Siblings-in-Battle
Roll all but dragged herself out of the training room. Dr. Wily had put her through an intense training session involving going up against some of his toughest robots. It had not been fun. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud.
Training with Shadow Man had improved her reflexes and training with Guts Man had improved physical strength, though she suspected that he hit her a lot harder out of spite. Gemini Man and Air Man had helped her increase stamina. Yeah, she was totally wiped out.
"Nice training session sis. I especially liked that one move where you freaked out so bad, that you nearly flung yourself into the wall. You'll have to teach it to me someday." He snickered.
"Get bent." She grumbled.
"Tomorrow's the big day, so you might wanna go into full hibernation mode tonight. " He grinned.
Roll was tempted to stick her tongue out at him.
"I hope your ready." He said in a singsong voice.
Roll was suddenly very grateful that he couldn't see the look of panic in her eyes.
In the dark hours of the morning, Wily sent out Shadow Man, Crash Man and Elec Man.
"You know what to do." Dr. Wily said.
Shadow Man nodded and led the other two away.
About half an hour later, he took the others out of hibernation mode. He couldn't wait! He just couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when he unleashed her! His deranged laughter echoed in the corridors.
Roll shivered as she wedged herself in between Snake Man and Metal Man.
With this many robots, it was a tight squeeze.
"Just don't get in our way little girl." Air Man growled.
Roll almost snapped that she would kick their butts instead but shut up just in time. As much as she hated to do it, she really had to prove herself to Wily today.
Proto Man didn't say anything at all, he merely smiled, obviously in high spirits.
As the sun slowly lifted higher into the sky, Mega Man became more nervous, anxious and jittery. In a few minutes, he'd be going up against his own sister. When they got there the chaos and confusion was already well underway.
"It'll be alright Mega, we'll get through this." Dr. Light reassured him.
Rush barked and whined, anxious to see Roll again.
"Let's go boy."
His feet began pounding the hard concrete as he and Rush ran towards the White House.
"It's about time you showed up brother."
But Mega Man barely paid any attention to him. Because Roll was standing right next to him and all he could do was stare and stare.
Dr. Light was just as stunned at Roll's drastic changes.
Talk about a total makeover! But…is she still…
"And just how did you know I'd be here?" Mega asked.
"Cause you always show up to crash the party." Proto Man snickered.
"Proto Man, Ultra Girl, Metal Man, destroy Mega Man."
"Ultra Girl?" Roll muttered.
"I'll explain later." Said Proto under his breath.
Metal Man appeared beside them.
"Heh heh. I've been looking forward to this all day Mega Man."
"Sorry Mega Man, but your little trip ends right here." She said.
Roll took careful aim and fired off a sound wave. She was stunned at how easy it was, even though she was racked by guilt on the inside.
Mega Man was shocked! Roll fired at him! It was too unreal!
"Hah hah! My little brother just got knocked on his butt by a girl!"
"Hey! Girls can totally kick butt too you chauvinist!"
"Ok calm down. I'm entitled to a little taunting sis." He said with a placatory gesture.
Mega Man stiffened. How dare he call Roll his sister!
"She's not your sister!" He snapped and rushed at Proto Man.
"Hey, it's all in the family."
Metal Man chuckled as he began to fire blade after blade, forcing Mega Man to dodge and fall back and try and find a way around.
Mega Man fired off several shots at Metal Man to deflect his blades, tucked into a roll and barely missed getting a slash to the face.
Proto Man fired a few shots into the ground, creating a dust screen.
"Hey sis, fire off another sound wave when Metal Man takes a shot."
"Now."
Roll hesitated.
"What are you waiting for?" Metal hissed. "I said now!"
Roll swallowed hard and reluctantly fired her sound wave a second after he shot off Metal Blade.
"Whoa!" He yelled as the sound wave propelled the metal blades into him.
He pulled them out and got up.
Proto Man leaped up and grabbed hold of a tree, firing at Mega Man who was still unable to see because of the dust screen.
Mega Man just barely managed to dodge the plasma. Than he spotted a flash of yellow and hit Proto Man hard in the face.
Proto Man punched him back and kicked him in the stomach.
"What did you do to her?"
"I just designed the outfit, which she loves by the way." He bragged. "The doc was the one who upgraded her system."
Proto Man got his arm singed by a close plasma blast. "This is Dr. Light's fault you know." He went on.
