Note: So, so SO sorry for the delay, yet I'll admit I'm sort of thinking that this particular story might be better served in a visual medium. Don't get me wrong, I'm not stopping, I'm just considering retelling it again, but in a comic-ish format. Only, that's more on Ao3 than here, but if I ever get to it, I'll let you know!

Meet Ups and Plans

Two Months Prior

"So, that's why you've brought me here?" Dr. Cossack questioned Wily, the two men currently situated in a tiny room hidden underground, Proto Man guarding the door to prevent the Russian scientist from leaving.

So far, it had been two weeks since he had been abducted from traveling back home, and the other government agents escorting him back were quickly dealt with and disposed of. At first, Cossack had assumed the worst, yet an hour later revealed that the other humans had just been robbed of their equipment and stranded out in the middle of the Swiss Alps.

"You do realize that no one is going to know they're up there, right?" Mikhail asked Albert Wily, although he knew that his inquiries would ultimately amount to nothing. "They have no way to contact Russia, let alone anywhere else in the Baltics without a means of communication!"

"Geez, don't get so freaked out, four-eyes," Proto Man told the panicking human with a dismissive shrug. "Besides, it's Switzerland, right? Maybe they'll learn how to yodel and can take a goat taxi down the mountain."

Dr. Cossack rose from his seat, rather enraged by the robot's words, much to the aforementioned robot's shock. "You think the prospect of innocent people growing helplessly lost and potentially starving to death funny?"

Wily looked on in surprise as well. While he wasn't exactly worried about his right-hand-bot's safety, the middle-aged human was far from possessing enough strength to leave a single scrape on Proto Man's frame, yet the intensity of his reaction caught the German off guard. True, while he wasn't above admitting he too could become passionate and emotional under certain circumstances (especially those that involved crushing that blue dweeb), but Cossack's reaction to what was nothing more than a joke gave Wily pause.

And convinced him to stay quiet and observe.

"And you immediately assume they will?" Proto Man questioned the Russian human, puzzled by his reaction, but amused to be riling him up. Especially considering he had been little more than an emotionless husk the last few days. "It's not like we dumped them out in your literal neck of the woods," he then smirked. "Heh, maybe we should've, considering that the bears and tigers up there will make sure nothing is left behind."

Cossack was about to practically roar in Proto Man's face, completely dismissing the fact that he was a mere man and the other was a hardened, potentially killer machine. True, he hadn't heard of any incidents of the scarf-wearing robot taking a human's life, yet he didn't dare dismiss the possibility. Yet, before he could retort, the red and grey android went on.

"Then again, getting eaten would probably draw too much attention to the place, wouldn't it?"

Cossack paused. "...what place?"

"What other place would I be talking about? Your place, old man!"

It was then that Wily saw it, the other man's features froze in fear. Neither the German scientist nor his co-creation (albeit he did most of the work, not Light!) understood entirely why, yet the distinct reaction of utter dread that came to the younger scientist's face was unmistakable.

"Hm, you seem a little nervous. Have something you don't want us to see up there?" Proto man questioned. "Any illegal pets? Projects? Growing something the dear people of your government wouldn't be too happy about?"

Dr. Cossack parted his lips, seemingly desperate to conjure up some sort of response. Yet, after a few moments, it became clear that he could dig up nothing.

"Actually," Wily suddenly spoke up. "I'm somewhat curious about what goes on at your hidden little abode too," he told Cossack. "Maybe a certain little bird can give us some intel on what you're trying to keep us from discovering."

Present Time

Kalinka's Cell

"..and last time I checked, her favorite color is red," she sighed, speaking the last of Roll Light's favored and preferred things. Despite possessing no need for it, "Kalinka" found herself to be somewhat winded and in need of letting her vents take in some cool, Siberian air. Even if said air was somewhat stifled and trapped in a cave. "Need anything else?"

From behind the aged, rusted iron bars, the captive "daughter" of Mikhail Cossack sat upon the ragged mattress that served as her only source of reclining material, relaying every detail regarding Mega Man's little sister (only technically, no matter how many times he added "baby" in there) to one of her captors. Specifically, the Innuit-based Robot Master constructed to withstand sub-zero temperatures, now possessed a rather striking difference in demeanor compared to when they had last met.

