~ 49 ~
Splash Woman sat in silence, looking at the others as the Blader flew over the frozen Russian wilderness. Axl and Pallette were together, chatting amiably about some recent events in the Marverick Hunters base. Viktor and his wife were happily talking with their son, who was absorbing all the information he was receiving with great attention. X and Alia were together in the cockpit, and she knew they were discussing the expedition. That left her with no one to talk to, but it was alright. She didn't need to or felt like talking.
Right then all she wanted was to think, to think about Doctor Light and the other Lightbots, but in particular, she wanted to think about him.
Proto Man.
Her Blues.
She removed her helmet and initiated a subroutine to simulate sleep so she could save energy as she focused on her memories. Once she was comfortable enough, the mermaid leaned back and closed her eyes, letting her recordings of the past she now missed so much fill her mind.
…
The coral reef was a beautiful place and she enjoyed work there.
Splash Woman was in charge of supervising the robotic fish that kept the area clean, a nice secondary activity to her main one, which was monitoring the routes of luxury yachts that often crossed the area so that tourists could look at the corals. There had been accidents in the past and it was her duty to prevent any fatal casualties, but so far she had not seen any incidents, and for that she was glad.
She sat on her trident and started singing, gathering the robotic fish around her, using her song to issue a series of commands to the little machines. It was not something she had been designed for, as she could simply use her RMF to instruct the robots, but for her this was far more enjoyable.
That is when she felt a disturbance in the waters to her right, her sonar letting her know someone had teleported to the area.
Expecting to see Roll, Rock or even another Robot Master from her line like Jewel Man, she turned quickly, only to find Proto Man standing on the ocean floor below. He looked up to her and waited in silence. He obviously wanted her to approach him.
Confused by his presence, she did just that.
"You are Proto Man," Splash Woman told him. "Why are you here… is there something wrong?"
"No. I just wanted to meet you," he answered. "You are the only Robot Master from Light's new series that I haven't talked to."
"Oh… so that is why," she circled him slowly, controlling her speed with careful swipes of her caudal fin so she could better see all of him, feeling extremely curious about the first and oldest Robot Master. "Cool shield."
"Thank you," Blues responded, turning to face her. "You are different from what I imagined; your schematics indicated that you would be a male type robot, not a female. I didn't see the last update to your design, so I was… not sure what I would find here."
"Ah, yes, Ocean Man," she said with a chuckle. "Doctor Light thought Roll could use another female Robot Master to talk to, and he still wants to build Ocean Man someday, probably as part of the next line he's already designing."
"The next line includes a prototype with the 'Brick Man' codename, right?" He recalled. "I'm not too familiar with it. It's still a few years away from being completed, I'm sure the current names will probably change, too."
"I know," she then smiled at him. "What you said about me being different from what you imagined… was that a compliment?"
"A compliment?" He appeared to be confused by her words. "Well, if you want to take it that way…"
"It would be the first one I receive," she smiled. "That would make it special."
"I see. Well… a compliment it is, then. So, how are you doing?" Blues asked her as he reached for his scarf to keep the current from dragging it away. "You were activated only a month ago and you've been working here all by yourself since then. Are you dealing well with isolation? It can be difficult for new Robot Masters."
"I'm ok, I have my robot fish and people in the nearby Lighthouse make me company, and nothing bad has happened ever since Rock arrested Doctor Wily," Splash Woman reported. "In fact, Doctor Light said that Wily being behind bars was the main reason why he decided to finally finish and activate me and the other Robot Masters in my line."
"I don't think Wily will stay imprisoned permanently," Proto Man disputed, looking up as he crossed his arms. "The man is devilishly clever."
"You think so?"
"Yes, I'm actually trying to find any hidden bases he may have," he told her. "Because I'm sure he has an escape plan ready. I wish I was wrong, but…"
"I'll be on the lookout," she promised. "If I see something, I'll call you."
"You don't have my frequency."
"I will if you give it to me," she said, offering him a friendly smile.
…
Splash Woman stretched and opened her eyes, remembering the first time she met Blues having lightened her mood a little. She looked around and realized nobody had noticed her napping.
