Thine Own Self Be True Bonne Version by Luminous Blane Disclaimer: don't own mm. Notes: I call megaman Rock in this because I always prefered that name to megaman or rockman. in fact, I always preferred the japanese name for each character. the japanese megaman is rockman, but I have decided that Rock will be the nickname his friends and family call him by. Scene transitions are depicted by ~ROCKMAN DASH!~. There is going to be an alternate version of the story where Rock is in love with Roll as opposed to Tron. And, if I feel like it, a version where he goes digging on Ryship, meets, and falls in love with, Officer Denise Marmalade. but don't count on it. Chapter One "IT WORKS!" Shouted Roll, as their first successful shuttle launch took place. She and Tron had been working on this project for roughly three weeks, using Bleucher's mansion as a base of operations, and were very worried about Rock. As the shuttle tore accross the sky, a small squeaky voice crackled to life on the comlink. "Servbot #1 to Miss Tron! Servbot #1 to Miss Tron! Confirming radio link!" "Tron here! Gimme a status report!" She said happily into the device. "All systems fully operational! Everything's A-OK! Proceeding on course to Elysium." "Roger that, #1, good luck. Tron out." She said, clicking off the radio. She turned to Roll and the two young geniuses hugged in a moment of pure glee. "It's finally happening! We'll finally get to see Rock again!" Roll exclaimed, tears of joy rolling down her face. Tron was in a similar state, but at a loss for words. Half the Servbots were now in space, and closing in on Elysium. The estimated time of return, two more days. #21 was preparing a magnificent feast, as #35 began decorating. Everyone was excited to hear that Rock would finally return soon. Even Teisel admitted that he missed the boy. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ The ground shook with every step it took, moving through the halls of Elysium. The mighty Gustaff readied it's gattling gun to fight off any reaverbots it encountered. #1 was close to a small group of living beings, according to the sensors of the Gustaff. Opening a large door, he found them at last. Rock sat on the floor, his armor, face, and hair covered in dirt. Next to him were Yuna and Sera, who had appearently been taking care of him. As Rock raised his head tiredly to discover the machine before him, he smiled. At long last, it was time to go home. He said his goodbyes to Yuna and Sera, and walked over to the metal behemoth. The cockpit opened and Rock took the secondary seat (where tron sits in motb), and they hurried back to the space ship. Rock said nothing to the servbots on the ride home, and sat tiredly against the wall, despite the chairs and beds around him. "Miss Tron, Miss Roll, the package is secure." This was the last thing he heard before drifiting off to sleep. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ Rock awoke to the turbulance of the flight due to the high speed of reentry. They were back. As the craft finally came to a stop, he and the servbots filed out. He was here. He knew that they'd get him home sooner or later, but he still couldn't quite believe that he was home. Tron and Roll rushed up to meet him, both of them hugging him tightly. He smiled faintly and hugged them back. Suddenly, his smile turned to horror as Tron and Roll were pulled off of him and his armor was cracked by the force of a bear hug from Bon. The large child put him down soon, and Rock breathed a sigh of relief. "All of you, thank you for this warm reception. I can't tell you how much I've missed you all. Old friends, newer friends, and friends that once were enemies, I longed to see all of your faces. Roll, you are my spotter. I was lost without you. Barrel, you're like a father to me. The question of what you'd do kept me alive in many situations. Teisel, I missed you and your thirst for treasure. Tron, I couldn't help but think about you and how excited you would've been to have seen all the technology on Elysium. And Bon. . . Well, it was boring without you. So boring, in fact, that all I could do to keep busy was work on this speech." At this, everyone laughed, and Rock was led to the dining room of Van Bleucher's house, where the reception was being held. Tons of food, beautiful decorations, and #36 playing a song dedicated to the hero, as he recounted tales of his battle on Elysium. The party went on into the night, and all retired to their rooms. "You know, Data, after all that's happened, all the trouble I've gotten into, looking back on it I have only fond memories, but they still make me feel uncomfortable. Why do you think that is?" "Ki ki! I'm a monkey, not a psychiatrist, Jim!" "Who's