"Oh, uh, for the time being, no Sir, er, Ma'am," Ice Man answered. He then gave a salute. "Thank you for your cooperation, soldier!" he paused. "...or…would you technically go by comrade?"

"Kalinka" raised a brow. "Ok, I've got to ask," she said, unable to keep her curiosity contained. "What happened to you?"

Ice Man tilted his head. "What do you mean, soldier? Er, comrade?"

"...just Kalinka will do, soldier."

"Oh, really?" the reprogrammed DLN responded meekly. "W-Well, if you say so, com-, Ma'a-oh, I-I mean, Kalinka," he bit his lip. "...Ma'am," he winced. "Sorry. A glitch in the system, I believe."

"You don't say?" The "human" answered. "Still, really, how in the name of Asimov himself are you even still here? After what happened with you and Wily trying to freeze everything, I thought he would've recycled you for sure!"

"Recycled? Oh no, Kalinka, Ma'am," Ice Man shook his head. "There wasn't a bolt left of me when Dr. Wily ordered me to hop into the trash compactor," he then took a moment to grimace. "Not an experience I'd prefer to go through again."

Now it was Roll's turn to be sick. "Uh, yeah, I've already had one close call with the one installed in the lab, so…" Still, a detail he had said gave her pause. "...how ARE you still here? Or, rather, how'd you even get considered for reconstruction?"

Ice Man shifted a bit in his place. "Well, truthfully, I'm not the only one that's recently come back."

Further Back in the Mine

She had a mission to fulfill, that had been cemented in her objective directory. She knew this and had come here knowing nothing was guaranteed. Her superiors and her government told her that her mission was simple yet ultimately dangerous, but she was set to accomplish it.

And she did not refuse, although whether she even could was unknown, even to her.

Natsenka Unit 095 was just that, a unit, one of many specialized security machines developed for the nation of Russia by Dr. Cossack, and, from what she had become aware of, more such as herself were being produced in other Slavic countries such as the Ukraine and Belarus. Of course, unlike the days of the Soviet Union, the separate lands surrounding what was once the Motherland had decided to construct their machines based on their standards. True, she remembered hearing from Cossack himself when she and 96 were being built that Russia wasn't too pleased with this answer, grumbling about how even after decades of collapse, the "Soviets" couldn't help but "put their fingers everywhere they didn't belong," and how perhaps "nothing had changed at all."

Even if her circuitry hadn't entirely been put in as of yet, the Natsenka Units worked on in pairs of two, 95 couldn't help but detect a distinct hint of bitterness in the human's voice. That, as well as a good degree of experience. She recalled it distinctly, although she wasn't entirely sure why.

It was the first time she had seen such…intensity from a human. From a living thing.

Something she was, according to her status reading "currently active," yet it was not long after she was activated and given a number that she found such a thing only applied in name and name alone.

…so, even if she failed this mission, then there would be others who could take her place.

That, she could deal with. Yet, regarding Mega Man's sister, the red-haired agent found herself more…conflicted.

…but it couldn't be helped.

Her directive was to locate Kalinka Cossack and bring her to safety. Anything else was deemed unnecessary. And while Unit 95 found she could apply this way of thinking to most things, Mega Man's sister had left a considerable impression. One she wasn't entirely sure she could shake, programming or not.

Amid her musing, however, she caught sight of a large, strangely shaped shadow trailing along the wall, immediately drawing Natsenka's attention to whatever was behind her, only to see nothing when she whirled around.

Wasting no time, she ducked into a nearby corner, drawing her plasma pistol as her darkened eyes spotted the bizarre form inch itself closer and closer, the Slavic-born Unit unable to discern just what she was looking at. Was it some twisted new creation of Wily that he had thrown down here?

Whatever the case, she charged her weapon, ready to fire at the appropriate time.

Natsenka waited until the shape drew closer, yard becoming feet and feet becoming inches, (or, in her case, the metric system) optics peeled to see the towering form had come but mere centimeters away from her hiding place in the wall.

