I have mentioned this project to a few people, and shown it to a couple,
but it's taken over a week for me to decide to post what little I have of
it to the FFML.

This has no title yet, and is based on MegaMan Legends, the US version of
Rockman Dash, by Capcom.



//Kattelox reinitialization program will commence in one hundred
seconds...//

"What should I do!?"

"Emergency override protocol, authorization Purifier model MegaMan
Trigger!"

"...?"

"Withdraw and postpone Kattelox reinitialization indefinitely! Delete
backup memory log of bureaucratic model MegaMan Juno!"

//Authorization recognized...reinitialization program cancelled. Memory log
reading backup bureaucratic program MegaMan Juno deleted. Bureaucratic
command functions for Kattelox rerouted to Purifier/acting Bureaucratic
model MegaMan Trigger.//


******


The massive steel spinal column which served as the robot's body hung
broken in at least four places, bringing the carbon-scored, cracked visage
of its head down to eye level. Its arms lie strewn about the ground,
shattered, and it tottered on unstable grav units.

"An impressive battle," the burned, blistered face of his opponent said,
the serene smile upon his face clashing eerily with the waxy, dripping
psuedoskin. "Unfortunately, your efforts have been in vain. Had you been
able to destroy me, and had you somehow managed to cancel the
reinitialization program, the Reaverbots in this and the other facilities
on the island would provide more than sufficient force to commence
sterilization procedures." The one eye which had not been destroyed opened,
a dark green orb blazing with malicious fire. "In fact, the units in the
southernmost facility have already been deployed to the surface.
Observe..."

A viewscreen flickered to life, and the broken robot turned to face it, as
did the other, smaller being present. On the screen, several
propeller-driven dragonflies and a number of bipedal robots with spinning
claws bore down on an old man with electronic green eyes and a young girl
dressed in red and black. As the pair of battle-weakened robots in the
control room watched, the old man and the girl were ripped to shreds by the
merciless automatons, their death screams echoing in the stillness of the
afternoon...

"NOOOOOO!!!" the blue-armored robot screamed. He turned to the pink-haired,
smiling robot and snarled in rage. "YOU...YOU BASTARD!!" Raising his right
arm, he fired a continuous spray of micromissles into the benevolent
visage. The stench of melted plaskin filled the air, and charred fibers of
artificial hair fell to the ground.

"It is a pity," the voice of the robot said in that infuriatingly calm and
serene tone, "that your memory loss has resulted in your attachment to
these carbons. Perhaps...you wish to be reinitialized along with them..."

The walls of the control room begin to shake, and arcs of energy raced
along every surface...


******


"NOOOOOOOO!"

MegaMan Volnutt sat bolt upright in bed, clutching his hand to his chest.
He blinked, his eyesight adjusting to the dim lighting of his cabin.
"Whew...what a nightmare," he said.

The door flew open. A pretty girl with medium-length blond hair rushed in.
She was currently dressed in red pajamas decorated with stylized gears and
circuitry patterns. She arrived at his bedside and peered at him with
concern. "What's wrong, MegaMan?" she asked.

MegaMan smiled weakly. "It's...it's nothing, Roll. Really. Just...just a
bad dream."

Roll frowned at him. "You've been having a lot of bad dreams lately,
MegaMan..."

MegaMan looked away, drawing his knees up to his chest. "It...it's nothing.
Really."

Roll sighed. "You always say that...why won't you tell me what's bothering
you? I know it has something to do with the Main Gate. What happened to you
down there, anyway?"

MegaMan sat silently for a moment. Data, his longtime friend/pet monkey
jumped onto the bed, and made a few unintelligible sounds. MegaMan nodded
as if in response, then turned to face Roll. "Roll...I'll tell you about
it...someday. I just...I have a lot to think about first, alright?"

Roll gazed at him in concern for several moments, then finally nodded,
turning away slightly. "Al...alright, MegaMan...I won't push. Whenever
you're ready, though, please come talk to me, alright?"

MegaMan nodded, and managed a somewhat reassuring smile. "I'll be fine,
really. It's still late...you should try to get some sleep."

