The next couple days before the election were like slow torture for Proto Man.

He spent the daylight hours acting the part of hero while burying his emotions as deep as possible. Memories of his past in the laboratory kept resurfacing. At night, he tossed and turned uncomfortably on his old bed, listing to the house creek and owls hoot outside, unable to sleep.

Mega Man kept his distance ever since they had met in the park, though he was always watching Proto Man suspiciously. Proto Man himself was blocking all thought of their conversation, as though it had never happened. Dr. Wily's scrambler chip had yet to take effect, Proto Man began to doubt it worked at all—though this was the least of his troubles.

Roll was busy planning out Proto Man's future, of all the arcades, rock concerts, and parties she wanted to take him to once they defeated Dr. Wily. Though Proto Man didn't mind this, he only pretended to listen to her. Mostly, everyone was preoccupied with the election and tightening Deacon's security. Proto Man's performance at the museum had been played on repeat on the news, his popularity with the public soaring. He had even stopped a few more Robot Master attacks in the city (orchestrated by Dr. Wily, of course).

He dreaded the moment Dr. Light would ask to speak in private with him, to talk about their relationship, to try and rekindle a fatherly relationship that had never existed—yet it still hadn't occurred. Was Dr. Light waiting for Proto Man come to him, or would he spring a conversation on him unexpectedly? Sleep deprived and on edge, Proto Man grew paranoid.

Finally, it was Tuesday—Election Day.

Mega Man soared above the tops of skyscrapers on Rush's jet. The threat of another attack from Dr. Wily was at an all time high. He was supposed to be on patrol again, but he felt distracted. He was still fuming about Proto Man and his nerve to act indignant that Mega Man wouldn't trust him when they both knew Mega Man's skepticism was not only warranted, but wise. Yet this was all fun and games for Proto Man! What a jerk.

…Well, Mega Man always knew Proto Man was a jerk, but pretending to have changed overnight into a hero like the flip of a switch, that was a new low…

He was brought out of his dark thoughts when a bright light seared his eyes, almost like direct sunlight glaring off a mirror—only this light was coming down below in the channel between buildings—right next to the skyscraper where Deacon had rented a reception hall for his campaign.

"It's Bright Man, attacking Deacon's headquarters!" Mega Man told Rush as they sped downward toward the light.

Soon, they could see the streets below. Police officers were running away with arms over their eyes, but the effects of Flash Stopper rendered them unconscious as they toppled over like toys on the pavement. Others were barricading the streets to stop traffic from getting through. Bright Man came striding around the corner, his green eyes bouncing back and forth, searching for any police officers that hadn't yet been knocked out by Flash Stopper.

Mega Man leaped off Rush to land in the street. A long vinyl campaign banner for Deacon was strung on the entrance to the skyscraper next to him, snapping loudly as it fluttered in the wind. The skyscraper itself was on lockdown; Mega Man would just have to prevent Bright Man from getting inside—a simple task, really, as Bright Man was not one of Dr. Wily's best Robot Masters—

A sharp pain like a long needle shot through the side of Mega Man's head. Sparks flashed before his eyes, followed by an overpowering wave of dizziness. For a moment, Mega Man felt outside his body, could not remember where he was, and then fell face first to the ground.

Whoa, what gives? he thought. His circuits were burning, but he struggled into a crouching position, clenching his teeth. Now was not the time to have problems…

Mega Man lifted his blaster arm, which swayed before him. His vision was blurry, his eyes unable to accurately calibrate to where he wanted to look. Currently Bright Man's face resembled a shapeless yellow and orange blob.

"I-I can't focus on my target!" he muttered helplessly.

It took an unusual level of concentration to form a plasma cannon (a routine task he normally performed without thinking). Immediately, the burning sensation in his circuits intensified, like lightening spiraling through his systems. Mega Man's eyes screwed tight. It would be reckless to fire like this, he was more likely to hit anything but Bright Man. Distantly, he thought he heard Rush whining, but a roar like the ocean churned around him. His mind whirling around sickeningly like a gyroscope, pressure pushing up into his ears…

Bright Man guffawed, his voice sounding like it was speaking from underwater. "Mega klutz got caught in a ring of his own fire power!"

Mega Man was back down on the street, his body continuing to sink lower until he was completely flat. The coldness of the prickly asphalt seemed as welcoming as the soft sheets of his bed right now. Once again, Mega Man felt disoriented and wasn't sure where he was. But it was hot. Too hot…

Proto Man strolled along the raised platform on the inside of a sewer. He had listened intently to the commotion above, waiting to make the entrance at just the right moment.

"Hang on, bro!" he called out, his voice echoing against the circular tunnel, loud enough for any bystander in the street above to hear. Then, with a burst of plasma, he erupted through a manhole cover up into the sunlight.

