Part Three

One worrisome day at Light Labs:

In his despair, Dr. Light became an alcoholic in the weeks following the incident. He starts speaking in the slurred, “Elmer Fudd” voice from the english version of Megaman 8. Today, Dr. Light is brooding in his armchair, reflecting on his recent troubles and the loss of Megaman.

“Dr. Light, are you feeling all right?” asked Roll.

“How can I evah be aw-wight with my Mega gone?” he whimpered.
“Out of all of you, he was the wun I wuvved the most.”

“We all miss him Dr. Light, but we still have each other,” said Roll.

“Ah... Dwear, sweedt Woll,” sighed Dr. Light, in slurred speech.
“Yes, I still 'ave you, don' I?”
“...Hic-cup!”

“You don't look so well Dr. Light,” Roll observed.
“Are you sick?”

“Jus' a bwit chilly...” replied Dr. Light.

He pulled out a bottle of scotch and took a swig of it.

“Ahh... Thad warmed me a bit.” he sighed with satisfaction.
“Why don't you come ovah here an' sid on Dad's lap to really warm 'im up...”

Roll finally caught on to the cause of Dr. Light's slovenly countenance...

“Dr. Light, you said you'd stop drinking!” she cried.

“Nevuh-mind thad...” muttered Light.
“HIC!”

He got up and stumbled toward Roll.

“Lemme 'ave a clo-sah look at you girlie. Docta' haz to give you a checkup. Urgh...”

“Dr. Light... No!” Roll cried.

“Ungh!”
she grunted as the portly old man collapsed on top of her and passed out.

“Oh Dr. Light...” said Roll, sorrowfully.

Just then, Protoman happened to be stopping by to see how Dr. Light and company were holding up. He teleported into the scene.

“Hey Dr. Light, I just stopped by to... huh??” asked a stunned Protoman.
“Dr Light! What are you–?!”

“Protoman!” cried Roll, in embarrassment.
“Um, Dr. Light was drinking again and got a bit frisky,” she explained.

“What?! How long has this been going on?” demanded Protoman.

“He's not always like this,” explained Roll.
“But ever since Megaman...”

“I see,” Protoman sighed.

He helped lift the pathetic old soul off of her, and she put him to bed.

Late that night, at Wily's lab:

“Zero, my masterpiece… You are finally complete,” Wily proclaimed.

Zero's eyes opened as he sat upright.

“Now you will carry out my revenge on the one responsible for my death,” continued Wily.
“Our rivalry is what gives me motivation in life, and so I have returned from the grave for this purpose. I will not rest until I have finally defeated him.”

Zero stared up blankly as he listened.

“Now go!” commanded Wily.
“Destroy him! That's an order.”

Zero grabbed hold of his saber and leapt into action.

Early the next morning; at Light Labs:

“Good morning Roll,” said Dr. Light, groggily.

“Dr. Light, you're awake!” said Roll.
“Are you feeling any better?”

“I will as soon as you hand me that bourbon,” replied Dr. Light.

“But Dr. Light...”

“I didn't build you to give me lip!” yelled Dr. Light.
“Now hand over the bottle, you little house-wench!”

Roll reluctantly complied, against her better judgment.

“GULP, GULP, GULP.”

Dr. Light chugged down some of the whiskey.

“Hoo-wee! Thadt'z gud stuff!” he bellowed.

Within moments Dr. Light is tipsy again, although only half as drunk as last night.

“Come here Roll,” instructed Dr. Light.
“I have somethin' to show you. ...HIC!”

“Dr. Light, please don't. I don't want to see it!” pleaded Roll, as she started to back away from him.

“Will you just follow me to the workroom!” snapped Dr. Light.
“I dun had enough of y'all disobeying me, dam# robots!”

Roll just stood there, looking hurt.
Dr. Light sighed and finally calmed down.

“Look, I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around lately, and I'm sorry for that,” said Dr. Light.
“But what I have to show you is of the utmost importance. That’s why I’m entrusting it to you.”

Roll brightened a little.

“No one outside of this lab must know what's being stored behind that door,” warned Dr. Light.

“Oh, I get it!” said Roll.
“Now that you mention it, I suspected you had been building something new recently.” she whispered.

“That's right, it's my most important project yet,” said Dr. Light as he took another gulp of whiskey.
“Follow me.”

The two of them enter Light's secret workroom, sealing the door shut behind them. There is a capsule in the center of the room. Dr. Light unveils the cover to reveal...

“Mega Man?!” asked Roll, in surprise.

“Not quite,” explained Dr. Light.
“Lying before you in this capsule is the most advanced wobot known to man.”

“Wobot?” asked Roll.
“Oh! you mean robot?”

“Just listen!” snapped Light.
“I've designed this new-model robot in the likeness of Megaman as a sort of memorial to him. It's my way of giving him a second chance. But he'll have to stay in this capsule for 30 years so diagnostics can be run on his system to insure he will remain loyal to humans. I might not be around for that long, especially with the way I be drinking. So when the time comes, I want you to activate Megaman X and help him to wield his considerable power wisely. Do you understand your responsibility?”

“Wow Dr. Light, I don't know what to say,” answered Roll.
“What should I do to prepare myself? I suppose I'll probably get battle upgrades just like–”

“Now hold on, let's not get ahead of ourselves.” Dr. Light chuckled.

“I don’t know Dr. Light, this is some heavy stuff you're laying on me,” said Roll.
“I might need a swig of that whiskey you got there!”

“Oh no you don't!” said Dr. Light, as he held the bottle out of Roll's reach.
“This is only for grownups. And besides, I hear somebody at the door. You'd better go see who it is.”