Her inner clock told her she had been 'sleeping' for less than five minutes. Deciding she had time to keep looking at her memory files, the Robot Master leaned back on her seat and again closed her eyes, searching for another memory of Blues that she held dear.
…
The mermaid emerged from the waters and allowed the waves to carry her to the shore.
She stopped when her torso was completely out of the water, as going further would leave her stranded and she would have to unceremoniously drag herself around, something she was not going to do. She heard his whistling and her eyes moved left. He was indeed there, sitting on the stone carved steps that climbed all the way to the nearby Lighthouse.
"Why don't you come out of the water?" he asked her, raising his voice above the sound of the waves. "We can't talk like this."
"I won't go there," she answered, not moving from where she was. "I'm not going to crawl to where you are. It would be too embarrassing!"
She fully expected him to stay there and wait until she decided to come out of the sea, but no, he simply stood up and walked to her. Before she could ask what he was doing, he reached for her and picked her up, carrying her bridal style to the beach.
"There, this should do," he said as he carefully placed her on the sand so he could sit next to her.
The mermaid was not sure how to react, all she knew was that her core was sending energy pulses all over her body in strangely erratic patterns, which made her worry as she believed she could be malfunctioning. She returned to normal little by little, and was relieved when her systems indicated she was operating normally.
"You'll have to carry me back," she whispered shyly. "What… what did you need?"
"I need to talk. It's important."
"It better be, I'm busy monitoring trade routes in case a Wilybot decides to attack any ships," she explained, feeling calmer now. She made a pause and then continued. "Who would have thought Wily had a set of Robot Masters ready to help him escape? He is as clever as you said."
"It's unlikely any ships will be attacked. There are no Wilybots optimized for sea operation in this new set," Blues indicated with a shrug. "Well… it seems Burst Man can fight underwater, but he's apparently not optimized to function in the ocean. Things should be safe here for now."
"Hey, something could happen, you never know!" she huffed, feeling slightly offended. "Do you think I couldn't deal with a Wilybot on my own?"
"Maybe you could, I don't know," he said. "That isn't why I called you, however."
"Then why did you?"
"I need you," he admitted. "I have a problem and I need a different point of view. And no, I can't ask Roll, it would only worry her further, I couldn't do that to her."
"I see… well, I'm not sure if I can help you, but I'll try. Tell me about it."
"There is this new Robot Master going around. Says he wants to help us stop Doctor Wily," Proto Man stated. "But I think there's something strange about him… I don't think he's being honest and I fear he might decide to attack Rock at some point."
"I see, but wouldn't Mega Man be able to defend himself if that happens?" She asked.
"I don't know. Rock tends to trust people rather easily. This new guy, Bass… he could take advantage of that," Blues made a pause. "But on the other hand I may be wrong and he is indeed on our side. If I'm not careful I might end up hurting Rock's chances of making a new friend, and I wouldn't like that."
"It is indeed complicated," she sighed and looked at the sea, as if asking it for an answer. "I think you shouldn't tell Mega Man of your suspicions if you think it would hurt his budding friendship with this Bass. But in the chances that he does attack Rock… then maybe you could try to give him something that would even the odds, something that could protect his back, maybe?"
"Give him something to protect his back?" Blues reached for his shield, touching it briefly. He then smiled and offered Splash Woman a nod. "Yeah, I could do that. Thank you."
"You're welcome…" she was about to say something else, but he picked her up again. "What are you doing?"
"You said I would have to carry you back, didn't you?" he told her as he entered the cold water.
He stopped when he was hip deep in the sea and then slowly lowered her into the waves.
"Thank you…"
"No, thank you," he smiled. "I think I know what to do now. I'll tell you how things went later."
Saying nothing else, Proto Man teleported away, leaving her feeling a little perplexed.
"I'll be waiting," she murmured, wondering if the emotions she experienced while he carried her were normal, and debating if she should tell Doctor Light about them.
…
"Mikhail, come back to your seat," Nina Cossack ordered.
"But I wanna seat with Axl and Pallette," the boy pouted.
