CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Brain Freeze
They arrived within eyeshot of the South Pole base, though the blizzard around them made it no more than a hazy smudge behind a curtain of white. The freezing wind pounded against Rock's exposed face, chilling his nose and half-blinding him with snow. The ground was slippery; a thin layer of fresh powder covered a thick sheet of ice.
"There it is…" Zero II called out over the noise of the storm, pointing to the faint outline of the facility's metal walls. "Let's get moving." Rock watched as the future warrior pushed carefully forward across the frozen tundra. The cold made it difficult to argue, and the rest of the team followed obediently.
They trudged at a quick pace, all eager to get out of the elements. Beneath the omnipresent howl of the wind Rock could hear the crackle of snow and the muffled clang of their boots against the ice. They continued forward, heads bowed against the flying snow. Rock caught hold of Blues' hand to avoid losing him in the poor visibility. His brother's fingers were icy to the touch.
Then his audio sensors registered a slight, unusual noise. "Did you hear that?" he shouted over the wind, glancing to the side to search for the source and receiving a face of snow for his trouble.
"Hear what?" Blues replied. His scarf was pulled up over his nose and the trailing ends whipped wildly in the gale.
The noise came again. Rock gripped his brother's hand tighter, now certain he had not been imagining things. "It sounded like something was splintering!"
"…What?" Blues called back, still not able to hear over the storm. The others turned their heads, giving Rock quizzical looks.
The blue bomber put his free hand to his mouth to try and shout louder. "The ice! It sounded like it was…"
Before Rock could finish his warning, the sound broke through the howling zephyr. A few feet away, a jagged crack appeared in the ice, the sheet weakened by the weight of six armored robots. Hairline fractures spread from the source and another, larger crack appeared, the entire sheet beginning to sink into the water below. Blues shoved Rock forward. "Run!"
They ran, pushing headlong into the wind. The snow blinded Rock and for a moment he lost sight of the others, but Blues pulled on his hand and they continued moving. The ice was splintering faster now, breaking into chunks that floated on a gaping maw of Antarctic water.
They were not fast enough. The fracture was spreading ahead of them, threatening to isolate them on a floating iceberg. X, near the head of the group, pointed to their left.
"It's more solid over there!" he shouted, pointing to an untouched area of ice. The six robots headed for it, ice floes nipping at their heels. Zero II reached the edge and jumped, sailing over the fissure and landing gracefully on the opposite side. The ice held his weight, and the others began to follow suit.
Rock leapt the crevasse and turned. Bass and Zero still remained on the ice, lagging a few paces behind the others. Zero, reaching the edge, launched himself into the air. Bass took a final step forward, preparing to do the same—and the ice floe finally gave way. The black robot was instantly engulfed by the ocean, sinking from view.
"Bass!" Rock shouted. Without thinking, he turned towards the fissure, but was halted immediately by Blues.
"Don't be stupid, Rock!" Blues struggled to hold his brother back. The little blue robot wriggled violently in his arms, trying to break free and aid his fallen comrade. The ice continued to crack, spreading outward towards the two boys. X caught onto Blues' scarf and pulled both his brothers backward from the edge onto slightly safer ground.
"We have to do something!" Rock said desperately, still struggling in Blues' grasp. "He's too heavy! He'll be trapped!"
Zero gritted his teeth. "Damn it!" he swore, staring at the enlarging hole in the ice. "I'm going in, X!" Before anyone could object, the blonde dashed forward and flung himself into the frozen brine.
Zero sunk into a dive, icy liquid rushing past as he descended through the murky depths. The salt water stung his eyes, but he forced them open and his systems began to calibrate for the sudden temperature change. Reploids were built to withstand intense environments, so there was no danger of he or Bass dying from the cold. Being trapped, however, was another matter. Armored reploids were very heavy and sunk quickly to the bottom. Depending on the depth here, there was the possibility of being crushed under the immense pressure of the ocean. Zero knew his own thrusters were enough to carry him back to the surface if necessary; but bringing Bass with him was another matter. He thought wryly that perhaps he should have considered that before jumping in, but he had never been one to think before he acted. That was X's job, and he was more than content to give his friend free reign.
His eyes finally grew used to the cold and he was able to see the bottom. His chronometer showed he had been sinking for only a few seconds, though the eerie, dimly lit underwater world made the journey seem much longer. His proximity sensors warned him he was nearing the ocean floor. Quickly flipping himself upright, he landed neatly on his feet on a rocky outcropping. The thin sand that coated the surface stirred around him. Looking up, he judged himself to be about seventy feet below the ice. The environment was hazy and dim, illuminated by what little light from the hole filtered through the briny water. It was enough to show a rock shelf to his left and a dark smudge on the ground a few dozen yards away. Zero guessed that was a trench leading deeper into the ocean. He silently prayed Bass had not fallen into it… that deep, and the pressure would surely destroy him.
Zero flipped his vision to thermal mode. Nothing registered at first, but then he turned his head to the left and the brightly colored mark of Bass' heat signature emerged from the cold water. The Hunter's racing artificial heartbeat slowed again, and he silently gave thanks that his brother had not become a crushed heap of metal at the bottom of the future's ocean floor.
Bass was not far away, standing slightly further along the rocky shelf, arms folded and glaring at the ice sheet above. Zero drew closer waved slightly to get his attention. The black robot turned in acknowledgement, but his sour expression did not change. Zero smiled as he saw Bass was the same as usual, undeterred by his unfortunate swimming adventure.
