Colonel Malfunction

Story
Megaman wakes up in the hospital, Eirene by his side. He groans as he sits up, Eirene shushing him.

Eirenes: Relax. You’re fine. You did it. You saved the city.

Megaman pushes Eirene’s hand aside, as he walks out of the room. He heads out into the city, which was underwork by massive teams of repair robots, with humans instructing them on where to go. Megaman walks through, unfazed by the events.

Eirene: Hey! Wait!

Eirene runs up after him, Megaman stopping, looking confused.

Megaman: What are you doing?

Eirene: (Panting) What are you doing? You were injured in that last battle, and you need to rest.

Megaman: No, why are you following me?

Eirene’s expression turns from concern to confusion.

Eirene: What?

Megaman: We defeated the Ancient Roman gods. The reason we came together was to defeat them. Since the conflict is over, there is no reason for us to interact anymore.

Eirene: So you’re saying that you don’t care what happens to me?! You don’t want to continue to, (She chooses her words carefully) interact with each other?

Megaman: I work alone. You being with me, I tolerated it, but now it’s time. Get lost.

Eirene has tears forming in her eyes, as she runs in the opposite direction. Megaman’s head droops down, as if he’s ashamed of his action.

Eirene runs to a repaired, and therefore abandoned, section of the city. She holds her face into her sleeve, crying.

Eirene: (Sniffling) Idiot. Does he not realize that I like him? That I want to stay near him? I know he’s self centered and prefers to be alone, but surely he has some social understanding.

Heavy, mechanical footsteps approach Eirene from behind, her wiping her eyes. She gets a stern face, as if angry.

Eirene: Oh, no! If you think that I’ll just forgive what you said before. Well, let me tell you something, Megaman!

Eirene turns around, seeing it was Colonel, breathing heavily with a deranged face. Eirene takes a step back, slightly nervous. She looks around, seeing no one else around.

Eirene: Colonel? I had forgotten about you. What’s Wily up to?

Colonel: Uragh!

Colonel’s energy blade activates, radiating nuclear energy.

Eirene: Uranium? Or something similar. Could it be?!

Colonel charges at Eirene, raising his sword over his head. Eirene maneuvers to the side to dodge, his blade slicing clean through the concrete road. Eirene surveys the surroundings, seeing what she can use. She backs up towards a fire hydrant, as Colonel speeds over at her, her intimidated. She leaps to the side, as Colonel slices through the fire hydrant. The hydrant is sliced off, as water shoots out at Colonel, him gurgling from it. Eirene takes off running, as Colonel turns to face her, still being sprayed. He points his sword tip at Eirene, as nuclear energy charges up.

Colonel: URAGH!

The nuclear blade extends after Eirene and expands, being as tall as Colonel. Eirene looks back, and yells in fear from the attack coming at her. She then trips over a curb and hits the ground, the nuclear blade approaching. A mana hoof shield the size of the blade forms, as Kung Foo Kid stands in front of Eirene, his shield cracking from the attack.

Kung Foo Kid: (Straining) Strong. Eirene, run!

Eirene: Megaman! But,

Kung Foo Kid: All your intelligence, and you still can’t see the situation? Run!

Eirene nods, as she gets up, running off. Kung Foo Kid increases the power of his mana, his mana hoof shield pushing forward. The two attacks shatter, Colonel reforming a regular sword. Kung Foo Kid dashes forward, forming a mana hoof on the Mega Buster. He thrusts his mana hooves at Colonel, who parries with his sword, the collision releasing an explosion of nuclear energy, knocking Kung Foo Kid back. Kung Foo Kid skids back, face stern.

Kung Foo Kid: I figured that you were strong, but I never imagined this tough. And that energy,

Colonel: Uragh!

Kung Foo Kid reverts, as Megaman slaps down the Omnitrix. Fire Man forms a fire sword from his Mega Buster, as he stalemates with Colonel’s blade.

Fire Man: Fire Man!

