr. Light then turns to Mega and asks, "And what abut you, Rock?"

Mega removes his blue helmet and places it on the nearest worktable. "For starters, I guess I'm retiring from the Super Fighting Robot business."

"You make an excellent hero. But, it will be good to know you never have to fight again," Thomas approves.

"I started as your assistant. And I would like to be again," Mega says. "Though, as much as I'm looking forward to being Just Rock again, I'll always be Mega Man too. Maybe you should continue work on that upgrade you told me about, just in case I would need to take up the mantle again."

"I can do that after your armor is removed. Any other plans, son?"

Rock looks down at the floor and the first thing that comes to mind is Kalinka, and the times they can finally have together.

"I know there's a beautiful girl on the other side of the world I can't wait to spend my time with," Rock smiles. "I might have to take some time off from assisting you here."

Roll nudges Dr. Light and jokes, "You might have to build a new lab assistant after all."

"Maybe. And what about you, Proto?" Dr. Light asks, "You can finally live your life however you want, without combat. What do you want to do?"

ProtoMan stays silent. He has kept silent ever since Dr. Light asked this question to him and the others. Proto's demeanor is not even the same as usual, so his thoughts are clearly weighing heavily on him.
Proto is glad to have a family. His family. But, he cannot help but feel a lingering sense of unhappiness.

Proto had thought that arresting Wily would make him feel better, but it didn't as much as he would have liked. Even though Wily out of the way now, Proto has no cause to rally around or battles to fight, and fighting has been a part of his life almost very day of his life.
But, what is really eating away at Proto is the absence of Soprano. If she were still here, he would have a plan for the future, and it would be spent with her.
But, with Soprano's past memories still locked and with Soprano herself kept under the care of Brain Bot, Proto's idea of his life after the war is incomplete.
Proto himself feels incomplete without her.

He finally answers, "I don't know... I might've had a better answer, but someone else really important to me isn't here right now."

Dr. Light steps up to Proto and pats him on the shoulder. "It's alright, son. You'll know what you want to do when the time is right."

Proto's visored eyes then catch the sight of the six Robot Masters again.

He then states, "Come to think of it, I might I have an idea what I can do..."


A few days later
Election Day

We see a news update on the election results as they come in. It is nearly 11 O'clock on the east coast, and the results seem to be going George Cochran's way, and not so much for Wade Kramer.

The news anchor states, "As we are now just a few minutes away from the west coast results to come in, things are looking pretty grim for the Kramer campaign, as it looks like the Congressman stands almost no chance at scoring enough votes to score the election. Many analysts had projected that he might have fared better than he did tonight, but that turns out to not be the case."

A political commentator sitting next to the anchor comments, "Yes, Congressman Kramer's campaign was almost exclusively focused on getting rid of Dr. Albert Wily. In fact, after the attack at the last debate where Thomas Light Light the Congressman's life, some thought it might cause Kramer's numbers to go up. But, now that Wily is appehended, Kramer had very little to stand on anymore, unlike the Cochran and Albano campaigns. It didn't help that he also made some remarks about robots, Mega Man in particular. That might have turned a section of the voters against him as well."

The lead anchor speaks again. "And, it is now 8:00 o'clock on the west coast and hose polling places have closed, and with the latest round of results we have just received to the newsroom, we can now confidently project that Former Governor George Cochran has secured enough delegates to win the election and become the new President-Elect of the United States."

This news is followed up with a graphic which reads in bold print, 'MMN Projects: George Cochran, Winner' alongside a picture of Mr. Cochran.


Shortly thereafter, we see George Cochran, newly-elected President at his campaign headquarters, standing at a podium and joined by his staff and his wife Jackie. Conspicuous by his absence, of course, is Cochran's son, William.
The former New York Governor speaks to his supports in attendance...

"I want to thank all of you who turned out and voted for me. I know the vote was divided, but to those who voted for my opponents, I will be a President for all citizens, not just those who voted for me."

He adds, "The past few years have been difficult on all of us, because of the attacks led by Albert Wily. We will not forget those who were lost, and we will not forget the sacrifices of those who fought so valiantly to keep us safe. But, tonight marks the beginning of a new era, where humans and robots will be able to live in peace, without the threat of Albert Wily bearing down on us all. Not only will the future ahead will be a peaceful one, but it will also be even better than the way things were before Albert Wily arrived. And I am grateful to be the President who will usher in this new age of peace and love, and I promise you I will not let you down."

