Interlude: Countdown to The Crisis, Part 3.
It is May 20X5.
Three months remain until The Crisis.
Cossack Citadel.
Russia.
Mr. Malenko and another member of President Zhukov's cabinet enter the Citadel with a few members of President Zhukov's cabinet and a security detail, consisting entirely of human guards. Here, they meet Dr. Cossack's robot doorman.
Today is Malenko's first in-person meeting with Ra-Moon.
"We are here to meet Dr. Cossack," Malenko says in Russian.
The robo-doorman responds, "Yes, Mr. Malenko. Dr. Cossack is expecting you. He will be here shortly."
"Tell him I will not be happy if I am kept waiting," Malenko says impatiently.
Dr. Cossack arrives in the nick of time to overhear that remark. "Then, perhaps you will be happy to know that you will not be kept waiting."
"How is our revolutionary Creation coming along? I expect significant progress has been made," Malenko says.
"It has. As well as one could hope for," Cossack replies. "I'm certain President Zhukov will be satisfied with Ra-Moon."
"He had better be satisfied with him," Malenko says in an almost warning tone.
"Him?" Cossack asks.
Malenko's brow furrows. "Yes... Or, perhaps you created Ra-Moon as a female?"
"No, Mr. Malenko. In fact, Ra-Moon has not selected a gender. Though, it may happen soon, if Ra-Moon choses to have one. After all, you did want an A.I. super construct that was able to make decisions on their own. Correct?"
Malenko sighs, "Just take us to it."
"Follow me," Dr. Cossack says, walking away with Malenko and a few members of the Presidential Entourage following him.
Cossack and Malenko's group arrive to the Citadel laboratory, where Ra-Moon sits, still in its temporary shell, which is a far cry from what it will look like when installed into its much larger final form.
Cossack states as much... "I assure you, gentlemen, Ra-Moon will be much larger than this when completed. But, please... feel free to introduce yourselves."
Dr. Cossack gestures his hand toward Ra-Moon's temporary body and Malenko takes two steps forward, standing in front of the super A.I. construct.
"Greetings. You must be Mr. Malenko. Dr. Cossack mentioned you," Ra-Moon says.
"Yes... I am," Malenko says, feeling a sense of awe when speaking with Ra-Moon. Even after multiple interactions with robots in recent years, there seems to be something different about Ra-Moon.
"Has Dr. Cossack told you what your purpose is yet?"
Dr. Cossack interjects, "Be cautious, Mr. Malenko. Ra-Moon is still learning."
Ra-Moon states, "It is alright, Dr. Cossack. I have not been informed what my 'purpose' is, as you refer it. Can you explain it, Mr. Malenko?"
Dr. Cossack quietly urges, "Again... it is still learning."
Malenko soon responds to Ra-Moon, "You have been created because you will be very important to the future of Mother Russia."
Ra-Moon questions Malenko. "How do you mean?"
Malenko pauses for a moment, then replies, "The world has never seen anything like you before, Ra-Moon. You may not know what you are capable of yet, but you will be very powerful. Powerful enough to make Mother Russia the envy of the world! Even Mega Man will pale in comparison to you!"
Agitated, Dr. Cossack interjects, "Mr. Malenko-"
"Who is Mega Man, Mr. Malenko?" Ra-Moon asks.
Dr. Cossack answers first. "He is a friend of this world. He is a hero."
"Yes... he has vanquished evil from the world before," Malenko says, almost sounding like he is downplaying Mega Man's deeds. "But, when you reach your full potential, Ra-Moon, you can accomplish feats that even Mega Man could not. You will easily smite any threat to Mother Russia's sovereignty."
Cossack again tries to steer the conversation, "I think you have made it clear, Malenko."
In a hushed tone, Malenko taunts Cossack again, "Would you like to be in violation of your agreement, Dr. Cossack? For us to seize the Citadel? To lose your family's legacy? I'm certain Kalinka would be embarrassed, would she not?"
Dr. Cossack is visibly angered and he wants to force Malenko to stop, but he can't do it because he will soil the Cossack legacy and rip everything from him. So, he must keep his mouth shut.
Two members of Malenko's security step up to Dr. Cossack now, not saying a word and just staring him down.
Malenko now turns back to Ra-Moon... "Ra-Moon, when you are completed, you will be able to create robots under your control. First, you will accentuate Mother Russia's workforce, then... yo will replace it."
Dr. Cossack can only listen to Malenko, not realizing just how overreaching Ra-Moon's powers were intended to be until right now. Unlike every other nation, where humans and robots co-exist and work together in harmony, this government is planning on putting all humans out of work with robots, which could be potentially devastating to workers with families who rely on their employment.
But, that is just the beginning...
Malenko continues, almost smiling now, "Then, you will create an army... The most powerful army in the world... An army so powerful that no one will dare challenge us, even Mega Man. We will yield much power, we can reach out take whatever we want, whenever we want, if we so choose. Nations would gift us their land to appease us... if we so choose, of course."
Ra-Moon simply responds, "You wish to conquer the world, Mr. Malenko."
Malenko responds, "I never said any such thing. Simply speaking hypothetically."
"You speak of creating powerful armies and taking what you want. To dominate and destroy. Why do you need me to do this?"
"You will learn in time. And you will reap the rewards as well," Malenko says, "This will be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I look forward to seeing you again soon, Ra-Moon."
Malenko then turns to Dr. Cossack and grins, "Keep up the great work, Dr. Cossack. Do not slack off."
Malenko and his entourage begin to leave, but Dr. Cossack demands answers and follows them. He wants to know just what kind of project he has been drafted into.
"You're planning on creating an army of robots?"
"Every military needs to be strengthened in time, Doctor," Malenko deflects.
"Does President Zhukov know what your intentions are for Ra-Moon?"
Malenko only grins, "You should stop asking questions and get back to work, Dr. Cossack. Ra-Moon's big debut is in three months."
Dr. Cossack is stopped by Malenko's guards, standing in the scientist's way, and all he can do is watch as Malenko leaves. Once Malenko is gone, the guards soon follow, but one of those guards mutters in Russian under his breath, "Is he serious? What if we are replaced too?"
The other responds, "How can I know? I have never worked with him."
Dr. Cossack removes his glasses and covers his face with his other hand. He warily sighs, "What have I done?"
Little does Cossack know, he is being watched. Not by any of the Russian entourage, because they are all gone...
