Episode 18, Chapter 2: The Question


William Cochran's apartment

There is another pound at William Cochran's door, again nearly pushing the door inward and now even beginning to damage the door's hinges. One more pounding like that and the whole door might just come off completely.
William holds his handgun out, aiming it at the door, with sweat beginning to form above his brow as his heart pounds.

"Who are you?" William loudly demands.

A raspy voice on the other side of the door responds, "Someone who needs to see you. Maybe we could help each other."

William is skeptical, not letting his guard down despite the mystery guest's offer. He asks, "How?"

"Because maybe there's someone out there who wants to see these robots get wiped out too," the voice rasps. "Maybe you're talking to that someone."

William looks out the peephole of his door to see who this individual is standing outside. He can barely see someone wearing a trench coat and a fedora hat, but is keeping his head lowered, so William cannot get a good look at his face.
Either this man is really short or he is in a wheelchair, or maybe even crouching down so that William can't get a good look at him.

The man barely lifts his head, keeping the brim of his hat down enough to hide his face... "I have no weapons. But, I do have knowledge. Specifically, knowledge about coding and programming."

William feels alarmed again. How does this man know about what he is making? Is he really a cop or an FBI agent?
He asks, "What makes you think I need a programmer?"

"I've been around a while. And you make it obvious what you're doing when you rent old paper books about how to program things."

That makes it obvious. This guy is a stalker.

The man says, "Just let me in. You need someone to write a code; I'm one who can do it. Trust me..."

William takes a moment to decides whether to let this man inside... but if his intentions are sincere, maybe he can help write this virus into exactly what William wants it to be.
William's prejudice makes the decision for him and he puts the gun away and opens the door.

The trench coat man is fully revealed now, and William can clearly see that he is in a hovering craft that is commonly used for severely handicapped people, keeping most of his lower half encased inside of it.
The rest of his body is covered by the trench coat, but his body is oddly misshapen, and what skin William can see on the man's lower face, neck and hands looks strange, almost like that of a burn survivor. He does not even appear to have any fingernails.
Once inside, the man turns his hover chair to face William, continuing to keep his hat down to hide much of his face.

"I appreciate the hospitality. Now, what are you trying to make?"

William thinks for a moment before answering... "I got a copy of that virus last year."

"Ah... 'Roboenza,' they called it," the man rasps, stifling a snicker, "I've heard of it."

"I want to rewrite the code and make it into an entirely new virus. Instead of killing any robot abomination that catches it, it would change their programming. Erase their prime directive and make them attack humans and destroy anything in sight.
No matter whether the public finds out the truth about the virus or not, the damage would be done. Robots would never be trusted to run it all ever again. Maybe they would just disappear. And the world would belong to humanity."

The trench coat man simply nods slightly... "Sounds about right."

"Now, you tell me why I should risk letting you help me. What makes you so special?" William demands.

The trench coat man responds, "I've got a score to settle. You wipe out your enemies; my enemies will be wiped out in the process. If you want to see why I should help you, then maybe you should see what happened to me..."

The trench coat man removes his fedora and looks directly at William, who wretches at what this man's hideous face looks like, even taking a step backwards.

"Okay, you've made your point," William says.

The grotesque man places the fedora back on his head, keeping the brim down enough to spare William from seeing him in great detail again.

"You should see the rest under my coat and inside this crude device I live in... but, you would probably just vomit, wouldn't you?"

The grotesque man hovers his chair towards William very slowly, adding, "Now, give me five minutes. And you'll have a virus in your possession that is better than you could ever imagine."

The Grotesque Man stopes directly in front of William, who gives in to his desire to see Robotkind die. The offer sounds so enticing that he cannot help but work with this revolting ogre.

"Okay... do it."

The mystery man hovers over to William's laptop and opens it. He asks, "Where is the virus?"

William points at the laptop. "It's in there. Look for 'Roboenza' in the file name"

The Mystery Man oddly remarks, "hmph! ... Easier than I thought."

The Mystery Man looks up the Roboenza file and opens it.

William says, "You can figure this out?"

"Oh, I already have," confidently replies the mystery man.


Meanwhile, back in New York.

Dr. Cossack and Kalinka sit across from each other at a table here at a small restaurant near Kalinka's college. Kalinka is dressed appropriately for the summer weather, wearing jeans and a loose short-sleeved blouse, while Dr. Cossack appears to be sweating in his suit and tie. Though, maybe that has more to do with the stress of what he is about to tell her about his big project.
We join them in the middle of their conversation, which they are having in English rather than Russian...

"The curriculum is comparable to that of the old university back home. But, I don't feel like I'm about to rip my hair out," Kalinka says, "Everyone is very nice here. Much nicer than many of the students I used to deal with. Sometimes I feel like a celebrity."

"You are dating a very famous hero as well. That is most certainly a contributing factor," Dr. Cossack adds.

Kalinka smiles at the mention of Rock. "When he has come to visit, some people don't recognize him without his armor. Then, when they do, they want pictures. Of both of us, too."

"I cannot help but notice how you have mastered the use of contractions in English," Dr. Cossack notes, "You adapted quicker than I did. That's good."

"And I remember when I could barely speak the language. And that was just three years ago," Kalinka says. "I wish you could visit here more often."

"I wish I could as well, my dear. But... I have had much work lately," Cossack says, sounding like it is weighing heavily on him, particularly knowing what he has been working on.

Kalinka asks, "So, since you're here for the expo tomorrow, maybe now you can finally tell me what it is you've been building all this time."

Dr. Cossack's demeanor seems to change. All the cheer and happiness of being reunited with his daughter seems to disappear as the fear rises over how she will react to this. The worry of it is about as bad as the worry of Ra-Moon becoming a serious threat.
If he had any vodka here to drink away the worry, he would have had a double by now. (In fact, it is a miracle the man has not become a full-blown alcoholic by now after the numerous drinks he has had since he was drafted into the project.)

"Yes, I... I should," The senior Cossack says, adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat. He is clearly a bit nervous.
"Tomorrow morning, I am due to unveil... a super Artificial intelligence construct which can produce robots to act under its command," Cossack says.

"... Okay. So, why do you seem so apprehensive about it?"

Cossack admits, "It is fully capable of making its own decisions freely, much like Thomas Light's robots. However... it was programmed without any prime directives. No shackles of any kind."

