Note: Here it is, my third (fourth) attempt. But this time, I came in prepared. I've got the experience of writing the other two (the first 60-chapter story and the second being the far shorter attempt) and a new lease on life. Let's just say I was going through some rough periods in life when I first started writing this, so I'm not proud of my past work or how I was as a person then. But I'm better now and want to show that with this series.
I've known about fanfiction such as Defend of the Human Race and Recut, and after reading them, I got inspired to want to contribute to the Ruby-Spears universe. I mainly began by trying to emulate them, but as I went along, I realized that my story didn't have its own identity. And, I was putting too many unnecessary restrictions on myself with making sure how long chapters were, as well as how long "episodes" were. The five-part system was not working, and just having an "episode" continue on and on got boring for the readers and me.
No longer will I be doing chapters in an episode format, I'll instead, I'll categorize them as part of an arc/saga.
I hope you enjoy it!
Setting the Board
December the 3rd, 201X.
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
10:31 PM
The van for the daily news network of the city parked outside of the large, dome-shaped complex, and from it emerged figures of varying shapes and sizes. Then, finally, a human Caucasian woman with short, brown hair stepped out of the van. Her attire consisted of a white undershirt with a black tie, a teal coat that came down to her hips, a black, pencil skirt, and a pair of black high heels. Her eyes were brown and warm, though if anyone had seen her on television, they would've known that she had quite a sharp tongue.
Two robots exited the vehicle as well, ready to do their assigned duty.
The first of these robots was a small, flying mini-bot made up of green and white metal, spinning propellers on his cone-shaped shoulders to keep him airborne. His eyes were large, but his irises were slim slits of blue, and large lips of yellow on his dark face. He had a green "cap" on his head that was cubic in shape, with a white stripe going across the middle of the cap-like helmet. His arms were longer than his legs, his forearms green with gold trims on the ends. His hands were white, looking very much like gloves, but they were the most human feature about him.
And the second of the robots had a similar appearance to a young woman, though, from the white, circular audio units on the sides of her head (where they served as her "ears"), it was clear that she was a machine. Her skin was light and her hair a vibrant pink, fanning out behind her in a wave. Her eyes (or optics if one wanted to technically be correct) were a deep green yet despite the calm color, this robotic reporter was anything but. She had no clothing or plating and more "inhuman" portions of her, such as where her limbs were attached, served in their place. She had a red top with a white collar and sections where her shoulders were attached to her side. A yellow area of metal covered her from below her chest to her waist. Fingerless gloves of red were on her form, gold rings were around her wrists. A dark belt around her waist signaled that her top half ended and her bottom began, a pair of black shorts on her legs. Granted, these shorts only went down to her upper thighs, with white trims on the edges. She had kneepads and red boots, small wheels stationed on both sides of her ankles. A white cap was on her head with a black top visor and a blue section resting atop it. The hat had a blue stripe that ran down from the middle of the left and right panels.
"Okay, are we ready?" the human asked, adjusting her posture and making sure her outfit and hair were just right. Then, the female bot began readying the camera.
"Wait." the flying robot said before plucking a dust speck from the woman's coat. "Okay, NOW we're ready!" he then turned to the more human-looking machine. "Roll it, Plum!"
Plum gave the more miniature robot a thumbs up and began filming.
"I'm Bree Ricotta here at the Science Expo held in our very own New York City!" she proclaimed, making sure to show her teeth in a pleasant smile. "Ripot," she murmured. "Do I have anything in my teeth?"
"Huh?" the green robot looked. "I'm no dentist-bot, but…." Ripot pointed to Bree's upper row. "I'd recommend laying off the coffee for a bit."
Plum rolled her eyes. Great. She thought. She had a feeling that Bree was going to be doing this a LOT throughout the day.
The interior of the building was enormous, with several stations and areas for everyone's contributions to this year's theme to be displayed. This year was "energy efficiency", and the expo displayed a wide variety of inventions relating to such. Some dealt with the conversation of electricity to the benefits of solar power. Others with comparisons of new, improved products that removed the use of fossil fuels altogether. Pumps, turbines, bulbs, generators, and all sorts of machines were present.