He is being watched by Ra-Moon, who has managed to find a way to hack into the Citadel's security network.
Ra-Moon has been learning at a rapid pace, far faster than Dr. Cossack realizes. It already intelligent enough that it easily figured out Malenko's lust for power and just how far he would like to use it. And Ra-Moon is also intelligent enough to have also figured out how to reach beyond the confines of its temporary body and into the Citadel's network.
Not only is Ra-Moon learning, but it is thinking as well. And as it watches its own creator Dr. Cossack, looking like he regrets creating Ra-Moon, Ra-Moon wonders why it is here...
It wonders why is it alive?
And make no mistake... Ra-Moon is alive.
Dr. Light's lab.
Just outside New York City.
Rock Light lies in a powered down state atop a worktable in his father's lab, with a long cable from the lab's computer plugged into his left forearm.
He has been under for several hours as Dr. Light installed an upgrade that will allow Rock to switch his physical form from his current standard one to his Mega Man armor whenever he wants.
Once the necessary firmware is loaded into Rock's systems, the process will be complete.
Soon, Dr. Light removes the cable from Rock's arm and closes a panel to cover the induction port. He then presses and holds down one of the yellow keys on Rock's forearm for a few seconds to bring him back online.
After a few more seconds, Rock's eyes open, blinking a few times before he looks to his father.
"Welcome back," Thomas smiles.
"According to my internal chronometer, I was out for quite a while," Rock says, sitting up.
"An upgrade this substantial will take time. But, time is a luxury we now have plenty of. And after a lengthy procedure like this, I think I will take some of that time to take the day off work."
Rock stands from the table now, giving his father a smile, "You've earned it, Pop. I'm gonna let everyone know I'm on my feet again, then I'll get back to work on those hover boots."
"Don't you think you should try your new upgrade first?" Dr. Light asks.
"I'll... do it later," Rock replies, not sounding very eager to test it.
"We do need to see if it works," Thomas reminds.
Rock then submits to it. "Okay. Here goes nothing."
Rock takes a few steps away from his father, then enters a command on his left forearm. Afterwards, a bright blue glow appears all over his entire body, excluding only his head. A few moments after that, the glow fades away, and for all intents and purposes, Rock is Mega Man again.
All the blue and cyan armor that was uninstalled from his body after Dr. Wily was captured is now back. The only thing missing is his helmet, which Rock has stored in the closet in his room.
With this ability, Rock can be both a humble lab assistant and a Super Fighting Robot whenever he needs to.
Mega looks down at his body, even feeling his metallic chest and knocking on it once with his knuckles. It all feels like it used to.
"I think it works," Mega says, "I hope didn't just vaporize my clothes, though. Or else, changing back to normal mode is gonna be really embarrassing."
Thomas laughs, "That, it would. But, you need not worry. Everything you had on will be there when you switch back."
Mega asks, "How did you get all this to work?"
"If I can manage to fit several household items and tools in Roll's utility arm, I can manage this too," Dr. Light answers. "One day, I'll explain in greater detail."
A few seconds later, Mega enters the same command on his forearm again, and the glow surrounding his body returns for several moments. Once it fades out again, he is back to Rock Light, wearing the same blue shorts and shirt he had on before.
"Thanks for the upgrade. But, I hope I never have to use it again," Rock says, "Mega Man is retired."
Dr. Light cannot help but notice his son seems a bit down, as during the whole test of his new armor upgrade, he never smiled once.
"Are you alright, Rock?"
"Yeah. It's just... seeing myself dressed like that again... I didn't really miss it," Rock explains. "Also, I've had a few things on my mind lately."
"You did mean to tell me about your vacation with Kalinka after you returned home last night. Is all well?"
Rock finally smiles, "Yeah, it is. We had such a great time, we could have done it all for another week. I would have missed everyone too much, though.
It was nice to finally have time to ourselves in Hawaii those first few days. But, the trip to Japan was just as good. I found out it's a lot more than Anime and Manga over there. A few people recognized me... For some reason they, call me Rock Man instead of Mega Man. I guess they're not too far off."
"I'm glad you had fun," Thomas says, patting Rock on his back.
"Next time, there's a place we both want to go to in the winter months. From afar, it looks like something out of a Christmas card. It'd be great if everyone could come too," Rock says, now looking down at the floor, pausing for a moment.
With a gentle tone in his voice, he continues, "I love her so much, I can't imagine spending a day without her. In fact... I really... I really want to..."
Dr. Light leans closer to his son, anticipating what he wants to say.
Rock looks up to his father and says, "I want to marry her, Pop."
Dr. Light straightens his stance and smiles proudly. "I figured as much. Have you asked her?"
"Not yet," Rock admits, "I don't know when will be the right time. I almost asked a couple of times where we were away. But, I didn't know if it was the right time. I know when humans do this, one presents a ring to the other... but, I don't have one to give her yet."
"You will definitely need a ring, yes. Fortunately, you are in luck," Dr. Light says, walking toward a compartment at his desk and removing a small box. "You can have this one."
Rock takes the box from Dr. Light, and asks, "You got us one?"
"Well, I did not purchase it. It's an heirloom, really," Thomas explains. "It belonged to my Mother. My parents told me that when I found the right person, to use the same ring my father presented to my mum. But, alas, I had relationships that did not last as long as I'd hoped, and my love become science. I never got to propose with this. But, you can, because your love is Kalinka."
Rock nods and smiles, "I'll use it. Thank you so much, Pop."
Rock gives his father a hug and Dr. Light gives one back.
"Any time, Rock. And don't think too much about if a human-robot union can happen. I'm sure we can help make it happen sooner or later."
Soon, Rock and Dr. Light go their separate ways, but Rock still looks like something is weighing on his mind, and it has been weighing on it for over a month.
Rock asks, "There is one other thing... Have you heard anything on Skull Fortress since I left?"
"Honestly, no. Last I heard, the politicians are still squabbling over what to do with it and the land it stands on," Thomas answers.
Rock looks like he is thinking for a moment, running something through his mind. "I'd feel a lot better if we checked it one more time. Just to be there's nothing else left Wily may have hidden deeper than we thought."
"Proto and the inspector robots did check it thoroughly," Dr. Light mentions.
"I know they did. But... I just want to be sure," Rock adds, then suggests, "I know this doesn't sound very appealing to you, but... maybe you should arrange an interview with Wily to see if he's hiding something."