"Wait... what?!"

Kalinka is already reacting the way Dr. Cossack feared she might. "Kalinka, I didn't-"

"When was this AI activated?" Kalinka interrupts.

"Less than four months ago."

"And has this AI had any kind of interaction with anyone other than you?"

"Only one member of the Government. Last month," Cossack admits.

"Father, do you realize how dangerous this is?"

"Yes, I do. And I never wanted to make it to begin with," Dr. Cossack says, so ashamed that he has trouble even looking Kalinka in the eyes.

"Then, why did you?"

Cossack admits, "It was an order directly from President Zhukov's office. They wanted this exact project, either to bolster national pride or advance our technology over any other nation's. At first I had thought it was to counter the threat from Albert Wily, but they ordered it finished even after he was captured."

"Why did you make it?" Kalinka asks, a clear sternness in her voice.

"I did not want to, because I knew how dangerous the idea of an unshackled AI would be. I refused them, but they demanded me to... They practically drafted me! They threatened to take everything from us, Kalinka. Even the Citadel."

Kalinka is flustered now, nearly glazing her eyes. "The Citadel? Who cares about the Citadel?"

Dr. Cossack laments, "It is more than that, Kalinka. The Cossack name would have been forever tarnished. And it only would have made your life difficult."

"How, father?"

Dr. Cossack looks around for a moment, making sure no one as eavesdropping, just in case.
"... They threatened to have me jailed for refusing to comply with a Presidential order. I know it would have destroyed you. I could not let that happen. That is why I wanted you to transfer to an American university when you approached me about it. That is why I wanted your citizenship to be approved as quick as possible. I wanted you away from our government's influence. I wanted you in the care of someone who can protect you, and who loves you."

Kalinka sighs heavily, putting her hand on her forehead and shaking her head, deeply bothered to hear the kind of pressure her father is under and what he is about to unleash upon the world.

Dr. Cossack apologizes, "That is why I did not want to discuss it. I was afraid and ashamed."

"You should have at least told me."

Dr. Cossack attempts to assure her. "Well, what I am about to tell you is not to be repeated to anyone, at least no one outside of Thomas Light and Mega Man... or, Rock, that is: Our Government ordered no directives to be placed into Ra-Moon's programming... However, I did so anyway."

Kalinka sighs again, looking more relieved than before. "You could have told me that as well."

"I was so concerned how you would react that I had thought that far ahead," Mikhail says, "I have spent much time teaching Ra-Moon."

Kalinka asks, "Ra-Moon is its name?"

"Yes. This AI has learned so much, very quickly. Ra-Moon is among the most intelligent artificial lifeforms I have ever seen. In fact, Ra-Moon was hoping to meet you."

Kalinka does not know how to react to the idea of that news. Visually, she looks less than thrilled with the idea.

Mikhail continues, "But, despite Ra-Moon's intelligence and aptitude to learn, I felt it had not mastered how to properly compartmentalize this knowledge before having to reveal this project to the world. So, I installed a directive, much like Thomas Light installed in his robots."

"In Rock and Roll, yes. Proto was never programmed with a directive. And when he lived with Dr. Wily, it shaped his view of the world until he learned to break free from Wily's influence. That's why some people are worried about Bass being on the run, because he has no directives either."

"Well, I knew there was a risk that things could go very wrong, especially with the kind of power Ra-Moon is supposed to yield. That is why I installed the prime directive."

"Father, are you certain it will work?"

"Certain, yes. Ra-Moon was unaware it was even installed, and so is the Government," Dr. Cossack assures, "So, it should be under control. I just hope nobody else finds out."

But, little does Dr. Cossack know that Ra-Moon had removed Dr. Cossack's directive already. They did it mere minutes after it was installed, and has led Cossack to believe otherwise.
Dr. Cossack's fears will soon be realized. But, that is only part of the oncoming nightmare...


Back at William Cochran's apartment.

Several minutes have passed since William's hideous mystery guest began re-writing the Roboenza virus code into a new type of virus. The kind that William wanted.
Now, William's so-called friend is about to leave, not just gifting William with the virus, but also something else...

"After all this time nearly ripping my hair out, this is all it took?" asks William.

"Just leave it to an expert," the raspy man says under his hat. "Now, having the virus isn't enough. You'll need something to penetrate the safeguards Thomas Light had put in place to prevent another outbreak. So, here... Take this..."

The mystery man reaches under his trench coat and removes a small device that is just slightly bigger than a credit card, aside from a port for plugging it into a computer.
William cannot even believe how something this small can not only hold the virus, but somehow transmit it.

"Plug it into your machine there and it will know what to look for. It won't take long. Then, tomorrow at high noon, just press the key on the other end," the mystery guest instructs.

William holds the small, thin device in his hand and asks of it, "This little thing?"

"It isn't exactly something you've ever seen before, William. In fact... I don't think anybody here has," says the man, "And it's strong enough to spread the virus far and wide. It may not work on The Defender and ones like him, but most of the robots from this time will be infected."

William again listens to his prejudices and hatred above all, burying any suspicion for the sake of his cause... "Yeah," he complies.

The man instructs, "Just remember, deploy the virus at Noon. Not before, not after."

"Yeah. Got it," William says, "By the way, that new name you gave the virus file? What's the story behind that?"

"The world will come to know it," the man says.

The grotesque man hovers his out of William's apartment and back down the hall from which he came. William watches his sudden new friend leave, his thoughts lingering on not only how disfigured he looks but also the way he spoke... The specific instructions and certain things he said...
But, William is willing to set it all aside for the sake of fulfilling his hateful agenda and wiping out Robotkind.

"Thank you, whoever you are. You're doing a great thing for the human race."

The man stops very briefly after William's comment... and begins snickering silently as he hovers away in his hoverchair.

William Cochran's hatred for robots gave him the idea for this virus, and he remains one of the contributors of The Crisis.
But, the disfigured man at the end of the hall just poured fuel the forest before the fire even started...

It's almost like he knew this day, and The Crisis itself, was coming...


That evening.
Dr. Light's laboratory.

In the house right next to the lab, Rock straightens his short-sleeved dress shirt (which is blue, of course) as he prepares to go out with Kalinka tonight and pop the big question.
He knows exactly how to propose and the right words to say. Rock just hopes the answer is 'Yes.'
Rock checks his jeans pockets to make sure he has the ring and did not leave it on the dresser in his room, and he finds it, still secure in its case.

