Jazzerman here, I do not own any of these characters, they are owned by their respected companies, blah, blah, blah. You've heard this sht before.

But I do own this story.

A Wily tale

Part 19

The next day was a dreary one. It had started raining at the crack of dawn and showed no sings of stopping. There wasn't any thunder or lightning, but everyone stayed inside anyway. That is, with the exception of Toad man who loved rain, and Cloud man who was a weather fanatic.

Toad man hopped around in the rain, this was his element, his Rain flush attack was of little use in this war, since it was more effective on biologics than mechanical beings, so Jonny had told him he may not see any action. This suited Toad man just fine.

"First sign of lightning -Ribbit- and I'm outta here." he croaked to himself as he splashed in a puddle, sending water everywhere.

Cloud man floated into the clouds, he considered using his Thunder bolt attack to scare the heck out of Toad man. But he decided against it, Toad man might make it rain acid in his room. He was content to fly around in the rain.

Jonny was on the seventh floor, which was now being used as the new school.

Jonny knocked on the door of one of the class rooms. After about 30 seconds the door opened a crack.

"Can I help you?" Asked an elderly chipmunk, her look became one of surprise as she saw that it was the human.

"Rosie right?" He asked, Rosie nodded slowly. "I'm Jonny Wily, I came to tell you that the kids can use the auditorium for recess since it's raining."

"That's nice of you, say would you mind coming in? I think the children would like to meet the man who built this place and all the robots that have entertained them Doctor Wily."

Jonny punched the wall, Hard. Scaring Rosie quite a bit.

"Never call me 'Doctor Wily'!" he yelled. His anger faded as he saw the frightened look on the elderly chipmunk's face. "Sorry. It's just, my grandfather was called Dr. Wily, and he did horrible things on my world."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Jonny sighed, the angered look on his face softened, "It's not you're fault, there's no way you could've known. I apologize Rosie. I'd be glad to come in."

Rosie smiled. "Young Miles was right, you are a nice boy." Rosie calmly walked back into the class room, the kids were talking loudly amongst themselves.

"Class! We have a visitor. He's the young man who made this place and built all the robots here."

The class went dead silent as Jonny came in. Half the class gave him death glares, the other half looked scared.

'I am getting so tired of this whole 'I'm gonna stare at you cause you look like an Overlander' crap.' He thought, greatly annoyed by the children's stares.

"Hey Jonny!" came a familiar voice, everyone turned to see Tails in the back row.

"Oh hi Tails! Didn't know you were in this class." Jonny felt his spirits rise a little. He faced the class. "I came here to tell you that you guys have use of the auditorium for recess since it's raining."

The hard stares and scared faces softened a little, Jonny's thoughts of convincing these kids that he wasn't a bad guy were interrupted when his watch began to beep loudly.

Jonny quickly rolled back his sleeve and looked at his watch. "Crap! I'm late! Sorry, I've got a match in the battle arena today against Fire man, later kids."

Jonny stopped and snapped his fingers in remembrance. "Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you Tails." Jonny quickly walked to the back of the class and pulled a pair of Shades, just like his, out of his coat and handed them to Tails. "Made just for you man."

Tails took the shades and put them on. "Thanks Jonny! How do I look?"

"Like you could take on a whole factory full of Swatbots single handed." Jonny gave Tails a thumbs up. "I have to go."

"Why do you always wear those sunglasses?" asked a young Raccoon. She was the same Raccoon that Search man had entertained the day the Freedom fighters had started living at Skull Tower.

Jonny took a knee, smiling pleasantly at the young Raccoon girl. "Well, when I worked for my Grandpa I did a lot of welding, and I wore a welding mask so much I really got used to the tinted glass. That's why I wear these shades."

The Raccoon nodded and smiled. "You're cool."

"Nah, I'm just me." Jonny laughed. He got up and walked towards the door. "I'll see you later guys, Fire man is impatient and I better get going."

"Thanks for your time Jonny." Rosie called to him.