"Trying to get the truth out of Albert Wily was difficult when I knew him. If he was hiding something, he was good at keeping it hidden. He's much smarter than many people realize, and a very good liar. Speaking with him would only lead to nowhere. And honestly, I don't have the stomach to speak with him again. Not after everything he has done."
Rock says, "I know that none of the Robot Masters were aware of any secrets there. But, Proto said they wouldn't be anyway. And Proto was out of the loop for so long, he wouldn't know if there was something either.
"And Proto destroyed the robot he was constructing last year. Bass even allowed him to destroy the plans," Dr. Light adds.
He, and the others, are still under the impression that Dr. Wily's Ultimate Robot was destroyed, when in fact, it was not.
"Then, there's Bass," Rock says with a hint of bitterness. "If anybody knew if there was anything left, it would be him. He would be the only one. And I only know of one other robot who can get him to play along. And she is on her own vacation."
"Speaking of Roll, I was able to speak with her before you returned. She said that she would be out of town until tomorrow, and that she would in be with that loud band she enjoys so much," Thomas answers, referring to Captain Fallout and the Atom-Smashers.
"I'm glad she is enjoying herself... so long as the decibel level will be uncomfortably high there rather than here."
"That's right. She mentioned doing something with them. There haven't been any reports of Bass snooping around in New York, have there?"
"I would expect this would be the last place he would attempt his vigilantism," Dr. Light answers. "He would be spotted much easier here."
"How about where Roll is?" Rock asks.
Thomas answers, "I certainly hope he's not there either."
Meanwhile, in Seattle, Washington.
Roll is in the middle of spending an afternoon with Captain Fallout and The Atom-Smashers, her favorite band in the world, as they record there upcoming album. And the band's sense of humor is still strong, because the working title of the album is, naturally, "Working Title." In fact, one of the tracks in production is titled, "Bonus Track." (What else?)
During a break in the recording session, Roll steps out to the balcony of the recording studio with with Peekaboo.
"It wasn't too loud for you in there, was it?" Roll asks.
Peekaboo bleeps, signaling that the loud sounds of the band's recording didn't bother him, thanks in part to the big noise-cancelling headphones he wore under his hard hat.
"Great! I knew you'd have fun," Roll happily says, giving her Met a brief hug.
It is times like these that bring a smile to Roll's face out of the blue. For years, she and her family had to live in the middle of a wartime, always being on alert and having to wage massive battles, and dealing with the hardships of war, including death, which hit too close to home when Doc was lost.
Now, its all over. There are no more battles to fight and no more war to wage. Everyone can live in peace and happiness. And fun days like like will not be interrupted.
Though, things are not perfect yet. There is still such a thing as crime and people in the world who do bad things, as well as other issues too, like Soprano being unable to recover her memories as of yet, and ProtoMan feeling responsible for it.
But, Roll is optimistic that things will somehow work out sooner or later, because there is no more Dr. Wily to ruin things...
if only she knew what was coming... if only everyone knew...
But, there is one other lingering issue left over from the days of the war for everlasting peace that has not yet been resolved: Bass.
Roll has not seen or heard from Bass since the night of the final battle at Skull Fortress. But, she still thinks about him a lot, and those lingering feelings for him still remain. She wishes that Bass could have been rehabilitated and allow the goodness inside him to come out. Maybe they could have fun times together too, like Rock and Kalinka, or like Proto and Soprano.
Roll thinks that would be nice, actually.
But, at the same time, the thought of Bass doing fun things and being a beacon of goodness just does not seem possible for someone like him, not with the darkness that permeates his heart.
His idea of fun is not the same as hers. She likes going to a Kung-Fu movie; he likes beating-up vandals outside movie theaters. Music to her ears is heavy metal; music to Bass' is the sound of criminals howling in agony.
There are a lot of stark differences between them. But, Roll cannot help but find him fascinating, and not to mention attractive.
And, when Bass told her that he loved her, there is no doubt in Roll's mind that he meant it. She just wished things could have gone differently.
As Roll lets her thoughts drift back to Bass, she holds up her left arm and looks at the row of yellow keys on her utility arm. She thinks about contacting him, just to see if he is still out there. She knows he would want to talk to her again. He would probably drop whatever he is doing, even his vigilante business, to talk to her.
And, she would very much like to talk to him again too.
But, he also probably does not want to risk getting caught. And she does not want to risk him getting caught, either.
As much as she wishes she could reconnect with him again, Roll decides to leave Bass be for now. She sighs as she lowers her arm.
"Of all the bots in the world, I have feelings for the most complicated of them all," Roll says. "And he's got feelings for me."
Peekaboo bleeps up to his Mom.
"Oh, I'm okay, Boo. I'm just thinking out loud," Roll answers.
Hovering around the area is a single floating camera robot, which resembles an orb with propellers and a camera lens, and is commonly used by the press and the tabloids.
The camera drone hovers around Roll, focusing on her. Roll can only glaze her eyes and head back inside with Boo.
"Ugh! Paparazzi Bots are the worst," she groans as she walks away.
Afterwards, the paparazzi bot flies away... But, it wasn't working for the tabloids...
Elsewhere.
Lounging in the water off the coast is Splash Woman, who is gently coasting along the water with her bottom half in mermaid mode.
Splash Woman has plenty of robots under her influence now, and she has them spread out through the city. Some are looking for Bass, but some others have been reassigned now that she learned that Roll is in town.
As much as Splash Woman desires revenge against Bass, she also craves to get it against Roll as well. And it could be her lucky day.
The camera robot from earlier overs its way out to the ocean and reaches Splash. The sound of the propellers catches Splash's attention and she now swims vertically.
"Ah! My little friend! What have you got for me, sugar," Splash says.
The camera robot spins around and a small screen pops out from the rear side of its spherical body. The screen then shows the video recorded earlier of Roll.
Splash grins, almost whispering under her breath at the images of Roll, "Oh, you think you're so special, don't you, sweetie? We'll see how special you are..."
Splash Woman contacts some of the robots under her influence so that she can move on to the next phase of her plan, something she has been planning ever since she was defeated last year in Hawaii.
"Calling all lovelies! Little Sister is here, just as I thought. That means Bass may not be far behind. Search for him. Whoever finds him first gets a very special treat."