"Did you at least ask your bother if you can?" his mother questioned with a stern look.
"It's ok, Nina, I don't mind," Axl assured. "And you, Pallette?"
"Not at all, he can sit with us," the young navigator smiled and poked her boyfriend's chest. "And I'm sure Mikhail really wants to talk to Axl."
Splash Woman blinked, observed how the Cossacks interacted with a pleased smile and then went back to her 'sleep' mode, accessing another memory that she was also particularly fond of.
…
The Lighthouse could be seen from the rock where she was sitting, less than half a mile from the seashore. The waves lapped gently at the stone under her, and she started humming a song that followed their rhythm.
He was a little late but it was alright, her schedule was free now so she could wait until he arrived. And he did, almost two minutes after their appointed time, something a little unusual as she had heard from Roll that Blues was fond of punctuality.
"You called me," he said after materializing behind her. "Is there something wrong?"
"Why, hello to you too," she answered, one eyebrow up.
"Oh, sorry; hello, Splash," Blues corrected, noticing not greeting her had been a little rude. "What do you need?"
"You said you would tell me how things went later," she reminded him. "And it's been two weeks since Rock ended Wily's latest Robot Rebellion. So what did you do to help Mega Man?"
"Oh, it's only that," he said with a chuckle while he sat next to her.
"Yes, that," she smiled. "So what happened?"
"I forgot to tell you," he admitted. "I was busy doing something important. And about your question, I lent Rock my shield. Turns out it did help him fight Bass."
"I heard about it from Roll," the mermaid nodded. "Bass, a Wilybot that is apparently not specialized, isn't that a first?"
"In a way, yes, it is."
"He must be like you and Rock, isn't he?" Splash Woman asked. "Is he as strong as you two?"
"…I'm not sure how strong Bass actually is," Blues sighed. "But from what I've gathered he's strong enough to match Rock in combat."
"Does he have something like your Variable Weapon System, too?"
"I don't know…" Proto Man made a pause and then asked. "Why are you asking me so many questions about him?"
"I'm just curious, that's all," she answered, then spent a moment observing him. "Can you remove your helmet for me?"
"Why?"
"Because I am also curious about you," Splash Woman answered. "I'm in fact so curious I would like to see your face, and your eyes."
Proto Man remained silent for almost a full minute.
"I… I guess you earned it. You did give me good advice before," he sighed. "But…"
"Yes?"
"I'll take my helmet and glasses off only if you do it, too."
"Deal," she smiled, pleased that she would get to see how he looked behind that mask.
"You first," he said.
The mermaid nodded and removed her helmet with one hand, untying her shiny ultramarine hair with the other.
"It's your turn, Proto Man."
"Very well," Blues took in a deep breath and then removed both his helmet and glasses, revealing his face to the expectant mermaid.
"You… you look older than Rock," she said, studying his features with great attention, finding him surprisingly pleasant to look at. "You look about my age, actually."
"I'm supposed to," Blues told her. "That is why I'm also taller than Rock."
"You're a handsome boy, you know?" Splash Woman smiled, then chuckled at how Proto Man's face went red. "It's the truth."
"Well… thanks?" he said, putting his helmet and shades back on. "I guess you are, too. I do like your hair."
"I'm what, handsome?" she laughed goodheartedly. "Oh, Blues, that's not what you say to a girl. You are supposed to tell girls they're cute!"
"I'll remember that next time," he told her. "I do have to go, until next time."
And so, Proto Man teleported away, leaving Splash Woman feeling strangely satisfied by this short encounter.
…
She opened her eyes when her RMC Field notified her that a strange mechaniloid was flying near the Bee Blader. Confused, she looked out the window to see a bird shaped robot that easily kept up with them. She wasn't familiar with this type of machine, and thought it was strange it had decided to follow them.
"It's a Metal Wing," Viktor Cossack said once he noticed what Splash Woman was looking at. "They are surveillance robots. It's inoffensive, don't worry about it."
"I see, they're very fast," she appreciated, observing as the metallic bird seemed to lose interest in them, switching directions with a graceful and fast spin.
