Note: These chapters are being uploaded from Ao3, so the A/Ns are from there, so they're somewhat outdated.
2nd chapter (technically 3rd) is here! I want to thank everyone on Discord for the suggestions and input on what would perhaps be the best way to do this thing, so I hope to please you!
The Chase
She was about to take a step forward, yet the bird-bot hissed, "Don't!" But by the time he did, it was too late.
The sound of the branch snapping under her boot was just loud enough for those pursuing her to hear.
The four robots turned to see a flash of a red coat among all the white surrounding them, knowing full well who had just made their escape. "Hey! It's her!" Guts Man shouted, pointing one significant, yellow digit in the direction the girl ran in.
"Yeah, thanks for your incredible sense of direction." Proto Man scoffed. "Get her! Don't let the brat escape!"
With that, all four robots began going in the same direction, knowing well that every second, both for them and her, counted.
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
Oh no. Mega Man was looking at her. The Blue Bomber himself was looking right at her, and what was she doing? She was just staring at him as if she were a deer in headlights. "Um, hello?" he greeted her, Plum being drawn back to reality.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, pausing to straighten her hair, adjust her cap, anything that would make herself more presentable. "Yes, hello!" she greeted, giving Mega a grin. "I'm with Channel ABC7. I'm sure you must've heard of the station, right?"
Mega Man was still somewhat confused. Just who was this girl? "Uh, yeah, I'm familiar with it."
This answer seemed to please her. "Ah, yes! I knew you would!" she said. SCORE! She thought. "My name's Plum, and I work with the station. I mainly work with the camera crew. I'm sure that you've also seen some of my work."
"Oh, yeah. I've seen it." Mega Man didn't know what else to say. Yes, he technically HAD seen her work. Just not her herself. "Wait, doesn't that mean Bree Ricotta's here?"
Plum's face grew sour, but it didn't last long. She was trying to look professional, after all. And she had to make sure that the Blue Bomber would still be willing to talk to her. "Yes, I DO work with Ms. Ricotta." Stuck up, woman. She thought. Kind of ironic that the woman wanted NO spotlight taken from her, but she was perfectly willing to have Plum and Ripot do all the work! She WAS who the audience would see most of the time, but still. Some recognition would've been excellent. "But enough about her," Plum said, more than eager to get back on topic. "I'm glad I found you."
Mega had an idea where this was going. Even though Plum's eyes had something of a glassy look in her eyes, something typical for many machines (Doc had given him and Roll more "realistic" optics), they also had another element in them. She looked eager, hungry even. She looked at him as if he were both a piece of meat and just the suitable toy a child wanted for Christmas. "So, how can I help you." he had a feeling he was going to regret this.
Yes! Plum mentally cheered. Eat your heart out, Ricotta! "We're rolling!" if Bree heard any of what she had just thought. But to hell with her. She was the one in charge now!
"Well, if I may," suddenly, Plum whipped out a microphone seemingly from nowhere and shoved it right in Mega's face. "I'd like to ask you a few questions!"
Primorsky Krai
"Run faster!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!"
The bird-bot and his human charge navigated through winding trees and deep, snow-covered ground, the one in the air doing much better than the one on the earth. The was becoming more and more compact, the girl having trouble working through the thick power as it now engulfed her from her knees down. Her boots and calves were swallowed by the glistening white that covered the forest floor.
And the wind was beginning to sting from the low temperature. It was mild at first, but now it felt like needles pressed into the girl's cheek, and her legs grew numb. "Wait!" she called out, the bird-bot stopping. "I...I have to stop."
"We can't stop!" the bird-bot told her. "Those guys are going to find you!"
"I can't ruin all this! Let alone walk!" she argued, leaning against a tree for a moment. The bird-bot perched himself on a branch just a few feet above her, his large eyes keeping watch. So far, everything seemed quiet. He just hoped that the girl wouldn't need TOO much time to collect herself. It was then that he heard her address him. "Beat?" she asked, the bird-bot looking down at her. "What all DO you know?" she asked. "Did you know that they were coming here?" she paused for a moment, biting her lip. She didn't want to dare think about it, but she couldn't ignore the signs any longer. "...does all this have something to do with Papa?"
The bird-bot, Beat, flew down to her, situating himself on her shoulder. "Kalinka…"
"Tell me." the human demanded. "Is he all right?"
