"Thank you, Wave Man." Mega Man barely managed to say without choking. "I appreciate you bringing them back."
Back in Light Laboratories, the mood had never been so low. Mega Man had returned from gathering the witness information from the police only to find that one of the very few relatives of Dr. Light was now dead. Things had been absolutely crazy, but for now a full investigation was under way, and a very foul Bass was being questioned by their ethics agent, Tim Reyes. Mega Man had to admit that he was afraid to let the dark robot in the house, as he looked like his temper was going to crack at any moment. And of course the first thing anyone did when investigating a water circumstance was to wonder where Splash Woman was. Fearing the worst, Mega had asked for Wave Man's help, and it was very obvious that Wave Man had not enjoyed the experience. But he was a dutiful robot, he brought back not only Splash Woman, but Pirate Man and Aqua Man. Wave Man carried the mermaid, and Gyro Man behind him had the bogeys.
"It's nothing." the aquatic robot answered the blue bomber stiffly, as Gyro Man began putting the robots onto repair tables next to Flame Man's broken body. "Please excuse me, but I must return to my team. In only a few minutes the space station's orbit will be out of teleportation range."
"Wait just a minute." Auto spoke up as he began putting wires in the zip drives of the robots. "I want to test something, and if it turns out how I think it will, you'll want to see it."
"You can send me a message on the space station." Wave Man replied, before pausing and reconsidering. "Wait, Gyro Man, you remain behind. I know you are eager to be a part of this investigation. Help Mega Man in whatever way he needs for this until you can teleport to us, or until you receive further orders."
"Right!"
Gyro Man's eyes gleamed at the thought of revenge. As Wave Man entered the super teleporter and disappeared, Gyro Man went and stood next to the blue bomber, nodding in a way that made plain his desire to be thought of as an equal partner. Mega Man cracked a smile, a little jealous of Gyro Man's spirit. The two quietly listened as Reyes continued to question Bass.
"And what were the damages?"
"Sixteen of Imahara's robots were injured, but they could be repaired. Yamato Man got Dr. Imahara with nerve gas, and him, Knight Man, and Centaur Man got away."
"And where were you when this happened?"
The dark robot's scowl deepened. He wasn't liking this line of questioning. "I was on deck when it started. After I got Aqua Man and Plant Man, I went to guard Imahara. Like an idiot he told me to go look after his stuff, and when I was gone Yamato Man snuck in and got him."
"Isn't that just like a scientist?" Mega Man remarked to Gyro Man. "They're always thinking of their work and not themselves."
"Wily was never like that." Gyro Man said with not a little darkness. "If there was the slightest bit of danger, you could be sure that Wily wasn't there. His only exceptions were the times he fought you, and that was only because he knew you would never kill him."
The red eyes of Bass slowly turned towards them with a meaningful glare, communicating a very clear "shut up". Gyro Man shuddered, but Mega Man wasn't paying attention. He was thinking.
"That really makes it sound like the robots were after only Dr. Imahara." the bomber said to Reyes. "If they didn't take any of the shipping and they left right when Yamato Man returned, all they wanted to do was kill him. That's not how Wily-bots normally act."
"Knight Man said something about orders." Bass said. "They must have been reprogrammed and taken over by someone who didn't care that much about the equipment."
"What did you do with all it, anyway?" The ethics agent asked.
"I brought it here. That idiot wanted all of the crap he's been working on safe, and that's how it's going to be." Bass snapped. "I'm not going to risk it get damaged or stolen in police impound. If you have a problem with that, cry about it. I'm at least going to get that part of my job right."
"Just as I thought..." Auto, still bent over a computer, interrupted the questioning. "Everyone, come look at this!"
"What did you find?" Mega Man asked as everyone gathered around the monitor, which showed the scematics of all four robots.
"Nothing! And I do mean it --- absolutely nothing. Look-" Auto pointed to the data scans of Splash Woman. "From what I can tell, her memory was completely wiped out, just like Gravity Man. Aqua Man and Pirate Man had more disturbing signs: they each had a little mechanism and small power source in their heads, so that if they suffered a crippling blow to their power cores, their minds would be deleted and we wouldn't be able to recover any useful data. Treble, however, attacked Flame Man's head in such a way that the device meant to destroy his mind didn't work completely. I think I can recover some data from that, but it will be a while."
The purple wolf, which to this point had been just as depressed as his master, wagged his tail. For once his love of chewing robot master's heads came in handy. Bass rubbed between his ears.
