The Business of War

Orchestrated By C.M. Rich (Magnetman)

Bitter Sweet

By Classi-Cal, Starnik

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A miserable feeling stayed looming deep in her stomach on the way back to the fortress. Her head slouched over in the aircraft they were using to get away from the RPD, that now occupied London. Though glad that herself and her teammate made it to return to base... it was an empty victory.

"Sho..." She whimpered at the thought of her daughter. The product of her own hand's work, days and days of molding, bolting, programing, and filling it with all the love she had inside of herself. A daughter to cherish forever.

Many things were being torn from her, her mango tree home, her teammates, and now her daughter. As Spark-Chan's head rose upward, she would find the windows of the craft darken as they lowered through a hatch in the Skull Fortress's ceiling. A numbness now overcoming the ache inside of her heart. Now she was right back here, back with Wily.

Alongside Pride she exited down the ramp, neither of them caring to speak any longer. Actually... he might have said something along the lines of 'good work' or 'it's fine', but she drowned most everything out with the thought of things she was losing. With her final step off the ramp it folded up neatly behind her back into the ship. She didn't know what to expect with the mission ending like such. It was failed in her eyes... and the General's haunting voice still pulling at her. Spark-Chan was a robot... and almost regretful that she had no ability to throw up and relieve the stress that sickened her.

"So, 48 hours wasted?" The black and gold robot sneered from across from her. Spark-Chan could only look up to Forte melancholic before lowering her head.

"The Scissor Army was unable to obtain what the Robot Police Force went to London for. That's all that matters." she replied, her voice monotone in answer.

Pride had left them be, giving the two bots their privacy... but perhaps it wasn't a safe thing for the Mech. Forte moved forward almost until his chest was pushing her back, obviously in there to intimidate her. Her feet inched a little away from him... but soon he turned away from her and lifted his hand.

"Wily's waiting for your report."

And he left her with that, slightly laughing as he went down a seperate hallway. She was too easy to scare sometimes... a pushover. Yet he felt no real gain by playing any mindgames with her in this worn state. Maybe later.

Spark-Chan gathered up her composure, but didn't run off to meet with the villain Wily. She instead jogged her way back to the laboratory. She could only think of the boy Benny, whom she promised to keep safe until the end of this war. Nothing could bring back his mother... but that didn't mean he had to live the rest of his life without happiness. As she desended the staircase and to the upper levels she found the entrance to the lab. She could see inside the small thick glass windows, finding no one really around. Wily was not inside... and this gave her relief that she'd be alone to just... pull Benny into her arms and keep him there.

A loud crash was heard, the sound of glass breaking both faint but noticeable to the woman bot. Running inside the lab door she passed the main room and into the chamber where she herself was fixed. There she found little Benny, throwing empty glass viles and anything he could handle onto the floor. Spark-Chan quickly ran up to him to stop him from harming himself.

"You robots! You killed my mother! It's all your fault!" Benny screamed as he threw a larger glass tube right at Spark-Chan's feet. How sad his eyes got when he saw the greenhaired bot just stand there in shock. He had been treating any robot that came into the lab like this, bursting out in his hate for them... but never thought about how his life was saved by a robot in the first place.

"I tried," Spark-Chan's voice cracked... the glass shards surrounded her and the boy dangerously. Luckily she couldn't really be harmed since her metallic boots were her real feet in the first place. She continued, "... but it wasn't enough. I'm sorry Benny. I am a robot. But I did not want for this. It hurts me to see you suffer and--"

Benny no longer looked at her in anger, his brows knitting as he began to run towards her. Quick to react she dove forward onto the glass and caught him... saving him from any cuts he might have gotten into. Her arms were tight around him... hugging him, and yet gentle enough to be considered a mother's embrace. The young boy shook in her arms... his tears falling onto her collar as she stood up. She knew she was supposed to go report with Pride on their mission... but Benny's well being was more important. With an arm wrapped tightly... she used the other to brush back his soft brown hair.

"You must be hungry Benny. Let's see what we can get you..." Her voice just as gentle as the arms holding him. He would continue to quietly sob as she left out from the lab. She swore she saw a mess hall somewhere, and with it being at late night she could easilly find and prepare him something.

With every step she was careful not to disturb him... though her eyes scanned the bandaged injury on his arm. She was going to check it later and rebandage it. Spark-Chan alone was very tired, wanting to recharge for the day... but it could come later.