Mega Man was lying on the ground, trembling. Rush was level with Mega Man, whining, but when Rush saw Proto Man, his ears perked up. He barked, wagging his tail, then whined again, as though meekly asking Proto Man to help his fallen master. Bright Man blinked stupidly at Proto Man, awaiting an order.

"Light's out, Bright Man!" Proto Man quipped to the crowd of onlookers, then fired pointedly at Bright Man's feet.

Fortunately for Bright Man, he picked up on the cue. "Yeagh, I'll be gone in a flash!" he shouted in fear before turning heal and pounding down all the street. Of all the Robot Masters, he had played his part of TV villain best.

Still playing to the crowd (and feeling utterly sarcastic) Proto Man called, "Now I know why they call you Bright Man, retreating's the 'brightest' thing you've done all day!"

His words were met with cheers. Campaign aides, staff, and Deacon himself were looking down from the building, clapping or waiving there hands. A chant rang down the street.

"Proto Man! Proto Man! Proto Man!"

Proto Man looked up at them and smiled. It was a bit much. He had to get out of here before the press arrived. He had to get Mega Man out of here too. Proto Man looked down.

Mega Man was still sprawled helplessly on the ground, his head lying to the side. Beneath his eyelids, Mega Man's eyes moved rapidly. It appeared the scrambler chip had kicked in at last, as though it had been on a timer. Proto Man hesitated…what had Dr. Wily said about the scrambler chip? That its effects on a robot were like the flu or something? Well, that wasn't too bad. It looked nasty of course, but humans got the flu all the time, right?

Words from their argument in the park still coursed through his mind. A strange paradox guided Proto Man's actions; he was both Dr. Wily's second-in-command and Mega Man's brother.

Gently, Proto Man bent down to pick Mega Man up.

Mega Man's eyes peeled groggily open.

He was lying on a foam mat, a soft cushion behind his head. He could feel Rush lying at his side, cuddling with him. The room seemed large, with tall ceilings, and had the distinct chemical smell of an auditorium. It took him a moment to work out where he was, then he remembered collapsing in the street outside Deacon's election headquarters while facing Bright Man.

Someone laid a hand gently on his shoulder. "You'll be okay as soon as your circuits cool down."

A red, gray and yellow blur was looming over him. Mega Man blinked a few times before Proto Man finally swam into focus. He felt angry that Proto Man was hovering over him like this. As though Proto Man were doing the right thing for once, and would innocently act that this was further evidence of his reformed nature. But at the same time, it was a bit painful to think about anything right now. Mega Man's head felt heavy, his thoughts hazy.

"W-what happened to me? I went woozy then my blaster went crazy."

He tried to sit up, but it was like an anvil was on his chest. He felt Proto Man's hand behind his back, steadying him.

Footsteps approached from behind Mega Man, echoing lightly off the auditorium floor. "Thank heavens Proto Man was on hand," came Deacon's voice. "Proto Man, I'd like you to head the security team that will be protecting my election headquarters tonight."

Proto Man looked over at Deacon, smiling. "I'd like nothing better."

Mega Man's heart sank. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the hazy feeling in his head, and said in a steady voice, "I'd better stick around too. Wily seems to be on the offensive more than usual."

Proto Man clapped the hand previously supporting Mega Man on Mega Man's shoulder. "Forget it bro, you're in no condition," he said sternly, his face looking down at Mega Man as he stood up.

"Ahh, don't worry, Mega Man!" put in Deacon as he and Proto Man shook hands. "If I win the election, you can be sure Proto Man and I will rid the city of Wily for good."

Deacon then excused himself to go meet with his campaign manager, leaving Proto Man and Mega Man alone in the auditorium save for a few assistants hanging up decorations for the election party that night.

"I called Roll and Dr. Light to come pick you up…" Proto Man broke in in a soft, tentative voice.

"Shut up and don't talk to me," Mega Man snapped, turning his head away on the mat and closing his eyes. He hated how all of this looked, the position it had put Proto Man in—but mostly, he hated that Proto Man was right. Lying still was the only thing that kept the pain in his head at bay.

With Mega Man asleep and the rest of the Lights still in transit, it was easy for Proto Man to slip out of Deacon's election headquarters alone to report back to Dr. Wily (to Deacon's staff, he was beyond suspicion at this point—most of them waved cheerfully as he went, looking starstruck).

"And once I 'saved' Mega Man's titanium tail, Deacon made me his chief of security!" he announced smugly into the video communicator.

"Eeeexcellent, exactly as I had planned," murmured Dr. Wily, pleased. He cocked a bushy eyebrow, leaning into the camera so that his beady blue eyes took up the entire screen. "Now listen closely. It's time to put the next phase of my brilliant plan into effect…"

Dr. Wily was keeping his distance in the Skullker, but he had sent Needle Man, Heat Man, and Elec Man (all fully operational) back into the city. They had been prepared to cause more havoc so that Proto Man could further demonstrate his heroism, but it had been unnecessary—Proto Man was in a better position than Dr. Wily could have hoped for.