"So that means..." Gyro Man said, sending a transmission of the discovery to his base. "That whoever killed Gravity Man is the same one that went against Dr. Imahara. That person must be a ridiculous programmer if they can destroy people's memories like that."
Mega Man groaned. "Oh no...that makes what I found this week that much worse. Here, there was a robot in town who saw Gravity Man that last day, and...I'll just let you see his memory clip."
He loaded the chip into the screen of bustling Monstropolis. "Okay, so there's Gravity Man passing by, and then the robot looks off to the side --- and pause! Auto, zoom in on that side street there."
They all leaned in. There, as a barely discernable blur, was a robot. A very distinctive one, at that. It was someone they had never expected to ever see again: Epic Man. But there was the midnight blue robot, just walking around as another sentient machine would. Even though the image was distorted from the crowd and Epic Man's walking speed, the heroes could just barely make out his devious grin.
"Dr. Cain!" Gyro Man seethed. "Of course he would be behind this! He's probably the best virus programmer alive!"
"Ah, then I can do something about it."
The others turned around to find a dark Crystal Bot behind them. Her angry eyes hung low with a grievious rage, and she glared out of them in complete determination.
"What are you doing here?" her team member protested. "You won't be able to teleport back to the station for another day and a half, and they'll need you!"
"You guys need me more." She retorted before turning to the others. "Alright, Forte-kun, take this yellow chip and install the programs on it. Rock, you get the blue one, and give this red one to Proto-kun next time you see him."
"What's on them?" Mega Man asked, observing the chip curiously before sticking it in his neck. Bass installed the chip without even thinking as Crystal continued.
"It's all your absorbable powers from the Cain-bots. I went ahead and gave each of you the same powers you had before, except I copied the echelon heatshock so that all of you can have it 'cause it's so powerful."
The human, who had gone forgotten in the past few minutes, immediately protested. "That's illegal! All robot master powers have to be deleted once the team is dealt with!"
Crystal Bot looked at him with disgust. "Hello? Epic Man is running around out there murdering my friends, so his team is obviously not defeated, and so therefore it's legal." The girl-bot turned to Mega Man. "Honestly, Rock, you could have had all your powers back when Wily revived the masters. I double-checked the laws, and it doesn't say you can't have the powers if the masters come back."
Mega Man was unsure. He didn't like bending the law, but seeing how Tim Reyes was unable to come up with an argument against it, Mega Man reluctantly began installing the powers. After all, he would need any advantage he could get.
"But there's something I don't get." the blue bomber said. "Only Dr. Light and Dr. Wily were any good at bringing back destroyed robot masters. How could Dr. Cain fix his team like that?"
"He's been on the lam for five years." Gyro Man said. "There's no telling what he's learned. But where is he going to strike next?"
Mega Man was able to guess. "Hmm...Gravity Man was a technician, and Dr. Imahara was into robotics science, so..."
He didn't have to finish that. Immediately everyone in the room gasped, and Bass literally growled.
"That's it, I'm going to Cossack's now. And YOU-" here he pointed to Crystal Bot. "Don't you even think about leaving the lab."
"And you too, Bass."
The look on the dark robot's face made Tim Reyes very grateful for the three laws as he continued. "You're still under investigation for Dr. Imahara's death, don't forget."
"What is this crap?!!" Bass snarled, pounding a fist into the nearest repair table. "Do people really think that I'm going to stick to all your stupid rules for five years just to screw it all up the very second I get done with your retarded probation?!! I can't kill humans!!"
Reyes sighed, rubbing his wrinkled forehead. "Look, I know better than you do how dumb the rules are in this case. But if I let you go before my boss is alright with it, then it's both our jobs. Some of the higher ups are convinced that you let Yamato Man kill Dr. Imahara. But by tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow at most, I can have things cleared up. Just trust me."
Resisting the urge to punch something else, the dark robot let out a deep breath and tried to calm down. It worked for all of two seconds.
"What are you still doing here?!!" Bass hissed at Mega Man, who jumped back in surprise. "If Cossack dies because of you then I'll tear you apart!!"
"I'll cover your back, Mega!" Gyro Man volunteered. "We'll have to stick together if we're going to beat the Cain-bots."
"By the time you come back, me and Auto can have an upgrade ready for your heads." Crystal Bot added. "We'll try to make sure that they can't delete you like they did to....the others."