Before Beat could answer her, though, "Oh, don't you worry about a thing, Princess." someone else spoke for him. From behind a tree that was but a few feet away emerged Proto Man. And from the other trees surrounding her emerged Cut, Guts, and Bright Man. "We've got everything under control."
"You…" the young woman said, the robots somewhat surprised by what they saw.
Instead of a pint-sized brat stood a girl nearing adulthood. She wore a red, thick coat with black fur linings around the collar, wrists, and rim. In addition, she wore black gloves and a black, pleated skirt. She also had violet stockings on and a pair of light brown boots with white fur lining. She was somewhat short, being a few inches shorter than Proto, but she had a slim frame and rather pale skin. A pair of round, blue orbs served as earrings, and she had medium-length, blonde curly hair full of volume (maybe too much), and her eyes were a light green, almost comparable to Peridot. And to finish off her ensemble, a thick, black, cossack hat rested atop her head.
Proto Man held his chin as he looked his target over. "Huh. I thought you'd be younger." he outwardly mused. "A LOT younger."
Kalinka looked around, not favoring her odds at all. Beat kept himself perched on her shoulder, devising a way to get out of this situation possibly. And to do that, he needed some time. "Talk," he whispered to her.
"What?" she whispered back.
"Just keep talking!"
With not much else she could do, Kalinka obliged. "You had better get out of here, or you're going to be in a LOT of trouble."
"Oh really?" Guts Man said, pushing aside one of the smaller trees.
Kalinka backed up yet steeled herself. "Yes, really," she answered the enormous Robot Master. "Even before you broke in, the secret service has already been alerted of the situation."
"They'll never make it in time." Cut Man said, slicing a nearby, smaller tree in half down the middle.
"One way or another, you're coming with us." Bright Man added, Kalinka's expression changing when she laid eyes on him.
She said nothing; she just stared up at him. Though unlike the other three, she didn't appear angered or defiant. Instead, she looked somewhat sad.
Odd. Proto Man thought. There was nothing about this being in the details of this mission. "Is it me, or is it getting colder out here?" The red helmeted robot had observed. Of course, he felt nothing, but he couldn't help but notice the young woman shiver slightly at his words.
Seeing this amused him, Kalinka scowled, having played into his game. "Козёл." she hissed. Great, her lips felt as if they were drying up!
"I think you know as well as I do, Princess, that we're your only way out of here." Proto Man told her, mentally making a note to ask what the hell she just called him meant. "Don't know if information can make it through that blonde mop of yours, but I think even you know it's not going to get any warmer." he stepped forward. "And, well, humans can only be 'warm-blooded' for so long out in weather like this."
Kalinka looked around, seeing the other robots approaching her from all sides. Damn, she was trapped! Again, Proto noticed her eyes fall on Bright Man. And again, he saw her staring at the Robot Master, almost as if she were silently pleading with him.
As Cut Man reached out, a blue blur came down from the trees above and struck him in the back of the head. The impact sent the reprogrammed DLN's head flying, essentially decapitating him. Thankfully, such a thing was non-fatal (otherwise it'd be pretty messy) for machines, Cut Man's head landed right in the thick trunk of one of the many trees, his Rolling Cutter keeping the body part in place.
"RUN!" a high-pitched voice shouted from above, the three standing robots looking up and seeing a blue bird-bot hovering just in their line of sight.
Kalinka hesitated for a moment, but Beat gave her an intense glare, despite the round, unsharp form of his eyes. Then, seeing as there was no other choice, she, regretfully, made a run for it. The moment sent the robots' attention to the robotic avian.
Proto Man wasted no time in drawing out his buster and shooting some concentrated plasma in Beat's direction; Guts Man chopped his way through a tree with his hand (those Kung-Fu lessons Cut Man suggested paid off) and took the fallen trunk, hoisting it over his shoulder.
"Ha!" Beat chortled from above, dodging Proto Man's shots. "You look like some of the old bags from around here!"
Guts Man was confused. "Wha?"
"He's saying you look like an old woman." Bright Man clarified. This action drew Proto Man's attention. It seemed Cossack's "tinkering" paid off in some areas.
Guts Man was still somewhat unsure. "Is that an insult?" Bright Man seemed to have to think for a moment. "Well, whatever! I don't need an excuse to smash this pipsqueak!"