Dr. Light, Mega Man, and Roll (Rush had been forced to wait outside) were behind a thick, dark curtain, the subject of Dr. Light's presentation still hidden underneath the cloth.
A continuous, whirring sound, almost like a fan blowing, could be heard from underneath the cloth. Though, if one were in the position of any of the three, they would've said that the sound was that of a wheel turning. Roll gave the glass underneath a slight tap.
"Cut it out, little guy! You're going to give yourself away!" the squeaking of the wheel stopped. "You can show off your stuff when Doc begins!" a small squeak of another kind came from underneath the cloth.
Roll looked to see Mega Man looking away from both her and Dr. Light. Her lips tightened; she knew well what he was thinking.
She went over and smirked, her brother not even noticing her. "Knock, knock," she said teasingly before giving his helmet a few taps. "Anyone there?"
Mega's eyes grew wide as an echoing, pounding, low-pitched ringing rang through his audials - as if someone was beating on a steel drum. The Blue Bomber turned to see a very amused Roll, though he didn't exactly find it so.
"You know I hate when you do that."
Roll only smirked but began speaking before Mega Man could retort. "You're thinking about something. Don't try to deny it."
Mega gave a small chuckle.
"Am I that obvious?"
"When are you not?" Roll asked. Once again, she was victorious in this verbal exchange. "So, what is it?" she was jovial, but once she noticed a sad look on her brother's face, she knew well what was on his mind. "You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"
The azure android sighed.
"I know I shouldn't. I know. But-"
"But nothing." Roll interrupted. "That jerk made his choice; that's all there is to it. He stabbed us in the back and was always working with Wily, even from the beginning. As far as I'm concerned, he can kiss my engine filter."
"Roll!" Mega Man hissed. "There are people present here!"
"Nobody can hear us back here," Roll said. "Doc's right there, and he's not paying a bit of attention." it was true. Light was making last-minute adjustments and looking over the new robot that remained hidden from sight. "If that low-life tin can is good for anything, it's for target practice."
Mega smiled at that, though it was mainly to dissuade Roll from prying further. His tactic worked. The blonde robot went over to help Doc set up the presentation. It had just turned to December, so it had been a good month since it happened, but all the same, Mega Man found that Proto Man just wouldn't leave his processor. And while his focus was more on his younger mechanical sibling, a part of him was on alert for any signs of one of Wily's schemes being underway.
While he'd never say it, in a way, Mega Man was somewhat thankful for what Roll called his "Wily Alarm." Not that he would actually welcome any of Wily's new creations to come down and begin wreaking havoc, but dealing with him helped as a way not to have to face the other that no buster or any amount of victories could fix.
On the other side of the World
Primorsky Krai
A Federal Subject (Krai) of Russia
5:31 AM
The robot flew through the forest, large eyes looking down at the sea of trees below him. His blue wings flapped rapidly, his thruster in overdrive to maximize his speed. True, he was pushing his body's limits, but he had to make it in time. He had to. Otherwise, his creator would be one of many Wily would take!
TAP TAP!
"Hm?"
TAP TAP!
A form covered in thick, white sheets stirred in the large bed. The tapping against the glass door that led to the balcony continued and seemed never to end, so the half-asleep human slowly shuffled towards the door and pulled back a thick, red curtain.
The door opened, and the bird-bot had been greeted by the sight of a curly mass of blonde locks, the collection of hair concealing the young woman's face and making her look quite startling to see. Her head was practically smothered in her hair, making her appear as if she had no face. However, the bird-bot would never tell her that to her face. When he was away, though, he could blather all he wanted. She wore a white gown that reached down to her ankles with short, puffy sleeves and a pink ribbon situated in the middle of her gown's v-neck.
"Do you have ANY idea what time it is?" the human girl moaned before releasing a long yawn. Unlike the bird-bot's voice, hers had a thick Russian accent.
"Get a move on!" the bird-bot said, his voice high-pitched yet distinctly male. "We've gotta get outta here!"