Jonny walked out the door, "Anytime." he said, nonchalantly waving off the chipmunk's thanks.

"You're late." Fire man said in an annoyed tone as Jonny entered the battle arena room.

A small crowd of Mobians had taken seats in the arena room, waiting for the show to start. Some no sure who to root for. A handful of Robot masters were in the stands as well, including Grenade man who the other Robot masters gave plenty of room, not wanting to get a Flash bomb in the face if Grenade man got miffed. Sonic and Sally both were sitting in the seats, but got up and walked over to Jonny as the saw him come in.

"Sorry Fire man, I got held up." Jonny apologized to the red and grey robot.

Fire man huffed, "Well, suit up so we can get started." He tapped his foot impatiently.

Jonny nodded and snapped his fingers, pressing his palm on the scanner, the power armor that Jonny had made was revealed for the first time to all the Mobians. They weren't sure what to make of it, but waited patiently to see what it could do. Jonny took off his coat and hung it on the small hook that was next to the armor. He then took off his torn up shoes and his belt and set them inside under his coat. Jonny then began to pull the black pieces of armor on.

Sonic and sally approached the grandson of Dr. Wily as he finished putting the boots. "Hey guys."

"Hi Jonny, um... Can I ask you a question?" Sonic looked at the human with a casual look. "Been eating at me for a while."

"Shoot." Jonny didn't even bother looking at them, he was too busy putting on the armor.

"Say Jonny, how old are you?" Sonic asked.

Jonny looked at his watch, which had a calendar setting on it. "I'll be 18 in three days." Jonny then put his watch in the pocket of the lab coat.

"Your birthday is in 3 days? Why didn't you tell anyone sooner?" Sally asked, "We'd throw you a party if you wanted-"

Jonny interrupted the princess. "I don't want anyone to fuss over me." Jonny said, turning to face them. "Besides, I don't need anything."

Sonic and Sally both gave him a skeptic look.

Sonic pointed at Jonny's ratty tennis shoes and raised an eyebrow. "What about those?"

Jonny looked at his shoes and shrugged, "These have held up for four years, they have some life left in them. If they break I'll just wrap them in duct tape."

"Right." Sonic said, sarcasm dripping off that statement.

"What?" Jonny chuckled, looking over at the squirrel, "They may be ragged but their comfortable." At that statement both Sally and Sonic rolled their eyes.

Jonny took off his shades and placed the black helmet on his head, a black visor came down over his eyes (Jazzerman: Think Proto man). Jonny smirked as he pressed the gem on the chest plate, the gaps between the armor were now suddenly a smooth grey fabric, which went over his clothes.

"Whoa... That's cool, but I doubt that cloth is going to protect you from Fire man, if his name means what I think it means."

"This 'cloth' is actually a super strong alloy that is as strong as a piece of steel one foot thick." Jonny placed his shades in the pocket of his coat, he hoped this fight wouldn't put him in the doctor's ward, Fire man was know to go a little too far in a fight.

"I hope it's fireproof, 'cause yer gonna need it." Sonic said, walking back to his seat in the stands.

"Good luck Jonny." Sally said and walked back with Sonic.

Jonny turned and cracked his knuckles. "I'm all geared up. Let's go." He watched at the arena rotated slowly. The door like openings appeared, and both combatants entered the arena's opposing sides, and patiently waited as the arena rotated again. The openings disappeared with a clang.

"You ready?" Asked Fire man flatly, his torch like head flaring. "You've been flappin you're gums long enough."

"I'm ready." Jonny smirked, his right hand retracted up into the black gauntlet he wore.

Fire man retracted both his hands into his wrists, "I'm not going easy on you."

"Good." Jonny said. "I have beaten all of the other original robot masters, only you remain."

Fire man gulped. He knew that meant Jonny had the only weapon that could be called his weakness. 'I'll have to take him out as fast as possible.'

Jonny had wanted to earn the Robot master's weapons, not simply copy them all at once. That was no fun. He had beaten Guts man, Bomb man, Ice man, Elec man, and Cut man in the month prior to Skull tower's rise from the underground.