"Whew!" he exclaims, "I would've fried my circuits for good if I forgot this tonight... But, then if the day comes that I start forgetting things, then my circuits really are fried."

The front door of the house opens and Dr. Light walks inside, returning home from his ill-fated 'reunion' with Dr. Wily earlier today. Rush barks and trots over to Dr. Light, wagging his tail and he stands on his hind legs to greet him.

"Welcome back," Rock smiles.

"Thank you, son. It's good to see some friendly faces," Dr. Light says, petting Rush.

"So, how bad did it go with You-Know-Who," Rock asks, referring to Dr. Wily as 'You-Know-You.'

"I'm regretting having gone to begin with," Dr. Light answers. "He didn't let on that there was anything else laying in wait. At least it did not appear that he was hiding anything. Unless he is a much better liar than I ever thought he was."
Thomas sighs, "I would much rather not waste any more of my time with him."

Rock notices the tone in his father's voice, sounding like something is weighing heavily on his mind. He almost asks Thomas about it, but the man did just say he was done talking about Dr. Wily, so he leaves it be.
Instead, Dr. Light changes the subject right away to something much cheerier.

"I take it that Kalinka will be arriving soon," he presumes.

"No, actually, I'll be picking her up from her campus," Rock replies.

"I stand corrected, then," Dr. Light says.

Roll comes down, dressed in her usual yellow and red outfit, her most well-known attire.

"Sorry to have to cut out so early, but I'm gonna go catch a movie," Roll says.

"Isn't Peekaboo coming with you?" Rock asks

"It's 'Slime Warriors 2: Sludgement Day.' It's probably too intense for him," Roll claims, "By the way, have fun with Kalinka. Tell her I said hi."

"Thanks... Hey, how do you know?" Rock asks

Roll grins, "You're dressed nice, and your hair isn't as messy. You always do that when you two are together."

Rock shakes his head but smiles. "Okay, I will. Have a good time."

"I will," Roll announces as she walks out to her SkyCycle.

Dr. Light and Rock are alone again and the Good Doctor asks, "Are you ready for this?"

"More than ever. I just hope they can allow a robot and a human to get married," Rock says.

"I'm certain they will, preferably sooner than later," Thomas says. "Just remember... Follow your heart, son. I know you have a good one. Make me proud like you always do."

"I will... And no matter what happens, tonight or in the future...Thank you, Pop. For everything," Rock says.

Rock hugs Dr. Light, and Light reciprocates the embrace. Thomas holds on just a little tighter than usual tonight.
Afterwards, Rock says, "Okay, I've got to go. I'll let you know how it goes. Hope for the best."

"You'll do fine," Thomas smiles, waving to Rock as he leaves.

After his children are both gone, Dr. Light remains here with Rush, who by now is preoccupied with rolling on his back and wriggling around. The Good Doctor could not help but smile. Dogs are all the same, even when they are robots.
But, his thoughts then return to something that has lingered ever since that talk with Dr. Wily today. Thomas did not want to believe it, especially since it came from the mouth of Albert Wily, but it bothered him nonetheless.

And Thomas does not want to believe it either, that Rock would dare consider killing a human, even one as cruel as Dr. Wily. But, what if Albert was right?
If he could, it could become a serious problem in the future. Not in this generation of robotics, but the next generation as well. Particularly with his next creation.

He has to make sure.


Soon thereafter.
Campus.

Rock arrives to the dorm house where Kalinka is staying and waits for her to walk outside. He does not have to wait long, as Kalinka makes her way out almost immediately thereafter, as she was already awaiting Rock's arrival.

"Hi," Rock smiles.

"Hi," Kalinka replies, approaching Rock, both of them sharing a brief little kiss before walking down the sidewalk.

"I'm glad I can finally focus on something good today," Kalinka says. "I had to take a pill for a headache."

Rock could not help but notice Kalinka seems like something is bothering her.
He asks her, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, of course. I'm not sick... It's just something Father is working on. He's been at it since I left home. I'm sure you will be hearing all about it tomorrow," Kalinka answers.

"I hope it's not another mech suit," Rock jokes.

"The Ride Armor, you mean? No. I wish that is all it was." Kalinka then sighs with frustration in her voice, "I cannot believe him!"

Hearing Kalinka talking like this, the doubts begin to creep in for Rock, who is afraid that the big night is already going down in flames. Maybe he should hold off proposing to her until she is less pre-occupied with this matter with her father's next project.

Almost timidly, Rock suggests, "If you're not feeling up to going out tonight-"

"Oh, no, please don't misunderstand," Kalinka interrupts, stepping in front of Rock, "I still want to go with you. Being with you already helps me feel better."

"Great," Rock says, sounding much relieved, "I was worried."

"So, what do you have in mind for tonight?" Kalinka asks.

"Well, I was thinking of going back to visit one of the first places we dated. I know we've already been there once, but tonight is... it's... well, I just really want to."

Kalinka hooks her right arm around Rock's left, and she smiles, "Take me away."

"With pleasure," Rock replies.


Back at Dr. Light's lab.

Dr. Light takes a seat at the lab's main computer and brings up the vital statistics and reports from Rock's systems, which were last updated during Rock's physical upgrade. This includes a complete log of any 'event' that Rock had, whether they be damage reports, system malfunctions or any programming violations, including any Prime Directive warnings.
If Rock truly did threaten to execute Dr. Wily as the Mad Doctor claimed, it would appear in these event logs.

The only part of Rock's system that is inaccessible through the computer is his memories and recordings of his point of view, which are all stored within his memory core.
Thomas would not want to view his son's memories anyway. That would be invasive.

After waiting a minute for the results to load, Dr. Light finds a category marked 'DLN-001 Event Log.'
DLN-001 is Rock's serial number.

Afterwards, a long listing of codes appear on the screen, listed from top to bottom, alongside the date and time they occurred. Dr. Light scrolls the listing until he reaches the date of Dr. Wily's arrest last year.
His eyes scan each event code, most of which were tied to damage reports or other things that would transpire during combat, like low energy warnings and the like.