Kalinka's Cell

"Wait…so, you and several others were destroyed?!" the supposedly Russian "human" exclaimed, momentarily losing her accent for a moment, giving Ice Man pause. Thankfully, "Kalinka" rectified this, quickly regaining her distinct pattern of speech. "I mean, well, I can't say I'm entirely surprised, seeing as this is Wily we're talking about," she said, crossing her arms. "Someone that's clearly shown little to no care for anyone or anything other than himself," she then paused. "And maybe Proto Man…but, who knows what their relationship is, if it's even genuine at all," she then noticed Ice Man studying her with intrigue and perhaps a small hint of suspicion. Redirecting herself back on topic, "Kalinka" continued the conversation. "But still, some of you guys were the most dangerous Mega Man has ever faced!" she went on. "I mean, yeah, I wouldn't have thought you would've up and betrayed Wily, or at least thought to do it, but still, you gave us a bit of trouble back then!"

"Indeed, I suppose I did," Ice Man responded with pride, puffing out his chest somewhat. "My prowess and specialized abilities proved to be quite beneficial in the Doctor's ambitions," he answered. Then, as if something had quite literally snapped in his head, Ice Man's large optics went blue and displayed a continuous feed of the word "ERROR" scrolling across the thick glass of his sizable oval eyes. "Ooh! Oh, um, pardon that, Ma'am, Miss," he told the captive "human" in the cell. "It seems there are still some aftereffects from the…fine-tuning, soldier."

"Kalinka" bit back the urge to correct the Robot Master, more or less somewhat unsettled by the sight of the former DLN. This is getting weird. She thought but went on. "What sort of fine-tuning?" the "Russian" questioned.

"The insertion and general updates given to our CPUs and processing chips," Ice Man answered. "Although," he then noted. "How were you aware of what led to my eventual reprogramming?"

"Kalinka's" eyes widened, shifting for a moment to try and conjure up an answer. "Uh…Roll told me while she was in here," the "human" answered. "Yeah, we…uh…we talked a little before she went up."

Ice Man pondered his hostage's reply for a moment, considering each word carefully. "Plausible," he said aloud, tapping his chin. "Still, rather specific detail. Has Cossack's daughter ever seen me before?"

"She saw you while she was here, wasn't she?"

The Robot Master considered this statement.

"And, even more, just what did Dr. Wily do to your circuitry? Anyone with eyes can at least see that the you now versus the you from then are completely different!" the "human" observed openly. "And even if Roll did tell me about when you and Wily tried to freeze everything, your personality now isn't exactly like those the old guy tends to keep close to him," she said. "Especially that of Proto Man."

Ice Man tilted his head curiously. "You're rather curious considering you've never seen me or any of the other robots here," he said, then he paused. "No, that's not entirely true. Dr. Cossack's original machines, you would've known them, save for Skull Man."

"Uh, yeah, that guy…" the "human" said. "Don't think I know him."

"He's new. Quite literally," Ice Man shuddered, ironically enough. "But he's a little…peculiar, Soldier. Er, Ma'am!"

"...you know what, I'm fine with whatever by this point," "Kalinka" stated with a roll of her eyes. "But still, I always thought Wily just up and…well, trashed you guys once he got tired of you," she bit her lip, realizing just how grim the very thought was. "And while I can understand him realizing he might need someone like Bright Man or even Cut Man," she then shrugged. "I…still don't entirely understand how you're back, of all bots."

"Oh, there's much that's changed since then, Soldier, Ma'am, Miss," the Inuit-based Robot Master responded. "For one, my loyalty centers are tuned up to the max, making any potential betrayal impossible," he said. "Besides, even if I did somehow betray Dr. Wily, I could only go so far. We are, after all, machines."

"Kalinka" was about to nod but stopped herself. Did he…?

Then, the other android's optics glitched out again, static filling his mind until he was able to find his thoughts yet again. "Oh, wait, forgive me, Soldier, you're not a robot," Ice Man said as if seemingly just realizing this fact. "I momentarily forgot you were human for a moment."

"Uh, y-yeah, I look like Kalinka Cossack, right? That should be enough confirmation!" "Kalinka" insisted, as if trying to assure her captor of her own identity. "But, as I was saying," she then tried to redirect the ongoing conversation yet again. "How did you come back?" she repeated. "Did the ice maker break and Wily was just desperate for something cold?"

Ice Man just stared at her. "...did you happen to read the files detailing my reformatting?"