However, Jonny had wanted to be fair and never looked at the Robot master's weaknesses. He still would have to determine which weapon was Fire man's weakness, he had a few guesses but no solid clues.

A bell went off, signaling the start of the fight. Damage meters appeared on the screens outside, Fire man's meter was red and Jonny's meter was a metallic black.

Fire man made the first move, he leapt straight up into the air and sent down a torrent of flames. Jonny leapt aside, switching to one of the copied weapons he had won in the past. The Hyper bomb, Bomb man's weapon, screamed out of Jonny's buster cannon. It exploded upon impact, sending Fire man into the hard dome of the arena then plummeting to the even harder floor.

"Man Sal. Maybe we should ask Jonny to make one of those suits for us." Sonic said, he was impressed by that attack.

Sally said nothing, she was glued to the screen like everyone else.

Amy was in the stands too, she suddenly recalled Crystal man's foretelling of a friend possibly dying. She prayed this wasn't where it would happen.

"Nice shot but that didn't hurt." Fire man spat, standing up.

"You liar." Jonny smirked, but inside he grimaced, 'Hyper Bomb isn't his weakness, and I know that Thunder beam and Super arm aren't, so that leaves Ice slash and Rolling cutter. And I doubt Cut man's weapon has the power to take on Fire man."

Jonny barely managed to switch weapons before being suddenly being surrounded in a vortex of flames.

'YOU MORON!' Jonny screamed at himself mentally, too much thinking not enough action. He shielded his face with his left arm, which did little, as metal is a great conductor of heat.

"I have you now!" Fire man yelled, if he had a more human mouth he would have been grinning evilly.

Sonic and sally stared at the screen, shocked looks on their faces.

"I hope he's okay." Sally said hopefully.

"Why doesn't he just charge out of the flames? That armor should be able to protect him from that at least for a little while." Sonic asked.

"Fire man can generate flames up to 1000 degrees." Sonic and Sally turned to see their old friend Quick man sitting behind them. "And that armor is thin in places. He'd be burned horribly at the very least and roasted alive at the worst."

'Jonny sure has a death wish.' Sally frowned. 'Reminds me of someone I know.'

Sonic and Sally both turned their eyes back to the screen. The red bar was about one fourth drained, while Jonny's was quickly passing that same mark.

Fire man's sadistic glee was short lived as bolts of light shot from the vortex of flames, knocking him back. The flames instantly died away.

"My turn." Jonny switched weapons again, shooting out a large blast of ice which quickly covered the top of Fire man's head.

Fire man quickly tried to use his Fire storm again, but all that came from his cannons was a small amount of smoke. Not known to many, if Fire man's torch on his head goes out, he can't use his attacks unless it's relit. Fire man knew this, that's why he was always so watchful of the weather. Jonny knew this because he built Fire man, he hadn't wanted this knowledge now because it seemed like cheating. But on the other hand he did just figured out which weapon was the hot head's weakness.

Jonny charged at the dumbfounded robot. He then jumped to get some altitude then clicked his heels together, two small rockets that he had built into his boots fired, giving him enough momentum to ram into Fire man, sending him flying into the wall. Jonny regained his footing in time to find that Fire man was a lot faster and committed than he thought, as he caught a metal boot to the side of the head. The force sending him head over heels, landing on his stomach.

Outside the crowd cringed at the sight of the human getting a boot to the head. A few 'ow's were heard as well.

Jonny shook his head and tried to get up, but got another kick, this time to the chest. Jonny rolled over and quickly tired to blast Fire man with the Ice slasher, but missed.

"Nice try kid, but you can't beat me." Fire man taunted as he jumped and came down on Jonny with an elbow drop. A sharp cry of pain escaped the human's lips.

Jonny's eyes bulged as Fire man connected. He coughed up a mixture of blood and spit, he quickly stood up, struggling for air.

