Before Rock had landed on asteroid Glimmer, he thought the celestial rock didn't uphold the namesake it was given from its colorless shadow. That thought was taken back when the sun's rays hit its surface. The floor glistened with white crystals and multicolored layers. Large columnar crystals peaked over the horizon, their untouched edges like sparkling stars. The smallest pebbles, crushed from the feet of countless worker drones and equipment, was like stardust floating across the ground into the cosmos. Rock felt serene watching the crystal dust wisp past his hand, failing to grip some of it.

Rush barked to grab his attention back and Rock readied his blaster. "Sorry about that Rush. Lucy said there should be a signal tower somewhere around here, so keep a look out for it." He said. The robot dog barked in agreement and trotted ahead.

Small crystal pebbles cracked under the armored boots and wisps of stardust floated past in shifting forms as Rock traversed the empty rock. No sound echoed other than the muffled sniffs of Rush and his mumbling. Static erupted from the helmet's receptors only to disappear moments later, returning to the eerie silence. Rush's sniffing turned to growling and he pointed ahead, showing Rock scattered robot drone sprawled across the ground. Its joints were twisted in awkward places and dried oil had made its through the smalls cracks on the crystal floor.

"What happened to you?" Rock whispered to the downed drone, knowing it was unresponsive. Rush continued forward past more disabled drones, mangled equipment, and blasted containers. Rock had soon noticed more of the asteroid's beautiful surface covered in black oil, mangled metal, and crossed wires.

"Found anything yet boy?" Rock attempted to ignore the drones' empty stares. Rush did not respond to his calls until a excited bark alerted him to a tall structure erupting from the ground. The singular pillar was covered in antennas and thick plating, a ring of thick titanium surrounding it latched into the thick white crystals. The tower was silent and Rush pridefully scratched the ring.

"Nice Rush!" Rock ripped apart a thick plate and plunged his arm into the circuitry. The power cell attached to the backup system was blown out, black smudge covering its surroundings. Rock slowly brushed the smudge off the cell, and its condition surprised him. Out of everything in the tower, the cell was the only thing left in pristine condition. He fidgeted with his fingers, piecing together what to do before trailing to his chest. Gently prying the chest open, he briefly connected the two cores, giving enough energy for the tower core to start, then connected his receptor to the signal tower. The tower roared to life, and the returning static tuned into distinctive voices.

"...I think it's working. Megaman? Come in Megaman?" A female voice came through.

"It's me Roll. I made contact with asteroid Glimmer. Is Doctor Light there?" Rock responded to his sister's voice.

"Hey! Good to know you've made it back! Actually, I stuck behind with Lucy at the ISEE institute. Doctor Light said an emergency had come up and he had to go." Roll said in a worried tone.

"I'm sure Doctor Light can handle it sis. Can I speak with Lucy then?" Rock spoke softly through the intercom. Fortunately, Roll became chipper again and the space exploration scientist's voice came into range.

"Megaman, thank goodness. Did I hear you were able to reestablish connection to Glimmer?" Lucy's voice was less strained from earlier, but still exhausted from the stress.

"Sort of. I was able to attached the signal core to Rush, but the tower is all busted. It looks like the inside was singed, like something set it on fire." Rock informed the scientist on the tower's condition. He heard the gentle static from the other end as Lucy gathered her thoughts.

"Well that's...certainly concerning. What about the robots?" She asked attempting to stay calm.

"The ones I've seen on the surface are completely damaged. They appear to have exploded to. I'm not sure what caused it." Rock responded. A faint light blue glowed from the ground, barely tinting the tower's ring in the barely visible light.

"Oh god okay. Well, see if you can find any more equipment or drone robots in the area still intact. Th-They could probably give details on what happened here. Just make sure-" Lucy started until Rock heard his dog growling again.

"Hold on Lucy, I'll be right back." He dislodged the helmet from the tower, watching where Rush's muzzle trailed to. Behind a cluster of crystals was a figure, and he noticed the head jolt when he made eye contact. Rush continued to growl softly as the figure rapidly approached and their features became more noticeable. The reflective surfaces across his head and chest made Rock sigh in relief at his half-brother's form, safe and unscathed unlike the several worker drones behind them.

"Geminiman! You're okay!" Rock said, Rush stumbling from the proclamation. The half-brother blinked owlishly before kneeling to his level.

"Is that you Rock? Are you real?" He asked softly.

