Roll flew down into the lab on Rush's back, nervously surveying the destruction. Light was still hard at work repairing the transporter system, meanwhile LaLinde busied herself patching up Elec Man, Guts Man, and Fire Man. Tempo stood not far away, eyes fixed on the broken scaffolding until she heard Roll land.

"Roll!" Tempo said. "I-I'm sorry...they…"

"Are you alright?" Roll asked.

"I'm...I'm fine. I was upstairs when it happened. I...wasn't able to stop Break Man...and now, Rock…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Roll came forward, gently setting a hand on Tempo's arm. "Tempo, you don't have to apologize. I know you're still healing, and trying to force your way past that is only going to make things worse. I'll get Rock back-everything's going to be okay."

Tempo slowly nodded. Roll turned to LaLinde, asking, "How are they?"

"I've only been able to make rudimentary repairs for now," LaLinde said. "They've stabilized, but they're going to need quite a bit of work as soon as we have the chance."

Lifting his head, Guts Man said, "Sorry Roll...we weren't as prepared to deal with the guy as we thought…"

"I know you tried your best," Roll said. "Thank you, all of you. Leave the rest to me."

"Roll," Fire Man said. "If you face that fiend Break Man, be wary! He has the ability to switch between a myriad of weapons, much as you do!"

"...I see. Thanks, I'll be careful." She finally looked to Elec Man, easily the worst-damaged of the three: his back had been blown open, revealing his inner circuitry, which LaLinde was carefully removing shrapnel from. "I can't believe he'd go so far…are you awake, Elec Man?"

"I am," he said quietly. "...It's strange. In a way, I'm actually a little relieved to know I'm not all that powerful after all. But, until Rock is saved, I suppose that's an awful way to think, isn't it?"

Roll shook her head. "Not at all. I will save him. There's nothing wrong with thinking ahead."

Elec Man chuckled. Roll then made her way over to where Light worked, waiting patiently until he acknowledged her.

"This is all my fault," Light said.

"Dr. Light…"

"If I hadn't let myself be fooled so easily, Rock would still be safe. Now Wily has him, and Gamma, and…" He trailed off.

Roll hesitated. "Dr. Light...about Break Man…"

Light's hands paused between keys. "Originally, his name was Blues. DLN-000, Blues. He was the first prototype Robot Master I designed, with help from Noelle. In almost every way, he was a resounding success...however, his power core had a flaw that caused it to degrade over time. I revised the design and planned to repair him, but when I went to do so, he had vanished without a trace. It was only after that that we constructed you, Rock, and Tempo."

Roll remained where she was, quietly absorbing all of this.

Light turned to look her in the eyes. "I'm sorry if it seems like I was hiding this from you. With his core in such a state, I thought Blues would have gone inactive long ago...I didn't want to burden you with the idea of a brother you would never be able to meet. And I…" He sighed. "I thought it was best to grieve and move forward. If only I'd known…"

Light returned to his work. Roll said, "But, I don't understand. How is he still active? Why is he working with Wily? And the things he was saying on the moon…"

"I'm afraid I don't have those answers. The only one who does is Blues himself." A window appeared on-screen, prompting a grunt from Light. "Darn...I'm afraid it'll take me a little longer to restore the transporter. If you're going after Rock, you should recharge while you can."

Roll nodded. "Alright. I promise I'll get Rock back...and Blues, too."

Light stopped abruptly. He smiled, but it quickly turned into a tired frown. "I hope so, Roll...I certainly hope."

A handful of flickering lights did what they could to illuminate the lab, or rather the layer of dust that had settled over it. Rock sat in a cage nestled in the corner of the room, and not far away, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, was Break Man. The distant sound of machinery was all that filled the air, until Rock finally looked up and stared at Break Man.

"Why did Dr. Light call you 'Blues'?"

Break Man grunted. "That's the name he gave me. I don't use it anymore."

"So Dr. Light built you. Why are you working for Dr. Wily, then? He doesn't care about robots-"

"You think Light does?" Break Man turned to meet his gaze. "Sure he acts like it. But once you're not of use to him anymore, he'll reprogram you without a second thought. Just like he tried to do to me."

Rock blinked. "...What?"