Sitting in the driver's seat one of Deacon's empty campaign vans with the Robot Masters, listening to Dr. Wily ramble, Proto Man was beginning to feel a bit better. The fight with Bright Man (though brief) had helped him feel like himself again, and now that he was blatantly sneaking around working for Dr. Wily, this mission was beginning to take on a semblance of what missions were usually like.

When Dr. Wily had ended the comm call, Proto Man turned to look in the back of the van at Needle Man and Heat Man. "Hey, just got our next mission orders from Wily," he called. "We're going to split up. I'm going to wait for the election results with Deacon while you guys secure the Robot Tool and Assembly Factory."

Heat Man rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."

They were both glowering at Proto Man—Needle Man still incensed at Proto Man for disemboweling him at the museum, Heat Man because he hated being forced to go outside in the first place.

Once again, Proto Man ignored them as he looked over at Elec Man, who was being much, much more difficult to read. He sat in the passenger seat next to Proto Man, his arms folded, his pale eyes glassy and distant as he looked out the window.

"Wish I could join you in taking over the factory (sounds way more exciting then what I'm about to do)—but I'll be at Deacon's headquarters playing his lame 'head of security.'"

"Sounds like a good job," Elec Man responded dully, still looking out the window.

Proto Man frowned at him. "Chh. No it's not. I'm just a glorified, celebrity bodyguard for a dude I barely know. Probably helps his polling or something. It's boring."

Elec Man said nothing.

Proto Man glanced to the back of the van. Needle Man had slipped a pair of headphones over his large pointy head. He bobbed to a beat while reading one of Deacon's campaign brochures propped delicately between his permanent arm cannons. Heat Man had simply shut himself up in his armor by dropping its square lid over his head, resembling a grouchy yellow box with short arms and legs sitting in a seat.

With the other two Robot Masters preoccupied, Proto Man asked in an undertone, "…Care to say what's up? You're not usually like this, usually you're complaining how stupid you think Wily's plans are."

Elec Man was still for a moment longer, but then he turned toward Proto Man. "Fine, if that's what you want." Elec Man smiled coldly at Proto Man, and said in a slow, deliberate voice, "Proto Man, this plan is stupid, and you're stupid for throwing away this chance to be with the Lights."

Proto Man stared incredulously at Elec Man. "What do you mean I'm being stupid?"

Elec Man rolled his eyes. "They've practically gift wrapped this opportunity for you."

"I don't care! I don't want it!" Proto Man retorted indignantly. "You know that! I just want things to go back to normal around here, the way they were before this all started," he added, almost pleadingly, thinking back to how a week ago they had both been working on jets in the western hangar. When Elec Man resumed his stoney silence, Proto Man's hands tightened into fists. "What, do you secretly wish you could trade places with me? Be my guest! You can be Light's perfect little lab assistant if you think it's so great."

Proto Man instantly regretted the words. A shocked, hurt looked had flashed across Elec Man's face.

"Sorry. I didn't mean any of that, I'm being a jerk," Proto Man spluttered hastily, wondering what had come over him.

All emotions had wiped clear from Elec Man's face like television switching off. Holding his head up imperiously, he turned to face the front of the van. "Get out."

"Elec Man, wait—"

"You haven't got a clue," Elec Man muttered, his shoulders shaking with anger. "Just go." His pale eyes shot Proto Man an look that could have frozen a volcano. "Or are you going to order me to listen to you?"

Feeling dazed, Proto Man backed quietly out of the van. However he had meant this conversation to go, it had come out completely the wrong way.

Mega Man lay still, his arms at his side, on top of a table in Dr. Light's laboratory as the red horizontal bands of a scanner passed over his body. Rush sat on the floor by his side, whining nervously.

Dr. Light and Roll were at the mainframe computer.

"The test results are coming up now!" Roll called over.

"This is very strange!" added Dr. Light, stroking his beard as he gazed up at the computer readout, which displayed something like a blueprint of Mega Man on the screen. "The readings are way off, but I can't lock onto any specific source."

"Is it serious?" Mega Man asked bracingly. Dread had been sinking into him. If he was dying, he wanted to hear the worst of it without preamble.

Dr. Light said nothing at first. Mega Man could tell he was double checking the analysis while typing in keyboard queries on the keyboard, but his face was calm. "No. Just a minor—though irksome—bug." He cast Mega Man a sympathetic yet reassuring smile. "Though I daresay you must feel like you have one foot in the grave. I know that's how I feel when I am under the weather. Trust me when I say that once I locate the source of the bug, you will be 100% better." Then he shook his head. "I need to run a full diagnostic."