"It's me. How are you holding up? We saw what happened back at the institute, and Lucy is worried about what happened. What happened to all of them? Was there an explosion?" Rock's eyes scanned over Gemini's body, finding no signs of external damage. Although the robot master barely moved, his arms were slightly shaking. His eyes repeatedly darted between Rock and the ground with silent words escaping his mouth.

"That's...impossible. The ship was destroyed. There was no way for you to..." He trailed off.

"Before we start questioning each other, let's get the tower back online. I think we can save Lucy the heart attack." Rock suggested with a smile. He didn't notice the luminescent blue gradually erupting from the asteroid's cracks.

"This isn't right. You shouldn't be here. H-How did you even get here?" Gemini demanded.

"Dr. Light turned Rush into a spaceship for me to reach you. I wanted to make sure you weren't damaged. Can you help me with the tower? We can contact the other after this." Rock stated. He tried to flash a smile, but Gemini's frightened look stopped him. He didn't get to say anything else as the half-brother slammed their arms together, the grip leaving a slight dent.

"Y-You mean you came here on purpose? No. No no no. You need to leave Rock. Right now." Gemini's hands trailed to both shoulders and pushed aggressively. Rock stumbled as Rush began to growl, both ignoring the increasing glow underneath.

"G-Gemini?" Rock murmured. He managed to dodge Gemini's attempt to grab him again. Something didn't feel right.

"The light, the fire, the PAIN. I couldn't feel it before, but now I can. It is not safe now. You should have never come after us. Leave, NOW. Forget us. It is important that you never come back." Gemini started to get really close to Rock's face, their eyes inches from one another. Rock didn't realize his hand switching back to the blaster from his shaking. There was something wrong with Gemini's eyes. They look strained, in fact the whole face looked strained almost like a breeze could break him. A mechanical snarl escaped Rush's throat as he tried to grab Gemini's attention, but it didn't work.

"What are you talking about?! I'm not leaving without knowing that you are okay! I came to protect you!" Rock exclaimed. Gemini suddenly made a swift motion and Rock gasped as he fired a laser through the signal tower, exploding in a fantastic white light and pieces flying into space never to be recovered. The core was reduced to a piece of dented metal, the wires now nothing but gray threads and insulation burned into a pile of floating ash. Gemini's wide eyes showed no expression in comparison to his body, now shaking more than ever.

"Will that convince you now?!? WE are NOT the ones in danger! YOU are the cause of this!! You are not our protector or our savior! You are a nuisance that needs to go back home before it's too late!" Gemini yelled furiously. The crystal ground erupted into a blue light, and Rock witnessed Gemini stagger back and his body glitching. Holes formed through the chest and torso, his eyes losing their green irises and bursting in a same colored light. Rock pointed his blaster for the chest and fired, gasping to see the solar bullet phase through. Gemini did not move except for his white eyes erratically twitching.

Rush rushed to his side as the ground cracked loudly, crystals splintering into jagged pieces and threatening to slice anything it touched. Rock's eyes jittered at the glitching form of his brother before noticing a loud hum shaking the ground. The light condensed in a spot perfectly between the figures. It was when the glitching Gemini smiled, a sad smile that begged for forgiveness, that Rock realized what was happening.

"I'm sorry. We know you are here Megaman." The body glitched one more time before vanishing.

"A hologram-!" Rock yelled before the floor exploded, chunks of rocks slamming against his stomach. His head harshly pounded the ground, and his vision turned black as the sound of his dog's desperate barking rang in his ears. He felt several objects whip and slam his arms and side before a final hit spread to his back. The immense pain spiked before he felt nothing.

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

Stress was coursing through every fiber in Doctor Light's body as he drove the road back to the lab. Doctor Wily had suggested he stay back at Light Labs in case of emergency calls, leaving him to travel alone out of Mega City's boundaries. The drive through the first few towns was tense and quiet, and the roboticist was glad his children weren't here to see him like this.

He was stressed after seeing Lucy's footage, the same footage showing something potentially disastrous. The split second of robot snakes filling the asteroid's caverns and crushing the camera. Only one robot master could have that many snakes, as well as control them as if they were a part of him. All he could think of were those snakes destroying everything in sight, his mind so focused he almost didn't register the cars honking for him to slow down. He smiled nervously while waving, his hands still trembling on the wheel.

