Orchestrated By C.M. Rich (Magnetman)
By Lennon, Gauntlet
Scenario A
Participants:
Geminiman (MM3)(SA)
Chimeraman (MM3)(SA)
Heatman (WW)(SA)
Doc Robot (MM3)(W)
Spark Chan (MM3)(W)
Location: Skull Space Station
Max. Cossack Scrap Value: 0
SA Infantry: 0
RPD Units: 0
Wily Bots: innumerable
He lay there in the deepest, darkest hole. High, high above him
there was an army bent on genocide. Their fanatical training went
unhindered all day and all night. Yet below all this there lay
a broken robot. He used to be a hero. Or a villain, depending on
your perspective. At the height of his power he might have even
been described as a force of nature. His name was Heatman. He used
to be Magma Dragoon of the X-Force in a future that no longer exists.
He also used to be Fireman of the Sinister Six. Now … he was just
cold.
Chimeraman sat on a stool inside of Heatman’s cell. It was cold,
dank, and dark. The General had given him the responsibility of
setting Heatman on whatever sort of mission he deemed fit. And
so far that had been Niagra Falls.
“Get up already,” said the myth-based robot, “We’ve got another
job for you.”
Heatman just sobbed louder. “I don’t want to. You can’t make me.”
Chimeraman just shook his head.
“Didn’t you used like this sort of mass destruction? I heard a
rumour among the guys that you even wanted to join the Scissor
Army just because yer a damn psycho!”
Heatman sobbed. Chimeraman was right. Throughout the years he really
did love to cause chaos and destruction. He felt joy at being the
baddest and strongest there was. Only … the was before. “So why
do I feel so cold now?” asked Heatman quietly. He already knew
the answer.
And so did Chimeraman. “It’s because you haven’t got yer fix yet,
you little addict. You’ll feel so much better once you have your
pick-me-up.” Chimeraman’s face didn’t fully support it, but he
gave Heatman a nasty, goatty smile.
“Me occidas” said Heatman quietly.
“What was that?”
“Utinam me occidas!”
Chimeraman kicked the crying Heatman. “Still with the Latin!
You might think it’s cool or something, but nobody can understand
a word you say! Least of all me.”
“Mori volo! Iam me permisse dormire.”
Chimeraman threw his arms into the air. “I just finished saying
that I don’t understand you. Do you think people carry dead language
packs in their system just in case someone decides to talk to them
in Latin? If you wanna talk to me in another language, try Greek!
I can understand Greek!"
Heatman just sobbed louder. He couldn’t stand it. How many people
died because of him? How many times would they send him out to
be their tool? Why couldn’t he have died along with his team? Or
fighting that Neo Dragoon army? Or even against this cocky bastard?
Shouldn’t he have died then? As a hero? Oh, how he envied Fireman.
A double of himself created by the now-deceased Nnth, he had died
fighting Neo Dragoon and Heatman wished it was him. Everything
good happened to other people, it seemed.
Chimeraman looked at the former hero in disgust. “Maybe it’s a
good thing I can’t understand you. Whatever you’re saying in Latin,
it’s probably the same whiney trite you say in English.” Heatman
only sobbed louder at this and Chimeraman threw his arms in the
air. This was just sad.
“You’re right. Vera dicis. EGO miser sum! Ergo me occidas.”
“I don’t understand Latin!” screamed Chimeraman impatiently.
Speak American!” He hissed to himself. “Get up already.
You’ve been fixed since your last blow-up and it’s time to get
back to work.” Heatman just remained where he was, mumbling to
himself in the dead language. Chimerman put his hand to his face.
This was not what he signed up for. Heatman was just not moving.
Their big, badass, walking nuke was too busy feeling sorry for
himself to get to work.
“I’m cold,” said the robot master sadly. And it was true. He shivered
violently. Chimeraman sighed. It was unavoidable. He opened a small
lead-lined briefcase he had set on the ground when he had gone
into the cell. Immediately Heatman stopped sobbing. Chimeraman
produced a small vile that was contained in the briefcase. It was
the size and shape of a text-tube. What was inside of it was even
smaller.
“Alright, this is just enough to get you –“ Chimeraman didn’t have
time to finish his sentience. Heatman jumped on him. The surprised
Chimeraman felt a stab of pain as Heatman bit into his arm. The
mad robot master grabbed the vial from Chimeraman’s hand and dashed
to a corner of the room. Chimerman rubbed the puncture marks on
his arm as he heard the sound of Heatman placing the small sample
of radioactive isotope in his body. His back was to him, but Chimerman
heard Heatman moan in pleasure.
Heatman felt a small pit of warmth in the middle of his body. He
was ice cold everywhere else, but this brought him back to reality.
With a jolt he realised what he had done. Again he had played into
the Scissor Army’s hands. What would Quickman say if he had seen
him? Or Spark Chan? Could she ever look at him the same way again
if she ever found out what he’d become?
