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/N: If you've played Mega man 8 before, this chapter and the ones after it will make a lot more sense.
A Wily tale
Part 28
It was night in the city of Robotropolis, not that anyone could really tell. The clouds of pollution that spewed from the factories always made it feel like night.
"Is everything ready Snivley?" Robotnik asked his nephew. Well, in truth it was more of a demand then a question.
"Yes sir, almost every bot in Robotropolis will be in this plan." The pointy nose overlander said.
"Good Snivley! Now let's go take care of an annoyance..." Robotnik turned to the robot hedgehog next to him. "Metal, I want you to lead the attack."
"No." Metal said flatly, not moving an inch.
"WHAT!?" Robotnik grabbed the robot by the shoulders and screamed at him. "You will obey me Metal. I built you, and I can take you apart."
Metal's expression remained as cold and emotionless as ever. "Someone has to stay behind and guard Robotropolis, master Robotnik."
Robotnik considered this for a moment. "You raise a good point... Very well Metal, you stay here and keep an eye on Snivley. But when I get back I am going to examine your CPU for viruses." Robotnik snickered a little as he left the control room.
Snivley growled. 'Sometimes I love to see you fail uncle... You never give me any credit...'
Metal cringed at the thought of that fat overlander looking through his mind, much worse he had grown to like being able to make his own decisions. He found it more self rewarding than following a creator's orders that could possibly prove fatal. Much worse, if Robotnik found out what Jonny had done, Robotnik might wipe his CPU and reprogram him. Metal began to think of a way out of this situation, his life depended on it. 'I will have to be patient... and wait for an opportunity to present itself...'
Ali-Su was awakened that morning by a knock at her door.
"Ali-Su? I need to talk to you." Came a familiar voice.
Ali-Su got up, got dressed quickly, and opened the door. She was surprised to see Princess Sally at to her door at this hour.
Ali-Su yawned. "Princess, you do know what time it is right?"
"It's almost 10:00AM." Sally said.
Ali-Su looked back at her clock and sighed. "My clock's not working again..."
"Jonny should be able to fix it." Sally then got to the point. "Listen, ever since Jonny got out of that wheelchair last week, he's just gotten more and more introverted. You think you could talk to him?
"I don't know." Ali-Su frowned and gave the princess a forlorn look. "He hasn't been himself. He's been ignoring me and everyone else. He hasn't even talked to me in a week."
"Don't you sit with him everyday?" Sally asked.
"He's been sitting alone in the corner like he used to when he raised the tower." Ali-Su said, it was easy for Sally Acorn to tell she was really worried about the human.
"Well... Please do something to get him out of it. He's done so much for us and he's starting to shut everyone out. A generous guy like him deserves to be happier than he is." Sally gave the echidna a warm smile then left the Ali-Su to her thoughts.
After Sally was gone Ali-Su took a deep breath and looked out her window. "Something tells me today is the day. Today I tell him how I feel."
Jonny was in the lab that morning hunched over his desk rereading his notes on the Roboticizer.
"Man Jonny, did you get any sleep last night?" Rotor asked, concerned for his friend.
"Not really... I haven't slept very well for two days now. And St. John won't give me any peace. He keeps 'reminding' me to make those reports to the king. I swear if he tells me that one more time I may wring his sorry neck." Jonny clenched his fists and growled. For a whole week Geoffrey had made his life one giant annoyance since the king had came to Skull tower.
"You don't mean that do you? St. John's not that bad a guy once you get to know him." Tails told him, not wanting to see his friend get in trouble with the law men.
Jonny only laughed at remark. "If he keeps following me and ticking me off, I might."
They worked in relative silence for a few hours. Jonny had begun to use small insects for his experiments, and as promised he always changed them back to flesh when he was finished with them. Jonny was having problems creating a process reverse to that of the Roboticizer, the mathematics involved weren't as complex as the designs for working of the Time skipper... But they were close.
Jonny set his shades on the desk and sighed. "I'm not sure if I'm good enough to build this thing guys..."