--------------------

Ugh, it’s so quiet. thought Starnik as he wandered through the castle corridors. It was three a.m., and most of the other Wily bots had powered down for the day. Even robots needed to “sleep” occasionally, to give their programming time to clear their system memory of all the errors that could build up during the day. Running 24/7 was extremely stressful on the delicate technology that made up a robot’s brain.

But Starnik could not sleep. He could not rest. Every time he powered down, he dreamt; and his dreams were always about Ben and the old Wily’s Warriors. Starnik had never dreamt before… he found it difficult to distinguish it from reality. Eventually the thought of going to sleep filled him with so much dread that he couldn’t stand it anymore. So he stopped shutting down completely. And it was beginning to have a noticeable effect on him.

He trudged down the corridor, posture a mess, when something caught the corner of his eye. He turned, only to find a disheveled, frayed face staring back at him. Ha, I don’t even recognize my own reflection… who knew robots could form bags under their eyes? the speedster mused with grim humor as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

It was at that point Starnik noticed the lights turning on in the mess hall. Probably just one of the Joes doing rounds… thought Starnik glumly. Their primitive personality routines didn’t make for good conversation, but they were all Starnik had on these long nights. After all, he was a social creature by habit—anything was better than the long silences that normally made up time now. After the… “event” with Ben, none of the Warriors had been much for conversation.

He rounded the corner and was surprised to see a beautiful green-haired robot escorting a small human boy. Wait, I’ve seen her before… that’s Spark-chan, from the Mechanical Maniacs! But what in the world was she doing here?!

“Oh!” exclaimed Spark-chan, when she saw Starnik standing silent in the doorway. “Um, can I help you?” the female robot master asked. There was a hint of nervousness in her tone.

Ah! Idiot! Talk, don’t just be some creepy stalker! “Oh, hi!” Starnik managed in an upbeat tone. “Sorry for startling you. You’re Spark-chan, right? Of the Mechs? I didn’t realize you were working with us.” Starnik noticed that the kid reflexively clung harder to the female robot master as he drew closer. What WAS a child doing in Wily Castle anyways?

“Um… yes. I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name…?” the green-haired girl asked. There was a certain tiredness about her. Oh well, it IS three in the morning…

Starnik felt a fake smile stretch across his face, and his voice take a theatric flare. “Ah! I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me. I’m the Crimson Speedster, the Scarlet Adonis! I’m the 9th Wonder of the Modern World, the fastest Robot Master on two feet… Starnik, also known as Quick Man of the Wily’s Warriors!”

He heard Spark and kid chuckle at his extravagant, strutting display. Heh, I still got it! he thought. It felt good to hear someone laughing again. He decided to press the act further. “And, my lovely Mademoiselle,” He said as he took the female Robot Master’s hand “what brings you to this area of the castle so late tonight? I thought I was the only one up at this time of night.”

“I was just getting this little guy some food.” Spark-chan said warmly, placing a hand on the child’s tuft of chestnut brown hair.

Starnik crouched down to meet the kid at eye level. “Ahhh, hey, you’re a lucky kid, having such a lovely escort. What’s your name?”

The kid kept quiet, shuffling further behind Spark-chan’s leg. Hnn… that’s weird. thought Starnik. The kid was still looking down, still clearly scared by him. “His name is Benny.” Said the Spark-chan, finally.

Starnik felt a cold chill run through him by the mention of the name. “…Benny, hm?” he finally managed, keeping the same sing-song voice. He turned to face the kid once again, who was now looking at him. “It’s a good name, kid. I had a friend named Ben once. He was the strongest guy I knew. A bit of a hot-head, though he always stuck by his friends. You could always count on him, even when times were tough. You gotta wear a name like that with pride, okay?”

He turned his head as he heard Spark-chan gasp. “Wait… you know Ben?”

--------------------

Why? Why when she looked at Starnik did she feel her heart ache further? Maybe because... his eyes spoke to her the truth of what he knew. He used the word 'had'. He 'had' a friend named Ben. It couldn't be. Closing her eyes she turned away and walked towards the many cabinets. As she openned one she glanced over her shoulder... Benny creeping up to hug onto her still.

"Benny, sweetheart? Why not go look around in the cafeteria? Just stay close, Mr. Wily can be a bit cranky... especially at this time of hour." her voice like that of a sister or aunt. Alot of care and nothing unreasonably strict.

Benny nodded and smiled. He looked timid... but curious to his new surroundings. All the time of throwing a fit, he never thought of it as a safe place where he was taken. He felt he owed these people, these bots... Though the word robot was still a sour one in his mouth. He left out from the kitchen into the mess hall, the pair able to see him over the buffet counter.