Beat didn't have much time to comment further as Guts Man threw the halved tree in his direction. It soared by the bird-bot and landed in the forest with a thunderous crash. Proto Man was trying to get a clear shot to bring Beat down from below.
"Ha! I'm way ahead of you!" the bird-bot mocked. He dove down, and everyone ducked, lest the flying menace take their head off as he did to Cut Man. He rose, then dove down, then rose again, not allowing his aggressors much time to retaliate.
"Enough with this!" Proto Man hissed. "Bright Man, take care of Tweety here! I'm going after the brat!"
"Will do!" the bulb-headed Robot Master answered, looking dead on at Beat, letting the bird inch closer and closer. "Here, птичка." Bright Man smirked; the bird-bot was surprised to hear Russian come from the Robot Master. He had thought that Wily had taken out such a thing like that!
Unfortunately, Beat got no further than a few inches from Bright Man before activating his Flash Stopper. The intense light forced the bird-bot's optics to momentarily shut off to protect his lenses from any potential damage to his visual capacity. And before he knew it, he found himself flying, quite blind; his head slammed headfirst into a tree. Beat plummeted to the ground, yet before he could reach it, a large, yellow hand seized the bird-bot, his grip tightening to keep Beat from escaping.
Guts Man smirked (as much as he could given the shape of his lower jaw), and Beat furiously flapped his wings to try and get away. However, a firm squeeze to his more minor, lighter frame caused the bird-bot to cease flapping, lest Guts Man squeezes harder. The more oversized Robot Master chuckled, Beat noticing that the lumbering fool had something of hostility to his small laugh.
"Now," Bright Man said, approaching Guts Man and Beat, the bird-bot's vision had finally returned to him. "What to do with you?"
"I say we squash him!" Guts Man said, tightening his grip on Beat even more. "Wind him up in a tight little scrap ball."
"No, no!" Cut Man cried out; Rolling Cutter was still lodged in the tree. Bright Man went over to pry the other machine's head out of the trunk; he then went and reattached it to the rest of the Robot Master. "I've got a better idea." he rose from the ground and went over to the captured bird-bot. "Why don't we," he then removed his signature weapon and brought it close to the bird's face. "Even out his feathers a little? A heh, heh heh." Cut Man suggested, giving a slight chuckle afterward.
Suggestions such as these went back and forth between the two, all the while Bright Man looked in the direction Kalinka had gone in. Beat froze. His charge already had Proto Man on her tail, so a second robot would surely result in her getting captured for sure!
But what to do?! He couldn't even get himself out of trouble! He struggled, Cut and Guts Man still deciding on what to do with him. Bright Man looked like he was about to possibly go off and join Proto in the chase. Beat felt a sting in his core but ultimately accepted that it had to be this way. There was no other option.
"Sorry, Евлампий Михайлович." the bird-bot whispered, his thruster starting up.
Suddenly, he flew forward, knocking Bright Man off his feet and nearly taking Guts Man's arm right off. Beat zoomed through the trees out of sight, Bright Man on the ground, his bulb having a large piece of it broken off.
"GAH!" the stout Robot Master cried out, horrified at the damage to his most precious component. "You little blue menace!" he called out. "I hope Proto Man clips BOTH your wings off!"
"Why wait for him?" Cut Man stepped in. "I can do that easily!" he threw his Rolling Cutter, the weapon getting closer and closer to Beat, who only became aware of the approaching, whirling blades when he saw them in the corner of his optics.
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
"Uh...sure?" Mega answered, wincing when he saw Plum's face light up.
"Yes! Great!" she cheered. Suck it, Bree! "So, let's get this started: what's your take on the…." she paused. "The…" Darn! What did Bree call it again? Of all days to be out of work! "The...incident involving the electrical appliances running loose throughout the city?"
"Oh, that," Mega said, a particularly amusing memory involving Roll and a make-up bot coming to mind. He remembered how she freaked when she got a glimpse of the robot's handiwork.
"The...Electric Nightmare!" Plum suddenly exclaimed, finally remembering what Bree had called the event. "One of my favorite stories that our station's done, by the way!"
"Uh yeah. Mine too." the Blue Bomber said. But, genuine as he tried to sound, he couldn't deny that he was beginning to regret agreeing to this bot's request.
"But yeah, do you think the security system Dr. Light installed for the city will still be operational in a few years, or will it need replacing?" It wasn't exactly an exciting question, Plum knew, but she had to look at least professional. Besides, she could ease her way into the juicy stuff later.
