Chapter 10: Surfin' 20XX

"That's right, nephew. Your new doggy is now a fully functional water craft. Next time you see some water, give it a shot. It's not like you need to worry about drowning." -Dr. Albert Wily, during his period of feigned sanity in the Third Robot Rebellion

"Why is it that there's ALWAYS one who uses a bladed weapon?" Roll complained. "Other similarities hold true, yes, but not in every single Rebellion! First Cut Man, then Metal Man, then Shadow Man, then Ring Man! Nothing personal, Ring." Ring Man, currently on comm duty, nodded. "And now Gyro Man. Do you think we LIKE fixing up big slash wounds? Do you, bro?"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda." Mega Man rolled his eyes. "Do YOU think I LIKE being cut up by these things? No. But I always come away from them in better shape than my enemy, and I'd say that counts for something."

"I'm just saying, you'd think you'd have learned to dodge those things better by now." Roll sighed. "Oh well. At least you've found an E-Tank or two in case of emergencies by now… right?"

"I had one, but I used it up fighting Dark Man." Mega admitted. "I haven't found any others… which is strange, since they're usually lying around. And now that I think about it, resistance hasn't been as strong as it used to be, either. Oh, the Robot Masters themselves are about average, but their armies are… well, kind of puny compared to previous ones. Add those two facts together, and it seems whatever options Wily always used to fund his insanity aren't open to Proto Man."

"I can think of a dozen theories to explain that, and none of them have anything to back them up." Dr. Cossack shrugged. "I wouldn't complain about it."

"I'm not… just something to note." Mega stood up. "How's Rush doing?"

"With Roll helping me, I believe we can install the green crystal… but since my skill is second to Tom's, I will need more time." Cossack apologized. "The Rush Jet will be ready by tomorrow, but for today, he will be unable to help."

"I'll live. It's okay, doc." Mega assured him. "Better wait for the UN's call, then… don't want to irritate them even more now, even if I'm fairly confident about who they'll sending me to."

"Wave Man?" Roll guessed.

"You got it. Unless Napalm Man has his act together. Barring THAT, it'll almost certainly be Wave, Crystal, Napalm… and then I get to settle this permanently." Mega's eyes hardened.

"Proto Man, you mean." Dr. Cossack sighed. Before Mega could respond to that, Pharaoh Man burst into the room.

"Your brother is on the television again!" He announced. Mega, Roll and Cossack all jumped, then ran for the living room.

"-so vote Proto Man for overlord of the human-free empire in 2077!" The shades-wearing maniac was grinning broadly as they entered. "Now that we've gotten THAT out of the way, congratulations go out to my opponent. Just wanted to let you know, Rock, that both me and Dark Man are completely recovered from that little scrap in Casablanca, and we're REAL anxious for a rematch. Still, good job on taking out four of my generals so far…"

"Four?" Cossack frowned. Onscreen, Proto Man had fallen silent as Dark Man leaned onscreen and muttered something.

"Oops! Make that FIVE!" Proto Man held up a hand with all five fingers spread out. "Gyro Man too, huh? You're still in fine form, little bro. But don't get too cocky; still three left." He dropped the hand. "Now then, let's introduce our special guests on today's show. First up, we have the creator of my own species, the greatest robotics genius the world has ever known, and a dandy Mall Santa too. Some people call him Dr. Light, some people call him Tom, but I just call him my dear ol' Dad." The camera swiveled to point at Dr. Light's cell. All three viewers were relieved to see that Dr. Light was not much the worse for wear, despite his incarceration; he was filthy and unwashed, and had bags under his eyes, but that was about it. "How you doing, pop? Got any words for the people out there in TV land? For a few special viewers in particular? Come on, anything you want! We won't mind!"

"Is that so…" Dr. Light murmured. "Well then… Rock, my son. Keep fighting. I live here knowing that some day soon, you will come. You have defeated this madman before… you can do so again."

"When was that?" Roll wondered.

"Third." Mega reminded her. "Back when he was Break Man… I was whomping the hell out of him on a regular basis."

"Oh yeah."