Zero maneuvered over to the ebony armored robot, looking around for an escape route. To his left, the rock formation stretched upwards almost to the distant hole in the ice. Smiling again, he realized this was their ticket out of here. He would easily be able to scale the cliff with his wall jump capability. Tapping Bass's shoulder, he pointed to the wall, expecting him to notice it as well and start climbing.
However, the black robot responded only by deepening his frown. The blonde blinked and tilted his head in a quizzical gesture, again motioning to the wall. Bass merely shook his head. Giving up, Zero motioned for the black Wily-bot to grab onto his shoulders so he could carry them both back to the surface. Bass began shaking his head even more violently, making a very obvious "no" gesture by waving his arms.
Zero put his hands on his hips, inwardly wondering why his brother had to be so difficult and regretting his inability to yell at him underwater. He glared at Bass, who simply glared back. The red Hunter then rolled his eyes and again motioned to the wall and for Bass to grab on. The black robot continued to scowl, but then finally gave a shrug of reluctance. He took a few steps forward, unsteady in the water, grasped his brother's shoulders and waited.
The blonde warrior jumped, activating his boost thrusters as he lifted off. Bass's eyes widened as the momentum attempted to rip his hands away from Zero's shoulders. Abandoning his pride now, he clamped his arms tightly around his brother's waist as Zero's boots caught onto the rock face, then catapulted off it upwards through the water. The blonde Hunter continued to repeat this until he reached the top of the formation. Then with one final thruster burst, he pushed himself upward and away from the stone and burst into the freezing Antarctic air.
The final leap sent them flying about three yards from the hole, hitting solid ice a short distance away from the rest of the group. They continued to skid for several more feet on the slippery surface. Bass let go as soon as they stopped moving, rolling onto his back and breathing heavily as his systems stabilized.
The others quickly ran towards them. X lent a hand to Zero, who used it to pull himself to his feet. He began brushing off his armor and wringing out his ponytail, trying to remove the excess water before it could freeze, but he was a little late; the droplets were already crystallizing into ice. Blues offered his own hand to Bass, but the black robot refused the assistance and stood on his own, once the shock of his adventure had worn off somewhat.
"Are you okay, Bass?" Rock asked, eying the Wily-bot apprehensively. His black armor was already gathering its own icy coating.
Bass crossed his arms, his usual scowl in place though lacking any venom. "I'm fine, rockhead. It's going to take more than some water to stop me." His armor trim shifted from yellow-orange to red, and his buster began gathering energy. The heat of his charging Atomic Fire quickly melted the layer of ice. A moment later he was dry, save for the snow still falling on his helmet and shoulders.
"Hey! No fair, I can't do that!" Zero said, scowling at Bass. The black robot merely grinned and dismissed the charge, flipping back to his buster.
"We need to get moving," Zero II said tonelessly, cutting off the conversation. "The base is close now. We have work to do." He turned, walking smoothly towards the building, seeming not to care whether they followed or not.
Bass and Zero exchanged a look, then shrugged. The others quickly followed Zero II and pushed forward to the main entrance.
From outside, the computer base was a series of interconnected domes built on the solid rocky cliffs bordering the icecap, mostly buried from the raging snowstorms of the area. The group crossed a large flat area that had cement somewhere beneath the snow, probably used as a landing pad of some sort during those rare times when the weather was better. Beyond, they approached the largest of the domes. A large, thick metallic door, hinges locked in place by ice, protected the installation from the elements. Zero II's attempt at opening it resulted in the handle breaking off in his hand. Irritated, he threw the handle over his shoulder and drew his Z-Saber. The green beam blade solidified, and he jammed it through the door, cutting it to pieces with three quick slashes.
"I like how this guy works," Bass muttered, a smirk on his face as Zero II stepped over the threshold into the facility. He followed next, with Zero right behind him and the three Light-bots bringing up the rear.
The inside of the Computer Base was still cold, but without the wind and raging blizzard, Rock found it to be a welcome change. Zero was still complaining, however; shooting irritated glances at Bass while his mass of wet hair trailed a line of slush over the tile floor. "See if I save you again," he muttered, as the perfectly dry Bass walked ahead with a smirk.
"Tough luck," said Bass, flippantly. "It's your own fault for not having a weapons-copy system."
"How is that my fault?" Zero retorted, flicking his ponytail in Bass' direction so frigid water droplets spattered over him. "I didn't build myself!"
"If you really want to be dry, I can set your hair on fire," Bass offered. "You could use the haircut anyway."
"Nice try, but it's fireproof," Zero replied.
Bass grinned, a devious look in his eyes, and an instant later he had armed Atomic Fire sent a jet of flame towards Zero. The blonde warrior yelped and rolled to the side, steam rising from his hair. "What the hell are you doing?" he cried, stumbling back to his feet.
"What?" Bass said, folding his arms as the rest of the party turned to look at him, incredulous. "Did you really want to hear him complain about being wet for the rest of the mission?"
"That hurt," Zero said, examining his now mostly dry hair. The fire had been a low setting and he was completely unharmed, though vapor now radiated from his armor. "My hair's fireproof but I can still get burned, idiot."
"Don't be a baby, you're fine," Bass retorted. "Now come on. The enemies in this base won't kill themselves."
Rock ignored the ensuing argument and looked around the room. They were inside some sort of control area near the main entrance; however, the computers and instruments that normally would be beeping and flashing were encased in layers of ice. Broken mechaniloid parts were flung about in the room; blaster marks melted through the ice being the other indicator of struggle. The once beige walls of the facility were now the walls of an industrial strength freezer.