"What?" the blonde questioned, brushing some of the mess she called her hair out of her face, revealing a pair of light-green eyes. "What are you talking about?"
The bird-bot shifted his eyes, the girl steadily realizing that something was very wrong.
Outside
It wasn't in the forefront of his processor, but Proto Man couldn't help but find that the elusive house Wily's new partner had directed them to was somewhat quaint.
If he had to describe it, he would say that it reminded him of some hybrid between a log cabin and an old, ancient house that resembled more of a castle. There were decorative linings on the windows and along the edges of the roof, and even though (allegedly) only one person lived there, the residence was at least three floors high. Ivy slithered and coiled its way along the home's exterior, serving as something of camouflage to keep the place even more hidden. Even if it was somewhat ridiculous, the robot couldn't help but have images of enchanted, haunted forests - and in the middle of it, a large, lone house in the middle of nowhere.
Wily's new "buddy" had called it an "izba," whatever that was. Some sort of Russian thing, he assumed. Well, whatever. They had found the place so that the next step could begin.
"Ok, so, do we need to go over anything else?" Proto Man asked the three Robot Masters with him.
"Don't think so." Bright Man answered. Proto Man couldn't help but find some humor in the sound of his voice. Even with the "tips" Wily's new "friend" had given him regarding his programming skills, some things remained the same.
"And I take it that you know where to go?"
Bright Man nodded. Indeed, it had been a good long time since he had been here, but now it seemed that long-buried knowledge would come into play. All thanks to Wily's "friend" giving the Robot Masters a few "tweaks."
"All right then." Proto Man said, directing his attention to the strange house nestled in this dense collection of towering trees. "Let's go collect the little brat."
"Hurry! Come on, c'mon! We don't have all day!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!" the girl complained, slipping on her second boot before she turned back to the mechanical bird.
"Ok, can we go now?"
The girl was about to head towards the balcony in her room, but as she stopped momentarily, she and the bird-bot heard noises coming from downstairs.
There was no more time left.
The interior was more extensive than expected. Proto, Cut, and Guts Man looked around, taking in their surroundings. The inside of the strange house was, even though Doc's newest "associate" was one of the figureheads of robotics in his native country, he seemed to have a flair for old-time, folkish design. Walls and furniture were covered in decorative patterns, depicting images such as significant, blossoming flowers and plants of various colors to simple shapes (primarily circular) that bore the same color palette of being bright and vibrant. Over a brick fireplace hung a large, decorative rug. The fireplace had been used recently, given the burnt surface of the inside. Everything was intricate in detail, yet all the same, colorful. It was clearly traditional and ordinary for the people (the few there were) out there, but it just confused Proto Man. If anything, all the colors made him think of childish tales of fair maidens being imprisoned in towers, waiting for someone to come and take them away.
Ironic, he thought, for the bots coming her way were far from any princes.
A dozen so servant bots rested at their feet in torn-up piles of metal and circuits, some still going on about whether or not the "guests" would like an oil mix. What that meant, no one knew, and no one wanted to find out. "I quite insist sirs. It's quite effective at-"
"Oh, quiet!" Guts Man bellowed before crushing the servant-bot's head underneath his boot. Nevertheless, the robot continued to try and push his oil and tea mix on them. All while he was being so sickly polite about it.
Seeing as there was no one to stop him, Guts Man took one of the unspilled cups of oil mix and chugged it down. Hmm, not bad.
"So," Cut Man began, turning to Bright Man. "Where is the kid's room?" he asked in his distinct, Peter Lorre-esque voice.
"From what I remember," Bright Man said. "Well, what I remember NOW," he corrected. "The little lady's room is upstairs to the left."
Proto smirked. "Well, what's keeping you? Lead the way!" Bright Man began going up the stairs, Cut and Guts Man following after. Though Guts Man had to go slow and ease his way up, if not just because his girth made it somewhat difficult to ascend the narrow stairway.
On a mission or not, Proto Man didn't waste an opportunity to remark on the situation. "I'm still not sure whether or not Wily should've let that guy tinker with you." he rubbed his chin, contemplating that particular subject before ascending as well. Now wasn't the time to mull over such things. That could come later. Or rather, it would come later, whether he liked it or not.