"Right!" Mega Man said, feeling a little better about everything. "Let's go, Gyro Man!"
It took the blue bomber just a second to signal for Rush to get ready, and in that moment he paused and looked back at Bass. The furious fighter-bot was trembling with rage, and wouldn't calm down even at Crystal Bot's insistence. Bass returned the look, sneering back at the bomber. And as tough as he pretended to be, it was clear to Mega Man that he wanted to redeem himself for not saving Dr. Imahara. Rock wasn't sure how to feel about that, but he knew that if things kept going they way they were now, then Bass would get his chance.
Rush was ready, so Mega Man and Gyro Man teleported out.
----------
The baby's room was turning out beautifully. Roll still thought it was a little silly that Kalinka wanted to finish the baby's room before they knew if it was a girl or a boy, but that was why they were painting the room green and yellow, rather than pink or blue. But Kalinka was so excited. This was her first child, and she had every right to be. And that was why the usually fastidious young woman was covered in speckles of spring green paint.
"And that is the second layer!" Kalinka exclaimed happily as she finished the last few strokes of the wall. "When it is dry, we will do the stenciling for the borders. Alyosha will be so surprised to see it when he comes home! Oh, do you think we will have time to buy the crib while it dries?"
"We should." Roll guessed. With the couple's home a lot closer to society than Dr. Cossack's, going to the store was much less of an event for Kalinka than it had been. Alyosha's credit cards were proof of that. "But don't you think you're working too hard? You do have a while until the baby comes."
Kalinka shook her finger at the housekeeper-bot. "Nonsense. I am not a cripple, and I want to have this done before I get all fat and lazy and sick in the mornings. It is so much fun!"
"You're not going to get too big, Kalinka. You take too good care of yourself." Roll insisted with a smile. "Except that this morning you barely ate anything because you were so excited about painting. But that's where I come in! I'm going to make you something now. You just take a minute to rest."
"I said I am not a cripple!" Kalinka called out as Roll left, more teasing than anything else.
Roll liked the Polovstiansky's house. It was surprisingly normal for a robotics scientist's home, other than being grandiose. Having grown up in a home without a mother, Kalinka had rarely ever had the chance to live in a place she could decorate herself, and in a more feminine, homey way. Dr. Cossack's lab came straight from old sci fi movies, but this place could have been featured in a housing magazine. Roll happily went over to the kitchen, with its large, marble counters and all the latest appliances.
"Eeek!"
"Roll? Are you alright?"
"Yes...it's just Skull Man again..."
Roll stared warily at the skeleton shaped Cossack-bot. But she got no reaction from him. She couldn't even tell if he was laughing at her or not -- though she had the sneaking suspicion that he was. He always seemed to enjoy standing perfectly still in a hallway, just waiting for someone to walk by and jump out of their skin. Dr. Cossack had given Skull Man to Kalinka when she married, and for some reason the terrifying robot never bothered the human. She was probably even going to bring him along to haul bags when they went shopping.
Roll shuddered. She peeked back once as she went off to the kitchen, and she swore she saw his eyes narrow with sinful glee. The girl-bot had to wonder how well Skull Man had been reprogrammed after his team fought her brother. But she went on anyway, trying to focus on making pasta salad and not the cold, bone-shaped robot behind her.
"When will you be home, 'Yosha?" As Kalinka cruised to the kitchen, not a bit disturbed by Skull Man as she went over and plopped down at the breakfast table. "You spend all day at work, so how can I not go shopping? It's so boring at home and you're always out working so hard at the lab. Oh, just kidding. You'll be back tonight? Good. You need to spend more time with me and not my Papa. Some days I think you like him better." Kalinka paused, before blushing. "I cannot believe you said that! So cheeky! Oh? Fine. But when you come home I get you to myself, okay? Bye, love you."
Mrs. Polovstiansky hung up her phone and pouted, staring at her ring finger and the rather large diamond thereon. "Hmph. That's what I get for marrying a robotics man. I did know what I was getting into. Oh well. Once our lab is done he won't have to leave me all day."
"Weren't you going to be a robotics scientist?" Talking didn't stop Roll from working, and she checked to see if the water was boiling while she pulled some black olives from the fridge. "I heard you even went to a university for a while."
"I was distracted by Alyosha." Kalinka tittered, as she dreamily stared into nowhere. "I do not know how I can get any studying done with such a handsome man around! I will leave the science to him, and he can leave the house to me. He is the man, after all. Ha, look at me, I am such a Stepford wife."