The Speedster only made a slight glance towards the boy before returning it to the woman bot. Was this where the dreaded question came? Would the two of them break here together? It wasn't something he looked forward to, and infact was afraid to relive with someone he only now just properly greeted. But as his face was serious... he saw the woman's face look to him softly.

"Hey hun, snacks before bed aren't all that healthy, but I feel like baking a batch of cookies anyways." Such a warm smile from her. If Quick could recall... NeedleGal smiling could mean the end of all things. But this Mech was so strangely sincere in her ways.

"Oh then, I guess I'll just be around then." He offered a smile back, to which she giggled.

"You should help me. You're up around the place at such ungodly hours. Help me do something productive." Again her violet eyes moved over her shoulder towards the boy. He at this moment was looking up at a huge painting of Wily in the hall. He probably had his eyes stinging from the sight.

"Heh, yeah, you got me there Sparks." his chuckle coming out a bit easier. Perhaps it was the vibe she gave off. But his mind too stuck on the boy. Ben... Benny... Cookies would make him smile huh? Why not?

For a good twenty minutes the couple of bots gathered ingredients, digging all around for the right utinsels. Quick even was fitted with a chef's hat as they both wore aprons. It was probably the first time in their miserable day that they actually forgot their troubles, focussing on the moment of happiness. What amused Quick most was that robots had the perfect eye for measurements, and other things... but Spark was determined to do everything like a human would. She went by 'feel' as she whipped up the batter and made the most perfect cookie dough balls.

Soon enough Benny, who's head was on one of the large long tables, could smell a very delicious smell. As soon as he rose his head, he saw a plate of the warm delectables sitting before him as well as a glass of milk. Spark handed him a napkin with a bright smile. Quick smiled too, he was a bit messy with some crusted clumps of dough on his cheek and apron. Neither was surprised when the boy gave no thankyou and just dug right in. But it made them happy, to be there for the child.

"We better clean up our mess huh?" the red bot asked the female.

"Of course, of course." she agreed. As Quick offered his arm, she took a hold and the two returned to the kitchen to clean up.

Clean up wasn't so bad, minus the batter mess on the floor. In fact it was nothing at all... Quick was a blur of red and gold color, shooting about in a cleaning frenzy. Spark was so amazed she just sort of laughed and attempted to clean something, to which he'd make sure she did nothing. All the pantries closed, the mess picked up, he leaned on the edge of the sink as it ran hot water and bubbles foamed. A confident grin on a handsome face. He looked as if he struck gold. The perfect girl to gain flattery from.

"Well now! I can't believe how fast you are! And you did it all yourself. I atleast can do the dishes hun." She laughed softly behind her hand.

"Ah... don't worry about it. I'm used to things like this. It's no trouble at all. I could do it all day even!" He laughed too... but a bit more cocky.

"...yeah?" She softened her smile. What a... familiar face. The way he posed... his smile filled with pride and a chivalrous kind of attitude towards her. That's who it was, GeminiMan. Oh, how she missed his sweet talk and his flaunting air. She missed her team very much...and hoped to reunite with them soon enough. Her debt was paid to Wily right?

"Oh!" Spark-Chan pointed to the sink that was about to overflow. Quick hastily turned about to shut off the water with a nervous "Oh!" of his own. Not as smooth that time huh?

"Uh... I meant to do that." A cheesy nervous smile came to him... but soon dropped it completely when he saw her eyes closed and smile gone.

Spark walked over to him and took his place... wanting to wash the dishes. He moved aside... wanting to dry them.

"Hey... did I say something?"

"Yes...." she said softly... taking the rag and scrubbing one of the larger mix bowls.

It made him scratch his cheek. Not really a good thing huh? Maybe he came off wrong?

"...you said... had." the green haired Mech continued... handing him the washed bowl. He began to rinse... trying to remember.

"Had?"

"....had a friend named... Ben."

It grew very silent. Actually several dishes were washed before it was broken.

"I need to know Starnik, what has become of my dear friend? I thought that he'd be here since he was part of your team. I thought... I'd see him again..."

--------------------

Dammit! thought Starnik. Why do I have to be the one to break it to her? And where did she know Ben from, anyways? When did he get to know the Mechs so well? “I…” He finally started. He saw Benny staring at him from across the table. Maybe he should just tell them Ben was fine. Yeah! That was it! He’d just tell her that Ben had left, and was last seen working for the RPD. That was sort of the truth, right?

