The massive sub-level chamber of Light Labs echoed with the sounds of drills, torches, saws-a cacophonic symphony of construction that simply refused to rest. At the center of it all, ensnared in a web of scaffolding, stood a behemoth of a machine made in humanoid image, body clad in blue and silver armor while its arms and feet were bright crimson. Its head, still incomplete, was made of golden metal, set atop a large square jaw which currently provided footing for two men in lab coats.

"Gamma?" said Wily, busying himself with polishing the lens of the great machine's eye. "That's what you want to call it?"

Light nodded. He looked up at the robot's face, a mix of pride and dread coloring his own. "That's right. The third time I've turned a robot into a weapon...and I dearly hope the last."

"Hmm...as good a name as any, I suppose. Once we install the power source it should be just about done. Then we'll only need to figure out where Break Man's been hiding, and send this thing in to put a stop to him!"

Turning away, Light looked down over the scaffolding, eyes too clouded with anxiety to truly see any of it. The nearby screeching of the elevator cleared his head. As the lift descended into view, he could see everyone huddled on the platform: Roll, Rock, Rush, Tempo, and LaLinde, with a wooden crate sitting before them. A smile brightened his face.

"Doctor Light!" Roll called, hitting the lever to pause the elevator's climb down the wall. "We're back! How are things going?"

"Rather smoothly, I'd say. Don't you think, Albert?"

Wily hummed in affirmation, not looking away from his task.

"We were able to get the parts you asked for, doctor," Rock said. "Are you sure three is going to be enough?"

"Most definitely! It took us a whole month to figure out a system that could handle three. We'll meet you below in just a moment."

With a nod, Roll flicked the lever, and the elevator resumed. Rock said, "I guess these things are more powerful than they look."

"The real concern is whether or not this robot can make proper use of them," LaLinde said. "We really should've been testing these in the earlier stages of construction, but no one was willing to part with their samples when they found out Wily was on the project…"

"Yeah. But before long, I'm sure he'll be able to convince everyone to give him another chance!"

Roll and LaLinde exchanged a look, but said nothing. Roll then turned to Tempo, who stood somewhat separated from the group, staring straight up the wall. Clearing her throat, Roll quietly asked, "Tempo? Are you alright?"

Tempo snapped to attention, eyes widening briefly. Nodding jerkily, she said, "Yeah, yes...fine. I'm fine." Rush gently nudged her leg. She pet the robotic dog's head, the tension in her expression gradually ebbing away.

When they finally reached the floor, Rock carried the crate over to the base of the scaffolding, smiling at the various robots at work. Next to the giant machine's foot, Guts Man stood shouting orders, and when he spotted the crate he approached with a grin.

"'Bout time we got these!" he said. "How's it going, Rock?"

"Hey Guts Man!" Rock said. "It looks like work is almost complete. Any idea how much longer it'll be until he's ready?"

Taking the crate from him, Guts Man said, "Well, our priority is getting these installed and making sure they're working right. Long as that goes without a hitch, finishing up the head will be a snap, so best-case scenario is the big guy's up and running two days from now."

Roll glanced over the scaffolding, picking out Fire Man and Elec Man hard at work amidst the crew. She quickly averted her gaze. Light and Wily made their way down as Guts Man pried the lid off the crate, and everyone gathered to stare at its contents: three thick disk-shaped objects, lined with metal edges while the center shone with brilliant light.

"Perfect!" Light said, gently taking one in his hands. "With these Energy Elements, Gamma will be unstoppable! Let's test them right away!"

"Slow down, Thomas!" Wily said. "You've been working around the clock-now that everything's settled, this is the best time for you to finally get some rest. Even genius like ours needs time to recharge."

"Oh, perhaps you're right. Guts Man, tell everyone to take a break for now. We'll get the tests under way shortly."

"Sure thing, boss!" Guts Man said.

He departed then, and Light set the Element down before turning to smile at everyone. "Now that I think of it, I'm famished! Why don't we have some lunch?"

"We thought you'd say that," Roll sad. "Right, Rush?"

With a bark, the dog crouched down, a compartment in his back opening to reveal a picnic basket. Light laughed. "Ah, thank you! Just what I need!"

"I think I'm going to lie down for a bit," Wily said, stretching and yawning. "Come get me before you begin testing."