The crowd here cheers again, applauding President-Elect Cochran's win.


The next day.
Back at Dr. Light's
lab.

Roll sits in the back yard behind the lab, right by Doc's resting place, under his favorite tree. The leaves have all fallen because of the Autumn season, and a few of them are on the ground, right beside the marker by the base of the tree, which has Doc's name on it.
Dressed warmly, Roll brushes aside a couple of leaves off of Doc's marker with her hand. Afterwards, she speaks to her lost Met companion.

"I still can't believe we did it, Doc. But, we did. We really got him," she says. "I just wish you were still here to celebrate with us."

Roll kneels down and kisses Doc's marker. "I love you, Doc. I miss you every day."

Roll then stands and walks away to the center of the yard, about to begin what she came out here for. She pulls up the sleeve of her black and white sweater and presses a key on her Utility Arm to open a communication... with Bass.

"Bass... this is Roll... I know you probably won't respond, because you and Treble want to stay hidden. But, if you're out there, I'm sure you can hear me. And I know you'll listen."

Roll pauses briefly before she continues, "Thank you for doing what was right... I know it must have been difficult for you. Doing things for the greater good aren't always easy. But, you helped save a lot of lives by doing it. You helped save the world."

She then adds, "Please don't forget what I told you: Search your heart. And don't lose that justice that's inside you. I don't know how the rest of my family feels about you, and I know the authorities re looking for you, but just remember, I'll always be grateful... I know what's really inside of you, Bass. I'll always be grateful... and I..."

Roll pauses, felling emotionally conflicted again. She wants to give into those feelings she has for him deep down inside. It would be a lot easier to do that now that Bass is away from Dr. Wily. But, even now, she still does not know if she should reciprocate the love he has for her.

"I... don't know when we'll see each other again. But, I hope we do, someday... I would kind of like that," Roll finally says feeling a hint of a smile crossing her lips. "So, don't get yourself in too much trouble... and don't change your number. I won't change mine."


Later that day.

ProtoMan loads the few belongings he has into the Red Blazer, about to embark on the next phase in his life, and Mega Man, Roll, Dr. Light and the little robots are here to see him off.
After thinking about what to do, and consulting with Brain Bot, Proto has decided to leave home for now and put his talents to good use elsewhere, specifically working wth the rehabilitated Robot Masters as they begin their new duties to serve humanity.
He also hopes that he can get to spend time with Soprano again in the very near future, which is the main reason he is doing this.

"Are you really sure you want to do this?" Mega Man asks.

"I'm sure. Those Robot Masters are gonna need a familiar face to help 'em get used to life away from Wily. And besides, whenever Brain gives the okay, I'll get to work with Soprano. I just hope I can be patient waiting for him to give the okay."

Proto then says, "I think I'll be a lot more welcome now than I would have been. After word got out about me punching-out Wily, I think I'm about as popular as you guys."

Dr. Light asks, "In case you're interested, you could always have your armor removed like Rock is about to."

Proto answers, "I appreciate it, but don't really want it removed. This is how I've always been, and I'm fine with it. Besides, if I ever want to pass for human, I still have my Pro T. Mann disguise."

Proto closes the rear door to the Red Blazer and approaches Tango, asking, "Ready to go?"

Tango meows and leaps inside the Red Blazer's cockpit. Proto then turns back to his family...

"Well, I'm gonna go. I've got a bunch of Robot Masters to rein in," Proto says, "Don't get too mushy on me, now. It's not like I'm leaving for good. I'll pop back in every now and then. It's not really Goodbye. It's more of a See You Later."

The Lights walk up to Proto and send him off. Dr. Light is the first to speak to him...

"Thank you, son, for coming back," he says.

"Any time. Thanks for taking me in. Again. I hope you'll still have room for me when I visit," Proto jokes.

"Our door will always be open to you," Thomas nods.

Roll is next. "I hope those bots don't drive you so crazy your circuits start sizzling."

"If I can get 'em to behave themselves, I think I can pull of just about anything."

"I'm sorry I mistrusted you before," Roll says, sincerely.

"You don't have to be sorry. What matters is, we got over it," Proto says.

Proto then looks down to Peekaboo. "While I'm gone, you've got a pretty big play room, buddy."

Peekaboo bleeps, then pops his extension arm hand out, and Proto gives him a High Five.

Afterwards, Proto pets Beat and of course Rush. Then, ProtoMan stands directly across from Mega Man. Both brothers knew that this would be the most difficult part of Proto's departure, even if it is not forever.

