Gray Matter

Black Sun

"Why... won't... you... die?!" Mega Man shouted at Proto Man, the two in a heated battle.

"Why do you obey Hikari?!" Proto Man asked in return. "He's using you. Can't you see it? You don't have free will Mega Man! Everything you have done was what Hikari wanted you to do!"

"Listen to him Roch!" Nico said from the sidelines. Mega Man looked from Nico to Proto Man. Why would she side with him, the clear enemy?

"You still have your own free will Roch, why can't you overcome what Hikari has done to you?" Nico asked.

Mega Man ceased fire, and in turn, Proto did as well. There, Mega thought about it. Everything he had done until that point, was it truly his own directive? True, Hikari was the one that gave the idea, but was he the sole decision maker at this point? The more Mega Man thought about it, the more it seemed to fry his circuits. He was in control of his thoughts and emotions, was he not? So he was in charge of his will too... right?

"You and I share the same blueprints, making us brothers." Proto Man said. "I am perfect in every sense of the word 'human.' How come you're not?"

No. No, no, no, NO!

In a quick moment of lucid thought, Mega Man ran to Nico, freed her, and the two escaped on foot away from Wiley's hideout and back to Hikari's laboratory.

"You have to go after them." Wiley said, cowering in a corner. "It only takes one order... and she's gone."

Proto Man turned to look at the old man, cowering as if he was just a child, and had no pity for him.

"Why do you care?" the android asked calmly before simply walking away.

- - -

"Is it true?!" Mega Man demanded to his creator. Hikari stroked his beard, appearing the be in deep thought.

"Yes." the neck-bearded robotist agreed. "It is true."

"Why?" Mega Man thundered. "Why would you make me believe that I had free will when all along you were just... controlling me, like a freaking puppet?!"

"It was because of the family he lost." Nico said quietly. "He couldn't control their outcome, and he couldn't control Proto Man, so when he reconstructed your body, he made sure that he could control you."

Hikari looked at her, something in his eyes seemed to snap in rage.

"Who told you about them?" he hissed. Nico just looked at him.

"They're gone now Dr Hikari." she told him. "No one can replace them and no one ever will. You need to either give up, or just die."

Hikari snarled at her as something in his mind snapped.

"Kill her!" the robotist shouted in rage.

Without control, Mega Man aimed the Mega Blaster right at Nico, Mega Man closed his eyes, not wanting to see what was to happen next.

Seeing that the Mega Blaster had gone off, Nico raised the MWDD in self defense, causing the device to produce a shield. But the shield could not compare to the force that the blast had, damaging the shield and causing a force still strong enough to cause an open bone fracture on Nico's forearm. Nico screamed in pain, falling to the ground. Blood was coming from the open fracture like a leaking water facet. Looking at it made everyone in the room sick to their stomachs. But seeing this also fueled Hikari's madness.

"Shoot her Mega Man!" Hikari shouted, almost happily in a mad way. "Finish the job and obey your programming, shoot her!"

"Don't do it Roch," Nico told him, gingerly holding onto her arm as blood continued to bleed from the wound, "You're more than just a robot that follows orders, you're a human with free will! Use it! Resist Dr Hikari's commands!"

Mega Man looked from Hikari to Nico. He knew the laws, but could the human side of his joined mind override them? He didn't know, but it made his brain power overwork again, making the pain even more intense as he thought about it.

"Do it." Hikari demanded, his voice getting low and more dangerous. "You know your master!"

Mega Man held his head in pain, lowering the Mega Blaster aimed at Nico, and fell to the floor on his knees. Too many thoughts... too many orders... too many laws...

Suddenly, a crash came from the roof and into the room.

"Proto Man!" Nico said, surprised, but a bit happy as well. Hikari growled.

"Get away from here you freak!" Hikari shouted.

"Oh, don't worry, I will." Proto Man said, "But before I do, I want you to know that I won't stop until the world is safe from your insane creations and ideas."

"Albert is no better than I, why should I be your target?" Hikari asked, giving a sly maniac smile.

"I didn't say you were my only target." Proto Man told him bitterly. "After I bring you down, Wiley is next."

"Kill your creators... what a fucking perfect creation you are..." Hikari muttered. "I never gave you that ability, you flawed mistake."

Proto Man sneered at the robotist, then looked at Mega Man.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to break his conditioning on you, brother." he said. Proto Man looked at Nico, then carefully held onto her side. Together, they left Hikari's laboratory through the same hole in the ceiling Proto had made with his entrance. Mega Man looked at that hole and held back tears that he could not trace the origin of. Hikari looked at the hole in the ceiling as well and sneered. He then turned to looked at Mega Man.

"Get into that status pod!" Hikari ordered. It was a simple order, and Mega Man complied without hesitation. But once he was in the pod, he found that he could not move.