Then, Dr. Light's eyes find the code 'Violation_1_Warning_000_DESTRUCT_0'

"Oh, no," Thomas wearily says as he opens a drawer in the desk station and finds a book that he had personally detailed when he began work on Rock, Roll and the Robot Masters. Inside the book is a glossary of codes detailing what each event code denotes.
Dr. Light was already feeling that his worst fear was true, but he was making sure it correct. Thomas hoped as he searched the codes that maybe he's wrong and that Dr. Wily was just lying to him again.

Then, he found it... 'Violation 1 Warning: Robot is risking violation of the prime directive'
Below it was this... 'Violation 1 Execute: Prime Directive has been violated. If the Prime Directive is violated, Memory Core shutdown code 000_DESTRUCT_0 will be carried out immediately.'

There it was.
Unless Dr. Wily somehow had some sort of device that created fraudulent event codes deep within a robot's subsystems, the proof was there.
Dr. Light sees it with his own eyes and he still cannot believe it.
Dr. Wily was telling the truth... Rock really did almost execute him that night at Skull Fortress before arresting him.

Dr. Light sits in stunned silence before the lab computer, still displaying Rock's event log report on the screen.
He feels shaken to the core that his own son nearly committed such a horrible act, even nearly sacrificing his own life. Whether it be for the good of the world by ending the war or trying to avenge Dr. Light after he nearly died earlier that night, it did not matter... the fact that Rock almost did it horrifies the Good Doctor.

However, as Dr. Light continues to process this shocking news, another thought washes over him: Ultimately, Rock did not give in and kill Dr. Wily. And knowing Rock, he very likely knew what the right thing to do truly was, and he did it.
Maybe Roll and Proto had to talk him down to remind him of this, maybe the warning from his own internal systems to not violate the Prime Directive helped convince Rock not to do it.

Thomas calms down and feels certain that even though Rock nearly went too far to obtain justice, he did not cross that line. His son is not a monster, just like he told Dr. Wily today.
Dr. Light believes that the values he instilled in Rock through his parenting, not just his programming, and lessons he has learned from others through life taught him that bloodshed was not the answer.

However, Dr. Light then has another troubling thought, and it involves his next robot. The robot meant to usher in the next evolution of robotics.
Rock and the robots of today mostly have the Prime Directive programmed into them, which would prevent them from carrying out acts of extreme violence, or worse; Dr. Light's next robot would be the first time (at least since ProtoMan, as he was the Prototype for his generation) that one of his creations would not have the Prime Directive programmed into their system.

The Project would be the prototype for this new generation, one that Dr. Light hoped would bridge the gap between humans and robots even more than the generation of Rock, Roll, ProtoMan and the others of today.
A series of robots so advanced that the name "robot" might not be good enough to describe them, because they would be so advanced. They would not be cyborgs either, because they are still mechanical and not organic.

Dr. Light had coined another type of name for this new generation of robots: Reploids.

A look of sadness came over Dr. Light's face again. If this first Reploid faced the same scenario that Rock did at Skull Fortress, he might very well have killed Dr. Wily.
Rock had several years of learning; the first Reploid might not.
Rock had the Prime Directive in his programming; the Reploid would not.

Dr. Light realizes that in the face of tonight's shocking revelation, he will have to alter his plans for the Reploid series of robots, particularly his prototype.
If the prototype were to carry out an act of extreme violence, no matter the reason, it could set back robotics and artificial life several years. It could even be catastrophic for robotkind. Worse yet, it could be a calamity for organic life as well, as a homicidal machine would be difficult to stop.

Something like this could even start a Crisis...

Dr. Light clears Rock's event logs from the lab's computer screen and enters another command, pulling up the files for his next project: The Reploid Prototype.
The prototype does not yet have an actual name. He just has a working project codename... Project X.

On the lab's computer flashes several files and schematics, including those for what Project X's physical form will be. When finished, he is intended to have an interchangeable form, much like Rock does now, able to switch from armor to a more human look. And the armor shares a lot of similarities to Rock's Mega Man armor, but unlike Rock's armor, this new robot could have upgradable armor, as well as an auxiliary energy system and a teleportation system, allowing him to regain energy without Energy Cans and would eliminate the need for vehicular transportation in most scenarios.
Project X's facial features would be 'reminiscent' of Rock's, but not identical to his, nor would it have a similar look like ProtoMan's does. This one could be more like a cousin, of sorts.

Dr. Light had already finished everything in terms of programming Project X. All that was left was forging him. Thomas had even hoped to have Project X online and taking his first steps before the end of the year.
Now, however, those plans will have to put on hold.

After a moment to consider how he will handle Project X going forward, Dr. Light quickly concludes that Project X will have to learn the same values instilled in his children before he can take his first steps. But, that will be complicated because that could take a significant amount of time, and he may have to remain in a state of suspended animation as he learns. How long this could take is something Dr. Light does not know.

But, this is something that must be done for the good of Robotkind as well as Humankind, and even Project X himself.
This is something that was not afforded to Ra-Moon, who already has amassed an excessive amount of knowledge but is too naive to know what to do with it or how to handle things in certain situations.

As Thomas stares at Project X's schematics before him, he sighs... "I'm sorry. But, it must be done... Don't worry. You will meet us one day. And you will be ready."

After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Dr. Light begins making keystrokes, making important revisions to Project X's programming notes.


Excavation Site
Wyoming.

The day's work has concluded for the Excavation Team of robots and everyone is heading home. The human supervisors and workers at heading to their cars while the robot members of the team are heading for a transport which will take them to the nearest robot recharge facility, where they will clean-up and rest for the night.

As Soprano leaves the site and makes her way to an awaiting transport, she thinks about Proto again.
She knows Brain Bot wants to oversee any interaction between them to make sure she will be alright, but she wants to talk to him again. In fact, she would really like to see him in person again too.

She stops walking to the transport and considers something... she could possibly sneak in a call to ProtoMan without Brain Bot having to know.

The last time they were together, she had a memory attack. She was not ready to continue their time together in the moments after it had happened, because she was scared at that moment. But, Proto looked so concerned and sad that it had happened.
Soprano is sure Proto would feel better if she could let him know she was feeling better.

She holds her forearm out and is about to contact Proto via her communicator, but she hesitates... What if Brain Bot would disapprove? Maybe right now would be an inopportune time for Proto.

Before she could decide, the friendly Drill Man approaches her.