Rock took one step forward, and his foot almost slipped out from underneath him. Skidding a little, he regained his step a second later. Even the floor was covered in ice. The frozen lamps above shone weakly through their shells, the dim light reflecting off the crystalline walls and floor, giving the base an unsettling and eerie feel.
"…This isn't normal, is it?" Zero asked rhetorically.
"No, it isn't." Zero II walked deliberately forward, each step carefully planned to maintain balance. He drew his buster pistol and held it with the easy grace of an accomplished marksman.
"What could've caused it?" X asked.
"Probably a Neo Arcadian Ice Golem," Zero II replied dismissively. He pressed himself against a wall and looked carefully down one of the hallways leading deeper into the facility. He then stepped quickly into the corridor, pointing his weapon ahead of him. When nothing attacked, the Resistance member motioned quietly for the others to follow.
Rock readied his weapon as he trailed behind X, his eyes darting ahead and behind looking for threats. The base itself was deathly still, save for the dripping of melted ice into the puddles on the floor. It grew increasingly darker as they moved further down the hall. Rock found himself flipping through his various vision modes to get a better feel for his surroundings. He finally settled on low-light night vision and continued scanning the environment.
He jumped suddenly as something foreign caught his eye. His night vision showed four humanoid sized targets to their right, presumably with weapons pointed at them. "There!" he shouted, training his buster on the anomaly. The others turned to face the threat. Rock frowned, as the targets remained motionless. "What… what is it? Why aren't they firing?"
Zero II ignited his saber and cautiously approached, only to halt a moment later and relax his guard. "…These were Pantheons," he replied. "But they're frozen solid, Rock." He turned toward the blue robot and looked at him directly. His face reflected an odd curiosity, which Rock figured was directed at the deactivated Pantheons rather than him. It quickly turned out he was wrong. "…You're not using thermal vision, are you?"
"No," Rock replied truthfully.
"Switch to it," he said tersely, turning around. "Don't use night vision in this kind of environment. You'll never see your enemy coming. Their heat signatures are much more telling."
"What about those Ice Golems you talked about?" Rock asked.
"Even they give off a noticeable heat signature. Switch to thermal and let's go." Zero II started walking again, with the others following closely. Rock took the rear position this time, scanning behind them for any movement.
They continued down the corridor for what seemed like ages. The dim light of the beam sabers and X's helmet reflected off the ice-encased walls, giving the entire place an ethereal feeling, like they were underwater or on some distant planet. Rock thought idly that they may as well be, considering how different this era was from his own...
"Hey, Zero II," he said suddenly, his voice echoing in the empty hallway. The Resistance fighter turned his head in acknowledgement. "What's this place used for, anyway?"
"It's a central hub for Neo Arcadia's computer systems," Zero II replied, his eyes shifting back to the corridor ahead. "Most of their network is connected to here."
"So why haven't you taken it out yet?" Zero asked. His face shimmered blue-green in the glow of his saber and helmet jewel, magnified by the crystal walls. "Something this important would be a major blow, don't you think?"
"I've infiltrated it before," the other blonde replied. "It's usually very well guarded. But also, this place controls things like life support in Neo Arcadia that we can't afford to tamper with."
"So you can't blow it up or everyone you're trying to protect would die," Bass summarized. "Man, that sucks."
"What's up with all this ice, though?" Rock asked, as he nearly lost his footing on a particularly slippery patch of ground. "You mentioned ice golems before... what exactly are they? And why would they attack their own troops?"
"They're large mechaniloids with ice powers," said Zero II. "And Neo Arcadian troops don't bother avoiding friendly fire."
"But that means that something must have been here to cause the golem to attack," said X.
Zero II gave a slight nod. "Probably."
"It's probably Wily," said Zero. "Unless there's some other group that would want to wander around attacking computers at the South Pole..."
"I don't know of any," Zero II said shortly, and effectively ended the conversation.
They continued their icebound journey. Zero and X began discussing some issue from their own era in quiet tones. Zero II lead, silent once again, and Rock decided to fall back to walk beside Blues, who trailed the group. The older boy still had his scarf pulled up high on his chin to protect against the cold.
"You okay?" Rock asked him softly. "You're being really quiet."
"I'm fine," he replied. "Just... something about this isn't sitting right with me..."
Rock tilted his head to the side. "The ice, you mean?"
"Yeah," he answered. "Stay alert, Rocky."
"Of course," he said. "I've been doing this sort of thing for a long time, brother."
Blues smiled, putting a hand on the smaller robot's shoulder. "I know you have. It's just that this place is a lot different from what all of us are used to, and I think it's best if we keep reminding ourselves to stay on guard. It'd be too easy to underestimate the situation."
"Right," Rock affirmed. "I'll be careful. Make sure you are too."
The road reached a bend. Zero II motioned for the party to stop and peered cautiously around the corner. He pulled back a moment later, his eyes narrowed. "The path is blocked. That's the only route I know of that leads deeper into the facility."
X walked around the corner and inspected the barricade. Dense rubble had fallen into the corridor, stretching upwards almost to the ceiling and looking very unclimbable. The collapse had cleared the ice from the nearby walls, leaving much of the corridor covered by crystal shards. The ceiling itself was about twenty feet up; too high to jump to straight from the ground. "Looks like part of the ceiling collapsed," the blue Hunter observed. "Maybe it was weakened by all of the ice."