After one last worried glance in his direction, Roll nodded, and left the
room.

Once Roll was gone, MegaMan turned to his small friend. "I...I need to talk
to her about it. I need to tell her what happened. She's so worried about
me..."

Data nodded. "That's right...it's not good to keep this bottled up." He
looked down. "I wish I could tell you what you want to know...but I can't.
Not yet."

"I wish you'd at least explain that to me," MegaMan said.

Data shook his head sadly. "I have pre-fragmentation orders not to reveal
anything to you until the eighteenth year of your re-activation. No matter
what happens, I can't tell you anything until then."

MegaMan frowned. "But...but why? Who gave you the order?"

Data smiled. "You did, MegaMan. And you ordered me to ignore any orders to
violate *those* orders in case you somehow found out something about your
origins before eighteen years passed."

MegaMan grimaced. "I'm getting a headache from all this."

Data looked down. "If only MegaMan Juno hadn't awakened..."

MegaMan shuddered. "I'll never get used to hearing someone that twisted
being called by the same name as me..." He looked up. "How many MegaMen are
there...?"

Data sighed. "I can't tell you that..." Looking up into the sad, pleading
eyes of his friend, he said, "I can tell you, though, that there are more
than two."

MegaMan nodded numbly, turning an unfocused gaze towards some point on the
horizon. "I'm not sure if I can deal with that...how can I ever get my mind
off what happened down there when hearing my own name is a reminder...?"

Data shrugged his primate shoulders. "A new name, maybe?"

MegaMan blinked. "A new name...?"


******


"Good morning!" Roll called out cheerfully as the blue-armored boy strolled
into the living room. Blueprints stretched out before her on the table.
Nearby, her grandfather, Professor Barrell, sipped his morning coffee as he
watched a news program being broadcast from a nearby island.

"Mornin'," the boy said as he sank down into an empty chair.

"How...I mean...did you sleep well? After..." Roll asked uncertainly.

He nodded. "Yeah, I got back to sleep." Pausing for a moment, he took a
deep breath. "Listen...I think...I think I'm finally ready to talk about
what happened...at the Main Gate, I mean..."

Roll sat forward attentively. Barrell clicked off the television. "It's
about time," the old Digger said. "Keepin' stuff like that bottled up ain't
good for ya."

The boy nodded, sighing. "I know...it's just..." he looked up. "But before
I start, there's a condition. Something I need both of you to do."

"What is it?" Roll asked.

"My name," he said. "This is gonna sound strange...you'll understand when I
tell my story, but...I've decided that, if I'm ever gonna deal with what
happened down there, I've gotta change my name."

"Change your name?" Roll asked, blinking.

"Right...like I said, I know it sounds weird, but you'll understand when I
tell you what happened." He paused.

"Okay...so...what do we call you now?" Roll asked.

He shrugged. "I've been thinking about that...and if it's alright with
you..." He looked up. "I'd like for my new name to be...Rock."

Roll blinked. Barrell chuckled softly to himself. After letting it sink in,
Rock began the tale of the ruins beyond Main Gate...


******

[two years later...]

Although it had opened at the strangest possible time--during all the
craziness a couple years back--Stripe Burger, a cozy little fast-food joint
nestled on a quiet corner in downtown Kattelox, surprised the local
commerce by quickly growing into one of the most popular eateries in town.
People from all over the city came to Stripe Burger, and everyone in
Kattelox had found themselves stopping in for a burger at least once. The
atmosphere was cozy, the food was good, and the service...well, they were
cute, and always managed to evoke a smile from the patrons. Except for the
occasional service-related accident...some customers didn't particularly
enjoy trays of food sliding into their laps because the busboy tripped over
his own feet, or one of the other staff.

Stripe Burger had done so well, in fact, that after only a year of
business, the owners (who, for some strange reason, nobody had ever
actually *seen*) bought the adjoining building and expanded their business.
Still specializing in the best hamburgers (the only hamburgers, really) in
Kattelox, Stripe Burger now boasted a menu offering just about anything
anybody could want to eat.

