Wily, Protoman, and Vinyl sat around a large TV screen as footage began to play. "Is everyone ready to see Mega Man's attempts at defeating our robot masters?" Wily asked wickedly.
Protoman flashed a thumbs up. Vinyl clapped her hooves together, waving a flag that read, "Go Crash Man!"
Wily chuckled. "Guess you've picked a favorite," he replied happily. "Let's see what Mega Man's going to do."
The screen lit up, showing nine small boxes in a 3x3 grid. The center box had Wily's own logo - Dr. W - emblazoned in it, while the eight outside boxes had each of the Robot Masters pictured. The left box, Heat Man, was illuminated.
"Smash!" Vinyl shouted happily, waving the concept model of Heat Man - the lighter with Mr. Potato Head bits stuck to it - around happily.
As they saw Mega Man beam into the area, Protoman asked a pertinent question. "Where did Heat Man get the lava?"
"Smash!" Vinyl shouted happily as Mega Man began leaping through the stage.
"Vinyl's probably right," Wily pointed out. "He probably just smashed some rock and superheated it."
As Mega Man continued through the stage - leaping from small platform to small platform and shooting the smaller robots that attacked him - Vinyl began to giggle. "Boing, boing, boing!" she chanted, timing each boing to when Mega Man jumped.
At one point, one of the blocks Mega Man was trying to jump to vanished without explanation, causing Mega Man to freak out and wave his arms and legs wildly as though trying to fly. He managed to catch the next block and pull himself up, however.
Vinyl smacked her forehooves together with the sound of snapped fingers. "So close!"
"Did...did you do that?" Wily asked, his eyes amazed.
Vinyl shook her head. She waved the Heat Man toy.
"You told Heat Man to do it?"
Vinyl nodded eagerly.
"That wasn't a vanishing block," Protoman interpreted. "That was an illusory block!"
Vinyl clapped happily and eagerly.
Mega Man was very careful with the disappearing blocks in the next section, making all three watchers laugh. They laughed harder when Mega Man whimpered at the next section of small platforms, precise jumping...and a whole sequence of disappearing blocks over a pool of lava and a bottomless pit. Eventually, Mega Man made it to Heat Man's chamber.
As Mega Man had frequently during Wily's first conquest, he leapt to plant his hand at the top of the door...only to get smacked back by a boxing glove. It then deposited a cleaning rag and soap, and the handprint left behind illuminated. Grumbling, Mega Man scrubbed the door clean before it opened. Vinyl and Protoman fist bumped at that.
Mega Man was still grumbling as he entered Heat Man's chamber. Heat Man himself burst in loudly. "Heat Man Smash!" he roared as he charged Mega Man in a burst of flame. Mega Man leapt over him, turning to shoot him as he stopped charging...only for Heat Man to keep charging straight up the wall, slamming into the ceiling and causing lava bombs to drop down towards Mega Man.
Mega Man did his best to dodge each one, shooting at Heat Man as he came down.
"Heat Man strongest there is!" Heat Man roared as he charged again.
While Mega Man's skills at evasion were challenged since the lava bombs fell randomly, Heat Man's pattern was predictable, and he eventually fell.
"Well, didn't think he'd fall to the first," Wily pointed out. On the screen, Mega Man found something orange and white. "Hey, what's Item 1 doing there?"
"Oops!" Vinyl replied. Seeing Mega Man grabbing it, she pouted. "Hey! That's mine!"
"You can take it out of his circuits if he makes it all the way to the fortress," Wily promised.
"So who's he going to go after next?" Protoman asked as the screen returned to the original configuration, this time with Heat Man's small window blacked out.
This time, Air Man's window was highlighted.
"Odd," Wily pointed out. "Why Air Man next?"
"Maybe he has his reasons," Protoman pointed out as the cameras showed the area Air Man had conquered.
Mega Man beamed in to a series of mid air platforms, some of which attacked him as he progressed. He seemed quite nervous about jumping from platform to platform.
"Maybe it was Dr. Light's idea to make him confront his newfound fear of disappearing blocks," Dr. Wily joked.
After a longer time of getting from platform to platform - and starting to panic because both platforms and enemies tended to hide in clouds - Mega Man eventually reached Air Man's chamber.
As Mega Man walked in, he was rather pleased to see that there were no pits to fall into.
Air Man dropped in. "Greetings, Mega Man," he stated flatly. "I am Air Man."
Mega Man blinked at him. "Is...is there something wrong with your voice synthesizer?"
"No," Air Man replied. "My voice synthesizer shows no errors."
"It's just...you sound more...robotic than most."
Air Man glowered at Mega Man. "This is my normal voice," he pointed out firmly.
"Fair enough," Mega Man replied quickly.
"I do not like you, Mega Man," Air Man stated bluntly. "I think I will destroy you now."
"Weren't...weren't you going to do that anyway?" Mega Man asked.
