I Am

Training Room - Skull Fortress

This majority of this room when inactive is nothing but a giant black box with an overlaid shimmering green wire grid, dotted with holographic projection orbs at regular intervals on the ceiling, and a control panel for programming simulations. The only other feature is a shielded viewing balcony above the entrance, where one can watch without fear of stray fire. When turned on, however, the holographic generators can create any scene imaginable, even modifying the laws of physics at will. Thanks to the technology of simulated damage, Masters can use this room for combat training as much as they wish, and no medical drones are necessary.

Freeze Man [Casual] [RM]
Holographic Terminal [HT]

Obvious exits:
Reinforced Doors leads to Common Room - Skull Fortress.

A large, gruesome arena, the floor here is a gray, dull metal, the circular wall surrounding it the same. Extremely large, there are empty seats past the tall walls, stretching as far as the eye can see. Above, a red, churning sky looms, lightning bolts lancing through the clouds.

In the center, there is a large round platform, raised ten feet above the floor below. Stains of mechfluid rest on it, as well as an occasional generic-looking dead robot. Ringing the platform are spikes which jut from the sides and curve to point upwards. The floor below is a mis-mash of discared parts, random weaponry(pipes, morning stars, metal clubs, etc.), an occasional wicked spike jutting from it. The walls ringing the arena have long spikes protruding from them, promising pain to anyone who is thrown into them.

Freeze Man stand in the center of his training simulation, slamming his fists into a holographic figure of Mega Man in his regular X armor. Again and again his fists make their mark, pounding into the stomach, face, and neck of the hologram, each place an unarmored spot on Mega Man's poorly made armor. Having only 'vital' areas like the chest covered by armor is foolish for a robot, and the entire body should have protective covering. Freeze Man finally wraps his fingers around the hologram's throat, and hurls 'Mega Man' into the wall, impaling him on a spike.

Gemini Man steps into the training room, and frowns a little at the sight of the current decor. Hasn't changed since last time he visited, and, occupied, as well. He watches Freeze Man's display... feeling another poingant pain as he, for the thousandth time, misses his holographic abilities. "That would never really happen," he says aloud, watching the Mega Man dummy as it is finished off.

Freeze Man turns to look at Gemini Man, his expression one of utter disgust. He glances at Gemini's plain helmet, the speaks. "Rockman in his regular armor isn't nearly as powerful as when he is using his 'Ultimate' armor." He spits in the direction of the impaled hologram, which twitches slightly, then turns back to Gemini. "So. You seem to be faring well enough without your hologram."

Gemini Man shrugs. "I guess. I miss him, though," he adds... still thinking of the hologram, as a person. "I've never ...NOT been a team before."

Freeze Man looks less than sympathetic. "It's juat a hologram. A tool, a weapon, nothing more. You just use it for companionship, the same way a child talks to their stuffed animals." He cracks his neck. "Besides, you don't need it to fight. You have unique weaponry other than that. Like the Gemini Laser. No other robot has a weapon like that."

Magic Man arrives from the Common Room - Skull Fortress.
Magic Man has arrived.

Gemini Man isn't sure what to think... on the one hand, Freeze has just insulted his best friend. But, on the other hand, he has complimented HIM. Could... could it be that... Gemini Man shakes his head from side to side. "He is not just a weapon. He is..." (My strength when I falter, my savior when I fall, the only person who actually knows who I am...)Oo Gemini falls silent. He looks down at his cannon arm. "THIS... is just a weapon. But, it's still a good weapon."

Freeze Man silently listens to Gemini, then speaks again. "Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps there is something more to it than just solidified light. Perhaps there is a part of your programming that becomes active when the hologram is activated. A fragment of your personality programming that you do not have access too." He turns away, and looks up. "Basically, another mind inside your head." He then shrugs. "Eh. I wouldn't know, since I don't have holograms." He then turns back to Gemini. "And as for your weapon. Show me. Show me that you're useful, even without your little friend to back you up." He crouches down into a fighting stance, and waits.

Gemini Man blinks. ...Well, it couldn't hurt, to try. He's done well enough in two combats so far, without the holographic abilities to fall back on. "All right... just me, and my blaster, then." He crouches down a moment... "I'll try." Then, he leaps into the air, landing delicately on the platform, for a breath's moment. But the moment his feet touch, he takes to the air again, changing angles to strike Freeze Man's face with a kick.
You miss Freeze Man with your Ricochet Kick attack.