The four machines came across a hall that branched in separate directions going up to the second floor. Each of them split up, looking for the room that "she" may perhaps be hiding. Yet each room they checked yielded no results. Just more folksy furnishings and colorful decorations on the walls or hanging from the ceiling. "GAH!" Guts Man roared, tearing through a chair embroidered with flowers varying in shapes and sizes. "Everything in this house looks the same!"
Cut Man was working his way through whatever lay in the area he was searching in another room. Any potential hiding place that their target could squeeze under was either tossed to the side or sliced through with the Robot Master's Rolling Cutter. Once he had torn through everything in sight, the red, large-eared, puppet-mouthed robot smirked (well, as much as he could smirk). "I've always wanted to try out interior decorating." he brought the blades of his weapon together, enjoying the sharp sound whenever they met.
Proto Man threw open a wardrobe but found nothing but men's clothes inside, including the familiar sight of a selection of white lab coats. Seriously, is that a go-to for scientists in general? He then realized he must've been in the room of Doc's new "friend." Enough of this. They were wasting time with each passing second looking for the brat! And unless everyone wanted an earful from Wily, they had best get a move on!
But where the heck was that kid?!
"Hey, Bright Man!" Proto Man called out, leaving the bedroom and seeking out the Robot Master. "What's the deal? I thought you said that she was-" the rogue DLN stopped for a moment, puzzled at what he had just come across. Bright Man was standing in the middle of what appeared to be a study of some kind, a desk and chair resting near a bookshelf filled with many texts. Proto Man couldn't have cared less, but Bright Man's silence perplexed him. "Bright Man?" he asked, approaching the Robot Master. "Hey, are your audio units stopped up? What are you even doing?"
"What's going on?" Cut Man asked, peering over Proto Man's shoulder.
"Did you find the squirt yet?" Guts Man questioned, pushing Proto and Cut Man out of the way with his girth. "Hey, bulb-head! What are you just standing around for?" despite the more giant robot's inquiry, the one he was speaking to remained silent. "Uh, hey! I'm talking to you!"
The Robot Master's shouting seemed to snap the other Robot Master out of whatever trance he was in; his head turned to look at Guts Man. "I can hear PERFECTLY fine, you know!"
"Coulda fooled me." Guts Man grunted.
"Heh. It wouldn't take much to do that." Cut Man sneered.
"Oh, like you're one to talk!" Guts Man retorted. "You're the one who got taken out by the bell on that game in Fun World!"
"And who was the one that nearly let that kid get away?" Cut Man shot back. "I wouldn't have had a problem getting out of some stupid costume." he gestured to the blades on his head.
"Hey, that thing was just as easy to rip as it is to slice through!"
"Says the one who nearly tripped over himself trying to get it off."
The two Robot Masters argued back and forth, while Proto Man found the scene bringing up some more recent memories for him as well. Memories he didn't exactly have time to dwell on. I always wanted a brotherly relationship with you. Let alone have any desire to dwell on them.
"C'mon!" Proto Man said, going before everyone else and ascending the staircase to the third floor. "Let's just hurry this thing up!" he called out from above, the other machines following suit. Yeah, hurry this up. He thought. Hurry, so Mega can-
Always wanted a…
"Proto Man?" the DLN felt a hand place itself on his shoulder; Cut Man looked at him, confused. Then, the visor-wearing android realized he was blocking the way at the top of the stairs, not allowing anyone else to go forward.
"Look who's spacing out now." Bright Man observed.
"Just split up already!" Proto Man commanded, and everyone then scrambled in different directions. "No, wait!" everyone then stopped. "Bright Man, where's the kid's room?"
"Um...I believe" the bulb-headed Robot Master looked around, clearly trying to recall the layout of the house. "It...it's been so long. I don't exactly-"
"Look, it doesn't matter. Just look everywhere!" before anyone could ask what Proto's problem was, the scarf-wearing robot dashed forward and came to two doors. He then kicked the door on the left and saw that, at last, he had found what he was looking for.
