//------------------------------// // 7-Up // Story: Wily's Wittle Wub // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// "HOW?!" Forte demanded angrily as he watched himself once more explode on his computer screen. "How do you keep getting me like that, sis?" "It'd help if you could hit the broad side of a barn at three feet!" Vinyl teased over the video chat, blowing Forte a raspberry as the other players laughed. "You're really letting him have it, aren't you Vinyl?" Protoman asked with a chuckle. "I am pleased you found these games," Typhon added. "It is something we can compete in that is not too easy." "And we're gonna keep playing until Forte manages to land a hit on me!" Vinyl insisted. "I mean, seriously! Ten foot wide beam! Target three feet away dead center! Funneled to your location! How do you miss that?" Forte groaned as he brought his face down against the desk again. "Are you ever going to let me live that one down?" he grumbled. Vinyl scratched her chin for a time. "Hmm...nope!" "Looks like you're stuck with it," Umikage taunted as he continued to maneuver his own character through the game. "Gonna be a bone of contention for a while, huh?" "Skull Man!" Vulcan screamed angrily. "Enough with the puns already!" "Can't help it," Skull Man replied easily. "I've got a ton of them programmed into me..." "Don't say it!" Gaius called out quickly. "Don't you dare!" Umikage added. "I will set you on fire!" Vulcan insisted. "I will end you if you do!" Typhon spoke up, including his own insistence. "I have a sonic manipulator!" Vinyl threatened. "I have guns now!" Forte insisted. "Like you could hit me," Skull Man countered, causing Forte to groan and the others to sigh in relief. He then grinned widely. "...a skele-ton." "SKULL MAN!" they all screamed out in frustration. At that point, Protoman got an alert. "It looks like someone's requesting to join our game," he called out. "Hmm...who's username is 'Blue Bomber'?" "It's Rock!" Vinyl squealed out happily. "Invite invite invite!" Moments later, Rock's face appeared on the video chat. "Hey everyone!" he greeted happily. Various greetings rang out from everyone playing. "You ready to get your butt kicked again?" Forte challenged. "If you can hit him this time," Protoman teased. "GRAAAGGGH!" Forte screamed out as he made his character charge Protoman's, only to get taken out by Vinyl's. "Damn it!" "Well this looks like it's going to be fun," Rock said happily, carefully guiding his character to join the game. "Speaking of fun, how'd you like this last challenge?" Vinyl asked. "Not too over the top, was it?" "Oh, almost certainly," Rock confirmed. As Vinyl's face started to fall, he grinned widely. "And it...was...AWESOME! I haven't had so much fun since I realized the Wub Masters were meant to prank me, and the entire trials of the Wubtress were a game you were playing with me! I can't imagine how you intend to top it for next time!" Vinyl chuckled nervously. "To be honest...neither can I," she admitted. "I've been trying to come up with a way to go even more over the top next time and make things even more awesome...and I've got nothing." "Well, next time can you disable Forte's...I assume it's called the 'Bass Cannon'?" Rock requested. "What?" Forte demanded. "But that's my ultimate weapon!" "And having experienced a sonic disruption blast through the torso, I find the idea of one that large abjectly terrifying," Rock countered firmly. Vinyl's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh..." She suddenly started bowing repeatedly at the screen. "Rock, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I was so focused on finally making the Bass Cannon work and making this so over the top and awesome that I completely forgot a direct hit from the Bass Cannon would vaporize you and then you'd be dead! I'm sorry!" The robot players stared at Vinyl for a time...and then simultaneously burst into laughter. Vinyl glared up at them all. "Hey!" she whined. "I'm trying to be serious here!" "We know, Vinyl!" Protoman gasped out through his laughs. "It's just..." "That was just so adorable!" Gaius squealed out. Managing to get control of his laughter, Rock grinned widely. "It's alright, Vinyl, I forgive you," he stated firmly. "I know you wouldn't intentionally end our 'game' with me dying. Not sure how you do intend to end it, though." Vinyl sighed in relief. "Thanks Rock...maybe disabling the Bass Cannon isn't such a bad idea." "Hey!" Forte complained angrily. "Or at least adding a few safeties...." Vinyl murmured thoughtfully. "Speaking of endings, though..." Rock spoke up. "Headshot." "Wait, what-" Vinyl froze as she saw her character's head explode, her perfect streak in the game broken. "You son of a bitch, I'll get you for that!" she screamed out angrily. "As you would say..." Rock countered, grinning widely, "...you'll have to hit me first!" Laughing, shouting, and name calling echoed as the motley group continued to play their game. Eventually, during an interlude between matches, Vinyl spoke up. "I think I'm going to stop trying to take over the world." "What?" the others all gasped out in surprise. "Well...I've been thinking about all this," Vinyl explained. "Dad wanted to take over the world to force Robot/Human equality. Rock, you and Dr. Light wanted to stop him because you both believed that could happen naturally. I wanted to help take over the world to make Dad proud of me...but with Sky Lagoon, there's already Robot/Human equality, and with its continued economic success, eventually humans would have to be blind or stupid not to see the sense of it. So...what's the point of trying to take over the world anymore? As much as I enjoy the rivalry, Rock...I'd hate to lose you because of it." Rock nodded in understanding. "I get what you're saying, Vinyl," he answered. "So...what will you do next, then?" "I'm thinking I'll find a bunch of robots who could do good terraforming work and go conquer Mars," she replied easily. "No one there to fight back, after all, so no one gets hurt!" Laughter greeted this assessment as the next round began.