Chapter 13: End Of The Line
"Revenge is a powerful factor, boss. Believe me, I know. Revenge is the only thing that brought me back, damn your resurrection crap. It was revenge that restored me from Hell. And revenge... shall be their undoing." -Insane Reploid Vile, during the Third Maverick Uprising
"I know you're here, Doc Man." Mega Man growled, looking over the mechanical sprawl of New Guinea. "Where are you..." There was no response. Scowling, Mega looked up at the beautiful night sky; he had been chasing the mad robot so long, night had fallen. The black horizon was clear and beautiful, without a single cloud. He sighed. "On any other night, I'd be glad to just relax and enjoy this... but now, I have more important matters to attend to. Blasting a trio of Hari Harry hedgehog bots out of his way, the blue hero climbed down a ladder to the underground. The Needle Press that had once been there was now ripped out, leaving a sparking hole. Mega smiled grimly.
"Looks like old Doccy decided those things didn't work, and took them all out." He dropped down and slid through a pipe... and another Needle Press slammed down right behind him as he emerged. "Or not. Guess he just took out some..." He groaned, looking ahead. "Or relocated them..." Ahead, where the next Needle Press constantly worked up and down, a second one rose from the floor to meet it, pressing in synch. And beyond them, Rock saw a third from the ceiling as well. He groaned again.
"This won't be easy..." Waiting a moment for the right timing, he jumped between the pair as they seperated, then immediately slid under the third. Right over the spike pit. With an oath, the blue bomber scrambled onto the ledge ahead. "Phew... that was close..." That was when two more opposite Needle Presses came together, crushing his left hand. Screaming, he jerked the appendage out and ran away to the end of the passage.
"DAMN that Doc Man! That layout of Presses, with the spikepit... the whole thing was planned to get me hit by that last set. Cripes..." As he was about to climb the ladder up, Mega spied a large energy capsule on a ledge. "Hello! That would help bring back some energy... but hold on. Lying out in the open... this smells." Summong Rush, he used the Coil to jump up to the ledge, but instead of landing on it, he just clung to the edge with his arms. As he had guessed, the moment he did, another Needle Press sprung out. "Nice try, Doccy." Avoiding it, Mega grabbed the capsule, then got back to the ladder and clambered up. Where there had once been a Hari Harry guarding an E-Tank on a high ledge, there was now just a Giant Springer. After totalling it, Mega looked up, frowning. Before, he had emerged into open ground again here, but now, the mechanical interior continued higher up. Shrugging, he went up the next ladder to a tuny ledge. NOW there was another E-Tank, but it was on a very far-away, small ledge. Impossible to jump to. Mega smiled.
"Rush!" The robotic dog jumped down and transformed into the Jetboard, then ferryed Mega across to the precious resource, and afterwards to the ladder up. Finally, he emerged back into open ground. And was promptly bowled over by another Hari Harry. Wasting it, Mega discovered another metal shutter. "There you are..." He growled. "This time, no getting away." He entered.
"Once more you chase me, and once more you find me!" Doc Man giggled as his enemy entered. "And I thought I was obsessed! You just can't rest until you've killed me dead, can you?"
"Correct." Mega nodded. "You are a threat to the world. For the sake of innocent lives, you must be destroyed."
"Innocent lives? Please!" Doc Man howled. "As if YOU care about innocent lives! You certainly didn't care about MINE when you butchered me back in the first Skull Fortress! No, you chase me because I survived! A kill for you that wasn't killed! You're nothing but a bloodthirsty hunter, Mega Man!"
"And you're an insane psycho." Mega retorted, raising his Buster. "Let's finish this here and now."
"Very well!" Doc Man screamed. "Come forth, spirit of the sky! The wind that rushes and overcomes anything in its path, leaving only chaos in its wake! Come forth... Air Man!" Doc Man raised his arms skywayrd again, and above his head, a hologram appeared... of Quick Man.
"That's Quick Man, dumbass." Mega informed him. Doc Man lowered his arms and glared at Mega.
"I knew that! I was testing you, is all!" The hologram changed to the wide, blue-and-yellow fan-faced robot, and Doc Man absorbed it. "Now, die!" With a familiar peal of insane laughter, he created a maelstrom of small tornadoes that began flying towards Mega Man while high winds pushed him back, keeping him away from Doc Man.