Jim?" "Ki! Does no one appreciate star trek anymore?!" "Whatever. Goodnight, Data." "Ki ki, Goodnight, Rock." As the companions drifted into a dream filled slumber, all was quiet until two hours later. Tron slowly crept the halls of the building, approaching Rock's room.Silently she opened the door and tip toed over to him. She leaned over him, and kissed his cheek. Pulling his blanket up over him and tucking him in, she smiled gently. "Tron. . .don't worry. . . I'll protect you. . .No matter what happens. . ." Rock mumbled in his sleep. "I won't let them hurt you. . ." "Thank you, Rock. . ." she whispered quietly, kissing his cheek, blushing. She stealthily made her way out of his room and back to her own, but on the way, she met the one person she was hoping to avoid. "Hey, Tron. I wonder, what might you be doing up so late?" Roll asked, sneering at Tron. "N-nothing!" She stuttered, worried that their friendship would end too soon after starting. "So, 'nothing' involves going into Rock's bedroom in the middle of the night?" Tron blushed madly at this. "Tron, I know how you feel about Rock. And I know you're scared that it'll ruin our friendship. But don't worry. I think you two make a great couple. In other words, you have my blessing." Roll said kindly, patting Tron on the back. "Thanks, Roll. . . You're not gonna tell him, are you?" "Of course not. It's not my place to tell him." "Thanks, Roll. You're a good friend." Tron said, yawning. she entered her room, plopped down onto the bed, and soon found herself dreaming of Rock. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ A few days later, everyone was still celebrating Rock's return except for the hero himself. It wasn't long before Tron and Roll became very worried about him. He was always so quiet, and whenever anyone talked to him, he always seemed so distant. Something was troubling him, but no one knew how to get him to tell them what it was, or if they could help if they knew. This caused an acceleration in the decay of the celebratory mood of Rock's close friends, and it wasn't long before everyone was extremely worried about him. He was the kind, amiable guy who you could always trust to help you out and was very open. But now, it seemed like he was a different person. The only one he'd confide in at this point was Data, who refused to share his master's secrets. Rock awoke early the next morning, and headed towards Bleucher's kitchen. "Good morning, Mr. Volnutt!" Chirped #21 cheerfully. "Food." The digger replied groggily. "Certainly, sir! What would you like this morning?" "Sammich." "What kind of sandwhich?" "The kind with two slices of bread and all the stuff in the middle." "Erm. . . Would you like some hot cakes?" "Flapjacks?" "Yes, flapjacks." "No, pancakes." "Right. . ." "Lossa syrup." "Coming right up, sir!" "Hi, Rock!" Tron said, right behind him. He slowly turned around. "Good morning, Tron. How're you?" "I'm pretty good, and yourself?" She answered, blushing slightly. "I had trouble sleeping last night. . .." "Oh. Well. . . I bet that's no fun." "Yeah. Erm. . .Tron? If you have some time, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. . ." He replied, his voice shaking slightly, as he gazed into her eyes, blushing slightly. "Of course, Rock. anything you need, I'd be more than happy to help." She answered, blushing as well. Rock took the plate of pancakes that #21 had set out for him, got himself and Tron a cup of coffee, and sat down at the table, with Tron to his right, and data on his shoulder. "When I was stuck up there. . .It was the first time I was able to just sit back and think about things without interruption. I'm going to say this right now, or I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Tron, of all the time I had to think, I spent almost all of it thinking about you." Tron was, to be quite frank, stunned. She sat there, mouth agape, at a loss of words, and blushing madly, as rock continued. "When I realized this, I started to ask myself why I was thinking about you so much. I was shocked when I realized. . .it's because I love you." Both of them were now blushing madly, and tears of joy began to roll down her face. At first, Rock believed them to be tears of either sadness or frustration, but when she hugged him so tightly, he knew what they were. He gently held her in his strong arms, praying that nothing would ever happen to make them let go. "I love you, Rock. . ." she said shakily. "I love you too, Tron. I love you too." "Awww. . ." Chirped Data, who was promptly slapped by Tron. It was not long before everyone else arrived in the dining room, and and saw Rock with his arm over Tron's shoulders. Everyone, even Teisel, was