“All done?” asked Chimeraman gruffly while standing on all fours.
Heatman’s sudden attack had put him on edge.
“I’m still cold,” whined Heatman sadly.
“Well, there’s more of what you need on the Merauder. You’re taking
a little trip into out space, big boy, and we don’t want you flying
off the handle before it’s time.”
Outer space? “Why?”
Chimeraman chuckled in a goat-like way. “We’re paying a visit to
your old pals at Wily’s. It seems they’re shaking up in space now.”
Wily’s! That meant that there was a possibility of Spark Chan being
there! But … wherever he went destruction followed. The Wily’s
Warriors (why hadn’t he appreciated them before?) might be up there.
The Evil Eight (whom he really didn’t want to hurt) might be up
there. Could he really allow himself to be used as a weapon against
them?
Chimeraman was in the hallway beyond the open door to Heatman’s
cell. “Come on, crackhead, there’s more heat waiting for ya on
the Marauder. Get yer ass in gear.”
Hating himself all the while Heatman got to his feet and sadly
marched towards the exit. He needed plutonium now. He needed it.
He could almost taste it already.
--------------------
Chimeraman and Heatman
made their way to the Marauder while Geminiman stood anxiously
at the entrance to the spacecraft.
“My beloved is in need of me, so I would appreciate it if you made
haste.” The White Knight said impatiently as he carefully placed
the tiny Shoryu on to his shoulder who had just recently returned
from Himeji Castle.
“I do not take orders from anyone other than the General. Especially
you…” The monstrous robot master hissed at his fellow officer,
still having a bit of animosity towards the former Mechanical Maniac.
Heatman, on the other hand kept his face down in his cold lost
state as he was still shivering from his cravings of plutonium.
Geminiman looked at him with a feeling of disgust as the once proud
hero he had once known was reduced into something that just seemed
so unsightly.
“Well I will have you know that the General has put me in charge
of this operation, so my orders are his. What does a man of my
prestige have to do in order to get some respect?” Gemini yelled
back at Chimeraman.
“Maybe if you lay off that high and mighty attitude of yours you
might actually realize you have to earn it. Respect is earned,
not given by some sort of birthright.” The mythic beast retorted.
“The nerve of you… I will make myself clear, Chimeraman; I want
you to obey my every command in this mission. Failure to do so
will result in your termination in which I will personally execute.
I will not stand for a misshapen beast or some fallen addict to
tarnish my reputation.”
Chimeraman angrily marched on board the ship, dragging Heatman
behind him while muttering at his commander’s orders.
“Thinks he’s better than us, doesn’t he?”
“I AM better than you, Chimeraman. That is why I was gifted with
my own personal army and that’s why I am in charge of this mission.”
Geminiman yelled back as he turned to board the Marauder and prepare
for take off.
“Mr. Gem, will mommy be ok? You seemed very unsettled before you
sent me back to Elysium.” Shoryu asked innocently.
“Your mommy is going to be ok, now that I know where she is being
held I will personally rescue her and we can all be one happy family…”
Geminiman replied in an attempt to comfort his beloved’s daughter,
but the deranged twitch and tone of his voice betrayed his words,
“Yes… one happy family…”
--------------------
“Master! It would appear that the Scissor Army know where we are and are sending an attack force immediately!” Doc Robot screamed out in a panic as he ran into the control room of the Skull Fortress Space Station, still all battered and bruised from his encounter in Himeji.--------------------
The Marauder lifted
off from the secret location in Elysium. It was the mobile headquarters
of the Seven Mercenaries and their alliance to the Scissor Army,
although it had not come in handy as of yet. Now, though, it had
a purpose: eliminate Dr. Wily. Wipe his space station off the map.
Scatter his atoms across space like dust in the wind. There was
nowhere for the Doctor to run. And no forces to protect him. This
would not be like the attack on Cossack’s citadel. There would
be no massive, cumbersome force to coordinate.
“There’s only you, m’boy!” said Chimera to Heatman. Heatman merely
groaned.
“I don’t want to.”
Chimeraman scoffed. He looked at Heatman, strapped into the seat
beside him. The robot master’s shoulders were shuddering. Again
he was softly sobbing to himself. The very small amount of plutonium
Chimera gave the zippo seemed to be wearing off. Chimeraman frowned.
He wanted to get Heatman moving, but he didn’t dare give him the
heat. Not yet. Heatman looked at him then and seemed to read his
mind. He silently begged for more plutonium.
Geminiman was suffering his own brand of internal torment.
“Bring her to us, Lennon. You know it’s the right thing to do.”
Yes.
“She’ll thank you for it. You know she will.”
And we’ll be together…
“Yes.”
The crystalline robot strained himself against the G-forces of
lift-off. The now-familiar voice in his mind filled him with confidence.