Colonel pushes Fire Man back, him hopping back. Fire Man then goes for a thrust, as Colonel spins at a blinding speed, slashing and dropping Fire Man to his knees. His fire sword breaks, as he places the Mega Buster to the ground. He releases heat, as a fire tower bursts out of the ground, blazing through Colonel. Colonel stands in the fire for a moment, as he walks out, his cape charred but the rest of him is unharmed. Colonel jams his blade into the ground, the nuclear energy visibly traveling through the concrete. The entire roadway erupts with nuclear energy, as Fire Man rides a rock into the air, which is caught and vaporized by the attack. The nuclear eruption subsides, as Fire Man falls, landing on a fragment of concrete.

Fire Man: Okay, what gives? You’re not trying to do anything, you’re just, attacking.

Colonel approaches Fire Man, when a pair of flashing eyes catches his attention. The eyes belong to the young girl Iris, hiding in an alleyway. Colonel groans with a headache, grabbing his head. He scoffs at Fire Man, and retreats off to the side. Fire Man reverts, as he looks back at Iris, who steps back into the shadows, disappearing.

Eirene: Megaman!

Eirene comes from behind Megaman, a little startled from the terrain.

Eirene: When did Colonel gain that kind of power?

Megaman: You know Colonel?

Eirene: He’s the Robot that Dr. Wily designed for the Army in case you turned rogue.

Megaman: Heh! I should’ve guessed that. And that nuclear energy,

Eirene: It’s similar, if not exactly the same as Duo’s. Reports did say that Duo’s remains disappeared after the battle against Sunstar.

Megaman: Which means Wily took it in the confusion. I’m going to go pay him a visit.

Eirene: I’m going with you.

Megaman: No.

Eirene: Oh, enough already! I’ve thought it over. You saved me before, which means you care about me. Too much, it would seem. Instead of risking losing me, you’re trying to push me away, so I stay away from the danger. But listen here! You can’t possibly survive on your own! You need me to help you!

Megaman: I saw a little girl, with butterfly clips in her hair. She did something to stop Colonel.

Eirene: Butterfly clips? A girl with those assisted you during the Sunstar fight. She ran off before I could talk to her. She was quite strong, abnormally strong.

Megaman: Find her. I have a feeling she’ll help more than Wily.

Eirene: Oh. Uh, right. (She starts walking off, then turns back.) Uh, about everything I just said,

Megaman: We have a crisis on our hand. You really going to waste time with that?

Eirene blushes, as she runs off. Megaman heads off in the other direction. A construction worker walks by the area, and sees the wreckage.

Construction Worker: Oh, come on! I just finished this area yesterday! End Scene

At Wily’s base, Wily has finished upgrading three Robot Masters, being TenguMan, CentaurMan and KendoMan. In the background is the remains of Duo.

Wily: Perfect! KendoMan’s swordsmanship, CentaurMan’s energy resistant arrows, and TenguMan’s wind control, I have created a force of robots that can recapture Colonel for me, to enable me to re-harness all that nuclear space energy!

Color Man: Nice to know you still rant your plans to thin air.

Wily: Eh?!

Color Man turns visible, as the three Robots get ready for battle. Wily holds his hands up, scowling.

Wily: What are you doing here, when there’s a rampaging nuclear reactor walking around?

Color Man: I was hoping to find out some info.

Color Man reverts.

Megaman: And I came to the right place.

Wily: Urgh. No matter. I can use you as a warmup for my new robots. Attack!

Wily lowers his arms, as KendoMan takes position, holding his energy sword up, ready to engage. Megaman sighs, activating the Omnitrix.

Megaman: I was hoping to avoid a fight here. But,

Megaman slaps down the Omnitrix.

Elec Man: Elec Man!

Elec Man’s towers spark, as lightning travels up his Mega Buster, creating a Lightning Blade. Elec Man and KendoMan engage, the two even. TenguMan floats overhead, swinging his fan hand, a burst of wind cutting through the lightning, destroying the lightning blade, allowing KendoMan to strike Elec Man, the energy trail visible. Elec Man then reaches for KendoMan’s head and grabs it before he can lift his sword back up, electrocuting him. TenguMan blasts Elec Man with wind blades again, him tumbling backwards. Elec Man hits the Omnitrix, transforming.

Hornet Man: Hornet Man!

Hornet Man flies into the air, as CentaurMan’s hand forms into a bow, him docking an arrow. He fires, Hornet Man dodging. TenguMan releases a wind blast, pushing Hornet Man back. Hornet Man flies higher up into the air, spitting streams of slime. TenguMan repels it with the wind blast, Hornet Man getting hit and pinned to the wall.