The only problem was that given the open way to the balcony outside; it was clear that the room's occupant was no longer there.
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
"...and the theme this year has led to a plethora of inventions and machines, all with the goal and purpose of utilizing and reducing as much energy use as possible," Bree said to the camera, making sure to present a pleasant smile (though it didn't keep her paranoia about stained teeth at bay).
Ripot gave her a thumbs up to urge her to continue as he held the camera, though he wasn't exactly pleased with his current job. Next, it was Plum's turn to have the camera, but seeing as he was the one that could fly, she argued that he would be better off with it to get, as she said, "every angle available" to show the "fine folks at home." Plus, if the coffee stains were too noticeable, Ripot could just film around the center.
The event had officially begun, and those attending were finally ready to present their contributions to the convention. Perhaps, should their creation be received well, and lead to better, greater things? Plum was currently out, ironically enough, getting some coffee for Bree at the refreshment station. If anything, she thought, Ripot should've been grateful to be operating the camera. She was, as of that moment, quite literally, the coffee lady! Her green eyes scanned the area, seeing that her station was far from the only one to appear at the expo. Men and women with microphones and a plethora of questions to ask spoke and made a note of each and everything that the scientists said. While she wasn't exactly supposed to, Plum couldn't help but take advantage of her more advanced hearing and listen to what conversations were going on between the interviewer and 'ee'.
The contributions from the men and women of science ranged from what was being called "smart thermostats" to EV charging stations. There were monitors to track all energy use in a home, the ability to cut off energy to a particular area, electric lawnmowers, and portable solar-powered chargers. While there were a few deviations, most of the inventions either toyed with the production of electricity. Some were used to show the power of alternate energy sources to run compared to the oil that still resided in many machines today, including Plum herself.
And while all that she saw around her was impressive, what she mainly had her eyes on was whatever Dr. Thomas Light would be presenting. True, his contribution would be following the same theme and potentially having a similar function to several others, but the pink-haired android's want to see him at all was based on a "hunch" that she had been feeling. She had been feeling it all day, ever since she had first come online (and was taken out of the broom closet that was her room). A "reporter's intuition", Bree once called it. And whether or not "intuition" was a thing for humans only, Plum didn't care. Because "intuition" or not, she had something. A sense that, today, something was going to happen.
And she wanted to be the one to capture it. Plum wanted to be a part of it, whether it be filming or going right into the action itself. Somehow, in some way, Dr. Light was going to be involved. The only question was: how?
It was then that she saw a form of blue sneak out from behind the thick curtains of one of the presentation stands, trying to keep himself from being seen too much. The robotic "reporter" inwardly cheered. Finally, she had possibly found her key to getting whatever spectacular event that was supposed to happen to occur! And she'd make sure she'd be there to capture it all!
Primorsky Krai
"I thought you said her room was on the second floor!" Proto Man questioned Bright Man. No one was precisely pleased that they had to now trek through the woods. It was enough of a hassle to find this place, and now they had to go through it all over again!
"That's what the layout says," Bright Man retorted, gesturing to his dome. "And Wily made sure it was uploaded into my processor! He oversaw the entire procedure!"
"Unless he lied," GutsMan suggested.
"Or bamboozled you." Cut Man added.
"Yeah, well...if that's the case, I've been just as bamboozled as the rest of you!" Bright Man argued back.
Proto Man remained silent, scanning the dense collection of towering flora and fernery that surrounded them. The landscape was bathed in a thick blanket of shimmering, white crystals, old, dull-colored, dead trees shielded from the sparse amount of sunlight that came through the dense foliage. It far from mattered at the moment, but all four machines wondered just how could any living creature survive out here.
And then they remembered that they had just let a "living creature" go off into the wild in weather like this.
"Drat!" Proto Man hissed. Now they WERE pressed for time!
"So, why didn't you stop and get some fuel to recharge?" the bird-bot heard her ask, as he had taken to perch on a high-up branch. He needed to be on the lookout now more than ever, seeing as they were now being tracked. Or rather, hunted.
