Why do you insist on getting in the way?! Don't you realize that these humans don't matter?!

Humans are weak and disposable, and so are the incomplete machines made by their hands! Once they are gone can this planet truly belong to us!

The words of the supercomputer wrung in his processor as he slept, but Rock was startled out of his sleep by the hand of his sister. Roll eyes were bright and full of joy, unlike the barely flickering lights he had to watch from Ra Moon's attack on the world. Smiling, he reached up and delivered her a tight hug. The two laughed softly as the clambering of footsteps and objects came from the door. Roll pulled up Rock's suitcase and start folding his clothes.

"Are you ready to head back home Rock?" Roll asked.

"Yeah, but why are we leaving so early? Half of our equipment is still in bad condition from Ra Moon's attack. Shouldn't we wait until everything is back together?" He yawned and hopped off the bed.

"Doctor Light says it's better if we leave as soon as we can. Mr. Astil and Plantman have enough fuel in the plane for us to head home. Dr. Light wants to add the coating to everyone else back home so we can help people again." She smiled. "And I think he wants to repair the Wi-lights soon."

"I guess you're right." Rock said. As they walked down the stairs, they noticed Plantman carrying two of the disabled Wi-light robots. The robots were lined up nicely in the back of the car, with Hardman laid out like a cushion for the others. The armor that had covered his entire body had been removed due to Ballade's bombs blowing most of it up, exposing parts of his inner circuitry and body parts. Topman's neck and arm had mostly withered away by acidic chemicals, chemicals that Rock associated with Bubbleman' s weapon ability. Only a few wires and synthetic skin kept Top's head from rolling to the side. Snakeman's body had met the unfortunate fate of acidic bubbles snapping most of his helmet tail off, as well as his lower jaw smashed in from a powerful uppercut. As Plant laid Magnet and Gemini down, Rock quickly realized they had the least damage compared to the rest. The only damage on Magnet was a smashed helmet, and Gemini suffering a blow to the chest but luckily not near his I.C chip.

"Sparkman's body was too smashed to recover. But I did manage to retrieve his chip." Plantman gestured the light orange chip gently carried in his vines.

"Thank you so much Plantman. Thank you both for helping me retrieve them." Dr. Light smiled.

"I've administered the coating to your plane, so you should have no trouble getting back home. The rest of the samples are with your luggage." Pedro Astil said. Roll had entered the back seat, the box of special coating held gently in her arms.

"I'll make sure the samples are sent to the rest of the city. What will you do now?" Dr. Light asked.

"I am going to make some calls to the United Nations. I hope to convince them to restart mass producing the coating so all the robots around the world will be safe from something like this happening again. I've had enough nightmares returning from the grave for a lifetime. Maybe now that that monster is gone, the research team can finally figure out where it came from." Astil sighed in relief.

"Are you going back there? After you told us your story?" Rock asked.

"No, I don't think I have the strength to ever go back to that temple. But maybe I can find closure knowing the nightmare is over. Thank you Megaman." He smiled.

Rock loaded in the last suitcase as everyone said their goodbyes. Doctor Wily, still in his torn lab coat, had avoided the two and slumped in the passenger seat. He made eye contact, but Rock couldn't look him in the eyes. The thoughts of the doctor's robots out there once again, after he thought they were gone for so long, made his circuits crawl. The fact the built a robot from alien technology without his dad's knowledge, and it almost killed him if it weren't for the others left a sour taste. He wanted to shout at the doctor for so many things, the endangerment of his family, lying to him, Roll nearly dying.

A small object had slipped from the suitcase and knocked him out of his thoughts. He couldn't help but stare at the silver ninja star lodged in the dirt. Careful not to prick the star against his fingers, Rock walked past the doctors and up the path. He stopped at the hill where he first met Shadow, his family calling him from the lab. He waved and sat in the center of the hill holding the ninja star cautiously in his hands.

Mr. Astil was right. It was over. He saved the world from Ra Moon, even it meant having to kill him. The laws of robotics buzzed in his head as realization hit. This defeat wasn't like how he defeated Wily's robot masters. He never destroyed their I.C chips, which were their core being. It brought him comfort from going into battle with other robots. But Ra Moon exploded. An explosion that had shattered his entire body, and the wires around him went limp. Whatever was left of the body was crushed underneath the collapsed temple. He didn't see Shadow in the collapse, but the ninja possibly perished as well.

He had to protect everyone, but in the process violated the first law of robotics. He wondered if Doctor Light would forgive him. Would the rest of his family? And what would happen to them once they got home?

"Rock, are you alright?" Dr. Light's voice disrupted his thoughts. The doctor stood at the bottom of the hill with a warm mug of coffee.

"I'm fine dad. Why do you ask?" Rock responded.