"N-No, just a guess," the blonde "human" assured him. "I mean…you ARE meant to freeze stuff, after all, right?"

Ice Man thought on this. "...true. And, according to my memory banks, you're right."

Wow, she didn't think the reason she proposed would've been the real one. Still, all the same, it didn't answer her question. "Still, there has to be more to that, seeing as Wily's kinda notorious for taking a bruised ego oh-so-well."

Ice Man went quiet again. "Dr. Cossack had suggested that he reformat many of those Wily had previously scrapped," he admitted. "Yet, my programming dictates that I be honest and relay that, while your father proposed the idea, he was not the one to ultimately convince Wily."

"Kalinka" was somewhat taken aback by this. "Then…who was?"

Further Back in the Mine

Now!

Wasting no time, Natsenka Unit 95 (or was it just Natsenka, as Roll had called her? She was unsure) leaped out and thrust the cannon of her plasma pistol directly in between the eyes of the figure that was following her.

"Eep!"

Only to find herself pointing a pistol at the forehead of a rather startled blue robot bird that jolted from its place atop a green energy dispenser. Who was sitting atop a medium-sized robotic canine, who was also started by the Russian agent's sudden appearance. The bird flew upward and hit his head on the rocky ceiling, the energy dispenser tumbled forward and was powerless to stop himself due to his lack of arms, and, finally, the line of falling dominoes was complete when the red dog found the other green robot's dome falling atop of and smacking right into the center of his helmet with an audible CLANG!

In the span of a few short seconds, all three were lying on the ground in a dazed, slightly damaged heap, yet were nonetheless functional.

Natsenka Unit 95 could only look down in confusion and growing embarrassment, realizing that she had gotten worked up over what was essentially nothing.

Soon, Eddie regained his senses as his optics stopped spinning, his image scanner steadily piecing together the visage of a red-haired, sightly tanned woman before his far smaller form. "Ah! Nice Lady in Spandex!"

Unit 95's dark eyes widened, stumbling back a bit. If she could, her cheeks would've possibly been as red as her hair and lips, perhaps even more so. "Technically it's a flexible bullet-proof fabric, but close enough," she muttered, trying to shield her embarrassed face.

The dog was the next to rise, Beat still trying to gather his bearings. The robotic canine glanced up at Unit 95 with curious blue optics, the striking color, and hue indicating that, despite his outward appearance, he possessed reasonable intelligence for a machine of his caliber.

"Rhm?" the dog lifted his ears, his puzzled growl sounding oddly human (or at least more of an imitation of an animal) as he went up to the red-haired agent, lightly examining her with his hyper-sensitive, radiation-detecting nasal passages and sensors that felt for strange readings in her circuitry. Although, given the sound of his voice, Natsenka herself assumed that the dog was the one with a few srcews loose. "Rou ron't rell rike randex."

The agent paled. "Rou ron't…what?"

"Oh hey, it's you!" Beat spoke up, fluttering over to sit atop Rush's head, much to the dog's annoyance. "Sorry for losing you back there, I was caught up with that stupid crow."

"Rrow?" Rush questioned, Natsenka too wondering just what Beat was speaking of, if not due to the fact she couldn't understand the dog in the slightest. Seriously, how did Mega Man work with this animal?

"That lousy bird Wily put together," Beat informed the canine. "Reggae, I think he called himself," he then scoffed. "Stupid name, I say."

Natsenka was about to speak, yet Eddie's voice cut her off. "Great luck we find you, lady!" the smaller, armless android chirped happily. "Now we can go save Roll and Kalinka together!"

"Wh-What?" Unit 95 questioned, yet got no chance to continue, the others joining in with Eddie.

"Rut?!" Rush cried out in shock, turning to face Eddie. "Roll rot raptured?!"

"Unfortunately, it seems," Beat added, still using the dog as a perch. "I didn't hear much, but I heard Reggae squawking about something Wily contacted him about regarding a new prisoner," he hissed. "Cowardly feather-brain flew off before I could give a good ol' Beat Attack right to his stupid steel skull!"

"Reat Rattack?" Rush questioned.