And the yellow-faced kids running the place managed to trip over each other
more than ever.

For a while, customers of Stripe Burger had the feeling they recognized the
kids running the place from somewhere. After a few months, though, as life
in Kattelox returned to normal, it didn't bother anyone anymore.

Except, that is, for two people. The only two people on the island who knew
exactly who owned Stripe Burger.


******


"Hi, welcome to Stripe Burger! Can I--" The high-pitched greeting of the
miniscule maitre'd trailed off as the identity of the customer registered.
"Uhh, good morning, Inspector..." the yellow-faced midget said nervously.

Inspector, the chief of the Kattelox police force, grunted. "Mornin'," he
said.

Another of the runts rushed up, bumping aside the maitre'd. The cap he wore
identified him as the morning manager. "What can I do for you, Inspector,
sir? The usual?"

Inspector took a seat at the counter. "I didn't come here for that today,
kid," he said. "I need some information."

"Information?" the manager asked. "Umm...what kind of information?"

Inspector leaned forward. "I need to get in touch with the owners. Your bos
ses."

"The--owners," the diminuitive restauranteer repeated, nervously.
"Umm...well...you see..."

"Don't jerk me around," Inspector said. "We both know who owns this joint.
So does the mayor." Stroking his thick mustache, he commented,
"Y'know...the mayor's still a little ticked about that whole attack on City
Hall thing..."

"Ah...heheheheheheheheheh," the little droid replied. "Uh, yeah, I guess
she would be..." Clearing his throat, he asked, "So, why do you need to
talk to...the owners?"

"Well," Inspector said, "the mayor put together a special committee to go
down into the Main Gate and gather information on it. Problem is," he
continued, "the power was completely shut down. We finally scared up enough
power to get the lights and the ancient computers running, but..." he
shrugged. "Nobody around here can figure 'em out." Removing a toothpick
from a nearby dispenser and examining it, he said, "We figure anyone who
can build robots like the ones that tried to wreck the city should probably
be able to coax something out of those computers."

For some strange reason, a holographic image of a sweatdrop rolled down the
yellow-faced robot's head. "Well...umm--what about...you know,
what's-his-name..."

Inspector shook his head. "We haven't heard from MegaMan, Roll, and the
Professor since they left here two years ago. Nobody knows where they are."

"Well, umm...I can, umm...I can try to get a message to...the owners," the
manager said. "I mean...we don't know where they are, either..."

"But you have a long-range radio transmitter in the office," Inspector
smirked. "Don't think we don't know about that."

"Eh-heh...right. Umm...okay. I'll call them later..."

"How about now?" Inspector said. "So I can talk to 'em myself."

The manager put his small hands on his hips and looked up at Inspector. "Do
you know how much trouble I'm gonna be in if I let you do that?"

Inspector leaned forward, snapping his toothpick between his thumb and
index finger. "Not as much trouble as you're gonna be in if you don't," he
said.

The robot gulped nervously. "Um...well...alright...but you gotta buy
something, or no deal."

Inspector shrugged. "Fair enough. I could go for a good donut and some
coffee right about now, anyway."


******


Standing before the mirror on her strangely high-tech dressing table, the
teenage girl muttered decidedly unladylike things to herself as she
primped, attempting to coax a semi-functional makeup assistant to tone down
the amount of blush it was applying to her cheeks, while scrounging around
looking for her favorite lipstick. Standing on a chair behind her, two
yellow-faced robots artfully applied hairspray and brushes to her
shoulder-length, stiff brown hair.

"Blast it...where did I leave that pink lipstick?" Tron Bonne fumed.

"Here it is, Mistress Tron," one of the numerous Servbots loitering around
her dressing table said, handing the tube to her.

"Good," Tron said. Applying just the right amount, then blotting her lips,
she smiled. "Almost perfect," she said. "Has anyone seen #20? I want my
good cape."

"Why is Mistress Tron so concerned about her appearance today?" one of the
Servbots asked. "This isn't like her..."

Another of the Servbots replied in a low voice, "Didn't you know? The radar
crew picked up a flying ship on long-range last night. They think it's the
Flutter."