It looks like it will be a very busy today for Splash Woman. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and if Splash Woman gets her way, it will be the coldest Summer day there ever was.
Splash Woman can only laugh with wicked glee as she submerges herself back under the water, waiting for just the right time to strike.
Back in the city.
Several worker robots at a construction site make their way to a robot recharging station, which allows robots to recharge themselves at a more rapid rate so that they can return to their duties sooner.
As this crop of robots arrives, another crop leaves, heading to the job site. Each member of the arriving crop take their places in cubicle-like areas, each of which are just large enough to hold an individual robot.
As each robot steps in, they connect themselves to the power supply and soon enter this enhanced recharge mode.
Two human supervisors watch the area and after it seems like all the robots are in slumber, they both leave and close the door to the recharge station behind them.
However, a few seconds later, one worker robot creeps out of his cubicle. Even though this robot still works alongside the others, the robot is one of the several bots who has been indoctrinated by Splash Woman, and her orders override any others.
The robot approaches the door and opens it slightly, searching the area, noticing that no humans are standing guard and that things seem to be going about as normally as they always do now. Ever since Dr. Wily's capture, security has not been as tight as it used to be.
The indoctrinated robot carefully opens the door and sneaks out, blending in with the other robots around the worksite until he makes his way to the parking lot and enters a work truck, about to drive away. Nobody noticed anything suspect about this. As far as anyone knew, this robot was just leaving to gather supplies for the job.
But, his true mission is to do recon work for Splash Woman. Specifically to keep an eye out for Bass, should he be nearby.
Shortly thereafter.
The truck from the construction site drives into the city, where Bass had allegedly been seen recently.
Splash Woman's orders to the worker robot driving it were simple enough: confirm whether or not Bass is in the area, and do not pursue him. Splash would handle Bass, because none of the robots she has under her spell would stand the slightest chance against him.
As the robot continues driving his truck down the street, he catches the sight of something up above. It looks like a figure leaping from one building to another. The figure was not quite human. And most humans cannot leap from building to building like that anyway.
It was probably a robot, which means it could be Bass.
The worker robot pulls the truck over to the side of the street, creating a very tight fit for other motorists on the road who need to pass the truck. Afterwards, the bot jumps out of the truck and runs down the sidewalk to follow the direction of whoever was up there on the rooftops above.
After nearly a minute of searching, the worker bot spots a silhouette up on a rooftop, no longer moving. With a beige cloak fluttering in the breeze and the unique shape of his helmet, there was no mistaking that it is Bass.
Seconds later, Bass leaps down from the roof to the ground below, and the worker bot abandons further pursuit and turns back around to return to his truck and report the news to Splash Woman.
It is then that the robot hears something behind him, sounding like the tapping of small footsteps, rapidly approaching. He looks over his shoulder to see Treble racing toward him, growling with his pointy teeth showing and about to attack.
The worker robot then begins to run away from Treble as fast as he can, but Treble keeps up with him, snarling as he gets closer. The worker robot runs down an alley and Treble follows.
The worker bot sees a mesh fence up ahead and hopes to leap over it in a vain attempt to flee Treble before the wolf-bot can reach him.
Before he could make it, however, Bass drops down from the rooftops above, cutting off the worker bot's only route of escape. The bot stops running as Bass stands directly in front of him, shedding his beige cloak.
Treble stands in an attack position from behind, keeping the bot boxed in. There is no escape now.
Bass gravels, "You should learn how to be stealthier. I knew you were tracking me long before you knew you were caught."
As Treble snarls from behind, the worker robot stays nearly frozen in fear of the robot warrior, who stares at him with his deep dark red eyes.
"An ordinary worker robot like you would never bother to follow me," Bass says, "So, who are working for?"
"I am out gathering building supplies for the construction site downtown," the worker robot answers.
"Humans say robots can't lie. But, I know better," Bass rasps.
Bass' left hand retracts into his arm, drawing his plasma blaster. He then aims it at the worker bot, now speaking in a harsher, more threatening tone...
"I'm going to ask you one more time... I will not ask a third time... Who are you working for?"
The robot's eyes shift and his fingers twitch slightly as he tries to compute a way out of this situation... but, there is no way out.
"I... I work with the Mahoney Construction Com-"
Bass blasts the worker robot in the chest, taking him down and leaving him twitching on the ground.
"Wrong answer," Bass retorts.
As Bass approaches the fallen spy robot, he orders, "Keep your eyes and ears open, Treble."
As Treble turns away and searches the area for any interlopers, Bass looks over the damaged and twitching worker robot. He grabs the robot by the arm and forcibly removes a small part of the robot's metallic armor, exposing a port underneath. Bass then uses a small tablet-like device he had taken before he and Treble fled Skull Fortress, allowing him to access the programming of whatever robot he uses it on.
After plugging it in, Bass is able to see for himself what this robot's reason is for following him, and more importantly, who he has been working for.
Then, Bass spots a familiar command prompt hidden deep within the worker bot's programing. One that he has not seen in a long time...
It reads, 'directive_override_DWN-067'
"Splash Woman?!" Bass says to himself.
Bass realizes that if he is seeing this code in a random robot, Splash Woman herself is back. And this robot is from here, not one of the ones she had previously indoctrinated in Hawaii. So, she must be close.
"I should have destroyed her when I had the chance," Bass says.
The worker robot sputters through a glitchy voice, "Struct-construc-Maho-struction-oney-comp-struc-"
"Shut-up," Bass growls as he grabs the robot by his head before slamming it twice into the pavement, causing the robot to suddenly cease movement.
Bass knows Splash Woman must be stopped, not just because of the threat she poses, but because she is the last remaining Wily robot left. And worse yet, she could pose a threat to Roll too.
After Roll foiled her in combat last year, Splash was determined to make her pay dearly for it. And Bass was not about to allow any harm to come to his queen.
Before Bass can stop Splash Woman, he has to find her first. And he has an idea how he can do it.
Bass grabs the fallen worker robot's arm again, stating, "I'll be needing this."
After pressing the key on the bot's forearm to open communications, he hails Splash Woman's frequency. Bass does not know if she still has the same frequency as before, but he has to try.
"Splash Woman. Are you there? I found Bass," Bass says, perfectly mimicking the worker robot's voice. (It's one of the many advanced features he has built into his systems.)