"What are you talking about?" Mega Man snapped. "I'm not in the mood for mind games Proto Man!"
"It's not a mind game brother. Maybe if Dr. Light had programmed her better, she wouldn't be on our side."
Mega Man grit his teeth. It was the truth after all and it hurt. If he and Dr. Light hadn't been so stubborn about protecting her, than she would never gotten into this mess.
"Ooh did I hit a sore spot?" Proto asked.
Roll joined in the fray. She was angry at what Proto Man said, even if it was true, as much as she loved Dr. Light, it had always frustrated her to know that she seemed to get in the way.
"Roll is that true?" He asked.
Roll looked down.
"I never knew you felt that way."
Dr. Light shook his head, neither had he. The girl had done a remarkable job of keeping her anger hidden from both of them.
"C'mon Roll, let's go home. I'm sure if you tell Dr. Light how you feel-"
"I've been telling him for the last five years! If this is what it takes for you two to finally-" But she couldn't finish that sentence, it was too painful, sounded too much like she really was a traitor, like she really was one of Wily's bots. Instead she stomped her foot and grimaced when she remembered that that stomp could start a small, localized earthquake.
Dr. Wily rubbed his chin. "Well, this is an interesting development."
He had no idea that Roll harbored feelings of frustration against her creator, he knew several of his robots did and it made him wonder what other secrets this little "family" had and he began to wonder if any of his robots were keeping secrets from him as well.
"Don't hold back sis, tell us how you really feel."
"Oh shut up!"
"Sorry Mega but this is how it has to be." At least for now, I hope you can forgive me. She thought.
"I don't want to have to do this but I guess I'm gonna have to knock you senseless, so Dr. Light can program some sense back into you." He said grimly.
A blur of red tackled Roll and if it had been any other situation, she would have laughed.
"Rush! Get off me!" She complained as the dog's paws scrabbled on her in enthusiastic affection.
"Let me help get that tin mutt off you!"
Proto Man shot Rush hard enough to send him flying and the dog landed in a jumbled heap of parts with a terrified yelp.
"Rush!" Both of them cried out.
Roll couldn't help but shoot a dark look at Proto Man. He didn't have to do that! But before Roll could protest Rush's treatment, she was knocked sideways by Metal Man.
"Little blue punk!"
Metal Man fired off another round of Metal Blades, but Mega Man sidestepped him, grabbed his arm and took his power. Then he did the one thing he didn't want to do. He fired at Roll.
Shadow Man knocked out the two guards and beckoned for Elec Man who had been put on his team at the last minute.
Elec Man short-circuited the building's lights and security system and they crept in.
Shadow Man once again went through the tedious process of knocking out most of the guards, except for two.
Crash Man grabbed the shocked president and smiled menacingly.
"I wouldn't take another step if I were you." Shadow Man said from above them.
"If you do, my friend here will blow the president to bits."
"I don't understand. How did you know we were here?" The president asked.
"You can thank Dr. Light for that." Shadow Man said, of course he was being intentionally vague and ambiguous since Dr. Light had know idea that he had sent the president right into a trap, but it would work well to his advantage since humans automatically jumped to conclusions.
The president goggled and his guards gaped as Shadow Man and Crash Man carried the president to the waiting jet. Elec Man frowned.
"What took you so long?"
Shadow Man ignored him.
"Shadow Man to Dr. Wily, we've captured the target and we're heading back to the Swamp Base now."
"Excellent." Dr. Wily said. "Team 2, retreat now!"
Snake Man obeyed and picked up Cut Man who had been blasted and would need repairs.
Roll was too close to dodge the blast but Proto Man took out his shield and deflected it.
Metal Man growled and grabbed Roll's arm, reclaiming his power from her.
"Wait a minute how did you do that?" Mega wondered.
"The Doc says retreat." Air Man said.
Proto rolled out of the way and Roll took another shot at Mega Man.
"Can't you see we're a little tied up here?" Metal Man asked through grit teeth.
Air Man waited till his three cohorts attacked and shot out his Air Shooter to stir up a mixture of dust, grass and leaves and they took off for the jet.
Mega Man walked towards Rush dejectedly and stroked the dog's muzzle as Dr. Light flew in to pick them up.
"Mega, are you alright?" He asked gently, placing a hand on Mega Man's shoulder.
"I won't be alright till we bring Roll back home." He said. "But at least the president's safe."
But little did they know that things were going to take a turn for the worst