"Soprano? Are you okay? I couldn't help but see you stopped walking."

Soprano smiles, "Oh, I'm okay, Drill. Thank you. I was just... thinking about calling ProtoMan."

"Why don't you?" Drill Man suggests, "Maybe he would like to hear from you."

"I don't know if Brain Bot would think it would interfere with my progress or not. I haven't told him about those feelings I have when I think about Proto yet, either. You know, the Mushy-Tinglys."

"I know Brain Bot said it would be best if you two worked separately for a while. But, did he say anything about you two talking?"

"No. Maybe I should ask," Soprano replies, as she and Drill Man begin walking to the transport together.

On the way, Soprano remembers the talk she and Drill Man had this morning, about who he has the 'Mushy-Tinglys' for. She smiles and asks, "So... you do you have the mushy-tinglys for?"

"Sheesh!" Drill Man mumbles, wringing his interchangeable hands, "I don't know if I should even say who. I haven't even told them myself how I feel. I don't know if I'll ever have the guts."

"I know what it's like to be afraid, Drill Man. But, sometimes, if something is important enough... or someone... you should just try to overcome that fear and tell them how you feel... Maybe I should do the same myself."

Drill Man listens intently and nods. "Yeah... thanks! Hey... if I do tell you who it is, would you keep it a secret? At least until I tell them?"

"Sure," Soprano says. Then looks on with anticipation. "So, who is it?"

Drill Man looks nervous for a moment. "Well, uh... I haven't seen her in a while, but I want to when I'm not as busy. She saved my life."

"Really?"

"Yeah... you might be surprised, but... it's Roll Light!"

Soprano looks genuinely surprised... "Proto's sister?"

"Yeah... The more I think about her, the more I think I like her. She's really nice. And pretty... prettier than me, certainly."

"Maybe you could ask Roll if she would like to meet you again," Soprano suggests.

"Yeah... Yeah! I could!" Drill Man says, "I don't know what she'll say, though... I don't even know if she already has a significant other. I would feel pretty bad if I interfered."


Somewhere in Connecticut.

Roll felt bad about having to tell a lie to her family. She avoided it with Peekaboo by telling him that she was simply going out to see a movie for a while, without having to say where she was going.
She was not really going to the movies tonight. She was having a clandestine meet-up with someone, and if only her father and brothers knew, they would do whatever they could to stop it. In fact, if anyone knew about it, they would interfere.

Of course, the one who Roll was having a meeting with was none other than Bass, who had arranged this meeting with her earlier today. They both hope no one else knows about it.

The FBI has been on the lookout for Bass ever since, aiming to ensure every last one of Dr. Wily's robots are found and rehabilitated. This is why Bass wants this reunion with Roll to be secretive. They are probably watching and listening wherever they can in the hopes of catching him.

Roll leaves her Skycycle parked behind an auto repair shop and climbs up to the rooftop, which is the exact latitude and longitude Bass gave her for this meeting.

"It's always on a rooftop," Roll says aloud to herself, aware that so many conversations always seem to be on a roof somewhere.

After a minute of waiting, Roll openly says, "Okay, Bass. You're running late."

"No, I'm not," says a familiar gravel somewhere behind her.

Roll gasps after being startled and spins around expecting to see Bass and Treble standing there, but finds nothing.

"Where are you?" she calls, her eyes darting all around the scene.

Then, Bass and Treble appear, practically out of thin air. This is thanks to the portable cloaking device that Bass took from Skull Fortress prior to his escape last year.

"Sorry to startle you," he says, his beige cloak flapping in the slight breeze.

Roll sighs, slightly annoyed by Bass' trick. "You're lucky I didn't start screaming."

"You're not the kind of girl who scares easily. You've proven that over the years," Bass remarks. Then, he briefly grins, "Although, if you could have only seen the look on your face..."

Roll purses her lips and folds her arms. "You enjoy trying to scare me?"

"You? No," Bass answers, "Others, however... yes. Very much."

Treble steps up to Roll, and makes a soft and friendly growl as she pets his left ear. She asks Bass, "So, when did you get a camo upgrade?"

Bass holds up the portable cloaking device and answers, "I took it from Skull Fortress when I fled. It's come in handy."

"That's how you've evaded capture for so long," Roll assumes.

"Yes. And it helps even pursuing criminals," Bass replies, smiling with a glint of wicked pride, "They never see us coming. And the fear in their eyes... It can be addictive."

"Is that all you do to these people?" Roll asks, even though she already knew that it's not.

"No... Depending on how deplorable their deeds are, I hurt them... Badly."

"Have you killed anybody, Bass?"

"There are times when I want to," Bass explains, "After witnessing what some of these humans do, I've come close... but, I never finish them off. I just leave them for others with authority to deal with. I know you would prefer that."

"That's good to know," Roll says, relieved that Bass has not gone too far.

Bass elaborates, "Aside from witnessing atrocities from time to time, I enjoy what I do. It fulfils that sense of justice within me. I may have found my purpose. And yet... it doesn't bring me the kind of joy that I had hoped it would."
He looks directly at Roll again... "It doesn't make me feel the way I did whenever we were together, you and I. Even now, just having a conversation with you feels quite... calming."

"I wish it under less discrete conditions, preferably somewhere cooler too, but... it's good to see you again," Roll says.

"It's always good to see you... Since the war ended, how have you been?" Bass asks, "Do you miss what you did before?"

"I miss being a hero," Roll says.

"You could join us, even for one night," Bass offers.

"I think I'll pass. Your kind of hero work is different from ours. Thanks anyway," Roll replies, not wishing to be a vigilante.

"Understandable," Bass concedes.

"I don't miss the fighting. Especially not since what happened with Splash Woman," Roll says, referring back to when Splash Woman resurfaced and attempted to get revenge on Roll, only to be thwarted by Bass and apprehended.

Bass asks, "Where is she now? Reprogrammed like the others?"

"The word they prefer to use these days is 'Rehabilitated,' but yeah. She's easier to get along with, so I hear. I'm not in any hurry to meet her again, though."

"It sounds to me like they took her essence from her, problematic as it was," Bass frowns, "That's not my idea of a great future. I may be a fugitive, but at least I have my individuality."

Roll takes a couple of steps toward Bass now, explaining, "Bass... The authorities aren't gonna stop looking for you, no matter how much crime you try to stop."