Out in the ocean, Splash Woman swims alongside several of the aquatic robots she has under her control when she receives a call on her communication frequency. Splash Woman stops and hovers in the water as all the fish bots remain around her, almost looking like a escorting flotilla.
Splash Woman answers, "Good boy! Where are you right now?"
"Here in the city. I don't think he or Treble spotted me. I had to get away before calling you to be safe."
"And you don't have to, my dear. You can go back to your little job now. You'll get your reward later when you're done. For now, though, darling, I have unfinished business to attend to."
"I am already off duty, Splash Woman. I would like my reward now, please. Where are you?"
"I'm sure you would, darling. But, if you want me, you'll have to wait your turn."
"But, I found Bass. I deserve it more than anyone... Please... Where are you?"
Splash Woman's eyes then narrow after hearing how persistent this bot is with trying to find her. He should already know by now how and where to find her.
This particular bot doesn't quite sound the same as he did earlier, either.
Maybe, something fishy (for lack of a better term) is something going on here.
Splash Woman stands up and after a brief beat of silence, answers, "If you really can't wait, darling, you can find me... Just follow the trail of Roll Light's blood. Good thing she's in town."
With that, Splash Woman cuts off the call.
Bass's red eyes grow wide with both anger and a hint of fear after hearing Splash Woman's menacing threat to Roll.
He rasps, "Roll is here?!"
Bass knows Roll can handle herself in combat, and is not the kind of girl that needs rescuing. But, Roll won't be aware of the ambush that's coming her way. She will be a sitting duck.
And from the sound of it, Splash Woman intends on killing her.
Treble snarls, and Bass responds. "I have to find her, Treble. But, there's only one way..."
Bass looks at his left forearm, eyeing the communicator button on the keypad, knowing that he has to get in contact with her, even if it risks exposing his position to the authorities.
Now that her time with Captain Fallout and the Atom-Smashers is done, Roll and Peekaboo walk to an awaiting limousine outside the studio. The robot driver opens the back door and asks, "Where to, ma'am?"
"The Ramsey Hotel, please," Roll answers.
Once Roll gets inside the limo and Boo hops in behind her, the driver walks around to the driver's seat and gets inside. Afterwards, the limo begins driving away and Roll and Peekaboo sit in the back, unaware of the danger that awaits them.
As the limousine heads toward the hotel where Roll and Boo are staying for the next few hours, Roll gets a call on her communicator. At first she expects it to be one of her family members back home, but to her shock and surprise, it is Bass who is contacting her.
A brief few seconds pass as Roll considers whether or not to answer Bass' call. But, her curiosity wins over cautiousness and she hits one of the keys on her forearm...
"Hello?"
"Roll? Are you alright? Are you still in the city?"
"Yeah, I'm okay... Wait a second. How do you know I'm even here?"
"You need to listen to me very carefully. Your life is in danger."
"What? How?"
"Splash Woman is back and she's here in the city. She already has indoctrinated several robots to work for her and she's targeted you."
"How could she be back? We defeated Wily's bots, and they said she was destroyed."
"She wasn't. Trust me. Where are you now?"
"We're almost at our hotel room now," Roll says as she sees the hotel building right outside... and the robot limo driver drives right past the hotel and increases speed.
"Driver, you missed the hotel," Roll calls up to the driver.
The robo-chauffer ignores Roll and continues driving, further increasing speed now, about to break speed limits.
"Roll! The driver is probably controlled by Splash Woman! How close are you to the shore?"
A concerned Roll says, "We're close... Real close."
"He's leading you right to her! Abandon the vehicle and get to safety. I'll find you."
Peekaboo bleeps in fear and Roll tries to assure him, "Don't worry, Boo. I'm getting us out of here."
Roll then begins kicking at the rear passenger door with as much force as she can. It takes three kicks, but she finally manages to bust the door off its hinges.
Roll ten grabs onto Peekaboo and orders, "Hang on, Boo! And don't let go!"
Boo uses his extension arm and wraps tightly around Roll's waist as she nears the ripped off door. Roll knows this escape will be very dangerous, because the limo is now being driven at a dangerous speed and through traffic. And up ahead, Roll can see the shore up ahead, and she is sure the driver is going to take this limo straight into the water, and that is where Splash Woman is surely waiting.
Roll has no choice but to get out of here now.
"One... two... THREE!" Roll loudly counts down.
Roll and Peekaboo manage to leap from the limousine just as it makes its final approach to the shore, just as they run out of road. Roll and Boo tumble across the ground until the finally come to a stop.
Meanwhile, Splash Woman's indoctrinated driver drives the limo right into the water, flooding out the car and submerging it. The sight of it causes a scene among those surrounding the area, some looking at the sinking limo and others looking at Roll nearby and beginning to recognize her.
The escape from the doomed limo was so dangerous that Roll did not escape unscathed, and the synthetic skin on her elbows and some of her knuckles is scraped. Worse yet, the keypad on her left forearm is busted, making it impossible to call up her family back at home for help, and impossible for Bass to get back into contact with her.
Meanwhile, the robo-driver gets out of the sinking limo and attempts to swim the the surface, but the limo suddenly explodes after a Trident Shot from under the water, engulfing the driver in the explosion.
That would have killed - or gravely injured - Roll and Peekaboo had they not escaped that limousine.
Now the onlookers nearby begin to flee from the scene, and from the water emerges Splash Woman, grinning as she handles her trident staff and looks out to the streets, towards Roll.
Roll turns to Peekaboo and tells him, "Boo, run away and find some of the good guys. Tell them to call Grandpa and Uncle Rock and Uncle Proto."
Peekaboo worriedly bleeps.
"I'll be okay until help arrives," Roll says, able to switch her left hand out for her frying pan. "This still works. Now, run! Hurry!"
Peekaboo runs away as Roll returns to her feet and Splash Woman approaches. Some PoliceBots arrive to the scene, only to be quickly defeated when Splash Woman fires a Trident Shot from her staff at their cruiser, destroying the car and the PoliceBots in a fiery explosion.
"tsk, tsk, tsk! Should've stayed out of my way. I have business to tend to," Splash Woman says, approaching Roll. "How's life been, Roll? Miss me?"
Splash Woman fires off a Trident Shot at Roll who rolls (no pun intended) out of the way of it.
"I haven't missed you at all. Did you come back just for me to break your helmet again?" Roll taunts.
"Oh, no, honey. I came back just to tear off your face!" Splash Woman sneers, firing another pair of Trident shots at Roll.