Okay, good, Mega thought. That would be easy to answer. "Doc said that anything could happen," especially given the reason why he had to install the security system in the first place. "But if all goes well, then I would calculate around a good few decades, give or take." there were a plethora of unknown variables in the equation, so he could only go off what he knew. The best he could provide was a rough estimate.
"Okay," Plum answered, logging that bit of information in her memory banks. "And regarding the 'Big Shake' as it's called, how did Dr. Light take the loss of his anti-quake stabilizer?"
"Well, the truth is, there were two stabilizers: one by the Doc, the other by Wily." Mega clarified for the reporter.
"Really?" Plum asked. Then again, that particular event happened BEFORE the network decided they needed another robot for various duties around the station. "Well, I bet you're tired of talking about all the stuff that happened years ago!" she drew closer, ready to record whatever came from the blue robot's mouth. "How about we move on to some more recent occurrences?"
Seeing as he wasn't getting out of this any time soon, Mega Man went along with the reporter's suggestion. "If that's the case, then there WAS something that happened just a couple of weeks ago…."
Primorsky Krai
She hated herself for it, even if she knew there was nothing that she could do for the metal bird. She knew that she didn't have the strength to have even a slight chance against Wily's bots, let alone be able to assist her more diminutive guardian in any way. She knew this and despised it with all her soul.
She cursed every one of those cursed machines, all except Евлампий Михайлович. Every other one was scum, especially that one with the scarf. The Russian's train of thought cut off when she found herself out of breath, having to stop for a moment. She couldn't stop for too long, for Wily's goons would catch up to her for sure. But she needed to give her legs a rest. Half of her body felt numb while the other half was burning up! Her lungs burned, yet the only air available was so cold and sharp, it stung and dried her throat whenever she took a breath. Conditions such as these were impossible to survive in as far as she was concerned; even if these forests were still quite teeming with life in winter, she had no heightened senses, let alone any pelt of thick fur for warmth. All she had on her person was a shirt, skirt, hat, tights, coat, and boots. The warmest things she had, and they were doing her little good.
Beat. The Russian's thoughts drifted to the blue bird-bot. She knew she had to get moving soon, but a part of her STILL wanted to go back. Just to see whether or not he was okay.
"You look a little lost there, Princess."
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
"Oh yeah! I heard about what happened involving Fun World!" Plum exclaimed. "True, we haven't released a story on it yet, but hey, that's what you're here for, right?" she presented the Blue Bomber with a cheery smile. Even if the reporter wasn't Plum's favorite human, the robot began to empathize with Bree's nervousness over trivial details. She was now worrying that there was something in her teeth, and she didn't even need to eat!
"Yeah, guess so." Mega agreed, still wondering whether or not he should've decided to do this.
"So, mind-control rings?" the pink-haired robot raised a brow. "Huh. What'll the old coot think of next?"
The Blue Bomber couldn't help but chuckle at that. While he wasn't entirely sure about being a part of this bot's questionnaire, she was undoubtedly more tolerable than Ms. Ricotta was. If anything, he found the femme-bot very much reminded him of Roll. "Seriously though," Mega Man said. "I'm surprised that taking over an amusement park was something Wily hadn't done sooner."
"You'd think that, right?" Plum answered; Mega Man noticed that she completely ditched the professional tone and had gone to being utterly casual with him. "Then again, you would've thought building a giant robot spider would be one of those things too." She was present to report on that event, having gone around and gathered statements from bystanders who witnessed the robotic arachnid firsthand. She still wished she could have seen it for herself.
Unfortunately, that was some time ago, and while she had "worked" her way up from janitorial duty, the pink-haired android still found her various "jobs" not to be enough. So, despite her intended purpose of "extra help," Plum found her attention drawn to what was front and center. And as long as she was within range of Mega Man himself, then something interesting had to happen soon, right?
"Speaking of things involving Wily, what's your take on the Proto Man's 'presumed' reformation that happened a short time ago?"
Primorsky Krai
A snide voice caught her attention right away. She whirled around and found Proto Man looking right at her, casually leaning against a nearby tree as if he had been there the entire time. And given the smug look on his face, he probably had been. "So," the rogue DL(W)N began, stepping away from the tree. "You're Kalinka." he looked over her again. "Given how your old man talks about you, I would've thought you were five."
