Family of Steel - Man on Fire

[Proto Man]

The preteen android grinned as he pulled himself up onto the rim of the smoldering mountain peak. He stepped forward and peered down into the heart of the volcano. The red-orange contents of the rocky cauldron were hissing and swirling. Every now and again, it would belch up a puff of molten stone. Proto Man was no geologist, but he didn’t exactly enjoy how active the magma appeared. Was this normal for volcanos or was he about to get an up close and personal sauna experience?

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Proto Man’s head snapped up and turned to the direction of the speaker. While he didn’t recognize the voice, he had seen enough pictures to recognize Heat Man from his appearance. The DWN-series Robot Master was stockier than his siblings. his body was encased in a rectangular shell that also had a hinged helmet that rested above his cranium. It gave him the appearance of a pez dispenser or a zippo lighter with limbs. The red android wondered just what had motivated Dr. Wily to settle on such a design. Did Heat Man’s casing give him some elemental protection? If so, why were his limbs exposed?

“It is,” the preteen replied as he backburnered the questions he had about the other robot’s design. “Were you able to see the clips of that mountain in Washington state that blew up a few years ago?”

“St. Helens?” Heat Man inquired before a grin spread across his features. “Yea, Wily had a love for volcanos. He used cooled lava and ash from that eruption in the design and construction of my casing and internal features. Say what you will about his ego, but the man’s genius and imagination are unrivaled.”

Proto Man figured there was an underlying jab at Dr. Light somewhere in that comment, but since he wasn’t his brother, he didn’t take the bait. “Is this volcano going to pop?”

Heat Man nodded his head. “Sometime soon. I hadn’t seen a real-life volcanic eruption until I arrived here. In that time, I’ve seen roughly two or three every six hours. When it’s darker, the skyline sometimes looks as if it’s on fire.” From the way the android’s eyes seemed to light up as he spoke, it was clear that he loved his experience in the Ashen Plains.

“Is that why you’re here, Heat Man? To soak up the ambiance?” Since the fire-themed android could have easily ambushed him, Proto Man refrained from overt threats.

The shorter machine shrugged his shoulders. “I’m here to study everything. There are mountain ranges here that are entirely volcanic. If you travel half a day to the northeast of here, you’ll find a confluence of lava rivers. Whole rivers of free-flowing, molten rock. They display all the traits of water and have their own macroinvertebrate populations.”

Despite his suspicions, Proto Man had to admit that the other robot’s finds sounded pretty cool. “What about those travelers? The ones who were burned alive by a fire-breathing android?” He knew he’d have to cut to the chase sooner rather than later, and with the volcano simmering beneath them, the preteen figured it was time.