happy for the two of them. Rock and Tron now spent nearly every waking moment together. "Wow. This town looks so much smaller from back at the mansion." Rock said, awestruck. "Yeah, but you get used to it." Replied Tron. "Hey! Lookit that! A flower shop!" Rock rushed in and soon returned with one dozen roses. Tron blushed as he handed them to her, and Rock blushed back when she kissed him gently. He was amazed at how wonderful her lips felt against his, so warm, and velvet soft. It was his first kiss that hadn't come from Data, which only happened when he was a child. This was also Tron's first kiss, and it was more than she ever thought a simple kiss could be. When the kiss ended, there was only one thing Rock could think to say. "Wow." They silently walked back, not sure what to say to one another. When they reached the Bleucher property, they stopped by the large lake. The pure, crystalline water shimmered in the sunlight, and the birds chirped happily. "I love you, Tron." Rock said quietly, smiling softly at her. "I love you too, Rock." She replied, blushing a bit. At that moment, Data rushed past them and leapt into the water, thouroughly soaking them both. Rock blinked, staring at Tron. "Wow. . . you look beautiful with your hair down. . ." "Are you saying that there are times when I don't look beautiful?!" Replied a blushing Tron in mock anger. "Of course not! I know better than that!" Rock answered in mock fear. The two of them laughed at themselves for a while. "So you really think I look good with my hair down?" "Absolutely! And I never woulda known if Data hadn't rinsed the spray out of your hair. . ." He gently ran his fingers through her brown locks, causing her to blush. "You're really charming, you know that?" "Why, thank you!" Rock replied, a goofy smirk on his face. "Goof ball!" She said playfully, gently shoving him. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ Two tall figures stood quietly in a dark room. "Why did you call me here, Glyde?" Said one in a steady tone. "Have you heard about a boy named Rockman Volnutt?" The other said, his voice filled with anger at the name of the blue-clad digger. "Who hasn't? Saved Kattelox, found the that Asylum thing. . . What's he got to do with this?" The stranger raised two items to his mouth, and a scratching sound was heard, revealing one to be a lighter, and the other to be a bent cigarette.. The flame shows us a clean shaven face, about sixteen years of age, and eyes hidden behind black sunglasses, and a tattered yellow scarf around his neck. On his back is a large red shield. "He destroyed my base, all of my robots, and stole my hostage without a scratch. He has completely humiliated me. I want you to bring me him to me." The stranger took a long drag on his cigarette. "Alive? Cuz that'll cost you extra." ". . .How about we keep the price the same and I'll give you twenty fully armed bird bots." "For this mission, or to keep?" "To keep. You're the best there is. I doubt you'll need them for this mission." "Right. You've got yourself a contract. I'll take two mil up front and get the other four when I'm done. Deal?" he said, extending his hand. He wore dig armor, red and silver. "Deal." Glyde answered, squeezing the mercenary's hand. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ "Thank you for your hospitality, but we really must get back to work. The ruins won't dig themselves, you know." Said Roll, shaking hands with Von Bleucher. It had been three days since Tron and Rock's first kiss. Tron now wore her hair down constantly. "Won't you reconsider? The Bonnes have left, with the exception of Tron, and this big mansion is so quiet without you all around." He replied sadly. "I'm sorry, but Rock's been really anxious to leave. What can I say? He loves adventure." "I understand. Barrell and I were the same way at his age. But if you ever need a place to stay for a few days, feel free to come back here. And what of you, Tron? Will you be leaving with them?" "Yes. I've already got my Gustaff on board, and Rock has been kind enough to offer me his bed." Suddenly, all eyes fell on Rock, causing him to blush and stutter nervously. "I-I-I'm on the c-c-c-couch. . ." "Nonsense, boy. Move into my room." Said Barrell. "I really am too old to keep chasing after you kids on your adventures. I'll just stay here with my old friend." "Alright, gramps. . ." Roll said, a bit sad to be parting ways with her only living relative. She hugged him tightly and the three teenagers moved onto the Flutter. As they lifted off the ground, the caught a final glimpse of Merin Island. "So, Tron, you know any good dig spots?" Asked Rock, his face lit up to finally be going back to work. "Well. . .There's some