Hornet Man: Oh, come on! This guy is actually pretty good.

Hornet Man uses his tail blade to cut through the slime, as he flies over another arrow. Hornet Man circles around, firing more slime at TenguMan from below. TenguMan deflects the slime, as Hornet Man dodges, the slime hitting and pinning CentaurMan to the ground.

Wily: Ugh. Idiots.

Hornet Man lands in front of Wily, reverting.

Megaman: This is a waste of time. We both have the same mission, to stop Colonel. As much as I hate to say it, we need to work together.

Wily: You’d actually trust me?

Megaman: No. I expect you to betray me at the first chance you get. That’s why this can work.

Wily: Oh, fine. Let’s get this over with! End Scene

Eirene makes her way to an industrialized area, filled with construction workers, robots and volunteers. Eirene mingles into the crowd, searching for Iris.

Eirene: Now, where is she? If she has such a big role in this incident, then she wouldn’t have gone far.

Iris: You’re the cyborg’s girlfriend, right?

Eirene: Eep!

Eirene leaps back, startled as Iris stands right next to her. Her expression is distant and blank, as if lost in thought.

Eirene: Uh, girlfriend? No, I’m not, (She shakes her head.) Who are you then?

Iris: Why are these humans so full of hope? It’s as if they don’t realize that they can be destroyed at any moment. (Her expression is filled with emotion, being fearful.) Why are they still outside?! It’s still not safe!

Eirene: Hey. (Eirene puts her hand on Iris’ shoulder.) They have hope. Megaman, the cyborg, is here to protect them. They have faith that if anything happens, that he will save them, no matter the danger.

Iris: (Depressed) It’s no use. He’s too strong. He’ll just die. Like he almost did before protecting me.

Eirene: But you helped him get away. You gave him the time to recover. Who are you?

Iris: (Cheery) I’m Iris! I’m Colonel’s emotions!

Eirene: Colonel’s, emotions?

Iris: (Ashamed) Upon Colonel’s defeat to the Roman goddesses, Wily upgraded him to make him stronger. He removed the humanlike emotions that had been implanted in Colonel, and stored them in a memory chip. This was accidentally put into the system, and I was created. I am a mistake, but it makes sense. (Her confidence grows.) Like you releasing your emotions at Megaman, I formed for him to express his emotions.

Eirene: If he doesn’t have any emotions, is he just a mindless killing machine right now?

Iris: Infused with Duo’s nuclear core.

Eirene: We need to find him. If we can control the situation, then we can contain the damage that he does. Prevent him from harming others.

Iris: Why are you thinking about the others?

Eirene: Because it’s the right thing to do.

Colonel: Uragh!

Colonel unleashes nuclear energy into the ground, it breaking and erupting nuclear energy. Iris spins, shoving Eirene, causing her to fly into the air, crashing down into a canvas tent. Iris’ body is torn to pieces by the radiation, her mechanical remains scattering the floor.

Eirene: Iris!

The workers scream as they run off, as some Mettaur robots charge him. Colonel slices through them with ease, when he’s struck by a blade of wind. Colonel looks up, TenguMan flying overhead. An arrow strikes his chest, slightly damaging his armor. CentaurMan is standing in the distance, as KendoMan appears, ready to engage in swordplay. KendoMan steps to strike, as Colonel parries, his nuclear blade cutting clean through KendoMan’s sword and body.

KendoMan: A worthy foe.

As KendoMan’s remains fall, Rock Man is preparing a Charge Shot, which he fires, the mana tearing through the terrain. It strikes Colonel, as he goes flying back. He crashes into a stone wall, his body sparking from damage, releasing nuclear energy with it.

Rock Man: TenguMan! CentaurMan! Keep him busy! I’ll give you some backup.

Rock Man hits the Omnitrix, transforming.

Clock Man: Clock Man!

Eirene: Megaman! Repair Iris as well!

Clock Man: I assume that’s the girl. She’s a robot?

Clock Man presses his Mega Buster into the ground, releasing time pulses to the sound of a bell reverberating. It repairs the terrain, as well as rebuilding KendoMan and Iris. KendoMan goes to join TenguMan and CentaurMan, as Iris goes over to Clock Man, who reverts.