I hate Air Man. Mega thought angrily as he hurdled a tornado and got smacked in the face by another. No Wood Shield or anything remotely resembling it, so I'll have to go with a guess. He fired off a Search Snake which was smashed against the wall by the high winds. No good. Maybe the Hard Knuckle... The heavy projectile was ripped apart by a tornado. Rats! The Needle Cannon? The needles were easily blown askew. DAMMIT!
"Face facts, Mega Man!" Doc Man grinned. "Your weapons simply can't handle this method of attack! There is no way you can win!" Shutting off the winds, he jumped across the room in an attempt to crush Mega underfoot, but the blue robot slid out of the way. Shrugging Doc Man simply resumed the storm.
He might be right... I'm done for if I don't figure something out quick! Mega thought as another tornado hit him. I need something fast, powerful, and long-range that won't be affected by the wind... Shadow Blade's too light, plus it hasn't got the range; neither does the Top Spin, not that I'd use it anyway... that leaves me the Gemini Beam, Spark Shot, or... THE MAGNET MISSILE! A wide grin appeared on the hero's face as he changed colors to red, and fired off a shot. The explosive flew past the tornados and smashed into Doc Man's mug, causing him to howl. "Gotcha!" Mega began firing more, and each one struck home. Furious, the villain shut off the wind and jumped across the room again, but this simply made him even more vulnerable. The last one, however, he actually grabbed out of the air and threw back at Mega, blowing the hero back and stopping the Missiles for a moment. Doc Man pulled out another E-Tank and drained it, then turned to the exit, twitching noticibly.
"Crap! Crap crap crap crap crap!" Still swearing, he dashed away, with Mega Man following behind.
***
"Why am I doing this?" Roll asked herself grumpily as she went through the paperwork for the presentation of Gamma. "Any one of the Lighttech workers would be happy to take care of this, so what am I doing going through it all?" She glared down at Eddie, who was standing next to her foot. "Well?"
"Beep. Beep. Beep." Eddie looked up at her and blinked a few times before attempting to balance on one leg.
"Crap..." Roll growled as she picked the suitcase robot up. "Still got a few bugs in you from that kicking, Ed..." She thumped him on the head a few times until Eddie had ceased his attempts, then set him back down. "Better. Now, where was I? Oh yes, wondering why I was doing this." She sighed; deep down inside, Roll knew the reason she was wading through all the paperwork personally; because she needed to help out somehow, and there wasn't anything else. Back in the First Robot Rebellion, she had wanted to don a blue suit and buster, and help Mega out; unfortunately, the suit meant for her had been stolen by the enemy. After that, seeing what the battles did to Rock pretty much killed what desire she had had to get involved in the actual fighting.
"But I still feel guilty about making him go out there alone..." Roll mumbled. "Enough reflection, Roll. Back to work." She looked back down at the paper, which had the listings for the front-row seats. Aside from several UN members (including Vinkus, unfortunately), there were people who had been involved in the project a great deal, like Mr. X, as well as some others like Dr. Corbun, the former head of Sennet Robotics for the past several years. Unfortunately his predecessor, Dr. Sergei Cossack, was not able to make it. Sadly, Roll crossed out the spots for Froid & Richolds; they wouldn't be needing them now, thanks to Doc Man. As her eyes fell upon her own name and Rock's, the female robot's mind wandered again.
"I wonder how Rock's doing fighting that psycho..." Roll frowned. Doc Man's desperate, failed attempt on Wily's life had answered all the questions about the Rebellion. But... "Something still just doesn't fit..." She didn't know what it was, but Roll had a feeling that there was still one piece of the puzzle that was out of place. And that feeling unsettled her.
"I can figure this out after I get all this crap out of the way." Roll reprimended herself. "Back to work." Bending back over the desk, she began making adjustments to the plans with her pen, and was soon lost in her work once more. Down on the floor, Eddie stared up at her for a few minutes before walking out of the room and falling down the stairs. With a very unladylike oath, Roll jumped up and ran down after him.
***
"Here, take this!" Doc Man laughed as he threw a large energy capsule onto the ground behind him. "It won't do you any good! This is where the chase ends for you, Mega Man!" Laughing, he pointed ahead to where a massive chasm yawned across New Guinea for almost a mile. A parachuting robot dropped down, and Doc Man crushed it, taking its gliding device and jumping out into the void. As Mega watched, stunned, the maniac used the Air Shooter on the underside of the parachute, and it raised him back up. As he made his way across in that fashion, Mega Man frowned and picked up the energy capsule to refill his drained energy meter. As he did, a familiar sound filled the air. Mega chuckled and looked up.