good ruins and caves on Ryship island. . .But I'd like to avoid that place if possible. . .I. . .er. . .I'm kinda familiar with the police there. . ." "Oh. . .right. . ." Rock said quietly. "Don't get me wrong, I feel really bad about the things I did, but I did them to save Bon and Teisel. Teisel had a huge debt to pay off and he was kidnapped until I earned the million Zenny. We went digging, stole from harbors, banks, private residences, and a farm. . ." She started to cry, her eyes filled with both tears and guilt. Rock felt awful for bringing up the subject, and gently held her in his arms, trying to console her. "Guys, we just got an E-mail from the Digger's Union. there's some new ruins that were just unearthed on Kattelox! Wanna check it out, Rock?" "Yeah! Er. . .Only if they don't try to arrest Tron. . ." He answered, looking at Tron worriedly. "Hmm. . .I'll buzz Amelia, see if I can't get her to pull some strings." Roll replied. "Thank you, Roll. . .You're the first friend I ever had that I didn't build and isn't part of the family. . . and you're also the best friend I'll ever have. . ." Tron sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. Roll looked at her, a certain softness in her eyes. "Thank you, Tron. . . That means alot to me. . . We may have our differences, but if we were exactly the same. . . life would be boring. . ." Roll hugged Tron tightly, as the girls' eyes filled with tears of joy. Rock rushed to the wheel and quickly pulled up, preventing the Flutter from going from airship to boat. Roll soon set the auto pilot to go to Kattelox and then circle the island for a few hours, or at least until they got word from Amelia. It wasn't long before Data bounced into the living room, chattering wildly. Tron and Rock followed Roll onto the bridge, and the spotter soon pulled up an e-mail. "Dear Roll, It's nice to hear from you again. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? So the pirate has turned over a new leaf? Well, the entire population of the island owes their lives to you and Rockman, so your word is good enough for us. If you say she's changed, we'll believe it. I've sent a bulletin to the entire town, so no one should give her any trouble. However, there will most likely be some autograph requests for Rockman. Your friend, Amelia" Roll read aloud. "Alright, Roll, let's land and get to work." Rock said, with a smile on his face. As soon as they landed, several people charged out to meet them. Among them were such memorable faces as the museum currator, the junk shop owner and his wife, the inspector, and Mr. Wily, owner of the boat shop. Also there were Jim and his gang, as well as young Ira, out of her wheelchair at last. Rock talked with all of them for a short while, before they had to get back to their daily routines, except for Ira, who told him the details of her recovery. Once she left to play with Jim and his friends in Cardon Forest, Rock and Roll headed into town to acquire the proper papers for Tron to be allowed to enter. As she walked around in the apple arcade, Tron felt the eyes of at least a dozen people glaring at her. She knew that they saw her as a monster. One young boy ran up and kicked her in the shin. She fell to the ground, clutching her shin in pain. It wasn't long until at least half the arcade was beating on her, and the other half was cheering. Rock returned to find her bruised and bleeding, and still being attacked. "HEY! GET OFF OF HER!" He shouted, pushing his way past the people and hugging Tron tightly. "LISTEN TO ME! SHE'S CHANGED! LEAVE HER ALONE!" The crowd stopped kicking and punching, and stared at them in disbelief. Tron sat there, clinging to Rock, sobbing, bleeding, and covered in bruises. The leg of her pants was torn open, and her eyes were clenched shut. Rock and Roll gave them the same glare they gave Tron, and they returned to their normal lives. Rock lifted her with ease, and walked into the main town. Roll ran off and met them half way to upper town in their old car, takiing off for the hospital. "Doctor, my friend is hurt! You have to help her!" "She's been severely beaten. . ." He said, grabbing an empty gurney. "Put her on here and I'll take her to the emergency room. We should be able to help her." The doctor wheeled her off, accompanied by several nurses. Rock slumped into a chair in the waiting room, his eyes filled with tears. "Rock? Are you ok? I saw you taking some hits when you jumped in there. . ." "I'm ok. . .Roll, it's all my fault. If I wasn't so intent on checking out those new ruins, this never would've happened to her. . ." "Don't talk like that, Rock. . . you probably just saved her life." She said consoling him, and putting a hand on his