"I doubt that very much." Rotor smirked, going through Jonny's notes. "I think you're on to something. These notes hold the key to helping Bunny and also everyone else whose been roboticized."
"I know, but this is starting to get to me. It's just like when I rebuilt the Time skipper into the Planet skipper. Only this is a lot harder." Jonny turned to Rotor. "I know I have people counting on me, but this will take a lot longer than I thought."
Tails had seen how Jonny had become more and more introverted over the week, but as he got a look of him with out his shades he started to think something was seriously wrong. Jonny had lines under his eyes like he hadn't slept in a LONG time and he was kinda pale.
"Hey Jonny, are you okay?" The young kit asked.
Jonny took the notes back from Rotor and got up. "I'm fine, just... haven't been sleeping very well."
Elsewhere in the cafeteria, Sally was sitting with sitting with her brother Elias.
Sally sipped her cup of coffee, something she ha long ago gotten a taste for. "So Elias, what do you think of this place?"
Elias gave his sister a small smile. "It's not Haven, but I like it. These Robot masters are nice people to be around. Well, most of them.
"Yeah. Jonny warned us not to aggravate three of them. He said they were kinda... unstable." Sally sipped her coffee again. "What do you think of our host?"
"Jonny's a nice guy. He and I played a few games with him in the arcade. He's a lot of fun." Elias said.
Sally sighed. "I haven't had much time to spend with the guy, other than the occasional check on that Roboticizer project he's working on. Besides, he spends a lot of time with Ali-Su."
Elias smiled, glad to hear Jonny had someone in mind. "How are things with you and Sonic?"
"Same as always, driving me nuts." Sally groaned. "He's taken to racing some of the Robot masters on occasion."
Elias laughed. Glad to see little had changed since he had seen his sister last.
"So how's father been?" Sally asked, as she sipped from her mug again. She had to admit Wind man made good coffee.
Elias closed his eyes and thought for a second, then gave his sister with a concerned look. "You know, it's weird... Ever since we got here dad, Geoffrey, and all of the guards haven't been acting like themselves.
Sally set her mug down. "Like how?"
Elias scratched his chin. "I dunno... It's like all the kindness and nobility is being sucked out him."
"Can you do me a favor for me Elias?" Sally asked, clearly worried for her father. "Please keep an eye on father. I don't want him doing anything he might regret."
Elias nodded, letting his sister know he would do as she asked.
The sibling's moment alone was interrupted by a certain blue hedgehog skidding to a stop in front of the princess.
"Sal, I just came from a run, and I got real bad news!" Sonic said, almost out of breath.
"What is it Sonic?" Sally asked.
Sonic took a breath and gave the princess a worried look. "Robotnik must have every Swatbot on the planet storming towards this tower, along with squadrons of bot planes!"
Sally stood up. "Come on Sonic. We need to tell Jonny. Now!"
Elias likewise stood up. "I'll go tell father. He still needs to know."
Sally turned to her brother. "Okay. But be careful Elias."
Sally headed off with Sonic to the lab. Elias sighed and muttered, "She's so tense, she needs to relax a little more."
They all turned as they heard the elevator doors open. Jonny's face lightened a little as he saw who came out of the doors.
"Ali? What are you doing here?"
Ali-Su looked up at Jonny, blushing a little. "Jonny there's something I've been meaning to tell you..."
Jonny's cell phone began to ring at that moment.
"I have to take this. You can tell me later." Jonny sighed, and pulled out the small black cell phone from his coat. "What is it?" Jonny said harshly, he was not really in mood to be bothered.
The panicked high pitched voice on the other end of the line nearly made Jonny deaf. "Boss! Botonton number 5 just told that Swatbots are approaching the tower! The turrents are too busy with the bot planes to bother with them and they're being destroyed en mass!"
Jonny flinched and rubbed his ear before responding. "Um... Thanks Hydro man..." Jonny put the cell away and quickly turned on the monitor. The group was stunned to see thousands of Swatbots marching towards the tower, tearing apart the turrents and any other obstruction that got in their way.