He’d do it. He’d do it with Classi and … his partners. Ben and
Chimeraman. Chimeraman was someone he’d beaten over and over again.
He was a loser. And now he was a loser with plastic surgery. And
Ben … what a disappointment. What happened to him? Where was the
confident weapon of destruction he used to know? This new Heatman
was … pathetic. He just had to rely on himself. That’s all there
was to it.
The Marauder finally hit the stratosphere. It was now making it’s
way to Skull Space Station. Gemini stopped his internal reverie
and got out of his seat. “Prepare yourself. We’re off right away.”
Chimeraman grumbled and Heatman had to be unbuckled by the mixed-and-matched
robot master manually mumbling things in Latin all the while. They
struggled for their footing as the Marauder accelerated. There
was no stalling this time. There would be no slow creeping up on
Wily. They would hit him fast and hard. Chimeraman followed Geminiman
into the launching bays of the Marauder. Geminiman grinned to himself.
Very soon now his plans would be finished. Scissor Joes loaded
two small ships. He might have to command Chimeraman and Heatman,
but he didn’t want to sit with them.
“Strap in,” ordered Geminiman, “Let’s get moving!”
“Let’s save mommy!” said Shoryu happily.
“Let me die!” moaned Ben sadly.
“Let’s get this damn thing over with,” grumbled Chimera while shoving
Heatman towards a space ship that Joes were loading with a heavy
black container. Heatman’s eyes seemed to focus on it. Chimeraman
urged him forward.
Just the Marauder rocked. Alarms sounded throughout the ship. Geminiman
looked around angrily. “What’s going on here!?”
“We’re under attack!” called a Scissor Joe,
“Just handle it! I’m busy,” screamed Geminiman. In his haste to
get to his beloved Spark Chan he didn’t wait for any other clones
to arrive. In his mind’s eye he could still see them fighting.
If he waited a few more minutes then they might be able to beam
onto the Marauder. But he didn’t have “a few minutes”. Wily was
onto them! Spark Chan was slipping away. Again! And Chimeraman
… Chimeraman was loading a reluctant Heatman onto the ship. Chimeraman
didn’t care that Spark Chan would still be on the space station.
No, Geminiman had to keep moving.
The Marauder rocked with the impact of missiles again. It didn’t
matter. Geminiman, Shoryu, Chimeraman, and Heatman were strapped
into their ships. It was time to go. The room depressurised. The
doors opened soon afterwards. Both space ships fired their rockets.
It was time to go!
--------------------
Dr Wily stood at the
observation deck of his space station as he saw the Marauder take
a direct hit from his fortress missiles and laughed maniacally
at his foe’s peril.
“My space station’s defenses are the very best, there is no way
any attacker would be capable of breaking in.” he proudly boosted
out loud. “Once I destroy you here, Geminiman then your annoying
clones in Himeji will die too and the castle will be mine!”
“Master, the enemy ship has appeared to have fired several missiles
at the space station.” Doc Robot’s voice came through the intercom
while he was operating the fortress defenses.
“Clearly they don’t take me very seriously,” the mad scientist
spoke disappointingly as he waved his arm, “Shoot them down!”
The robotic replica of Wily cheered in response and launched all
the anti-missile defenses he could fire and a large series of explosions
could be seen outside the station as all the Marauder’s missiles
had been destroyed.
Or so they thought…
“That was a rather garish display of fireworks, I must say.” Geminiman
said as his ship had now burst from the explosions left by the
anti-missile defenses. “Poor predictable Wily, now that he’s wasted
all his shots on the missiles we now have the perfect opportunity
to dock onto his fortress.”
Chimeraman and Heatman’s ship had also emerged from the explosions
and sped up towards their former master’s hideout.
“Master, the enemy prepared small shuttles and disguised them as
missiles to sneak onboard while the Marauder is now providing cover
fire for the shuttles!” Doc Robot screamed out in a panic.
“I can see that, Doc Robot!” Dr Wily yelled out angrily, “Open
fire on them! We can’t let them dock in the fortress!”
“But all our weapons are still cooling down from the last attack!”
“Damn it all, get Multiman to send copies down to the docks with
as many robots as we can muster! Also buff up the defenses over
at Classi-Cal’s quarters. Nothing is to get through!” Wily ordered
and soon the alarm sounded as the Scissor Army had now forced their
way into the fortress docking bay.
“Don’t make me…” moaned Heatman in dismay. Chimeraman snickered.
It was time to get this over with. Heatman continued to protest
right up until Chimeraman opened the large lead container. Then
Heatman stopped. Inside was a nice container full of plutonium.
That would end his guilt. It would end his endless cold. Because
he was so very, very cold. A panel slid aside on Heatman’s body.
He snatched the container of plutonium away from Chimeraman and
inserted it into himself.