shoulder. They sat in silence for at least half an hour before the doctor came out. "How is she, doc?" Rock asked, excited yet afraid to hear news of her condition. "She'll be fine. Two broken ribs, a sprained wrist, but nothing too serious. She's been moved to a room and is asking to see you. She's in room number 302, down the hall and to the left." "Thank you, doctor!" Rock shouted over his shoulder after taking off on his jet skates. He skidded to a halt outside her room and slowly opened the door. "Tron?" He said quietly. She turned her head towards him, her face bruised in several places. "Hi, Rock. Come in." She said weakly. Complying, he slowly walked over to her bed, and sat down in a chair. "Tron, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. If I hadn't decided to come here--" He was cut off as she put a gloved finger to his lips. "Shhh. . .It's not your fault, Rock, it's mine. I've done alot of awful things in my life, and, well, what goes around comes around. Teisel always called that the 'Karmatic Law.' They only did it because of all the awful things I did to them. I deserved it, and I feel better now. I've been punished for all the crimes I commited on this island, and now the guilt is gone. I'll be fine, Rock. As long as I have you. . ." "I love you, Tron. . ." He said, holding her hand, with tears in his eyes. "I love you, too, Rock. . ." "Pardon me, Mr. Volnutt? I'm afraid you'll have to leave so Ms. Bonne can get some rest." Said a nurse, peeking into the room. "No. I'm gonna stay here until she's well enough to leave." "I'm afraid, if that's your decision, I'll have to call security." Said the nurse angrily. "Please, let him stay. . .I'll sleep better if he's with me. . ." Tron said very weakly. "Fine." The nurse sighed heavily and left. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ "So, the hero's got a girlfriend, huh?" Said the mercenary, looking through Tron's hospital room window with a pair of binoculars. "That'll make things easy." "Hey, mister, why are you in my room looking at the hospital?" Said a young boy. The mercenary's sunglasses tilted, and he handed the kid several small refractor shards. "Here's fifteen zenny. Ignore me and forget I was ever here." "Okay." "Rockman, I'm gonna take you out." ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ "So, how're you this morning, Tron?" Rock asked, walking into her room. It has been two weeks since the attack in Apple Arcade. "I'm great. The doctor says he's never seen anyone recover this fast. In fact, once he's done reviewing my X-rays, I'm free to go." "That's great! Then we can go digging together!" He said, his face lighting up with excitement. Tron couldn't help but giggle at him. He was like a child rushing downstairs to see dozens of presents, and waiting for his parents to wake up so he can start opening them. "Ms. Bonne, your X-rays confirm it. You are one hundred percent recovered." Said the doctor from the doorway. "Thank you, Dr." She turned back to her boyfriend. "Shall we go?" "Yes, let's." With that, he picked her up and carried her out of the hospital. Before entering, Rock stopped to talk with their spotter, and having her equip him with the blade arm. As Rock and Tron entered the ruins, they met many diggers, as was the case with most newly discovered ruins. The couple teamed up with Russel, who Tron met on Ryship. "Yeah, I remember you! You're the lady that flew a pig around and kept hanging out with lego men!" Was the first thing he said upon her reintroducing herself. With an experienced veteran, an incredibly skilled digger, and a pirate, it was not long before they reached the boss reaver. It was approx. ten feet tall, with tank treads for legs, and two large arms with a laser cannon attatched to the back of each fist. Russel quickly activated his buster, and he and Tron, who was using the Gustaff's bazooka, flanked the mechanical demon, who charged at Rock. The blue digger ran from the beast until he found himself heading straight for a wall. Jumping into the air, he kicked off the wall and blasted the reaver in the head twice as it crashed into the wall. It quickly turned around and smacked Russel into the far end of the room, knocking him unconcious. Taking aim, it fired at the Gustaff, blowing off it's buster arm and shorting out it's controls. Rock activated his blade arm, and lunged at the reaver, only to be punched out of the air. As it closed in, he stood, and fired his buster rapidly, lunging at it again. he landed a hit right across it's head, causing it to explode violently. Rock rushed over to the Gustaff and forced the cockpit open. "Tron, are you ok?!" "I'm fine, but Gustaff's circuitry got fried by that beam. How's