"Fine then, I'm going to just clear out of the way!" Bass said, priming his Bass Buster. He unleashed a charged shot that was blinding to Rock's eyes. The plasma impacted violently on the barricade. Unfortunately, it did little more than leave a scorch mark on the rubble blockade.
"That's not going to work," Zero II said flatly.
"It was worth a try," the black robot muttered, folding his arms.
"Hey, Zero… I think there may be a gap up there," X said a moment later, pointing up to the ceiling. There was indeed a hole in the rubble a little bit larger than five feet in height. "Looks like we can slip through it if we climb the wall over there. Do you see it, Zero II?"
The Resistance member nodded. "Yes. That should work."
"I'll go check it out, X," Zero said. The red Hunter dashed over to one of the corridor walls and began scaling it with a series of jumps. His boots clanged against the sheer metal as he ascended.
Rock's eyes widened as he saw the long-haired reploid perform what he thought was a physically impossible feat. "How… how are you doing that?"
"Huh?" Zero asked, looking down after hearing Rock's astonished outcry. He stopped jumping and allowed himself to slide back down the wall, touching the ground with a soft click. "What do you mean? It's just wall jumping."
Bass arched an eyebrow. "You used that to get us out of the ice, too, didn't you?" He waved his hand to the side mimicking Zero's ascent up the wall. "I can use my thrusters to dash in mid-air, and I can jump off of a wall sideways once... But how can you climb just one wall like that?"
"You're not outfitted with the system, it seems," X said, turning to them. "This could be a problem."
"Sheesh, no wonder you looked so confused when we were underwater," Zero added, looking at Bass.
"But how does it work?" Blues asked, folding his arms and sounding slightly interested.
"Well, all three of you can leap off of a wall once, right?" Zero said, looking around. "...I hope?"
"Yeah, since Father upgraded my leg stabilizers with gyroscopes," Rock replied, nodding. "I can keep my balance better and now there's an instant where I can leap off a wall like it's a small ledge."
"Our systems must work on a similar principle," said X. "Our stabilizers just must be more advanced to give us a greater window for doing that, considering we can slide down the wall when the gyroscopes adjust..."
"But how do you keep on jumping up the wall like that?" Rock asked. "Wouldn't you need another one behind you to push off from again?"
X shook his head. "When we jump off the wall, the acceleration system stores a charge of air. Partway through the jump, that charge activates, so we can gain altitude and change direction in the air. Then we return to the wall and keep climbing upward."
"Sounds convenient," Proto Man mused.
"And it makes that red mutt Mega Man has obsolete," Bass joked snidely.
"Don't say that about Rush!" Rock cried, scowling.
"Guys!" X cut in. "Now's not the time for that. We have to keep moving."
"Enough of this," Zero II said. "Each of you grab onto one of us so we can keep moving." Taken aback by the blonde's rigid tone, Rock hesitated for a moment, but quickly ran over to X and looped his arms around his neck. Bass approached Zero and Blues shrugged nonchalantly and took hold of Zero II. "X, you go first," the Resistance member instructed. "Then you, Zero. I'll follow behind." X nodded and scaled the wall expertly, despite the weight of Rock on his back. The moment he reached the hole, he crouched and passed through slowly. Zero trailed just as quickly, but a little less gracefully, considering it was obvious Bass was less than thrilled about the ride. When they reached the hole, Bass had to duck down into Zero's back to avoid bashing his head. Zero II turned his head to Blues a moment after they disappeared. "Ready?"
"Go for it," he replied, although Zero II was already in motion. The red warrior scaled the wall fluidly, landing softly on top of the barricade and passing swiftly to the other side. There he slid quickly down the opposite wall and landed with a soft clang. Blues let go immediately, ruffling his scarf back into place.
"How much deeper does this facility go?" Rock wondered, glancing down the hallway which continued to wind out of sight.
"Not much further," Zero II replied. "Though I'm concerned about the lack of guards."
"They're there," Rock replied, pointing. "They're all just frozen solid. Lots of them. On all sides of the hallway."
Zero II shot Rock a look. "Are you still using night vision?"
"Yeah," Rock replied. "That's what letting me see all of that." Zero II made no reply, though he shook his head slightly. "…And the Pantheon in the-" he was cut off by the sound of shattering ice, as the machine trapped within it ground back to life.
"Look out!" Bass shouted, seeing the Pantheon raise his weapon. He snapped off a charged blast which reduced the robot into metal slime. "That's it! We're making sure that doesn't happen again!" Bass quickly flipped his buster to automatic and began to fire. Plasma sped through the room, slamming into every frozen guard robot in the area and putting sizzling holes in the ice on the ceiling. He finished seconds later, smoke curling from his weapon. The floor was now covered in a putrid slush of ice and molten metal.
"That's one way to deal with a problem," Blues sighed.
"And a good one!" Bass defended.
"The main control chamber should be just ahead." Zero II motioned up the corridor and continued walking, avoiding a puddle of Pantheon remains. The hallway stretched on for several hundred more feet, with Bass's buster lighting the way as he wiped out every frozen mechaniloid he came across. They finally reached the security door, which was unceremoniously ripped off the wall and discarded on the ground nearby.
"Hm. Cold reception," Blues quipped as they passed through the chamber. He ignored a glare from X, merely smirking back at his little brother.
