Chapter Text
“So, are we there yet?”
“We’re just about halfway there. How’s your energy?”
“I’m still good. Wait, how do you know where we’re going?”
“I’ve been down this path a few times already, I’ve mapped it out and memorized it by now.”
“Okay, fine. But why are we going here again? I thought we weren’t supposed to be there.”
The red robot huffed, not because he needed to breathe, but rather it was a force of habit by now. Now under any normal circumstances, this robot’s partner would be unmistakably correct in every aspect of what he said. In the world they live in, robots are a rather important and sensitive topic among social and political issues, one such related issue being the conscience and alignment of robots and their relation to their owners. Unfortunately to the robots, this ties in with them. Every time this robot reminded himself of it, he couldn’t help but shudder a bit with unease; they were robots created by the mad scientist Dr. Wily… Built as weapons for the purpose of world domination.
And they needed to see their master’s arch nemesis, Dr. Light. World-renowned scientist, benevolent leading member of the robotics movement, proud father of the world’s greatest robot hero, Megaman, along with countless other creations birthed from his innovation. But...
“Crash, I’ve already told you before… right now, he’s the only doctor we can go to in order to fix your ‘problem’, remember? And there’s more than just that as well.”
The orange robot, known as Crash Man, knew well enough already. Living everyday without hands was a clear reminder for him what his problem was, and that was his inability to fire his signature weapon, the Crash Bomber. For whatever reason, he cannot detonate his own bombs. Not even the manual switch works. Something must be jammed, or disabled, as his partner suggested. How he longed for the satisfying sounds and sights of explosions caused by him… It was driving him mad to be denied something that felt so utterly and completely natural to him.
“I know my problem! No need to rub it in, okay? Okay! It’s just… weird, you know, Metal?” Crash said defensively.
The other robot, Metal Man, nodded in understanding. “I’m not making fun of you, I’m just saying. And yeah, I know it’s weird. But the Dr. Cossack we’ve heard about lives on another continent, and Wily isn’t an option for us.”
Crash frowned and slowed to a stop, the other soon doing the same. He dumped a burlap sack he was carrying over his back. His partner went and picked up said object. “This thing keeps slipping off of me. You should’ve carried it from the start.” Crash huffed, to ventilate himself. “Plus, you have hands. ...This forest is huge… you sure we’re almost there?”
Metal slung the burlap sack over his shoulder, only to hear a loud tear. He turned and saw that he ripped the bag with his own literal shoulder blades. “Oh, woops. Guess we’ll need a new one of that, too.” Good thing it was empty. “Also, c’mere. I’ll show you how close we are.” He beckoned the orange Robot Master over, and they continued to walk uphill through the woods, until they approached clearing with a mountainside road. They leaned over the guardrail and looked down, Crash’s eyes widening at how high up they were on this mountain. Metal got his attention and pointed towards the horizon, where the green mountainside dipped a little. “There. Do you see it?”
“Where am I supposed to look…?” Crash squinted his eyes. Metal grabbed his chin and gently guided it a little in the right direction.
“Over there, a little far away. You see that green hill?” He asked.
Crash squinted harder, his optics doing their best to zoom in and focus. He wasn’t built to have top-of-the-line eyesight and perception, not like a couple of his brethren. But he did see quite a small little hill in the distance. “I think I do…”
“There’s a house there, you see that?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“And there’s a robot dog playing there, too. Do you see that?”
“NO?”
“That’s fine, you can see the house. That’s Dr. Light’s laboratory and place of residence.”
“Woah, really? We’re that close, already?” Crash seemed to brighten up knowing their short journey was going to end even shorter than he thought it would.
Metal smiled behind his face mask. “Yeah. It’s been a while. Last time I went there was when I found you, actually. Maybe the Doctor will know where more of our brethren are.” That would be nice. And incredibly helpful.
Crash thought about that for a moment, before his smile dropped suddenly. “Speaking of that, if that’s where Dr. Light lives, isn’t Megaman going to be there, too?”
Metal’s eyes widened for a second. “Oh shit, you’re right.” He forgot about that. “Uh… look, we’re not going there to fight anyone, so there shouldn’t be a problem, right? Although, I’m not sure if Megaman’s really the type of robot to listen to reason... Guess we’ll find out soon, right?” He didn’t want to think too hard about it, though. Honestly, thinking about that and waiting was starting to make him nervous. “Hey Crash, you want to get there faster, right? I know a faster way to the place than walking the whole way.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
Metal wrapped the torn sack around one of his arms and faced Crash. “Climb on. I gotcha.” With that, the Robot Master turned around, and Crash jumped onto Metal's back, who caught his legs and hoisted him up. “Augh.. I forgot you’re heavy… Hold on and grab onto me, okay?”
“Metal, I would, but I don’t have hands.” Crash said, clinging to him with his entire body.
“RIGHT. I’m sorry... You’re gonna be alright, Crash. Okay? I won’t let ya fall. Trust me. J-just hold me as tight as you can.”
“Okay,” Crash said quietly, his mouth curling into a small smile. He was excited but also a little scared. “I trust you.” I’m ready, he lied to himself. He felt Metal’s legs bend and lock for a few seconds. And then it all happened in a flash. Metal sprung high into the air with a mighty force, way over the guardrail and hundreds of feet in the air. Amongst the rest of their brethren, Metal Man was one of the most powerful leapers. Something that Crash Man was not aware of. Crash’s voice got caught in his throat and he clung to Metal as tightly as possible with all of his limbs. His pupils shrunk to dots as he stared in shock at the ground far below them, and his trapped voice escaped in the form of a terribly small-sounding noise.
“Are you okay?” Metal called out to him. The two were soaring and very soon, plummeting.
Crash opened his mouth instinctively to answer, but saying something normal would require possessing self-control of his own body. He tried to say that he was good, but he ended up shrieking at Metal instead.