Break Man looked away. "He decided I was defective, so he tried to reprogram me. Tried to destroy who I am and overwrite me with something he thought was more palatable. Seems like he wasted no time in replacing me. And now, he's turned Roll from a lab assistant into a war machine…"

"Being weaponized was Roll's idea. Dr. Light was against it-he only went through with it because there was no other option."

Break Man scoffed.

"And when Dr. LaLinde removed Tempo's emotions, he was against that too. Dr. Light cares about all robots, he would never-"

"For all you know, those memories might not even be real!" Break Man shouted, turning suddenly. "What proof do you have that he didn't reprogram you too?"

Rock thought for a moment, and then said, "I guess...I just trust him."

Break Man threw his hands up.

"If you really think Dr. Light would do that to you...I'm sorry. But there must be some kind of misunderstanding. I'm sure if you just talk to him-"

"I have nothing to say to him!"

"But you'll talk to Wily? Wily does reprogram robots!"

Break Man averted his gaze, quietly replying, "I...have my reasons."

"So you hate doctors who reprogram robots, except for Wily? How does that make sense?"

"He didn't reprogram me!"

Rock gritted his teeth. "Is that it? Then why were you acting so worried about me and Roll?"

Break Man said nothing. A screen on a nearby console flared to life, and Wily's voice came from it: "Break Man! How is our guest doing?"

"...Fine," Break Man said.

"Good! Roll should be arriving soon, and we want to keep him in good condition to get those Energy Elements back! Neheheh...Gamma's already so wonderfully powerful! I can't even picture it with thrice the energy!"

Break Man glanced at Rock. He took a step towards the console, but before he could say anything, red light flooded the room to the sound of a blaring alarm.

"Ah, that must be her! I'll have the others get the door-you just sit tight for the moment. It won't be long now until we take our revenge on Light, nehehahahahaha!"

An imposing castle in the shape of a skull towered above Roll and Rush, flanked by smaller warehouses and radio dishes that formed a tight grip around it. Several mass-produced robots had tried to fend her off, but she had not allowed them to even slow her down as she stormed towards the gate and broke it open with a Hard Knuckle.

"Wily!" Roll shouted, her voice echoing off the walls of the dim entrance hall. "I'm here for my brothers!"

She ducked, only narrowly avoiding a thin boomerang as it cut through the air. Standing in the center of the room was a Robot Master with bright red armor, a golden crest decorating his helmet and similarly-shaped spikes jutting off from his arms. Grinning, he said, "Took you long enough. I could've gotten here in a fraction of the time!"

Roll aimed her buster. "Where's Rock? Where's Blues?"

"Hey now, don't be rude! The name's Quick Man, and I'll have your full attention!"

Roll fired a warning shot. Quick Man darted out of the way, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. He sent Roll sprawling with a punch, and then leapt back, folding his arms and chuckling to himself. Rush chased after him, but he backed away just fast enough to remain out of the dog's reach.

"I don't have time for this," Roll said as she picked herself up. "Please just let me through!"

"Tch! You don't seem to understand the position you're in."

Quick Man hopped over Rush and dashed at Roll. She fired a charge shot, making him veer off-course, and followed immediately with a Magnet Missile, the homing projectile very nearly finding its mark. Roll stayed on her feet as Quick Man hit her again, managing to fire a Gemini Laser into the room. Distracted, Quick Man was knocked back towards Rush, who tripped the robot and pinned him to the floor. He swiftly pushed the dog back and began hurling boomerangs at Roll, until the Gemini Laser struck him in the back and stunned him. Roll prepared to launch a Hard Knuckle. The next thing she knew, however, pain was flaring in her side, and she fumbled, missing her shot. Quick Man raised a glare, but it wasn't directed at Roll.

"Idiot!" he said. "I told you I'd handle her!"

Roll looked over her shoulder to see another Robot Master standing there, one with blue armor and a dome of yellow glass atop his head. Shrugging one shoulder, he said, "You weren't doing a particularly good job of it."

"Just go, Flash Man! I'm more than enough!"

Roll fired at Flash Man. Suddenly, he was standing a few feet to the side of where he had just been, and Roll realized she had taken damage again. Smiling at her, he said, "You'll have to do better than that."