Freeze Man's gaze remains locked on Gemini, even as he bounds around the arena. As Gemini kicks out at Freeze Man's face, Freeze Man's hand flashes out, grabbing the leg with his titanium grip. His eyes burn angrily, disgusted with his brother's newfound lack of willpower. "Not to sound like I'm from Star Wars, but..." His eyes widen, the fire in his eyes flaring up as he hurls his brother towards the spiky wall. "THERE IS NO TRY!"
Freeze Man strikes you with his Throw for 1 units of damage.

Magic Man strolls in, his cane resting on his shoulder rather than tapping obnoxiously on the metal floor. He came here planning on a bit of target practice...though not for himself. He pauses for a moment in the entrance as he catches sight of his brothers, then shrugs and turns away from them to poke at the holographic controls. A moment later there's a shimmer of light at his feet and a...cabbit appears. It myas at him curiously, then yelps as he kicks it away. "Shut up," the magician mutters as he takes off his top hat and begins to root around in side. Finally his hand emerges, holding a cute little bunny. Magic raises it up to his face. "Right. We're here...have fun." With that he drops the bunny to the floor. The cabbit sniffs at the rabbit curiously...then squeals in terror as the rabbit pulls a switchblade out of nowhere. *KA-CLICK* "Time to die, freak," the bunny growls, leaping at the holographic cabbit. Magic ignores the both of them, striding closer to Gemini and Freeze to watch.

Gemini Man is snatched cleanly, and thrown right off the platform. Luckily for him, Freeze's angle is just a bit off, and rather than being impaled on the spikes, he slams into the wall atop them, and bounces off the wall, dropping back to the floor. He stands up, and shakes himself off. He didn't care for that assessment, but, Freeze was right. His optics narrow as he settles back into stance, and, this time, he runs over toward the wall rather than assaulting the platform directly. He fires a shot forward as he runs, one that bounces upward, and does a kind of reverse-Pachinko into the spikes before shooting up toward Freeze Man.
You miss Freeze Man with your Ricochet Blast attack.

Freeze Man follows the blast with his eyes as it pinballs through the spikes and finally towards him. He sways his torso to the side, the blast missing him by mere inches. He looks over towards Gemini, then charges forward. "Ricochets are only useful for ambushes and when your gun is pinned, not when your in a straight-forward fight like this!" His piece of advice is emphasized is emphasized shortly afterwards in the best way he can: with his fist. He swings his fist forward, hoping to slam Gemini in his unarmored stomach area.
Freeze Man misses you with his Smash attack.

Gemini Man is too far away, and notes the charge before the punch can connect. He jumps back from the end of the strike, as far as his legs can pop him backward. He doesn't want to fight Freeze Man hand-to-hand, as he can't match the other Master's strength. Normally, Gemini Man would have attention span to spare, and would notice Magic Man's entrance, but he's short a pair of eyes, so he stays focused on Freeze, keeping his blaster readied. He pops off a series of breif shots at the icy Master.
You strike Freeze Man with your Laser Barrage attack.

Magic Man continues to watch his brothers silently, his arms crossed over his torso. Is Freeze trying to train Gemini how to operate best without his holograms? He snorts, smirking faintly as he realizes how unusual it is for him to see anyone fighting in here for reasons other than a grudge match or the random desire for combat. Meanwhile, the cabbit flees for its life, dodging among the seats while Bun-bun tears after it. "Stand still so I can gut you!"

Astro Man arrives from the Common Room - Skull Fortress.
Astro Man has arrived.

Astro Man floats through the door, showing no ill effects from the booze-up in Australia.

Freeze Man snarls as he misses, and turns to face the blasts head-on, the series of shots burning holes in his armor. The cold-hearted Master feels nothing from the attack, and raises his hand towards Gemini. A ball of white light forms, then launches outwards towards Gemini, solidifying into a sphere of ice halfway.
Freeze Man strikes you with his Ice Ball for 14 units of damage.

Astro Man deactivates his hologram, his human alter-ego fading away to show the spacefaring Robot Master underneath.

Astro Man hovers over to Magic Man, who's watching Freeze and Gemini train, it seems. "Who's winning?"

This time, Gemini Man is struck straight in the stomach, and bowled back, falling down onto the ground. He emits a brief choke of pain, then hops back to his feet. He's still at a distance...no time like the present to turn up the heat. He holds his gun-arm back, then brings it forward, and fires, a straight-on shot at his opponent, a stream of bright light.
You strike Freeze Man with your Gemini Laser attack.