…A full diagnostic? But that could take all night! Mega Man would miss the election!

Mega Man pulled himself up into a sitting position, a hand clutching his helmet. "Later, Mitchell Deacon may not think he needs me, but—" Pain lanced from ear to ear, as though his head were skewered by a giant toothpick. "Arrrghgh…" he groaned, falling back upon the lab table with shut eyes.

He heard Roll cross over from the computer to his side. "Chill, Mega. Between Proto Man, Rush, and me, Mr. Deacon is in safe hands."

Mega Man cracked open his eyes to look at her. "...You will keep an eye on Proto, won't you?"

"Chh, of course I will, so you won't have to worry about it!" Roll responded confidently.

It was the same flippant attitude Proto Man sometimes showed. Mega Man knitted his brow.

Roll lay her palm against his forehead. Her touch was cool, and the pain in his head slackened. Mega Man closed his eyes again and shivered.

"Yeesh, Mega, you're really going through something, huh?" she muttered, clicking her tongue as she took her hand away. Mega Man struggled to keep the dizziness from returning, frustrated with how week his body was being. "Don't do anything stupid," she added sternly, acting as though she could read his mind. "You can call Met if you need anything. Eddie and Doris are somewhere around here too. Just relax while the diagnostic runs, listen to some music. …You do like music, don't you? I can put on some Nightmare Fuel or Gigavolt—"

"No thanks," Mega Man said quickly. His headache was bad enough.

"Come along you two," called Dr. Light from the door. "We don't want to miss the final election count down at Deacon's headquarters."

He opened the sliding door. Rush trotted obediently after him. Roll cast one last fleeting look at Mega Man before following, then the door slid closed behind them, leaving Mega Man alone in a quiet laboratory with the long arm of the diagnostic machine humming above him.

Deacon's election headquarters was buzzing with activity. Supporters wearing 'I voted' stickers had begun filtering in all afternoon to take seats in the large auditorium to await the results of the election. Others were mingling in the high-ceilinged lounge, long-stemmed champagne flutes in their hands as they conversed over bar tables draped in linen. A mix of 80s pop songs blared over the speaker system.

Deacon's human security staff were complete idiots. Instead of going on patrol in pairs, they were clustered around a concession stand talking to each other. They all seemed awed by Proto Man, and if Dr. Wily were to strike, under the impression that he would handle it single-handedly like he had on the news. After all, Proto Man was supposed to be in charge of security—when in reality Proto Man had left some glaring holes that even Cut Man and Guts Man would manage to exploit. In the meantime, Proto Man waited, pretending to be making rounds.

Deacon himself had retreated to the green room behind the auditorium, which was furnished with brown leather chairs.

"Taking a breather," Deacon admitted when Proto Man checked on him, taking a long drink from a plastic water bottle, then bouncing up and down on his heels while cricking his neck. He chuckled sheepishly at Proto Man. "With the election so close, the nerves are getting to me."

Proto Man shrugged. He didn't really care if Deacon won (other than Dr. Wily's plan hinged on it), but said, "I wouldn't be nervous if I were you. Heard you were polling at thirty percent over the other guy."

Deacon shook his head. "Still…it's a big job. Lot's of responsibility," he added, though he smiled. His dark eyes looked over at Proto Man. "So…after the election, what's next for you?"

"…What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, I would love to have you on my security staff permanently…but there's bigger jobs out there. I appreciate what you're doing and would like to repay you some how."

For some reason, Proto Man didn't like where this was going. His smile became cold as he waited.

"I had this idea for your future," Deacon began tentatively, setting his water bottle down on the polished surface of a wooden end table. "And I wanted to run it by you first before approaching Dr. Light."

"…Why?"

"Wanted to get your opinion first," explained Deacon. His eyes twinkled as he smiled. "I was sorta out of shape as a kid—still am—and I watched a lot of sci-fi movies about robots, and in the movies, robots and humans are a lot alike, and both should be given the dignity to make their own choices (so long as it doesn't break the law, of course). Anywho, I was a U.S. Representative for New York. Still have connections in Washington D.C. I won't bore you with details, but after Wily tried to crush the world with the Moon, the United States is re-considering their withdrawal from the 1988 Convention to Combat Global Robo-Crime…which would mean the United States would join forces with the Robot international Police…ever heard of it?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it," Proto Man answered stiffly. He had folded his arms, his eyes narrowed behind his visor.

Deacon nodded, oblivious to Proto Man's tone. "Anyway, R.I.P. takes in a lot of robots with criminal backgrounds, especially if they have nowhere else to go but can do a lot of good in the world. And if America reenters the convention, we'll want our own robo-officer for R.I.P. Might be a good fit for you. Just a thought, I'd be happy to endorse you in any way I can."

