"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.
And Vinyl's off to conquer Mars. All hail the electric-maned overlord of Mars, everyone!
Also, I'm really curious what game they're playing now...
I thought the title was talking about the soda almost. Just look at it. "7-Up"
7278425
Maybe they were playing their world's version to Team Fortress 2.
7278462 So... Make them robots? It's like an inverse Mann vs. Machine.
7278468
-shrug- who knows.
7278473 Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing... just unusual.
It's not unusual to feel love by anyone...
Enter Vinyl, conquer of Equestria
So wait how will 8 & 9 happen then? I wonder why Rock will fight these Robot Masters then?
This must be the part where they end up discovering duo...Megaman Battle Network reference anyone?
if I remember well megaman 8 wily used an alien energy he got from a wrecked alien robot and in 9 megaman finally decides to take down wily for good since he never had the 3 laws of robotics programmed on him, as any of Dr. light creations
And then Space robots...then Duo...then the Power Fighters because funsies...then Power Battle because more funsies, then the virus because...wait that one won't be fun
Wait a second, I just realized something. Wasn't there a scientist trying to take over the world because he thought it was the only way to change a societal convention? And wasn't there a robot who asked to modify and repurpose himself because he believed there was another way to do it?... Eh, I must be imagining things.
OK, quick question, one that demands a response. So are robots immortal, or not? The way Bomb Man put it, robots can simply be backed up by a computer once they're destroyed, but everyone else says that robots die when they die. So is it like Dragon Ball logic and you just have to hit them hard enough to die, or what?... Also, I just noticed something. So Vinyl created something that can insta-kill anything instantly, aided in trying to take over the world several times, and has showed no hint of slowing down... and yet it's when her friend tells her that a thing that's obviously traumatized him in the past gives him trauma that she considers that she's done something wrong... Oh, nothing, I just thought that was an interesting detail. Unfortunately, it most likely won't play a role in the fu-
... Excuse me for one second, I have words to eat... alright, so what's next?
... YES! FINALLY, AN APPLICATION OF LOGIC IN THIS STORY!! IT TOOK 87 CHAPTERS, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENED! Caring for friends' lives and well-being? Check! Understanding of causality? Check! Realizing what the average human being has been able to figure out since adolescence? Check!!!... So... what happens next?!
Go for it, you can conquer Eris for all I care! THEY FINALLY DI-... Oh, right, Mega Man 8 is a thing... So let me guess, the evil energy comes around, something evil happens, and so Mega Man, Forte, Proto Man, their new friend Duo (unless HE'S the antagonist; wouldn't that be a twist?), and everyone else has to fight against a dangerous threat in what may be the last stand?
7278633 No, in 7, he was going to straight up kill Wily.... well, at least in the US version.
If I understand correctly, in Japan, Rock's wording was to the effect of 'sneeze wrong, and I'll execute you,' while in the States, "Nope. Fuck this. Fuck you. Eat plasma-y death."
https://tcrf.net/Mega_Man_7#Regional_Differences
7278743
In regard to your question about robot immortality...
Yes, a robot's personality can be downloaded to a network, then uploaded to a new body. However, as discovered when Guts Man was re-uploaded into Stone Man, if the body isn't an exact replica of the original, this can result in personality shift, so it's uncertain exactly how accurate such a process is.
Also, unlike the other Robot Masters, Rock isn't hooked up to a continuous back-up network...a security feature on Dr. Light's part to prevent anyone from remotely hacking him.
7278809 Hey, kind of like in Battle Network where MegaMan.EXE can't come back to life (...) because of spoilers!
Also, YOU DID IT!!!!!
7278838
Yes...except when he can.
7278843 LOL, exactly.
7278857
Sounds like the end of Battle Network 3.
7278888 Yup.
What game are they even playing?
7278939
Doesn't matter. As such, I left it vague enough for anyone to fill in their favorite of that sort of game, or make up their own.
Vinyl, whatever you do, be carful with mars. You have no idea what or WHO might be there. It might lead to certain Doom.
