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Enigma

Puzzle 07: Life

You were enjoying your lunch with Proto when Cutman suddenly ran into the kitchen. "Dr. Wily wants to see you both right away," he had a sense of sad urgency in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by either of you.

You would think Proto wouldn't interrupt his lunch like that, but it was as if he read something between the lines of what Cutman said. "Let's go," he set his third unfinished pizza slice aside and followed Cutman out of the kitchen with you trailing close behind.

The three of you made your way to Wily's room where he was weakly laying in bed under black sheets. The room was dominated by dark colors. The wooden furniture was simple and standard, much like the furniture in your room. The walls were practically wallpapered in newspaper clippings on Wily's greatest achievements, the greatest disasters of the world.

Gutsman and Cutman stood on one side of the bed with you and Protoman on the other. You felt as if they were giving their final farewell to their dying grandfather. That's when the reality hit you. Just as Dr. Light had passed, Dr. Wily's time was upon him. He looked very fragile and a little unfocused. He breathed softly and spoke, "when I made you my apprentice I thought I wanted you to follow in my footsteps and finish what I began. I change my mind, I want my name to be forever engraved in history as the greatest villain of all times. It will be my brilliant mind that shall shine and no one must surpass my evil, not even you. My last wish is for no one to ever surpass me. Use the laboratory as you please, but the one that came the closest to ruling the world has to be me."

Wily laughed bitterly and weakly then continued, "I suppose I can't really stop you from using the resources I leave behind to take over the world. Once I'm gone, the world will be safe until someone new decides to pursue my ambitions. If you choose to grant my wish and prevent my place in history from ever being overshadowed, then you'll have to stop them. Gutsman, Cutman, if name grants my wish, follow her orders, if not, then I leave that mission to you. Protoman, it doesn't matter what I tell you, you never listen anyway. That's okay; don't ever let anyone boss you around, goodbye..." he closed his eyes and was still, the raising and falling of his chest with ragged breaths had stopped.

"Dr. Wily?" Gutsman spoke with worry.

"Hey, doctor, say something," Cutman almost begged.

Protoman shook his head, "he's gone, his life has ended."

You didn't think you would be witnessing the death of such a great scientist like this. Most would remember him as a villain and not for his achievements. However, as long as he was remembered as someone intelligent and powerful, that would be enough for him. Gutsman and Cutman didn't take it well, though it was obvious that it was coming. It took you and Proto a while to calm them down.

Dr. Light eternally rested in the park in the middle of the city where his grave was always crowded with flowers. Dr. Wily eternally rested in a little island that no one knew existed. For some time people might continue to worry about his next attack. Eventually they would realize that it would not come.

xoxox xox xoxox

That night you had a terrible nightmare. You didn't have nightmares often so you were taken by surprise. You were smart enough to determine what was real and what was too exaggerated to be real even in your sleep. However, that nightmare wasn't random or outrageous. You were walking through the underground hideout towards the lab in what appeared to be a normal morning. You heard Proto's angry and sad voice, expressing disbelief about something.

You hurried down the hallways until you reached the lab and asked what was going on. Apparently he had just learned that a friend of his had died, Blues was dead. The possibility of Blues' long absence being due to an early death was constantly floating in the back of your mind. You also knew that Protoman would soon die if he refused to have his energy core fixed. You kept those worries in check in the back of your head, you couldn't make them stop but you didn't let them consume you. With the recent death of Dr. Wily, though it was natural due to old age, all your unpleasant thoughts broke free from their mental cage to plague you in your dreams.

You screamed loudly, unable to stop yourself as you snapped awake. You had been dreaming, but for all you knew, the dream could be real. For all you knew Blues would never return. "Name!" Protoman forced your door open and rushed to your side. He looked you over as if searching for an injury, "what happened? Why did you yell?"

Though they couldn't move as fast as Protoman, Gutsman and Cutman soon arrived. The three of them surrounded you in confusion waiting for you to speak. "A nightmare," you finally stated, trying to regain your composure. "It was only a nightmare, don't worry, I'm okay." You didn't want to strain Gutsman and Cutman with your worried about Blues. They mourned so much for Wily that you feared they would overheat and permanently shut down from the stress. "Go back to sleep," you tried to force yourself to smile but you were not too convincing.

"Go, I'll take care of her," Proto finally voiced. Gutsman and Cutman stayed for a few more seconds unsure, before finally conceding to entrusting you to Proto.

Once Gutsman and Cutman were gone, you confessed the truth of your nightmare, "I dreamt that Blues was..." you pushed the word out, "dead."

Protoman sat down on your bed beside you and hugged you. "You're never going to let go of the image of Blues," he concluded, "I'm sorry, I thought taking him out of the picture was for the best. I thought you'd just forget about him then. I guess there's no way around it..." he removed his helmet.

You stared at Proto in realization; the one you saw was Blues. That was the reason why they were so similar, they were the same. That's why Blues seemed surprised you didn't know him, that's why he said he wasn't like you. Maybe deep down you always knew but didn't admit it.