"The Flutter?" the first Servbot repeated. "No wonder she's in such a good
mood."

"I HEARD THAT!!" Tron bellowed. The two Servbots developed holographic
sweatdrops as the girl advanced on them. "My wanting to look nice every now
and then has nothing, and I mean *NOTHING*, to do with...with...with HIM!
GOT IT!?"

The two Servbots cowered away from her fearfully. "Y-yes, Mistress Tron,"
the first said. The second nodded agreement.

With a 'hmph', Tron returned to her primping. "Go find #20 and see if my
good cape's cleaned."

The lights suddenly turned red, and alarm klaxons blared. The intercom
roared to life. //Attention! All hands to battlestations! Master Teisel,
report to the bridge! Mistress Tron, report to the bridge! All hands to
battlestations! Attention!//

Tron frowned. "What's going on?" With the Servbots in her wake, she raced
out of her cabin and headed for the bridge.


******


"GET...OFF!!" Rock bellowed as he blasted away at the thick mass of bundled
cables wrapped tightly around his leg. Similar bundles of cable had latched
on to the railing around the observation deck of the Flutter.

"It's no good..." Roll called from the bridge. "I can't get us free!
They're too strong!"

"The engines are overheating!" Barrell called from below. "If we don't get
out of this soon, we're gonna lose the ship!"

"I can't blast through these things!" Rock shouted. "They're too tough!"

"Hurry, Rock!" Roll said. "We've got another problem! Look down there!"

Kicking up the throttle on his jet skates, Rock pulled desperately against
the cables as he tried to peek over the railing without being pulled off
the Flutter. "Whuh-oh," he said.

The Flutter was hovering over what had been a tower only an hour ago. When
Rock had dropped the barrier guarding the refractor inside, however, the
tower began to shake, and Roll sent an emergency signal over the radio. No
sooner had he made it back to the ship than the upper level of the ruin
irised open...revealing an enormous red eye and a decidedly sharp set of
fan blades. As they began to pull away, several thick bundles of cable
latched onto the Flutter, like the tentacles of a giant squid, attempting
to pull them down.

Now, the eye was glowing, and the fan blades had begun to turn. Rock felt a
strong wind pulling them downward, towards the spinning blades. "This is
nuts!" he exclaimed. "What idiot would build a Reaverbot like this!?"

"An idiot that didn't want his refractor stolen?" Roll suggested. "Can you
get those cables off the ship?"

Rock gave up blasting the cables, and tried prying them loose. "It's no
good," he said. "They're too strong..."

"We've got no choice!" Barrell called from below. "We've got to abandon
ship!"

"Are you crazy?" Roll cried. "If we abandon ship, we'll be killed!"

"If we don't abandon ship, we'll be killed!" Barrell snapped. "I'd rather
take my chances with the water than with that thing down there!"

"Maybe if I can blast the Reaverbot itself..." Rock said, taking aim at the
enormous red eye. A stream of Buster fire struck the eye, to no effect.
"It's not working!"

"What're we gonna do?" Roll cried.

A shadow fell over the Flutter. Rock looked up, and his eyes widened. "No
way..."

"What's going on?" Roll called from the bridge. "I can't operate my
sensors..."

A large green shape detached itself from the clouds, maneuvering into a
position several meters above and to the front of the Flutter. //Digger
ship Flutter,// a deep voice rumbled from a loudspeaker, //This is the
mercenary vessel Gesselschlaft II! Are you in need of assistance?//

"Gesselschlaft II?" Rock echoed. "...Roll! Signal an affirmative! Quick!"

"Gesselschlaft II, this is Flutter," Roll spoke into her radio.
"Affirmative, we are in need of assistance. Be careful not to get too close
to the tower...if it grabs hold of you with its cables, you might not be
able to break free!"

//Clear your deck!// another voice...female, this time...called from the
loudspeaker. //We're going to deploy a quantum missile!//

"A what?" Rock wondered.

"Whatever you're going to do, hurry! We can't take much more of this!" Roll
shouted into the radio.