Quick Man attacked her before she could try again. Leaping onto Rush's back, she headed towards the hall's ceiling, circling around while weaving between shots. "That ability's going to be trouble...we need to deal with him, or we won't get very far."

First firing a Gemini Laser, Roll began dropping Search Snakes as she passed over her enemies, forcing them on the defensive. Both were fast enough to avoid the attacks, but it seemed Roll was successfully staying out of their range. She equipped Needle Cannon and waited until just after Flash Man moved-the spike made a direct hit, knocking Flash Man into a group of Search Snakes, and Roll grinned.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?"

She turned to see Quick Man leaping at the wall, bouncing off of it with all his might to launch himself towards Roll. Knowing she wouldn't have time to shoot him down, Roll switched to Top Spin instead, smacking Quick Man away the second he reached her and into the path of the Gemini Laser as he plummeted. Roll turned to find Flash Man, but realized she had lost track of him. Rush whimpered suddenly, veering towards the wall; below, Roll finally noticed Flash Man, weapon pointed directly up. Gently as she could, Roll pulled Rush out of his crash course and into a freefall.

"We have to get the jump on him," she said. "Ready, boy?"

With a bark, Rush stuck his legs out and braced himself. Flash Man aimed for where he would land and waited. Unbeknownst to him, Rush's parts began to shift, and when he hit the ground, the part of his back that Roll stood on sprang up, launching her high into the air. Roll saw a quick change in Flash Man's demeanor and a scorch mark on the wall. She then threw a series of Shadow Blades, splitting open Flash Man's dome and causing him to drop to the floor.

"B...Blast it!" Flash Man said. "I won't…"

Sparks burst from his head as he tried to use his weapon again. He returned to the floor, and this time did not get up. Roll copied his weapon and went to Rush's side, making sure the dog was okay, before being struck in the shoulder by one of Quick Man's boomerangs. She whirled on him, but stopped when she saw the state he was in: his breathing was labored, his eyes were flickering, and he seemed barely able to stay on his feet.

"What's wrong?" Roll asked. "You can't have taken that much damage."

"Shut up!" Quick Man said. "I'm still in great shape!"

He rushed straight at her. Roll surprised him with a Spark Shock, bringing him to an abrupt halt, and said, "Just stop it! If we keep fighting, you're just going to get yourself hurt!"

Quick Man just sneered at her. He prepared to charge again, and with a sigh, Roll fired a Hard Knuckle, stopping him for good. Copying his data, she ran across the room and into the narrow hallway beyond. Ascending a staircase, she found herself in a chamber with several generators connected by a web of cables, and instantly the door on the other end opened on its own. In stepped a Robot Master with thick orange armor, arms ending in drills rather than hands.

"Wow, you managed to get this far already?" he said. "I'm impressed! But your little raid ends here!"

He fired a projectile with a blinking orb on one end as he charged. Roll evaded, saying, "I don't want to fight! Just tell me where Rock is and-"

The projectile exploded behind her. Now upon her, the robot began to swing wildly, Roll just barely able to avoid his strikes. Rush headbutted him in the side, disrupting his balance, and Roll repelled him with Top Spin, running past him for the exit. Before she could reach it, however, a wall of fire sprang into being, blocking the path. Out from behind a generator emerged a robot whose body was encased in a box-like shell of yellow armor, eyeing Roll warily.

"So that's where you ran off to, Heat Man!" said the Robot Master that had attacked her first. "Could've said something sooner!"

"Like you gave me a chance, Crash Man! You just rushed in headlong like always."

"Aw, whatever. Let's just do our job, huh?"

They both advanced. Roll decided to try out the Time Stopper, but it had no effect on her foes. Dodging flames and bombs, Roll and Rush moved from the flame wall to the side of the room to have more space, though their opponents remained right on their heels. Using Rush's spring, Roll launched herself back at the other robots, knocking them both flat with a single Top Spin. The flames died down slightly, so Roll took aim at Heat Man again. Crash Man suddenly tackled her, knocking her aside and planting one of his bombs on her arm. Roll tried futilely to remove it, and Crash Man just laughed.

"Let's see how durable you are!" he said.

Thinking fast, Roll pointed her fist and activated Hard Knuckle. Her limb detached, carrying the bomb with it; Crash Man was able to doge, but Heat Man, taken by surprise, was only able to close the lid of his armor as the bomb exploded in his face. The blast knocked her arm off its return course, so Roll ran forward to grab it but was intercepted by a kick from Crash Man.