He seemed sad, "Blues was me all along. We didn't get off to the best start, but you were so different to Blues. You were an enigma and I couldn't help it but to answer to my curiosity." He looked into your eyes, "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. I enjoyed my time with you as Blues. It wasn't what you thought so I tried to end it. I didn't want to lie to you anymore. I wanted to start over with the truth. Now you know who I really am... I guess this changes everything."

"Idiot! This doesn't change anything," you didn't have to worry about your growing feelings for Proto being traitorous to Blues anymore, but you still had another bigger worry. "It's the same as my nightmare, you're going to die and you're too stubborn to let me save you! I'll find a way to save your life even if it's by force!"

Taken by surprise, Proto paused and summoned all his courage and will. "When I first became aware, I thought that every piece of me was a part of who I am. I thought that without my original core I would die and be replaced with someone else. I guess it would be more logical to think that who I am is stored in the data in my memory and not in my energy source. Even so I still worried. There was also the issue of not trusting anyone with my life like that. Being turned into someone else, being brainwashed, it sounded worse than dying. Can I trust you?"

You almost couldn't believe it, "you mean you'll let me?" He nodded silently.

xoxox xox xoxox

You went to the lab with Proto to get him fixed. He took off his armor and lay down in the examination table looking a little unsure. "You can trust me; I'll prove it to you. I promise I'll only install your new core and nothing more. I won't even think of touching anything else." You had prepared a new core for him already, waiting for the day when he trusted you enough to let you help him. You would show him that he could put his life in your hands without worries. It was a powerful core, you smiled like a mad scientist, "you will only sleep for a few minutes, but when you awaken, you'll be much stronger than you ever imagined, you'll have all the energy you need easily accessible."

"I trust you, name," his expression turned serene as he became inactive.

You grabbed your scalpel and took a deep breath. You were a robotics genius, not a surgeon. You steadied your hand guiding the knife on his perfect abs so you could reach the electronics below. From that point on, you focused, smoothly removing the faulty energy core and replacing it with the new one. It was at the very top of technology beyond anything in the world, you had made it yourself when you were preparing to build your own masterpiece of a robot.

With the installation complete you gave the systems one final check and ended the operation. You fetched a flesh colored gel applying it on Proto's abdomen. The skin sealed flawlessly absorbing the gel and was once again perfect. You ran your hand through his abs, up his bare chest telling yourself you were only checking to make sure everything was okay, though your face was turning red.

You fingered the smooth texture of his yellow scarf as he lay motionless on the examination table. You promised you would repair him and nothing more. You had no intentions of becoming a liar when you made that promise, but breaking it was very tempting.

His helmet was off and you could admire his handsome face. His eyes were closed, no breathing simulation, only stillness, yet he looked so human. You placed your hand on his cheek, he felt so human. You had learned that despite appearances, he was indeed human. You leaned closer, your breath against his motionless perfect face. Your lips pressed gently against his, he was so warm. Your heart pounded as if it wanted to break away from your chest. You drew back, heart racing, face red.

Your face was still hovering inches from his when suddenly his brilliant blue eyes opened. Your eyes went wide in shock. He gave you a cocky smirk, "you liar."

"You're awake!" You jumped back, caught in the act of giving into temptation. "I was just checking your temperature," you rambled, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't overheating or anything."

"I have to admit this new core feels great. I don't know how I put up with the old one for so long. My temperature is fine, "Proto assured, grinning at you mischievously, "you're the one who looks like you're overheating. If it'll make you feel better, you can check my temperature again." You decided to take the invitation.

xoxox xox xoxox

When the next morning came your alarm clock when off as usual. You reached for it and violently threw it against the wall causing it to shatter. Then you went back to your nice and comfy position cuddling Proto. He made an exceptionally good pillow. His amusement at your alarm clock violence was the last thing you heard before drifting off to sleep.

Hours passed and you didn't leave your room. You woke up again when Gutsman called from outside your door. "Name are you in there?"

You didn't want to get up yet; you were comfortable exactly as you were. The world had a different idea, as Cutman soon joined Gutsman at the door. "Name? Come out, we can't find Protoman."

"Dr. Wily's gone and Protoman disappeared, we don't know what to do. How do we grant his wish?" Gutsman stressed.

"Do you think they ran off to take over the world against Wily's final wish?" Cutman theorized.

"I don't know," Gutsman worried.

You decided it was best to answer them, "I'm not taking over the world, I was just sleeping in. Don't worry, Proto's here too, he's not missing."

"Are you sick?" Gutsman and Cutman cried out at the same time.

"No, I'm not sick, "you assured, "I just went to bed late last night."

"You went to sleep late," Proto corrected. You decided not to comment.

A moment of silence passed until Gutsman finally spoke again with distaste, "are you two doing human things in there?" He distinctly sounded like a little boy accusing a girl of having cooties.

You blushed and Proto took the opportunity to answer for you, "yes ,we're doing human things in here so don't interrupt." His statement was followed by the sounds of Gutsman and Cutman hurrying away down the hall as if to avoid catching cooties.

xoxox xox xoxox

Epilogue

A few days later a man not much older than yourself showed up at the deserted island requesting to speak to Dr. Wily. When he was told about the old mad scientists' fate, he immediately went to grieve at his grave. You decided to go down to the underground base with Proto, leaving Gutsman and Cutman on the island surface to console the man. You didn't know why, but he seemed upset at you. "Who was that? Gutsman and Cutman seem to know him."

