Orchestrated By C.M. Rich (Magnetman)
By Gauntlet, Regulus
Scenario F
Participants:
Wily Rescue Force (W)
Mr. Whiz (W)
The Armoured Assassins (C)
Bass (L)
Location: Subterranean Skull Castle
SA Infantry: 1034
RPD Units: 1161
Wily Bots: 302
Doc Robot couldn’t stop Wily’s punishment. He cringed every time
General Cutman brought that whip down on his master’s back. He
screamed in pain. None of the Wily Rescue Force could stand it.
Even Barrageman, with about as much personality as a home computer,
couldn’t bear to watch the doctor’s punishment. Doc Robot tried
to go to the sobbing scientist when the punishment ended, but the
cruel hands of Splitter Joes took him away while others restrained
the maddened Doc Robot. He hacked them away with a Metal Blade,
but it was too late. The General merely laughed at Doc Robot’s
display of loyalty. The clockwork Wily gave him a cold glare. He
could bring him down. After all, he could access the power of Gutsman.
But that monster had Wily.
The severe punishment was because of Spark Chan’s desertion. And
Windman’s death. Apparently dying was considered something punishable.
Omniman and Golemman had destroyed an important Scissor Army base.
They had died, but Wily had to pay the price. Mr. Whiz had lost
the President of the United States. Sunstar and Dark Moon had both
“allowed” Magnetman to level New Delhi. The Wily Rescue Force hadn’t
accomplished much during their mission and, although Canberra now
belonged to the Scissor Army, it was due to the mass Shutdown of
RPD troops, not their efforts. Wily suffered their mistakes as
well, much to Doc Robot’s shame.
If any of Wily’s forces had believed General Cutman wouldn’t harm
an old man, despite his threats … doubt was erased from their minds.
Every single one of Wily’s men has suffered defeats and now Wily
had paid the price for their failure.
“It’s not fair!” said Mr. Whiz between tears. “He’ll die if they
keep doing that! Damn it, the mission went fine didn’t it? We captured
Washington! Quint said he’d talk to Cutman!”
“I know,” said Doc Robot quietly.
Mr. Whiz walked with the Wily Rescue Force back to the mess hall.
The corridors were crowded with Scissor Joes. Skull Castle was
overrun with them.
“We have to do something,” said Expressman angrily.
Multiman was morose. “He said not to.”
“That was before he was whipped.”
Doc Robot had a mad look in his eye. “We are the Wily Rescue Force.
We will rescue Master!”
“And I’ll help!” said Mr. Whiz enthusiastically. The Wily Rescue
Force looked his way slowly. They had quite forgotten he was there.
--------------------
The heavily forested area around Wily's previously above-ground castle was almost completely devoid of sound...--------------------
The others sat in silence as Doc Robot worked his magic over the controls of the computer terminal. They were deep within Wily’s Subterranean Skull Castle. Even though Scissor Joes were everywhere, few of them came this deep part of the castle. It had been used primarily as storage space when the castle was active as a main base, but that was long ago. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Since it was so out of the way and extremely useless, few people bothered with it. The Wily Rescue Force and their earnest ally Mr. Whiz had made it their secret headquarters.--------------------
Four Joes stood their watch at a communications relay tower. Normal guards would probably be chatting idly or sighing their brains out of sheer boredom, but Scissor Joes never got bored. They weren't allowed to be bored. They weren't excited, either. They had job, that was the only thing they could call their own. A function a mission, and theirs was guard duty.--------------------
A squad of Scissor Joes were making their rounds when a black robot leapt into the crowd, raining plasma down on them as though he had something better to be doing. The Joes hardly had any time to react before being blasted into scrap metal.--------------------
Doc Robot met Expressman and Mr. Whiz in an unmonitored hall. In another time, Skull Castle’s defences were targeted only by Megaman, but the General had fortified them to detect any movement now. He did not trust Wily’s men. Luckily Doc Robot had accounted for this.--------------------
Bass laughed. That brainless oaf had been put on guard duty. It was the perfect position for Barrageman. No wit required. Barrageman turned just in time to see Bass hurtling towards him, but not soon enough to react to the brutal crescent kick Bass delivered using his thrusters for added force. Barrageman landed flat on his back, only to have Bass land in the middle of his chest, knees first, making him groan in pain.--------------------
"Where's that worthless old man?" Bass spat as he slammed a Scissor Joe into a wall head first, crushing his CPU against the steel wall. A rag-tag band of mis-fit Wily bots and Scissor Joes flooded the hallway only to be cleared by the black robot's superior strength. A Hammer Joe threw a heavy steel ball at him. Bass sidestepped the attack, grabbing the end of the chain and whipping the steel ball back around to crush its owner. More Joes filed in, attempting to use their shields to slow Wily's rogue powerhouse, but Bass simply strode up to them while keeping them pinned with his rapid fire, making them stick to their choice of shields. When he was close enough he tore into the crowd, kicking their shields out of their hands and blasting them to pieces with his buster. If he knew those buffoons in the Wily Rescue Force, he knew he'd have to peel them off their precious doctor like leeches. He laughed at the pathetic forces that the defense system kept tossing at him. A couple of Multimen even dared to oppose him.--------------------