The young woman wasn't sure whether it was from the cold or the realization of just how alone she was in this situation, but she felt her blood turn to ice. But she wouldn't give this bastard the satisfaction of seeing her scared. "Where is Papa?" she demanded. "What have you done to him?!"
"Relax, Princess. We're taking extra good care of him." Proto Man assured. "He and Wily have been getting rather acquainted lately."
The blonde Russian was both relieved and confused. The confirmation of her father's safety would've brought her to tears, yet the second part of the red robot's statement made no sense to her. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, that's right. You didn't hear." the DLN chuckled. "He and Wily are best buddies now."
The young woman could scarcely believe her ears. "What are you saying?!"
"Nothing but the truth, Princess." Proto Man responded. "In fact, your dear ol' dad is the one that sent us here to pick you up."
"You lie!" Kalinka shouted. "Papa would never work with someone like Wily!" she then narrowed her eyes. "Let alone let me go anywhere with scum like you!"
"Oooh, that stings." Proto Man winced, clearly not meaning it. "Look, we can stand out here and chit-chat, but…" he then paused. "Oh, no, wait. I forgot. I can stand out here and chit-chat. But you," he noticed the human hug herself. "You're going to catch worse than a cold."
Kalinka's lips tightened as she took a step back. Indeed, as much as she hated it (and hated him), she knew that Wily's top bot was correct. Without Beat, she had no sense of direction, and it was feeling colder and colder. Everything from her knees down felt numb; she could barely tell if she could even do something as simple as moving her toes from within her boot. "I-I'm fine, for your information," she growled through chattering teeth. "And…" the wind was beginning to give her a headache, feeling a slow, steady pressure building underneath. "And it's not like you have all the time in the world either!" she retorted. "In fact, by messing with me, you've messed with my country's government!" she then pointed at him. "You AND your friends are going to be either taken apart for scrap or riddled with lasers when they get here! Not even you can stand up to all that firepower!"
Her bravado didn't last long; Kalinka went back to trying to warm herself instantly. It was probably just from all the running she had done, but Proto couldn't help but notice her lips were beginning to lose their color. They had grown more grey, even if the young woman had a naturally pinkish hue to them. "You're looking a little frosty there." the red robot told her, Kalinka continuing to back away, the winter wind not giving the care to ease up. "You might be some spoiled little rich girl," Proto Man told her, getting a kick out of how the human's face puffed up and grew red. "But you've got to have some brains up there. It might not be much, but it's there."
"Stop playing games!" Kalinka demanded. "You... " she paused, taking to take a breath. Even if the wind was robbing her of it, it was also the only source of air she had. "You're not taking me alive."
Proto was completely unphased by her declaration. "You don't have a choice BUT to go with us," he told her. He began to approach her, and Kalinka took a step back. Unfortunately, due to the numbness in her leg, she tripped over herself and fell back into the snow. "We both know that." he stepped forward again, and Kalinka crawled back. "Now's not the time to be stubborn, Princess," he told her. "Believe it or not, Wily's going to take excellent care of you." he reached forward. He and the three dolts with him had wasted enough time here as it was. Now he could finally get out of here!
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm going to take care of YOU!"
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
He suspected that this would be a question she asked. But it still didn't make it any easier. "Well…" still, perhaps getting it out in the open would help ease the ache in his core reactor. "It's like I told Mr. Deacon, he's bad to the bone," he paused. "But...he's my brother."
"I'm sorry." The reporter said, lowering the mic. "I didn't mean to bring up anything painful."
"No, not really." Mega Man answered. "After all, Dr. Light built me with high optimism chips."
To his surprise, his chipper answer didn't seem to satisfy the reporter. If anything, her demeanor had changed entirely. She then put the mic away entirely. "No, seriously. There are no cameras here," she said. "You hate him for what he did, don't you?"
The Blue Bomber froze. She had it with such hostility, that it actually caught him off guard. "He's...disappointed me several times." Mega Man admitted.
Plum stared at the ground, clearly growing angry. "Well, he's done MORE than that for all of us." she hissed. "Who knows if they'll extend my warranty after what he and Wily pulled," she said under her breath. True, Plum was capable of every job required of her in the studio, so she should be okay. Still, whenever Wily's bots attacked or were up to no good, the question of whether or not the contract would be extended or renewed hung over her head. "But it's good that you're here."
