..

"FRAGILE"

Snodin

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Not every day in Mega City was filled with terror and despair brought on by the nefarious Doctor Wily. Some days were in fact quite peaceful, and there were times when that peace went on for months on end. Those were times cherished no greater than by Doctor Light and his family of peace-loving robots- most of all Rock, AKA Mega Man, who usually lent a hand in promoting such peace.

So of course, it's when all seems most calm and pleasant, that a sudden change of mood seems to hit hardest.

On one such night, Thomas was leaving a movie theatre in the heart of town, accompanied by his two "children" Rock and Roll, and his personal assistant Auto. The children were still singing the last songs of the musical they had just watched, while Auto began to ramble about his favorite scenes. So excited was he, that the green robot was talking much faster than usual, causing Doctor Light to miss some of the details given to him. And when Auto paused and asked, "Right, Doctor? Wasn't that great?" all the old man could do was smile and nod, "Mm-hmm, that was nice."

Soon the two younger-looking robots began to argue over which song was the best; Roll was certain it was the love song- "Which one?" her brother would ask. She shrugged, "All of them, I guess."

Rock was more focused on his answer: "Act I's finale was the best. It had everybody singing in it, and they all had their own parts."

"But they kept singing over each other," frowned Roll in disapproval. "I could barely make out each solo."

"That's kind of my point," smiled the boyish robot. "It's kind of like in real life, how everybody has their own part to play. And really, it wasn't that hard to follow them; most of them were just repeating other songs."

"I prefer a straightforward song, with no jumbling in the middle."

Rock made a face. "So long as there's kissing, right?"

"And what's wrong with a little romance?"

"I didn't say I had a problem with romance… It's kissing that grosses me out."

"Aww, wittle Rocky can't handle a wittle smooch-woochy?" With that, Roll leaned toward him and threatened to plant her own lips on his right cheek, making his artificial skin crawl.

"Gyah!" he yipped as he pushed her away suddenly. "Don't do that!"

But she was undeterred. "Are you afraid you'll rust?" she giggled as she seized his arm.

"Cut it out, sis!" She pulled him toward her again. "Doctor! Make her stop!"

"Rock! Roll!" barked the good doctor who was walking in front of them. "Behave yourselves."

.

The family was not alone.

Standing in the moonlight on the rooftop of a building across the street was a tall dark-haired young man, dressed in a long brown coat which covered most of his body. His hair blew wildly in the wind, while his face remained shadowed- partially because it was nighttime, but also because of the big pair of sunglasses draped over his eyes. Under his coat collar was a long yellow scarf, tucked in like a tie.

He had been watching them ever since they left the theatre; in truth, he had been watching their movements for days now. What else could he do, now that the war against evil was supposedly over? There was no one left to fight, no villains to pursue. It was not a good time to be a robot built strictly for combat, that's for sure. So to compensate, he began to secretly stalk the only other people he was familiar with: his allies.

But perhaps there was more to this than mere boredom; perhaps he was actually quite curious about the Light family- the fact that they could live a normal life outside of wartime. Seeing them laugh and play and genuinely enjoy life intrigued him very much. Heck, one could even guess that he was envious of them. Especially of that one little boy, the one who has bested him in combat time and time again. Seeing him now, as the innocent he was always meant to be, brought a sense of wonder in this older model.

Such wonder, such envy… it began to hurt.

…No, really. A pain in his chest began to gnaw away at him right then and there.

Wait, this wasn't an emotional angst he was feeling- it was pain. Actual pain!

"Ugh…" he groaned as he gripped his chest. He remembered this feeling.

"No… Not now… Please, not now…"

.

"Okay, okay," replied Roll, who was beginning to concede to her brother's discomfort. "If you could make your own musical, Rock, what would it be about?"

"Hmm," paused the boy. "Well, I'm no good at writing actual songs… I'd just make a play recounting all the times I beat Wily. And I'd call it, 'The Adventures of Mega Man.'"