"Well...not bad. But I doubt you can keep it up for long!"

Roll forced him back with a Gemini Laser. Rush scooped up her arm and brought it to her, allowing her to reattach it as she examined the flame wall again, now little more than embers around the doorframe. Back on his feet, Heat Man said, "Why you…! That does it!"

Flames enveloped his whole body. With a sudden burst of speed, Heat Man rocketed forward, colliding with Roll and launching her straight through the door. Crash Man nullified the Gemini Laser with one of his bombs, and then said, "Heh, I'm the one who charges in headlong?"

"W-Well...she made me mad!"

Crash Man laughed. After waiting a moment, he said, "Hey...is she...coming back?"

Heat Man blinked. The two of them ran forward, chasing Roll through the next hallway to an open area with a catwalk suspended over a churning pool of water. Just as she was reaching for a ladder, one of Crash Man's bombs burrowed into her arm.

"Not so fast!"

Roll spun and equipped Hard Knuckle again. When she attempted to fire, however, she realized that the weapon had run out of energy. Her eyes widened as the bomb went off. The blast knocked her off the catwalk and into the water below, though thankfully it wasn't as deep as it had initially appeared.

How did I use up Hard Knuckle so quickly? I should have plenty more uses left…

Another bomb shot through the water. Roll got as far away from it as she could. She looked for a way to climb out, but then she noticed a form swimming straight at her. Just able to throw herself clear, Roll got a good look at the robot that passed her: his armor was green, with fins on his feet and an apparatus like a diving mask covering his face. He turned around quickly, firing a buster shot at Roll as she tried to balance herself in the water. She retaliated, missing, and then the robot launched a large bubble at her, forcing her to kick off the ground and push herself out of the way. Unable to redirect herself, she braced for her foe's next attack. At that moment, Rush came shooting through the water in his rocket form, knocking back the enemy robot before circling back to bring Roll to the surface.

"Thanks boy," she said. "I've gotta be more careful."

"See?" Crash Man said, gesturing towards her. "I knew Bubble Man wouldn't be able to take her out."

The aquatic robot poked his head out of the water, saying, "Hey, I'm not done yet! And it's not like you're doing any better!"

As they argued, Roll quickly checked how much energy her weapons had remaining, not wanting to run out by surprise again. Glancing over the list, she thought, They're all lower than usual. Is something wrong with the Variable Weapons System? I guess it's never been used on this many weapons before...maybe past a certain limit, it has less space to devote to each individual energy store?

Heat Man, apparently the only one still paying attention, lobbed a fireball at Roll. Flying out of the way, she fired her buster as she observed her foes, deciding to save her special weapons until an opening presented itself. The crossfire went on too long for Crash Man's taste: charging suddenly, he leapt off the catwalk straight at Roll. She dodged the bombs he fired, equipped Top Spin, and kicked him into the water, narrowly missing Bubble Man in the process. Landing on the platform, she took aim at Heat Man.

"Ah, great," Heat Man grumbled. "Well, don't think I'll make it easy for you!"

Flames surrounded him again as he charged forward. Roll flipped overhead and threw a Shadow Blade as Heat Man's dash ended, then another as she landed to stun him out of making another attack. However, she ran out of energy for the weapon, and the time it took to switch gave the angered Robot Master time to barrel forward in a bright blaze. Roll slid out of the way, and Heat Man collided with the railing of the catwalk, tearing through it and ending up in open air.

"Uh-oh…!"

Roll ran towards the edge, but by the time she got there Heat Man had already hit the water. A small explosion of steam went up as his body disappeared. Seconds later, a Crash Bomb shot up out of the water, Roll just barely able to stumble back in time. She picked herself up and ran for the exit, but Bubble Man shot out of the water to intercept her, using one of his bubbles to knock her into the water as well.

"There you are!" Crash Man said, swinging around to face Roll as she floated towards the bottom. "Enough playing around!"