"Gee, thanks, I'll think about it," Proto Man responded flatly, regretting checking on Deacon at all, "—But first I gotta concentrate on stopping Wily tonight. I better go triple-check the perimeter."

While out in the dingy alley behind Deacon's election headquarters, Proto Man risked contacting to Dr. Wily.

"Say Wily, you wouldn't want to crash this thing early, would you?" he whispered desperately into his communicator as he paced between two rusty dumpsters. "The good guys are getting too chummy."

Dr. Wily didn't share his outlook. "It is as I've predicted, you've been marvelous at playing the part and winning over their trust."

"I don't know how much more trust is needed," muttered Proto Man, glaring at a couple of Deacon's security staff who were on the end of the alley, saluting him with their chests puffed out. "Deacon and his security team seem pretty naive. Probably the only way I got this far. You can start your next phase any day now."

"Patience, Proto, patience. We must wait for Light to return, and for the election results to be officially called. We are so close! I could not do it without you, my boy. Pull this off, and you'll go down as the most despicable robot in history. They'll never want to see you as a hero again!"

"One silver lining, I guess," Proto Man grumbled.

He sighed as he ended the call with Dr. Wily, then reentered the party.

Proto Man glared around at the large ensemble of humans in suits wearing campaign ribbons. What a stupid bore. He had already met with a string of smalltime officials who had promised to give him jobs in public service just like this one, eyes shining with admiration. They didn't get that standing waiting for something to happen was much less fun then instigating. Worse yet, the press core was vying for exclusive interviews. Photographers kept ambushing him to shoot pictures, shouting requests for him to pose with his plasma cannon drawn.

Feeling fed up, Proto Man forged carelessly through the crowd, ignoring everyone trying to get his attention until he made it to the end of the lounge, his back to the room. His thoughts had returned to what Mega Man had said at the park, and that Mega Man was currently lying indisposed on a lab table in Dr. Light's laboratory, the worst place in the world. Yet, Mega Man liked Dr. Light's laboratory, Proto Man reasoned—and though the effects of the scrambler-chip looked painful, Dr. Wily had assured him they weren't serious. Still, his mood remained low. When he wasn't think of Mega Man, Proto Man thought of his fight with Elec Man, which made him feel even worse.

Proto Man stared moodily out the rows of windows into the narrow balcony and the darkness beyond, then froze. Outside, a lone figure leaned against the railing, someone he wasn't expecting to be here…

A man in a suit was standing in front of the balcony entrance, but he sprang quickly aside, opening the door to let Proto Man through, then closing it behind him. Proto Man almost let out a sigh of relief—stepping into the cold evening air made him feel like a fish released back into the ocean.

"Hey Dr. C!" he greeted.

Dr. Cossack turned toward Proto Man, a drink in his gloved hand, which seemed untouched. He was not wearing his swan white lab coat, but a dark three piece suit of worsted wool (though Proto Man still did not understand suits, he felt even Elec Man would have grudgingly approved of the fit, color, and material).

"I wondered when you'd notice I was here," Dr. Cossack said dryly, his olive green eyes examining Proto Man through his half-rim glasses.

Proto Man smiled. "A bit far away from L.A. What are you doing here?"

"Checking up. I saw Dr. Light endorsed Mitchell Deacon for New York's gubernatorial race, and I wanted to meet Deacon myself." Dr. Cossack gave a small shrug with one of his thin shoulders. "He seems okay, at least as politicians go. Perhaps I am being nosey." His gaze became sharp as needles. "…Dr. Light is a nice guy, but he habitually trusts those who pretend to be friendly, only to betray him the last possible moment."

"You got that right," Proto Man responded without thinking. He then checked himself. He shouldn't be this candid with Dr. Cossack; he still needed to play the part, so he added, "What were you going to do if you thought Deacon was bad news?"

Dr. Cossack gave him a mysterious lopsided smile from beneath his auburn beard, and said nothing. Once again, Proto Man felt Dr. Cossack was cool. He got it…whatever 'it' was.

Traffic in the street below hummed gently. Miraculously the door to the balcony had stayed closed, leaving Proto Man alone with Dr. Cossack. He could wait for the election results out here, free from the annoying politicians, the admirers, the press, and Deacon's stupid security staff waiting inside.

"So, you probably heard Mega Man's doc reprogrammed me to be one of the good guys," Proto Man said, leaning casually against the railing next to Dr. Cossack.

Dr. Cossack snorted. "Oh, so this is not the beginning of another thrilling kidnapping attempt, then?" he flashed Proto Man a sarcastic smile.

"Heh. Mind if I join you out here for a bit? The crowd is driving me nuts."

"Stay as long as you want. We won't be bothered."