Finally, Proto speaks... "Thanks for always being my brother... You never gave up on me, even after all the crap I pulled back then."

"I couldn't give up on you, Proto. You're family, even when we weren't on the same side," Rock replies.

After a few more seconds, Mega pulls his brother into a hug, and Proto reciprocates.

"Always the sentimental one, huh, little brother," Proto says.

"Yeah. I can't help it," Mega says.

The two brothers break the hug and Proto speaks to his family again.

"I guess I'll be going, then. If anything goes sideways with Wily, I'll be back," Proto assures, "I'm not lettin' him get away anymore."

Dr. Light says, "If Brain Bot has an update on Soprano, we'll contact you."

"I've pestered him and his lab enough by now he knows to contact me first," Proto says. "Okay, then... I'll see you guys soon."

Proto gives everyone one last wave goodbye, and his family reciprocates, before jumping into the Red Blazer. Afterwards, the lab's garage door opens and Proto takes off with Tango, off to begin a new chapter. One without combat, and without the interference of Dr. Wily.
He still has his family here at the lab. And hopefully, Soprano will be a major part of his bright future.

Afterwards, Rock turns to his family and speaks to Dr. Light. "I guess it's time to remove all this blue armor," he says referring to the upgrade he is about to have, which will restore him to his earlier pre-Defender self.

"Are you sure you don't want to take one last ride with Rush beforehand, son?" asks Dr. Light.

"We can do that any time we want, armor or no armor. Right, boy?" Mega says, petting Rush's head as the robocanine wages his tail.

Roll looks a bit downtrodden now. "I admit, I'm gonna miss seeing you be 'Mega Man' around the house."

"Well, once I get the armor overlay upgrade, I can always become the Defender of the Human Race again every Halloween," Mega shrugs.

The Lights begin heading inside, but Roll and Dr. Light stay behind for a few moments to discuss something in private...

"You haven't told him about you-know-who, have you?" Roll asks under her breath.

Thomas replies and smiles, "I don't intend to. You-know-who wants it to be a surprise."

"Then, the secret's safe with us," Roll says, winking.


Three days later.
Cossack Citadel

In his laboratory, Dr. Cossack finishes installing the last few microprocessors to a large circuit board. This will be a part of the 'brain' of Ra-Moon.
And this circuit board is just a part of what Ra-Moon will be. Much like the advanced robots of today, it will have a memory core installed as well, helping Ra-Moon think more freely.
When finished, Ra-Moon will resemble the preliminary sketches on Cossack's desk at the moment: a large mechanical construct with a large rectangular base and a spherical orb atop it. The latter of which will house the brain of Ra-Moon.
It will take a long time to create the A.I. construct and just as long to build Ra-Moon's complete form, but Dr. Cossack has no choice but to see it through to the bitter end.

Once he is done Dr. Cossack removes his safety goggles and takes a long look at Ra-Moon's circuit board. He is not proud the work he has done. His fear of what Ra-Moon will become and the threat it will pose has not wavered. If anything, it is worse now than it was before Dr. Wily's arrest.
Ra-Moon will be brought into the world without any sense of what right and wrong are, yield a significant amount of power and will not have anything in its programming to stop it in case it decides to eliminate someone or something it considers a threat.
That is what terrifies Dr. Cossack the most.

"I hope Mother Russia can forgive me one day... I hope Kalinka can forgive me too," he says aloud.


Meanwhile, back in America

While Dr. Cossack is regretting what he is building, on the other side of the world, William Cochran has no regrets over what he is trying to create.

William stares at a computer screen, specifically at the code that makes up the Roboenza virus he possesses. Despite his technical knowledge, the complexity of this virus code is frustrating him.

"Isn't there a way this crap can be translated into English?" he says, angrilly throwing a coding and programming manual to the floor of his house. "Just add a 'Reprogram the damn Junker' command! That's all I'm trying to do!"

After sitting in frustration for a few moments William grabs his personal audio recorder and makes an entry with it...

"It's been quite a month. My father will soon be my President; Albert Wily, God of the Junkers, is in jail; and my trying to figure out how to reserve-engineer this damn virus is driving me insane. But, come hell or high water, I'll get it to work. And no more will we ever have to share the air we breathe with a bunch of mechanical abominations. The Cure to our little robot problem is coming, and I'll be the hero then. We'll see who the real Defender of the Human Race is."