At that moment the elevators opened and Sonic and Sally both stepped out.
Jonny turned to the new arrivals. "Hi Sally, you don't have to tell me. I know. We're under attack."
"Look at them all! There's got to be thousands of them! We're going to be over run, not even the Robot masters can deal with these many 'bots..." Tails cried, staring at the scenes on the monitor.
Sally, and the rest of the Mobians turned and looked at Jonny, whose quiet snickering had turned into full bore laughter.
"Great... He's snapped..." Sonic said, taking a few steps back from Jonny.
There are only a few things I admired about ol' grandpa. One was his persistence, no matter how many times he failed, he always returned with more powerful weapons, never quitting. I admired him a lot for his strategic tactics, but those are the only things I liked about him." Jonny's laughter had by now faded to a frown. "The best such advice he gave me was 'never give away ALL your secrets. Not even to your allies.'"
"So how do you plan on beating all those Swat bots?" Sally scoffed.
"This place still has some secrets!" Jonny said boldly as he hit a few buttons.
The whole tower jolted upward a little, then seemed like it was slowly rising. In truth it was, three new levels had risen from the ground beneath the tower, a even larger even more ominous skull stood before the mindless hordes. Its mouth wide open in invitation.
"What's going on?" Tails cried.
"Grandpa always had three levels of traps underneath his lab. Each guarded by a guardian robot with strength beyond that of a normal Robot master. And these are the ones I choose to resurrect." Jonny punched up some pictures of a giant mechanical dragon, a robot with a mow hawk and a steamroller for a body, and a giant yellow cyclops that looked like it was made out of gelatin.
Sally read the names of each of them. "'Mech dragon, Mad Grinder, and Yellow Devil...' If they're so powerful why didn't you activate these things sooner?
"Tails, you remember what I said about some of my grandpa's creations being a little... overly destructive don't you?"
"Yes..." Tails said. "And I remember that you said you'd never build something like that."
"I did build them. However I hoped never to use them." Jonny said with a slight amount of sorrow in his voice. "Now... Awaken Guardians!"
"So in other words, you lied." Sally crossed her arms and gave Jonny a look.
"Yeah." Jonny replied flatly. Jonny slammed his hand on a key and below in the booby trapped levels of the tower the robots awoke. Terrible machines that could level whole cities if released or left unchecked. They paced and stalked their large rooms, waiting for the Swatbots to arrive.
"Will they be enough to stop them Jonny?" Asked Tails, who looked up at the human.
Jonny smiled at the fox. "The Guardians aren't the only thing those drones will have to deal with. I've created both traps and drones of my own. My Sniper Joes and Hammer Joes are gonna take them apart." Jonny grinned evilly. "With these levels raised, this tower is a true Wily creation."
"Wait... with the tower raised like this, how do we get out? If we win this fight that is." Rotor asked.
Jonny frowned, "Oh, that's simple. I can raise and lower the tower with a few key strokes."
Sally nodded, showing that she understood. "But what happens if they manage to get past these 'Guardians'?"
Jonny snorted at the princess's lack of faith. "There is an elevator that by passes my lab and the sub basement and goes to the first floor. The Robot masters know what to do in case that happens. They are the last line of defense is a siege like this."
A blast rocked the tower, strong enough to knock a few things off Jonny's desk. Jonny quickly switched on the monitor, Swatbots were both littering the floor and marching through corridors. The good news was they weren't very bright, every single trap, be it pitfall or laser barrier, always caught a massive number of the drone like bots. The problem was they just kept coming. Jonny switched cameras to a room with a large violet and red robot that went around on giant stone rollers flattening Swatbots as it went. Occasionally it would hit a wall, making the whole tower shake.