"I didn't have time!" the bird-bot told the human below him. "Wily's goons were going to get here sooner than I did if I didn't put myself into overdrive!" he then sighed, letting the cool, winter air clear his vents. "And you taking forever to get dressed didn't help either."
The girl from below looked up, placing her hands on her hips. "Brushing teeth and hair, plus putting on deodorant, is basic hygiene!" she argued.
"You're out in the middle of nowhere with someone who doesn't even have a nose!" the bird-bot shot back. "And besides, it's not like you wouldn't smell any worse than any of the animals around here."
"I prefer to keep myself at least marginally presentable, thank you." she huffed, wrapping her arms around herself. This was mainly to find some warmth amidst the icy chill that was all around her.
Indeed, the bird-bot observed, looking down at the human, then forward at the vast forest that lay ahead of them. He hadn't exactly made a wise decision in coming to the house than stopping to fill up somewhere, but the artificial avian knew that Wily's bots wouldn't be gracious enough to let him do so. And true, while he had made it in time to gather his creator's daughter, the bird didn't know if he could make a thousand-so-kilometer trip with what was left in his tanks. He supposed he could simply hold her by the arms and fly usually, but even then, it'd still take some time to get to the nearest town.
Not to mention that, of all places for the bitter winter wind to blow, it seemed to gather around the mountains of this country the most. Of course, it would be no problem for a machine like himself, at least for a good while. But for a being of flesh and blood?
All the more reason to get out of here.
"...so, just how cold does it get out here, anyway?" Guts Man asked, having been paired with Cut Man to search the vast landscape outside the palatial izba.
Bright Man pondered this for a moment. Even after the upgrades given to him and the other Robot Masters, his systems were still trying to adjust. Then, the large bulb atop his head lit up, though it wasn't from the use of his Flash Stopper. "It's usually around negative-fifty celsius," he said.
"Which is negative fifty-eight Fahrenheit. Yeah, whatever." Proto added. This recent turn of events didn't exactly make things easier, especially in that their target had escaped. How she knew they were here before they came in escaped everyone, let alone how she could've jumped a good so few stories without breaking her legs. No, she had help. Help that her dear ol' dad didn't tell Wily about. "All right, spread out!" he commanded. "Search high and low for the kid! Nobody leaves until we snag her!"
With that, Bright and Proto Man departed to the left while Cut and Guts Man left to the right, all with the same goal of acquiring the "child" Wily had sent them to retrieve.
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
He was thankful that there was access outside at the back of the building, as it gave him a means for some temporary relief. The blue robot went up and looked over the railing, coming out of an exit on the third floor. Usually, these presentations would've been no problem for him, but a particular, more recent event had been plaguing his processor lately. And it wasn't Wily's most recent stunt involving a theme park, brainwashing people into believing they were robots or Guts Man in a kangaroo suit.
Mega Man knew that it did no good dwelling on it, but he was on the verge of making a severe judgment regarding his brother. Roll's assessment of him, while it wasn't pleasant to hear, was ultimately the truth. In the end, Proto's choice was his own. Though still, there were too many unanswered questions. Otherwise, why would Mega still feel compelled to save him? It wasn't just out of his programming, and maybe he was being too naive (would that also be part of his programming?), but even if it was fake, it still felt nice. To be in his sibling's company for once without the other holding a blaster to their face.
Maybe he was in denial, and to a degree, he knew he was. It was a lie. But a lie that he wished he could make a reality.
"Hm?" he suddenly realized he wasn't alone.
Primorsky Krai
The snow wasn't making her journey any easier. Her steps were slow and unsteady, but there was little she could do. The dense collection of white power all around her made walking nearly impossible.
"Hurry it up!" the bird-bot whispered from above.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" she called out from below. She didn't say anything else, seeing as she fell on her face upon taking another step.
The bird-bot flew down, hovering in the air as the human lifted her head, her full, blonde hair now having clumps of snow clinging to it. "Pfft!" the robotic avian giggled. "You ok?"
The human's face soured. Snow, dead leaves, and twigs: a hearty breakfast, she thought. Still, even if she had a million complaints and a few choice words to say to the tin cans that dared to break into her and her Papa's home, the young woman knew that it'd do no good. She could just save all that for when those jerks got what was coming to them! That said, other things needed addressing. "So...how long will it be for 'them' to get here?"