"Well, wasn't that nice." Proto Man smiled. "Words of encouragement. Good, dad, good; keep these doomed humans' spirits up. It'll make the hunt more entertaining. I'll have Dark Man cook up an extra portion for your rations tonight. Now then, here we have guest number two. He's tried to conquer the world four times before I did, failing miserably at each one. He's been profoundly loathed by everybody, even his own family, if you can call them that. Let's hear it up for my "Uncle"… Dr. Albert William Wily!" Now the camera showed Wily, whose body was easily in a worse state than Dr. Light's, with several large bruises in various places. "Talk, Wily, or I'll make you. I'm sure you can think of SOMETHING to say."

"…Yes, I believe I can." Wily's eyes glittered. "The same thing I always say. Give up, everybody. This time, you've lost. You can't beat him, Mega Man… for even if you destroy all his followers, you will never be able to kill your brother. But he CAN kill you, and he will… and with Mega Man's demise, the world shall fall as well. My only regret is that I cannot be the one to cause it… but even so, I shall rejoice in this planet's demise!"

"Got a bit of your old spunk back in you, do you?" Proto Man smirked approvingly. "Well, you did good today, so I suppose you can get an extra portion of dog food tonight too. Good for you. Well, that's all we have time for today, faithful viewers, but you never know when we'll be calling again, so keep your fingers off those remotes! I'll see you again, believe me!" The TV flashed, then returned to a news program.

"Well, that was uplifting." Mega smiled grimly. "I'm sure Proto intended Wily's little pronouncement to depress me, but really, both of them were encouraging. If that madman wants me to give up, I'm all the more ready to keep fighting."

"Excuse me, but Ring Man informs me that the United Nations are calling." Pharaoh Man reported.

"That'd be them telling me to head to Wave Man's." Mega shrugged. "Shall we go exchange pleasantries so I can get on with this, then?" Roll and Cossack both nodded slowly.

"I suppose…"

"Yes, let's go." The three of them turned and left the TV on, with its announcer still babbling incoherently.

"Hm… I'm actually inside the facility." Mega noted, looking around. "His warp shield must not extend through the whole thing… strange. Oh well, might as well start looking for him." He looked ahead at the hallway in front of him. Like on Gyro Man's platform, he was in a section not designed for human use, and so the designers had made no efforts to smooth out the pipes and tanks of water and treatment chemicals. Pipes of the latter had cracks in them that leaked spurts of the purple gas regularly. Mega winced. "Probably not a good idea to touch that stuff… I don't know what it is, but those look deliberately placed…" He frowned as he spied another defensive measure; large spiked chain clubs flipping back and forth, attached to the ceiling above each crack. "Yup. This won't be fun." He made it past first one, then two traps with carefully timed slides. On the third one, however, he slipped into the stream of purple gas. Yelling, he scrambled away; whatever it was, it burned like acid.
"If it can do THAT to a robot, it's a damn good thing I'm not human." Mega noted, looking at the end of the hall. An apparently vacant pipe end gaped open before him, leading downwards. "This stinks of trap, but I don't really have any choice." As a precaution, he turned the Star Crash on before walking into the pipe. Instantly, he flew forward at high speed. The Blue Bomber swore; the pipe was greased, and he flew around and down turns and twists like a marble toy. In the end, the pipe dropped him unceremoniously a good ten feet above the ground below. Picking himself up off the ground, Mega hurdled a small buzzsaw-bot that crawled along the ground and continued on. Several more came his way over more gas cracks, but they were much more easily avoided than the chain clubs had been. Beyond them, he found something that confused him greatly; a pipe below him had six nozzles pointing upwards, and a waterfall raged along one wall. Aside from that, it seemed to be a dead end. Then one of the nozzles spouted a bubble the size of his head, which slowly rose. "A… bubble?" Another nozzle created a much larger bubble, at least four feet in diameter. Reaching out, Mega grabbed the first bubble, and was amazed by how it remained unpopped. "No way. Is this… bubble lead?"

Bubble lead was one of mankind's stranger discoveries; a chemical compound that formed in bubbles, as its name suggested. The strangeness came from its weight; on land, it was as heavy as the latter half of its name implied, but when underwater it was light enough to bounce and move easily. And in both cases, it was strong and thick enough to stop a plasma shot. But while there was a waterfall in the back, the Lead should not have been able to rise on solid ground. Squeezing the bubble he held in his hand, Mega blinked as it popped.