Freeze Man charges forward, ignoring the beam of ionic energy as it bores a hole into the red crystal in his abdomen. As soon as he reaches Gemini, he lashes out with a series of punches, over a dozen of them in rapid succession.
Freeze Man misses you with his Pummel attack.

Gemini Man is starting to move, now... the shot that struck home giving him additional confidence. He dodges once, twice, three times, and blocks a shot, then, when he spots a single opening, he counters, aiming a single punch at Freeze through the flurry of motion.
You strike Freeze Man with your Punch attack.

Magic Man nods to Astro Man, then looks back to the fight. "Hmmm." He taps his cane on his shoulder a few times thoughtfully, then shrugs. "It's hard to say...but at a guess, I might say Gemini." He sounds rather surprised about that, actually. Suddenly, a cabbit races by Astro's feet, yowling pitifully. A split second later, a bunny with a knife races by as well, giving Astro's foot a kick as he passes and growling, "Outta the way, Astroboy!"

Astro Man goggles at the animals running past. "Who the heck was *that?*"

Freeze Man gets... punched in the face? He blinks as the fist slams into his facemask, leaving a good-sized dent. He chuckles, obviously enjoying himself now, then spin around, his elbow extended to slam into Gemini's cheekbone area.
Freeze Man strikes you with his Generic Melee for 3 units of damage.

Gemini Man is slammed in the side of his face, and grunts, as his head is knocked aside. No point in trying to break up, now...he was already in close. The moment he regains his balance, he feints a punch, then pulls up a kick, aiming low, for Freeze's knees.
You miss Freeze Man with your Roundhouse attack.

Magic Man raises an eyebrow as he turns back to Astro. "Hmm? Who was who?" A high pitched yowl echos through the chamber. "Oh, them. I'm just letting Bun-bun get some exercise. Seizui has been...annoying him." The magician turns back to watch the fight, apparently completely disinterested in whatever his mini-lop has just done to the cabbit.

Freeze Man is in his element now. Unarmed hand-to-hand combat is his specialty, and he's almost undefeatable in it. He leaps upwards, dodging the sweeping kick from Gemini Man, and at the same time, spins in the air, swinging his leg out to try and smack Gemini in the other side of his head.
Freeze Man misses you with his Ice Boot attack.

Gemini Man ducks low as Freeze leaps high, and the kick, just barely, passes over his head. If the crest was there, it probably would have struck, and the very thought of this makes Gemini laugh aloud. When the kick has passed completely over, Gemini Man pops up head-first, to put that same unadorned helmet into Freeze's stomach area.
You strike Freeze Man with your Headbutt attack.

Freeze Man takes another blow to the red crystal in his gut, which cracks slightly as Gemini's helmet slams into it. But this also leaves Gemini vulnerable. Freeze Man's hidden face breaks into a sinister grin, and he clasps his hands together. He then raises them high over his head, and brings them down towards Gemini's back.
Freeze Man strikes you with his Smash for 11 units of damage.

SLAM! The blow cracks right into Gemini's back, which is just as unarmored as his stomach. There is a loud pop from his internal frame, and he drops forward onto the ground. For the briefest of pauses, it seems he will not be moving, but, he rolls over onto his back. He fires a shot at the wall, which bounces backward, to cover himself and buy a little time to get back to his feet.
You miss Freeze Man with your Ricochet Blast attack.

Magic Man ooohs, wincing slightly at the pop, then smirking. Sounded painful. ...What sounds even more painful is the shriek that echos from the stands behind him. Magic Man fails to look back, however, as the cabbit tumbles down the stairs between the rows of seats, bleeding from a variety of little cuts. Bun-bun hops down after her, looking almost cheerful.

Freeze Man leaps back, dodging the blast and getting some distance from Gemini. The scream distracts him, giving Gemini enough time to climb to his feet, but no longer. He turns back to Gemini, and snarls, creating a large pillar of ice. Hefting it like a baseball bat, he swings the icy column at Gemini's torso.
Freeze Man misses you with his Glacier Smash attack.

Gemini Man is midway to his feet when the smash comes toward him, and he adjusts, turning away from it. He's now backed up almost to the spiked wall, and glances at it, then back, at his relentless opponent. Another blast hangs on the end of his arm, charging, then, he brings the weapon up, and lets it loose at Freeze Man with a resounding crack of firepower.
You miss Freeze Man with your Gemini Cannon attack.