But when he turned and caught Spark-chan’s worried glance, he felt ashamed of himself. I can’t do that to her. If she was really his friend… she needs to know the truth. If I lied to her now, it would only make things harder later. “I… think we need to put Benny to sleep.” Finished Quick, lamely. “We can talk about Ben after that.”

Spark-chan was no fool, though. She already could tell what Starnik was going to say. After all, there were only so many reasons for someone to use the past tense to describe a friend, weren’t there? “All right. Let’s get you two bed, Benny.” Said Spark-chan sweetly. The walk to his room was very quiet though.

“There.” Said Spark-chan, shutting the door to the child’s room. “He’s asleep.”

“Heh, gotta say I envy him. I haven’t been able to catch a wink since-“ Starnik paused, catching himself. Embarrassed, he escorted Spark-chan to the courtyard area. “So, how did you know Ben, anyways?”

Spark-chan stopped, puzzeled. “Did he never tell you about his past? About his days with the X-Force?”

“X-Force? No, not really. Though, I have to admit, he didn’t really open up to anyone on our team about the past. I never pried, either… I’m more of a ‘live-in-the-now’ kind of person, anyways.”

Spark-chan hesitated. It was a lot of history to cover. Maybe just the basics would do. “The X-Force… was a team from the future. Ben and I were originally reploids, an advanced sort of robot, before we ended up here, in the present.”

Starnik just stood there, shocked. It was almost unbelievable that such a huge secret about one of his members had been sitting there, right under his nose all these years. However, after he thought about it for a bit, time-traveling robots from the future was probably one of the least weird things he had ever heard. I mean, they were currently fighting a foe from an alternate dimension that wanted to exterminate all human life on the planet!

Starnik took a gulp. “That’s… pretty amazing, actually. So, you two go way back.” He felt a wave of guilt come over him. “Look, I’m not going to soft-peddle this to you, then. Ben… He had left the Warriors before the war got underway. Apparently he joined up with the RPD afterwards, because he was with Gauntlet and the other Maniacs during a spy mission that… went somewhat sour, thanks to our interference.” He paused. He had a pretty good idea how Spark would react when she found out the truth. But if she was going to hate him, then that would be that; he probably deserved it after the stunt he pulled. He told her everything. His bout with Gauntlet, smashing the reactor core, finding Ben’s body next to the remains of Chimeraman, and being unable to rescue him before the explosion went off at the Scissor Army base. Spark-chan just silently drunk in the entire story.

Starnik stared at the night sky, unable to look her in the face. “I understand if you hate me. It’s my recklessness that kept Gauntlet or myself from saving Ben. And even if General Cutman is responsible for that monster that he fought to the finish, I still bear a great deal of the burden.” He turned, giving her a half-hearted smile with closed eyes. He felt completely warn down. But it was also perversely refreshing, finally getting it all out of his system. “I won’t make excuses, not for this sort of thing. It may have been an accident, but… I want you to know, I am sorry.”

--------------------

What more could she really do? But with the war splitting everyone up in the end... it wasn't Quick's fault in the least. She set a sympathetic hand on his shoulder... her eyes shut as she shook her head.

"Thankyou... I needed to know..." Spark said with strain in her voice.

Struggling to keep her grief inside. But as soon as she sat herself down... her hands met with her face and she wept right there beside him.QuickMan let her cry for the moment, as much as it pained him to gift her with the bad news, she too had to get it out of her system.

It was strange wherever they were. They were sitting in the dark nearby one of the large windows that looked out into the abyss of midnight. Strangely stars were seen in this area... much unlike the war ridden places all around the globe. If this was the end of the world... he was atleast thankful he had a place to come back to.

Spark-Chan's tears softened after a few minutes, and still they sat together. When they finally stopped falling... she brushed her face clean and placed her folded hands onto her lap.

"Starnik.... what can I do?"

The woman's voice stirred him from his thoughts and back to the present. He glanced over to her unsure of the question. Luckily she continued.

"We're all losing so much. My family has been broken from me. I should go back to the Mechs but... but then what? I owe Dr. Wily and Forte my life... and I have Benny here."

The speedster nodded. It was true that if she left and joined with her team again they could possibly become enemies, and traveling with a child would be dangerous since SA mercilessly killed his mother.