"I figured it was about time you showed up again, Break Man."
"You know me too well." The red robot jumped down from overhead and landed next to the hero. "It's been a while." He looked over across the chasm, to where Doc Man was clambering up a ladder. "You chasing that guy, I take it."
"Yeah." Mega Man said grimly. "I've got to stop him... make sure he can't kill anybody else."
"Sounds good to me." Break Man nodded. "Wish I could help you out."
"Why can't you?" Mega Man challenged. His rival gave him a "are-you-stupid" look.
"That dog-jet of yours only seats one, last time I checked; I don't have any way across that chasm." He suddenly looked up. "Wait, nevermind. Think you can get one of those things down here?" He pointed to where several dragonfly-bots where flying around overhead. Rock blinked, then nodded and called Rush, who transformed into the jetboard. They flew a bit up, and one of the enemies zoomed down to their level. Break Man jumped up and grabbed it, wrestling it to the ground and climbing on top. "Okay, let's go."
"So, why are you here?" Rock asked as they flew across on their respective rides, dodging more parachuters and dragonflies. "The Energen Crystals are all taken."
"So?" Break Man shot back. "I don't believe you ever found out why I want them, did you? You don't know squat about my motives, kid. Let's just say you're not the only one who wants Mr. Psycho out of business and leave it at that. One thing I've learned in life is to count your blessings instead of questioning them."
"Point." Mega Man agreed as they reached the ladder. "You go first; your ride's unsteady."
"I noticed." The cyclops looked down at his dragonfly, which was struggling to throw him off. As he clambered onto the ladder, the robot shot forward and smashed into the opposite wall. "Shame." Break Man remarked as Mega Man got on and sent Rush off. "Waste of a good ride."
"Just climb." Mega growled. Once they had reached the top, changing ladders once along the way, the two found Doc Man waiting for them right in the open, still twitching.
"So, you have a friend..." The madbot hissed. "You must be Break Man. You've irritated me thouroughly with your interference, you know."
"Really? What a shame." Break Man smirked. "We're here to take you down, pal. Ready to die?"
"No, I don't think so!" Doc Man cackled. "Come forth, my servant!" Below his feet, something was rising from the ground. As his hologram dissipated, it was revealed that Doc Man was actually standing on a gigantic, 20-foot floating METOOL. "This pet was unfinished when you first came here, but now he's ready! Have fun!" Bowing mockingly, he shakily backflipped off behind his guardian and ran. The Giant Metool blinked at them a few times, then began slowly floating up and down while spitting bright red cannonballs in a three-way spread.
"That thing looks pretty well armored!" Mega yelled as he slid under a shot. "See anything that looks like a weak point?"
"Go for the obvious first! The eyes and mouth!" Break Man called, returning fire. His shots bounced off all three spots. "Scratch that idea. Look for anything else that stands out... that cross on the front of the helmet!"
"I'm on it!" Mega nodded and shot off a plasma bullet that sank into the cross with a hiss. "Yup, that's it! Keep shooting there!" The Giant Metool, sensing danger, switched its attack plan; now, instead of cannonballs, regular Metools dropped from the mouth and ran towards the two. "Hey, can you keep those off me?"
"Sure." Break Man nodded and began picking them off, leaving Mega to blast the big one. A moment later, the Giant Metool moaned and sunk back into the hidden pit it had risen from, with smoke pouring out from under its helmet. Walking across it, the two continued on. At first, it looked like there were just some ordinary Metools in the way; however, as they drew near and the enemies raised their heads, propellors popped out of the tops of the helmets, and they launched themselves into the air. Break Man and Mega Man just stared up for a moment, then calmly blew them out of the sky.
"Stupid design... just exposes the vulnerable undersides even more." Break Man growled as they took out a pair of cannons. Suddenly, the ground shook a little. The red robot groaned as he saw the hole in the ground ahead. "Another one of those Giant Metools... quick, you go ahead and chase the maniac! I'll handle the big guy and catch up afterwards."
"You sure?" Mega asked doubtfully. Break Man made a rude noise.
"Of course not, but we don't have time to think this through, because the way will be blocked off in just a moment, so MOVE!" Mega nodded and ran across the helmet just as it was emerging. He was immediately bowled over by a Hari Harry that tumbled down some stairs.