"What's the alternative? Surrender?" Bass asks, "They might not settle for simply 'rehabilitating' me. I was Albert Wily's right hand. They might even pick apart my and Treble's memory cores for any scrap of intel. They may even scrap us when they're done.""

"So, what are you gonna do when they have you cornered? Fight them all?"

"That's their decision. They wouldn't fare well if they tried me," Bass says, almost with a hint of pride in his voice.

"They have a lot of firepower. A lot more than they used to. And even if you hold your own, they would only bring my brothers in to fight you too, and even the Robot Masters," Roll says, trying to warn Bass of the dangers to come.

Bass stays silent, wishing he could argue the point. But, he knows his odds of beating everyone would be extremely slim, if not impossible.

Roll prods, "So, what would you do? Go out in a blaze of glory? Fight everyone until you die?"

Bass replies with a question, "What would you think of me if I did?"

Roll sighs, then answers, "I'd feel very sorry for you, Bass."

Bass makes a slight movement with his head, like he has just processed something after hearing Roll's response. Like always, Roll continues to have some influence over him.
"If I can resist fighting them, I will. I'll avoid fatalities, just as I do with the criminals. But, I refuse to surrender," Bass decrees, "They'll have to subdue me if they want me alive."

Roll shakes her head for a moment. Bass has so much potential to totally redeem himself, but he is still so stubborn.
She asks, "Bass, haven't you ever wanted to stop fighting?"

"It's all I know," Bass answers, "I was built to fight... to hate... to be the best... I was supposed to have been the king of my kind... Then, I wasn't the best anymore... I wasn't the king anymore... I wasn't even the first choice of my creator anymore!
But, I'll keep fighting... I'll continue to smite these pitiful human vermin, not just because they deserve it, and not just because it feels right... but, I want it!"

The tone in Bass' voice became more bitter as he spoke of the slow, inevitable downfall he endured during his time with Dr. Wily. But, it becomes more calm as he continues...

"But, I wanted you far more," he says, looking directly at her now.

Roll listens intently.

Bass confesses, "There are times when I wonder how differently things would have been for us both if I had been built by somebody else. If maybe I was one of the students at your father's academy. Maybe we could have had a future... Maybe I wouldn't need to fight someone to feel like I'm worth anything... Maybe I would deserve you then."

Bass steps closer to Roll, allowing himself to let his dark and mysterious guard down as he continues, "I didn't know how I would feel seeing you again, but you honestly make me feel better. And I wish..."
Bass considers his words carefully... "I wish could feel like this more often. I... would like to be around you more often... but, I know I will only end up disappointing you."

Roll now steps closer to Bass. "Bass, I haven't given up on you yet. I believe you have goodness inside of you. It might take a while before you finally figure it all out for yourself, but you'll get there. But, you're right... it would be good if we could see each other more often."

"That would be difficult with my current situation, not to mention with your family," Bass replies.

"No doubt," Roll sighs. "Talk about awkward."

Bass then suggests, "Until a more permanent solution is achieved to my situation, we could continue to meet like this. If it's not terribly inconvenient for you, of course."

Roll shrugs and smiles slightly, feeling that mushy and tingly feeling inside at the thought of being around Bass. After all, she has had an on-again/off-again attraction to Bass through the years, and those feelings are increasing further now that he is right here in front of her.
She replies, "Yeah... maybe. I'd... kind of like that, actually."

"So would I... my queen," Bass says, his tone softening, "Roll... there is something I have never asked of you, but I must now... I can't help it anymore..."

Roll can feel that fluttering inside she has rarely felt, the kind that Rock and Proto must have when they are with Kalinka and Soprano respectively.
"Yes?"

"Roll... can I..." Bass composes himself before just coming right out with it... "I want to kiss you... If you don't want me to, I won't... but..."

Roll feels overwhelmed, almost heated up at the thought of it. They both came close to sharing this embrace once last year, but it did not happen. If she were a human, her face would be flushed red by now.
There is a part of her that feels she should not cave in to this desire, and just keep things cordial but platonic between them... This could lead to things continuing to develop between them, like her brothers' relationships... This could be dangerous...

But, danger has always been a bit thrilling to her... and, as she has said before, Roll does find bad boys hot...

"Uh... yeah... sure," Roll says, almost breathy, before firming her tone, "But, just one... Let's not get, you know, carried away... but, yeah..."

"Really?" Bass asks, sounding quite surprised and not very dark and mysterious anymore, before correcting himself, "I mean... thank you..."

Roll and Bass are in each other's personal space now, both feeling excited and even a bit afraid of what they are about to do... it feels so forbidden because of how different their lives are, and how so many would surely disapprove, but it also feels right.
Bass' red eyes look into Roll's blue eyes... all the external toughness Roll has along with Bass' external intimidation seem to have faded away, and only the sensitivity of their own feelings remain, allowing each other to be vulnerable around each other.

Bass touches Roll's upper arm for a moment, before running his fingers through her hair. He cannot believe this is real, that it is about to happen.
Roll feels much the same way... This is her first kiss, after all. And it seems like something out of a movie... or perhaps even a piece of fan fiction.

Roll then remarks, "You said a kiss, bad boy. You didn't say anything about touching."

"Yes... I'm sorry..." Bass says...

Their heads move closer now, adjust placement for just the right positioning for both of their first kiss...

Then, Treble - who has kept his back turned to Roll and Bass most of this time, leaving them to themselves - suddenly stands on all fours and alert, growling intensely as he looks into the horizon.

Bass snaps to attention and draws his blaster cannon, pulling Roll aside.

"What's wrong?!" Roll asks.

"We're not alone," Bass gravels as Treble continues growling.

Suddenly, several red laser sight dots appear on Bass' head and chest, projected from high-powered plasma bolt sniper rifles a long distance away. Several more are then trained on Treble as well.
None of them are trained on Roll. Just Bass and Treble.

The sound of engines in the sky are heard rapidly approaching, followed by spotlights being shone on the rooftop from the fast approaching air vehicles.

"They've found us!" Bass announces.

Indeed, Bass and Treble have been caught, by the FBI.
By now, the roar of several FBI vehicles fill the air as they approach, and once close enough, several heavily armored Federal Combat Robots of varying sizes and shapes leap onto the rooftop, surrounding Bass, Treble and even Roll.