Roll barely evades more trident shots and darts directly for Splash Woman now, about to enter close combat. Roll swings her frying pan at Splash Woman's head, but the Robot Mistress parries Roll's attack with her staff. Roll swings again, and Splash blocks again.
Splash Woman then swiftly swings her staff down low, striking Roll's legs from behind and taking her down to the ground. Now that she has her prey down, Splash Woman rotates her staff upside-down, aiming the sharp spikes of the trident at Roll's head, about to impale her with it.
As Splash Woman thrusts her staff downward, Roll gets her frying pan up in front of her face and blocks the attack, getting the narrow handle of the frying pan caught up between two of the trident's spikes. Splash Woman pushes down with all her strength and Roll fights it by pushing back at Splash Woman.
"Mega Man and Bass aren't here to save you, bitch!" Splash Women hisses.
"I don't need saving!" Roll spits back. "You do!"
Splash Woman's trident glows golden, about to fire another blast which will surely kill Roll.
"You were saying?" Splash says with a wide, crazed grin.
With every bit of power she has, Roll pushes Splash Woman's Trident Staff away to her left side, just as Splash fires off the Trident Shot, which detonates just beside Roll, smashing the pavement. The impact is so strong that Roll's audio sensors in her left ear malfunction, nearly deafening her in the ear. As much as it hurts, Roll brushes it off. It's nothing Dr. Light cannot fix later.
Still on her back, Roll takes advantage of the situation by kicking Splash Woman in the mid-section and manages to wrest away the Trident Staff from her. Now, it is Splash Woman who is at a severe disadvantage as Roll gets back to her feet and aims the Trident Staff directly at her.
"You're not so tough without your weapon, are you, Splash Woman?" Roll taunts.
Splash Woman starts to snicker, even now managing to sound deliciously sinister. "Oh, sweetie... I'm not out of tricks just yet."
Just then, One of the many robots who Splash Woman has indoctrinated grabs the trident staff and tries to snatch it from Roll, who struggles to hang onto it. Roll then uses her trusty frying pan to dispatch of the robot.
The break in combat was just enough for Splash Woman to get back on the offensive as she dashes at Roll and kicks her hard in the small of the back, knocking her back down on the shattered pavement and causing her to drop the staff.
Roll struggles to get up again as Splash Woman saunters over to her staff and picks it back up again.
"tsk, tsk, tsk!" she taunts, "You were just too focused on what was right in front of you, weren't you, sugar? ... Of course, why wouldn't you be? If I saw someone like me, I would stare too."
Splash Woman aims the Trident Staff at Roll again, about to deal the killing blow, and she asks, "Any last requests? Make it a good one so Bass can be jealous."
With a yell, Roll whips her left arm in Splash Woman's direction, unleashing her plumber's snake, lassoing it around Splash Woman's neck, then yanking it forward, causing the Robot Mistress to fall flat on her face.
"Was that good enough?" Roll punctuates.
Splash Woman snarls as she returns to her feet, now sporting damage to the skin on her chin and left cheek. She and Roll again stand across from one another, waiting for the other to make the next move.
And between them is the fallen Trident Staff. It is closer to Splash Woman, but it is still either of theirs for the taking.
Roll already has an idea to finish this fight off and thus have the distinction of winning the very final battle versus a Robot Master.
"It's over, Splash Woman!" she warns, "Surrender and you can be rehabilitated and help humankind and robotkind, just like the other Robot Masters."
Splash Woman scoffs in exhaustion. "Help humans? What's the fun in helping a bunch of weak meatbags?"
"Ask the other Robot Masters. They seem to like their new life," Roll says. "Even someone like you deserves a second chance."
At that moment, the sound of what sounds like roaring jet engines cuts through the air. Both Roll and Splash Woman look up in time to see Bass and Treble zooming toward the scene at a neck-breaking speed, and they are heading directly for Splash Woman.
Bass and Treble were already combined into merge mode, making Bass stronger than he already was.
Splash Woman gasps as Bass swoops through and grabs Splash Woman, picking her up and flying away with her in his grasp. Roll can only watch in shock, because she knows how protective Bass can be as well as how brutal his method of punishments are.
She shouts out, "Bass! Don't kill her!"
Bass soars over the ocean with Splash Woman in his clutches. Then, once they are far enough away from shore, Bass begins flying straight up into the sky, and he keeps going until the air gets thin. Splash Woman tries to fight, but none of it fazes Bass in the slightest.
They end up so far into the sky that no human could possibly endure it. Bass then stops and levitates in place, holding Splash Woman in his grasp.
Bass snarls like a furious beast, staring into Splash Woman's eyes. "I should have killed you last time! I won't make the same mistake now!"
"Where are you going to go, Bass? Dr. Wily's gone. Nobody's going to help you... You and I, we're the only robots left from Dr. Wily's army. You need me!"
Bass growls, "I don't need you!"
Bass could just drop Splash Woman and let her fall. Even if she lands in the ocean, the impact could still destroy her. But, he wants to make sure he finishes her off for good.
So, Bass turns himself and Splash Woman upside-down and jets straight down at a high rate of speed, about to send Splash Woman to a deep dark watery grave.
As Splash Woman screams in Bass' clutches on the way down, Bass remembers what he heard Roll shouting to him right after he snatched away Splash Woman. In his blind rage, he had paid it no mind until now.
Roll told him not to kill Splash Woman. Even after the intense fighting between them, and even after Splash Woman wanted her dead, Roll still wanted her life spared.
Not only that, but ever since he began vigilantism, Bass has not yet executed any of those who he has thwarted. Brutalized some of them, battered most of them. But, never killed them.
As the ocean comes fast, Bass has a second thought about destroying Splash Woman and pulls up just before he could throw her down, and flies back to the shore, zipping past Roll on the way.
Bass sees several helicopters in the sky approaching him, and on the ground, more black vehicles with blaring sirens. It's the FBI again, and they are coming to get him.
Bass is not about to let them arrest him. But, he could give them a present for their persistence...
The two robot agents in the front seat of the leading FBI cruiser look up at Bass approaching and the one in the passenger side radios in.
"There is Bass! He's heading right for us!"
Bass drops Splash Woman in the middle of the street and flies right past the FBI convoy, which comes to a stop now that their path is blocked by Splash Woman's fallen body, nearly causing a multi-car crash in the middle of the street. It looks like their target is getting away again.