"Yeah, it's my specialty!" Beat proclaimed with pride, puffing out his already large round chest. "Dr. Cossack programmed it into my hard drive specifically for that purpose!" he boasted before tapping his helmet with his left wing. "Not to mention he re-enforced my dome just to be able to handle it!" he then began thrusting his wings out and punching rapidly as if boxing, feathers at the end of his wings curled into makeshift fists. "Oh yeah, just wait until that stupid blackbird comes around again! I'm gonna be giving him the Sweet Beat Retreat!"

"Sweet Beat Retreat?" Eddie asked although he and the others were unaware of Unit 95's dwindling patience.

"Yeah, I'm gonna start with a Sweet Beat," the bird explained, throwing a few punches. "And then, I'm gonna hit him with a hook so hard that he's gonna have no choice but to retreat-"

"Enough!"

The robotic canine, avian, and energy dispenser ceased their talking, all drawn to the Russian agent with wide, bewildered eyes.

"Look, while I'm…glad you are safe," Natsenka stated, simmering down a little. "You can't come with me."

All three of the smaller robots didn't entirely understand. "Wh-What?" Beat stammered, wondering if he had heard right.

Unit 95 steeled her gaze and tried to appear strong, despite how her lower lip began to lightly tremble. "...my mission requires that I bring only Kalinka to safety," she said, although her tone was far from indicating she enjoyed what tumbled from her lips. "...I cannot make time to look for Roll."

Two Months Prior

"Hmm, interesting," Wily mused, looking over the footage captured from his newest creation, as well as a particular figure he didn't expect to see. "And here I thought you lived alone."

After the incident at the amusement park and the debacle regarding the mass brainwashing of humans into robots, the German scientist and Proto had to lay low for a while, only happening upon Cossack returning to Russia by pure happenstance. Indeed, after such a crippling and humiliating defeat (yet again), this stroke of good fortune (well, for him at least) was just what the aging scientist needed to begin his next project.

However, that also meant getting his newest hostage to start cooperating with him.

Honestly, while he would never admit it openly, especially in front of the likes of Proto Man, Dr. Albert Hans Wily was beginning to run out of options on just how to get Dr. Cossack to work with him. Well, conspire was a better term, as the Russian man spat back at the German himself, yet all the same, Wily's desires and intentions were made clear.

And yet, Cossack didn't seem to care.

Indeed, this man appeared to be afraid of nothing. No threat of harm or torture, or even having his mustache and beard shaved made him consider Wily's offer, Cossack outright refusing to assist him in any way. Wily didn't entirely understand, but, while perhaps there was some instinctual fear for his self-preservation buried deep within, the Russian scientist put on quite the poker face. It seemed he was completely unafraid of even the potential of something terrible happening.

Thankfully, just when he had begun to lose his patience, Cut Man alerted him that their little "sky spy" had caught something. Something that was, in the Robot Master's words, "sharp" for a featherbrain like the old man's newest creation.

"Well, do you hear that, Cossack?" Wily questioned. "Sounds like you've been keeping secrets from us."

The spectacle-wearing scientist lifted his head, rising from the single chair in the small room that served as his temporary living quarters. "If you're here with another threat, then I'll tell you I'm becoming a little bored of-"

"You didn't tell us about the little woman you have at home."

Wily smirked upon seeing the younger man's defiant, green eyes freeze over as if he had been touched by the tundra of his homeland. Finally, the madman had him.

"Kalinka," Wily mused aloud, rubbing his chin in thought as he then gazed down at the small picture that Cossack had finally surrendered to him, then at the still shot Reggae had captured on the monitor. "It looks somewhat like her, but…" he trailed off, mentally noting both the similarities and differences between the photograph and shot, steadily putting the pieces together from what he could see before him and the slew of information Cossack began sputtering out.

The second this enigmatic "Kalinka" entered the picture, the Russian's demeanor changed completely, much to Wily's pleasure. At last, he had leverage to use against the defiant younger scientist, although this also meant he had to put together another plan on the side to complement the main goal of using Cossack's skills to finally squash Mega Man. That part would be easy, the real challenge lay in getting to and acquiring his only child.

Granted, it was perhaps a good thing Proto Man had insisted on speaking to him when he did, all things considered, as the robot's persistence served to eventually lead to this discovery. Although, his proposal caught him off guard when he first heard it.

He wondered if his right-hand bot had a bolt or two come undone up in his dome.

