//------------------------------// // Bonus Battle // Story: Wily's Wittle Wub // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Mikhail Cossack was rather surprised to hear his front door open as he was overseeing the construction of all the traps and obstacles that would delay Mega Man as he made his way to the 'Death Machines' Wily had suggested he build for 'realism'. He was even more surprised at the voice that accompanied the door opening. "Daddy! I'm home!" "Kalinka?" Mikhail shouted in shock. "What are you doing back?" He raced to the door. "Mega Man will be here soon..." His voice trailed off as he saw the Blue Bomber himself holding Kalinka's hand. "I think we need to talk, Doctor," Mega Man stated calmly. Mikhail stepped back, struggling to find words. "I...I can explain-" "No need," Mega Man replied. "I know exactly what's going on." "You...you do?" Dr. Cossack gulped, fully expecting now to face who knew how many criminal charges, trying to prepare himself for it. "Yes," Mega Man replied, his face stern. "This was all...just a simple misunderstanding." Mikhail wasn't certain what he'd expected Mega Man to say, but that wasn't it. "What?" "Yes," Mega Man replied. "You came home to find your little girl missing, and to see that new Fortress with the skull symbol so nearby. You had just gotten back from a meeting, and weren't entirely in control of yourself when you called Dr. Wily. Given his reputation, it was natural for you to assume he was holding Kalinka hostage to make you take over the world for him, and your fear for what he'd do to her if you told anyone explains why you put your Fortress under a communications blackout after breaking contact with him." Mega Man smirked. "Of course, if - as the call record shows you failed to - you'd given him the chance to get a word in edgewise, he would have told you that Kalinka was no hostage, and was just spending time with Vinyl." Mega Man chuckled ruefully. "Dr. Wily's parenthood isn't well known, so it makes sense you wouldn't know that he wouldn't dream of harming a little girl in the same age group as his own, let alone threaten her to get her father's cooperation." He leaned in close to the doctor. "Maybe next time you should let the 'evil doctor' tell you his plans, rather than assuming them?" Mikhail chuckled rather stiffly, not entirely believing this was happening. "Yes, Mega Man. I. Will. Be. Sure. To. Do. That. In. The. Future." Mega Man winked. "And that's the story we'll tell everyone investigating this, right?" "How did you know?" Mikhail asked, confused and worried. "Officially, because Wily made sure Kalinka kept a live Twitter feed going through the whole thing because he knew no one would believe him," Mega Man replied. "I found it because I googled you as soon as you threw down the gauntlet." "So you knew all along?" Mikhail, Mega Man, and Kalinka all jumped at that voice, which seemed to beep slightly at every other syllable, like a robot with the hiccups. Mikhail's face paled. "Oh no...you only beat Skull Man once..." "Only once?" Mega Man asked in confusion. "Skull Man was designed for combat, and only for combat," Mikhail explained, grabbing hold of Kalinka and pulling her away. "He has two personality cores and ability sets. The primary is based fully in tactics. The second, which activates if the first is beaten...is pure power, and highly experimental." Swallowing convulsively, Mega Man turned around. Skull Man stood there...but he looked different. For some reason, he was wearing a blue hoodie, and had his hands in the pockets. Also, his eyes glowed blue. "Look at the sky," Skull Man said in his new voice. "The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the flowers are in bloom. It's the kind of day that's rare this far north. The kind of day..." My brothers will never see again. Mega Man leapt back in shock. He knew that Skull Man had said those words, but they had jumped straight into his head without the use of sound. And when he'd said it, Skull Man's eyes had turned into hungry black pits, looking as though they'd suck out Mega Man's soul... "You knew all along," Skull Man continued in his more normal new voice, his eyes once more blue. "You knew exactly where Kalinka was and why, and yet you still went after my brothers and I. You still hungered for battle. But that's you, isn't it...you dirty brother killer." "H-hang on," Mega Man began nervously. "It's not like that-" "Isn't it?" Skull Man asked. "Didn't you enjoy fighting your own brothers over and over? Don't you still hunger for the power to beat Air Man? Don't you still train against the possibility of another...Metal Man?" Lightning flashed as, in the distance, Vinyl could be heard to whinny. "Face it, Mega Man. You claim to be a champion of justice...but you've been rebuilt for combat, and it's all you are now." Mega Man shivered, his body quivering as he felt the guilt of his actions - presented in this light as sins - crawling on his back. "On a day like this, bad boys like you..." Are gonna have a bad time. Gasping for air from the sheer overpowering fear, Mega Man activated his buster. Before he could even get it fully formed, Skull Man had thrown one hand out, a small flaming skull lashing out and sticking to Mega Man's chest. Skull Man then swung his hand upwards, and Mega Man slammed into the ceiling painfully. Similar impacts occurred against the walls and floor. Bones flew at Mega Man, which he barely dodged...only to realize they weren't bones at all, but pieces of the robots and Robot Masters he'd destroyed, Cossack and Wily alike. When he turned back to Skull Man, he saw the robot holding what looked like the skull of a dragon. The skull opened. Wily stared at the devastation this personality of Skull Man was unleashing. As Vinyl stared in awe, he reached for his phone. "Mikhail...do you suppose I could...take a look at Skull Man's specs?" "No." Forte whistled at the onslaught. "Ya think Little Boy Blue's gonna make it out in one piece?" "Yes," Air Man interjected. "I recognize the persona basis. He will give Mega Man a chance to surrender." "Adding yet another bot to the list of those Mega Man could never beat," Crash Man breathed in awe. "We should form a club."