"Yes, they are," Viktor agreed. "Would you like me to transmit their specs to you?"
"Thank you, but no," she said and hid a yawn with her palm. "Would you mind if I try to sleep again, Doctor Cossack? I want to preserve as much energy as I can."
"Of course not, please do," Viktor said, returning to the book he was reading.
Splash Woman smiled and relaxed on her seat and closed her eyes again, accessing another memory file.
…
They were once again on their rock, sitting so they were leaning on each other's back. Splash Woman found this to be comfortable, if a bit strange, and was trying to understand why he suggested they did it in the first place.
She wanted to ask about it, but in the end decided it was a silly question. Besides, there were other things she wanted to talk to him about more.
"I'm glad that you're fixed," she said after another moment of silence. "Roll told me you received extensive damage during your battle with King."
"It was not that bad," he corrected. "I lost my legs, but that's all. Doctor Light had no trouble repairing me."
"Did he finally fix your Power Core?"
She felt him tense against her back.
"No. He would have to do a complete deactivation to do it," Proto Man explained. "And I don't want to risk Doctor Light looking into my programming more than necessary. I fear…"
"What?"
"I fear he may do something that erases who I am," he said in a low voice. "I know he wouldn't do it on purpose, but… I can't chance it."
"I would like it if your Power Core was fixed," Splash Woman admitted, "maybe one day?"
"Yeah, maybe one day."
Silence.
"What happened to King?" the mermaid asked. "Was he destroyed?"
"No, he survived and is now travelling the world," Proto Man said. "Sent a post card to Rock and all that. It seems he's going to be a good bot from now on."
"Well, I still think he looks scary," Splash Woman shook her head. "I just don't really like him."
Silence again.
Splash Woman didn't like it, she feared he was losing interest in her, and that made her feel strangely empty. Taking in a deep breath, she turned so her chest was pressed to his back and then placed her hands on his shoulders. She noticed he tensed again, but he relaxed fairly quickly.
"Please don't stop visiting me, ok?" She told him, leaning forward so she could whisper it to him. "I enjoy your weekly visits, Blues, you always cheer me up."
"I'll keep dropping by," he promised. "Don't worry."
"Good, because you are good company," Splash Woman asserted. "And I like having you around."
…
Axl's screaming a loud 'Yeah!' startled her. Wondering what was going on, the mermaid opened her eyes to see the black armored hunter playing some sort of board game with Mikhail, Nina and Pallette. Going from what she could hear, Axl was very close to winning and he wasn't trying to hide his excitement at all.
Splash Woman sighed. Seeing this moment of peace and bonding between a human child and three machines was something she still had trouble getting used to. Back in her times most humans were nice to Robot Masters but only few ever saw them as family or friends. If only things had been like this a century in the past…
Closing her eyes again, Splash Woman could not help but to relive a very painful memory.
…
The dark clouds above her blocking almost all sunlight mimicked her mood perfectly, the strong winds sweeping over the shore and the strong waves around her rock reflecting the inner chaos that threatened to overload her core programming.
"You are not answering my calls," someone said, his voice rising above the waves.
She didn't turn to face him. He was exempt from the tragedy threatening her very existence, and she considered that to be absolutely unfair.
[I don't want to talk to you, Blues. Please leave.]
She hoped transmitting that message in binary would be enough for him to leave her alone. But he instead sent her this.
[Doctor Light is trying to revoke the new law, don't lose hope yet.]
The mermaid's shoulders slumped in despair.
[You only say that because you, Rock, Roll and the first six are all exempt from the new law.]
She turned to see him, surprised by how close he was. She had estimated he stood at the other end of their rock. Noticing he was not going to say anything, she sent another message.
[But what about me and the other seven in my line, Blues? We will be turned to scrap!]
He had the decency of lowering his face and appearing to be ashamed. Then, taking advantage the wind and waves had died down, said this:
"You won't. Doctor Light won't let it happen, there are many other scientists supporting him. Doctor Cossack is also against this law. Do you think he wants to lose his Cossackbots?"