On the other side of the door was a massive computer control center. The consoles were covered in colossal ice crystals, stretching up towards the ceiling, and the floor and walls were similarly frozen. However, the computers in the room appeared operational, even while sheathed in the icy barrier. The remains of giant mechaniloids were scattered across the room. Rock counted four separate heads, although with the amount of wreckage he supposed there could be another somewhere. They were of a type he did not recognize but he was rather glad he wouldn't be fighting them.
"Well... it wasn't ice golems," Zero II said after a moment, surveying the wreckage of the machines. The parts were embedded deep in the ice crystals covering the rest of the room.
"…Charming," Blues said, as he surveyed the room. "I don't suppose those computers are overclocked so much that they need this much cooling?"
"Quit joking and keep your eyes peeled, old man," Bass growled, flipping through his vision modes trying to get a better view of the room. It was partially dark, though lit by the monitors. "Whatever did this is probably still nearby."
"My thermal scanners aren't picking up anything. And night vision is being blurred by the light in here," Zero II said as he reactivated his standard vision.
"Trust me," Proto Man cut in. "There's someone here, all right. I think I have a good idea of who we're facing. There's only three Robot Masters that fit this profile… and only one who's powerful enough to do this much damage."
"Blues?" Rock asked, inquisitively.
"Get ready. He's coming." His voice was overlaid by the sound of cracking ice. It was soft at first, and then instantly became like glass shattered by a brick. The noise echoed through the room and the ceiling lamps above flickered to a low light.
"Good evening, heroes," a haughty, regal sounding voice came from the far corner of the room. "I must admit, I was not expecting your presence in this far flung land and time..."
A tall, blue armor-clad figure emerged from the block of ice. His face was covered mostly by a mask revealing only his eyes and eyebrows arched in a serious expression. The shoulders of his armor were designed in the shape of ice crystals, as was the top of his helmet. He paced out into open view, put a hand to his chin, and threw his other arm out to the side.
"Great," Rock said, putting a hand to his face. "It's that stupid pose again. Come on, Freeze Man, surely you've got a new one by now!"
"I beg thy pardon, Mega Man, but please do not interrupt mine entrance." Freeze Man posed gracefully again, and then moved swiftly into another.
"Why is he speaking like that?" X asked. "Does he think he's a knight or a Shakespearian actor, or something?"
"…No, he's just being an idiot," Bass replied.
"Mega Man, how did you stand fighting all of these losers?" Zero asked, trying to prevent his left eyebrow from twitching.
"It wasn't easy," Rock replied, rolling his eyes. Freeze Man was still slipping into various poses, some of which were actually pretty cool looking, in Rock's opinion.
X shrugged. "We've dealt with some pretty stupid Mavericks, ourselves, Zero."
"…I'll grant you Split Mushroom," Zero sighed.
Freeze Man finally straightened into an upright position, and looked at the party with his face deadly serious. "Now then, I was not informed that you would be joining us, Mega Man. But whatever the case, you have seen too much. Nary a soul, robotic or otherwise, may stand in the way of Doctor Wily!"
"If you weren't expecting us, why were you frozen in that ice waiting for your entrance?" Rock asked.
"Tis not of your concern," Freeze Man replied loftily, "but if ye must know, t'was merely a mode of resting before I returned from my quest."
"His voice is really beginning to make me mad," Bass grumbled. "Let's melt him."
"Don't take him lightly," Zero II said flatly. "He's taken out several of Neo Arcadia's Ice Golems by himself. He is more dangerous than he looks if his cold attacks could defeat them."
"Yeah, but we have one thing that the Ice Golems didn't," Blues replied.
"Fire." Mega Man finished. He smiled, his armor shifting to red and orange. Bass and Proto Man shifted their weapons as well. "Though, you never know with Wily. I mean, Freeze Man was originally weak to junk."
"I suppose you intend to do battle, then," Freeze Man said, eyeing his six opponents. "Very well, I shall begin!" He leapt backwards onto a computer console, balancing easily as though the equipment was not covered by a sheet of ice. Frigid air began forming around his hands, solidifying into ice spheres. A moment later the robot master jumped upward and tossed the ice at Rock.
Rock threw up his hands, but the attack was too sudden. The first sphere caught him in the chest; the second in the helmet. The impact knocked him off balance and his feet slipped out from under him. He tumbled backwards, skidding on the icy floor. He hit the wall head first. The impact jarred his senses, but he recovered quickly and picked himself up, wincing. He ran a hand over his helmet to check for dents.
"Hey!" Blues said, his tone slightly dangerous. "No one cheap-shots my little brother!" As the robot master's attention shifted to him, he unleashed an inferno of flames from his buster. Freeze Man leapt nimbly away from the blast and retaliated with another frozen orb. Blues raised his shield and it bounced harmlessly away, though the momentum of the attack sent him sliding across the floor.
"Is that all there is to it?" Bass demanded. "Fine! This'll be easy." He switched to his Bass Buster and armed his rapid fire. Plasma bullets hurtled at Freeze Man, but pinged harmlessly off his armor plating. "What the?"
"He's tougher than the others!" X exclaimed, sending a fully charged shot at the icy Robot Master. "You're going to have to hit hard to get through!"
Seeing the attack coming, Freeze Man encased himself in a cloud of vapor. The mist faded as the plasma passed through, and the shot impacted against something solid and frozen, sending shards spinning across the room. Freeze Man tossed away the sheet of ice he had hastily crafted as a shield, and it shattered against the wall.