“Finally…” said Heatman with glee. He burst into flames. Chimeraman
screamed and pulled his hand back.
“Great,” said the composite robot master, “Thanks a lot. You slagged
my arm you asshole!”
Heatman wasn’t listening anymore. The cold was gone. He felt hot
again. He felt powerful again. He felt like himself again!
“Iam hunc locum incendamus!”
“Shut up!” growled Chimeraman, “You slagged my arm! What the Hell!?”
“What are you doing!?” yelled Geminiman in surprise, “It isn't
time for this yet!”
“I’ll send them all to the cold peace of sweet death,” said Heatman
to himself.
“Hey, this is the mission, fancy-pants,” sneered Chimeraman,
“Where’ve you been?” Geminiman stared open-jawed as Chimeraman
crawled back into his space ship.
“Just where do you think you’re going?”
“Their souls will be cleansed in fire! I’ll wipe the slate clean.
Clean! Burn everything … everything to the ground!”
Chimeraman buckled his safety belt. “I don’t know if you noticed,
but our little ticking time bomb has just been set. I’m not sticking
around when he goes boom.”
“But we have to rescue mommy!” cried Shoryu.
“You have to obey my commands!” yelled Gemini in frustration.
“You two can go on your suicide mission. My duty is to point psycho-boy
over there in the right direction. Frankly, I don’t give a damn
what sort of made-up position you think you’re in, but I don’t
report to you. I’m getting the Hell outta dodge. If you weren’t
so damn obsessed with your ‘beloved Spark Chan’ you’d be coming
with me.”
Geminiman could only stare as Chimeraman turned on his ship. Gemini
levelled his laser at the traitorous robot, but Shoryu stopped
him by climbing into his field of vision from atop his head. “We
have to stop Ben!” Gemini turned and saw Heatman was making his
way deeper into the base. He ran to stop him.
“Ben! Listen to me…”
“They can’t control me. Nothing controls me! What they’ve done
is burn away all my weakness …”
“Listen to me, damn it!” Ben stopped and noticed Lennon behind
him. “Ben, we’re on a msission to rescue Spark Chan. It’s imperitive
you don’t explode until we do!”
“Spark Chan?”
“Yes, Spark Chan! Your friend.”
“All my friends are dead! All the ones that matter … But Spark
Chan …”
Anger grew in Gemini. One minute he could barely move him and now
he’s raring to go off at any moment. It was frustrating! “Ben,
I am a ranking officer of the Scissor Army. I will look for Spark
Chan and you will explode only when I –“
Lennon was interrupted when Heatman sent him flying with a small
burst of Atomic Fire. It was the smallest burst of heat Heatman
could produce, but it sent Geminiman flying into the far wall,
uncomfortably close to the open docking bay doors. Shoryu was sent
off into a dark corner where she stayed, out of sight.
“A ranking officer of the Scissor Army!?” cried Heatman in a mad
euphoria. “I don’t give a shit about the Scissor Army! Your orders
don’t mean anything to me! All I want is heat. But Spark Chan is
here. Spark Chan …” Memories flooded into Heatman. Spark Chan was
once Classi Cal, a flimsy prototype of Bass. At one point she was
part of his long-departed team the X-Force. He had to see
her. He had to tell her. And then … cleansing fire would
obliterate all traces of Skull Space station.
Geminiman struggled to his feet just in time to see Chimeraman’s
ship fly off. “Damn” said the crystalline warrior. Chimeraman was
gone. And that monstrocity also seemed interested in Spark Chan.
Legions of Multimen charged in to welcome the two members of the
Scissor Army but against the ferocity of Heatman’s flames they
stood little chance and were quickly melted down to scrap.
“This is not good,” the White Knight said in frustration, “I have
to get to her… I have to get her off this deathtrap before it gets
blown into oblivion!”
Geminiman ran out into the hallways of the fortress to see them
covered in smoke and flames, not his ideal environment, the smoke
and heat waves left in Heatman’s wake had distorted light to the
point his illusion technology was practically useless.
“I’ll have to quickly find an area in which that addict has not
charged through and start my search there. If I just follow his
path of destruction, he’ll find milady before I do regardless of
anything.”
--------------------
Shoryu had lost all her companions and was now all alone within Dr Wily’s fortress; she was scared at the last thing she saw before she was thrown from Geminiman’s shoulder, the terrifying Heatman preparing to detonate the entire facility. If her mommy was still in the building when that happened, then she didn’t know what she would do.--------------------
Heatman laughed as he
melted another squadron of Bubble Bats into slag.
“You can’t stop me! Nothing can stop me!” Heatman gripped the wall
at his side and “pushed” outwards. A wave of heat surged from his
body. The metal wall turned red and then melted right before him.