The water was ready, so Roll poured the noodles into the pot on the stove. "Well, soon you'll have a little child to run after. You definitely won't get bored! Ooh, we'll have to think of some baby names!"
"I know! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!" Kalinka laughed. "I just wish I didn't have to get so big. You have to help me when I want to lose the baby weight, okay?"
"Definitely! I'm not going anywhere!"
The sound of a telephone went off, and the kitchen's comm monitor (the only non-kitchen tech in the perfect room) started flashing. Kalinka casually went to answer it. The girl-bot had to wonder why Kalinka would want her ringtone to be so boring when most people had music play.
"Papa! Good morning! I thought you were in Moscow with Alyosha today."
Dr. Cossack looked frightful with worry. "Kalinka, are you alright? Who is with you?"
"Uh, just Roll and Skull Man. Is something wrong?"
"Stay there! Don't leave the house! I'm going to have Pharoah Man bring you back to my lab immediately where my security is tight. Pharoah Man is on his way there now!"
Kalinka got up from the table with a start. "What is going on?"
"Hopefully nothing, but I heard that there are robots going after all robotics scientists, and I'd rather have you where I can see you."
"I'm not going without Alyosha!" the young woman persisted. "If that is true, than he is in more danger!"
"Don't argue with me!" Cossack almost pleaded. "You're coming home now!"
"Um....." Roll meekly interrupted as she looked down the hall. "Where's Skull Man?"
Silence reigned, but only for a moment. The far wall was suddenly ripped open, and hurtling through it was the answer to Roll's question. Both human and robot girl screamed as an orange robot stepped through, his chest and arms glowing bright neon colors in square patches. It was none other than Algorhythm Man, followed closely behind by Hard Man and Gemini Man. All three grinned devilishly, eagerly relishing the fear of the girls. Dr. Cossack, still on the monitor behind them, paled.
"Mega Man! Get there now!"
Gemini Man split into two, and he swung round the girls and smashed in the monitor. His counterpart tried to get Kalinka, but instead had to settle for Roll as Skull Man pulled Kalinka into his shield's protection zone.
"Ah ha ha ha!" Algorhythm Man laughed, his eyes wide with mockery. "Give it up, Skull Man. We're outside of Mega Man's teleportation range, and you're surrounded. Do you honestly think you can destroy all of us while keeping poor, little Kalinka perfectly unharmed? Just let her go and you'll live and we can talk sports statistics. Now isn't that much better than dying?"
Skull Man's face, as always in its state of perpetual hatred, was more evil-looking now than it had ever been before. He glared death at the robots surrounding him, not even flinching when he came across Roll's frightened eyes. Turning to Algorhythm Man, Skull spoke in his rarely heard, deep, malevolent voice. It sounded as if it had come straight from the grave.
"You lie."
"Clever one." the glowing robot growled in return, not unamused. "So I suppose you'll just die -- AAAAAAAUUGGGH!"
Algorhythm Man collapsed, twitching as his computers tried to return to their normal functions. Computers tended to have those sorts of problems when hit by a fully charged Mega buster.
"Rock!" Roll cried out, joyfully.
In a moment, Roll was even more grateful for Gyro Man, who promptly severed Gemini 2's head and sent a barrage of his mini propellors (courtesy of Crystal Man's upgrades) to scare off the original. Hard Man, now without an ally, gulped as he realized that this left him with Skull Man. And Skull Man was not happy.
Algorhythm Man, on the other hand, seemed pleased to see Mega Man, even though he could barely get back on his shaky feet, and the blue bomber had his buster and super armor ready. "How delightful! I was so hoping I would run into you! I really wanted to chat. So, how about those Yankees? Think they'll win this year?"
"What are you trying to do here, Algorhythm Man?" the blue bomber demanded to know. "Why are you trying to kidnap Kalinka?"
"What a poor conversationalist you are. Not only are you interrupting, but war is such a boring topic. I like baseball better." the orange and neon robot said. "Come on, don't you like baseball? Or are you a Mets fan?"
Mega Man remembered the annoying way that this Cain-bot talked, and gave up on the conversation. But as he and Algorhythm Man exchanged shots, he remembered something else about the flashy enemy: Algorhythm Man was a hacker, and he had even managed to take down Mega Man's own communications when they had first met. Although Algorhythm Man was trying to hack into his systems again, his anti-virus programs thankfully didn't give way.