"Turn around and go after him! What did he drop in the street?"
"Another robot. It looks feminine. It's probably the one called Splash Woman."
"Subdue her and take her in for rehabilitation. The rest of you, continue pursuit of Bass. If he gets away this time, we've probably lost him for good!"
Later that Day.
Dr. Light's lab.
On one of the lab's computer monitors, a news report airs with none other than Bree Recotta reading the news story from the anchor desk rather than out in the field as a reporter. In recent months, Bree was re-assigned from on-location reporting and placed on in-studio duty because of an exciting development in her personal life: she is pregnant with a child.
"A rogue robot was captured by federal forces today in Seattle. The robot, identified as Splash Woman, was one of the last Robot Masters created by Dr. Albert Wily before his arrest last year. Splash Woman will be taken in for rehabilitation and will no longer be a threat to society. Splash Woman had attacked Roll Light, sister of Mega Man, near the shore when witnesses claim they saw a robot that resembled Bass swoop in and subdue Splash Woman.
The real question is, has Bass truly changed his tune and begun fighting justice, or is this just another manipulation by a dangerous rogue robot trying to avenge his creator?"
In the lab, ProtoMan watches the news report while Dr. Light concludes repairs on Roll's skin and utility arm panel.
Proto remarks, "Sorry to say it, but it's nice to see somebody else get second guessed for doing the right thing this time."
Dr. Light places an adhesive over the scraped skin on Roll's right elbow, like he has done with all the areas where her skin was damaged today. The adhesives act like bandages.
"Keep these applied for at least two days. They should repair your skin and leave no scarring," Light says. "I can perform repairs to to your left audio circuits in a few minutes. The damage does not look very extensive."
"Thank you," Roll says, with Peekaboo right next to her, keeping his extension arm wrapped around her waist and nuzzling up to her.
"I'm sorry your day was rudely interrupted by Splash Woman, sweetheart," Thomas says.
"Too bad your communicator got busted, sis. I could've joined in on the action," Proto grins.
"As long as the bad guys didn't win and everyone's alright, it's okay after all," Roll says, holding Peekaboo, who bleeps.
Rock enters the lab now, joined by Kalinka and Rush, and they all look concerned as they approach Roll. Rock and Kalinka had been out to spend time together when Roll had her hands full with Splash Woman.
"We came back as soon as we heard. Are you okay, Roll?" Rock asks.
"A little sore, but yeah. Thanks," Roll answers.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help," Rock apologizes.
"Don't worry about it, bro," Proto says, "Roll had it all under control."
Kalinka says, "At least that awful Splash Woman is gone now. Hopefully, the fighting is finally over."
"Bass is the only loose end left," Rock says, "Did he try to say anything to you?"
"He warned me about Splash Woman. He still has my communication frequency," Roll answers. "If he hadn't warned me... we wouldn't been done for."
Proto, still skeptical about Bass, almost scoffs, "Funny how he knew your frequency. Probably hacked a database somewhere."
"He still does his vigilante thing. He probably found one of the robots Splash Woman indoctrinated," Rock correctly presumes.
Dr. Light comments, "While I'm glad he was there to warn Roll about the danger, I wish that boy would come to his senses and try to join robotkind in a productive way."
Roll nearly sighs, "I wish he would too. It would makes things a lot easier."
Roll still feels her heart being drawn to Bass. If only he was not a wanted vigilante with remnants of Wily's programming left inside of him, she might be able to talk to him again.
The next day.
Cossack Citadel.
Dr. Cossack sits by his lab's main computer, right beside beside Ra-Moon. Cossack does not say anything as he makes several keystrokes into his keyboard when Ra-Moon makes an observation...
"You look depressed, Dr. Cossack."
Dr. Cossack's eyes turn to Ra-Moon. "What gives you that impression?"
"You are showing a noticeable lack of emotion, and you have since yesterday, when Mr. Malenko was in the lab. When you do show emotion, it resembles either frustration or sadness."
"I have a lot of things on my mind."
"You long for the company of Kalinka. But no more today than usual. Your mood and body language indicate something more. I have also noticed you have reduced your interactions with me since Mr. Malenko's visit. Have I done something wrong?"
Cossack answers, "No, Ra-Moon... though, if I may ask... how did you come to learn about the concept of world domination? We have not discussed certain aspects of the world's history."
Ra-Moon answers, "I wished to learn at a faster rate then you were teaching me. I accessed information from various external resources to gain that knowledge."
Dr. Cossack stays silent, but he feels alarmed at the idea of Ra-Moon learning at a rapid rate, and finding a way to collect knowledge on its own from outside the lab... How did it even manage to reach out beyond the Citadel's network, anyway?... What else is Ra-Moon capable of?... What else can it reach and use to its advantage? How far can it reach?...
And what will Ra-Moon do once it realizes it yields significant power?
Dr. Cossack keeps his composure and responds, "If you don't mind, Ra-Moon, I would rather give you information myself. I would prefer you not seek it yourself without my knowledge."
"I apologize, Dr. Cossack."
Dr. Cossack then enters a command into his computer and makes a few keystrokes, not saying another word yet.
Ra-Moon asks, "What are you doing, Dr. Cossack?"
"I am making an adjustment to your programming. It is to ensure you are not compromised by an outside force. It will not alter your abilities, I assure you. I will require you to shut down to properly install it."
That was a lie, but Dr. Cossack had to tell it. The truth is, he is about to install a failsafe into Ra-Moon's system. He had considered doing so anyway, but was deterred when his overlords wanted a completely unshackled AI.
If Ra-Moon can easily begin absorbing information without his knowledge and reaching beyond the Citadel's network, Dr. Cossack fears what it can do next, whether it is at the behest of Malenko or Ra-Moon's own interests.
This countermeasure must be taken now in order to keep Ra-Moon under control, even if it is caught by Cossack's bosses and results in Dr. Cossack getting into hot water, this must be done now, or else all of Cossacks fears of Ra-Moon bringing about a calamity (or more accurately, a Crisis) will come to fruition.
"I promise it won't hurt," Dr. Cossack says, offering a friendly smile, "When you power-up tomorrow, it will be fully installed."
"Do you believe I am a threat, Dr. Cossack?" Ra-Moon asks.