"Well, it looks like that sno-cone stayed true to his word." Garmel mused as he observed the battle ahead. The RPD was hammering the opposing forces. They had caught them by surprise and without their main defense guns to help them. He even laughed a bit as his SWAT officers took out some odd-looking Wily bots with eerie smiles painted on them. He never did get why Wily did that. He's an old man, maybe he gets lonely.--------------------
Blizzardman and Flameman were starting to get repelled by Barrageman as his backup arrived. A Multiman had stepped up to the doorway and sat there, breaking off copies to go fight with the two robots every couple of minutes. The Joes were starting to look more formidable now that they were assisting Barrageman's shots. Just as Blizzardman was about to break off the attack, RPD units began flooding in from the forest, applying pressure to the defending squad. The Wily forces were starting to withdraw and even Multiman was having trouble keeping Barrageman supplied with copies. Barrageman still did not move.--------------------
If Doc Robot could sweat he would The base was going insane! Expressman took out a few Scissor Joes as they set their sights on them. “Came on, we have to get outta here!” cried the speed freak.--------------------
Doc Robot laughed out loud. “It’s not his job to rescue Wily.”--------------------
Within minutes the would-be rescuers had been taken up to the top deck of the Flying Fortress and were now staring down Blizzardman. True, there was an RPD CO right next to him, but Wily was more furious with having been betrayed after taking the Assassins in.--------------------
The Wily Rescue Force hung tightly to Multiman as they veered past oncoming helicopters. There were reports that the communications relays had been destroyed, but whoever did that underestimated the effectiveness of the Scissor Army. They were programmed to improvise and so, even without solid communication, they seemed to be rallying to combat the enemy forces at their doorstep. The Wily Rescue Force considered this for only a moment before Multiman’s engines began to sputter.--------------------
Parts from the Flying Fortress rained down on Mr. Whiz and the small group of Multimen as the battle raged on. The booming sounds of the cannons and the whirling sounds of helicopters were music to Whiz’s ears. People who attacked Skull Castle deserved no less. Contrary to what they must have thought, the subterranean Skull castle was heavily guarded. Even if it seemed as if the Robot Police had sent out enough troops to match them, they had heavy artillery on their side.--------------------
Anguish laughed as he was struck by numerous Thunder Beams all at once. “You’ll have to try better than that my tiny friend! That is, if you want to save the good doctor.”--------------------
Yamatoman ripped Joes apart left and right and Blizzardman did his thing to make the battlefield less suitable to their enemies. The Assassins were on their new mission.--------------------
Whiz noticed them out of the corner of his eye. Blizzardman and Flameman were marching straight for him. As if the RPD grunts weren't enough on his plate. He sliced through an RPD bot with his Anti-Boomerang before turning to run. He ducked in and out of the trees, trying to keep an eye out for RPD troops. Suddenly, he felt a numbness in his leg as he tripped and fell face-first to the ground. He looked down at his right leg to find that it wasn't there.--------------------
Doc Robot awoke in darkness while he experienced a strange moving sensation. It took him a moment to realise what had happened. He failed. He stretched himself beyond what his programming would allow and failed his Master. Now he was at the mercy of Anguish and Calamity. And whoever they worked for. Likely Mesmerman though, as Doc Robot realized upon reflection.--------------------
"How did you get Wily?" Blizzardman asked back at the Flying Fortress.--------------------
The troop of Multimen stopped dead as Doc Robot examined the unmoving doctor. The sounds of battle were quiet. Even if they weren’t, the team stopped caring about them. Doc Robot gently took out the Doctor’s body from out of Multiman’s chest. The former could not find words to speak. How could he not realise Wily wasn’t moving? Doc Robot collapsed and began to search for the mortal injury.--------------------
Anguish and Calamity smiled at the Scissor Joes. They were such an enjoyably predictable form of robot. Wily was half carried, half dragged by a pair of Joes back to his cell.--------------------
Commander Garmel stepped off to the side. Blizzardman was occupied with shouting orders to the few RPD officers left on the Flying Fortress. They had been helping Inspector Noguchi to man the heavy guns on the ship. Sedulus used to operate everything manually for the Flying Fortress until he went rogue.--------------------