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Bubble winces, glancing at the stairs as they suddenly caught fire. Was it bad that he was now glad he'd decided to babysit Spark until they could get him back to Wily? Otherwise his flippers might very well be melted off. However, that fire was sure to spread. That wouldn't be good for him or Spark, so, Bubble starts slowly moving the bubble out of the way, thinking it'd be good to try to get the other back to Wily about now. Stopping just at the doorway, he turns back towards the stairs and tries to see if shooting a bunch of bubbles at the fire will help put it out. He doubts it'll really work, but better to try than not to. He hears more commotion upstairs, frowning again. "If you can get the fire put out, do so and hurry and save the General!" He calls up the stairs before hopping back to Spark.

"Oh don't tell me you're sentimental you cold hunk of steel."
Clearly -Wily- had sent them here. There was no other reason the lot of them would suddenly show up to save Proto. Not for feelings. These were robots, that was such a ridiculous thought.

Seriously.

In the air, it was easier to spot Flashover as he moved through the smoke. It swirled behind him, showing his path through the cover as he made his way towards a hallway. Whether or not he would make it was up to Bass and his new vantage point.

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Once up the staircase, the gel path stopped. It seemed to only coat the staircases themselves to deter anyone from climbing them. Once passed that Crash was in the clear.

...If his feet didn't melt to the floor first.



The bubbles actually -did- suppress the fire a bit. More concentrated attacks on them may in fact extinguish the fire completely. However, once the attack stopped, the flames leapt back up.

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Proto looked rough, that was for sure. The tracker had been ripped out of his chest, tape still lined his muzzle and some stuck to his tail. The tail itself hung limply, useless for now. Who knew -where- his helmet was, and even his precious scarf had fallen victim to the rebels. The yellow fabric was mostly tattered, barely a scarf at this point.

He'd be sad about that later.

For now he had what he figured was a -normal- E-tank pressed into his hands. The bot was eager to take it, quickly moving to drink it. He was starving after all and wasn't about to turn down a food offering. Something was...different about this one however, and he was about to voice his concern when the doctor pulled a particularly painful piece of tape off his muzzle. Proto YELPED, and stopped drinking...at least until he was urged to finish it by his father.

Okay...but it still tasted weird. Maybe it was just him, it had been a while since he had drank so much....

Proto quickly finished the drink, moving to hand the empty can back to Light. He froze, however, when a sudden rush of energy went through his entire body. Moments before he had been ready to fall asleep...

Now? Now he couldn't sit still.

The bot quickly jumped free of Light's arms, and ran circles around the mech suit that Light was currently housed in. He was no Quick, but at this moment of time he would have made a fun running partner nonetheless.

He..he felt GREAT. He hadn't felt this PUMPED in a long time. If ever. His core felt like it was running at max. And for once it actually was. Light's concentrated E-tank had run straight to Proto's flawed core, fully energizing it all in one shot. Synthetic fur bristled all over his body, the previously tan colored fur suddenly fading to a white that was marked with the same bright blue as the liquid within the drink itself. ...Well, at least now his ears matched.

As he continued to dart around, blue glittery wings materialized into existence behind him. The tiny things fluttered and fidgeted, filling the air around them with a soft glowing light. The light he was always meant to be.

This wasn't Proto.
This was Blues.
This was Hope.

Light stared in shocked amazement as his son changed colors and leaped from his arms. Perhaps the P tank should have spent more time in the testing phase but there hadn't been time. He hoped Blues wouldn't be too angry with him for the change once the buzz from the added energy wore down. "Blues! Son!" Light called as he struggled to catch the hyper bot.

Sheep was actually grateful for the water that splashed up along with Magnet. It settled the most visible of the singed patches. He chuckled at Magnet's comment. "Glaaaad that worked, I hope we're aaaable to have a chaaance to turn Top down. Let's see how faaar our fellows haaave gotten. Our Generaaal needs us and there's an aaaass that needs kicking."

Then he remembered why he had come to the water in the first place and his fierce expression turned a little well sheepish. "Could you do me a faaavor? Could you make sure no more paaatches of wool are smoking? Stupid fire traaap."

Light

Light struggled to hold Blues as he squirmed about. "No, my boy. We need to leave. I left you once, I won't leave you in danger again." He started towards the hole he'd made in the wall, intending to escape before the battle reached them again.

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Magnet

Magnet struggled to stand as the world slowly stopped spinning. He peered blearily at Sheep a long moment before shaking it off and growling. "First they take my magnets, then they treat me like some stupid compass?! You're damn right there's some rebel a** we need to kick!!" Pumped for the fight, Magnet was caught off guard by Sheep's request. "Huh?! Oh...I wish I'd gotten fire," Magnet grumbled, patting out any remaining sizzling spots of wool.

"I can't leave THEM in danger either!"
Blues was still wiggling, trying to drag himself free. Surely if his tail was functional he could have whipped that around a few times to help. Damnit. The wings were beating furiously...but being made out of light particles they did little in the way of helping him get free.

"The last time he fought Flashover Bass nearly died. Dad PUT ME DOWN."
He was sounding more desperate as he continued his plea.
"I -can't- handle that again. I don't want to see him broken, nearly offlined. I..I..I love him!"

Is that what it was? It...was the best explanation for it he could come up with. When he had seen Bass in pieces on Wily's table it felt like his core was dying. This wasn't something one felt for just an acquaintance, right? So it could only be...

===================



Both fires were out, but within the bubble Spark was starting to wake back up. The bot offered a snarl, flailing around in the confines of the damned thing. He...did not look happy. At all.

Light was stunned. Five years ago, when he'd installed a chip to simulate human emotions, he never thought it would do anything but what it was programmed to do. It seemed he'd been wrong. The emotions..no..his son had evolved. He never had been one to follow the rules. Light's wizened face lit in a wide grin and he gave his son one of his customary bear hugs, though perhaps a bit tighter given the mech suit's added power. "My boy...I'm so proud of you."

Spark offered no remark besides a snarl. Whatever Flashover had done to him had reverted him to simple animalistic rage directed at the other masters. He raised one of his electrodes, using the tip to jab at the bubble walls until it finally popped.

Free, Spark quickly charged up electricity in the electrode that Crash -hadn't- stabbed, and sent it coursing towards Bubble.

=========================




As Crash continued on, it'd be easier to hear Proto and Light talking. A few more steps would take him to where they were located.

"Dad, I'm glad you're proud of me but can we -please- continue this conversation AFTER I make sure Bass and the others are okay?!"
Proto was practically crushed against the mech suit at the moment, fully stuck in the bear hug his father was giving him.

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Flashover was sure he was homefree, what other end could there possibly be for this battle? He just had to get to his weapons, take down Bass (again) and then go through with the end of the plan to remove the rest of the threats.

That is what was on his mind when he suddenly found himself lifted by his hood and hurled. The flight was shakey, the rebel leader flailing as he tried to grab onto ANYTHING to stop his path. But ah, Bass' aim was true and out the window he went. With a screech, the smoke-colored Audio disappeared from view.

And it was a long trip down.