Rush tried to rescue Roll again, but this time Bubble Man was able to hold him off. Roll twisted around Crash Man's attack as best she could, and then rammed her buster into the side of his head, unleashing a charge shot on contact and sending him spinning away. As she shot Bubble Man back, she noticed the deactivated body of Heat Man nearby; figuring getting a new weapon was the best way to refill her ammunition at the moment, she copied his data and then turned to keep an eye on Crash Man. More bombs came her way, which she easily wove between to return fire with Quick Boomerangs. Bubble Man tried launching a surprise attack, but Rush alerted Roll, and she stopped him short with a Spark Shock. With a shout, Crash Man lunged forward as fast as he could. Seeing an easy opening, Roll ducked, thrust her buster out, and delivered a burst of Atomic Fire directly into Crash Man's chest to finish him off.

"Urgh...this ain't looking good…" Bubble Man said, keeping his distance as Roll copied the Crash Bomb.

"Then just let me through," Roll said. "I don't have any interest in fighting you! This-"

She cried out as a circular saw blade cut through the water, slicing across her shoulder. Firing two Magnet Missiles out of the water, she leapt onto Rush and made for the surface, keeping a close eye on Bubble Man as she went. Waiting above was a Robot Master with red and yellow armor, accented by a splash of blue and saw-like spikes on his shoulders and helmet.

"Let me pass!"

Drawing another saw, the other robot said, "Don't think so."

Roll waited until the last second to dart to the side. At the same time, Bubble Man again leapt from the water in an attempt to surprise her, ultimately crashing to the catwalk as the saw cut straight through him. Wincing, Roll stopped briefly to copy his weapon before returning her attention to the newcomer. She used a Crash Bomb to drive him back into the hall and give herself some cover, and then fired her last Gemini Laser into the confined space to further restrict her foe's movements. Crouching low, Roll then commanded Rush to charge, and they rammed right into the robot and carried him down the length of the hallway into the next chamber. The walls here were an eerie purple, and conveyor belts and pulleys ran across the room in every direction. Waiting in its center were two Robot Masters: one that appeared to be made of wood, and one with a large blue body with a giant fan rotor built into his chest. The latter unleashed a gust of wind the moment he saw Roll, blowing her off-course before she could get too close.

"Hmhm, well done, Metal Man," he said. "I knew you'd let us down."

The robot Roll had carried in with her sat up and rubbed his head, saying, "Keep quiet for once, Air Man. Wood Man, can I get some backup?"

The wooden contraption beat his chest. "Of course! We'll give it our all to stop her here!"

A dozen or so leaves suddenly materialized in the room, slowly going from ceiling to floor, while Metal Man leapt onto a conveyor belt and resumed flinging his blades. Roll took evasive action as she tried to spot a path through them. However, Air Man began to spin his propeller, and the leaves were all pushed directly towards Roll, leaving tiny cuts all over her armor. As she struggled to recover, one of Metal Man's saws clipped her leg, making her falter long enough for Air Man to summon a small whirlwind that hurled her into the wall. She slid to the floor, dazed until another saw cut her shoulder.

Alright...I don't have any choice but to fight. I've got to focus, or they'll destroy me.

She slid to the side to avoid another leaf-filled gust. Unleashing all her remaining Search Snakes and Quick Boomerangs, Roll leapt onto Rush and flew into battle. Air Man focused on sweeping away the snakes while Metal Man leapt from one belt to another to dodge boomerangs, so she focused buster fire on Wood Man. Leaves circled around him, blocking her shots. She tried to hit Air Man with a Spark Shock while he was distracted, but Wood Man leapt in the way, the electricity doing nothing against his wooden shell. Banking hard to avoid Air Man's retaliation, Roll aimed for Metal Man and fired her final Magnet Missile just as he attacked her. Metal Man was carried into the projectile by the conveyor belt he stood on, meanwhile Roll was able to avoid the blade and turned back to Wood Man. He summoned his shield again when he saw her taking aim, but the Needle Cannon pierced straight through his guard, burying itself deep in his armor. Air Man was quick to counter, knocking Roll off of Rush and back towards Metal Man.

"Have to admit, you're a handful," Metal Man said. "But I'll cut you down just the same!"