Heatman laughed. He felt like a god! But what was he looking for
again? He knew he was looking for something…
Heatman felt small amounts of pain from behind him. It was like
someone was hitting him with needles. He turned and saw a large
machine encased in a bubble coming down the hall. The old Heatman
might have been worried. This was the “Bubble Boy”, a precursor
to Bubbleman, the robot master who held his weakness. But this
Heatman wouldn’t be stopped! He let loose a bit. The bubble around
the machine sizzled, but still it came. Heatman laughed. Would
this kill him? It crashed into him and he did feel it. But the
pain lasted only a moment. He wiped off slag from his face. The
machine had melted on impact. In fact … he had better get moving
because he just realised he was sinking through the floor.
He took two steps before smelling it. “It couldn’t be,” mumbled
Heatman to himself. He took another few steps forward. There was
something … he wanted to do. But that feeling. He could sense it.
There was something he wanted to do, but … could it be that Wily
had been stockpiling weapons-grade nuclear material?
If it were possible Heatman would be drooling in anticipation.
As it stands he merely entered the room, destroyed all enemies
contained therein, and moved towards the sweet “scent” of plutonium.
--------------------
Doc Robot twitched. “Heatman has … destroyed all troops we’ve sent after him, Master.”--------------------
Benny stayed hidden in a dark corner as Skeleton Joes made their way past him. The base was on full alert. The alarms and the many minions of Wily didn’t scare him, though. It was that one moment the power almost went out that did it. They were on a floating deathtrap here in space.--------------------
Heatman menacingly approached
the young boy, he seemed like he was nothing but an insignificant
little bug ready to be incinerated, and with a terrifying look
on his face he was ready to ignite the little one into a smoldering
corpse.
“Classi…” little Benny cried as he tried to back away calling for
his guardian, the name echoed into the lighter shaped robot’s ears
causing him to freeze in place.
“Classi…?” He remembered again, it was Classi-Cal he was trying
to find, but for what reason? The plutonium was getting to his
head and everything seemed to happening all at once to the pyromaniac
robot. Perhaps the boy in front of him would be able to lead him
to his answer. But when he looked down he saw that the boy had
disappeared and without a direct goal to concentrate on, Heatman’s
thirst for plutonium took over once more.
--------------------
“Oh hello there, little one,” Classi spoke to Shoryu, finally noticing the spider robot dangling in front of her eyes, “Have you lost your way? Come here, mommy will take care of you.”--------------------
“My beloved, where are you?” Geminiman thought as he had now found a corridor that had not yet been attacked by Heatman, he had entered his stealth mode so that he would not get himself involved in a senseless battle, while he wanted to bathe in the blood of Wily’s other creations, he was at a loss of time as Heatman was getting ever closer to self detonating.--------------------
Heatman put the boy
out of his mind. Everything he cared about was gone. He wasn’t
about to let some frightened little kid get in his way. He laughed
madly. It was funny. He liked it when people were scared. It made
him feel powerful. But the kid knew Classi. He had to talk to Classi.
But right now he was feeling cold.
He reached out a grabbed a Bubble Bat that was trying to attack
him. He reached out at another still in its shell. Both sizzled
and melted. He was before a shutter. Heatman recognised it as the
kind before large boss rooms. It did not open for him though. Heatman
chuckled. This wouldn’t stop him. He turned up the heat. Flames
enveloped him and the door slagged in no time at all. But he was
freezing! The “smell” of the large cache of nuclear materials was
getting at him. He might have had his fill earlier on, but just
knowing how much there was to “eat” here made him “hungry” right
now. He felt ice cold.
Before him was a Giant Suzy. The small hallway shook each time
it moved. Heatman did not even bother to dodge it, he just reached
out and blasted in its general direction with a medium sized blaze.
Instantly the large enemy was destroyed and the far door along
with him. Heatman chuckled. Soon, they would all be like that.
All of them! He had accounts to settle. Wily … for the abuse that
senile old fart thought he could put him through he would die painfully.
Of course Heatman didn’t know how to make it slow … even his small
blasts of Atomic Fire were so much larger now. First Wily and then
the Warriors. Those good-for-nothings always held him back. He
resented them. He’d be better of without those useless emotional
attachments. They weren’t his friends. He hoped he made that clear
throughout their adventures together. And if he didn’t… Heatman
chucked. If he didn’t they’d be in for a shock.
Heatman laughed and melted the corridor around him for the fun
of it. Lights flicked. The walls slagged, and the wires behind
them sizzled. Then the government. The United States. Gone! They
thought the General was bad? They hadn’t seen Ben angry!
He chuckled madly. He saw himself as an angel of death. Cleansing
the world. Who else? That’s right … the Mechanical Maniacs! They
left him to die, didn’t they? They go too! They didn’t even send
their full strength to back him up. He thought they were friends…
but they had just used him. He wanted to use them, but they used
him and for that they die!
Heatman tried to move, but found he had sank halfway into the floor.