"Them" didn't need any clarification for the bird-bot. He knew well who "them" were. In fact, "they" were the very reason that his creator had created him, as well as the reason why the man's home had been located in the middle of a dense, thick forest. But in some instances, "they" provided services that would be useful, especially in this case.
"The silent alarm had been tripped when they broke in, but I can't tell on how long it'll take for them to get out here." the robotic avian confessed to his human companion. "So the best thing we can do is-" he then suddenly paused.
"What?" the human asked, but the bird's wing "hushed" her, placing itself over her mouth.
"Shh." the bird whispered. "I hear something." he adjusted his audio receptors, the sounds of voices able to be faintly heard. "Stay here," he said. "I'm gonna check something out."
"What? Wait!" before she could try and stop him, the bird-bot flew away from her, going higher and higher, out of her reach.
"I'll be back! Just stay put!" with that, the flying machine went off.
"Where am I going to go?" she murmured to herself. But, like hell, she was walking anywhere out here by herself.
Her breath was able to be seen as she took in some icy air. It stung her lungs somewhat, but at least it was somewhat refreshing. If she wasn't currently running to avoid a madman's goons, she could've appreciated the landscape around her better. This time of year was one of her favorites, or at least it used to be. Everything around her was bathed in white, the wind cold, and the world itself had gone into hibernation. But it was better observed from the warm sanctuary of her home, not out here in the middle of the woods with no idea of where to go.
And while it was probably just her imagination, she swore it was getting colder and colder.
The bird-bot saw that Wily's bots were only a short distance away. While this meant he could perhaps keep a better eye on them, the fact they were this close to his creator's daughter wasn't exactly good news either. Maybe he would have to ward them off soon, but how? Suffice to say, blasters and giant scissors weren't exactly on his list of things to get hit by today.
"Wily's gonna be pretty mad with we come back with nothing." Guts Man said, beginning to grow concerned about the older man's temperament.
"Oh, we're coming back with something." Proto Man answered. "She doesn't have a choice now."
The bird-bot listened in. The robot that was speaking was one of Wily's more notorious machines, wasn't it? But, as the avian android observed from above, he saw that the machines were somewhat inconvenienced by the thick, heavy snow.
"Here!" Cut Man suddenly said, removing his Rolling Cutter. "I'll just CUT our way through!" he threw the duel blades forward. They effortlessly slashed through the thick trunks of the trees; the bird-bot had to leave his current post as the Robot Master's signature weapon cut down the tree he had been perched on.
"Put that away!" Proto Man commanded. "Great. She DEFINITELY heard that. And probably hightailed it out of anywhere near here."
The bird-bot could only hope. But then again, it wasn't as if his charge could go anywhere. The girl was quite literally dependent on him to even get out of there.
"There you are!" he heard her whisper from below.
He flew down. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Checking on you!" she said. "I thought a tree might've fallen on you or something worse!"
"Shhh!" the bird-bot hissed, pushing down on her hat-covered head to get her down. "Wily's bots are right over there!"
Seeing this, she immediately grew quiet, her green eyes spotting the machines hunting her. Though upon seeing them all together, one among the four immediately captured her attention. That giant light bulb was unmistakable.
"Евлампий Михайлович?"
Note: When it's present, Kalinka's Russian will be explained. I was asking a friend on Tumblr what some good nicknames in Russian would be, as I want to tie that into her character, as well as her history with other characters. For Bright Man, my friend, Zladna, suggested Евлампий Михайлович, pronounced as "Yevlampiy Mikhaylovich". It's the name of a biblical person, but my friend suggested that it'd be a funny name to call him by, seeing as the name has "lamp" in it.
While Kalinka won't be speaking everything in her native language, it didn't feel right to abandon it entirely. I just hope I am respectful.
Also, no, Kalinka is NOT a child in this. Though the bots don't know this.
Thank you for reading, and, if you have the time, let me know what you think. Your input is the best encouragement and guidance I can get.