"You were very quiet when you returned from your battle. I know that must've been hard to be Megaman for such a event, but I am very proud of you for what you did. You saved the world." Dr. Light had a tired smile from staying up many nights to repair everyone.

"Dad, can I ask you a question?" Rock said.

"You always can, my boy. I'll never stop you." Dr. Light affirmed, but sipped the coffee in confusion.

"If I had to do something that went against the laws of robotics, would you be mad with me?" He said slowly. The doctor's curiosity increased as he walked up to Rock and grabbed his shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Rock stopped to  think of how to present such a question, "I had to attack and destroy Wily's robots. And I felt responsible for what happened to them. The same thing with Ra Moon a couple of days ago. He was destroyed by my weapons, and it reminded me of those fights with the robot masters. I felt guilty with them, and I feel guilty about destroying Ra Moon. Sort of. Is that natural for me to feel bad for my enemies, even if I was doing it to protect everyone?"

Doctor Light rubbed the bags under his eyes, setting the coffee down. "I brought you into this world with the innocence of a young boy. Your innocence in your programming is what allows you to try and see good in people, and to also try to help those in need. That is what allows you to be so brave, and giving mercy to those who hurt others also takes great strength that even the kindest people lack."

Rock frowned slightly. "But if I were to one day lose that compassion, to hurt my enemy and not feel anything, would you have to stop me? Would you be afraid of me?"

Light's look went stern. "Never. I would never be afraid of you, or let anyone hurt you. You, as well as all of my other creations, are the most important people in my life and nothing will change that."

"But what about everyone else in the city? What would they think?" Rock persisted.

"I will talk to the mayor about what has happened and calm the public down. Once we get your brothers up running, we can help the citizens and you never have to fight as Megaman again. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."

Rock, feeling satisfied with the answer, set the ninja star into the ground and headed with father to the car. His sister waved Plantman and Astil goodbye as the greenhouse disappeared. He clutched Roll's hand as Doctor Light and Wily argued about the events occurring, no doubt about Wily sneaking into the jungle and knowing the existence of Ra Moon. The trip to the airport was silent for the most part, and the plane was ready as they boarded. The only thing that buzzed through Rock's head was how his brothers were going to react about his latest battle, and the potential whereabouts of the Wily bots. Deep within his core, he hoped they were taking care of themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Any sights on him yet?" Metalman asked to his brothers. Most of them were in a worn out state, some of their wires sticking out in places. However, most of their major damages were fixed and their limbs were largely intact.

"No sighting here." Airman relayed through the communicator.

"I don't see him either Metal. Maybe we are too far out to see him." Woodman responded.

"Yeah. Let's try heading closer in, but all you stay on guard. From the information given to us, Shadow is a very dangerous opponent and unpredictable in his actions. I don't want to have to save any more brothers from destruction." Metal ordered. With agreement from all of his brothers, he turned the communicator off and approached the destroyed ruins. Crash and Bubble, both on opposite sides, leaned on him.

"Hey Metal, I don't like to question our orders or your authority, but why are we doing this? Doesn't this seem reckless and stupid, even for our creator?" Crash asked.

"Doctor Wily said that this robot seems to have potential, and it could be useful to take him with us. He made it explicit that Shadow's not to be harmed in any way though. If Shadow has information that could be useful to us, it's better this way." Metal said. He couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Yeah, but Megaman said this guy is dangerous. We know nothing about him, and he wasn't affected by that wave like we were. I'm telling you this guy is very dangerous. We shouldn't mess with him."

"I know that." Metal confirmed.

"Then why can't we tell Wily this is a bad idea?" Crash persisted in his questions as pieces of the ruins crushed under their feet.

"Because there's nothing I can do to deny an order from Wily. And besides, Enker would immediately catch on and tell Wily the truth, leaving us to be lectured. Do you want that for everyone?" Metal turned to Crash, his words coming out harsher than expected. Realizing this from Crash's flinch, he wrapped an arm around the brother's shoulder.

"I'll do most of the talking. If I feel under threat, I'll give you all the signal to attack. Remember not to fatally injure him." 

"Don't worry Metal, we got this!" Bubble said with confidence. Metal nodded before a voice erupted among the ruins.

"You must either be really brave or stupid to come back here. Come out, I already know you're there." The voice sounded tired, but strangely calm. Metal took a breath as he left the safety of the tree. From the tallest point of the pyramid that once held Ra Moon's body was Shadow, standing tall and with a stare that could turn him to ice. Metal sensed the rest of the brothers surrounding the area. Any words he wanted to say to the ninja looking robot dissipated, leaving him still with his mouth agape. Shadow, who was leaning against an awkwardly standing pillar, tilted his head.

"You weren't who I was expecting. Who are you?" He asked.