"Thy attacks are very predictable," he said, creating more ice in his hands. He then leapt forward, passing over his opponent's heads. He flung the ice shot down toward Zero II. The blonde was not even fazed, bringing up his left gauntlet which now shimmered with green energy. A shield-like energy field encircled the limb and deflected the ice. The Resistance fighter then ignited his Z-Saber in his other hand and dashed to intercept Freeze Man's landing.
The red warrior shoulder charged the Wily-bot with his energy shield, knocking the Robot Master off balance. He followed with a Z-saber strike that left a sparking gash in Freeze Man's armor plating. The robot master, wincing in pain from the blade, shot a blast of frozen gas into Zero II's face. The mist blinded the red reploid, causing him to stagger backwards.
Zero II's face went numb as the frozen mist chilled his synthflesh. He quickly rubbed his arm across his eyes and his auto repair systems scrambled to increase heat output to compensate, finally clearing his vision. By then Freeze Man had already leapt away, and the others were firing rapidly at him, trying to keep him pinned behind a row of computer terminals. Mega Man and Proto Man's streams of Atomic Fire were melting the ice covering the floor, causing a layer of water to rise. The wet floor made it easier on the combatants as it was far less slippery than the ice.
"Zero," Blues called, glancing at the blonde who was hanging back, looking for an opening. "Get over there and take him out! We'll cover you!"
"Got it!" Zero replied. He dashed forward, sending ripples through the water. Zero II followed closely, his own saber in hand. However, as they approached Freeze Man's hiding place, he popped out and ran his fists into the ground. Water splashed upward and quickly froze, the cold spreading like a shockwave through the room and catching the approaching melee fighters off guard.
The move left the two Zeros trapped in ankle-deep ice. Before they could break free, Freeze Man pelted them repeatedly with more of his frozen spheres. Blues held to his word, however, and the four ranged fighters immediately trained their weapons on the robot master, driving him away from the two blondes. This allowed them to start cutting themselves out of the ice.
Not to be outdone, Freeze Man turned his gauntlets into twin busters. Aiming them up upward, he began spraying frozen vapor into the room. The smoky gas spread rapidly through the enclosed space, encasing everything in a chilly, miserable fog.
The gas continued to flood the room as Zero and Zero II finished freeing themselves; by now, the only thing that Rock could make out of the two was the glow of their Z-Sabers. As the seconds passed, it became increasingly difficult to see anything around him, even where his own buster was pointed.
Then there was a loud clang. "Dammit!"
Rock recognized Bass's voice; the black robot must have stumbled into something. The blue bomber remained in place to avoid a similar accident and quickly fumbled through his vision modes. Thermal proved entirely useless; the gas was too cold and even masked his own heat signature, much less Freeze Man's. Night vision was no good either, as his vision was just as clouded. Telescopic vision would be entirely useless.
Then his mind turned to a rarely-used system Doctor Light had installed in him several years ago. He had never needed to use his sonar systems in combat before, but it looked like as good a time as any to give it a shot. He closed his eyes, and adjusted his passive sonar to try to pick up movement as he stood perfectly still.
The firing of his allies' weapons gave their positions to Rock, as well as where they were aiming. The blasts were very random and Rock was grateful they hadn't hit each other yet. He kept listening; the hum of the Z-Sabers mixing with the whine of plasma. Finally Rock picked up something odd. It was a strange hissing noise coming from one corner of the room. He raised an eyebrow and flipped to Atomic Fire. He charged his shot, and then unleashed a fireball from his Mega Buster that streaked through the frigid air, leaving a trail of falling condensation.
There was a cry of pain from the corner. Rock smiled as he heard the tell-tale hiss of Freeze Man's mist weapon suddenly stop.
"Did someone hit him?" Bass yelled, from right behind Rock's ear. Rock winced, telling himself that Bass didn't realize he was so close. Of course, knowing Bass, that might not have stopped him...
The icy fog began to clear as more plasma blasts cut through the air, equalizing the temperature in the room. Freeze Man was standing atop another mainframe, arms folded and his armor severely burned.
"There you are!" Bass shouted again. He unleashed a charged blast toward the robot master, which was simply blocked by another quick ice shield. The shot shattered the shield again, but left a small chunk of ice in Freeze Man's hand. Sidestepping another shot from X, he lobbed the ice ball at the ceiling.
"What was that supposed to accomplish?" Zero asked, hearing the ice ball shatter above.
"Tsk, thou will find out in a moment," Freeze Man replied, his voice bemused.
A rattle followed, and then they realized what he had done. The frozen gas had solidified dripping water into wide, sharp stalactites, and Freeze Man's attack knocked them loose. In an instant, the entire ceiling's worth of icicles crashed downward. The team quickly tried to take cover, but the raining spikes left no room to maneuver, sending the robots reeling from the painful strikes from above.
Taking advantage of his opponents' confusion, Freeze Man launched an ice bolt at the distracted Zero II. He then darted closer, attempting to knock away his Z-Saber. But the red warrior had recovered by now and brought up his energy shield. Freeze Man's momentum continued to carry him forward and he lashed out with his fist, striking the center of the shield above Zero II's gauntlet. The unit began to spark and fizzle, the green energy barrier instantly dissipating. The blonde muttered a curse and brought around his saber to force the robot master to back away. Freeze Man quickly dodged but the weapon clipped his side, leaving another gash in his armor.
The robot master retreated, only to run directly into the path of Blues and Bass. Both leveled streams of Atomic Fire at the icy-armored robot, creating clouds of steam as they hit his frigid body.
"How do you like that?" Bass yelled, grinning savagely. This was what he lived for, the thrill of battle. Artificial adrenaline surged through his body and pounded through his head, sharpening his senses.