"No, but I don't think they will be able to stop the new law," she disputed, anguish evident in her voice, an oddity amongst Robot Masters as very few could modulate their voiceboxes that way. "I know there are other scientists helping Doctor Light and Doctor Cossack; like Doctor Lalinde from Geoworks, Doctor Kouin from the Chronos Institute and Doctor Astil from the Mechplant Development Center. But they are all Doctor Light's friends, the Government and the UN won't take them seriously."
"Even if they fail, you and the rest of your line don't have to do what the humans say."
"We have to! We are not like you, Proto Man," Splash Woman lamented. "We are bound by the Three Laws of Robotics, we can't disobey any orders the humans give us… this is so unfair… all I want is to have a purpose and help them… why would they do this to us?"
"I don't know. Humans are an unpredictable lot," He said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
…
Unpredictable… yes, Splash Woman had to admit that was true. Humans were unpredictable. But now the Reploid kind was unpredictable as well; almost as unpredictable as mankind was.
Yes, humans were quick to make choices and then change their minds. Otherwise they would not have revoked the law after the ninth Robot Rebellion. She frowned as she recalled Wily reprogramming her and her seven friends, a hated memory file she swiftly pushed back to its corresponding folder to instead open a different one dated a few days after that incident.
…
Auto nodded and put his camera back in his bag, promising Splash Woman he would send her the pictures once he had downloaded the data to his computer in the lab. That done, he asked if she wanted him to carry her to the sea but she refused, claiming she wanted to sit under the sun for a while longer.
"You're here," Blues observed.
"I said I would be," she answered.
"Where are Auto and Roll?"
"They already left, Roll wanted to make sure Doctor Light takes his medicine. His throat seems to be sore all the time these days."
"That's because he smokes," Proto Man said, sitting next to her. "He really should drop the habit."
"I know, and I agree."
"How are you feeling, Splash?"
"Like a new robot," she smiled, her face beaming with joy. "I'm happy. The law was revoked and Doctor Light repaired me and got me a new purpose working as an assistant to Mega City's Coast Rescue Team."
"That's good, I'm glad you and the others will have new purposes," Proto Man said. "Hornet Man and Plug Man were very happy with their new assignments."
"You visited the others first?" She pouted.
"That way I can spend more time talking to you," he indicated.
"Oh… then I guess I can overlook you didn't see me first." She chuckled and then leaned forward so that her shoulder touched his. "Would you have missed me if I had been permanently retired?"
"…Yes, I would have," he admitted after a few moments of silence.
"I'm glad to hear you say that," the mermaid whispered to him. "I'm glad to know you would have remembered me."
"Splash Woman… can you sing something for me?"
"I could," she straightened and stared at him. "Why?"
"I want to hear you sing."
"I can't think of any songs that you may like."
"Can you do something with this?" he asked whistling his signature tune for her to hear.
"Yes, I think I can," she said and joined him, producing her harp and vocalizing as she followed the rhythm set by him, helping him create a relaxing and enthralling melody.
…
The mermaid sighed as the memory ended. She had recorded the song she and Blues had created that afternoon, and wondered if X would like to hear it someday. Perhaps she would play it for him after the expedition.
"I'm sure he will appreciate it," she thought with a soft smile.
Feeling certain her younger brother would like the song, she decided to look into another memory file, one that she hadn't accessed more than two times before.
…
"You can leave me here, Guts Man," Splash Woman said, pointing at the iron bench in the middle of Doctor Light's garden. "I want to relax a little and this place looks nice."
"Are ya sure this is fine?" the hulking Robot Master asked while carefully placing the mermaid on the bench. "I don' mind carryin' ya further, Splash, you know it."
"I'm sure, thank you," she smiled. "I'll call you if I need to go somewhere else."
"Alright, I'll keep my frequency open, then," Guts Man said and returned to the lab.
Once alone, Splash Woman closed her eyes and leaned back on her seat. She never thought something as problematic as the Roboenza virus could exist, but felt glad her creator had found a way to permanently counter it.