"Bubble Lead doesn't do that! Wait… does it…" He examined another bubble closely. It was hard to tell, but its lining seemed thinner than Bubble Lead was usually. "Aha. They found some way to make it thinner… then fill the bubble with helium as it forms, and it can rise, but still support… objects?" He blinked as an idea came to him. "Could it…? Well, only one way to find out…" Tensing himself, he jumped onto one of the large bubbles. It held. "YES!" He looked up. "NO!" Scrambling, he dived off the bubble before it hit the spike-bottomed ledge above. "All right… going to have to perform some quick jumping to get past all those. Too bad Rush isn't here." Experimenting, he discovered that the small bubbles would hold his weight, but only for about a second, while the larger bubbles would carry him for as long as he needed. It took a few tries, but eventually he made it all the way up. A pair of huge double doors awaited him, and through them, the Blue Bomber emerged into the outside world. To his sides, a tall stone wall swarming with robots separated him from the Himalayan mountains in the distance… and before him, like a massive mountain lake, was the main reservoir of water.

"Is Wave Man on the other side of that…?" Mega wondered. "And if so, how am I going to cross it? Aha!" Running to the edge of the reservoir, he discovered a small, green Waverunner waiting for him. Looking much like a motorcycle, the Waverunners were designed to cut across the surface of the water at high speeds. This one even had a plasma cannon on the front, which was fortunate, since Mega would need both hands to drive the machine. Hopping on, the Blue Bomber took off across the reservoir.

"Wave Man definitely put that there for me to use." Mega admitted. "Which means he wants my crossing the reservoir to be on HIS terms." Sure enough, he soon spotted robotic sea mines lurking among the waves, and avoided them. Unfortunately, they were not the only enemies; before long, pink robot dolphins began leaping at him in surprise attacks, and the Blue Bomber had to fire very quickly to take them out before they slammed him. And then, to make matters worse, a plasma shot grazed his head, and he looked behind him to see a green Sniper Joe on a purple Waverunner. "Aw, no… why one of THEM?"

Sniper Joes were a modified Lighttech line of robots. Originally the 12-KIF humanoid welder robots, they had a plasma welder for one hand that was easily altered into a cannon, and a huge plasma-proof welding shield. Even without the shield, they had thick armor, and their many variants had all caused Mega Man grief. The bike, now… Turning, Mega shot it three times, and the vehicle sank into the briny deep, taking its rider with it. But the Blue Bomber knew it would not be the last, and from that point on, he had to watch for Wave Joe ambushes as well as the dolphins and mines. All in all, it got pretty hairy.

"Having fun, Mega Man?" A low voice called. Looking around, Mega soon spotted one more green Waverunner like his, a goodly distance away. Riding it parallel to him was a blue and gold Robot Master. Wave Man.

"Oh, it's all right." Mega replied just as calmly, continuing on his current course. He knew he would be unable to get near the enemy commander, and wasn't going to embarrass himself trying. "So, then, do we duel on these things?"

"Oh, no." Wave Man laughed. "No, I just came out here to see how you're doing… and introduce you to somebody else who wants to see what you've got! Beat it, and there's a reward for you! Prepare for the terror of the deeps, Blue Bomber! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Laughing, he blasted across the reservoir. For a moment, Mega wondered at what he had meant… and then before him, the water began parting. He stared, openmouthed, at the sheer size of the purple, spherical metal mass that was emerging, crushing mine, dolphin and Joe uncaringly as it rose.

"Impossible…" The Blue Bomber whispered. "Nothing… nothing this big could swim! Not made of metal!" But the leviathan did not care. It rose, and nothing could stop it. The only break in the purple metal shell was a green crystal window, behind which Mega could see a subordinate Tsunami model… and then below the shell was a furious red face, with a six-foot cannon for its mouth. From that cannon, a blazing green blast emerged, and Mega barely jerked his Waverunner to the side in time to avoid it. "Geez… if I get hit head-on by that, I'm done for!" The Leviathan dropped again, going back to the depths… but only up to the green crystal, and then it rose once more. "Have to take out the operator, and fast!" The dinky plasma cannon on his Waverunner was out of the question. Running through his catalogue of Master Weapons, Mega decided on the best choice; his newest one. A Gyro Blade whirled through the air and stuck in the green crystal with an audible chink. Roaring, the Leviathan fired and dived. When it emerged again, a second Blade caught it as the first had. The third Gyro Blade caused cracks to be clearly visible in the window, and the fourth shattered it entirely. Mega saw the Tsunami model's frenzied expression for only a moment before the Leviathan dived again; apparently, that rising and falling motion was not controllable. This time, however, it did not come back up; it paused for a moment, then sank back to the depths from which it had come.