Freeze Man's eyes narrowed. "Thou dost vex me," he proclaimed, his buster gathering energy. "Now it is time I stopped this jest!" He launched three rapid ice shots at Blues. The red robot rolled to the side and the ice sailed harmlessly past, striking the wall behind him. Unexpectedly, however, instead of merely shattering the ice broke into smaller projectiles which ricocheted back into the room.
One of the ice pieces struck X in the back, lodging just below his chest armor. He winced, removing the fragment. It hadn't penetrated his bodysuit, but would no doubt leave a pressure bruise. This weapon was no joke… it reminded him of Chill Penguin's Shotgun Ice. "Take this!" X shouted, firing off a charged shot in retaliation. He managed to strike Freeze Man before he could bring up an ice shield in defense.
Rocked, but not yet defeated, the robot master prepared another round of ice. He aimed towards X, only to be suddenly rammed from behind by Zero. The red Hunter's shoulder charge sent Freeze Man stumbling forward. His weapon misfired and the ice bounced off the ceiling and shattered, missing his opponents.
Before Freeze Man could regain his balance and turn back to Zero, he found himself facing Blues. The red robot smiled and calmly laid a hand on Freeze Man's chest, giving him a shove backwards. The Robot Master's eyes widened as he skidded across the frozen floor back towards Zero. The blonde and his saber were waiting. A slash later and Freeze Man sported several more marks across his armor. Before the red Hunter could finish the job, however, Freeze Man ducked and spun under Zero's swing and shot an ice bullet into the blonde's chest at short range. The force sent Zero skidding away and into a wall.
With a snort, Freeze Man turned to continue the battle, only to meet Zero II's fist. The Resistance fighter laid into the Robot Master with a flurry of close ranged, mostly bare-fisted attacks. The Wily-bot found himself unable to retaliate against the sudden onslaught. To finish the combo, Zero II drew his Z-Saber and slashed at Freeze Man's side, leaving yet another gash in his armor, sparks dancing and coolant leaking from the injury. The robot master staggered and Zero II helped him away, kicking his legs so he collapsed backwards onto the frozen floor. A moment later, the robot looked up to find the Z-saber pointed at his throat.
"It's over," Zero II stated.
"No it's not!" Zero shouted angrily. He pulled out a shard of ice that was wedged into the gap between his armor and bodysuit, and hurled it at Freeze Man. It bounced off the back of his helmet. "How do you like it, you stupid piece of junk?"
"That was less than sporting," Freeze Man grumbled, ignoring Zero II's saber. "Alas, I have accomplished my mission and there is no reason to tarry longer. Fare thee well!" As Zero II attempted to slice the weapon downward Freeze Man kicked out, knocking the red warrior's feet out from under him. The blonde toppled over, saber sliding from his grasp and spinning across the floor. Freeze Man kicked against the ice to propel himself backwards, hitting a console several feet away. Before anyone could make a move to stop him, he used it to flip himself to his feet, struck a dramatic pose, and then simply vanished in the familiar twinkle of teleportation. Across the room the lost beam saber hummed in the empty air, heavy with water vapor and the ensuing calm.
Zero managed to push himself away from the wall, his armor coated with half-melted slush. "How did he do that?" he demanded. "His teleporter shouldn't be working here!"
"Wily must have found a way to rig something that works in this era," said Blues, frowning slightly. He slid over to Rock and began brushing ice off the top of the boy's helmet, much to his annoyance. "We should have realized that earlier... it's the only way Freeze Man could have gotten down here in the first place."
"That looked more like a signal from the transporters they have in this era than one from our own," X replied. He glanced over at Zero II. "What do you think?"
The Resistance fighter had risen silently to his feet, retrieving the lost saber. He deactivated it with a soft hiss. His face was unreadable, blue eyes lost in the shadows of the dimly lit room. "It's possible. Perhaps your enemies managed to steal a transerver."
"Those things are pretty big though, right?" Zero asked, brushing more ice crystals from his hair. "They wouldn't be able to carry it far..."
"They are probably still somewhere in Neo Arcadia," Zero II agreed.
"Well, at least we know they're still in this era, for the moment," said X. "Though Wily now knows we've followed him. Hopefully he won't bolt..."
"That's not Wily's style," Rock piped up. "He'll stay until he's done what he came for or we beat him."
"We may be able to trace the transerver signal back to its source," Zero II told them. "I'll ask Ciel to do that once we get back."
"What was he doing down here anyway, though?" X asked, looking around at the ice-coated computers. "He indicated that he'd accomplished whatever he came for..."
"Probably messing with all these computers," Zero said, pointing to a mainframe. "Though for what, I don't know."
Zero II walked over to the largest computer, shimmering behind its icy shell. "...It looks normal," he said. "But I don't know..."
"Maybe Ciel can send a team down here to investigate before the place thaws," X said.
Zero II nodded. "I'll ask."
"Great, so can we get out of this place already?" Bass said, crossing his arms. "Before our processors freeze solid?"
"All right," Zero II said evenly. He tapped the side of his helmet. "Zero here. Six to transport out." A moment later, the room was filled by the sparkle of the transerver, the lights dancing against the crystalline walls before fading and leaving the base to its silent, frozen gloom.
------
Ciel was waiting for their arrival, leading them quickly out of the control room to avoid questions by the other Resistance staff. Once back in her laboratory, she began to question them.
"How was the mission?" she asked, glancing from Zero II to X.