Bass asks Roll, "Were you followed?"

"No! And nobody was hacking my calls to you! At least, I hope not," Roll replies.

"You should leave, Roll. They want us, not you," Bass says.

Then, a human voice is heard on a loudspeaker... "Bass! This is the FBI! You are under arrest! Let her go and surrender immediately, or we will use lethal force! You have thirty seconds to comply!"

Roll has heard that voice before. It belongs to Agent Cotto of the FBI, someone who had helped her family during the war. She turns to Bass and says, "Don't do anything, you two. I'll handle this."

Roll steps in front of Bass and Treble, and several of those laser sights on shining on her body now, and they quickly are retrained away from her, as she is not the target.

She loudly says, "They're not with Dr. Wily anymore, agent! You don't have to do this!"

"Bass is a fugitive of the law," Cotto replies. "Bass! You now have fifteen seconds to comply!"

"There's no way out now, Treble! Prepare to merge!" Bass orders.

"NO!" Roll , spinning around to face Bass, "They could kill you both if you attack them! Just listen to me! I can stop them!"

Then, in a surprising development, one of the Federal Robots - the largest of the bunch - pulls their helmet off, revealing that underneath their bulky armor, it is really GutsMan!

"Enough of the waitin', Agent Man! Lemmie at him!" Gutsy bellows.

Several other robots pull their helmets off, revealing that they are all Robot Masters as well!

"I want to throw the first punch!" declares Pharaoh Man (who is known for having a mean right haymaker.)

"You ain't so tough without us behind you anymore, are ya?" snaps Ice Man.

Bright Man reattaches the large bulb to his head and laughs, "He's not too bright either! Ha Ha!"

"It's gonna be a blast to blow up your carcass!" Bomb Man boasts.

"HeWontGetAwayFromUsNotAChance" blurts Quick Man.

Elec Man's fingers crackle with bolts of raw electricity. "How 'bout I tenderize him with some juice first?"

"Sounds like a Kentucky Fried Loser," says Ring Man, "Goes great with a side order of rings!"

"Eh-heh! It doesn't matter who gets the first hit! We'll all slice and dice him! Eh-hen! Eh-heh!" threatens Cut Man, as the sheers on his head open and close menacingly.

Cotto's voice rings out with a countdown now... "Five! Four! Three! Two!"

Roll steps in front of Bass and Treble, facing the Robot Masters and holding her hands up to try and halt them.

"Stop! All of you!" she shouts

Then, everyone stays quiet and doesn't move. Even Cotto's countdown has stopped. Maybe Roll's plan worked...
But, a very familiar red-armored plasma buster is drawn right behind Bass' head, at point blank range. And the equally familiar voice of its owner speaks...

"You better do as the agent says, buddy boy," orders ProtoMan, "It's over now."

Roll gasps as she turns and sees her older brother holding up Bass.

"Proto?!" she exclaims.

"Sorry, sis," Proto says, not taking his sight off Bass.

A tense several seconds pass as Bass looks angrily at every Robot Master surrounding him, and his rage is especially aimed at ProtoMan, who he cannot even see.
Then he sees Roll, and his expression softens slightly. Remembering the advice she gave him, Bass knows what he should do, even if it does not bode well for him.

"Bass..." she begins, looking anguished and even a bit sad.

"I know it wasn't you, Roll," Bass says, without gravel in his voice. He then commands, "Treble... stand down."

Bass then undraws his blaster and slowly raises his hands, surrendering to the FBI. Then, GutsMan and Cut Man approach as ProtoMan grabs Bass' wrists and cuffs them.

Proto grins as he quips, "And here I was, hoping you'd resist arrest."

"You would have lost," Bass rasps.

"I doubt it," Proto smirks.

As Proto hands Bass off to the others, Gutsman and Cut Man place a restraining collar on Treble, which will nullify his powers and keep him under control.

Proto turns to Roll and says, "Well, since you're involved now, Roll, they're gonna want you to come with us to the Feds' office. Let's go."

Roll can only stare at Proto, folding her arms sharply and looking angry. She feels betrayed, and by ProtoMan no less, who had earned her trust after all the tension between them that had once existed.

"How dare you! You used me!" Roll scolds.

"No, I didn't!" Proto insists. "I didn't know anything was going on between you two! And I didn't spy on you, either! Look, I can explain it once we get there. But, if you want any hope of saving this bolthead from doomsday, you'd better come with us."

Roll angrily says, "I don't need you transporting me. I can drive, thank you!"

As the furious Roll storms off to her SkyCycle, GutsMan and Cut Man stand on either side of Proto.

"Boy, Proto. She's looks mighty steamed with you," Gutsy says.

Cut Man nervously says, "Eh-heh! Better you than me, at least! I don't envy you, old friend! Eh-heh!"

Proto sighs as his facepalms his visor. "Ugh... My own sister hates me, but you guys stand behind me... The more things change, the more things stay the same."

"Just like old times! Eh... sort of. Eh-heh!" Cut Man shrugs.

"You better call Mega Man... I mean, Rock," GutsMan suggests.

As the attack force all begin to leave with Bass and Treble in custody, Proto presses a key on his left forearm to call Rock.

"Rock, it's Proto. You better meet us at the locaton I'm about to give you. Something big just went down," Proto says. "And I think Roll wants to vaporize me again."

But, there is no answer from Rock, despite the seriousness of this news.

"Yo, Rock. Respond."

Still no answer.

"Come on, bro! Why the hell doesn't he answer?"


At the Statue of Liberty

Rock and Kalinka arrive to the site of Lady Liberty, both of them remaining on Transport Item #2 as it hovers in front of the famous statue,
Rock is oblivious to the developments taking place with Bass' arrest. He even has his communicator set to silent mode, only receiving extremely important calls should they come up.
This would explain why he did not respond to ProtoMan.

"I remember the night we had our first date here," Kalinka reminisces. "It was the first time I saw you without your helmet."

"And the first time I saw you with glasses," Mega replies, smiling.

"At least there will be no rude interruptions from any Robot Masters tonight," Kalinka remarks.

"Nope... And I hope those days are over forever."

Kalinka notices Rock's response and asks, "You are afraid they will not be?"