"Phew…" Mega wiped his brow. "THAT was a close one." Beyond it, he saw something strange; a buoy. Then he saw what was taped to it; the seventh circuit plate. Guiding his Waverunner to it, Mega snatched it off easily. His smile was cut off as he saw a brown streak of light descending. "Is that…" It was. Eddie beeped frantically as he appeared on the water's surface, struggling frantically to swim with his little legs for only a few moments before departing. Mega slapped his forehead, then smiled… and then broke out into peals of laughter as the mines, dolphins and Joes zeroed in on him once more.

"And make sure ALL of them help you do it!" Dark Man screamed at the comm. "Every ONE that has explosive or flaming capabilities! GO!" He killed the connection, angrily slamming his hand onto a button, then slumped in his chair. "I hate that robot. I really do."

"Hey, Dark. You call Napalm Man again to check on him?" Proto Man asked as he entered the command chamber.

"Yeah, boss." Dark Man passed his hand over what little face he had. "As usual, by the end of it I was ready to throttle him single-handedly, and for me that's physically accurate."

"What'd he do NOW?" Proto Man rolled his eyes behind his shades as he flopped into his own command chair. "Mistake his own base for the trees? Eat one of his bombs? Surrender himself into UN custody?"

"No, he was actually burning trees this time." Dark Man explained. "Problem was, he was only burning them with his own two cannons… not a single one of his army was helping him out."

"So?" Proto Man frowned, not getting it. "This is Napalm Man we're talking about here. Even if he has the IQ of a fermented eggplant, he's a one-robot army. And fire kinda, you know, spreads REALLY fast in a forest?"

"Yeah, I know, boss." Dark Man sighed again. "But we're not talking an ordinary forest here. The Treeborg plantations aren't natural growths; they were CREATED by the Second Rainbow after the Third World War specifically for the purpose of increasing the oxygen level of the planet, which was in grave danger after all the ecological damage in said war. And they needed a LOT of trees. The African forest is one of the largest, boss, and it's the size of several COUNTRIES. Not even Napalm Man can make more than a dent in that without help."

"Aha… now it makes sense." Proto Man shrugged. "Still, you told him to get his boys on track helping him, right?"

"As long as he doesn't get them to kill each other or something." Dark Man grumbled sourly. "I need some stasis time, boss. See you later." Continuing to mutter, he slouched out of the command chamber, leaving his master alone with the two old Doctors.

"Hey, dad." Proto Man called. "How you doing over there?"

"Not bad… all things considered." Dr. Light replied warily. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just wondering." Proto Man shrugged. "I wanted to thank you for playing along with my broadcast today. Anything I can do for you?"

"Well…" Dr. Light made an exaggerated thinking motion. "How about-"

"WITHIN reason." Proto Man snorted. Dr. Light snapped his fingers.

"Darn." Both of them chuckled for a moment. "How about a game of chess with your old man?"

"I… think I can manage that." Proto agreed after a moment. "I'll get a set… be right back." He left the room, and returned momentarily with the board and pieces, which he set up on the floor just outside Dr. Light's cell. The bars were wide-placed enough that the old doctor could reach through them to move his pieces. "You be white, and I'll be red, of course."

"Of course." Dr. Light smiled briefly. They made their opening moves in silence, and continued that way for the first few turns.

"This is fun, really." Proto Man admitted. "We'll have to do it again… it reminds me of… happier times."

"Back when we were all living at the house together?" Dr. Light inquired cautiously, not wanting to change his eldest son's current relaxed mood. "As a family?"

"Yeah…" Fortunately, Proto Man didn't seem to be reacting negatively to that. "A family. That's it, all right."

"I think of the same thing quite often." The old doctor admitted. "Of two times, really… the times with you and your siblings, and of those when it was you, me and Albert… you were the first to call him Uncle Al, you know."