"The base was attacked by one of Dr. Wily's Robot Masters," X replied. "He managed to disable most of the place's defenses..."
"We repelled him, but he escaped," Zero II said flatly. "We think he did something to the computer systems."
"We thought you might want to send a team there before any reinforcements come," X added.
Ciel nodded. "That's probably the best idea. We can't allow him to do anything that might harm the people in Neo Arcadia."
"He used a transerver to escape," Zero II said. "We hoped you could trace the signal."
"We'll get right on it," Ciel replied. Then she frowned, noticing sparks coming from the blonde's left gauntlet. "Did you break the Shield Boomerang again?" she said, with a disapproving tone.
Zero II raised his arm to study the device that had been emitting the green energy shield he had used fighting Freeze Man. "...Looks like it."
Ciel shook her head. "Cerveau's not going to be happy with you..." He merely shrugged in acknowledgement.
"Who's Cerveau?" Rock asked curiously.
"He's the head mechanic," Ciel replied. She looked them over, noting the new battle marks on their armor. "If you need any repairs, he should be able to help you."
"I think we're okay," X replied, glancing to the others. They nodded in return.
"Well, we'll start tracing the signal, but it will be a little while," Ciel said.
"We should go get cleaned up, then," said Blues, glancing at the slush coating his armor and scarf.
"Yeah," said Rock, rubbing his arms. "I need a hot shower. I'm freezing!"
"You should go give the boomerang to Cerveau, Zero," Ciel said. "I think he's been working on something else for you, too."
He nodded, and the group left Ciel's lab, the Light family and Bass heading in one direction while Zero II turned off onto a side corridor. Zero, at the back of the group, paused at the turnoff. Making his decision, he turned and jogged after his twin.
"Hey, wait up!" he called.
The Resistance warrior paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Yes?" he asked.
Zero pulled alongside him. "Mind if I tag along with you?" Zero II didn't reply, and Zero faltered. "Cause well... you know... we haven't really gotten a chance to talk yet, and I thought..."
"Go ahead," Zero II said. He turned away from his twin and began walking again.
Zero fell into step with him. Several moments passed without speaking. Seeing that the other man had no intention of starting the conversation, the Hunter said finally, "So, um... how long have you been with the Resistance?"
Zero II continued looking forward. "Two and a half years."
"Wow, that's not very long," Zero said.
"A lot has happened in that time," his twin said curtly.
Zero gave a wry smile. "I can imagine... I don't envy your situation at all."
The other man did not reply. Their footsteps echoed off the metal walls of the deserted corridor. Zero frowned slightly, not liking the silence. "So, what's it like, being a guerilla fighter?" he asked, as they walked by a row of closed side-doors. "What do you all do around here?"
"We plan and execute missions to weaken Weil's grip on Neo Arcadia," Zero II replied.
"No, I meant, in your free time," Zero said. "For fun, you know." They passed a pair of reploids pushing a cart loaded with metallic crates. The two gave the pair an odd look, but Zero II's impassive face seemed to stop them from commenting.
"If I'm not needed for a mission, then I train for the next time I am," he answered, as they turned a corner.
"...Sounds kind of boring," Zero said. "Don't you do anything for yourself? Watch TV, have a hobby... heck, even read, though don't ever let X know I said that."
"Television is controlled by Neo Arcadian propaganda," Zero II said shortly. "And books are almost impossible to find." He pushed through a doorway leading to a stairwell which winded its way downward into the base.
"What about video games?" Zero asked, following him down the steps. Zero II shook his head. "Well, you can at least talk to people, can't you?"
"Ciel and I have discussions sometimes," he replied.
"Only sometimes?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zero II shrugged noncommittally, and pulled open the door to exit the stairway. They stepped out into another corridor, identical to the first. "She's very busy most of the time."
Zero frowned. "So... you're saying that basically all you do is fight? What kind of a life is that?"
Zero II's eyes darkened. He halted in the middle of the hallway and turned to face his twin. "Look, stop dancing around and just say it outright."
"...What?" Zero said, taking an involuntary step backwards, startled by the Resistance warrior's dangerous tone.
"I told you, just say it," Zero II snapped back. The man's blue eyes were icy and his hands slowly clenched into fists at his sides. "I know I'm not interesting or outgoing or charismatic. I know I'm not you anymore. And I know you don't like me."
Zero could only listen in shock while his double spoke. Zero II was actually angry. And it was not the cool, calculated, 'you're a Maverick and I have to destroy you' anger he wielded in battle. This was anger directed at himself as much as at Zero. This was emotional anger, stemming from his true self rather than the stony mask he had worn until now.
"Don't deny it," Zero II continued, seeing Zero's confusion. "That's what this is about. You don't like me at all, and you don't want to become me. I bet you've been desperately thinking of ways to make sure I never exist ever since you came here. Well, go ahead. I don't care. I'm sure everyone would be better off that way."
"Zero..." Zero said, at a loss for words. "That's not..."
"Yes, it is," Zero II snapped. "And I know it is because I'd do the same thing in your position."
The two stood staring at one another for several long moments, the silence sharper than a beam saber. Then Zero II suddenly went rigid, his face reverting back to its usual expressionless mask, as though he had just realized how much of his private inner self he had inadvertently revealed.
"I'll see you later," he said stiffly, and immediately spun around and began walking quickly up the corridor. Zero watched him leave, unable to move.
"Well, crap," he muttered finally to the empty air around him. "I just got into a fight with myself and lost."