The lift carried Wily out of the chamber, while Light and the rest took seats around a hastily thrown together workbench. Eyeing the crate, Rock said, "So, what's so special about these Energy Elements anyway?"

"Oh, they're a marvelous invention," Light said between bites. "I was at the conference a few years ago where Dr. Cossack unveiled his work-the whole scientific community was astounded! By refining certain ores and minerals through a specific process, he was able to make a power source that puts out a truly astounding amount of energy and lasts for years before running dry. It's a technology with the capability to revolutionize the world!"

"But," LaLinde said, "those materials are extremely rare. Their impact has been severely lessened by the lack of available supplies, and now that bassinium mining is banned pending new safety regulations…"

She trailed off, grinding her teeth together for a moment before discreetly glancing at Tempo. The robot girl just stared at the table in silence.

"Well, regardless. If the Energy Elements live up to their reputation, this 'Gamma' should be nigh-unstoppable. For a pacifist, Thomas, you certainly know how to make fearsome weapons."

"That's exactly why I dedicate my research to peace," Light said. "With all that I've learned, I know just how dangerous technology can be if we aren't careful. It isn't enough to simply leave it be and see what happens: even if idle, it can cause grievous harm from only aimless curiosity. We must actively direct the course of technology in a positive direction so that it can benefit all mankind. That is the responsibility of being a scientist."

LaLinde chuckled. "Sounds wonderful. But who decides which direction is positive?"

Light chuckled back and continued eating. Roll said, "What do you mean, Dr. LaLinde? We just have to do the right thing, don't we?"

"That is the goal, but people don't always agree on what 'the right thing' is." More quietly, she continued, "Sometimes even a single person isn't so sure what 'the right thing' is...and even if it is right, it can still cause harm. Unfortunately, it isn't anywhere near as simple as we'd like to think."

Roll cast a glance over her shoulder back toward the scaffolding. After a few moments, she tilted her head upward.

"Roll?" Rock asked. "You okay?"

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

A faint rumbling sound made itself known, steadily growing clearer. Tempo's eyes shot wide. Clutching at LaLinde, she said, "No, no, not again, no!"

An explosion rocked the wall, sending bits of rubble flying into the chamber as the worker robots scrambled for cover. LaLinde covered Tempo, saying, "I-It's alright! Tempo, it'll be okay! We're going to get out of here just fine, understand?"

Rock went to steady Light, meanwhile Roll glared up at the new entrance. Eight figures could be seen moving through the dust, dropping down into the sub-level and making a beeline for Gamma's scaffolding. She took off running. "Rush, come on!"

The dog bounded after her as her body flashed, combat armor materializing in a matter of seconds. Coming up on the scaffolding, Roll ducked aside as Guts Man came flying towards her, crashing into the pavement with a loud grunt. Up ahead, the intruders could now be seen more clearly: there was some variation in their construction, but it was obvious from their designs that these were eight new Robot Masters, three of whom were currently holding the Energy Elements in their hands

At the front of the bunch was a large robot encased in heavy blue armor. Giving a brief growl, he said, "There you are. Roll! I'll be your opponent!"

Roll held her buster ready, glancing at Guts Man. "Are you alright?"

Picking himself up, Guts Man said, "Yeah, just took me by surprise. Not that you should take him lightly: he's almost as strong as me."

"Stronger, actually," the other robot said. "My name is Hard Man! We're claiming these Energy Elements for our master, Break Man!"

"I can't let you do that," Roll said. "Please, just set them down and we can talk things over!"

Hard Man simply waved his hand, and his seven colleagues began to make their escape. Roll ran after them, but Hard Man leapt into action: his fist detached from his arm, flying forward and knocking a surprised Roll off her feet. Guts Man surged forward and grappled with Hard Man while Rush went to Roll's aid. The others were nearly out when a great blast of fire cut them off.

"Halt, villains!" Fire Man declared from atop the scaffolding. "Your wickedness will not succeed so long as I am here!"

An orange robot with an inverted triangular helmet laughed, casually spinning an Energy Element on one finger. "Well, aren't you serious! Never thought I'd meet someone who could preach like that with a straight face."