Freeze Man leaps to the side of the blast of energy, narrowly avoiding being blasted apart. He then holds his hands above his head, and forces cryo-energy out into the air. The energy grows to 6 feet in diameter, then crystalizes into a giant block of ice. Snarling, Freeze Man heaves the ice at Gemini Man.
Freeze Man misses you with his Ice Boulder attack.

Gemini Man slips aside, and the ice crashes into the spiked wall. His cannon arm hangs a bit limply...no wonder his aim was off. He grimaces, and rolls it back, another pop sounding that mimics the first one that rippled across his back. He shakes out the arm...then brings it up again, returning another volley of lasers. Hopefully, these will be on target...
You strike Freeze Man with your Laser Barrage attack.

Freeze Man gets a few more holes in his torso, and he looks down at them. His eyes burn with anger, and he creates a pair of ice daggers in his hands. Charging forward towards Gemini, he slashed out with them, hoping to cut up his brother.
Freeze Man strikes you with his Icicle Daggers for 10 units of damage.

Magic Man leans forward, resting an elbow on the railing and his chin on his fist. Wiff after wiff...he's never sure in these cases if he should compliment their dodging or mock their aim. Meanwhile, the cabbit hits the bottom of the stairs and sits there for a moment, shaking her head to clear the dizziness. It would be cute, if she weren't bloody, or if Magic cared. Bun-bun hops happily after her, leaping into the air as he hits the bottom step with a shout. "Taste steel, freak!" The cabbit shrieks and rolls away, while the mini-lop is lucky enough to get his knife stuck in a crack in the pavement. While Bun-bun tries to get it out, cursing like a sailor, the cabbit takes her chance to flee. The magician, for his part, continues to ignore them, and golf claps when Freeze scores a hit.

Flash Man arrives from the Common Room - Skull Fortress.
Flash Man has arrived.

Gemini Man is struck across the face, a hit that bleeds holographic mechfluid across his lack-of-nose. He grunts, and shuts his eyes. Trying not to distract himself with thoughts of his missing abilities, he has no choice but to keep on the offensive. Freeze Man's still-damaged torso is his strike point again, as he knocks up another kick to his opponent's midsection.
You strike Freeze Man with your Roundhouse attack.
Freeze Man falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage.

Freeze Man's torso gem shatters as the kick slams into it, and his power core is crushed. Freeze Man falls to the ground, out of the fight.

Magic Man straightens up and applauds. The fight is over. Long live the champion! Or something like that.

Flash Man steps in quietly near the edge of the arena, pausing as he sees a battle already in progress. He seals the door behind him, apparently just in time to witness the end of the fight.

Gemini Man leans forward into the blow as he throws it, and staggers forward as it solidly connects. His foot stomps to the ground...and, his mouth drops open, with weariness and surprise, as Freeze does not rise. "I..." And the word hangs on the air for a moment--to Gemini Man, a word rarely used, and full of meaning on its rare utterance... "won."

Freeze Man's holographic body is reset, and he rises to his feet. He looks at Gemini, and says nothing. He then turns, and heads for the door.

Gemini Man recovers his damage as well, it melting off his body. "Thanks," he says to Freeze, as the other Master leaves.
Medical Drone has reset your health to full endurance.

Freeze Man doesn't hear that much. He has no idea how to react to gratitude, so he doesn't. He just walks out the door, which hisses closed behind him.

Magic Man continues to applaud as Freeze walks away. "Very nice, even without your twin," he calls out to Gemini.

Gemini Man hears Magic Man call out, and looks up, not realizing that the combat had attracted an audience. Then, he looks down, at the Gemini Laser, hefting it up before his eyes to inspect it, as if he's never really looked just at the weapon before. "Yes," he says, to Magic Man. Then, more softly... "I don't know ... how to respond to feeling this way."

Magic Man raises an eyebrow. He didn't quite catch that, but thinks in got the gist of it. The magician vanishes, reappearing with a soft thunderclap next to Gemini. "How /do/ you feel?"

Bun-bun, meanwhile, has managed to get his knife out and is now stalking his prey. The cabbit cowers near the exit, occasionally mewling quietly.

Gemini Man doesn't look at Magic Man. His eyes fallow the cabbit race momentarily...it would make him laugh, if he were not feeling so intensely pensive. Staring out into space now, he says, "...Like one person."

Flash Man absently eyes Bun-Bun, then the cabbit. He returns his gaze to the rabbit. "....I wouldn't."

Magic Man tilts his head slightly to one side, watching Gemini intently. "One person. Independant. Self-reliant. Like the rest of us." He pauses, swinging his cane down to rest on the floor, and leans forward slightly, putting some of his weight on it. "Are you surprised by how much you can accomplish on your own?"