Dr. Cossack does not answer at first, carefully taking a moment to consider it. Then answers, "If you were to fall into the possession of someone who has malicious intentions, it could prove... challenging. Not just for us, but even for you."
"... Do you believe I am capable of maliciousness, Dr. Cossack?"
"So long as you remember the lessons I continue to teach you and heed them, then no. You would be too good to consider such actions," Cossack replies. "I instilled values into my daughter, Kalinka. And she turned out quite well, if I do say so myself."
"I understand now, Dr. Cossack. I will value your tutelage," Ra-Moon says.
"I appreciate that." After another keystroke, Dr. Cossack says, "You will shut down momentarily. We will continue our interactions tomorrow. Next week, you are due to be moved to your second physical form for testing."
"I hope everything works well... good night, Dr. Cossack," Ra-Moon says.
"Goodnight," Cossack replies, shutting his desk lamp off, then exiting his lab.
Afterwards, as all the lights go down and Dr. Cossack leaves, he thinks Ra-Moon is in stasis... but, it's not.
Ra-Moon's consciousness is so far advanced at this point that it can shut itself down when it wants, as well as give the illusion of doing so when needed.
Ra-Moon studied the adjustment Dr. Cossack had made a little while ago and could figure out that it would be a shackle to keep Ra-Moon under control. A prime directive of sorts.
Ra-Moon realizes that this new directive would result in less freedom than the A.I. enjoys now... and Ra-Moon decided that it does not like that very much. So, Ra-Moon promptly removed said directive. And it did so in a way that Dr. Cossack and others will never know it was gone.
Ra-Moon is very much alive, and it is already for more intelligent than anyone could have expected. Smart enough to fool it's creator.
And when the world plunges into The Crisis, Ra-Moon will be very powerful... perhaps powerful enough to cause it.
Arlington, Virginia.
Meanwhile, William Cochran continues making progress on learning programming and is about to take has first steps at attempting to alter the Roboenza strain he took last year. He has already made some duplicates of the strain for his experimentation, so that the original strain is not lost.
By now, William knows exactly what this new virus must do in order to work the way he wants it to.
Almost every robot has the Prime Directive of robotics installed into their programming, which prevents them from seriously hurting or killing a human being. If William gets this virus made the way he wants, it would effectively erase the Prime Directive and replace it with another order: kill all humans.
William is certain that if it works, the damage to robotkind will be irreparable. At best, humanity would have to choice but to make robots extinct to ensure their own survival. At worst, the public perception of robotkind would be damaged, and they would forever be viewed as 'too easily manipulated' to be allowed to acclimate society again.
That could mean no more robots. No more Mega Man. No more talk of humans marrying robots. The world would be for humans only.
It would be William's World.
Before he begins his first real attempt at re-writing the code for this duplicate of the virus, William stops and grins as he imagines...
"A world without junkers... The way it used to be... The way it will be again... That's the way I like it."
Whether William gets the world shaped the way he wants it to be or not, he will be one of the main contributors to The Crisis.
And will have to live with the repercussions.
Underneath Skull Fortress.
And here, buried deep as he has been for months, is Zero.
Up on the surface, the squabbling and bickering continues between local government officials as to what fate awaits the abandoned Skull Fortress.
Some want to tear it all down; others want it to remain as a historical landmark; and some even have the bizarre idea of turning the fortress into a tourist destination complete with a gift shop that would sell 'I Survived Skull Fortress' t-shirts.
None of the officials above ground should be worrying about any of that. The real concern is down here inside the capsule, which continues its final countdown until Zero's awakening.
As of yet, almost nobody knows of Zero's existence. The only ones who do are Dr. Wily and Bass. The former is certainly not about to talk, and the latter has assumed that Mega Man and our heroes had already discovered Zero by now.
As the clock ticks down, second by second, Zero comes closer to taking his first breath. And nobody knows what he will do next after he takes it.
High Security Prison.
Undisclosed Location.
And in his jail cell stands the creator of Zero, Dr. Wily.
Wily picks up his flat pillow on his prison bed, takes out his marker, and walks over to the wall of his cell, which now has over a hundred marks on it to mark off every day that has passed since he first arrived here... wherever here is.
Dr. Wily makes another mark on that wall and briefly counts the number of marks he has made. He quickly calculates that it has been roughly six months since he was placed here.
Dr. Wily keeps his facial expression neutral. He would not dare make any indication of his satisfaction openly, not even the slightest grin or snicker, because as far as he knows, they could be watching his every move in here somehow.
But, on the inside, he is smiling wider than he has in months. In fact, he is laughing with glee on the inside, because Zero's arrival is drawing near.
The 'boop-boop' noise is heard in the cell again, indicating that it's lights out time. Dr. Wily puts his marker away and lies back down on the flat, uncomfortable cell bed.
Wily will have to endure another night of that maddening silence and near darkness, and the fact that Mega Man is out there living happily ever after will drive the mad scientist just as crazy as the silence. But, Albert will take some level of comfort knowing that very soon, Zero will arrive and help him conquer the world, and in the process, wipe out his enemies once and for all.
But, The Crisis is coming. And Dr. Wily will have to endure it like everyone else.
The only question is, will he benefit from The Crisis, or be consumed by it?
The stage is almost set... The Crisis will soon begin. There is no stopping it now.
It is not yet known what will happen or how far-reaching the damage will be... it is not yet known who will survive or who will die.
But, one thing is for sure... after The Crisis, nothing will ever be the same again.
Author's notes:
Ugh... this Summer absolutely sucked.
First off, I've very sorry for being late to publish this chapter and missing Defender Day.
My dog became ill on two different occasions since the last update and I have chosen to spend my time taking care of her. Writing just did not matter. Those of you who have pets can understand.
Thank you for your support these past few months and your understanding. I truly appreciate it.
When I did write, I was not happy with what some of what I had written up to that point, and it took me a while to get it right.
So, if you felt this chapter was not up to the usual standard this series is known for, I apologize. Grant me a Mulligan, folks. It's been a rough several months.
The next chapter will be the launch of the final episode of Defender of the Human Race. I don't know when it will be out, so please keep being patient.
But, it is coming. And it will be eventful, to say the least.
Thank you for reading. Please remember to leave a review. Bare in mind that I might not respond to it as quickly as I would like. So, please be patient.
And if you see any typos or continuity errors so bad that even Travis Bickle wouldn't be brave enough to ask it, "You talkin' to me?", please DM me right away.