"Boring," teased Roll. "Everyone knows you win at the end. How about a play based on all of my adventures cleaning up the laboratory?"

"Please! That's even more boring! Are you going for Most Yawns Ever Made By An Audience?"

"Have you seen the messes Oil Man and Fire Man make in there? And those two aren't even the worst of it-"

BANG-CRASH!

The family jumped in alarm at the sound of crashing metal.

Rock's ears were keenly focused. "That came from the alley! I better go investigate."

"Rock, wait!" pleaded Doctor Light, but he was too late. Rock was already dashing across the street.

.

By the time he reached the other side of the street, Rock had digitally switched out his tailor-made suit for his light blue battle armor. Unsure of what made the crashing sound, he wasn't going to take any chances. For all he knew, this could have been a Met, or a [robot], or some other rogue robot on the prowl.

Imagine his surprise then, when he peered into the dark alley and saw little more than a pair of fallen trash cans. "…Whew!" he sighed deeply. "False alarm."

But then came an even bigger shock: the figure of a man arose from the tumbled cans!

With a gasp, Rock raised his arm which shifted into his Mega Buster, aiming straight at the figure. "Show yourself!"

Weakly and softly cussing to himself, the man rose up on wobbly legs. He had scooped up rhe sunglasses that fell from his face after his dangerous fall from the rooftop. He placed them back on his face just before turning around to stare the Blue Bomber in the eye. And with his coat now disheveled, his yellow scarf came undone and started to dance in the wind.

Mega Man's eyes flashed in surprise. "…Proto Man?"

With his teeth grit and his left arm clutching his chest in anguish, the man made an amazing leap into the air, straight over Mega Man's head and across the street. With another leap, he bounded to the top of the theatre and scampered off into the dark night.

"Wait! Come back!" cried out Mega Man, who was stopped by the buildings that proved to be too high for him to jump over.

"Rock!" called Roll as she and the family ran over to his side. "Rock, what happened?" she panted worriedly.

He stared blankly up at the theatre's rooftop before turning to her with an answer. "It… It was Blues."

"Blues?" echoed Roll and Light in surprise.

Mega Man gave them a nod. "It was him, I know it was… and… I think he's hurt."

"Oh no," frowned Roll in horror. As Rock saw Blues as a brother, so did she, and hearing such news brought her spirits down. "What's wrong with him?"

Light's heart sank as one possibility struck him. "…Was he holding his chest, son?"

"Yeah," nodded Rock solemnly.

The good doctor hung his head. "That core of his… It's all my fault."

"His core?" blinked Rock. "But… I thought Wily fixed that when he rebuilt him as a fighting robot."

Light sadly shook his head. "You could replace almost every part of a robot, but the battery core is a different story. It's a robot's life force, his 'heart,' if you will. No matter how advanced his armor is now, Blues' heart will always be frail."

Fearing the worst, Mega Man clenched his fists. "I have to find him, I need to know if he's okay."

"But he could be anywhere by now," lamented Roll.

But Rock already had a plan. "I have an answer to that: Here, Rush!" With a sharp whistle, he called his ever faithful pet to teleport into the scene.

Except poor Rush wasn't expecting a call so late at night; when he phased in, he showed signs of fatigue with drooped ears, slumped tail, half closed eyes and one big yawn.

Rock smirked, "Sorry boy, I know it's late but we've got an emergency."

Rush responded by scratching his side with his hind leg.

"Here Mega Man, this'll perk him up," replied Auto, who just happened to have a battery-like biscuit in his arm cavity in case of such an emergency. He tossed it to Rock, who held it up to Rush's nose.

With one little wiggle of the nose, Rush was on all fours and raring to go. Bark! Bark!

"Good boy," smiled Rock as he tossed the biscuit into the robot dog's mouth.

With Rush in much better spirits, Rock looked to his family to prepare his goodbyes. "Sorry to leave you guys like this, but…"

"It's alright son," nodded Light.