"Yes, but I was going to have more idle banter with you while the Masters watched, to entertain them," Air Man corrected. He stomped his foot on the platform, and the walls to either side fell away, revealing bottomless pits.
"Not the pits!" Mega Man whimpered. "Not the pits and disappearing blocks!"
"And now we fight," Air Man proclaimed.
Shivering, Mega Man leveled his blaster.
"Not yet," Air Man pointed out. "We must have music." Lifting his hand to his head, he pushed a button, making music start. "This is my jam."
Mega Man did his best to fight, but without walls to rest against, fighting against the wind and dodging the mini-tornadoes proved much more difficult...especially since Air Man stayed put and kept firing, rather than charging towards him. As the lyrics passed, Mega Man's eyes popped open. "Wait, you're weak to Wood Man's weapon?"
"Precisely," Air Man replied.
"Why would you tell me that?"
"Because it will do you no good."
Mega Man thought for a bit. "Does that mean that all the Robot Masters are weak against one of your weapons?"
"That is correct," Air Man replied.
"Are you going to tell me who's weak against yours?" Mega Man asked.
Suddenly, the wind stopped, and Air Man was right in front of him. "No," he stated, kicking Mega Man in the face.
"...ow..."
The battle continued, Mega Man unable to land a serious blow on Air Man, and eventually he was left hanging from the edge with Air Man standing over him, boot raised to crush his fingers and send him falling to his death.
The music stopped. "This fight is over," Air Man stated, lowering his foot...to the platform.
"...eh?"
"I'm done. You are boring me." Air Man turned and walked away. "The Items belong to Vinyl. Make sure you return them to her. If you don't, I will feed you your own limbs with marinara sauce and oil." Air Man then beamed out.
Mega Man continued to hang from the platform. "...little help?" he called out.
The trio watching stared, their jaws hanging. After a time of silence, Vinyl pulled out a flag that read, "Go Air Man!"
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But, other than that, this chapter is quite excellent.
yeah! go airman!!!
Airman just kicked megamans ass
I would've thought Annihilation of Monseropolis would've been used.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
The greatest fear of all. Disappearing blocks!!!!
I literally read the chapter before this ten minutes before this one was published.
Okay, if Airman has time to set up, he is actually more dangerous than any one else so far. That said, Megaman is really unlucky with who he is going against so far. Or really lucky. Either or.
holy shit...Megaman can't beat Airman...
Sits next to Vinyl, cheering for Airman
no weapon well that's a shock. It's going to bite air man in the but when they fight again I just know it.
6431463 Same here. However, it seems that Tatsurou had never listened to any of The Megas songs. As such, expect low chances of him actually including any Megas references despite even the Archie Comics including a reference in one of their comics.
(Case in point: i.imgur.com/pOGUn.jpg
)
LOL, that ending, though
As always, Vinyl is so adorable.
6431693 Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a Sonic/Megaman crossover comic? Vinyl using the Wubs on the freedom fighters ftw.
... You know, I think I get it now. All of this is essentially how us gamers feel whenever we play any megaman game. At first, we do it because it's the right thing to do and it's for a cause that we know is right... then the reality sinks in. Whether it's disappearing blocks, spikes, bosses with odd AI patterns, or dying several times (Or characters you like dying several times over), you begin to see something that you didn't see before: Wily, Sigma, Weil, World 3, Gospel, Nebula, and (Insert mastermind/organization name here) are SADISTS. It is then that you must make a choice: Quit, or suffer through the trials and tribulations and embrace the path you walk upon until the end. Hopefully, Megaman chooses to do the latter, despite how all-too-tempting the former sounds (Airman stopping the fight because Megaman was THAT weak probably doesn't help). Because a staple among epics where two forces of equal power clash is the ending result when one of the forces is defeated by the other, and the victor's ideal becomes the truth while the loser's ideal receives generous consideration.
6431754 Actually, there's two! However, Vinyl would end up having to team up with the Mobians, Robot Masters, and other heroes in the second one. In fact, I suspect that Vinyl and Octavia are finally going to meet in said crossover, given how X, Zero and Axl travel through worlds to chase after Sigma.
6431754
6431834
I have no idea what the two of you are talking about.
6431978 Awhile back Archie Comics did a crossover of Megaman and Sonic the Hedgehog, it follows the typical cliche. Wily and Robotnic meet and team up to conquer their respective worlds and the heroes in blue step in to stop them.
6431995
Ah.
I know nothing of the Archie comics. Never read any of them.
My only knowledge of any Mega Man/Sonic crossover is the webcomic "Two Evil Scientists", long discontinued.
6431978 ... *sigh* Well, at least someone does. As to what we're (Jlargent and I) talking about, though, The Megas are a rock band who started out making songs based around the Megaman 2 bosses and soundtrack, and have both done more songs based on Megaman 3 among other things and have become known as one of the bands closest associated with the Megaman franchise. Hell, they actually provided music for both the Megaman 25th anniversary music CD and the trailers for the Mega Man Universe trailers, meaning that they are recognized as an official band of fame by Capcom itself.