Mega Man smiled. "That's what I'm made for."
"No, really," Plum said. "You're the only one that's probably keeping everyone from wanting to dismantle us all. Giving all robots out here a bad name."
Not to mention that it's a human being that calls the shots. Mega Man thought. "I'm sure that those at the station know you're an upstanding bot, whatever Wily does." while he meant what he said, Mega wanted to try and regain control of the situation. The longer he could avoid going into uncharted, scarcely traveled territory, the better.
"Ha. You'd think that." Plum snorted. But no. I'm either the "trash lady" or the "backup janitor". Whatever they feel like calling me. "But enough about that lowlife." the female robot said, bringing out her mic again. "Let's get onto some more current topics."
Well, that didn't take long. Mega thought, noting how quickly Plum went back to nosy reporter mode. And frankly, the Blue Bomber was quite eager to get onto other subjects besides his renegade sibling.
Still, even with everything that happened, he couldn't help but wonder what that "bad to the bone" brother of his was up to right now.
Primorsky Krai
He felt something round and compact slam into the back of his head; the force sent him off his feet and face-first into the snow. Proto Man rose and looked behind, seeing Beat hovering above him.
"How's the snow taste, jerk?" the bird-bot asked, flying up high to avoid being grabbed again. Kalinka's sight wasn't as enhanced as Proto's, so she couldn't exactly tell what he looked like, but he seemed to move strangely; one wing appeared to be used more frequently than the other as if to keep balance. Proto Man grabbed Kalinka only for the bird-bot to swoop down and hit him in the back of the head again, sending him to the ground. "Run!" Beat commanded, continuing to dive-bomb the renegade DLN to keep him down.
Before she could either take off or protest (she struggled on to do), Proto Man rolled out of the way of the bird-bot's attack and, with one well-timed shot, brought the blue avian down out of the sky and to the ground. Beat tried to rise, but a red boot thrust down on his more petite, round body; he flapped his wings furiously, but the left seemed to be much more difficult to move compared to the right. "You're not flapping your way out of this one." Proto Man smirked, putting pressure down on the bird-bot. Beat momentarily ceased moving due to the pain, allowing his tormentor to snatch him with the other hand and lift him. "And hey, don't look at me like that." the robot told the bird, who was glowering at him. "I'll always remember you as halfway decent target practice!" his buster charged up, Beat seeing white-hot light growing bright and bright from within the cannon.
"Don't you touch птичка, you сволочь!" Kalinka roared, losing all sense of fear and the very thought of running away. But, instead, she rushed forward and seized the only thing she could grab.
Proto's grip on Beat loosened when he felt his scarf pulled from around his neck, his attention entirely off the bird. He turned to face the human, but this quick motion allowed Kalinka to pull the yellow cloth off altogether, exposing his bare, grey neck for her to see. Honestly, to see one of Wily's most notorious bots without it was strange. The lack of yellow seemed to make the robot almost look naked.
"Give that back!" Proto Man demanded, quite furious that this little brat dared to take something of his. Especially his scarf!
"Go and get it then!" Kalinka then threw the scarf up into the air, the wind catching it and carrying it off.
"No!" Proto Man called out, this momentary distraction allowing the Russian to scoop up the bird-bot in her arms and run off, leaving the red robot behind. "You little! Get back here!" he was about to go after her, yet stopped, having forgotten about his scarf. "Little brat." he hissed, looking in the direction his scarf blew in, then where his target had gone off. He looked back and forth, processor debating on which route to take.
Finally, he had decided.
Besides, he thought, running to find his scarf, pretty soon, Cossack's brat would come looking for them unless she wanted to freeze.
New York Expo Center, the Bronx
"So, I don't suppose you could give any clues as to what Dr. Light has brought to the expo?" Plum asked.
Mega chuckled. "Sorry, but I plead the fifth on that one," he told her. "Truth is, he's been keeping it a secret until today." upon seeing her eyes light up, the Blue Bomber was regretting not choosing his words more carefully.
"Oooh, a secret project!" Plum was on a roll now. She had managed to snag him again! "Just what kind of project is it? It does have something to do with the expo's theme, right?"
"Well, yes. But-"
"Is it a generator of some kind?"
Geez! She's good! "Uh…"
"Well, if that's the case, what kind?"