Skull Man was having a very easy time of it. And after he had pushed Kalinka and Roll under the table, he annihilated Hard Man. All he had to do was block the hard knuckle with his shield, and then blast the beer-keg robot into submission. Anyone who tried to hurt his charge was going to find themselves just like Hard Man -- in the end, nothing but rubble. As a finishing move, Skull Man sent his hand straight through Hard Man's face and into his brain, and he pulled out a perfectly intact CPU.
The blue bomber had been upgraded since then, so he wasn't worried...at first. From at least his buster pellets, Algorhythm Man had been upgraded too. The glowing cinders of multicolor plasma he shot out were bigger and more powerful than Mega Man had last seen. And they were more damaging too, especially to the walls of the Polovstiansky's home. Mega Man remembered in annoyance that he didn't have Algorhythm Man's weakness, the psycho pulse. He'd have to figure out something quick.
Two of Algorhythm Man's pellets hit Mega Man, striking his helmet and knocking him sideways, and for a moment he could see nothing. Quickly he jumped back up, only to find that instead of the Cain-bot, Gemini Man was there to take his place. Gemini Man was one of Mega's least favorite opponents; the guy could not stay still! Mega Man called out urgently to Skull Man as he tried to hit the flighty Wily-bot.
"Where's Algorhythm Man? Are the girls safe?"
"He's got Gyro Man!" Skull Man called back. "Kalinka and Roll are fine!"
"Stay with them!" Rock knew better than to send Skull Man after a robot and leave the girls unprotected. "I'll just have to hit this guy --- "
Actually he didn't. Dub, who had been cleaning a separate room when all of this had started, saw his opportunity to strike. He jumped in, using his spidery legs to trap Gemini Man. Though the robot tried to escape in any direction he could, one of Dub's eight legs was always in his way. Gemini Man made an attempt to jump over the body of Dub, but was caught by the leg and brought to the ground. Before he could do anything about it, Dub had him pinned securely.
"Good job, Dub!" Roll cheered. "Keep him there so that Rock can question him, okay?"
"No!" Gemini Man immediately protested in fear. "You can't do that! Anything but that!"
Whatever his reasons for objecting were, Mega Man wasn't there to question him. Instead the blue bomber had already gone after Algorhythm Man. The Cain-bot wasn't hard to find, especially because he kept leaving giant holes in the walls, and there was a trail of green propellers besides. Charging his weapon as he went, Mega Man ran through the now ruined home and headed for the would-be nursery. The place, besides being covered in dust from the plaster walls, had left pale green smears on both of the combatants.
Gyro Man was having a hard time. His armor wasn't nearly as strong as Mega Man's super armor, and Algorhythm Man's plasma bullets tore through the propeller. Only his flight kept him a challenge to the Cain-bot, that is until Algorhythm Man tore into his propellers. Not waiting for Gyro Man to be defeated, Mega Man unleashed the full power of his buster charge, following it with the echelon heatshock.
"GAAAHH!" Algorhythm Man snarled as he fell back, putting yet another hole in the nursery wall. And yet somehow the persistant robot managed to get back up. He looked up and sneered at his attacker, surprising both heroes. "Not yet, now, Mega Man! I still have other things to do!"
In a beam of shining light, Algorhythm Man teleported out. Much to his surprise, Mega Man found that the couldn't trace the teleportation signature. The Cain-bot had come back stronger than he first had been, for certain. And how could he have gotten up after getting hit by both his own powerful buster and the Cain-bot's most powerful weapon? The bomber wondered with fear what this might mean when it came to the other seven.
"Gyro Man, are you alright?"
"Not too bad..." the propeller robot answered with irritation. "That guy....now he was powerful. If I could just...urgh!"
"It's alright, you did your best!" Mega Man tried to cheer him up.
Gyro Man was scornful as he picked up the shattered remains of his flying device. "Shut up, Blue."
Mega Man didn't answer him. He knew how hard Gyro Man had been working in the past five years, how he had wanted to become powerful like the blue bomber. Mega didn't have the heart to tell him that this was unlikely without Dr. Light to work on him. So instead he just helped Gyro Man limp his way back to what wreckage remained of the kitchen, with everyone else.
"What did Algorhythm Man mean when he mentioned war?" Kalinka was asking the still captive Gemini Man. "What kind of war is it?"