"Uncle… Al. Yeah, I know." Proto Man agreed, absently taking one of Dr. Light's pawns. "He's not really my uncle, but…"

"But he might as well have been." Dr. Light nodded, knocking out the rook Proto had just moved. "The two of us were like brothers, and when you decided I was your father as well as creator, that progression was natural. Rock and Roll picked up on it the exact same way for the short time they truly knew him, even though they had never known you… some things just come naturally, I suppose." Proto harrumphed.

"What did Wily think about that, again?"

"He just kind of chuckled dryly." Dr. Light shrugged. "I don't know if he ever believed in the 'family' connection, although he certainly acted like he did during the Third. Maybe if he had had a robotic son or daughter of his own to call him 'father' before his insanity overtook him, he might have, but as it turned out…"

"I am right here, you know." Wily called from the next cell over. "You're talking about me like I'm not here, but I am."

"Shut up." Father and son replied simultaneously.

"Fine." Muttering, Wily sank back onto his floor.

"Yeah, he never really have a 'family' on his side, did he…" Proto Man agreed. "He built those 'bots in the Second, of course, but they were just dumb ones like my generals, so they don't really count."

"Well, there was Doc Man." Dr. Light watched his son's face carefully. It remained blank.

"Doc Man…" Proto murmured. "Yeah, him… but they were never close, were they?"

"We don't know." Dr. Light shrugged. "Albert never told us anything about him prior to his own madness…"

"Doc Man was crazy like his dad?" Proto Man muttered. "I… forgot that…"

"Of course he was." Dr. Light reminded him. "But not always… he only went mad following his first fight with Mega, in the first Skull Fortress. You weren't around then, so it's understandable that you don't know that, although I thought we told you."

"Maybe you did." Proto Man smiled a bit sadly. "My memories aren't what they used to be… especially about the Third. Maybe that means I'm as crazy as Doc Man was. I don't THINK I am, but you know what they say about never knowing. What do you think, dad? Do you think I am? Crazy, I mean?" His voice was oddly plaintive.

"I… don't think you really want me to answer that. Not really." Dr. Light said carefully. Proto Man sighed.

"Yeah, probably… no point in taking chances on spoiling a good game here. Let's play." After that, they continued the game in silence… but Dr. Light's eyes never stopped watching his son's expression.

"There." Mega smiled. At the far end of the reservoir, he had spotted a dock… and beyond it, a small shed with a familiar metal shutter. As further confirmation, another green Waverunner was parked there already. Pulling his own Waverunner up, he shut down the green machine and jumped off, then walked through the shutter, absently blowing away the single pitiful cannon that had been installed as a last defense. "All right, Wave Man. Let's go."

"So you destroyed the beast of the briny deep." Wave Man mused as he dropped down. "Not bad at all. But that's all you'll do; even though my allegiance has shifted, my duty is still clear."

"Oh?" Mega Man raised an eyebrow, charging a shot. "Allegiance shifting… that's a laugh. You were reprogrammed. You had no choice in the matter. You're just a poor, stupid dupe, like all who came before you. And what is that duty?"

"To protect this site from any and all intruders… something which you definitely qualify as! And there's only one penalty for that crime!" Wave Man slammed his left arm into the ground, and Mega Man fired his charged shot. It flew straight and true… and then to his shock, a geyser of water erupted from the ground in front of Wave Man, deflecting the shot. "HUH?"

"Ha…" Wave Man seemed to smirk. "Nice try, but useless!" The geyser dropped, and Wave Man brought up his right arm, releasing a harpoon that pierced the stunned Blue Bomber's arm.

"AAH!" Mega attempted to tear it out, but it would not come free.

"Fool!" Wave Man jumped into the air. Forcing himself forward, Mega Man slid under him. They both stood and turned.

"I don't know how you rigged this room to do that, but it won't work if we're not in the same places! That trick won't work against me!" Again Mega fired… and again, Wave Man brought up a geyser of water to block it.

"Trick? Ha… somebody's in denial." Wave Man sounded amused. "My Water Wave is my left arm's special power… my greatest one. If you could take me down, you'd understand it. But that's not going to happen! I bring it up, block your shot, then drop it when you least expect-" The geyser dropped, and another harpoon flew. "-And use my right arm to impale you!" For a moment, Mega stood frozen in fear… and then he smiled.