Russel?" She asked, worried about such an old fellow taking such a hard hit. "Don't worry about me. It'll take more than that to kill me off." He said tiredly, stretching. Seemingly from nowhere, a buster shot collided with Rock, as the mercenary swooped down and grabbed Tron, holding his buster to her head. "Very impressive, Rockman. You live up to your reputation." He said calmly, despite his being outnumbered. "Wha--LET HER GO!" Rock shouted angrily. "Look, calm down, I don't want to hurt the girl. I'm not here for her, I'm here for you. Hand yourself over, and I'll leave her alone. If you don't show up within three weeks, at the abandoned warehouse in the old city, then I'm afraid that your little girlfriend will die. And Rock?" "Let me guess, 'come alone?'" "Oh, heavens no. Bring as many friends as you like. It won't make alot of difference." "Who are you? Why are you doing this?!" Tron asked desperately, trembling at the feeling of the cold steel barrel against her head. "My name is Blues Enzan. I'm a mercenary, and Mr. Glyde has taken out a contract on the life of your boyfriend." "Glyde?!" What's he want with me?!" "Not my business. I get paid for action, not talking. Two weeks, Rockman. then it's Game over for the girl." He said, coldly, walking out of the ruins. "-ck? Rock? Come in Rock! Tron! Rock! Are you two alright?!" Roll's voice crackled to life inside Rock's helmet. "I'm here, Roll. Tron's been kidnapped." "That must be why the comm system was jammed. . . do you think she'll be ok?" "For the time being. . .Contact the Gesselschaft. I'm gonna need some help." He said angrily, as he began to leave the room. "I'm gonna help too." Said Russel. "I may not know her that well, but I'm not just gonna sit by while some creep kidnaps her." "Thanks, Russel." Rock said, as he led Russel back to the Flutter. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ Two days since the kidnapping of their sister, Teisel and Bon are now landed on Kattelox with all fourty one servbots. They had amassed a total of fourty five warriors, and planned their strategies. Going into the arcade, Rock purchased all the buster parts and armor he could, as well as busters for Teisel the servbots that have no combat skills. "So, are we all clear on the plan?" Asked Rock, sitting at the head of a long table. "Yep." Shouted Teasel. "Yeah." Answered Russel. "BABU!" cooed Bon. "AYE AYE!" Chimed the Servbots. "Then let's get to work. Roll, if anything happens to me, I want you to take care of Data and his cactus for me." Rock said, embracing his close friend. "Alright, guys, let's move out!" With that, the massive force paraded through the Apple Arcade, and into down town, where they headed east into the old city. Marching on, Teisel and Russel beside him, Rock opened the warehouse door where Tron was, her hands tied, and her mouth gagged. With one arm around her and the other as his buster was Blues. "NOW!" Shouted Rock, and the Servbots drilled through the floor, popping up from a tunnel under the wearhouse, and Bon crashed through the window, about to tackle Blues. Jumping into the air, and releasing his captive, Blues dodged as Bon smashed into Tron with a heavy thud. Just as the Servbots opened fire, he grabbed his shield from his back, and plowed into them, knocking the majority unconcious. Rock, Teisel, and Russel opened fire with their busters, but Blues easily dodged all of their shots. Suddenly he flew across the room and into the wall. "BABU!" Cried Bon victoriously. "That. . .Was. . .A mistake. . ." Said Blues quietly, as he charged Bon, smacking him across the face with his shield, leaving a large dent in his shell. The diggers and Teisel took this moment to get some hits on him, and several of the Servbots regained their composure, untying Tron. "You guys get Tron out of here! Run! I'll hold him off!" Shouted Rock as he landed a sharp punch on Blues' cheek. The Bonnes took his advice, fleeing, as well as Russel. Rock launched his fist at the mercenary a second time, but it was blocked by the warrior's forearm. Blues grabbed Rock's hands, pulled them down, and kneed the digger in the stomach. He then threw Rock to the ground and kicked him hard in the head, knocking him unconcious. Slinging his contract over his shoulder, he walked out of the building and into the cardon forest where his airship was waiting. Rock awoke tied to a beam in the cockpit of the ship. The vessel was quite large, but also very empty. "Wha..Where am I?!" "You're on the Grey Dragon mk. II. We're about two hundred miles from Glyde's base on Ronshi island." Said Blues, leaving the pilot's seat. "Why are you doing this?" "Money." He replied cooly. "Let me go! I'm friends with Verner Von