"You aren't serious enough, Top Man," said another robot, this one clad in blue and white body armor with a shuriken adorning his helmet. "That thing is not a toy."

"Lighten up, Shadow Man, I know what I'm-"

He yelped as a plasma shot singed his hand, making him drop the Element. Roll, buster still smoking, shouted, "Now, boy!"

Rush bounded out from behind a fallen chunk of wall, snatching up the Element and dashing back towards Roll. The Robot Masters moved to stop him, but Fire Man covered his retreat with a wide spread of flames. Two robots made it through, both bearing identical bluish-white armor with a jagged crest on the helm; they dashed at Rush in unison, and as they were nearly upon him, Elec Man dropped to the floor with one palm forward. Wincing, he unleashed a Thunder Beam at the twin robots that knocked one of them flat. The other, however, disappeared into nothing the instant the beam struck him. Elec Man stumbled back, eyes instantly doubling in size.

"N-No…" he murmured. "That can't be…"

Rush managed to toss the Element into his storage compartment and sealed it shut. As he passed, Hard Man pushed Guts Man back and swiped at the dog, but he was far too slow, and Guts Man grabbed him from his blind spot to lift him overhead.

"Wrong move," Hard Man said. He twisted just enough to hit Guts Man's wrist, and without a proper grip to hold him, Hard Man fell directly on top of Guts Man with a loud crash. Roll tried to repel him with her buster, but the shots had little effect.

"Nice going, Top," said a large blue Robot Master with spikes on his head and arms. "What do we do now?"

"We take what we have," Shadow Man said. "Top Man, you stay. Come back with that Element or don't come back at all."

Top Man sneered. The robot who had been stopped by Elec Man got back on his feet, and at the snap of his fingers, another perfect duplicate appeared next to him. Staring transfixed, Elec Man said, "A projection?"

The Robot Master and his double both flashed him a grin before regrouping with their allies. Fire Man was taking aim again, but another Robot Master stepped forward, one with red armor and a magnet attached to his helm. He thrust both open palms forward, and a concentrated wave of magnetic force extended out, sweeping up Fire Man and repelling him back into the wall. Six of the Robot Masters then went out through the hole they had created to get in, absconding with two of the Energy Elements as Hard Man and Top Man set their sights on Roll.

Hard Man took aim with another rocket punch. Roll launched a charge shot as she dodged, doing nothing against her foe's thick shell. She turned, hesitated, but then shouted, "Elec Man, we need help! Guts Man and I can barely damage him, but you should be able to bypass his defenses!"

Elec Man grimaced. "Well...I suppose, but…"

Hard Man slowly walked forward, saying, "More fighters won't make a difference. My armor can't be pierced."

Roll heard a warning shout from Guts Man. When she turned, something collided with her, knocking her down once more; looking back up, she realized it was Top Man, spinning to a halt with a slightly irritated look on his face.

"At least I get to stretch my legs," he said. "Nice to meet you, Roll. Hand over the Energy Element, and I'll be more than happy to leave in peace."

"No way!" Roll said, climbing back to her feet. "What does Break Man want with them anyway?"

Top Man spread his arms. "Who knows? I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Guts Man swung at him from behind, but Top Man used his wheeled feet to dash out of the way in a second. Jets extended from his wrists, and when they fired, he quickly spun into a robot whirlwind, striking Guts Man in the leg before steering himself towards Roll. She dove aside and took aim, but had to abandon her counterattack to evade another punch from Hard Man. When Top Man stopped, a compartment at the top of his head opened up, and a trio of spinning tops shot out across the floor, keeping Roll on the move.

At the same time, Light was crouching next to the panel to recall the lift, hoping not to draw the attacking Robot Masters' attention as he flipped the switch. Hidden behind some equipment, LaLinde had her arms wrapped tightly around a hyperventilating Tempo, while Rock could only look on helplessly.

"It's alright, Tempo," LaLinde said, doing her best not to shake. "We're all right here with you. We're getting out. I'll make sure you're safe."

Coming back to join them, Light said, "Hopefully Roll and the others will be alright. How did Break Man find out about the Energy Elements?"

"It was Wily, of course!" LaLinde said.

"Noele, we've no reason to think-"

"We have every reason!"

"He's made mistakes, certainly, but he's trying to make amends!"