"You talk too much… a failing in my brother's servants." Three orbiting stones appeared around him and flew out, crushing the harpoon before slamming into Wave Man. "My Mega Buster isn't the only weapon I have."

"Ho ho… not entirely helpless after all!" Wave Man jumped, and again Mega moved. "This hunt may not be so easy as it first seemed…splendid!" They faced off once more. As Wave Man slammed his left arm to the ground, Mega activated the Power Stone a second time… but now, Wave Man's geyser rose directly in front of him, and the rocks were deflected by it as well before they hit him. "Use any weapon you wish… none can get through the waves to strike me!"

"But you have to drop them some time, don't you?" Mega Man guessed. "And when you do, I'll be ready." Angrily, Wave Man fired a harpoon and canceled the geyser. This time, Mega had the Star Crash equipped. To be honest, I don't know if I can do this… but hell, it's worth a shot! Making a throwing motion, he willed the Star Crash to fly out, as Star Man's had. The harpoon bounced off the force field as it left him and slammed into Wave Man, knocking him on his rear.

"You…"

"I have more than one way to strike you down." Mega smirked. "And I've got you figured now. You tell yourself you're a hunter… you wait for your prey to expose itself, then strike at it. But when your enemy knows the nature of your defense, it can counteract it… and then, you can't do anything but hide futilely."

"Oh… is that so!" Wave Man climbed back to his feet and jumped once more. Mega dodged again, and Wave Man bent over… smiling. "You think that's all I can do? Fool! My Water Wave can attack as well as defend!" He laughed as the geyser erupted on the spot Mega Man had been standing. "Ha ha ha! Victory is-"

"I was waiting for you to do that." Wave Man's laughter cut off instantly as he saw his enemy rushing along the ground away from the geyser, colors salmon pink and white, with a spearhead of energy around his leading foot. The Charge Kick slammed into Wave Man's legs with full force. Screaming, the Robot Master fell forward over his adversary, feeling the life leave his lower body. Before he could even attempt to get back up, it was too late; the second Charge Kick took him in the back. Where his water tank was. The explosion augmented the damage from the first, and Wave Man was blown apart, torn in half at the waist. He only had time for one last, despairing scream before his systems shut down, leaving Mega Man standing ankle-deep in water before the corpse.

"And that leaves two."

"You nervous?" Dr. Corbun inquired. His compatriot nodded.

"A little, yes. How about you?"

"Nah, cool as a cucumber." The British doctor smiled.

"Then why are your hands shaking?" Mr. X inquired. Dr. Corbun shrugged.

"Too much coffee?" They both laughed. "All right, maybe I am. A little. What do you think the UN will do to us?"

"Hopefully, nothing permanent." Mr. X guessed. "I'm an old man, and I'd like to live out my remaining years in what health I have left. It most likely depends on how fast we talk, and how many people are behind us."

"True…" Dr. Corbun mused. "If we get enough popularity behind us, they might figure locking us up would do more harm than good. And there's Vinkus, too… no telling WHAT way he'll go these days. Oh well, there's no point in delaying it."

"It's time." Mr. X agreed. "Let's go." Stepping out through the large double doors, they walked to the front of the building, which was still covered in a tremendous tarp. Eight cranes surrounding the building held it, ready to raise and remove when the time was right. The crowd waited at the front of the building; aside from the expected news crews, many civilians had been drawn as well. In the back, several UN delegates-including Vinkus-waited apprehensively. Corbun and X stood in front of them, a microphone stand to each.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Dr. Corbun began. "I am sure you are all aware of the recent going-ons involving the Fifth Robot Rebellion. A war between humans and some of our own creations… a truly dreadful thing. Yes, my friends, I said some. Like the Robot Rebellions before, only a certain portion of our Robot Masters have been taken to rebel against us… some of which I myself labored over. However, many Robot Masters who live with us, work with us, walk alongside us daily, are as innocent of this as you yourselves are." He spread his arms expansively. "Robot Masters are here, my friends, and though their bodies are steel instead of flesh… they are still people. They are still beings who, even if they hold no LEGAL rights, at least hold the right to LIVE as much as any of us do. Despite every Rebellion so far, we still believe in the individual Robot Master's right to life. And it is right that we should, for the Robot Master is not just a hazard to our lives, but the opposite… a benefit. Many Robot Masters have worked their entire lives for the betterment of humanity… indeed, the original Lighttech Robot Masters were designed solely to help humanity recover from the effects of the Third World War… isn't that right, X?"