What the?! He didn't even say whether it was or not yet! Her eyes bore into his, searching for any hints or signs that her guess was right.
"Ah, Mega! There you are!" a familiar female voice said; the blue robot and reporter looked to see Roll approaching them. "Doc's about to start without you!"
"Oh shoot, is it that time already?!" Mega Man gasped, checking his internal clock. "Sorry, miss, but I've got to get going."
"Huh?" Ah!" Plum was busy going over her notes that she hadn't even registered the Blue Bomber was leaving here. "Wait! Could I get a statement about the," the door had closed behind the two DLNs. "Time Wily pulled the moon out of orbit?"
Inside
"Ugh. I hate reporters." Roll groaned, walking back to the main section of the expo with Mega.
"She didn't ask for any personal stuff." the blonde robot's sibling assured her. However, it was clear that he was lying to her.
"I'll give Proto-jerk this. He's at least able to lie naturally." Roll then pointed at him. "You, on the other hand, are awful." Mega couldn't argue against that. But, even when he wanted to, anything but the truth just came out awkwardly. "She asked about him, didn't she?"
Mega nodded. Even if neither he, Roll, or Doc liked it, the question involving Proto's presumed reformation would be a hot topic for some time. "Yeah. I just said the same thing I did then."
"Bad to the bone, but still your brother?" Roll repeated. "I can't stop you from still having hope for him, but as for me," she made her way toward Dr. Light's display from behind the curtains. "I could go on and on about how the best thing that creep can do for anyone is go and recycle himself. Save everyone a lot of trouble."
With that, she went off, leaving Mega alone for a moment. While what she had said stung a little, he couldn't blame her for it. She had been telling her brother for years that he was wasting his time with Proto Man, how he would never change, and that this latest incident proves it.
And while he still couldn't help but still keep some sense of a "brotherly" bond with the red robot, Mega Man also found himself pondering something Roll had told him not long after Proto's betrayal. "If this doesn't get you to see that lowlife for what he is, then I don't know what to tell you."
Was he being foolish? Perhaps, but still, he couldn't help but wonder. Just what would be too far? How much further could it go? What would be the thing to push him over the edge?
Mega Man wasn't sure, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was about to find out the answer very soon. Something was going to happen. And whatever it was, it would perhaps change everything between him and Proto Man.
Forever.
Primorsky Krai
The blonde Russian had to stop again, her legs feeling as if they were frozen solid. Finally, she slumped up against a tree, legs just barely keeping her up. God, it was freezing out here. These clothes didn't do a THING for her! But the human couldn't slump down to the ground, she'd be buried in the snow, and she couldn't afford that. She'd freeze to death for sure.
As much as she hated it, as well as hated him, that red robot was right. She couldn't stay out here much longer. But that would mean-
"You've got to go." she heard Beat mumble, the bird-bot still held tightly in her arms.
Admittedly, his weight didn't exactly help in her running, but she couldn't leave him to get a hole blown through him! The bird-bot didn't look good at all. Guts Man had gripped him tightly to where deep indentions from where his strong digits held Beat. And while he had escaped Cut Man's Rolling Cutter, he didn't escape unscathed. A part of his left wing was sliced off, essentially leaving him with a fourth of it removed. "птичка. What have they done to you?"
"Heh." Beat chuckled. "Right now, those guys are going to treat you better than they did me."
Kalinka couldn't understand what he was saying. "What do you mean?"
"You've got to go back." the bird-bot told her. "You've got to go find that creep and have him take you."
"What?! No! Never!" the Russian protested.
"You'll freeze out here!"
"I'm…I'm n-not that cold." the human lied. "I…I can go on for a bit longer." she tried to step forward, but fell into the snow, right atop of Beat. "A-Ah! Sorry! I'm sorry!" she apologized, lifting herself and trying to stand.
"I'm going to go find one of those jerks," Beat said. "I'll be back soon, so don't worry."
"Птичка, I'm not leaving you-"
"Until then PLEASE stay put this time!" Beat flapped his wings, forcing her to let go of him. He then went off, leaving his creator's daughter alone once again.
"Beat!" Kalinka called out, but the bird-bot was gone. "Птичка." she hugged herself tightly, shivering as she tried to warm herself. "Евлампий Михайлович." she lowered her head. "Why is this happening? Why? It's not fair! It's not-" she was stopped when the wind robbed her of breath, her throat dry and ragged.