Present

Kalinka's Cell

"And you know all of these specific details how?" the "human" questioned with a raised brow. While she didn't exactly consider Ice Man a liar (she wasn't even sure if he was capable of such a thing now), his retelling of what had supposedly occurred still felt off.

"Dr. Wily uploaded the recorded footage into my memory banks, Kalinka, Ma'am," the Robot Master responded. "Even if they're low quality, he's got cameras set up in every one of his hideouts, no matter how small."

"Kalinka" rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that sounds like something the old coot would do," she muttered. "Still," she continued. "That doesn't exactly explain how you're back, along with some of the others you've said have been restored."

"Ah yes, well, that would be Proto Man's doing," Ice Man informed the captive "daughter" of Dr. Cossack. "He proposed the idea to Wily that it would be more beneficial to him if he had more machines around for various duties instead of just handing them to the select few bots standing around. For example, Fire Man's recently been assigned as the residential generator or heater whenever we need-"

"Yeah, I got that. I mean WHY did Wily decide to bring you back? Better yet, how did he reprogram all of you anyway in such a short time?"

Ice Man glitched out again for a few moments upon pondering her question. "Ah, yes, well…there's that too," he confessed.

"What do you mean?" the blonde "human" openly wondered.

"Before now, he never really made any protest about our…disposal," the blue-coated machine admitted.

"Kalinka" rolled her eyes. "Doesn't surprise me in the slightest," she scoffed. "He'd probably want Wily's attention all to himself when he can't get Mega to play into one of his games."

"On the contrary, it's probably to lighten his workload," Ice Man answered. "B-But, that's just a theory, Miss, Ma'am.

"Workload?" The blonde "Russian" questioned with a cross of her arms. Then, she scoffed. "Ha! The jerk just used your all as a way to get out of doing chores?!"

"According to him," Ice Man answered. "Although, there are those that have been around for nearly as long as him that have their doubts that's the only reason."

"Well, whatever they are, it's not my concern," the "Russian" huffed. "Still, I'm surprised that he brought it up."

Ice Man glitched out for a second.

"Ah! Oooh, you ok there?" the "human" inquired, concern genuine.

"Y-Yeah," Ice Man responded. "Pardon, but where was I, soldier?"

"Kalinka" didn't bother correcting him this time. "Proto being the one to bring this up is surprising."

The thick-coated Robot Master tilted his head curiously. "How so? If I may ask, Miss."

"Well, given how obsessed he is with defeating Mega, I would assume that he only saw you and everyone else as competition."

Ice Man, despite his title, appeared as if a deathly cold chill had begun to crawl its way up his metallic spine. "Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't see us as anything," the Robot Master confessed. "However," he then paused.

"Kalinka" raised a brow. "What?"

Ice Man stalled in answering her, yet ultimately loosened his lips. If not just out of obligation due to his captive's status as a human. "No one's gotten a true answer out of him as to why. And, when asked, he immediately tries to change the subject," his optics turned to the side, looking over into the darkness. "It's as if he's afraid to say it."

Observation Chamber

Finally, she was in!

Entering through the open door, albeit one she had to push aside, a task that took a considerable amount of effort to do, "Roll" looked on at the multiple screens before her, eyeing each of them. Eight screens for eight robots, and before her she saw the damaged remains of her father's machines.

Her friends.

...

She had to do something.

She was the only one who could do something.

At least, the only one in her current position at this very moment.

Still, even with the desire to do something, no, the drive, the need, the duty to do something, just what would that be?

Indeed, as of now, "Roll" was beginning to doubt if the Blue Bomber would even be in one piece by the time Proto Man reached him, which was another problem altogether! She couldn't just stand here, she had to make some sort of effort, an attempt at least to try and divert the direction of this whole situation into finally maybe going in everyone else's favor aside from Wily's.

But what?

Note: Just what was Proto's proposal for the RMs to come back? It has to deal with his character development, as while I do like the fanon idea that he'd gradually become more like his game counterpart in terms of nobility, I still want RS Proto to feel like his own character. I think one of the key cores of Blues/Proto as a whole is a sense of self and independence, and being your person, or bot, would be something he'd do.

Special thanks to the fine folks on the RS Discord Board for being the best creative consultants ever!