"I think somebody's trying to tell me something..." Mega growled as he climbed up and walked through the metal shutter.
"My babies didn't deter you, it seems." Doc Man snarled. "Although it seems you've misplaced your friend... did they get him?"
"As if." Mega snorted. "He's whacking the second one as we speak; the guy was generous enough to let me have you instead."
"Well then, I'll have to oblige you, won't I?!" Doc Man screamed, raising his shaking arms skyward again. "Come forth, spirit of destruction! The explosions of chaos, the detonations of disorder, a tiny thing that can bring down a titan! Come forth... CRASH MAN!" The hologram of the launcher-armed Robot Master merged with Doc Man's body, and he leaped into the air, throwing a pink bomb towards Mega.
No air-based weapons this time... Mega thought as he slid under the Crash Bomb. Next option, use logic... but there's not much logical thinking about bombs. OOF! While he had been thinking, Doc Man had punched him in the face, then thrown a Bomb at him. It exploded, slamming him against the far wall. Shit... okay, think. What would be a good third idea... what would Break Man do? He smiled as he thought of what the grumpy red robot would say if he knew what Mega was thinking.
Fight fire with fire, stupid!
Fire with fire, eh? Mega's colors changed to a much darker blue. "Have a knuckle sandwich on me, pal!" Pointing his arm cannon, he fired off a Hard Knuckle. Doc Man was completely unprepared for the slow explosive. It smashed him full in the face, then blew, sending HIM flying against the wall. Mega snickered and shot off two more at his enemy while he lay there. As the last one exploded in his face, Doc Man jumped back up to his large feet.
"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE?!" He screamed almost plaintively. Taking out another of his stock of E-Tanks, he drank it and immediately hunched over, hissing and coughing. A moment later, he warped away. Mega sighed and went back into his regular colors just as Break Man entered.
"Did you get him?"
"You could say that." Mega told his rival. "I whupped him good, but he ran away. Again. I'm tracing it... now! He's back in Mt. Vesuvius!"
"Well, let's get after him, then." Break Man said sharply. "Come on, move it!" In a stream of red light, he was gone. Nodding, Mega Man drank an E-Tank, then followed suit in his own streak of blue light, ready to end the chase at last.
***
"I must say, I don't entirely approve of the new wallpaper." Break Man cracked as he and Mega Man plummeted down the now-spike-walled shaft that was the entrance to the Vesuvius mine. Once landing, they climbed up and down ladders for a few minutes, blasting the Peterchies that offered only token resistance. As they were about to go down to the next floor, Break Man frowned. "Hold on." He put his ear to the floor. "Wait up here a moment. I gotta do something." He jumped down. Mega Man shrugged and leaned against the wall. From below, he heard several heavy thumping sounds, as well as a clattering followed by a low hiss. After about a minute, Break Man called to him, and Mega dropped down to see his rival standing before a Bikki stomper with a fresh coat of spraypaint.
"Did you HAVE to do that?" Mega Man asked as he slid under the robot when it jumped.
"Yes, I believe I did." Break Man replied, darting around it. They dropped down another level, and Mega Man groaned at seeing what was ahead. Break Man looked at him.
"Something wrong?"
"Yeah." The blue robot told him glumly, pointing. "Those things on the ceiling create holograms that cover the whole room in deep space. And there's tons of pits, too. We'll have to get across on those tiny little floating platforms, and they look very untrustworthy... I don't like how the two parts connect at the center. We're gonna have to use them, though."
"Correction; I have to. You can just ride your dog." Break Man growled. "Nothing for me to rodeo this time."
"Yeah, there aren't any flying enemies..." Mega Man frowned, thinking. "Do you think you could hang from the bottom of Rush?" The red robot's eye narrowed.
"I suppose so... but could you control it?"
"Yeah, I could." Mega assured him. "However, I'd have to use all my attention on it, which means killing enemies is up to you." Break Man nodded and cocked his arm cannon.
"Let's do it." Rush whined a little bit as the strange robot grabbed onto his paw, but lifted up and away. As they neared a dome, the hologram kicked in, and they were in space. "Whoa... this is cool. But dangerous. Goodnight!" Break Man fired at the place where the dome had been, and with its destruction, the hologram collapsed. The others were dealt with in a similar fashion, and the Walking Bombs below couldn't jump up high enough to reach them. They soon safely reached the other side. As they hopped off, Mega noticed that Rush was panting heavily.
