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I've posted the story on other sites in the past, and both were drastically different versions. Each time I was able to make improvements. UPDATE! 12-28-2007: I have now included an extra section at the end of Chapter One. So the story now features a newly posted scene; The Trial.
I still appreciate feedback, even though the story is now completed. So let me know what you think of it... especially if you actually like it!
Chapter 1
The Beginning of the End:
Dr. Wily has been misbehaving once again, and as usual Megaman went to his fortress to stop him. Currently, Megaman is floating through a series of Wily's standard traps like it's a breeze. He's done this so many times over the years that he already knows just where to jump, slide or shoot. Those dematerializing platform-blocks have always unnerved him, but he even manages to feel his way through these, as he carefully times his jumps.
But Megaman got a little overconfident this time, and he wasn't prepared for Wily's newest trap. As he jumped over a long row of spikes, an electromagnet underneath them began to pull Megaman down! Just in time, Megaman's faithful sidekick Rush swooped underneath him and prevented Megaman from hitting the spikes. But as a result, Rush got sucked onto the spikes himself, and was destroyed.
“Ruuuuuuuuush!!!!!” screamed Megaman.
He quickly spotted the power mechanism for the trap, and blasted it with his megabuster. But it was too late. Rush was gone...
Megaman made his way through the rest of the fortress, and then furiously knocked down the door to Wily's chamber. He spotted the mad scientist sitting inside a massive, skull shaped battle armor.
“You'll pay for this Wily!” shouted Megaman.
pow
POW
POW!
Megaman finished Wily's last war machine in record time. The old man came crashing to the ground as it exploded.
“Uh oh. Looks like I am beaten again,” Wily grumbled. “Okay, I've learned my lesson for the day. You can take me to jail so I can get waived through the system again.”
“It's not that simple!” shouted Megaman. “Not this time...”
“What are you babbling about?” scoffed Wily.
“Rush died in one of your stupid traps, you psycho!” growled Megaman.
“Whoops! Too bad for you,” Wily chuckled, sarcastically.
“Even worse for you,” Megaman coldly replied, as he aimed his megabuster at Wily and began to charge a shot.
“What are you doing?!” cried Wily. “A robot cannot harm a human being!”
Megaman slowly lowered his buster and dissipated the charge.
“That's right. You can't defy your built-in code of ethics,” said Wily. “That's why I always get away in the end, and you will always be my b****.”
“Don't you test me old man, 'cause I'm tired of teaching ‘lessons’!” warned Megaman.
“Oh? And what are you going to do, little boy blue?” taunted Wily.
“What you don't know is, Dr. Light made a little upgrade to my A.I. a while back,” explained Megaman.
“What do you mean?” asked Wily.
“This!” yelled Megaman.
BOOM!
And so, on what started as a routine mission to Dr. Wily's lair, Megaman lost his longtime companion Rush, snapped, and murdered Wily. The fallen hero was called to account for his misdeeds.
At the trial:
Mega Man sat in the Defendant’s chair with his arms and legs bound in high tech restraints. He wore a stern and constrained expression on his face. Dr. Light and Roll were among the many spectators in the audience.
The judge began speaking:
“We are presented today with a most unusual and tragic matter,” he began. “A robot once hailed as a hero by many has taken the life of a human being. Never in all my 24 years as a judge has such a disgusting spectacle disgraced my courtroom!”
Roll and Light were a bit discouraged by this last statement. The trial had only just begun and already it seemed it wasn’t going well. The judge angrily turned towards Mega Man.
“And what does the “great” Mega Man have to say for himself?” he asked in a mocking tone. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t throw the book at you right now! Well?! Will you actually try to make an excuse for your deplorable actions?!”
Mega Man kept silent.
Seeing that the circumstances of the trial were less than favorable for a real defense, Dr. Light timidly rose from his seat to address the judge.
“Um, your honor…” he began. “Isn’t Mega Man entitled to a lawyer and trial by jury?”
“I’ll be darned if I’m going to let some robot have the equal rights to a human!” The judge angrily sputtered.
“What then, was the purpose of holding a trial at all?” inquired Dr. Light.
“I’m warning you “doctor;” another outburst like that and I’m holding you in contempt of court!”