"H-Hold on!" Rock interrupted. "For now, we need to stay calm. If we draw these new robots' attention, it'll just be one more thing for Roll to worry about!"

The two doctors fell silent at this. Light looked back up at the descending elevator, and LaLinde resumed trying to soothe Tempo.

Roll and Guts Man continued their struggle, neither able to hurt Hard Man or even hit Top Man. Elec Man remained reluctant to join the fray, yet couldn't bring himself to leave, and so he simply watched on until he heard someone behind him. Whirling, he was met with Fire Man, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you well, brother?" Fire Man asked. "I would be happy to assist you in withdrawing if you require repairs."

Turning back, Elec Man said, "No...I am undamaged. Carry on."

Fire Man came up beside him. "Then what weighs upon you? Perhaps you resent Roll for your recent defeat at her hands?"

"It isn't that!" Elec Man snapped. "Just go help them, alright? That's the most pressing issue."

Stepping out onto the battlefield, Fire Man said, "Your schemes end here, thieves! No evil can withstand my flames of justice!"

The cry distracted Hard Man, an opening Guts Man used to get in one good punch. He smirked, but Hard Man was quick to respond, driving both fists into Guts Man's chest and then launching them to carry him across the room. Top Man advanced on the new arrival, but banked to the side when Rush tried to bite onto him, a quick stop just barely saving him from a charge shot. Flames poured from Fire Man's arms to engulf Hard Man, but the large robot barely reacted. Once his fists reattached, he leapt up, rising far higher than anyone expected, and then angled his fall directly towards Fire Man. Dodging the maneuver was easy for Fire Man, and he left in his place a towering inferno that Hard Man could only fall directly into. He emerged looking only irritated, but as more fireballs peppered him, Roll noticed spots of his armor beginning to glow a faint red.

"That's it!" she said. "Fire Man, don't let up! I'll handle Top Man for now, so you just focus on Hard Man!"

Fire Man nodded, speeding up his rate of fire. "You can count on me!"

Roll ran to where Top Man had stopped; a cocky smile painted his face as he simply shrugged his shoulders. "You're going to handle me? How is that going to-"

Rush interrupted with a bark, making him jump slightly. Roll fired at him, but Top Man was still able to dodge, and began to rapidly spin once more. She charged energy as she avoided him, watching closely for the slightest sign of him slowing down. As he was just coming to a stop, she fired, catching him off-guard and stunning him long enough for Rush to tackle him to the floor.

"You can't spin forever, and you're wide-open when you stop," Roll said. "I've figured out how to beat you. There's no reason to keep fighting!"

Top Man scoffed. "What, you expect I'll just give up? Someone as naive as you has no business holding a weapon."

He knocked Rush off and threw out several tops. Roll wove between them and jumped clear of his spin, landing another shot as he came to a halt. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Behind her, she could hear Fire Man continuing to smother Hard Man in flames. The heavy robot still seemed to be ignoring the heat, but his foe was careful to dodge all his attacks, causing the stalemate to drag on endlessly. As Hard Man crouched in preparation for another jump, his leg suddenly twitched. Looking down, he realized just how much of his armor was glowing red-hot from Fire Man's continued assault; this fact was still processing as a harsh sizzling shrieked from within his body. Hard Man moved to take a step, but the sizzle suddenly gave way to a snap, and his leg ceased to respond.

"I figured out Roll's plan," Fire Man said, still outputting more and more flames. "That armor of yours may have a high melting point, but it isn't heatproof! And moving such a heavy frame is no doubt quite taxing on your unarmored internal components, no?"

Hard Man heard more sizzling. Scowling, he said, "How dishonest! Where is the justice in these flames of yours?"

"I would prefer a more straightforward victory. But! This is a non-lethal way of subduing you, and there's justice in that!"

Shouting, Hard Man aimed his fist. Before he could launch it, Guts Man came rushing in, delivering a punch that rattled Hard Man's frame to the point that all of his overheated components simply shattered. He fell flat, and after a brief groan, flames broke through his eye coverings as his processor finally succumbed to the heat.

"G-Guts Man!" Fire Man yelled. "There was no need to go that far!"

Shaking his lightly-scorched hand, Guts Man said, "Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the help, but I think you'd better go see to the docs for now."

