The Cure - II [Exemplary]

[Proto Man]

As they drew closer, it became clear that they had somewhat underestimated the enemy forces gathered near the Black Gate. Nestled near the base of the colossal monument were strange structures that resembles huts of some sort. Even at a distance of about a thousand yards, they could spot the dark figures moving around inside the ‘camp.’ Proto Man wasn’t close enough to get any real data, but he figured there had to be a little over one or two hundred individuals.

“Damn Darkshire should have given us an army,” Proto Man seethed after relaying the information to Mireya. “This is going to be terrible.”

“I see that,” Mireya said, indirectly reminding the machine that she had naturally better night vision than he did. “We’ll need to scatter them or something… prevent them from clumping up on us.”

“Pull them in separate directions and try to mop up stragglers?” Proto Man inquired, waiting for a nod before he continued. “What if they’re more disciplined than that? Or if they have aerial troopers or magic?”

Mireya scowled. “There are too many variables here to deal with all of them. We’ve got to hope that an initial attack will be enough to disorient them. I mean, you running in there guns blazing should certainly do the trick,” she added with a coy smirk.

“Lovely. I get to be the spearhead?” He asked as Mireya brushed some dark blood from her weapon.

The woman snickered. “You’re the one who is covered in metal armor!”

Proto Man smiled faintly as the upload completed. A beat later, they were joined by six faces that the Prototype Robot Master hadn’t seen in over a year.

“This place is miserable,” Cut Man groaned.

“Blues!” Guts Man shouted, pushing passed his smaller siblings and scooping up the red robot in a bearhug. “Too long, little tiny friend,” he said as he squeezed Proto Man until the other machine thought his metal spine was going to crumble like a soda can.

“Nice to see you too, Guts,” Proto Man gasped before be dropped back to the ground. As he brushed himself off, he glanced up at the six Robot Masters. “So the situation is a little more complicated than I thought it would be.”


“What’s the matter?” Elec Man inquired as he and the others all started to take note of the encampment. “Oh.” The electricity-themed machine muttered.

“My estimates are between one and two hundred, but I can’t be certain,” Proto Man responded. “Either way, we’re going to be outnumbered by a very large margin.”

“Are we outgunned?” Flame Man questioned.

The prototype shrugged his shoulders. “There’s at least one prime that leads them, but other than that, I have no idea what type of soldiers might be waiting for us. With any luck, they’ll just be a mass of grunts, but we won’t know for sure until it’s too late.”

“Didn’t know this was a suicide mission,” Cut Man grunted, his expression a little more sullen than his siblings.

“It’s not suicide unless you get destroyed.” Ice Man followed up his remark with a hearty laugh, but it was obvious that Cut Man was going to drink the koolaid.

The orange and white machine let out a sigh as he dropped onto his haunches. “I guess it’s been a decent ride.”

“We’ll win,” Bomb Man shouted as he held out a hand and summoned one of his namesakes into his outstretched palm. “TIME TO DROP THE BOMB!”

Before anyone could stop him, the mohawked demolition’s expert broke into a mad dash toward the Archdemon’s encampment.

“Damn it,” Mireya shouted as she sheathed her spear and drew a pair of curved swords. “Now or never!” She screamed as she went rushing forward to support the machine.

With a nervous look on his face, Proto Man broke into a dash as the rest of the Gen 1 Robot Masters followed in his wake.