“But, but… well, I uh...” Dr. Light stammered in confusion.
“I’ll be frank with you Light,” the judge continued. “I am a man who both hates and fears technology… as well as the color blue! I'm very well aware that this so called “Mega Man” of yours has gained many fans over the years, but I assure you that I am not one of them!”
Roll was visibly startled by the judge’s harsh words. He continued his rant.
“From the very beginning, I was opposed to the idea of equipping mere machines with such deadly force and allowing them to interfere in the affairs of human beings. I have long suspected the potential dangers of such an irresponsible arrangement. And furthermore Dr. Light, I am not in the mood for any shenanigans in my courtroom, especially from the likes of you! If you came here today expecting to garner an acquittal by shifting the public opinion in your favor, you are sadly mistaken. I have tolerated your and Mega Man's shameless showboating in the media for years, and now I will do anything to make sure this smug +#$tard gets sent up the river without a paddle! Do I make myself clear?!
Dr. Light just groaned and sat back down.
“Good,” said the judge. “In that case, if the defense rests…”
“But this isn't fair!” Roll suddenly shouted, as she jumped up from her seat.
“Oh?” the judge remarked, inquisitively. “What's with this spunky ‘skirt’?”
“Mega Man should be allowed to tell his side of the story!” Roll protested.
“I gave him his chance to speak,” said the judge.
“Tell them Mega Man! Won't you say something?” Roll pleaded, looking straight at him.
Mega Man averted his eyes from hers, with an agitated look of shame.
“Then I'll say something!” Roll began, as she turned towards the audience. “Mega Man has been a loyal, self sacrificing, protector of the people for many years! He has saved countless lives, often at the risk of his own.”
“Hardly an equivalent risk!” the judge scoffed. “A robot's life is worth nothing compared to that of a human.”
“But Dr. Wily was a fiendish human who endangered countless millions on a regular basis!” argued Roll. “Mega Man was the only one to ever stand up to him, but no matter how many times he put him away in prison, Wily always returned to the same–
“Now hold on little missy!” the judge interrupted. “Are you trying to undermine our law enforcement officers and criminal justice system?!
“I'm just saying that the prison system never reformed or restrained Wily for very long, and Mega Man is really the best protection any of us has against major threats to our society,” said Roll.
“Enough!” the judge yelled. “If you keep running your mouth it's going to be your cute behind sitting in the Defendant's chair next!”
Roll sank back to her seat in defeat.
“I trust that there will be no further interruptions,” the judge said, menacingly.
No one uttered another word of objection. The entire assembly was silent.
“Very well then, I shall conclude these proceedings,” he said, turning towards Mega Man.
“Mega Man, you are hereby eternally decommissioned from your duties! Guards! Take him away for dismantling!”
The guards led a dejected looking Mega Man out of the courtroom. As they entered the streets outside, Protoman observed them from a nearby rooftop.
“All those years of loyal service, and this is the thanks he gets?” Protoman wondered aloud.
He shook his head, realizing that this was the reason he didn't stick his neck out for other people.
Meanwhile, back inside the courtroom:
With the case settled, the judge had left the courtroom. The District Attorney just stood there with his mouth hanging open.
“Well, it seems the judge argued my case for me!” he thought to himself.
The DA turned towards Dr. Light to get at least one jab in against him.
“Don’t think this is over, Light” he scowled. “You won’t be off the hook that easily for your role in all this.”
Dr. Light shifted nervously in his seat.
“I’ll see to it that you never create another robot again!” said the DA. “New laws are already being formulated on this matter. I’ll be seeing you again soon,” he concluded, as he exited the room.
“Ohh!” Dr. Light moaned. “What am I going to do Roll? Things can’t get much worse than this!"
But unbeknownst to Dr. Light and everyone else in the general public, Dr. Wily had a chip implanted in his head, which transmitted all neural data from his brain to the main computer in his laboratory. Upon his death, the computer stopped receiving this data and was then signaled to boot up a virtual copy of Wily's mind in the computer. This enabled Wily to manipulate various machinery in the building. Before long, Wily's lab was up and running again and operations soon commenced on a new project: The Completion of Zero.