"So, you are she."
Kalinka's eyes widened, and her head whirled around left and right in search of who had just spoken to her.
"The child." the voice that echoed throughout the area was low and somewhat rough but bore such coldness in its tone that Kalinka somehow found herself shivering not just from the weather but also from fright. "Though you are quite far from what I imagined you'd be."
The Russian's eyes went back and forth, trying to spot a sign of any sort of shape or figure. Something that would let her know where this mysterious person was. If it even was a person. And if it's not, then that means...
"But we have wasted much time here. So there is no time for introductions." Suddenly, Kalinka felt a hand seize her by the wrist, her captor grabbing her from behind the tree she was using for leverage.
Before she could protest or call in vain for Beat, she felt a cloth being pressed over her nose and mouth, assaulting her with a fresh, slightly sweet smell that reminded her of her father's laboratory after the servant bots had freshly cleaned it. The hand pressing the cloth against her had a firm grip, and Kalinka had no choice but to breathe. And even though she knew what would happen if she did, her need for oxygen overpowered logic. The moment she took in her first breath, she already felt the chemical begin to take effect. She was exhausted and numb from her journey through the dense forest, but this immediately pierced through her defenses. Her mind grew hazy, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Had she not been caught at the last second, Kalinka would've fallen to the ground.
The arms that held her were firm, yet she wasn't aware of any notable features of who had just captured her. Finally, the concealed robot activated his com-link.
A Short Distance Away
"Ah! There he is!" Beat noticed Proto Man from his vantage point high up, the robot finally having found his scarf hanging in a nearby tree.
Shooting the branch down, the yellow piece of cloth fluttered down, the red robot catching it before it could escape. The robot wasted no time putting it back on, all the while cursing the human girl who dared to touch it. Beat was about to dive down and get his attention, but then he saw Proto Man reach for one of the audio units on the sides of his head.
"Hm?" Proto Man was confused. Someone was contacting him, but he needed to recognize the number of who was calling. It wasn't Wily, Cut, Guts, or even Bright Man, so who else could be calling? He debated whether or not to answer, yet he continued to hear an ever-present beeping in his head that demanded the call be answered. "Okay, who is this?"
"She has been acquired."
Proto Man froze upon hearing the voice echo in his processor. True, he had little expectations of what this mysterious caller would sound like, but the voice he had heard made him feel uneasy. However, the red robot would never reveal that to anyone. "Who is this?" he demanded an answer.
"Wily sent me." the voice responded as if he were the one in charge of things. "And I've just collected the child."
"Wait," Proto Man said. "You mean you found her? So you got the brat?"
Beat listened in from above, not making a sound. A part of him was relieved that at least Kalinka would be safe, but he was supposed to keep her out of this situation in the first place. Instead, her capture just cemented his failure.
"Yes. The child will be conscious in a few hours, so we must move to the Citadel. I shall meet you back at the ship." with that, the link died, and Proto Man was once again left alone in the forest.
Just who spoke to him just now?! And Wily sent him!? Just who was he?! And just what did he think he was doing getting in on this operation without anyone else knowing?! "Hey, Proto Man!" Proto Man turned to see Guts, Cut, and Bright Man coming towards him, Bright Man looking quite despondent over the condition of his bulb. "Where'd she go?" Guts Man asked.
Proto Man wasn't entirely sure what to say. Sure, he could just tell the truth, but a lie would honestly sound less crazy. "Apparently Wily's sent us some backup," he explained.
"Backup?" Cut Man asked, confused. "What kind of backup?"
The scarf-wearing robot shrugged. "Honestly, I'm just as confused as you are. But he said that he has the brat and that he'll meet us back at the ship."
"Well, if that's the case," Guts Man began, not even considering the strangeness of the situation. "Then let's head back! Dr. Wily doesn't like being kept waiting!"
Neither Cut nor Bright Man argued with that, eagerly following Guts Man, but Proto Man lagged behind, occasionally stopping to look around him to see if he could spot a sign of just who had contacted him.
Beat watched the four robots go on, knowing well that there was only so much he could do now. He had failed in his task to get Kalinka to safety, but as far as he was concerned, it wasn't over yet!
Note: This also gives me a chance to see if there are any errors I missed in the Ao3 version. Please give your input if you have the chance to, as reviews are the clearest way to let me know what you want to see.
Thank you all for reading!