Gemini Man didn't answer. He was hurriedly trying to get Dub's limbs out from around him, but failing. Every time he managed as much as an arm, the spider-bot's claws would snatch it down again. Gemini Man was starting to get frantic.
"Answer her question." Skull Man said, readying his buster.
Gemini Man finally responded, turning to the others in desperation. "Don't do that!! Stop it!"
"Stop what?" Mega Man asked.
The Wily-bot turned his head so quickly that Mega Man thought it might snap. "Stop asking me questions!!! I can't answer them! Now let me go! Or just kill me yourselves! Whichever you prefer!"
This wasn't at all like the Gemini Man they knew. Where was the overly confident, gleaming-smiled robot that didn't even seem to know how to be afraid? Mega Man went closer, despite the terrified gasps of those behind him.
"Please, tell us what's going on-"
"Why did you have to do this to me....WHY?" Gemini Man screamed at all present. "I could have died fighting!! I hate you! I hope-"
With a sickening twitch, the screaming stopped, replaced by an agonizing moan. Two more futile thrashings later, there was nothing left. Gemini Man's body fell limp, settling down as gravity tugged his head and limbs to the floor. Dub cautiously removed his tentacles and set Gemini Man down before going over to Roll's side.
"What...what was that?" Kalinka gasped as she stepped closer to Skull Man. "Why did he do that?"
"It must have been the same thing that got Aqua Man and Pirate Man..." Mega Man said. Even though he and Gemini Man had been enemies, he felt sorry for the duplicating robot. "Dr. Cain did that to them so that no information could get to us, I think."
"That's it, someone's got to save Alyosha!" Kalinka started to get angry. "I can't let anything happen to him!"
"I'm not going to leave you. It's just not safe." Mega Man tried to reassure her. "Pharoah Man will be here soon to come get you, and the security of the lab will protect him until I can get there. Dr. Cossack sent Ring Man out too. And I promise I'll go check on him just as soon as Pharoah Man picks you up. With these teleporters Crystal Bot invented, I'll be able to get there really fast! Um....Gyro Man, are you sure these things are legal?"
"There's no law against them."
"But you think this at least violates national treaties or something."
Gyro Man smirked as he limped over to find a chair to sit at, plunking down as he responded. "Heh, well, they did save Kalinka's life, so I wouldn't worry about that now."
As Mega Man went to work using the home's land line to contact his lab, Kalinka started to work on Gyro Man. She was no expert by far, but she could at least do something to make sure he was stable.
"Kalinka, are you sure that you're alright?" Roll asked. "You look a little faint."
"Oh, what?" the Russian girl had been a little too distracted to pay much attention. Her answer was hasty. "Oh, well, I am fine. I just need to do something or I will go crazy!"
Roll looked up at Skull Man, who bore the same expression he always wore. And yet even she could tell that he was tense. The ghastly skeleton stood there beside Kalinka, more determined than ever to keep her safe.
The housekeeper-bot felt strange. She had never been that close to being attacked before. Even when Bass had torn up Dr. Light's lab those many years ago, she hadn't even been home. Never had danger been so near. Even so, she found herself wandering away from the others. She followed the path of broken walls back to the nursery. The nursery...they had worked so hard on it that morning, and it had taken Kalinka more energy than she was willing to admit. But now there was little left of the walls, much less the paint. And where the lovely window and windowseat had been, there was nothing more than shredded plaster, shattered glass, and a gaping hole that let in the autumn breeze.
Dub had followed her, like he always did. Standing by her side dutifully, he made a curious noise, his pink round eyes full of question.
"Oh Dub...it really is terrible!" Roll sounded like she was going to cry. "I hope everything gets solved really quick so that Kalinka can have her baby in peace!"
The green spider robot was never emotional, but he knew Roll well enough. He reached out an awkward leg and patted her on the head gently, making "tweeps" and "zorps" as he tried to pull her out of the wrecked room.
"Oh, you're right!" Roll smiled at her assistant. "Rock will settle everything! Just like he always does! Come on, let's go back to the kitchen and make Kalinka something to eat. In all this mess she hasn't eaten lunch yet!"
\\\\\\
- Oh Roll, you're so droll. You put a lot of trust in your brother.
Okay, two character profiles here too!
=====Skull Man
"Now! Let's get ready to rumble!"