"Looks like they got past the drones and at contending with Mad Grinder. He'll flatten most of them like tin cans in a crusher." Jonny grinned evilly at the sight of Robotnik's forces being crushed. The Swatbot's laser fire only singed the Guardian's armor. However, every once in a while Swatbots would slip by and up to the next level. But not many.
"Looks like they're getting past that Turbo man on steroids Jonny. What do we do now?" Sonic asked.
Jonny smirked. "They won't get past Mech Dragon. And even if they some how do, it would be inconceivable if they managed to get by the mighty Yellow Devil."
"And what if they do? What then?" sally snapped at him, not liking to leave things to chance.
Jonny frowned. "I'll go inform the Robot master to prepare for battle..." He thought it best to tell his friends and warriors in person, to increase the Masters morale. They would need it.
Before Jonny could leave Ali-Su called after him.
"Jonny wait... I have to tell you that I... I love-" Ali-Su didn't get to finish her sentence as an explosion drowned out the rest of it. The explosion had created a gaping hole in the lab's eastern side, the destruction outside could be seen as clear as day. However the view darkened as Robotnik flew up to the hole in his Egg pod.
It was all a deception. The whole assault on the tower was just meant to keep Jonny's attention away from Robotnik himself.
"Well, well, well... Looks like I finally made it into this nasty little shack you call a tower." Robotnik snarled when he saw Sonic and the other Mobians. "And I see you were playing me for a fool with that transmission about having all these Freedom fighters as your robot slaves. For that you must pay. So says the great Doctor Robotnik!"
Back in Robotropolis, Snivley was listening to his uncle's boasting over the radio. "Oh blow it out your ears you bloated sac of zit juice..."
"You are not welcome here! Leave at once you overweight blimp!" Jonny yelled, a burning fervor could be heard in his voice. It made Ali-Su feel a little scared, she had never heard Jonny speak with such hatred before.
"Oh on the contrary... I do plan to leave. But I don't plan on leaving alone!" Robotnik hit a button on his Egg pod and a metal tendril shot out, grasping Ali-Su so tightly she couldn't even scream.
"Let go of her!" Jonny shouted as he hurled a wrench at Robotnik, almost hitting him in the head.
A wicked smile came to Robotnik's fat face as he hit another button. The light on the front glowed for a second then sent a beam of electricity straight at the human. Jonny cried out in pain as the high voltage coursed through his body for what felt like hours, when in truth it was only a few minutes.
Robotnik cackled and flew back out of the hole in the lab's wall. But before he left he shouted back; "If you want her back, bring all your robots to Robotropolis! I'll be waiting!"
Robotnik's laughter could be heard as he disappeared out of sight. The remaining Swatbots and bot planes were like wise retreating from battle towards Robotropolis.
"Jonny! Are you okay?" Tails asked, running over to help him up.
Jonny groaned and shakily stood. His face had none of his usual calmness or kindness. "I'm fine. But fat ass is gonna be in a world of hurt."
Jonny walked over and took out a small electric saw and turned it on.
"Um Jonny, what are you planning on doing with that saw?" Sonic asked, all the Mobains shared a look of concern on their faces.
"This." Jonny began to carefully cut away the cast on his left arm. When he finished, two white halves where on the floor and Jonny was holding his semi broken arm very gingerly. Jonny then began to pull on his battle armor, being extra careful with his busted left arm. Then turned to the Roboticizer...
"Get out of the way Sally." Jonny narrowed his eyes at the squirrel.
Sally stood in front of the Roboticizer, arms outstretched. "Jonny... This has gone far enough. I won't allow this."
"Sally. I am going to tell you this once more and only once more. Get out of my way. This is the only way I can save Ali-Su." Jonny warned.
"Jonny, by now Robotnik would've been put in a Roboticizer and roboticized. Robotnik's prisoners don't normally stay long in they're cells and Ali-Su is a prime subject for it. It's too late for her."
"What do you think we have here Sal? Tell you what, I'm sick of you, your father, and that damn skunk hounding me all the time! Now GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Jonny took put his hand on Sally's face and shoved her out of the way. Quickly using his good hand he activated the machine and the timer began at 20 seconds.