The goodness of Dr. Light, his family and others have helped shape this world into a better one. William Cochran's hatred could undo it all and possibly cause the extinction of robotkind.
William is determined to make it happen, no matter the cost.


At a Maximum Security Penitentiary
Elsewhere in America

A group of four heavily-armed guards - two robots, two humans - lead Dr. Wily down a long corridor to an awaiting cell at the end. There are no other prison cells in the corridor other than this solitary cell.
The Mad Doctor remains handcuffed as he is led away, and once he and his guards pass a checkpoint, a set of barred doors close shut in the middle of the corridor, and they will not open again until the guards leave.

Soon, Dr. Wily reaches his cell, and he enters, not causing any problems as the cell doors close, locking him in. It would be a futile effort to try an escape, so Wily knew not to bother.

"Turn around and present your hands," orders one of the guards.

Dr. Wily complies and turns around, placing his hands through the opening in the cell door, allowing the guards to unfasten the handcuffs. Afterwards, the guards walk away and Dr. Wily rubs his wrists as he walks into his cell.

The cell itself is not very large. Just large enough for a bed, a toilet and some room to walk around for a few steps. A single light is on above in the ceiling to light to place up. The doors are almost entirely metal, consisting of only a small window to look out to the corridor and a small opening underneath it.
Dr. Wily has no cellmate. Nobody to talk to anymore other than the voice in his head. Not even a window to look out of.

Albert makes his way to his flat prison bed, reaches under his flat pillow and takes out a marker pen. The marker itself is made out of flexible rubber to prevent Wily from using it as a weapon on anyone or himself.
Wily then approaches the wall, where several lines have been drawn, signifying the amount of days that have passed since he was arrested. He draws a vertical line right beside two identical lines, which are right next to two sets of four lines with a diagonal slash through both. It has been thirteen days.

After writing the line in the wall, Wily puts his marker away and walks to the cell door again, staring out into the corridor and watching the guards as they walk away, keeping totally silent.

He wanted to rule the world. He wanted to dominate Humanity. Now, the only thing Albert Wily rules is a prison cell in a high-security penitentiary, and he is the one who has been punished.

The war is over and it looks like everlasting peace has finally been achieved.

But, nobody else knows that Dr. Wily has one last robot left. All Wily has to do now is wait for that robot to rise.
That is why he pled Not Guilty at his court hearing. He knows he will lose the trial, but it should buy him the time he needs.

But, while Dr. Wily has a deadly secret, even he is not aware of Ra-Moon or William Cochran's virus.


Dr. Light's lab.

Mega Man enters his bedroom, carrying his helmet in his hands. He opens his closet door and places the helmet inside on the top shelf. He hopes he does not have to put it back on again any time soon.

Then, Mega Man makes his way to a mirror elsewhere in his room, and looks at himself for a moment for the first time since the changes were made by Dr. Light...
He is not Mega Man anymore, or at least doesn't look like Mega Man... He is Rock Light again.

His body looks mostly human again, just like it did before he was rebuilt into a robot Defender, and many of the things that made him 'Mega Man' are now gone. Instead of cyan and blue armor, Rock wears a blue long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans which stop at his knees to accommodate his metallic lower legs.
The only remaining enhancement is the plasma buster built into his left forearm, which still looks the same as it ever has.
Rock decided to leave it installed, just in case he would ever need to spring into action at a moment's notice again.

Rock almost feels overwhelmed to see his old self looking back at him. Like the night they captured Dr. Wily, it all seems too good to be true. But, it is very real.
A feeling of happiness has come over Rock since the war ended that he has never felt before. Life was no longer full of worry and sadness. Peace has been restored.

There is a knock at Rock's door and he answers, "I'll be right there."

Rock uses his hands to comb back his messy brown hair into less of a mess, then goes to the door. He was expecting Dr. Light or Roll or another member of his family. He was not expecting someone else very special behind that door...

"Kalinka?!"

There she stands, nearly gasping at the sight of the love of her life right in front of her, no longer clad in armor and looking more like a young human man.
She nearly begins crying happy tears as she exclaims, "Oh!... Rock!"

Kalinka embraces Rock in a hug and he hugs her back, both of them swaying ever so slightly in each other's arms. This is what they both have long wished for, to finally be together and in love.

Rock and Kalinka pull apart from the hug but continue holding each other as Rock asks, "Kalinka... what are you doing here?"