He had gotten carried away. He lit himself on fire and propelled
himself forward! Beyond the door. The USA, the Mechs, the Warriors,
The Scissor Army, Chimeraman, yes he’d kill them all! But first
comes Wily!
Before him stood Super Chaos! Heatman gaped in astonishment. He
thought this thing has been destroyed! What was it doing here?!
It was when it hit him with its separating body parts without saying
a word that Heatman realised that this was not really Super Chaos.
This was a reproduction of the Yellow Devil. He was then filled
with despair. The Sinister Six was gone! And here he was … working
for the guy who had killed them! He was a monster. Ben hated himself
right then.
Heatman looked at the parts as they once again separated from the
main body (when had it reformed?) and tried blasting them. He was
surprised when his shots didn’t destroy the bricks on impact …
but he did knock them aside. The Yellow Devil couldn’t hurt him.
When it opened it’s black eye to search for its target Heatman
shot a mid-sized burst of Atomic fire at it and it was done.
The floor exploded below him! Heatman fell into another room. He
cursed and looked around. The indignity! He was Heatman! How dare
they make him fall. He’d pay…. Who was it this time? He noticed
he had landed in a field of spikes. Wily was not playing fair.
Luckily he’d managed to melt the spikes below him. And now for
the second enemy. A large mechanical dragon. Heatman laughed as
it shot fire at him. HIM! He destroyed the beast without a thought,
but another foe came at him them.
This time it was two robots that walked effortlessly on the spikes
above and below him. HE recognised them as something Cossack whipped
up to stop Megaman in his first rebellion. Heatman laughed at the
pathetic looking robots and flew towards the one on the ground.
He tore through it easily and felt satisfaction as it was destroyed
all around him. He shot the other with full force and blew away
the ceiling above him as it was destroyed.
Ben wondered if Wily was laughing as he was crushed beneath a pile
of rubble. He bet that he was. He thought that Ben wasn’t that
tough. He knew it. It was time to show him! Heatman poured on the
Heat and blasted himself upwards! It was time to end this!
Not yet, though. He was thrown back by a powerful explosion. Heatman
cursed and looked up to see a large, menacing floating Skull bear
in on him. It actually hurt when its rainbow coloured laser hit
him! Heatman felt a rage, then. How many small fries would he have
to put up with? How many useless vermin would he have to wipe out?
What did Wily have up here!? Heatman didn’t even feel the Metools
hit him. He didn’t notice the Gutsdozer had pulled up behind him,
alongside two Mad Grinders. Ben was angry!
A strange urge hit Ben then. What was it? Someone else might have
called it restraint. Somewhere deep inside him, Heatman
knew he had another job to do. Which is why it was only the area
immediately surrounding him that was destroyed in Heatman’s small
nuclear fallout. However, the entire base shuddered. Lights now
went out and there was the distinct low lighting of emergency power
a few seconds later.
Heatman emerged from this fallout freezing cold. He hadn’t meant
to explode. Whatever. He could “smell” much more plutonium not
too far away (was he on another floor?). Heatman moved steadily.
Wily’s forces did not let up, but Heatman was expending more power
than before. He was so close now …. He could feel it! The enemies
were varied. Pickermen, Mousubeils, Tamas, and large fortress bosses
that Ben couldn’t identify all attacked him, all at once. Wily
was throwing everything he had at him, but Ben took it and dished
it out even more. The old man didn’t realise that he could survive
his own nuclear explosions! He was invincible! Now if only he wasn’t
achingly cold.
After he destroyed what seemed to be most of the forces on the
space station Heatman finally came to the final door. Once again
it was locked. Once again Heatman ripped it apart! He ripped apart
the Screws and Metools guarding the corridor too. No mercy! He
went into the final room. The one containing sweet, sweet heat.
If he had doubted his mission of death before, those doubts were
gone now. He could sense his wonderful heat right before him. For
some reason he had trouble getting to it.
He tried again, but was punched back once more. Was something talking
to him? He blasted in the general direction of the voice in a mindless
stupor. All he needed now was heat! All he needed now was his heat.
He didn’t see the huge fists pounding him into the wall. He didn’t
notice himself dodging an attack that might have levelled him a
moment ago. It was all a fantastic blur to Ben. Wily did not notice
this.
He was literally sweating now. This was all he had left. He had
poured all his effort into this last mecha. It was a combination
of some of his previous attempts at giant robots. It had spikes
on its hands like Gamma, and a bombing system. But it was sophisticated
(and looked much like himself) like the Wily Robo Iron Golem. He
had been working on it throughout the War. Indeed, it was his new
Super Weapon! It was powered by the Nuclear material that his forces
had collected thought their battles! He had managed to save it
all before the Scissor Army had come to his first base. He shot
a few, very small bombs at Heatman and they blew his butchered
invention back. It was the only thing that worked so far. Wily
wondered if Cutman had made Heatman in a similar way that Wily
made his new Wily Iron Gamma Golem. If he had then Heatman had
wasted precious energy on his previous battles. Each time he used
his power, it would have to be a small nuclear bomb. Each time
he used his power a very small portion of his nuclear material
would be lost.