Jonny felt something tug on his good arm. He turned to see a small two tailed fox with tear filled eyes.
"Jonny please! Don't do this!" Tails pleaded. "It's suicide to attack Robotropolis alone!"
"I don't care anymore Tails. Ali-Su was captured due to my lack of judgment by not paying attention to the battle more closely. And I'm going to get her back no matter what." Jonny jerked his hand out of the fox's gloved hands and stepped into the machine.
The Roboticizer hummed for a minute then began to glow. Tails and the rest of the Freedom fighters looked on as the machine stopped it's work and Jonny stepped out, fully mechanical and his arms both. If he had been on earth at this moment people would've fled in terror, for he now stood as an exact double of Bass.
"Jonny? You okay?" Sonic asked.
"I feel great." Jonny said sternly, his voice now had a mechanical undertone to it which kinda freaked Tails out a little. "Treble! Come!"
Treble heard his master's command and knew what he meant. The Freedom fighters were amazed as the wolf leapt into the air and combined with Jonny, forming into a pair of bat-like wings and adding some mass onto his battle armor. The yellow of Jonny's armor changed to the same purple hue of Treble's own armor and the blue gems on his chest and helmet changed to a blood red. But yet Jonny looked unsatisfied.
"It's not enough. I need more power..." Jonny's voice was as cold as the look in his eyes.
Jonny plucked the heptagram off his discarded belt and walked over to the heavy iron door that lead to the Sub basement's security terminal and entered the code 'Sigma'. The Freedom fighters stared as the door raised to reveal another iron door, this one however had a small design in the center. Jonny put the belt buckle in the outline in the door and door slid up revealing an over sized elevator.
Jonny descended into the Sub basement and made his way through the shadows of the towering deactivated robots and devices that littered the dark room until he came upon two spherical containers about the size of softballs. Jonny took them and returned to the lab.
"What are those Jonny?" Tails asked.
"Energy capsules I found in my grandfather's lab." Jonny set them down on a table and began to scan them with a device.
Sally took a close look at the containers. One had a tiny faint blue point of light in the center, the other held a floating ball of black energy in the form of a skull. The latter sent a shiver down the princess's spine.
Sally gave Jonny a fearful look. "What are you planning Jonny?"
Jonny ignored her. Then pointed at the container with the dark energy in it. "This one is giving off more energy."
The Freedom fighters were stunned as Jonny tore the red gem off his chest and shoved the container inside the mess of wires. The 'fins' on Jonny's helmet became spiked and elongated, as did Jonny's wings.
Jonny coldly and calmly walked toward the hole and leapt out. The Mobians ran to the gaping hole in time to see Jonny flying full speed toward Robotropolis. An angel of death flying towards a city of circuitry and steel.
"Sonic, that... Energy Jonny used is called 'Evil energy'. It has the ability to cause people's negative emotions to become stronger, which can cause sudden bursts of anger, unprovoked acts of violence and can even turn people into homicidal maniacs."
"That's horrible. Jonny said he hadn't taken the time to look through all the info in this computer, so he must not have known what this could do to him!" Sonic said, obviously worried about his friend.
Sally continued to look through Jonny's computer. "That's not all. Once it enters a person's body it begins to twist his or her mind to the ways of evil. And the more this happens, the more energy is produced, making the host even more twisted, until his mind is nothing but pure evil. At this point the host becomes a battery, sending Evil energy all over the place. Sonic if this happens Mobius will become a world of ravenous bloodthirsty murders!"
"This is way bad! There's got to be a way to stop this!" Sonic said.
"According the computer there is." Sally pointed to the remaining container. "This is called Justice energy. It can reverse the affects of Evil energy and even destroy it. But not much else is known about it."
"What do you suggest we do Aunt Sally?" Tails asked.
Sally frowned and turned to Sonic, already regretting what she was going to ask of him. "Sonic, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to do something desperate..."
To be continued....