"You okay, Rush?"
"He looks pooped." Break Man observed. "How long has it been since you went back to wherever you call home for some rest?"
"Several hours." Mega told him. "Ever since I started chasing El Docco."
"Well, that explains it. The poor pooch is exhausted." Break Man reprimended him as they dropped down another floor. "You should avoid using him again until we're done here."
"Yeah, I suppose so..." Mega Man agreed as they blasted a pair of Peterchies. "There's the steel shutter. Let's go, Round 7. Ho hum."
"So, you brought your friend to the fight this time..." Doc Man wheezed. Instead of standing to face his enemy as usual, the maniac was crouched in a corner. Slowly, he got to his feet. "Well, it won't make any difference... the form I have this time makes the number of enemies irrelevant! Come forth, spirit of nature! The all-encompassing wild, which grows and feeds off everything in existance! Come forth... Wood Man!" Break Man jumped back as the image of the stout brown Robot Master appeared.
"What the hell?!"
"Easy." Mega Man told him. "It's just his holograms. He's showing off."
"Aah. I knew that. Whoa, incoming!" Doc Man had absorbed Wood Man's hologram and created a shield of metal leaves that rotated around him while firing more up into the air. Now, as the ones he had tossed up descended, the mad robot flung his Leaf Shield at his adversaries. Mega Man hurdled it, but Break Man, unexpecting this, was floored. "Damn, that hurts! I hate nature! Any idea what will kill this guy?"
"Fire... but I don't have any weapons that use that..." Mega said as he dodged the falling leaves. "What do trees hate... blades! I'll use the Shadow Blade!"
"All RIGHTY then!" Break Man laughed as he flipped back to his feet. "Let's chop some lumber!" He turned purple at the same time as Mega Man, and they simultaneously launched their weapons. The Shadow Blades flew straight and true, lodging in Doc Man's chest, who choked, his eyes going wide. Then, with a cackle, he ripped the Blades out and threw them back.
"FOOLS! You cannot defeat me!"
"So much for THAT idea." Break Man commented as Doc raised another Leaf Shield. "My turn for an idea. I say we fight fire with fire, and green with green. Get out your Search Snakes."
"Gotcha." Mega Man nodded, and both robots turned green. "When I say now, jump and start launching the Snakes. NOW!" The Leaf Shield whizzed under both robots, and they returned fire with the small serpents. Doc Man screamed as they began chewing into his appendages. Grinning, the two heroes continued firing more. Frantically, Doc Man brought up his Leaf Shield, but the Snakes easily squirreled through the gaps. Finally, he ran for it, shmmering slightly. Mega frowned.
"Something was off about that..."
"No kidding." Break Man said in a strangely strangled voice. Mega turned to him and gasped; Doc Man was holding his arm cannon to Break Man's head.
"Make a move, and he dies."
"Don't listen!" Break Man yelled. "Finish him off!"
"I... I..." Mega Man stuttered. Doc Man's eyes flashed red with triumph.
"Now, I want you to make both your hands into arm cannons, then fire at once. The resulting overload will completely atomize you, but your friend will live, I promise you. Now do it!"
"Shaddup!" Break Man snapped. "Mega, don't worry about me! End it now!"
"..." Mega Man looked back and forth between them, still frozen. Doc Man laughed.
"Come on, bastard! Give your life for your friend!"
"...Idiot." Break Man said slowly. "You can't do it... well, fortunately, I just realized there are other alternatives." There was a flash of yellow and grey, and Doc Man was thrown away, howling and firing madly, as Break Man executed the Top Spin. The insane robot pulled out a seventh E-Tank and drained it, then fell to the floor with a scream. Spasming, he crawled out as Mega Man knelt next to his rival, who had fallen as well after the Top Spin ended.
"You okay, Break Man?"
"Afraid not..." His rival chuckled darkly. "A lot of those random shots hit me. I'm not gonna be able to continue on... I gotta go back for repairs." He glared at Mega Man, his one eye completely devoid of any kind of humor. "Listen. You can't afford to hesitate like that again. Doc Man will not hesitate to take advantage of any sort of weakness. A moment of sympathy or pity like that will get you dead, and he'll be free to continue his rampages. You have to destroy him, no matter the cost; not just for yourself, but for all the other people he could kill in the future if he's allowed to live. Remember that, Mega Man. I'll see you around." Whistling, he teleported away.