Dr. Cossack looked back toward the door. Proto Man followed his gaze, taking another look at the suited man he had brushed by who was apparently guarding the door. Though the signs said 'no smoking,' he was playing with a red and white lighter. He looked young, and his hair was a flaming red. He made brief eye contact with Proto Man then quickly looked away.

Proto Man smirked. "Your pal over there seems kinda shady."

Dr. Cossack shrugged. "He owes me and his is very grateful, but back to you and the Lights—they just took you in, huh? Always thought you were a bit spoiled. Still, having your wings clipped must suck."

Proto Man was a bit surprised by the insight in these words. "It's not like that. Once a robot is reprogrammed, their personality realigns to obey their new orders without resentment."

"Do tell."

Proto Man didn't like the cold, penetrating look Dr. Cossack had just given him. It was almost…accusing?

Dr. Cossack looked across the street at the opposite skyscraper, which reflected yellow headlights from below. "Kinda thought it'd take you awhile to outgrow working for Wily, and I never got the impression that you and Light got on that well."

Proto Man liked that line even less. Dr. Cossack was honing with deadly accuracy on subjects Proto Man did not want to talk about. Yet, strangely, he felt anchored to the spot. The rawness from his last encounters with Mega Man and Elec Man were still fresh in his mind, and he was drawn to warm undertones in Dr. Cossack's voice—though perhaps that part was only his imagination.

Dr. Cossack glanced over to him. "May I ask...what was it like for you at Skull Fortress?"

Proto Man chuckled, relieved for the change in the subject. "You wanna hear what caused the rift between me and Wily?"

"Uh, not really," said Dr. Cossack, almost impatiently. "Prior to that. What about your room? You were his second-in-command, correct? Surely that gave you a nice room." When Proto Man didn't immediately answer, Dr. Cossack added, "Or maybe you lived in a dingy basement full of spider nests."

"Actually, the whole western wing was mine," Proto Man spoke up.

Dr. Cossack blinked, creases forming in his square forehead. "You had a whole wing of a fortress to yourself?"

"Yeah, mostly. There is a lot of room at Skull Fortress, so I could really take up wherever. I chose it because of the sunset, and no early sunrises. I didn't have a room at first. Didn't want one. I'd sleep anywhere, so long as it wasn't D—I mean, as a robot I don't sleep. But there's this tower with wrap around windows—I started going up there. In the evening, I could watch the shadows creep across the badlands, painting it with fire, then at night more stars than I'd ever seem. Eventually that became my room."

There was a slight pause. Wind whistled through the buildings, a siren sang out in the distance, Dr. Cossack's breath came out in small clouds.

"I've seen badlands before. They are beautiful," Dr. Cossack acknowledged.

"Yeah, they are."

"Do you miss it there?"

"I…" Proto Man's voice caught. It should have been easy to tell a lie, any lie, yet he couldn't force himself to do it. He just wasn't in the mood.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it, though I'm not recording this," Dr. Cossack said with a wry smile.

"…Before I became a good guy, things between me and Wily weren't bad," Proto Man said finally, almost inconsequentially. He saved me when I was at my lowest point, he thought, but didn't say it aloud. The whole truth was complicated, incriminating, would sound melodramatic, and not something he expected anyone to really get. Though, it didn't really matter what he told Dr. Cossack—in a few hours, he'd be back on Dr. Wily's side—and Dr. Cossack was just a chemist, a neutral party in the whole affair.

Dr. Cossack frowned, but didn't comment. "How are things at Light's lab?"

Awful? Terrible? "Fine. It's like a perfect little bubble where nothing bad happens. Absolutely no reason to hate it."

Dr. Cossack had circled back to the subject that Proto Man was hoping he had dodged. Through the windows of the balcony, he could hear the muffled babble from the crowd mixed with the the synths of 80s pop music. He could go back inside, Proto Man had a ready built excuse as Deacon's head of security. But instead, he stayed where he was as the conversation grew even more personal.

Dr. Cossack was watching him from the corner of his eye. "I suppose not. They are a tight-knit family. Mega Man and Roll consider Dr. Light their father."

Proto Man looked sharply at Dr. Cossack "…What would you know about that?" As far as he knew, this was not public knowledge.

"Quint—you knew him as Brain Bot—told me about it."

"Oh."

"But you don't feel anything like that toward Dr. Light?"

"He's not my creator," Proto Man lied with a smile, taking the easy deflection.

"And Wily?"

Proto Man snorted. "Wily's not father material." It was true (though harsh), for despite Dr. Wily's genius in inventing, he was in many ways likes a vindictive kindergartner with a short attention span and prone to tantrums (it was probably for this reason that working for him was so amusing). Then Proto Man became thoughtful. "…As a robot, I don't get the whole father-son bond or whatever," he admitted. "When someone is your father...you gotta be their kid. They control you and your future, and they mold you into something they think you should be."