An hour passed by until he could see a line of cop cars blocking the path to the mining plant. He cursed under his breath and stepped out, approaching the cops with caution. One cop noticed him closing the distance and shoved a hand forward exclaiming in alarm.

"Sir this is dangerous! Get back in your car this instant!" The cop ordered harshly.

"You have to let me through. I need to-" Light tried to protest, only for several more officers to form a blockade.

"I said back to your vehicle! You have no business being here!" The cop insisted. Light grew frustrated and tried to find a way in, stepping back as the cops pressed forward. A tired but firm female voice erupted behind the line of officers, startling them and breaking the formation. The familiar dark red hair made Light do a double take and sighed in relief.

"Agent Krantz, thank goodness you're here. If you could tell your men to stand down..." Light said, taking a chance to get between the confused officers. A lazy smile etched across her face as she pulled him pass the line of cars, the indignant shouts of the cops growing distant before they reached the entrance.

"I got worried when I received the emergency call shortly after you answered my questions. If it's about Megaman, I can deal with the accusations but..." Dr. Light almost continued with the rant but the look in Krantz's eyes made him stop, her smile tightening into a strained line.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you Doctor Light, but this situation is urgent. We need to be focused right now." She said.

"You're right. You said that this started a few hours ago?" Dr. Light asked.

"The mining plant had reported losing contact with three robot masters before we started getting calls for help. Thankfully they were able to safely shut down most of the plant to avoid damages, but then there were reports of several people went missing. We managed to track them down to one location, but they are being held hostage by the robot masters. We haven't found any ways to safely approach them." Krantz explained, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And you are sure these are my robots?" Light asked again.

"A witness report gave details on their appearances to Christine and Jazmyne earlier, and they are confirmed to be Light Labs property." Krantz murmured sadly.

The walk through the mining plant was tense, their steps echoing throughout dead end tunnels and open chasms. Although the pathways were lit up enough for him to see, Doctor Light could only spot small figures and larger barriers ahead. They weren't close enough hear the distant figures, so he turned back to the female agent, their eyes contacting one another in acknowledgement.

"The higher ups are giving us a day to sort out this mess and disable the robots. If we can't disable them, they're going to unleash a controlled electronic pulse throughout the tunnel. It won't be strong enough to wipe out the mining equipment, but it will forcefully shut them down."

"But Agent Krantz, you just said there are hostages involved. Wouldn't it be too dangerous to set a EMP blast so close? Could you issue a plea to wait a little longer?" Dr. Light exclaimed in surprise. To his dismay, Krantz shook her head to the question and walked faster to force him to keep up.

"I could but there is only so much I can ask for. It is a miracle we got the amount of time we have to deal with this. Our higher ups are not happy about this Doctor Light. It is the third major robot master attack in a year, and they want this situation over with before it reaches the news so we need to act fast." Krantz finished. Dr. Light knew the agent was stressed and to ask her more questions would lead nowhere, so he focused to the larger barrier of cars and concrete walls covered in cracked holes and scorch marks. Dozens of heavily armored officers crouched against doors whispering words of concern and worry, their topics changing so often it became background noise. One person stuck out in the ground with his teal green coat and hunched posture, staring into Dr. Light's eyes with suspicion.

"I gotta say doc, why is it whenever a robot goes crazy, I can count on it having something to do with you?" Agent Gilbert said with a glare.

"Take it easy Gil, he's here to help remember?" Krantz interjected.

"At least I can respect you coming here to clean up the mess." Gilbert said more quietly pulling the two behind the thick wall.

"So what is the situation so far? Any sign of the robot masters moving?" Krantz asked.

"Nah, they haven't budged and none of them are willing to talk. One of the men tried to approach closer ten minutes ago and almost got cooked alive." Gil informed his partner. Dr. Light approached the wall's corner as the agents conversed and his eye focused on three robot masters. The thick armor donning Hardman's body towered the hostages' trembling bodies, with the robot master himself leveling his gaze to the roboticist. His eyes widened slightly but there was no indication of any more effort in acknowledging the other. The other two robot masters, who hadn't seen or bothered to see Dr. Light, muttered to each other in increasing annoyance before electric charges lit the final one's body.

"What. is. TAKING THEM SO LONG?! WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM AND HE SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT US!" Sparkman whirled his electrode arms in agitation.

"Watch where you're swinging those! Do you want to fry every one of us to ash!?" Needleman spat back.