"How are your systems responding to the Roboenza Protocol?" Blues asked as he approached her. He was just coming out of the laboratory, and was busy strapping his shield to his back.
"The update and the new software are running smoothly," she said, moving to the side so he could sit next to her. "I'm amazed, this anti-virus is decades ahead of everything else I've seen."
"Yes, it indeed is," he agreed.
"How are your systems handling it?"
"I haven't installed it yet," Proto Man confessed.
"What?" She frowned. "Why haven't you?"
"I have it here," he answered, showing her a memory chip. "I'll install it on my own later."
"Why didn't you let Doctor Light install it?"
"He would have to deactivate me to do that."
"You can be so stubborn sometimes," the mermaid sighed.
"I do have to take this to the Cossackbots," he told her, showing her a second chip. "I'll just install it after I've delivered the anti-virus to Doctor Cossack."
"Please do that," she said. "There may still be traces of the Roboenza virus around and you could get infected again."
"You're going to make me think you actually worry about me," he teased.
"I do worry!" she exclaimed. "I worry about you more that what my programming considers logical or reasonable and I… I just can't understand why that happens."
"You worry that much?" he stared at her and then smiled. "I am glad to hear that."
"You do?" Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "You do realize I could be malfunctioning? I shouldn't have been so worried about you when I heard you got sick, it kept me from focusing on my work!"
"You aren't malfunctioning," he assured. "It simply means that you care about me."
The mermaid blinked, considered his words and then took off her helmet like she normally did when she was concerned over something.
"Of course I care," she sighed, her eyes never leaving him. "I feel different when I'm with you… I don't feel like this with anybody else, it's… strange, I should not have the capacity for this, but…"
"There is nothing wrong with you," he insisted, taking off his helmet and shades. "Because maybe I feel like you do."
"Maybe? But then that means…?"
He nodded and offered a sly smile.
"Blues, you're impossible!" she chuckled. "But I'm glad you feel like this, too. It means I'm not the only one."
She sighed, smiled and leaned on his shoulder, simply enjoying being close to him.
"You know, this actually feels nice," he admitted. "I kind of like it."
"This is completely unprecedented. Never in all my years…"
Splash Woman turned to meet her creator and felt as if she was about to overheat.
"Doctor… Doctor Light!" She stammered. "I… I swear this is not what it looks like, we…"
"Please, calm down. You didn't do anything wrong, Splash Woman," the old scientist said with a gentle tone. "This is in fact an amazing development. I would like to talk to you both and…"
"I'm sorry, I can't stay and talk. I have to go see Doctor Cossack," Blues said as he stood up, nodding at Splash Woman after he put his helmet back on. "I'll see you later, Splash. I promise."
"Blues, wait, I just want to…" Light started.
"I must go to Russia, you asked me to give the Roboenza Protocol to the Cossackbots," Proto Man interrupted. "I'll go do it now."
And saying nothing more, Proto Man teleported away before his creator could try to dissuade him.
"Please don't be angry at him," the mermaid said. "He's…"
"He is fully independent, free of the Three Laws of Robotics," the scientist completed. "I'm already used to Blues being able to disobey orders, don't worry, I'm not angry."
"Doctor Light…" Splash Woman called after a moment of silence, her voice shy and doubtful.
"Yes, child?"
"How much of our conversation did you listen?"
"Most of it," the scientist revealed as he reached for his pipe and a box of matches, "did… did you mean it when you said you feel different when you are with Blues?"
"Yes, Doctor. But I can't… I can't explain or understand why."
"It could be the empathy protocol I gave you to better relate with the people you rescue, but I doubt it. No, this is truly unprecedented," Light repeated, thoughtfully staring at his pipe. "You two having this sort of relationship is completely exceptional. And… it does give me an idea, something that I didn't previously consider for that other project."
"Will you need our help for that, Doctor?" Splash Woman asked and then quickly added. "What Blues and I are doing… is it bad?
"Bad?" the old man smiled and placed a reassuring hand over the mermaid's shoulder. "No, it isn't bad. And don't worry; I'll let you know if I need your help."