"Cynical view of that relationship," Dr. Cossack said quietly.

"I don't want to be anyone's kid. I don't need anyone," Proto Man continued. He couldn't help himself. "I feel nothing. I just don't care. Always been that way. Always had to do bigger and bigger things to make me feel anything."

He felt the same emotional numbness now, sitting out on the cold, quiet balcony. He regretted nothing he had said, for though this was only the third time he had met Dr. Cossack, he felt as if he had known him much, much longer.

"I've been there before too," Dr. Cossack said slowly. "Like the world isn't really enough."

Dr. Cossack tilted his head up to gaze at the black sky as if it window into another world, while the world below, their world, was small. Proto Man knew the feeling, it was how flying jets made him feel.

"Though I have family. Keeps me grounded," Dr. Cossack added, looking back at Proto Man. He lowered his voice. "If things don't work out for you at Light's laboratory…you could come stay at mine."

It took a moment for Proto Man to register this suggestion. He gave a small start. "…Huh?"

"It may not be a fortress, but it's close. My work is secretive, and frequently dangerous. You know I used to work with R.I.P., now I'm head of a company that studies aliens. There's even deeper secrets, but I don't trust you with the rest."

"Heh, oh yeah?" Proto Man responded dubiously, wanting to laugh, though a part of him toyed around with the hypothetical idea of working for Dr. Cossack. "I'm a little tired of job offers—" he said, smirking.

"It's not a job offer. I don't need a lab assistant, or even a security guard. But perhaps we could find you something you're interested in."

Proto Man's smile faded a little. "You can't be serious. Why are you doing this?"

"Because if we both stay on the tracks, we're going to get hit by a train."

"...Uh, what?"

"It's a metaphor."

"Oh. Weird. If I were you, I'd leave metaphors to Shakespeare."

Scratching the back of his helmet, Proto Man looked back through the windows of the party. He could make out a countdown clock on the hanging T.V.s— Dr. Light and Roll should be showing up soon, he'd need to make sure they were distracted.

"…What happened to your, uh, friend?" he heard Dr. Cossack ask tentatively.

"Who?"

"Elec Man. …He is your friend, right?" Dr. Cossack added with a slight edge to his voice.

Proto Man felt his circuits constrict. "I lost contact with everyone at Skull Fortress."

"Shame. Miss him too?"

"Uh…" Proto Man hesitated, the recent fight cutting into him sharply. How betrayed would Elec Man feel if he knew who Proto Man was talking to, and about what?

"If somehow you came into contact again, I would take him in too, no questions asked," Dr. Cossack continued without waiting for an answer. "I'm sympathetic to his situation. My law enforcement days are long over. Quint would like a peer; for him, it would be like having an older brother."

"That's uh, nice and all, but Elec Man doesn't like you," Proto Man responded bluntly.

"I will not go after his prior criminal associates. I believe that is his only issue in working for me over Wily," Dr. Cossack retorted coldly. "So…what do you think?"

For a split second, Proto Man thought about Dr. Cossack's offer, of making this alliance real…

But his thoughts drifted back toward Dr. Wily and everything they had gone through. Yeah, impersonating a good guy was annoying, but Dr. Wily's missions were usually pretty fun. Proto Man had gotten Dr. Wily this far, crime by crime. If Proto Man suddenly left Dr. Wily to fend for himself against Mega Man, and Dr. Wily was arrested for crimes he wouldn't have ever been capable of committing without Proto Man's help, wouldn't Proto Man feel somehow responsible? His conscience squirmed.

At that same time, it was dawning on Proto Man just how serious Dr. Cossack was being. Proto Man felt that strange, unspoken yet natural affinity between himself and Dr. Cossack, almost like a magnetic pull. Something that had never existed between him and Dr. Light.

The feeling scared Proto Man.

"…Proto…?"

Proto Man moved quickly away from the balcony. "Uh, Nice catching up. Gotta go."

He stalked off toward the balcony door, almost angry. How could Dr. Cossack be doing this? Things were fine. He was fine being second-in-command to Dr. Wily. He was fine with the mysterious yet undefined relationship with Dr. Cossack. He was fine not talking to or about Dr. Light. Yeah, things were messy between him and Mega Man and Elec Man right now, but he'd deal with it himself.

He pushed his way back into the party, the red-headed man with a suit scrambling out of his way with a curse. Proto Man ignored him as he forged through the crowd to rejoin Deacon in the green room. The polls were about to close, the votes would be counted, and Cut Man and Guts Man would be breaking in soon. He refocused on the next steps of the mission, his conversation with Dr. Cossack joining Mega Man's and Elec Man's in an unpleasant murky blur.

But he was waylaid as he collided into a very large and solid robo-bodyguard suddenly blocking his path like a concrete pillar.