Wily kept on pounding at Heatman. He never liked him. Even now,
the monster wasn’t responding to his brilliant retorts. He stopped
even trying. All he ever said was “heat”. At least from what Wily
could pick up; it was difficult to make him out from all the noise
he was making. Heatman, though … what had they done to him? He
was terrifying! He had destroyed all of his internal defences.
Wily was sure the new Bubble Boy would have taken him out, but
no. And the spiked floor seemed a stroke of genius, but that hadn’t
worked either. Wily shot a barrage of missiles at his former minion.
At least this traitor had shown himself early! And Wily’s genius
had beaten him! There was no way Ben could survive his super Robot!
It was made to take down all his enemies. And his friends too.
Wily had learned you never could be too careful. And now … now
…
Wily paled. His power gauges had just plunged to zero. And … where
was Heatman?
Heatman was feasting inside of Wily’s Super Robot, that’s what!
That senile fool Wily and his robots … it was always the same damned
plan. Always the same patterns! Even fighting like an animal he
could see through Wily. It was simple to get close enough to melt
his way into the robot and into it’s power core. Well, no more
silly plans! Not after today! Never again! Heatman felt a surge
of strength and confidence wash over him like a desert wind. There
was so much here… he inserted another container of plutonium. He
systems made compensations for the sheer amount of fuel he was
giving them. General Cutman had planned well. He had accounted
for this. Heatman was actually grateful. A part of him had worried
that there might be some sort of end to how much he could “eat”.
But, no! Heatman consumed another batch of plutonium and felt the
world slip away. It was bliss!
The room exploded in a burst of flames and radiation. Whatever
Wily’s plans were, they had now ended. Heatman emerged from the
smoke with confidence. He was the angel of death. Except he wasn’t
Heatman anymore. His consumption of so much nuclear materials had
changed his. His system had adapted itself into a more pleasing
form. He was Magma Dragoon once again! His old self once again!
Perhaps he didn’t look exactly like his old body, but that
didn’t matter. He was back!
Thoughts swam in his head. The thrill of victory. The delight of
being so high on heat. The joy of finally killing that old bastard
Wily. And guilt. Yes, there was guilt in there. He’d done what
the Scissor Army wanted of him. He’d been their lapdog again. He
didn’t deserve to feel this good. But he couldn’t help it. He felt
an odd mix of guilt and glee. What would his old friends say if
they could see him now?
That brought him a focus. With all the plutonium gone (and he knew
it was gone), he was freer to think. There was still a friend here
he needed to see. Classi! Unconsciously he searched for her energy
signature. And then followed it, with all the speed he could muster!
--------------------
Doc Robot ordered all
the Wily bots he could gather to attack the White Knight, Sniper
Joes, Mets, Battons, Pickermen, Monkings, and every other possible
robot that was in the nearby area. Geminiman was not allowed to
get through that door to see his ‘beloved’.
However, the Twin Terror only had one thing on his mind now, and
nothing could get in his way from achieving his goal. He fired
his Gemini Laser at the ground so that it would reflect off it
and knock a Monking from the roof as it had just jumped into the
air and then quickly switched back to his arm cannon and fired
shot after shot at all the lousy cannon fodder Wily had to offer.
The Joe-type robots stood behind their shields and created a defensive
wall and from behind that, Doc Robot sneered and launched a number
of Search Snakes at the White Knight.
Due to the enclosed space they were fighting in, Geminiman had
very little room to dodge and took a couple of hits from the snake
missile’s venom. As he reeled back from the pain, the Pickermen
positioned behind the wall of Sniper Joes hurled their pick axes
and one managed to find itself a new home embedded into the thigh
of the Twin Terror.
His movement was now hindered and he had no clones to heal his
wounds. Geminiman slowly got up and removed the pickaxe from his
thigh and threw it away, now causing some of the hydraulic fluids
to leak out.
“Being alone never used to be this difficult…” he muttered wishing
he could just throw a clone over the defensive line and close them
off in a pincer attack. But he was no longer in an advantageous
position. As he slowly made his way closer to the barricade of
shields, the Sniper Joes in unison pulled their shields away and
fired volley of plasma blasts causing Geminiman to quickly take
cover under his own shield, as he attempted to return fire with
his laser, the Joes had quickly pulled their shields in front and
the laser had bounced back down the corridor. Feeling a bit more
confident, Doc Robot ordered all the Monkings to jump over the
barricade and rip the White Knight apart.