//Opening missile hatch...// the loudspeaker of the larger ship boomed. The
ship's armored underbelly slid open, and a large, iron-grey cylinder began
sliding out of the ship. The nose of the cylinder bore an insignia which
resembled a round, stylized metal skull. //Locking on target...// The
cylinder shifted slightly, and a loud *clank* rang out.

"We're going to break up!" Roll called out. "Our hull is destabilizing!"

//Quantum missile Rammstein...away!// the Gesselschlaft II's speakers
boomed. With a deafening roar, the massive cylinder shot forth from the
airship, slamming into the glowing red Reaverbot eye. A shockwave rippled
through both airships as the missile exploded, illuminating the sky with a
blinding white corona of flame.

When the sky dimmed, and the shockwave diminished, the Flutter hung shakily
in midair, severed cable bundles dangling from her railing. The Reaverbot
in the top of the ruin had been obliterated...as had the entire upper half
of the tower. Bits of metal rained down on the ocean below.

"Whoa," Rock said.

"Uh-oh...we've got a problem..." Roll said.

"Rock! Roll! The engines are about to blow!" Barrell called out from
belowdecks.

"Forget the engines...the hull's breaking up!" Even as Roll said this, the
lower stabilizer fin broke off of the Flutter and plummeted to the water.

"We're gonna have to abandon ship!" Rock yelled. "Signal the
Gesselschlaft!"

"Gesselschlaft, we've got another problem!" Roll called into the radio.
"Our hull is breaking up! We've got to abandon ship!"

//Get everyone onto your upper deck!// the earlier, male voice boomed.
//We're going to drop tow lines! You can climb aboard!//

"Roger," Roll affirmed, before clicking off the radio and scrambling out of
the bridge. Barrell climbed out of the hatch, Data scampering up behind
him. As the monkey climbed up onto Rock's shoulders, chains with large
hooks on the ends dropped onto the deck. Rock, Roll, and Barrell each
grabbed hold of a chain. Above, a high-pitched voice called out a clear
signal, and the chains slowly retracted into the hatch.

The Flutter shuddered violently for a moment, bits of her hull crumbling
and breaking off. As the Gesselschlaft II moved away, still pulling the tow
lines aboard, the small yellow airship exploded in a brilliant fireball.

"There goes the Flutter," Roll said quietly.

"She was a good ship," Barrell lamented. "We're going to miss her."

The chains cleared the hatch, which closed. Several Servbots rushed in to
assist the new passengers. "Hey..." Roll said, "This wouldn't be...?"

A beautiful girl, about Roll's age, with shoulder-length, hardened brown
hair rushed into the bay, sweat dripping from her face and staining her
tight magenta coveralls. She skidded to a halt as she got a look at the new
arrivals.

Roll blinked. Rock smiled and waved at the girl. "Hi," he said. "Thanks for
helping us out..."

To everyone's surprise, the brown-haired girl ran over and glomped Rock.
Barrell raised an eyebrow. Rock blushed and looked nervous. The Servbots
grew holographic sweatdrops. Roll blinked, then looked slightly annoyed.

A tall, imposing man with red eyes, spiky grey hair, and a green uniform
strolled in. His face broke into a wide grin. "MegaMan!" he called out.
"It's been a long time!"

"Rock?" Roll asked quietly. "Who are these people?"

"You don't remember?" Rock asked, blinking while gently trying to disengage
himself from the enthusiastic female attached to him. "Oh, that's
right...you never met them up-close, did you?" Smiling broadly, he gestured
to the girl and the grey-haired man. "Roll, Gramps...I'd like you to meet
the Bonnes."

"The...Bonnes?" Roll asked. "The...pirates?"

Rock nodded.

"And you're acting like...you're friends with them?" Roll said
suspiciously.

Rock scratched the back of his head. "It's a long story," he said, grinning
sheepishly.

"I'll bet," Roll said, scowling. For some reason, her scowl seemed to be
directed mainly at the brown-haired girl.



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The Eternal Lost Lurker
lurkerdrome@earthlink.net

It is better to give than to receive.
Particularly when what is being given
and received is bullshit.