"A fan of Wily. He wanted to become his apprentice, but your achievements caught Wily's attention instead," Proto revealed, that explained why the man disliked you.

You had a bad feeling, but you disregarded it. You should have learned it was best to listen to your instinct. Everything else was a blur. There was an explosion. The man who called himself Wily II had invaded the arsenal of the hideout and intended to pick up where Wily left off taking over the world. He didn't believe what Gutsman and Cutman said about his idols' final wish.

While Wily II was on the attack in the hideout, Gutsman and Cutman were knocked out at the beach; the obsessive Wily fan had caught them off guard. Proto told you to lock yourself in the deepest corner of the lab and wait while he took care of the intruder. The minutes felt like hours as you waited, wishing you could help him fight. Your robot was complete; you put a lot of yourself into her in many ways. She looked a lot like you and her elegant armor was of your favorite color.

She was a fully functional realistic human robot with vast combat capabilities. In a sense she was the female counterpart of Proto. However, she had no programming, no name, no personality, nothing. After you completed her body you never got around to programming her AI. You felt a little jealous of your creation. She could do anything you could do and more, but without any programming, that robot was nothing but an empty lifeless shell.

Disaster struck when Wily II summoned his own robots to aid him against Proto. He was losing and he knew it so he played a dirty trick. One of the enemy robots followed your heat signature and found you. You struggled against him but he dragged you to the battle. Proto immediately stopped fighting when he saw you had been taken hostage. If you didn't get free they would destroy him. You stubbornly struggled against your captor, then it happened. The big black and gray robot had enough; programmed without true restrictions he had no qualms about ending your life. The last thing you saw was a bright light as you heard Proto calling your name.

xoxox xox xoxox

You didn't know how much time had passed since you lost consciousness, yet somehow you knew exactly what time and date it was. Not only that, you knew the temperature and various other pieces of information you shouldn't so easily determine. You heard a voice, his voice, as you became aware that all your systems were in working order. What systems? What was going on? As you thought of the interrogative the schematics for your robot appeared in your mind in perfect detail. You were a genius, but when did you become a computer?

You sat up; you were laying in a strange machine. You saw Proto looking at you with worried uncertainty while gently speaking your name. Behind him were Gutsman and Cutman. "Are you okay?" You inquired, your eyes looking into Proto's.

Proto wrapped his arms around you, relieved to have you back, but you still didn't understand. "It's you, it's really you, I know it!"

"Of course I'm me," you couldn't help it but to laugh, "who else would I be?" You were still somewhat disoriented, despite all the information so easily accessible to you. "What happened? The last thing I remember was getting blasted. It hurt then, but I'm not even in any pain now. I feel stronger than ever, how is that possible?"

"When Dr. Wily realized his time was close to an end, he constructed a machine that was supposedly capable of transferring a human soul into a robotic body," Proto explained. "The fuel it uses is quite rare. At last he managed to create enough for one transfer. In the end he decided not to use it. He said he was tired and that when his time came, it came."

Suddenly it all made sense to you. You examined your body to find it was the body of the robot you constructed. You looked at the other side of the strange machine. There was your body, motionless, cold, lifeless.

"I was losing you, this was the only way I could think of to save you," Proto elaborated. "The danger has passed, the hideout is secure, but they escaped, they're attacking the city. I'll avenge you, I couldn't go after them that time, but I'll avenge you."

You jumped off the machine, amazed by how agile and strong you felt. Gutsman was holding your helmet; you took it and put it on. You knew Proto had no choice but to let the enemy go before in order to save you on time. "I'm going too," you firmly declared.

"It's dangerous!" Protoman protested.

You gave him a look of determination. "I designed this body myself; I know what I'm capable of. I'm alive and I'm in no way fragile anymore. I can fight by your side now, let's go get them!" Understanding that you were right, Proto finally agreed. That false Wily wanna-be would regret ever being born.

xoxox xox xoxox

Intelligent discoveries made you Dr. Wily's assistant, dumb curiosity made Protoman the bane of your existence. When it all began you never expected to fall in love with Protoman and he never expected to return those feelings. Most of all, you never would have guessed that you would become your creation and keep the world safe alongside Proto. Even if you, Proto, Gutsman and Cutman had your own team, you often teamed up with Megaman. You understood that he got along better with his brother than he would ever admit. Even Roll truly saw Proto as a brother then.

Just when you thought you had the enigma of your existence figured out, your life took an unexpected twist. Everything took a sudden turn and moved forward in a new direction. In the end, it was alright. You were enjoying your new life, your new power and most of all his love.

End?

Disclaimer, I don't own Megaman. A surprise twist at the epilogue, yes? XD If anyone wants to write a sequel feel free to do so. I have a challenge posted at Pirates Board Fiction

http://piratesboard.net/fiction/modules/challenges/challenges.php?chalid=13