"I left college at home. I am enrolling here now, in America," Kalinka answers, "I would have told you earlier, but, I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Oh, I'm surprised," Rock smiles. "What about your dad? Is he okay with this?"

"As long as I finish university here, he is."

Rock asks, "I guess that means no more video dates, does it?"

Kalinka replies, "No. Now, we do in-person dates."

"That sounds good to me."

Kalinka asks, "So, if I may ask... are you doing anything tonight, Rock?"

Rock smiles, "Now that I'm not on Mega Man duty, my schedule's all clear."

She smiles, "Mine is too."

Kalinka moves in closer to Rock again, giving him a kiss on the lips, lingering for a few seconds before stopping.

Rock takes Kalinka by her hand and leads her out of his room. These two young loves are about to begin the next chapter in their lives as well, and at this very moment, hey could not be any happier. They are free to live their lives in love without the threat of evil tearing them apart
If this were a fairy tale, this would be the perfect 'The End'... but it's not the end...

It is, however, the beginning of the end.


Skull Fortress

It was here, over a week and a half ago, that the final battle in the war for everlasting peace took place.
It seems as though that peace has finally been achieved.
Now, this monstrous hideout of Dr. Albert Wily is seized by military forces, due to be destroyed one day, cleared of weapons of destruction and robots... except for one.

Deep underneath the fortress, buried under a tall layer of cement in the rock of the badlands lies the protective pod containing Dr. Wily's Ultimate Robot.
Inside the capsule with the robot is the hilt with the last remaining fragment of the Jadous Sphere, which will allow him to break free from the pod and reach the surface above with ease.

His programming had a few more unexpected hiccups in the uploading process, and it was not finished until this very moment...

Programming Installation Complete... Now entering Stasis Mode... Awaken from Stasis Mode in: 270 Days... 269 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes, 59 Seconds... 269 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes, 58 Seconds...

The countdown has begun. Not just the countdown to this robot's awakening in nine months time, but a countdown to a crisis.
A crisis the likes of which the Human Race has never seen in its history.
A crisis that could mean the extinction of the Human Race, or Robotkind... or both.

The war is over, but this new peace is not everlasting... The Crisis is coming.
Nothing can stop it now.
And nothing will be the same again once the countdown reaches... Zero.


Author's Notes:

The penultimate episode of Defender is in the books, and the ultimate creation of Dr. Wily, Zero, is on his way. (Of course, you all already figured that out a long time ago.)
The final episode of Defender will debut next year, and I want to take the time to get everything right. (I don't want to pull a Game of Thrones here.) I don't even know yet if there will be an interlude chapter or two before the episode, but it is likely.
I also need time to come up for air and get my head together.
So, stay tuned, everyone. We are officially now in the home stretch. I don't even know if I'm ready for it, and I'm the writer.
In the meantime, I might go through all the earlier chapters and correct some of the errors I missed. Don't expect any major changes to the episodes. Just minor fixes.

I want to thank Lalalei, Fox McCloude, Marytt Cl, Little Kunai, Tangomeow, Heroverse101, Steven Nichols, The Rocha, Mugen Kagemaru, BrOkenThOrn, Introverted Geek Girl, Cornhollio4, Red Hunter, darkmachines, CGVWJames, Mega Fan, Kintama Ryo, Flying Caesar and all the 'guest' reviewers for leaving reviews for this episode and the interlude chapter before it.
And I want to thank Gancena, DestinyZX, Tourise, Jacob Burkett, Jennifer Mae Hannen, Harper Eastman, MegaManV and Brain Bot (not to be confused with THE Brain Bot) as well.
If I forgot any names, I'm sorry. And thank you as well.
I have said it before and I will say it again, Defender fans are some of the best in the world. Thank you for enjoying this series and sticking by me for all these years.
We only have a few more stops left in this journey. Let's hope it's a good one.

As noted at the top of the page, Joe Ruby (the 'Ruby' in Ruby-Spears Productions) passed away during the writing of this chapter.
Like many, I watched several of their works during my childhood, including Alvin and The Chipmunks and of course Scooby-Doo. But, their version of Mega Man from 1994 was the most important to me. That show changed my life, it was one of my main inspirations to write, and this fic would never have existed were it not for that cartoon.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Ruby. And thank you for everything, most especially Mega Man.

Thank you in advance for reading. Please remember to leave a review or a comment. And if you see any typos or continuity errors so big even Godzilla would trip over them, please DM me right away.