7278988 So, they were not playing any game we have in real life. Ah man! I was hoping to look up the game the were playing!
7279019
No specific game.
Got a feeling things will get a wee bit dark when you get into "Rockman 8" with the evil energy and Duo. Perhaps proceeding with Albert getting kidnapped/corrupted and Vinyl trying to save him.
If even Vinyl is getting annoyed by Skull Man, could she just bring back his original personality? Wasn't the Sans persona secondary programming anyway?
7279042
Skull Man's not her robot.
7279050 Right.....Skull Man was one of Dr. Cossack's robots. I just...kinda assumed the Sans personality was Vinyl's doing since I don't remember how that happened.
I was wondering how long it would take Vinyl to come to that conclusion. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
7279061
Skull Man was originally designed with two ability sets and two personality cores. The primary was a tactical strategist with Darth Vader's personality. The Sans one was the secondary, pure combat set.
... Well, now I want a 7-Up. I love 7-Up. I read this chapter and I could only ponder, when was Vinyl going to drink some 7-Up? I'm gonna take a break now and get me some sweet bubbly 7-Up.
7279032 Is it based upon a game in real life or not? If it is, what game is it based on?!?!
Mars, eh? Let's hope it doesn't end up like either Trinity Blood or Iron Blood Orphan.
7278462 Either that or Overwatch.
too bad we never got to see what happened to Lights lab during this last bout...i was looking forward to finding out what was up...
And now we know where all the wily/vinyl capsuls come from
I think Forte needs to get to the... Bass problem of why his aim is off. Guess Skull Man wouldn't... miss the opportunity to pun while he can, sans everyone else of course. Vinyl really has a... sound idea involving Mars, I'm sure everyone is going to... Wub it.
7279302 He had his feet up with a massive bucket of popcorn and a video feed, what do you think he was doing?
7279033 That and the evil energy corrupts their voices
7280024 Gee buddy. Really scratching the bottom of the barrel, eh? Your puns are really starting to diminu-end-o.
7279191 Tats has intentionally left that up to your imagination.
Hah! Sounds like Duck Game to me, though considering how it's left open (as opposed to the Dark Souls variant at the start of this chapter), it certainly works for almost anything.
I bet Rock's itching for a game on Mars. Might even give Light a heart attack, considering. But... it sounds like both Light and Wily's plans have come to fruition there, all through the friendship fostered by a little white unicorn. Wubs for all!
How are you going to handle the dark energy crisis in 8? Cause you KNOW that's pure evil powering the robots.
7281614 Guess even though making puns was my Forte this was a miss. Eh, was worth a shot.
7282681 It was not sansational, no. Really off bass with that one. But you came back strong.
Mars? Why not the moon? Or a asteroid first?
I really love what you did with the story. To be honest, it feels a bit shallow that the fights have literally just become games, but at the same time, I love it. I also find it interesting that Vinyl is more of the game master now than Wily. What's even more interesting is that she's concerned about Rock's safety, but I guess that's the part I love about making this a game.
What I'm interested in knowing is if Duo is going to appear anytime. Like if the evil energy corrupted the robot masters or something. Dunno. Just a suggestion. Can't wait to see what's next!
EDIT: I just realized that what I said in the second paragraph is just a repeat of what other people said. Sorry for the redundancy.
...Please tell me I'm not the only one having ideas of shipping Rock and Vinyl?
7286219 your not the only one having ideas of shipping rock an vinyl. though, seeing as how octavia in another verse is A mega daughter could be fun getting them together
this was a very fun read. curious as to how you could go further..martians? (for some reason, I'm not thinking monstrous like everyone else, but Marvin Martian from Loony Toons xD)
Just White Apes, Martians of various colors, dog/cat things that are so fast Quick Man looks slow, and a Gentleman from Virigina who goes by the quaint little title of Warlord of Mars.
I honestly do hope Vinyl takes a break from trying for World Domination, I'd like to see Rock and her working together against a common foe.
7282681 you guys puns aren't Humerous at all. You didn't even get a Crack out of me. It wasn't even Eggsellent.