"Oops, pardon us," said a pompous, careless voice.

Proto Man took a step back, resisting an impulse to draw a blaster and reduce the drone into a smoking pile of circuits. Not yet, he reminded himself. He turned toward the speaker.

The human was tall with broad shoulders, wore a fedora, and had a short beard styled in an imposing sort of way. His green eyes surveyed Proto Man with keen intent. "Ah, Proto Man, robot of the hour."

"Senator—" Proto Man glanced down at the name badge pinned to the human's camel hair coat.

"King. Just call me King."

"King?"

"Yes." King flashed a shark-like grin with every one of his straight white teeth. Then his eyes darted around the room, as though checking to make sure no one was in earshot. "Things may be changing in politics," he told Proto Man in an important undertone. "I suppose that's why you left Wily."

Proto Man was impatient to leave before he received yet another job offer, but the last statement had caught his attention. "What's that supposed to mean?"

King raised his eyebrows. "Didn't you know? You are pals with busybody Deacon, so I thought—well, as you should have heard, R.I.P. may no longer be barred from the U.S. Remember 'the day the moon fell,' and how R.I.P. was given emergency jurisdiction to stop Wily?" He gave a sly, knowing smile. "It could be like that every day for Wily…we—that is, the U.S. government, knows where his fortress is."

The words sunk in like icy water. Proto Man felt slightly uneasy. Sure, Deacon had mentioned R.I.P. earlier. Proto Man had brushed the news off then, but King had just accurately reframed it as a threat. "Uh…okay? Great. The sooner Wily is brought to justice, the sooner the world is a better place," he said, answering as he imagined Mega Man would. But he couldn't help but stare at King, who seemed as out of place amongst the pasty politicians at Deacon's election party as a viper in a colony of hamsters. "…The hell are you doing here? Are you even from New York?"

"Just wanted to make your acquaintance in a 'friendly' setting, Red Bomber." King smiled again lazily, as if to say 'I go wherever I want, idiot.' For a moment, Proto Man thought he saw King's eyes flicker toward the balcony, but then they had moved on toward the exit. "Well…if you ever need an ally…"

King left it at that, then with a smug shrug, strode off, his robo-bodyguards parting the way ahead of him as smoothly as the prows of twin battleships, receiving bemused looks from the half-tipsy crowd.

Proto Man stood on the spot, studying the robo-bodyguards as they followed King into an elevator to the lobby. He had never seen government drones like that. Dr. Cossack's offer had been blown completely out of his mind. If what King said was true…then Dr. Wily needed to get a move on.

Gritting his teeth, Proto Man 'accidentally' shoved a photographer who was trying to take his photo into a punch bowl as he made his way back toward the green room.

Mega Man shifted restlessly on the lab table. Like a hospital bed, it had a remote control built into its arm rest. Mega Man turned one of the overhead CRT monitors on the mainframe computer to the TV, flipping to a station covering the election. For a few moments, he watched live footage of the auditorium in Deacon's election headquarters, now packed with humans carrying Deacon signs and cheering happily, then sighed. At least I can keep an eye on things by watching the news…

It was boring coverage. His thoughts returned to ruminate on Proto Man. He had spoken honestly at the park and didn't feel bad about what had been said, but what if Proto Man really had changed? For a moment, he entertained the fantasy that Proto Man had quietly switched sides, that Proto Man and Roll were on the case at the election, having fun, and Mega Man had the day off. He smiled a bit, but then steered himself back to reality. Yeah right.

He looked at the time remaining on the scanner. It seemed to be stuck at 1%, 10 hours remaining. He watched the progress bar angrily for awhile, expecting the 10 hours to flip to some sort of countdown…but it did not. Clearly, Dr. Light had intended him to sleep through this tedious process.

Truthfully, a small part of him thought sleep sounded good, to just drift off to the lulling sound of the scanner…but he couldn't give in. Sitting still had to be making things worse. He was feeling better now, and would be feeling better if he got moving, shaking whatever was going on out of his system.

Minutes ticked by, the election footage continued to drone on while the diagnostics progress bar was as agonizingly still as a frozen computer screen. Finally, Mega Man could stand it no longer. He couldn't shake the feeling that no one was taking the situation with Proto Man seriously. He had to do something. He'd just take is slow, save his energy until it really counted. But Rush had left with Dr. Light and Roll, how would he get to the election headquarters in time?

Mega Man scanned the laboratory, then spied the maroon Flight Suit sitting on another lab table, where it had recently been cleaned and polished. He stood up, pleased to find that he wasn't feeling dizzy at all, and hurried over to snap it on over his armor. Opening the swirling canopy exit in the laboratory's ceiling, Mega Man jumped into the air and turned on the Flight Suit's thrusters.

To be continued…