Fire Man walked off grumbling, and Guts Man stooped to examine Hard Man's body. Finding the least hot piece of armor, he pried it off, called out to Roll, and tossed it to her. Roll caught the armor fragment, and instantly her armor became dark blue and gray.

"Huh, so you got the best of Hard Man?" Top Man said. "Big deal! I don't need that oaf's help to beat you!"

Roll curled her fingers into a fist as Top Man began to spin. Just as Hard Man had done, she launched her fist at her opponent, the impact so powerful that it knocked Top Man out of his spin before flying back to reconnect to her arm.

"...Alright," he groaned as he picked himself up. "That's going to be a problem…"

Guts Man and Rush came to either side of Roll as she aimed another punch. "Maybe you'll give up now?"

Top Man grinned. "And go back a failure? There's a reason the boss is called Break Man, y'know."

"Don't go back, then. We can-"

Top Man dashed forward suddenly. Roll fired again, bringing the battle to a close. She shook her head, and as she stepped forward, she realized Elec Man was still watching. Quickening her pace, she downloaded Top Man's weapon and then headed back to Dr. Light.

"Is everyone okay?" Roll asked.

Everyone nodded, save for Tempo. Rush went to her side as Light said, "At least they didn't damage Gamma. But whatever they want those Energy Elements for, it can't be good."

"We'll just have to take them back!" Roll said. "With the readings from the one we still have, we can track them, right? Just tell me where to go, and I'll take care of that while you finish Gamma."

Light took a long, sad look at her. "Roll...are you sure you want to fight again? Even with only one Element, Gamma will still be plenty powerful."

"I can't just sit by, Dr. Light! I'm able to help, so please, let me!"

"...Alright, then. Just give me a moment to get everything in order."

LaLinde helped Tempo onto the elevator, saying, "This is...too much right now. I think we need to find a place to just rest."

"I understand. We'll keep you updated as the situation develops."

The Light family joined them, and the elevator carried everyone up to the main lab. There, Wily was waiting with a bewildered expression, saying, "Oh, you're alright! I'm so glad. What on Earth was that ruckus just now?"

LaLinde quickly made her exit. Light said, "It seems Break Man is on the move again. He's dispatched a new set of Robot Masters, and they've stolen two of the Energy Elements."

Wily clamped a hand over his mouth. "Goodness! That's terrible!"

"We're sending Roll to retrieve them. Would you mind helping me make preparations, Albert?"

"Of course, Thomas, of course! Anything I can do to help."

"Thank you. Rock, why don't you run a diagnostic on your sister to make sure she's in top condition?"

"Sure thing, doctor," Rock said. "It'll just be a second."

The two robots crossed the lab, Roll saying, "I hope Tempo's alright…"

Rock nodded, eyes on the floor. "Yeah, that must've been a lot like what happened when the mine collapsed. I wish I knew how to help her...what about you? Are you really ready to fight more Robot Masters?"

"I'll be fine, Rock. Come on, let's set up this diagnostic."

As they began moving the equipment into place, Roll found herself silently repeating her answer. She was fine, she told herself, because she knew that she had to be.

Notes:

-And we're back! Didn't mean for it to take so long, but you all lived through 2020 too, so you know. Arc 2 is something of a mix between Mega Man 2, 3, and 5, mostly taking after 3. I'm planning five parts, but right now I only have two-ideally I would've liked to have the arc pre-written, but again, 2020, and I want to post at least one thing on Mega Man's anniversary. 2-2 will be posted 12/26, and I'll focus on getting the rest of these out as soon as I can.

-It might seem weird starting out with the MM3 Robot Masters, but don't worry, the crew from 2 will be appearing in this arc as well. Those from 5 are getting saved for a later storyline-don't want to cram too much in at once, and I think this other idea will put them to much better use.

-Rush has officially been outfitted as a support unit now that Light's had a bit of time to prepare for such an eventuality. However, Roll wanted to be a little optimistic, so she no longer has data on any of the Special Weapons from the first arc-she'll be keeping a limited arsenal of those moving forward.

-"I know they're human-like, but a robot hyperventilating doesn't make sense." "The trauma is causing her processor to overheat so her respiratory system is working hard to cool it." "...Alright I'll keep it in."