Bleucher! He can pay you more than Glyde can!" "My fee is not important right now. What is is that I have a contract and I always come through on my contracts." "Fine. Then I'll just have to escape." Said Rock quietly, as he burst through the ropes that held him down. "How the hell did you do that?!" "Simple. I've invested in quite a few bionic parts." Rock said, aiming his buster at Blues. As he fired, his target ducked, and attempted to land a punch on Rock's gut, but missed as the digger sidestepped and turned, shooting Blues in the back. Blues grabbed his shield, which was leaning on the wall, and activated his buster. He fired at Rock, who turned sideways, avoiding the hit, and kicked at Blues, who blocked with his shield. Despite the attack being blocked, the mercenary was knocked backwards into the wind shield, and smashed through it, clutching onto the shards of glass, attempting to pull himself back in. "That ought to teach you to leave me alone." Rock said, satisfied. But then his conscience caught up with him, and he ran towards the windshield, grabbing Blues' arm, and pulling him in, and causing them both to fall to the floor. "Are you nuts? I could kill you right now, you know. . ." "I'm well aware of that. But I couldn't let you die. It's not my style. I couldn't just let you fall into the sea." "Thanks, but I hope you know that this changes nothing. Just cuz I owe ya one don't mean I can break contract to get you to Glyde's base alive." "I realize that. You're dedicated to your work. But I think I have a plan to get us even and free me from Glyde without breaking your contract." "Really. . ." Blues said, looking thoughtful, and rubbing his chin. "See, here's my idea. . ." ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ Blues escorted Rockman through the base, his buster at the blue bomber's back. "Ah, Blues. Thank you for completing your job so quickly." Glyde said, smiling sinisterly. He clapped his hands loudly, and a bird bot came forth with a large brief case. "Here is your payment. Consider our contract closed." "Thanks. Now, Rock, you said you had a job for me?" "Yeah. I'll give you two hundred zenny to get me outta here alive." He said, smiling. "Deal." Blues grabbed his shield and knocked the nearby bird bots away. Rock snapped his fake bonds, and punched Glyde hard in the face. Rock and Blues blasted millions of bird bots, and soon reached the hanger of the base, where the Grey Dragon Mk. II was waiting. As they took off, many birdbots in small fighters followed, shooting at them. "We're out gunned, out manned, how're we gonna get out of here?!" Shouted Rock over the explosions and noise. "Outmanned, yeah. Outgunned.. . Just watch." With that, Blues flipped some switches, and slammed his fist down on a large red button. Several large spheres were launched from the back of the ship, and they floated in place, turrets appearing on them, as they began blasting down the birdbot fighters. "Holy crud!" Shouted Rock, stunned by the effectiveness of these weapons. "Now then, all that's left is to get you back to your friends. They might not be on that island anymore though. . .Computer, access Digger Union records." "Working. . .Done." "Access private files of Volnutt, Rockman." "Working. . .Sir, this data is password encrypted. Shall I attempt to hack it?" "Do it." He said quickly. "Working. . .Done. Files found." "Access tracking and locations, find the current location of the ship." "Working. . . Done. Ship is located on Yosyonke island at the moment, but is about to embark." "Track it, and take us to it. Once we're within one hundred yards, match velocity and open comm frequency." "Working." "That's amazing. . ." Rock said, looking at the control pannel. "No, that's my computer. I make alot of money doing what I do. And the majority goes towards upgrading him." Blues said with a smirk. "So. . .is there anything to do on this ship while we're waiting?" "Don't worry. Grey Dragon Mk. II is one of the fastest ships in the sky. Plus Yosyonke isn't far from here." "Done, sir." said the computer, as if on cue. "Grey Dragon to Flutter, come in Flutter." "This is Roll, captain of the Flutter. Why are you hailing us?" "Roll, it's me, Rock! I'm on this ship! Don't worry about me, I'm ok now." "Rock?! Is that really you?!" Shouted Tron over the comm. "Yeah. Let's head back to Yosyonke to land so I can meet up with you guys, ok?" "Sure thing, Rock." ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ "So. . .He helped you escape?" "Yeah." "Thank you, sir!" Shouted Tron, hugging the man who once held her captive. Blues stood in stunned silence, not used to people being so nice to him. "Er. . .No problem. . .But I gotta get going. . ." He said, prying her off of him. "So soon? Please, stay! Let me buy you a glass of green tea!" Said Roll, blushing. "Erm. . .Ok. . .I can't really say no to that pretty of a face, now can I? And I'm not the kind of guy to turn down free food or drink." He replied, blushing as well. "KI-KI-KI-KI-KI-KI!!!" Shouted Data from the doorway of the bar. "Data?! What're you doing here?! I thought I told you to watch the Flutter!" Shouted Rock. "Ki-Ki! Glyde blew it up! I'm lucky to be alive!" "Is the Grey Dragon ok?!" Asked Blues. "Ki-Ki! He was trying to get into it to plant the bombs when I left!" "Damn!" Shouted Blues as he rushed out to the air field, followed by Rock, Tron, Roll, and Data. What they found there was no less than fifty birdbots in mechs alongside Glyde, inside a similar vehicle. "All units, ATTACK!" Shouted Glyde, his voice resonating through the area. Blues tackled Roll out of the way of a few bullets, as Rock took several hits for Tron. Data stared at the flaming wreckage that was his and Rock's home for fourteen years. He could neither believe nor understand why this happened. Then he saw something that made his blood boil. A large clay pot, filled with dirt. There, smoldering in the flames, lay his best friend. The cactus. Something snapped inside him, as he threw himself of a bird mech, causing it to trip and fall to the ground, it's design making it unable to stand. Data jumped onto Glyde's robot, only to be knocked off by it's arm. Even angrier than before, he rammed into it's foot with all the strength he could muster, knocking it off balance. This was enough to turn the tide for Rock and his friends, as the large robot fell onto it's minions. Soon the police arrived, and arrested Glyde and his minions, leaving the heros to mourn their loss. "All our lives were on that ship. . ." Said Roll, crying on Rock's shoulder, as they seeked comfort in eachother. "Everything we've ever accomplished. . .Everything we've ever gained. . .Gone in an instant. . ." Rock whispered, squeezing the tears from his eyes. "M-my cactus. . .My poor, poor cactus. . ." "I know life will never be the same for the two of you. . .But. . .if you want. . .You can move onto my ship. . ." Said Blues, not sure how to console them. "Thank you. . .I don't know about Rock and Tron, but I'd love to take you up on your offer." Said Roll, a sad smile on her face. "I think we all would. The Flutter's gone and we've got nowhere to go, and if we did, we've got no way to get there." Said Rock, his expression the same as Roll's. Meanwhile, Tron piled snow on the smoldering remains of the ship. "Um. . .What're you doing?" "The charred metal is still really hot. We might be able to salvage something from the wreckage once it cools off, and this'll make it cool off faster." She said, grabbing more snow. Rock and Blues helped, as Roll hugged Data to comfort him in the loss of his friend. ~ROCKMAN DASH!~ "So all we've got is three small parts from the Gustaff, and my machine gun? Nothing else is even romotely useable?" Asked Rock. The others lowered their heads sadly. "Well. . .Then we'll just have to pick up what we've got left and move on. Can you show us where we'll be staying, Blues?" "Sure. Follow me." He said, punching in the access code to open the door. The lights flickered on, the cobalt walls shining genttly from their reflection. "Where to begin..." Blues said, walking through the corridors of the ship. "On the left are the bedrooms. . .The beds came with the ship free, and I know not to pass up such a good deal. Down this hall, you'll find the cafeteria, though there's not alot of food for all of us. . .Down there is one of the most important rooms, the bathroom, there's another one in the other direction. The cockpit's down there, and the workshop is up that way. Any questions?" "Do you have maps we could use? This is one of the biggest ships I've ever seen." Said Roll, her eyes wide. "No, but if you need any help finding your around, there's intercoms on the walls all over the place. give me a buzz and I'll come help you out." He said, smiling at her, his eyes sparkling behind his sunglasses. "Hey, Blues, can we go digging? I've gotta get out there! I'm gonna go crazy!" Rock said, shaking a bit. "Sure. I know a great place, too. Found it a few years ago when the Grey Dragon Mk. I died. I set it downt here and had to use reaver parts to fix the communications systems. Noram island, I think it was." "Wait, reaver parts aren't compatible with communications systems." Tron pointed out. "Yeah, well, I had to make 'em compatible." He said, blushing at the stare he was getting from Roll. END CHAPTER 1. I realize I ended it kinda abruptly, but there are going to be more chappies.