"BUT OUR MASTER SAID THEY WOULD! IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL HOURS!" Spark's face contorted rapidly between a malicious grin and hysterical cries. The human workers were trapped in the middle, trembling from the robot's powerful electricity.

"Calm yourself brothers. We will hear from them very shortly. As soon as they are done with their business, we will finish ours." Hardman reassured his brothers, his voice dropping at the last part of his sentence. One of the workers couldn't hold back anymore and loudly sobbed which only caused Needleman to grow irritated.

Dr. Light knew how bad Needleman's temper was when he got mad, and it wouldn't be too long before he acted to shut up whatever annoyed him. And with them hacked and acting irrational, he couldn't risk the hostages receiving horrible injuries. He looked to the two agents and coughed lightly.

"Could you two aid me in something?" He asked.

"In what exactly?" Krantz questioned. Her eyes darted between the roboticist and robot masters and gasped lightly in realization.

"I am going to try deescalating the situation." Light said softly.

"And how do you plan on deescalating a situation with hacked robots?" Agent Stern asked while unholstering his gun.

"There is a secret code inside their processors that puts them in emergency shutdown, but I have to get close to voice activate it. It will not activate otherwise." Light explained. He had been conflicted to add the code in his newest creations, and had kept its existence a secret from all of them. He recalled the conversation with Jazmyne after assigning the Wi-lights their functions and overriding Geminiman into obedience. After the rest of the Wi-lights had left at his request, he confronted her about it. He explained multiple times that robot masters had personalities and to create such a rapid command could temporarily short circuit them. He was shocked to see dismiss it with a wave and asking why he couldn't just reprogram the aggressive personalities out. She said it would have been a better option for everyone. Hearing her suggestion in his head made him want to grip his coat sleeves until they teared. To rewrite a personality of a being he spent days creating. The thought of him forcing that action upon them made him sick.

He had repeatedly refused her suggestion, earning annoyed sighs in response from the government official. So she made a different suggestion instead. To nullify the aggressive personality, he would install a emergency sequence that would safely initiate shutdown without endangering the I.C chip inside. However, he couldn't apply it to just Gemini and Snake but all of the Wi-lights. He had to make sure they weren't active during the installation, but he had made sure they did not know of the code's existence. He had reassured them after the robot assigning that not all humans would treat them they way she did. That humans would respect and love them for them. If they found that their very creator installed this code, it would break them. It would shatter any trust they had in him. But Doctor Light knew this was the safest way to stop this hostage situation.

"Alright. We will cover you in the front and back, but you need to be careful." Agent Krantz said. All three nodded and got into their positions towards the three robots. The affected Sparkman had continued with his rant until he caught sight of the roboticist's white coat. Three pairs of pairs watched on with Agent Krantz standing in front of Dr. Light, and Stern towering in the back. Electric sparks fizzled away with the hostages' quiet sobs filling the noise around the robots.

"Doctor Light?" Hardman said.

"Boys. Let's talk." Doctor Light steadied his heartbeat.

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

Rock had only heard the saying 'beauty is pain' once, but the truth could be applied by the sharp crystals he landed on. Rush dug out several feet before he staggered to his feet to see where he had fallen. A chasm dozens of feet long was carved from the dense rock opening to a circular dome, the sunlight failing to reach him.

"It looks like we can't make climb our way out from here. Got a flashlight on you Rush?" Rock turned to his dog with a optimistic smile. The robot dog barked in response as he blinked twice, emitting a blue light through the crystals. Both of them stepped back to see a tunnel shining beyond their sight, the imperfect walls lighting up the path. Rush growled in protest as Rock moved forward.

"We have to move forward Rush. Something is going on here and I'm leaving until I get Gemini back." Rock stated. Rush whined but made no effort to stop him and they descended through the caves. Reflections of faces scattered through each imperfect crack, each one distorted differently. Rock transformed his hand into a blaster in reflex, the shoulder of his companion bumping against his leg.

Then a voice called from the lit caves, a voice that Rock recognized to be that of Gemini. However, the bouncing echoes made it hard to distinguish the distance and whether it was beyond his sight or behind a wall.

"You took long enough to arrive. I was concerned I would actually have to look for you." His voice taunted. It was such a oddly jovial tone in his voice the Rock faltered, the glittering crystals now like spotlights.

"Gemini? I've come to get you home." Rock spoke. The smooth cave structures vibrated with the brother's cackle accompanied by various whispers. To his left he heard a light tapping beyond the wall, the blue and white body of his half-brother staring daggers. His hand waved mockingly with a fake smile.