…
Splash Woman opened her eyes again and looked out the window, wondering if the project Doctor Light had mentioned then was X. She felt certain that was the case now, and knowing that she and Blues had somehow influenced X's creation made her feel satisfied, and even prideful. It helped her believe her existence was justified in this future world, and that she could belong here even if she was not as advanced as Reploids were.
"We'll arrive to the coordinates Splash Woman gave us soon," Alia announced. "Our ETA is ten minutes."
"Good, thank you Alia," Viktor Cossack said, his obvious excitement only barely hidden under his calm demeanor.
Viktor really was like his ancestor, Splash Woman decided. Viktor had the same love for family, science and tradition, the same bright mind, the same willingness to help a friend as best as he could. It pleased her to see the spirit of the Doctor Cossack she knew had lived on.
But thinking about this triggered a memory of the war; the war and one of her last moments with him.
…
She observed how Auto and Rock helped Blues load the Light Capsule into the boat and then lower it through the cargo hatch.
It had been several hours since they left port, Splash Woman was now sitting on the portside rails, keeping her sonar active to detect suspicious activity below them. There were still two aquatic Wilybots active, and she didn't want them to try a surprise attack, not during this mission.
Her mind was busy thinking about the things Blues and Rock had discussed back in port, and she wondered if King could still be dissuaded from doing what he was threatening to do.
"Can you detect anything strange below us?" Blues asked as he walked out of the wheelhouse and climbed down to where she was. "The ship's not picking up anything and the cold weather here isn't helping much. But your sonar is better than what this old boat has, so…"
"Nothing," she said. "And I'm glad. I don't want to fight anymore."
"None of us want to," he assured her, his eyes set on the horizon.
"What are you thinking about?"
"The future," Proto Man said. His voice was serious and tired. "Until now I always thought I would be there somehow, I was even starting to think about asking Doctor Light to fix my Power Core. But now it's all uncertain, I don't know what is going to happen, things right now are worse than the time Wily unleashed the Dark Energy "Zero" Virus…"
"Everything will be alright, you'll see," she assured him with a soft smile. "And then you'll be fixed, and I'll be there for you."
Blues nodded and stood there in silence, staring at the ocean.
"I have something for you," he said suddenly, opening a small compartment in his arm.
"What's that?" She gasped once she saw he held a silver necklace, hanging from it a shiny seashell shaped pendant. "It's… it's so pretty!"
"I'm glad you like it," he seemed pleased. "I had some Zenny and I thought this would look good on you."
"Could you please?" the mermaid asked, staring at him with expectant eyes.
"Sure, let me…"
Blues got closer and placed the necklace around her neck. He then slowly dropped his hands to his sides, admiring her.
"Does it look good on me?"
"Yes, it does, it matches your shoulder pieces quite well," he noted.
"I noticed," she sighed and beamed at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Blues… we may not have much time left, and there's something I want to try…" Splash Woman started, made a short pause, breathed deeply to steel her resolve and then continued. "Something humans do. I want to do that with you."
"Something humans do?" he asked. "And what is it you want to do?"
"I… I want to press my lips against yours," Splash Woman confessed, blushing fiercely.
"That's what humans call a kiss."
"I know," the mermaid whispered, reaching for his shoulders so she could lean forward and bring her mouth to his.
…
Splash Woman felt the Blader started descending, so she opened her eyes to find everyone around her smiling and looking out at something down below with great excitement.
She followed their example and found what had her friends in awe.
Under the Bee Blader, rising majestically to meet the sky stood an imposing and still perfectly conserved structure.
The long believed lost and destroyed Cossack Citadel.
=0=
Notes:
The scientists mentioned in one of Splash Woman's memories are from the Mega Man comic book published by Archie Comics, I put them in because wanted to give it a quick nod. That book was a great adaptation and it's a shame it got cancelled so quickly.
Something else I want to say is that one of my reviewers, MitternachtWuten, recently started working on a story inspired by mine titled "Living Time Machine" he's doing a great job giving his take on the concept of Splash Woman awakening in the future its own feel and identity, give it a chance, I'm sure you'll be surprised!