Fire man laughed. Bad move. Fire man had gotten too confident and let his guard down, giving Jonny enough time to get off another shot of the Ice slasher. This time, it hit dead on. Fire man stood there, frozen like a statue. The red robot fell to the ground with a crash.

The alarm went off, the arena began to rotate to release the combatants. The crowd cheered, Jonny felt for the first time like he was appreciated.

"It's over." Jonny huffed, he was tired, but happy "Now for the prize."

Jonny walked over and touched Fire man's wrist, the monitors showed his armored hand glow for a second. He stood up and walked out of the arena. Some of the Robot masters in the stands came down to see him, as did Sonic, Amy, and Sally.

"You okay?" Amy asked.

"I'm fine." Jonny took off his helmet, the visor disappeared up into the forehead of the black helmet. "I just need to get out of this thing."

Quick man handed him his shades, which Jonny hurriedly put on.

Jonny tapped the gem on his chest plate, the grey fabric like metal disappeared into the larger black parts. Which Jonny quickly discarded and placed back in the 'closet' and put his shoes, belt and coat back on.

"What was that glow about went you touched Fire man?" Sally asked.

"Just like Bass, this armor can copy any of the Robot masters powers, although unlike the 'masters I have limited shots with their powers." Jonny tiredly said, "You saw me use Bomb man and Ice man's attacks. I-"

Jonny suddenly feel forward, letting out a loud breath. He would've hit the ground if Guts man hadn't caught him.

"You okay?" Sonic asked, concern on his and everyone's face. "What happened?"

"I'm okay, the adrenaline just wore off." Jonny said weakly, shaking his head.

"Maybe you should go see Doctor Quack." Amy said, still worried about what Crystal man had told her.

"No. I don't want to waste the doc's time, I'm going to take a walk to get my strength back off." Jonny straightened himself up, "Heat man, I want you to defrost Fire man with your atomic fire. Then take him to the lab for repairs."

Heat man was smaller than the other robots, he looked like he was wearing a yellow Zippo lighter, his head sticking out of the opening. He did as he was told and began to melt the ice that entombed Fire man.

Jonny walked off slowly towards the door, and disappeared out of the door. The crowd of Mobians quickly did the same, having lost interest in the empty arena.

"Amy, you were looking at Jonny like he was about to- ... oh wait, is this about that prediction Crystal man made?" Sonic asked his biggest fan, rolling his eyes.

A few snickers came from the crowd of Robot masters.

"What was that about?" Amy asked, miffed at being laughed at.

"Crystal man is a con man, he wonders why he's not selling stuff even though money has no value here." Quick man smirked. "Plus he's obsessed with anything to do with the paranormal. Don't believe everything he tells you."

Amy hoped that was the case, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"The 'bot's a freak. Like some I know." Tengu man, a pointy nosed aerial robot scoffed. He then looked over at Grenade man. "Are you worthy of my challenge?"

Grenade man retracted his hand, launching a bomb into the air creating a large explosion that shook the rafters, but did no structural damage. Everyone backed off.

"I'll punish you!" Grenade man cried, accepting Tengu man's challenge.

The crowd heard that another fight was going to be on and returned to the stands.

Jonny took the stairs to the second floor, he wanted a long walk, and was soon lost in his thoughts. The second floor hallway was virtually empty, so Jonny had nothing really to focus on. He suddenly heard a loud boom and felt the floor shake a little.

"I'd know those explosions anywhere. Grenade man's in the arena." Jonny grinned slyly, "Good thing I reinforced the walls of the arena to withstand even HIS bombs."

Jonny's smile disappeared as Jonny rounded the corner, he was met with a sharp blow to the head. The next thing he knew he was on his back, surrounded by a rough looking gang of Mobians. All of them brandishing metal pipes and other bludgeoning weapons. They all rushed in and began to beat him.