"Go find Blues," added Roll.

He silently agreed and turned to his partner. "Jet mode, Rush!"

The red dog folded in his limbs to flatten his back, forming his flight formation. His master hopped onto his back, and away they flew into the night sky.

..

..

It was a good thing that Rush was equipped with a "search" engine, enabling his nose to pick up the scent of robots and robot-related items like a bloodhound. Otherwise, finding Proto Man in the city would have been like finding a needle in a haystack. And since Proto Man's signature was already in the dog's database, it didn't take him long to find the scent.

Unfortunately for Mega Man, Rush picked up on the runaway's trail while the duo was twenty feet above the highest skyscraper in the area; the two of them dipped down so quickly that the robot boy was nearly thrown off his platform.

"Woah!" screamed the boy, who managed to grab Rush's tail before he was airborne. Climbing back onto Rush's back, he growled, "Warn me when you're gonna do that!"

Rush whimpered apologetically.

The dog began to slow his descent and righted himself so that his master could stand properly on his back. That's when Rock realized where they were landing: right outside a small power plant, the kind that was responsible for all of the electrical power within a certain area. Its flickering lights were a good sign that something was amiss.

..

..

There were hardly any guards and the entrances were easily pried open with a blaster; the perfect place for Blues to temporarily call home.

Nestled in a corner by the main controls within the walls of the power plant, the rogue robot was found resting against a wall, looking pale and withered even with his red and grey armor on.

His chest plate was open, allowing for a series of cables to be connected to the brightly glowing yellow core that was now exposed. His breathing was labored, but he believed that his body would soon stabilize once the spiking power of his core was spent on the plant.

For a brief moment, the pain had subsided and he was at peace… but then came the clanging of metal feet.

"There you are," mused Rock as he appeared on the scene with his red dog.

Alarmed, Proto Man let out a weak gasp and raised his arm cannon at the intruder. Even when he realized that it was Mega Man, he remained primed to shoot.

What the… How the hell did you find me?" he muttered softly.

"Rush followed your scent… What are you doing here?" He dared to take a step forward.

"S-stay back," warned the cornered robot, still aiming his blaster at the smaller one.

Rock couldn't help but smirk. "You can't shoot me, we're brothers." He took another step forward.

Flash! A small energy ball erupted from Proto Man's blaster and landed just inches from Rock's boot.

"You missed."

"That was a warning shot."

Still unafraid, Rock took another step forward. "Are you powering this whole plant with just your core? …Isn't that dangerous?"

No longer strong enough to keep his blaster in the air, Proto Man lowered it as it shifted back into a red gloved hand. "Get out." A sense of euphoria overwhelmed him for a moment, causing his head to dip. When he lifted his head again, he came face to face with his younger brother. "I said get out!"

Rock caught Blues' hand as it tried to push him away. He held it gently in his. "Take it easy. I'm on your side, remember?"

His teeth grit in anguish, Proto Man turned his head away as he let out a small sigh in defeat.

Rock's eyes softened; never before had he seen Proto Man look so frail, so vulnerable… Suddenly, it hit him: Blues was being defensive because he was ashamed. He didn't want anyone, least of all his brother, to see him like this.

Feeling guilty, the blue robot let go of Blues' hand, backed up and frowned. "…I'm sorry."

"Pfft," huffed Proto Man.

"It must be hard, having a ticking time bomb for a heart. I can't imagine how much that hurts… I have to ask, Proto Man: Why do you put up with it? Wouldn't it be easier to just have Doctor Light replace it with a better one? …Think about it. You wouldn't have to waste energy on power plants, or whatever it is you're doing here. And it wouldn't hurt anymore."

Blues took a deep, labored breath. "You think you know everything," he whispered. "You think I can't handle a little pain? Let me tell you something, 'Mega Man,' this- the pain, the heat, the exhaustion- it's all worth it. This core, no matter how flawed it is, gives me more freedom than any robot could dream of, even you. I'd rather die tonight, in this god-forsaken plant, than live a hundred years as a thoughtless servant."