"Oh and why would I want to spend even a second with scrap like you?" Gemini's voce trailed on with increasing venom in each word with the goal to hurt the little boy quickly. It had unfortunately worked as Rock ran through the tunnels trying to block the horrible words from reaching him.

"We don't have time to mess around!" Rock stepped toward the obscured body, its face and propositions distorted from cracks and reflections. Another laugh came from the right, then the left and back. From each side was another clone of Geminiman, each one wearing a stupid smirk and arms hidden behind their backs. One of the clones approached Rock with its gaze not changing.

"Oh come on buddy, is it bad that we want the biggest 'hero' on Earth to stick around for a little while? It is honor for us to be first you come to, so let us repay you."

Rush snarled behind Rock, causing the boy to turn towards the real Gemini. He yelled in fear before ducking from the hot laser. Two of the clones vanished leaving only the first clone to stand beside the real one. In contrast to the clone, the real body glowed a ominous white, wisps of light piercing through the armor's chest piece. No pupils shone through his white eyes, a uncomfortable grin stretched wide. In his right hand was a pale blue gemstone with the same white light bursting through like a heartbeat.

"MUST...wait....ORDER...KILL...HIM." The real Gemini said, his voice shrieking like metal grinding against each other. The clone bowed his head in delight as it charged forward, the real one following suite. Rock dodged the clone and fired his buster at the true Gemini. The shot's impact scratched the chest armor with his throat gripped by one hand, and the other one slamming against the crystal walls. The world spun as he felt himself slammed repeatedly against the wall, each time with more aggression and massive cracks spreading past their bodies.

"I thought you would've packed a bit more punch for us than this. I guess that was just wishful thinking." The clone impatiently said.

"Rush! Help!" Rock shouted. The robotic canine tore into the occupied Gemini's shoulder, metallic teeth piercing thick armor and light pouring through holes. The robot master screamed as he flailed around to grab the mutt, inadvertently throwing Rock to the clone hovering over with a smug grin.

"Wow, that looked like it hurt. I'd rather let it be you instead of me." He said.

"What is going on here?! What is happening to Gem?!" Rock demanded the clone. He didn't expect the clone to actually acknowledge the question.

"Isn't it obvious? Heads up," He pointed behind him in time to dodge another laser, "We are simply following the big boss's commands."

Rock ran circles around Gemini's glowing form, firing shots in his abdomen and legs as the robot master attempted to shake Rush off. The robot dog refused to let go and his jaws clamped harder on the shoulder. The clone had a smug smirk across their face sitting on a platform, watching on as the lasers phased through their body.

"Someone else is forcing him to act like this?!"

"Look at that! You are learning!" The clone laughed.

"You are such a-" Rock did not get to finish before the real Gemini threw Rush into his face, falling on his back. The energy element glowed brightly as white energy flowed through Gemini's arm reaching the buster on the other side. Rock skidded to the side with Rush before a massive laser pierced through the floor. Smaller lasers fragmented into the walls, causing forming cracks to grow larger and entire crystals to crumble into pieces. As Gemini attempted to fire again, a chunk of the ceiling fell on his shoulder and the energy element impacted the floor.

Rock watched as both the original and clone spazzed on the floor, sparks and white light bursting out of every armor crack. The clone screamed like it was replicating pain before fizzling into luminescent pixels, leaving the original Gemini to stare down at his enemy.

"Come on G-Gemini, this isn't funny..." Rock wanted to ask if he was okay. If there was a part of him in this frightening form. The robot master's mouth creaked open attempting to make out words.

"I....NEED....HELP." Gemini said.

"I think we need to get you out of here. Something has happened to you. Doctor Light can help find whoever is responsible for this and get you back to normal. You'll be alright and..." Rock felt a harsh blow to the head as Gemini ran to the energy element, holding protectively in his hands and his white eyes displaying a terrible glare.

"NEED...HELP...POWER...DESTROY MEGAMAN!!!" Gemini screamed. Rock was blinded by the element's brilliant streaks, and his chest caved slightly as he collided in the ground. Gem's knee dug in his legs, his left hand gripping around his throat tightly and other hand pushing his shoulder beyond its normal point. He felt the indents increase on his neck, his eyes widening in realization of the situation.