"It's up to you if you want to leave here, but from what I feel... I belong here. Wily might not be anyone I like... but here there's leeway. No one ready to disassemble us or to reprogram us into murdering machines." Well there was Cossack, but from what it seemed... his bots were under trouble with just repairs and costs. Scrounging around in the cities for junk usable.

She thought about it for a while. If she left... what would she see? Her friends become shutdown like RockMan? Then of course Shoryu... her daughter who left her side to sit upon the General's shoulder. The General.... that menace. But what confused her was why he sat in that church waiting to show to her her daughter? Was it a way to get her on his side? Never. Never ever. But she didn't realize her mind's cogs had been spinning ever since their chance meeting. Her eyes moved up to Starnik...

"Wily, he is... just a man...?" It sounded strange even to her as she said it. Starnik once again confused... but this time replying.

"I suppose so. An old crazy man... He can be quite angry but sometimes we can get our way over him."

A way over him? Because he was... just a man. Like General CutMan said... What if she could use this to her advantage?

"What if... this was our chance to make a better place for us?" Spark said softly.

Just after this the man they spoke of appeared from the darkeness, finding them. He never looked happy to see anybody, infact his thick eyebrows looked to twitch when he saw QuickMan.

"You! Vat are you doing here!? Get back to what you vere supposed to be doing!" Wily shouted to the speedster. But seemed to calm himself when he saw Spark jump to her feet a bit bewildered.

"Not you my dear." He assured her softly... coming to her side and patting her hand. It almost made Starnik cringe. What in the world was Wily doing? His attention was directed back to Quick.

"That wretched child. I vant him gone! Zis ist not a safe house for bratty children!" but this came out with the wrong robot near. Spark puffed up her cheeks... a bit upset.

"Sir... he's my responsibility. I promise he won't be any trouble. I just want to care for him longer... before I leave." her eyes on the doctor's face. She could see that he seemed to settle as soon as she spoke. It was very strange... how much power she had on him right there.

"Oh, Classi-Cal... if he makes you happy zen you may keep him here. It iz not zat hard to house one more I suppose. I don't vant you to leave anytime soon my dear. I haven't seen you in such a long time." he glared to Quick as he began to escort her away with him. She gave a soft smile to Quick. Perhaps this was what they needed. They both witnessed a female's strength here...

--------------------

The first rays of morning peaked out from behind the hills surrounding Wily Castle. They immediately flooded Spark-chan’s room. Ever since she had started cooperating with Wily, she had been given only the finest of accommodations. Although she didn’t really require it, Spark was given a large, queen-sized bed, filled with feathers, to “rest” in while she was powered down. Her slight frame stirred underneath the covers as her systems began their start-up sequence. Her programming so completely mimicked human traits that she rubbed her eyes and yawned as her consciousness came online.

“Well, well, well. Look at who finally woke up.” came a voice inside her room. Immediately Spark-chan snapped to attention, and looked for the voice’s owner. Quickman lay in the stone windowsill of her room, looking out at the beautiful Appalachian landscape that stretched out before them. He turned to face Spark-chan, with his characteristic smile. “Morning, sleepy-head.”

“Starnik! What on earth are you doing here?”

“Heh. I did some thinking last night after you and the ‘good’ doctor tottered away. I can’t help but notice he really seems smitten with you. Not only that, you seem to have him bending to your every desire.” He said as he gazed outside at the view again. “I was thinking about what you said, ‘maybe this was our chance to make a better place for us’… mind if I ask what you meant?”

Spark-chan gathered her courage and composure. “I am thinking… we both disagree with what the RPD and the General is doing.” She said, having brief flashbacks to Mega Man and Shoryu. Despite the pain these memories brought, she pushed on. “But we also aren’t like most of Wily’s blindly loyal followers.”

Starnik nodded. “True. He is, I think we can agree, the lesser of the three evils.”

“You said that you and the Warriors sometimes manage to get your way with him.” She continued, clutching the white silk sheets of her bed. “I’ve been able to do the same, it seems. I’m thinking… that maybe we can work to change Wily’s organization from the inside. We use our influence to…” she trailed off. It had sounded so clear in her head, but now she felt slightly embarrassed to say it out loud. How would the scarlet robot master even react to such a plan?

“…to control him?” said Starnik, surprisingly flat. “Treachery, internal politics, finagling, and trickery? To control the old man without him ever knowing he’s being finessed all along?” There was a pause that seemed to stretch out like an eternity.

Starnik turned, with a wide smile plastered on his face. “Spark, darling, I think now you’re speaking my language!”

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