***
"All right, that's half of them." Dr. Light stood up and looked proudly at his and his partner's work. The massive, altered fusion generator that would be placed in Gamma's chest shone with crystals of red, orange, purple and green. "I think we deserve a break."
"Agreed." Dr. Wily nodded, wiping his brow with a rag. Turning, he moved towards the small space where the workers had set up a break area. The wild-haired robotocist started up a pot of coffee, then sat down next to Light. "We can't rest long... even after we finish up the power core, Gamma's still minus his head."
"Yes, I know." Dr. Light smiled. "What do you suppose the UN would say if we were to parade them out there minus their heads?"
"Probably something unsuitable for children." Wily chuckled. "We could get a big burlap sack, stick it on his neck, and draw a face on it."
"Or a giant disco ball!" Light giggled at the thought. "That would be a real shining performance!"
"Yeah!" Wily laughed for a few moments longer, then turned grim. "Tom. You know that Vinkus will be there."
"He has to be." Light nodded. "He's the UN representative from Japan. Besides, several other UN members will be flying down here for this, and the rest will be there holographically. Nothing that any of us could do would be able to stop Vinkus from being there."
"I know." Wily said glumly. "But it won't be easy for me to face him, Tom. That fat idiot still thinks of me as a raving lunatic, and he'll try to sway the rest of the UN and the crowd to think that way too. You don't know what it's like to have people staring at you, with hatred and disgust in their eyes... and to know in your heart that they're right, that it's true, that you're every bit as much of a monster as they think..."
"That's enough, Al." Dr. Light said sharply. "Stop thinking like that right now, because it's not true. You're NOT a monster, you hear me? The Rebellions were caused by that teleporter accident, nothing else. And we both know that that's finished now. You were cured, and that's the end of it, no matter what Vinkus and anybody else stupid enough to think like him believe. The opinions of people like that are worth even less than the people themselves, and you should pay them no heed." He smiled. "The limitless ability of humans to commit mass stupidity, remember?"
"Yeah..." Dr. Wily slowly smiled as well. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Vinkus can go to hell; we've got a Peace-Keeper to build!"
"NOW you're talking!" Light grinned widely. "We were the first, and we're still the best, robot designers in the world!"
"First the Robot Masters, now Gamma!" Wily shouted happily. "We're going down in history, Tom! Light and Wily, the greatest robotocists ever!" The two doctors slapped their hands together in an ancient gesture they had learned from their grandparents as children called a "High Five." The coffee machine beeped.
"Coffee's ready." Light announced as he got up and walked towards it.
"So I noticed."
"Be nice." Light murmured, pouring the cups. "We should probably drink these while we work... we need to get moving. After all, our ultimate Peace-Keeper needs to be completed."
"I'll drink to that." Wily took his mug, and the two doctors resumed their work with the yellow and blue Crystals.
***
"You know, you can always tell when your enemy is getting desperate." Mega Man chatted with the Hammer Joe as he shot at it. "They always make things really nasty then... usually by sheer numbers. Wouldn't you agree?" The robot just glared at him and flung its shotput. Mega slide under and finished it off. "Geez, you're an even worse conversationalist than the other two." He remarked as he moved on. Ahead was the lava lake. Mega smiled. "Of course, this time I have Rush. I'll just... no, wait, scratch that idea." The ceiling had been lowered a great deal, and the entire thing was covered with deadly spikes. "Overkill much?" The blue hero muttered as he began making his way across the stepping-stone platforms that rose from the molten rock. "No, not really..." The defenses had been beefed up; the parachuters were still there (and just as easily wiped out), but the dragonflies had been replaced by deadly Kero Hoppers that threatened to knock him off into the lava. Fortunately, they didn't seem too good at judging distances; several times, they jumped straight into the lava. All in all, Mega didn't find it too difficult making it to the other side, where he found a solitary Giant Springer guarding the door. He chuckled.
"Doc's running out of time, if this is all he has..." The hero frowned, all mirth gone. "His time's run out, all right. This time... it ends." Draining his last E-Tank, he walked in.
"This time it ends, eh?" His nemesis greeted him. "Oh, you're right about that... this time it DOES end! But I think your idea of exactly whose life will end is a little off the mark."
"Oh, I don't think so." Mega said coldly. "You have slaughtered hundreds in your insane pursuit of petty revenge, Doc Man. For that, you must die."