"O-Oh yes, I'm Metalman. I have been sent by my creator to come find any survivors to cap...to help. The rest of my brothers will be here shortly." Metal lied through his mask. He didn't know whether the ninja recognized him. The worry slowly wavered as the ninja slowly descended the pyramid.

"I'm not interested in whatever humans have to offer. Leave or else I'll give you a reason to worry about your life."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that. I have been given orders to retrieve anyone I come across." Metal repeated sternly. Shadow returned with reaching for his sword strapped to his back, the blade shining in the sun.

"What are you really here for? You're no excavation robot." Shadow assumed.

"How did you know?" Metal asked.

"You just confirmed it." Shadow smirked. Metal slapped himself and dropped the whole façade. Raising his hand, all of the his brothers rose from their hiding places, from hills of rubble to the trees and shrubs. Shadow's expression remained still, his eyes still locked on Metal.

"Truthfully, we are robot masters belonging to Doctor Wily. We were sent by Wily's orders to come retrieve you and ask you to join our ranks. He sees potential in you, and thinks you would fulfill so much more being on our side then remaining in these ruins. This is a one time offer, so what do you say?" Metal said in a professional manner, extending his hand in greeting. His brothers waited in anticipation for the ninja to agree. If he agrees, then they would accomplish Doctor Wily's mission for the first time.

To their utter dismay, Shadow merely chuckled. "Wasn't Doctor Wily that human that was with Megaman when Ra Moon was destroyed?"

"Yes he was," Metal said regrettably, "But we have come so far to try and convince you to come to our side. I do not know who you are, but I do know that Megaman destroyed Ra Moon. And you seem to value your purpose."

"It's the only reason I'm alive." Shadow confirmed.

"And without Ra Moon, you have no purpose. A robot without a purpose is lost, but Doctor Wily can fix it for you. If you join us, he can give you a new purpose and a place to stay. And you, along with every one of us, can get back at Megaman. He destroyed us once, and he destroyed your purpose. You can have your honor back. Is that what you want?" Metal picked his words carefully, his confidence in the situation rising with every thoughtful expression Shadow gave to each sentence. The ninja smiled after several seconds and the brothers sighed in unison.

"You accept our offer?" The ninja gripped his hand tightly and Metal hoisted him up. Shadow nodded with the same smile. "Okay everyone, we got who we came for. Let's head back to-ack!" He was pulled back by the ninja, still gripping his hand.

"Hey, let go of him." Flash said with a concerned expression. However, Shadow refused to let go of Metal's hand. The grip only grew tighter and tighter until Metal started wincing, attempting to yank his hand free.

"You made a pretty convincing argument. Giving me a new purpose, allowing me to have revenge on those who took away the only reason I'm alive, and giving me a new master. If I was you, I would've said yes. But you missed one crucial detail." Shadow raised his head, his blood red eyes complimented by a calm grin that screamed cold rage.

"Your creator helped in Ra Moon's death." He spoke softly. He yanked Metal's hand, and the red robot's arm dropped to the ground.

The robot masters charged toward the ninja, all of their weapons drawn and blasted. The ninja nimbly dodged each attack with ease, moving at a speed Metal couldn't identify. He swept underneath Flashman and whirled around Airman, slashing them with a sword. Both robots kneeled over in pain as the toxin settled in their circuits. Woodman grabbed Heatman and Bubbleman, retreating into the woods before Shadow gave chase. Quickman dodged the ninja's attacks a dealt a blow to his side, sending Shadow into Metal's direction.

Metal grabbed all of his limbs and yanked the sword out of his hand. "Doctor Wily is not taking no for an answer. You are coming with us."

The glare of the sun created sharp shadows between the two of them. As the shadows of Metal's body grew larger, Shadow gave a smirk and let go of the sword. Metal staggered back as the ninja sunk into the darkness like water, though his own body didn't move at all. All of Wily's robots looked at the ground in awe and confusion. Realizing their failure, Metal reached for his communicator. Looking through the available contacts, he clicked on the one he wanted.

"Did you succeed?" Enker answered quicker than expected.

"No. He got away." Metal said in defeat. He could hear the disappointment from Enker's group in the background, and he forced himself not to listen.

"Are you going to chase him?"

"No. He got a few good attacks on us before disappearing. Besides, he could be anywhere in the world by now and he shows no interest in joining our ranks." Metal said.

"I'll contact Wily about this." Enker concluded.

"You should leave it to me. I'm the leader of the expedition." Metal tried to shift the responsibility on himself.

"I'm used to the old man's tantrums, so it won't bother me. Just get the others back to the plane so Ballade can fix you up." Enker clicked his communicator off. Metal, still clutching to the sword for a sense of reassurance, meekly waved his brothers forward and left the temple ruins. They had failed their mission once again, and somehow he knew Wily wasn't to take the news well. He cursed Shadow for the injuries and left the sword in its place.