6432008 Here's an idea: Starlight Glimmer raised by Robotnic.
And to give an example of what their songs are like (Other than what's already on here):
6432011
6432050
Oh, I know about the Megas and what you're talking about with them.
It was when you started talking about the comics that I became totally lost.
6432061 Ah. Well, to answer that, in the third issue of Archie's Megaman series, this panel was shown: i.imgur.com/pOGUn.jpg
Now, that may not mean much to most, the readers passing it off as random words. To those who are The Megas fans, though, they may find them being quite similar to the chorus of this song...
6432108
I was referring to the discussion of a Sonic/Megaman crossover in the comics.
Ah, good ole' Air Man's levels.
But seriously, really well written. Half expected more Android 18-esque jokes, but eh, just a nitpick. Can't wait for whatever terror you give us with Metal Man's fight.
6432136 Ah. Well, to answer that, in 2013, Archie combined their Sonic and Megaman comic series by having the two team up against Eggman and Wily, who have teamed up, roboticized most of Sonic's friends into Roboticized Masters, and are planning to conquer both worlds.
And again in this very year's summer, the two had to team up when the two doctors tried again, only for Sigma to take over and try to conquer the Omniverse, resulting in people arriving to help from various series, such as Street Fighter, Megaman X, Ghosts and Goblins, and even Sonic Boom and Amaterasu. And at the end of the arc, it was hinted that there is going to be a third arc to the trilogy.
Loved the update!
6432168
Ah.
Well, these two stories (this and Melody of the Future) are based on the video games only.)
6432210 Ah, gotcha. I take that this means that the Ruby-Spears episode where X travelled back in time to hunt down Vile and Mandrill is defunct, then?
6432233
That's the cartoon...so yeah, not happening.
I wonder if anyone (in story world) is going to notice that Airman said Masters, plural. Yeah Light knows about Vinyl, but knowing of her existence is one thing and finding out that the robot masters accept her as a master on equal level with Wily... well... something interesting might come of it. Or, (even better) everyone could interpret it wrong and start thinking Wily's in league with some menacing, dark, and shadowy scientist, whose advances and improvements seem to go beyond of what the robots should be capable of doing. A figure with enough power to hold sway over Wily, and program robots even better than him. Then everyone gets all worked up about this mysterious second Master, and starts getting even more anxious and unease about him than they do about Wily. When all the while it's just little Vinyl.
6432352
You know, that interpretation would explain why Light and Mega Man were so ready to believe Cossack was evil come his game...which is only two games from now...
I always hated Airman...
Blast that $!#& next time time with extreme prejudice
6431693 Yeah.. Don't get me wrong, I like how it turned out, but that song tells a powerful story in its subtext. I was honestly surprised it didn't get embraced.
Then again like I said, this variation of Air Man is pretty good too. ^^
6432830
The problem with the story it tells is that it doesn't fit with this version of the characters and conflict. All parties to the conflict are actively trying to avoid human casualties.
6432837 Troo. And I did mention this Air Man is pretty badass.
Poor MegaMan is gonna be a neurotic mess by MM3.
6432168
reactiongifs.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/jerry-seinfeld-kramer-pocker-face-Newman-winner-laugh.gif
First I was like"what!"
Then I got blazed.
Then I made a creepy laugh.
Seriously, when did this happen. I mean I know of the first team up but this new one is news to me.
6431412 Hi again.
heh Did not expect Air Man to beat Megaman. Apparently neither did Wily or Vinyl. I guess this means he has to go after Woodman next. I never had an issue with his stage, but Woodman and Crashman were always the hardest MM2 Masters for me to beat.
Really rather looking forward to Mega's reaction to some of the other Masters of this group.
6431592 If he can't even beat Air Man I can't wait to see how helpless he will be against Quick Man.
Oh I can already see it happening.
Mega Man goes straight to Wood Man next chapter now that he knows that's Air Man's weakness and also because he conveniently happens to have already obtained Heat Man's weaponry which is undoubtedly Wood Man's weakness.
Then he will make it back to Air Man and get his revenge!
But his victory won't last long, for once he makes it to Quick Man's room, oh boy...
Not even the game master will be able to save him from that punishment.
Waiting eagerly for more updates,
~Leonzilla
poor Megaman is going to be a nervous wreck due to Vinyl.
6432852 Meh, if you haven't been following Archie Comics at every 'Con they've been to, I'm not surprised that you didn't know of the second Worlds Collide arc.
6433191 agreed
6432992 same and the fact he knows hes gotta return vinyls stuff stright away or he will be in alot of pain again lol
6432899 hello friend!!
6432992
6433992 how are you doing?
6434071 i am well thank you! yourself?
Nice messing with Megaman, though I'm still hoping to see him work with Wily to save Vinyl from something, like maybe the Stardroids.
Wow. I always thought 'I can't beat Airman' was a JOKE.