"No! Never!" Doc Man laughed. "You little fool, my revenge cannot be denyed! I've done too much, sacrificed too much for it to fail!"
"Sacrificed things that were not yours to give." The blue robot growled. "You should have died, Doc Man. You should have died those years ago, back in the destruction of the First Skull Fortress. Ever since then, your presence on this earth has been a plague... a blight."
"As yours has been on my life, ever since the day I was created!" Doc Man hissed. "Well, no more! This shall be your last fight, Mega Man! No more running! Your curse ends here!"
"Are you going to kill me with the empty words of a madman? If you want to fight... then summon your pathetic illusion." Mega Man told his enemy.
"FINE!" The insane robot screeched, throwing his arms up. "Come forth, spirit of flames! The fires of Hell itself, burning away all of existence and leaving only charred waste! Come forth... Heat Man!" The final Robot Master hologram appeared and descended. Doc Man laughed. "BURN!" With a flick of his buster, he sent three firebombs flying at Mega. He slid under two, but the third slammed right into him. "GOTCHA! Die, hero!"
"Not that easy!" Mega Man jumped to his feet and fired off a Hard Knuckle. Laughing, Doc Man was surrounded by flamed, and the explosive melted harmlessly. Mega cursed and jumped as the demon blasted forth under him, then turned and tried a Spark Shot. It nailed Doc Man in the back, but barely scratched him.
"Fool! Electricity and flames are kin!" He tossed more firebombs, and again, Mega was hit by one in the process of dodging the others. He launched a Search Snake, but again, Doc Man deflected it with flames and blazed forward. Mega Man was barely able to jump and counter with the Needle Cannon. The projectiles slammed into his foe's back... and again, did little to no damage. "Puny pins cannot hurt me, you whelp! I am a demon!" The firebomb attack again, with equal results. This time, Mega tried a Gemini Beam, but again the mad robot blocked it, then rushed, knocking Mega Man down and trampling him. Worried, Mega threw a Shadow Blade that didn't even penetrate his enemy's armor. "Idiot! You think I shall be slain with the weapon that came from this world's master?"
NOT GOOD. Mega thought as he was hit by another firebomb. The slow weapons are blocked, and the fast ones don't touch him! And my Magnet Missile's empty... I'm out of options... On the other side of the room, Doc Man had come to the same realization.
"What's wrong? You still have your precious old Magnet Missile... unless you're out of it, of course! In which case, you would be quite screwed, wouldn't you?" He slowly walked towards his trapped opponent, chuckling darkly. "Give it up. You can't win. Your previous weapons are useless against me now. You have no chances left... all your cards have been played."
No... no they haven't! Mega Man suddenly realized. The TOP SPIN! He had almost forgotten the glitching, half-done weapon. But now... it was all he had left. His last chance. He had to get Doc close... "I... no..." Mega tried to stumbled back, and his back hit the wall. "Get away from me!"
"Come on... it's no use." The villain kept on coming until he was standing directly in front of his hated adversary. "Just surrender, and make it quick... I'll destroy your entire body in flames instantly, and you won't even feel a thing..."
"Doc Man." Mega looked up at the demon. "Just... one thing. When you said all my cards were played..."
"Yes...?" Doc Man reached for his opponent, savoring his victory. He grasped him, pulled him close... then stared at the yellow and grey colors.
"You forgot about the Old Maid." In an instant, Mega Man was spinning, and Doc Man was right at the center of the rotation. The intense speed and force struck him hundreds, thousands of times in seconds. The mad robot brought the flames back, but they were swept away by the speed. Frantically, he tried to escape, but was pulled back. When he lost all his weapons energy, and the Spin ended, Mega Man saw his enemy flat on the floor, losing fluids from his entire body. In the dim light of the fortress, it looked as if Doc Man was covered in blood.
"No..." Weakly, he tried to drink an E-Tank, but the moment it passed his lips he vomited the energy back up, mixed with his own vital fluids. He retched again, and this time it was the dark green of coolant. "NO!" He teleported. Slowly, Mega analyzed the trail.
"He's gone back to where he came from." Mega noted. "To where this Rebellion started. He can't possibly survive those injuries... but I need to be sure." Steeling himself, he followed.
To the house of Dr. Cedric Froid.