"You are correct, Trenton." Mr. X agreed. "And since then, most Robot Masters have been designed for similar purposes. Even if many of them are stolen and reprogrammed for evil purposes… some remain who are not, who are innocent, who wish only to help and to live." He sighed. "Sadly, many among us believe differently… or they do not care. In the wake of this latest Rebellion especially, we are seeing many otherwise decent men turn to violence against our mechanical brothers. Thus, we have concluded that something is needed to remind ourselves of the good that Robot Masters bring. Of their history, of their purposes, of their reasons for existing, and of how they still serve us. With my wealth, I have constructed this monument to our robotic sons, and with the help of my good friend, Dr. Corbun, we have completed it in record time." He made a signal with his hand, and the cranes activated, lifting the tarp. Behind the two men, the building was revealed; a three-story stone and glass monument, shiny and new, its name etched in metal above the entrance. Cameras flashed as the two men spread their arms in welcome. "Enter, friends, and be welcome… for this, the Xanthos Robot Museum is now open to all!"

"We have labored long and hard to bring this to you all today." Dr. Corbun continued. "Though the museum largely concentrates on Robot Masters, it covers the entire history of robotics within its walls… from the beginnings of the science in the twentieth century, to the horrors of the Third World War-ah, small children may be advised to avoid that exhibit-to the rise of the Second Rainbow, the greatest group of geniuses the world has ever known, and to present day, where Robot Masters are a way of life, thanks to the efforts of a family named Light. Our most spectacular exhibit, of course, is the Hall of the Robot Masters. There, you may gaze upon and learn about every Robot Master ever constructed… be they Lighttech, Wily, Sennet, Cossack, or U.S., all are there. Some of them may no longer exist, or indeed, only be present in one location other than here… but others may be seen walking down the street or riding the bus next to you the very next day. Come in, everybody, and see them here first for yourselves." He stopped talking and smiled as he saw the already erupting crowd suffer an even larger commotion in one spot… one moving spot. Darwin Vinkus was forcing himself through to them, face livid.

"Are you two INSANE?" He hissed once he had reached the stage. "A… a… ROBOT MUSEUM?"

"That's correct, Darwin." Mr. X smiled gently. "We thought it was appropriate… it demonstrates our species' need for Robot Masters and speaks for their defense quite adequately."

"You could have just given a speech to do that!" Vinkus growled. "Look at this! This is… the UN will explode! If this catches on, what do you think it will do to any more laws we try to pass?"

"Any more restricting robots, you mean." Dr. Corbun sniffed. "As long as you don't make them outrageous, then I don't see any problems. If you DO… well then, that's YOUR fault. We've done it, Darwin, and we stand behind it… and if we get thrown away in some cell, then so be it."

"I don't think THAT will happen." Vinkus appeared to be recovering his temper. "But I WISH you had told us more about this before actually doing it."

"Can you guarantee that the UN would have allowed us to complete it entirely unmolested?" Mr. X raised an eyebrow. Vinkus slowly shook his head.

"Well… no. But… oh, damn. You two have really done it this time… but I would have done the same in your situation."

"So you'll help us out?" Dr. Corbun asked. Vinkus covered his face.

"Yes. I'll do all I can, Trenton… and that starts with putting the best face on this as possible." He turned and took a mike. "Ahem… of course, the United Nations fully supports non-violent Robot Masters, and we extend our support to this museum. Let it be opened, then, and let all see the greatest achievements of humanity to date." Dr. Corbun and Mr. X stood beside him, smiling.

"If only Tom was here…" Mr. X sighed. "This is a proud moment for our little group."

"Let's just hope it's not the last one, eh?" Dr. Corbun winked. "Enjoy the moment, X. You've earned it." The crowd surged forward past the three men, eager to see what awaited them inside. In the minds of Mr. X and Dr. Corbun, the battle for the rights of Robot Masters was looking positive.

But in the mind of Darwin Vinkus…