Rock looked insulted; his eyes bulged and his mouth gaped. "You think… I'm thoughtless? You really see me as a slave? I came here on my own discretion; I chose to follow you."

"Because you don't know any better."

"BECAUSE I CARE!"

Blues' fragile core skipped a beat in alarm. He let out a small gasp; for once, since the two of them faced off, he was at a loss.

Rock's eyes softened once again. "You're my brother, Blues. I don't care if you don't feel the same way, it doesn't matter to me. It won't change how I feel…"

He waited for a response, and received none.

"I love you. And it kills me to see you like this… I want you to know that."

At this point, it was unclear as to why Proto Man was unresponsive; was it because his energy was low, or because Rock's words were sinking in? His head slumped slightly.

"Blues?"

"I'm fine… Just go, leave me."

Rock disobeyed, and instead sat on the floor by his brother's side. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Stupid… little…" his voice tapered.

Rock remained still and patient; he knew his brother's energy was diminishing. It wouldn't be long before Proto Man would fall unconscious, indicating that the power spike in his core had finally passed. That would be the time to gently remove the plant's cables from his core. At least in that moment, Blues would be at peace.

..

..

His eyes fluttered open as they were hit by the morning sunlight.

With newfound strength, Proto Man raised his upper body quickly, realizing that he had been lying in a soft bed rather a cold hard floor. He looked left and right and concluded that he was somewhere new, somewhere unfamiliar: a bedroom, with a window to his right that let in the sunshine.

He gasped in fear, and remained uncertain until he noticed the little blue robot curled up in a corner, using his red dog as a pillow. The two of them were fast asleep; there was no telling just how long they were unconscious. For all he knew, they stayed up all night until the early sunrise. Were they guarding him all this time?

"God," he muttered in humiliation. "Did they bring me all the way back here?"

And where exactly was here? Not Light Labs, he hoped; that would have been the last place he wanted to see. After pausing to examine the scenery- brown walls, white ceiling, only one dresser in the corner, one small closet… No. This wasn't Light Labs at all; Light Labs had soft green walls and much bigger spaces. This looked more like a hotel room. He sighed in relief.

He then looked back at the boy and his dog, sleeping soundly, peacefully. As he looked at them, he himself began to feel at peace. He was safe- in a safe place, with safe company.

He glanced down at his chest. No more pain; the core was stable once more. It looked like his plan to use up its excess energy on the electric plant had worked. Rock must have disconnected him and carried him off before authorities could arrest him for breaking and entering and misuse of private property. The boy had saved both his life and his reputation, all in one go.

His lips curled downward into a remorseful scowl. "Damn it kid… Why'd you have to be such a saint?"

He wanted to hate that boy, he really did. But something held back such feelings, something in his core felt otherwise.

.

When Rock finally woke up, it was nearly noon. Both he and Rush yawned widely and shook off their fatigue before realizing just how late in the day it was.

Rock looked to the bed and found it empty. He sighed; Blues must have run away while they were asleep. A shame, he thought; he would have liked to have talked with his brother more- or at the very least, get a proper goodbye.

Rush's nose twitched; a familiar scent kicked in. He rose to his paws and began to sniff around for the clue that was nagging him.

The boy began to stare out the window, hoping to see Proto Man jumping from rooftop to rooftop like he always did, but there was no sign of him. He frowned and sighed in disappointment.

Bark! Bark!

"Hm?" he hummed as his attention turned to his dog.

Rush was in a pointing position like a sight hound, aiming his nose and paw up at the small dresser's top. Something was sitting there: a small piece of paper.

The boy approached it and picked up the paper to study its contents carefully. Only two words were written there:

Thank you.

The boy glanced back at the window and gave a small smile.

"You're welcome. Brother."

.

END