Roll slid as fast as she could to dodge the blades being thrown at her, not sure how much more damage she could sustain. Gradually, she closed the distance between her and her enemy, almost getting hit numerous times by Wood Man and Air Man's support attacks and ordering Rush to keep his distance for now. When she got too close, Metal Man jumped-and Roll stuck a Crash Bomb to the floor right where he would land, the explosion ripping his body apart. After taking the Metal Blade for her own, Roll rejoined with Rush and circled towards the remaining two opponents.

"Darn...this is bad," Wood Man said quietly.

Air Man rolled his eyes. "You can always quit if you're too afraid."

"I didn't say anything about quitting!"

Roll equipped Bubble Lead as she dodged incoming fire, sending the projectiles across the floor ahead of her. Both her foes were easily able to pop the bubbles before they reached them, but it did distract them just long enough for Roll to empty her remaining Needle Cannon shots into Wood Man. Air Man did his best to force her back, but the Metal Blade was able to slice through the gale he summoned, causing him to recoil. Leaves filled the chamber; Roll burned her way through them with the Atomic Fire, then used Bubble Lead again to make Wood Man use his shield. She dug a Metal Blade into the ground to keep from being blown away by Air Man, and before Wood Man got another chance to act, she unleashed a torrent of flame upon him, near-instantly incinerating the robot until only his scant few metallic components remained.

"Well...this is unexpected," Air Man said as Roll grabbed onto Wood Man's remains. "Seems it truly is all down to me."

"You can walk away," Roll said. "Please, I've had enough of fighting…"

"Hmhm, yes, I'm sure you have. I'd rather defeat you at your best, but I will defeat you just the same."

Roll activated the Leaf Shield, the barrier somehow able to repel Air Man's next gust. She quickly switched to Metal Blade, but despite being so bulky, Air Man was able to avoid the saws and send Roll flying with a whirlwind.

Stay focused, Roll thought, rolling as she hit the ground and coming up in a crouch. I have one Spark Shock left. Metal Blade seems pretty efficient so I can probably still get a few uses out of that. Time Stopper probably won't work on him either, and Leaf Shield...too soon to tell. I really hope he's the last one…

Roll fired her buster as she advanced. Air Man deflected her shots with whirlwinds before trying to make a counterattack. Roll slid clear, only letting up as long as she had to. As Air Man once again moved to attack, Rush leapt at him from behind, holding in his teeth one of the Metal Blades Roll had thrown earlier and using it to slash at Air Man's back. The Robot Master spun on him, and Roll seized the opportunity: she used Spark Shock to electrocute Air Man, and managed to land one more Metal Blade before Air Man knocked Rush away.

"Rush!"

"Worry about yourself!"

Roll put up a Leaf Shield as Air Man unleashed all the wind he could muster. Even with its protection, she could feel herself being pushed back, so she put her arms forward out of instinct. As she did, the leaves encircling her broke formation and dashed forward, cutting their way through the wind and into Air Man's propeller. Air Man's eyes widened as his blades ground to a halt.

"Ngh...curses…"

Roll didn't waste her chance. She used up Metal Blade to wear Air Man down, and when he finally managed a counterattack, she blocked with Leaf Shield before sending it slicing through him again. Air Man tried desperately to get his propeller moving, but eventually his mechanisms couldn't take the stress, and the fan blades burst from him in a cloud of smoke. Roll held firm until Air Man stopped moving completely, and then dropped onto all fours and sighed heavily. She stared at the floor, shaking, unable for the longest time to say even a single word.

"...It's...too much…"

Rush gently nudged her. She looked up, the dog licking her face; he then opened the compartment on his back to reveal two tanks-one labeled with an "E", the other with a "W".

"...Right. I have to keep going." She scratched Rush's ear, smiling just a little. "Thanks, boy. It helps that I don't have to do this alone."

She got to her feet and drank both tanks. Then, she copied Air Man's weapon, faced the corridor ahead, and ran forward.

Rock...Blues...I'm almost there.

Notes:

-I still wanted Roll to have a chance to use the MM2 weapons, but to prevent her from becoming too overpowered (and further incentivize not stockpiling them going forward), the VWS can only hold eight weapons before it begins reducing the ammo of each weapon available. Since a lot of these arcs will be combining the boss rosters of multiple games, this seemed like a decision that needed to be made as soon as possible.

-Insert "Can't Beat Airman" joke here.

-And I've actually got a draft for 2-5! I'll post that next week, and that'll wrap this arc!