Bun-bun closes in on Flash and the cabbit, tossing his knife from one forepaw to the other. "Why not, Flashboy? You gonna do something about it?" The mini-lop suddenly lunges forward, the cabbit too exhausted to do anything more than cower.

Flash's eyes narrow sharply at the comeback. "Yes." he says, his left hand coming up as the sides of his forearm pop out, revealing lenses, aimed at the leaping Bun-bun. *FLASH*

Gemini Man nods, slowly, then, shakes his head, shutting his eyes, and protesting. "But I don't want to! I don't want to be alone! I... I'm not programmed for that kind of thinking!"

Bun-bun is blinded in mid-air. With a curse the mini-lop hits the ground right in front of the bloody cabbit, who whimpers patheticly and begins to inch away. "Flashboy...you're gonna wish you didn't do that," the rabbit growls.

Magic Man nods slowly, then steps forward, reaching out with one finger to place it against the empty spot on his brother's helmet. "No, you were not. But you should be proud that you're able to adapt in your time of..." he taps the finger once, "...loss." He shakes his head. "You know you'll have him back eventually. For now...you can deal."

Flash Man thinks about it. Then raises his right hand, his scatterblaster deploying with a clackityclak of multiple barrels extending. "I doubt it?" he says. "I really detest vermin." His lips twist in a faintly cruel smirk as his scatterblaster goes off, sending a coneshaped rain of plasma bolts in the general direction of both Bun-bun and the cabbit.

Gemini Man looks up at the finger-tap, his large eyes looking a bit confused. He snickers at Magic Man's compliment, and smiles...it's the sideways smile that does indeed belong on his face. "Well, not just any Robot Master can accomodate having to operate against his programming."

Bun-bun tenses at the sound of the weapon's deployment, leaping back as Flash opens fire. The cabbit is struck, squealing, then collapsing as a bolt pierces her haunches, another skimming across her back. The mini-lop, however, manages to avoid it all - well, all but one bold, which sears the fur along his side in a near miss. "Guess I didn't make myself clear the first time," Bun-bun hisses. "Prepare to die." The rabbit leaps up and to the side, rebounding off the side of the entrance, then dives towards Flash with his knife extended.

Magic Man notices none of this, of course, his attention still focused on Gemini. The magician smirks, removing his hand. "Yes," he murmurs, rolling his eyes skyward, as thoughts of some of his brothers' more... interesting habits come to mind. "I had noticed that."

Flash Man blinks as somehow the lop avoids the blasts, then growls as a forearm blade slides clear from his left forearm with a *snickt* sound. "Amusing...." he growls, bringing up the blade in a quick swipe to try and deflect the rabbit's blow...though he's a bit taken off guard so it's probaby going to miss.

Gemini Man is still smiling, a bit of his old superiority coming back. He looks away from Magic Man again, down at the ground. "We adapted, and that was good," he says. "Thanks for not poking fun anymore," he adds.

Bun-bun can hardly change course in mid-air, but luckily he's not on a direct course with Flash's blade. Still, he's close - the mini-lop flails in midair, a useless attempt at a course correction. He manages to score a glancing blow, then bounces away, eyeing Flash warily. The cabbit moans, but no one seems to care about it anymore.

Magic Man snickers softly, then shakes his head. "I'm not sure why I didn't. You certainly shouldn't take this to mean I won't in the future."

Flash Man grunts at the knife as it scores a slash across his cheek, stepping back. A faint trail of hydralics drips down his face as he reaches up, idly fingering it. "...I believe I shall make your death especially painful for that."

Gemini Man snickers. "Well... we'll probably get back to our usual pattern of same, soon as we can." He turns for the exit, and, THEN, he comments on the slasher bunny. "Hey...your pet?"

Bun-bun sneers, if you can picture a rabbit doing so. "Yeah, I'm sure, freak-boy." Suddenly the rabbit leaps to the side, forward, and then ricochets off a wall to streak towards Flash from behind. "But I shall prevail, for I know the secret Lop-Technique, where the mortal blow comes from behind!"

Magic Man tips his hat to Gemini, nodding with a slight smirk. "Understood." He then blinks, spotting Bun-bun only as Gemini points him out. "Yes...he is." The magician shakes his head with a sigh. "I told him to play with a cabbit, not..." Shaking his head once again, the magician strides towards the fight.

Gemini Man laughs again. "Someday I WILL kill that cabbit..." he muses. And then, he steps out.

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