“How does it feel to be outsmarted this time, Geminiman?” Doc Robot
laughed, “Even with your strategic mind, against these numbers
you are still nothing without your clones!”
“Annoying little pest…” Geminiman cursed under his breath, as he
proceeded to grab the first Monking to get close enough to him
and then hurled it at the barricade, knocking a Sniper Joe off
his feet. He then shifted his hand into the Gemini Laser and fired
a large laser at point blank range towards another Monking; the
resulting laser had then bounced off the wall and into several
more.
“I will not be stopped by someone as unsightly as you!” The White
Knight spoke as he was now approaching Doc Robot, he fired another
laser at the Sniper Joes allowing the laser to bounce back and
hit the remaining Monkings that were jumping about behind him and
then kicked up the remains of another and used it to block off
all the shots and pick axes fired off from the Wily Joes.
“What are you fools doing? Kill him! Kill him!” Doc Robot screamed
out, as he was beginning to panic at the sight of Geminiman getting
closer and closer to him. He quickly switched his weapons to the
Fire Storm and threw waves of fire in various directions so that
the heat would hinder the White Knight’s advance, but all he managed
to do to create more holes in the Sniper Joe barricade as Geminiman
seemed to shrug off all signs of pain and pressed on using as many
robots he could find as a shield so that he could openly fire his
laser.
After he destroyed a great many he noticed tiny spiders going over
robots he hadn't noticed before. There were thousands of them,
obliterating robots ten times their size. Geminiman was impressed.
It seemed that Shoryu was nearby to aid him in his quest!
Soon, there was nothing left between Geminiman and Doc Robot. The
White Knight threw away the last of his robot shields and once
again grabbed Doc Robot by his throat and lifted him in the air.
“I believe your usefulness has outlived itself, Doc Robot, you’ve
told me where this base was and now you’ve led me to where my dear
sweet Sparkchan is. For that, I shall thank you.” He grinned as
he slowly drew out one of his swords while the Wily replica was
struggling to break free from his opponent’s grip his eyes now
focused on the sword Geminiman drew out, not only was it burning
with its in-built weapon element but soon the White Knight’s arm
began to glow with laser energy and the sword followed suit and
the blade began to let out a magnificent light.
“I originally was intending to save this technique for finishing
off Shadowman, but since you have proven yourself to be some what
of a helpful robot to me; I think I shall reward you by making
you the first victim of my White Holy Sword…”
Doc Robot knew this attack would be his end, he had to break free,
if he could just aim his cannon to Geminiman’s chest and fire a
Search Snake at it he might be able to win, he struggled to get
his aim right, he only had one shot it was all for the Master’s
sake. He could not fail him here, not at the most crucial moment.
He had to get out of this situation NOW.
But that opportunity never presented itself as Geminiman’s Holy
Sword plunged straight through Doc Robot’s chest, his arm went
limp and the laser energy charged within the sword released itself
and in one glorious explosion of light, Doc Robot was no more.
--------------------
The sounds of fighting had died out from outside Classi-Cal’s room, had her husband’s robots successfully driven off whoever was out there? The room was filled with an awkward silence as she looked worryingly at the door while Shoryu remained depressed at the condition of her mommy.--------------------
Wily had made it to the escape pods. In truth he had been there for some time. He had made a robot double to control his giant mecha so the enemy would be distracted while he made his escape. Despite getting away alive, Wily felt no joy. His plans were now all in ruins, his plutonium was gone and his space station was on the verge of collapse, all he could do now was pull back to another fortress and regroup.--------------------
The explosion was tremendous.
Somewhere the General was smiling. One more player off the board.
Like the Cossacks, Wily might not be gone completely … but he was
done for and they both knew it. There wasn’t time to move all the
“important stuff” this time. No underground caverns or secret stashes.
He had dealt Wily a real blow this time. Whatever that old coot
had planned, it was over.
Mesmerman floated silently down beside him. “It might not be though.
You have to be careful.”
“What do you want?”
“Just to give you the report on Himeji. As predicted it fell. But
Geminiman wasn’t exactly inspired in the fight. It’s almost like
his mind was somewhere else.”
“If it was, you’d be the one who’d know.”
Mesmerman chuckled. Quite right, he would. “Not issuing orders
to retrieve Heatman’s body?”
“He’s space dust. I was monitoring him during the mission. He had
consumed too much fuel. He can safely survive his own explosions
if he isn’t an idiot and makes one too big for his shielding to
handle. He’s gone. Or in many small pieces. And besides, he was
a gas guzzler. I’m not made of plutonium. I had enough for one
real mission and this was it. Besides, when he’s high Heatman becomes
quite ….”
“Boisterous?”
“Right. Not a quality I look for in the Scissor Army. It’s what
the fool wanted anyway.”
--------------------
Everyone thought Magma Dragoon had died there, in the explosion. He had wanted to die. That was the plan, wasn’t it?--------------------