“Oh, all right,” Roll said, with a grin.
“And don’t worry, I won’t let you down,” she winked just before she left the workroom.

Roll headed out to the front door and saw a red armored robot with long blonde hair waiting in the foyer. He had a saber but it was in the “off” position, so the blade was not visible to her.

“What does this guy want; interrupting us right when we were getting to the good part!” Roll exclaimed.
“Oh well, at least he's cute. I wonder who he is.”

At the same time, Beat flew out of Auto's workshop to come see who was at the door. The bird twitters up beside Roll as she walks forward to greet their guest.

“Excuse me sir, can I help–”

Zero clasped his hand over Roll's mouth.

“Mmm!!” Roll let out a muffled scream.

Zero quickly pressed the saber hilt up against her abdomen and turned it on!

BZZZZZZzzzwish!

“Ahhh!” Roll shrieked, with a stunned expression on her face.

“Hmph!” Zero chuckled, with a sadistic grin.

With the blade still piercing through her, Roll slumped backwards.

“I- I've failed you Dr. Light...,” she gasped, as a tear fell from her eye.

The energy of the saber pulses through Roll all the way up to her skull, completely blowing her brains/CPU out. Her chest explodes open and she collapsed to the ground.

“Weakling...” muttered Zero.

“Tweet!” Beat squealed in terror.

The little bird-bot frantically fled from the scene. He flew all the way back to Auto's workshop.

“TWEET TWEET TWEET!” Beat cried.

“What's gotten into you, you silly little birdbrain?” asked Auto.

“TWEET! TWEET!” Beat tried to tug on Auto to lead him out of the workshop.

“Alright, alright!” said Auto.
“Let's go see what's gotten you so worked up, little fella.”

Beat led Auto back into the front room where Roll's lifeless body was sprawled out on the floor.

“What the-?!” exclaimed Auto.
“Somebody f—ed Roll up!”

“You have no idea,” came a voice from behind.

“Huh? NO!” cried Auto. “Urghh!”

Shortly thereafter, Protoman stopped by to check-in on everyone at Light Labs again. As he entered the building he was met with a horrific sight. Auto was just sitting there on the floor... dead. The remains of Beat were shoved down his throat. Roll was still lying there next to him, totally fried.

“No way!” gasped Protoman.
“How can this be?!”

He dashed through the lab searching for survivors or intruders. The lab was disheveled as if someone had already been searching through it, furiously. He came to the door of Dr. Light's workroom and saw that it was sealed shut.

“Dr. Light! Are you in there?! It's Protoman!”

The door opened and Dr. Light quickly pulled Protoman inside.

“Are you all right doctor?” asked Protoman.
“It looks like someone tore through here and... they got Roll and Auto.”

“Yes, I know,” said Dr. Light, gravely.
“Protoman, something terrible has happened! The lab is under attack by the most wickedly powerful robot I've ever seen. It looks like one of Wily's!”

“He must have had a sleeper unit programed to activate in his absence,” said Protoman.
“I'll have to go confront it.”

“Wait Protoman! Its power is like nothing you've ever encountered in the past. It rivals the next-generation model I just finished building in this capsule. This thing is way beyond you.”

“Hold on,” said Protoman.
“You have a robot in here that could beat this thing?”

“Perhaps, but he's not ready,” Dr. Light explained.
“I'm still running tests on him to determine his loyalty.”

“Can't we test him on the battlefield right now?!” urged Protoman.

“I must know if he will uphold the laws of robotics!” Light insisted.

“Then that leaves me to face this guy alone!” said an exasperated Protoman

“No!” said Dr. Light.
“You must flee, Protoman. You're no match for him.”

“I'll determine that for myself!” said Protoman.
“Anyway, it doesn't look like we have much choice. Sounds like he found our hiding place.”

BANG! CLANK!

Zero was outside the fortified door, trying to pound his way in.

“Don't worry Dr. Light, I'll find a way,” said Protoman, as he stood at the ready.
“Megaman always did...” he said somberly.

Dr. Light cowered in the back of the workshop.

“I've got to preserve X at all cost,” thought Dr. Light.

He rushed to the capsule and started typing a message on the keypad.

WARNING:

"X" is the first of a new generation of robots which contain an innovative new feature - The ability to think, feel and make their own decisions. However this ability could be very dangerous if "X" were to break the first rule of robotics, "A robot must never harm a human being". The results would be disastrous and I fear that no force on Earth could stop him.

Approximately 30 years will be required before we can safely confirm his reliability. Unfortunately I will not live to see that day, nor do I have anyone to carry on my work. Therefore, I have decided to seal him in this capsule, which will test his internal systems until his reliability has been confirmed. Please do not disturb the capsule until that time.

"X" possesses great risks as well as great possibilities. I can only hope for the best.

September 18, 20XX

T. Light

“There. 30 years worth of loyalty ought to do it,” said Dr. Light, as Zero was already roughing Protoman up at the other end of the room.

BAM!
Protoman crashed into the wall from one of Zero's blows.

“You- you're strong,” coughed Protoman.
“Maybe my stregnth wasn't enough after all. But I won't back down!”

Protoman leapt from the ground, landing a solid blow against Zero. But the harder he came at him, the more Zero seemed to be enjoying the fight! Dr. Light saw everything from the back of the room.

“He's merely toying with him,” observed Light.
“That monster robot could end this fight at any moment, but he's taking pleasure in the combat! It won't end well...” he concluded.

With that, Dr. Light initiated the self-destruct function of the lab, destroying the entire structure. The blast also finished Protoman off, and left X and Zero buried underground. They laid there unconscious for years to come; the living legacies of two of the greatest scientific minds in history. What fate would await them in the future? Only time would tell.

The End...

...for now.