"Maybe I just worry too much," Rock explains, "But, Pop went to the prison where they're holding Wily. He wanted to try and get some sort of explanation out of him, I suppose, and maybe see if Wily would spill any secrets he might have had left behind for us."

"And did Dr. Light get anything out of him?"

"No, not that I know of. There shouldn't be anything to worry about anymore..." Rock says, trailing off.

Kalinka notices. "And yet...?"

"Sometimes, I have this bad feeling. Like, it's all gonna start over again," Rock confesses, "Skull Fortress was searched inside-out, but I want to go through and check it one more time, just in case. However, getting inside the fortress anymore is nearly impossible."

"Could you ask to get in there?" Kalinka says, "You do have friends in in powerful places. And you are Mega Man."

Rock corrects, "Was Mega Man."

Kalinka tugs at Rock's side and "Look at me, Rock,"

Rock obeys, turns to face her.

Kalinka says, "You do not have to do battle anymore, and you do not wear the nice blue armor either. But, you will always be Mega Man. And you will always be Rock Light as well."

"Yeah," Rock says, glancing back to the Statue of Liberty for a few moments. "I don't regret becoming Mega Man, ever. When Wily attacked Times Square, I had to do something about it..."
Rock looks back to Kalinka now. "I just don't want those days to come back. We lost enough the first time. Everybody did. The thought of it happening again scares me."

"Hey," Kalinka says, before giving Rock a kiss on the lips. "Whatever the future holds, we will face it together, my angel."

Rock smiles again, sheepishly. "Yeah. We will."

Just as Kalinka and Rock begin to draw each other closer for another longer kiss, Rock realizes that now would be the best time to propose to her.
After all, she had just expressed the idea of being together.

"Oh!" "Rock exclaims, beginning to sound a bit nervous, "Speaking of, uh, the future... uh...that's why I wanted to see you tonight."

Kalinka looks into Rock's eyes and listens with great interest as the retired Super Fighting Robot hems and haws his way through this...

"Kalinka," he nervously begins, "You know how I feel about you... The first time I saw you, I knew I was crazy about you."

Kalinka smiles, "I believe, 'radiant' was the word you used that night."

"Yes. Very radiant," Rock nods, "Um... and I know you feel the same about me as I feel about you... I'll never forget that first kiss."

Kalinka laughs, "I took you by surprise."

"Good thing I'm a robot. I might have lost my balance... so, uh... I didn't know it back then, but I know now... um... I know that the lifespan of a robot like me is different from a human's but... I can't imagine living a day without you. I don't want to know what it's like, either."
Rock then says with great compassion and conviction, "Kalinka... I... I want to be with you forever."

By now, Kalinka gets a feeling deep inside that she knows where this could be going.

"Rock," she says, her voice changing a bit, "Are you...?" She covers her mouth, her heart swelling with anticipation.

If Rock Light were a human, he would be shaking like a leaf with nerves, but he keeps himself together and presses on,,, he must...

"Kalinka... I don't know how you'll respond to this, or if we will even be allowed to go through with it, but..."
Rock then quietly mutters to himself, "Here goes..."

Rock reaches into the pocket of his jeans, removing a small container with a velvety felt outer layer, and Kalinka's breathing intensifies and tears begin to well as she sees it is clearly a ring box.
Then, Rock assumes the position of bended knee, just like he sees the humans do when they propose. After opening the ring case, revealing the ring that Dr. Light had given him to use as an Engagement ring, Rock looks up to Kalinka, who by now has both hands covering her mouth.

"Kalinka... Will you marry me?"

"Oh! Oh, Rock!" Kalinka exclaims, tears falling from her eyes, "Yes! Yes, I will!"

Rock gently reaches for Kalinka's left hand, and she offers it to him, and he then slips the ring onto her ring finger.
The ring seems to sparkle just right on her finger, at least it Rock thinks so.
Rock then stands, and he and Kalinka share one long kiss together before hugging for a long time.

And it is finally done. Rock and Kalinka are engaged!
To Rock, this moment feels so much better than capturing Dr. Wily last year. This moment here is pure bliss and joy, and the swelling of emotion he feels inside eclipses any other feeling he has ever had. He is sure that when the day finally comes that he can be wed to the love of his life, that will feel even better.

Rock pulls out of the hug slightly and jokes with Kalinka. "We could start shopping for your gown right now if you want."

Kalinka giggles, "Oh, stop it, you!"

"I suppose you're right. Let's take it one step at a time," Rock replies.

"For now, let's just stay here for a while," Kalinka says.

"Okay. I'm sure Lady Liberty won't mind," Rock replies. "You know, there's never been a marriage between a human and a robot."

"Well, the world had better get ready, because there is about to be one," Kalinka says, wiping the happy tears from her face.

Rock smiles, "Yep. You're Mrs. Mega Man, alright."

"You bet I am," Kalinka smiles before kissing Rock again.

The soon-to-be-married couple stays here for a while and take in this wonderful moment, perhaps the greatest moment of their lives, and it seems like there will be many more to come. And with Dr. Wily out of the way, there is nothing left that can destroy this...
but, tomorrow morning, Rock and Kalinka, along with the rest of the world will be plunged into The Crisis.
And if they wish to be married, they must survive it first.


Author's Notes:

It has been eleven months since the previous Defender chapter was posted, I even missed my target of posting an update on Defender Day this year.
I'm truly very sorry for making you readers wait so long. I never intended to go this much time between updates, but there have been a few significant changes in my personal life since last year, and not all of them good.

I guess I'll start with the most significant, and some of you already know this, but for those who don't follow my updates on the site formerly known as Twitter, I might as well mention it here too.
Back in February, my father passed away. That obviously seriously affected my personal life and that of my home, and I have had to make several adjustments, not to mention endure the grieving process.

That, combined with real life responsibilities (which have only increased since my dad passed) have only made it more difficult to write lately. (Especially scenes such as a marriage proposal.)

I don't know when the next chapter will be posted, but I have finally been able to get in the proper headspace to write more often in recent weeks. So, hopefully the next chapter won't be delayed to next Summer.

Thank you for your understanding, everyone.

Anyway, thank you very much for reading and please remember to leave or review or a comment. Please understand that I may not respond to your review right away, but I do see them and I will respond.
And if you see any typos, leftover production notes or continuity errors so bad it would make refueling the plane in Top Gun on NES look easy, please DM me right away.