***
"No wonder he never invited us in..." Mega murmured as he looked around. The manor looked perfectly normal from the outside, but once you were in, it was a wreckage. The expensive furniture had been splintered and shattered in Doc Man's insane frenzies, and the walls had hundreds of blast marks. Opening a door, Mega Man bowed his head as he found a charred human corpse in the shreds of a fancy suit, lying in a corner near a trashed computer. The remains of Donald Richolds. The politician had been a sorry, corrupt excuse for a human, but he had not deserved this death, and had tried to absolve for his sins in his final moments. "I promise you, your death won't go in vain... Doc Man's reign ends here." He straightened the body into a position of repose, and mentally promised that after he was done here, he would make sure the man was given a proper burial. With his resolve even more steely, the heroic robot moved on. Discovering nothing on the second floor, he moved on down to the first. As he entered a kitchen, Dr. Cedric Froid suddenly ran towards him.
"Mega Man! You're here! Thank god! That monster's been keeping me locked up-ARGH!"
"Don't even try that, you sicko." Mega Man hissed, firing again. "I know your tricks! You can't fool me!" Doc Man ran, and Mega pursued him. Rounding a corner, he met Donald Richolds.
"Mega! He went down that hall! If you hurry, you can-AIEE!"
"Donald Richolds is DEAD!" Mega spat. "YOU killed him, you monster!" Again, Doc Man ran. The next corner Rock turned, Dr. Light was waiting.
"Mega! It's okay, you can-ACK!"
"Don't you DARE try to impersonate my father!" Mega Man screamed as his foe fled. The next time it was Roll.
"Mega, stop! Don't shoot meEEARGH!"
"Forget it! Your holograms are useless! You can't stop me!" The demonic robot dashed away, sobbing. When Mega turned the corner, he found Dr. Wily with a handheld laser, standing over Doc Man's smoking corpse. Behind him was a black pair of double doors
"I killed him, Mega! He's dead! You can stop now... NO!"
"Wily... Albert isn't here, you BASTARD!" Rock screamed, all his tolerance finally broken. "His killing days are over! You're all that's left! He's GOOD now! He's not insane!" The false corpse dissipated, and the mortally wounded enemy burst through the double doors to what had once been Froid's basement. Following, Rock finally entered the lair of Doc Man. The dark room was filled with computers and complex machinery. Thos was the origin... the core of the Third Robot Rebellion. Slowly, Rock walked through, buster ready. Hearing a noise, he whipped around to face... himself. The two Mega Men said nothing... they just stared at each other. One face filled with hatred and desperation; the other filled with determination and contempt... and strangely, pity. And then, the second blasted the first point-blank in the face.
"That was your worst attempt ever." Mega Man told Doc Man as the hologram dropped. "Old trick... already a proven failure. Face facts... You've lost."
"No..." The insane robot said, hyperventilating even though he did not need to breathe. "NO.... NOOOOO!!!" At that moment, the final traces of sanity left in Doc Man shattered. The servos that controlled his mouth shattered as his grin grew beyond what was physically possible, and he shoved his arm cannon into his own chest. "YOU WILL NEVER KILL ME! NEVER!!!" And then, he fired.
Mega Man jumped back, shielding himself from the explosion. When it died down, he slowly moved forward, wary for any more tricks. What he found was Doc Man. Or, to be specific, Doc Man's head, left arm and upper chest; all the rest of him had been completely obliterated by the blast. Mega Man knelt down, and the dying robot slowly looked at him.
"Why... why can't... I do it... my revenge... I deserved it... didn't I...?"
"Revenge is a sterile thing, Doc Man." Mega murmured. "You did all that for revenge... and this is how it ends? All those deaths... for this? WHY?"
"It was... all I had..." Doc Man whispered. "All that... was left in the world... for me..." He hacked. "I survived Skull Castle... I repaired and modified myself... all for revenge. I posed as Dr. Cedric Froid... I faked the results of the treatments to release my father... all for revenge. I began the Third Robot Rebellion... I killed all those people... all for revenge." He looked at Rock with his eyes glazed over, the red light of madness and life fading. "And I would do it again... pity me not, Mega Man. I am... no poor soul. I... am... simply... a... demon..." He sighed once, and then his eyes closed for the last time. Mega Man remained there for several seconds, then rose.
"It's over." He tried to walk, and nearly collapsed. He had been so driven to finishing the threat, the hero had barely noticed that he himself was completely drained by the marathon battle. Slowly, he struggled over to a stasis capsule in a corner, which he assumed Doc Man has used, and loaded himself into it.
Seconds later, he was fast asleep.