Jonny panicked, he curled into a ball and covered his hands with his hands. The crowd continued to hit him, the sounds of metal hitting flesh echoed through the empty hallway. Jonny's irrational fear of crowds took over all his functions and went into a convulsing fit, staring into space in a state of pure terror. A blow to the face knocked off his shades from his face, exposing his eyes with their blank stares.

"Dude! This freak's got the weirdest eyes I've ever seen!" One of the Mobians told the others.

"Who care's?" The beating resumed

Ali-Su watched from her hiding place from behind a potted plant. A frown on her face.

'I thought I'd be enjoying this...' She thought, looking on at the pathetic lump on the floor. 'This isn't right, I wish I never told them about the Roboticizer Tails said he was building!'

Jonny no longer saw the Mobians... Flashes of things that seemed so familiar, yet at the same time so vague met his eyes. He saw cruel figures, human figures were all around him, weapons at the ready to beat him. Beyond them was a car that had been battered into little more than a lump of metal, and had been set on fire. His gaze fell upon two figures that hung from a nearby lamp post. Jonny's world went black, his body stopped spasming.

"That's enough!" The warthog that Ali-Su had sat with yesterday in the cafeteria, the apparent leader of the group, bellowed. "Plan on roboticizing us huh? We'll make sure you don't harm anything."

The Warthog kicked Jonny's lifeless body, which rolled facing the ceiling. The leader of these roughians lifted a drawn knife and aimed it square at Jonny's chest.

"Stop!" A yellow echidna jumped out of her hiding place, getting in between the warthog and Jonny. "I just wanted you to get him back for me! For stealing Jonny's plans! I don't want him dead!"

"Is he or is he not building a Roboticizer?" One of the gang asked her.

"Well... Yes... but-"

"Then he must be stopped before he finishes it." One of the Warthog's posse declared. "Then we get to use this tower as we should have in the first place, after all the robots are taken apart that is."

Ali-Su flung her arm out in defiance. "No! I won't let this happen!"

The Warthog growled and backhanded Ali-Su, forcing her out of the way and plunged the knife down.

It never touched its target.

A bone white hand grasped the knife by the blade and jerked it out of the Warthog's hand. The warthog looked up to see the blood red eyes of Skull man. His normally unfriendly eyes were blazing with hate, he was going to kill them. Skull man wasted no words, he tossed the knife to the floor and drove a fist into the Warthog's face. The Warthog fell, unconscious. Or dead, Skull man didn't care. The rest of the warthog's posse ran, Skull man did not pursue, he turned to the one lying on the ground who had started this, Ali-Su.

"Now it's your turn, organic filth." Ali-Su had never heard Skull man talk, and instantly grew afraid. His voice was one that inspired doom and despair within her as he towered over her, his red eyes centered on the echidna. Ali-Su couldn't even move she was so scared.

Ali-Su closed her eyes and flinched as she saw Skull man clenched his fist and swing at her. She waited. Nothing happened. She chanced a glance and opened one eye and then both in shock. A dark purple robot with a Ninja star on his forehead was actually holding Skull man back in a full nelson hold.

"Let me go Shadow man..." The robot skeleton demanded coldly.

"The boss would never want this one harmed Skull man, you know that."

"She is the one that planned this offence. She must be punished."

"We'll let her people decide her fate." Shadow man replied, releasing Skull man from the hold. "Now get the boss to the medical center on the sixth floor."

"Why should I listen to you?" Skull man said in a threatening tone, "You're not my boss."

Shadow man was fed up with trying to reason with Skull man. "Fine. Just go then. But remember, the chief will have your CPU if you harm her."

Skull man glared at the ninja, then Ali-Su. Then walked off like nothing had happened.

Shadow man frowned at his 'brother' and gently gathered the human into his armed and stood, looking at the echidna who was now sitting up.

"I hope you're happy. Things between us may never be the same." He told her, sneering at Ali-Su before running his creator to elevator.

Ali-Su felt horrible. She had come so close to having that man's blood on her hands, and now she may have cost everyone a home. Possibly even their lives at the hands of angered robots.

She put her hands to her face and began to cry.

To be continued....