Megaman: You can control him. Can’t you shut him down?

Iris: He’s blocked my access. If I can get ahold of his mainframe, then I may be able to stop him.

Megaman: We’ll give you cover. (He activates the Omnitrix, it flashing a warning.) Used this thing too much. Only a few transformations left. Better make it count!

Megaman slaps down the Omnitrix.

Plug Man: Plug Man!

KendoMan slashes at Colonel again, the same result as before occurring, being sliced in half. CentaurMan aims an arrow at Colonel, as he extends his blade, piercing straight through CentaurMan, him exploding as a result. TenguMan releases blades of wind, cutting through Colonel’s armor, though not stopping him. Colonel leaps into the air after him, and cuts through TenguMan, his parts crashing into the ground. Colonel is blasted by an electric blast, though he doesn’t budge as he falls.

Plug Man: Dang. How durable is this guy?

Iris: Colonel. Stop. You need your emotions to regulate your actions. Without them, you are nothing but a killer.

Colonel: Uragh!

Colonel extends the nuclear blade at Plug Man, who catches it with his plugs on his fingers and antennas. He absorbs the energy, keeping him locked in place.

Plug Man: (Straining) If you’re going to do something, do it now!

Iris nods, as she runs over. Colonel reacts, as he cuts off the energy, allowing it to form a new sword. He prepares to swing it at Iris, as Plug Man blasts him with an electric blast, distracting him but not stopping him. Iris grabs Colonel’s left hand, and everyone stops, silence falling over them. Colonel looks in confusion.

Colonel: What, happened?

Iris: (Smiling) Oh, good. You’re back to normal.

Plug Man walks over, reverting.

Colonel: You. I have been programmed to destroy you.

Megaman: Yeah, well, programming can be changed. How about it? Want to be free from Wily?

Colonel: I, I don’t, guh!

Colonel cringes over, as a countdown ensues on his chest. Wily appears on a monitor above the countdown, cackling.

Wily: Oh! That was so easy! Once you restored his consciousness, it was easy to regain control of his systems! I have just triggered his nuclear core to detonate!

Iris: But, you’ll kill all these lives! You’re in harm’s way as well!

Wily: Huh? Who are you, girl? Regardless, I am already safe out of harm’s way. And now, once Megaman is dead, I can rule this planet! Eh-hahahahaha!

Colonel: Agh! Iris, run! It’s, too late.

Megaman: Maybe for you, but not for everyone.

Megaman activates and slaps down the Omnitrix.

Napalm Man: Napalm Man!

Napalm Man grabs Colonel, and flies into the air, Iris letting go. Napalm Man flies high into the sky, as Colonel loses his mind, going in a frenzy to break free. The countdown expires, as he explodes, a nuclear cloud in the air. Napalm Man holds his Mega Buster up, and absorbs the radioactive energy. Iris and Eirene watch, as Iris cringes, falling to her knees.

Eirene: Iris! What’s wrong?!

Iris: (Weakly) I, am linked to Colonel. With his death, I, have no connection.

Eirene: No! Hold on till Megaman gets down! He’s an expert with robots! He can save you!

Iris: (Smiling) Thank you, Eirene. You, are, kind.

Iris deactivates, as she falls to the ground, her face slightly chipped from the collision. Napalm Man lands, and reverts.

Megaman: That better be it. The Omnitrix is zapped of energy. (He sees Iris.) I was hoping that wasn’t accurate.

Eirene: You knew?!

Megaman: I assumed. Big difference.

Eirene: She, was just confused. Unable to control her emotions. But, she wanted to be good.

Megaman: And she was.

Characters

 * Megaman
 * Eirene
 * Iris
 * Construction Workers

Villains

 * Colonel (main)
 * Dr. Wily
 * TenguMan
 * CentaurMan
 * KendoMan

Aliens Used

 * Kung Foo Kid
 * Fire Man
 * Color Man
 * Elec Man
 * Hornet Man
 * Rock Man
 * Clock Man
 * Plug Man
 * Napalm Man

Trivia

 * The ideas of this episode were taken from Megaman: Battle Network 6.
 * Eirene reveals her feelings to the readers, and manages to interpret Megaman's response behind the cold rejection.