Rush rushed to attack the attacking robot master as Rock flailed his arms desperately in an attempt to pry off the arm. Gemini continued to apply pressure even with the new weight of the robot dog tugging at the arm and tearing new holes with exposed wires. The energy element flared white again and Rock heard the horrible noise of a laser powering up. His thoughts succumbed to panic and he gripped the shoulder close to his core, the weapon of the robot master registering within his processor and blaster automatically switching weapons.

"Rush, move away!" Rock commanded his robot dog. Rush barked in reply distracting Gemini from the blaster firing directly in his crystal chest piece. The laser refracted in two smaller ones and landed on both of the arms, one grazing the arm pinning him against the floor. The second laser impacted the active energy element and the light engulfed into a wide blast vibrating the walls. Rock's legs slammed against a fallen pillar, the teeth of Rush pulling at his hair to make a reaction.

"Ow...Rush I'm okay..." He winced. The dog whimpered in relief and offered a shoulder for him to lean against. His ears adjusted to the quiet caves once more, the rapid footsteps and powered lasers no longer echoing around them. His eyes looked to the open ceiling, blasted open from the explosion and dazzling stars blinking to one another. A faint blue comet passed one side of the hole to the other before a cracked groan got his attention. Looking at the state Gemini was in, Rock was horrified to see he was still functional.

The right side of the chest cavity down to the hip was blown off, wires and circuits crossed and melted in unnatural ways against the twisted armor remains. His right arm was gone with only a dent to prove a shoulder socket was there, and his ornate crystal armor reduced to a smoldering cracked mess. His eyes, no longer white but a dull green, twitched randomly with his gaze fixed on Rock. The energy element was between each of them by a few feet, and Rock moved forward to grab it.

"Get...away...from that..." Gemini's voice crackled with every word, and Rock winced as he held it in his hands. The crystal element was a beautiful sky blue with pale flecks inside resembling tiny stars. A faint light flickered in the center like a old lantern, swirling peacefully within the solid interior. The longer he held it, a odd warmth flowed from his fingers through the arm before it faded in his chest.

"What is this thing?" Rock asked nervously in Gemini's direction. The crumbled robot master refused to answer with anything more than a glare. He decided to change the subject and approached his half-brother's undamaged side. Their eyes remained in contact as he cautiously placed a hand on Gemini's chest where his I.C chip would be.

"Look Gem, I may not know what is going on but I do know you as my half-brother. You wouldn't do this normally. You can be a little conceited but never hurt anyone for it. Something, or someone, must have messed with your code to make you act like this. It is the only thing I can think of. I do not want to believe you did this out of bad intent. So please. Help me fix you. Tell me who did this to you and we can go back home. Please?" Rock pleaded softly. A certain softness flashed through the crumbled robot master's eyes and his mouth curved upwards. Rock couldn't help but do the same. He must have gotten through to him. Gemini's only functional hand twitched upwards, beckoning Rock to come closer as his eyes started to fade. Not wasting a moment to hear possibly helpful hints, he leaned closer until his receptors were inches from the exposed jaw. Through the cracks and glitches in the voice box, a sentence was formed. It was quiet and soft, but the venom within was clear.

"You did this."

And there was silence.

Rock's mind felt hazy as he stared at the blank eyes of a powered down Geminiman, the whines of Rush attempting to distract from the look. He slowly reached in the destroyed chest and pulled the teal blue integrated chip from the core. The chip was unharmed with glowing tips of white at its edges. He gently touched the robot dog's back, opening a hatch filled with energy tanks and repair tools. A hidden box was lodged between the left shoulder blade and neck, seven perfect slits to hold the chips if the worst were to happen.

He collapsed against Rush's shoulder after the chip slid into a secure slot, his voice only producing a strained sound. Rush nudged his head softly against his hair before shuffling to grab the delicate energy element. The dog plopped it softly in Rock's free hand, the crystal emanating a soft glow.

"We should probably get moving," Rock said tightening the grip on the element, "if this is happening to Gemini, then the others must be acting the same way. We'll find them, get this sorted out, and just head home." Rush jabbed his nose against Rock's stomach with a sad grumble.

"I'll be fine. Besides," Rock turned to the deactivated body, "there will time for questions later."

Rush barked in agreement while shifting into his spaceship form, waiting for Rock to hop on. He looked at the body one last time, energy element in hand, before blasting off into the open space. A blue comet flew in the distance, and hovered at asteroid Glimmer's entrance before disappearing.