Good point: Bone idle
Bad point: Bad taste
Like: Horror movie
Dislike: Beefcake
Japanese CD data:
Bad point: Bad taste
Like: Horror movie
Dislike: Fastidiousness
I remember thinking hard about Skull Man right when I was first writing Okkusenman, and I really wanted him to have a good part in it. I like how all robots are multi-dimensional, so I wanted to find something for Skull Man to do besides fight. And what do I find on the wiki? This robot is "only good for fighting". Great. I wanted to have a storyline where Skull Man feels all lost as he only rarely gets to fight, but then becomes an interpreter for Kalinka. Never found a place for it.
In any case, I made him a backstory. Pharoah Man and Drill Man were the first Cossack-bots built, and as Dr. Cossack's lab work expanded during MM3, he began production on Bright, Toad, Dust, and Dive Man. Noticing his robotic activity after he was again defeated, Dr. Wily decided to frame Dr. Cossack. Since Cossack had only envisioned six robot masters, Wily forced him to build Ring Man and Skull Man as well. After the events of MM4 and all the robot masters were reprogrammed for good, Dr. Cossack was ready to just deactivate Skull Man and send him to the robot museum. However, it was Pharoah Man who suggested that they keep him. Pharoah Man was used to having mummy-like mechaniloids serve him, so Skull Man's design never bothered him. Dr. Cossack decided to have Skull Man guard Kalinka, as he could think of no other way for him to be useful.
Skull Man doesn't have a lot of personality, but he is secretly very loyal to Cossack. He is a skilled fighter, and in fact is closer to Mega Man's skill level than Gyro Man could ever hope to be. He is very protective of Kalinka, and cares about her more than anyone else. As far as the other Team 4 robots go, he respects Pharoah Man and is mildly close friends with Ring Man. The others get along fine, but he rarely socializes with them. Or anyone else, really. A lot more goes on in his head than comes out.
=====Kalinka Cossack Polovstiansky
"I am proud of you, Papa!"
Good point: brave
Bad point: head in the clouds
Likes: Alyosha, jewelry
Dislikes: bossy people
Yeah, Kalinka didn't have a disc in Mega Man and Bass. I know all of you were expecting to see her get into some technological field, and that's what I expected from her at first. But the more I learned about her character, the more I learned how girly she is. As a kid she dreamed of being a princess. Her mother died when she was young and her father never remarried, so Kalinka was used to being the woman of the house from a very young age. Dr. Cossack often spoiled her. Though she does know some about biology and robotics science, Kalinka never paid it that much attention, and she never could focus on it. Having Crystal Bot teach her some was her last effort at trying to learn, but she gave that up. She likes talking politically, hosting events, and very much enjoys the notoriety of being Russia's leading scientist's daughter.
She went to the university mainly to figure out what to do with herself, but was instantly attracted to the brilliant Alyosha Polovstiansky, a bright young mind who was getting into robotics. Kalinka convinced her father to tutor him, and eventually the two fell in love and married. Kalinka's current goals are to have a good household, but she knows in the back of her head that eventually she will want to do more with herself.
Kalinka never could decide which of her father's robots was her favorite, but Skull Man is definitely a contender. She was frightened by him at first, but then he scared away a bully that was bothering her in school and they became almost inseperable. Kalinka loves to go shopping with him and freak out the general populace.
- I would like to point out that between my three Mega Man stories, Mega, Bass, and Proto Man have been encountering and destroying some of the less evasive robot masters, which is why you won't be seeing all of them die in this story. I hope I didn't kill off the robot masters you wanted to see.
- Star Man's space station orbits the earth at about the same speed as the moon. Since the super teleporter works in a straight line, usually no one can teleport there except for a fraction of a day.
- It was hard writing for Kalinka, because I don't know how Russian people talk colloquially, and my russian vocabulary is pretty much null. If I remember Hunt for Red October right, "russ-kee" is russian for "Russian". And that's all I know. So, yeah, please excuse me there. Know any russian words? I'd love to learn some. And do they eat pasta salad in Russia? Eh, I'll just say that's Roll used to American cooking. I think she'd just know Asian and American, maybe Mexican food.
- "Polovstiansky" comes from the name of the only opera song I like, the Polovtsian dances. It's from Prince Igor. But this chapter's sad music is a different classical piece: Vivaldi's first winter concerto. www. --- youtube .com ---- /watch?v=h3aw31PPKXU
- The robot masters developed a habit of calling Mega Man "Blue" instead of by his name, as saying "Mega Man" in front of Wily tended to infuriate the mad scientist. Team 5 still calls him this often, more or less out of habit.