Megaman: Reboot

The Prototypes

Rock didn't get to see his half-brothers off on their first day to work as he Roll cleaned up the lab. To his surprise, Doctor Wily had come in to retrieve his batch of coffee and disappeared without a word. He didn't hear the doctor ever enter or leave the lab.

"Are you okay?" Roll asked.

"Yeah. I guess I'm not used to Doctor Wily being so calm around me. Especially after I was Megaman, you know?" Rock sighed. Roll set the cleaner down and joined her brother's side.

"I've been feeling off about that too. Just weeks ago, he wouldn't stop shouting about he was the best above dad and glaring at you, and now he seems a regular scientist always taking dad's coffee. He even thanked me for bringing him food yesterday." She said.

"Are you starting to forgive him?" Rock asked.

"Of course not. He still hurt you and hasn't apologized for it. Doctor Light might be forgiving towards him, but not me. I'm not sure I will ever forgive him." Roll sighed.

"You are a stubborn sister Roll. And I am thankful for that." Rock smiled. Roll smiled back as she punched his shoulder, and he returned the gesture. The two started exchanging playful punches and teases before they returned to organizing the tools into little piles. Coffee mugs were removed from the main computer's desktop Rock gained access to Doctor Light's files. Emails from agents Krantz and Stern spread across the screen alongside requests from job sites and taxes. Pictures and messages from the other Light siblings made him smile as he browsed.

There was a silly picture of Iceman, fully functional again with a colony of seals and polar bear cubs. He had a sign written 'Miss all of you' up front of the photo. Elecman and Bombman had sent personal emails about the recovery and repair of the power plants, and Cutman had sent a picture of him photobombing Gutsman's group shot with other workers. The last latest photo was Fireman sent a photo of the incinerators almost clean of all garbage, with a caption above him saying 'Almost done down here. How're the kids doing?'

Rock continued to scroll through the photos, the moments of his family replaying in his head and smiling the more he saw. He passed by the photo of him during his first time activated by Dr. Light, as well as the photo of Roll's activation and the two of them hugging afterwards. As he scrolled the last of the photos, he saw a locked photo with a peculiar date. The title photo said 'The Prototypes' and a blurred Dr. Light stood with three robots.

He unlocked the photo and was shocked. Doctor Light in the photo was younger with dark brown swept back. Standing in front of young Doctor Light was Timeman and Oilman, dressed in civilian clothes. In-between the two robots was a third robot, his face and features similar to Rock's, but having a slightly older built body. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes and the hair a light chestnut brown.

"Timeman? Oilman?" He murmured.

Suddenly, he heard his sister talking to Doctor Light and footsteps approached the door. He pressed several keys hastily before the photo tab disappeared. Dr. Light smiled at him while he put down extra supplies and blueprints with measurements.

"Hello Rock. What're you doing there?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm just looking through old photos of our family. Fireman just sent a new email about the progress at the incinerators. And you've got another email from Judge Peterson and Agent Krantz." Rock replied. He kept replaying the photo of the prototypes, even as Dr. Light continued to talk.

"D-Dr. Light, could I have a walk around the city? I want some fresh air." He asked.

"Of course you can." Dr. Light smiled.

With permission, Rock walked along the path and through the streets of the city. People chatted amongst themselves, and some recognized and greeted him randomly. Cars honked as he passed the intersections and buildings. Rock reached the intersection where Oilman had dragged him into during the blackout and squeezed through the alley. He repeated the same turns and crossed similar landmarks. The alley widened into its own road and the fence of the Chronos Institute came into view. The fence no longer had signs or locks attached, and the building shone in lights and working machinery. Rock went through the fence and entered the doors. The hallways were teeming with workers and smaller robots, with a very similar purple robot sorting papers.