#Farfalla Chou | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jolienjoyswriting · 2 years ago

Text

Untitled Story (ft. The Chou Numbers)

An untitled Rockman fan fiction story.

A decision is made and the die is cast. Will it change anything? Only time will tell…

Word count: 5,819 – Character count: 33,605 Drafted: March 8th, 2023 Revised: March 8th / 9th, 2023 –

I lied. This is the last entry of the reboot. I didn't even bother with a title because that's how little interest there was.

Rockman, the "Rockman" series, and related characters and concepts created by and © Capcom Co, Ltd. Brietta Chou, Mikan Chou, and related characters and concepts created by KaitlinEXE (I think) Sidney Chou, Farfalla Chou, Persephone Chou, Quartz Chou, Dr. David Chou, "Dr. Chou Numbers" series, and related characters and concepts created by and © jade-green-butterfly

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"Tensions are on the rise in the wake of Dr. Wily's latest attack. Anti-robot protests have been breaking out worldwide! Many have gathered outside of Right Laboratories in Denver, claiming that the once-revered doctor's robots are the root of the problem. Many other robot laboratories, both privately owned and publicly traded, are seeing their share of protesters, as well. Even here at the home of the wealthy industrialist Dr. David Chou, protestors can often be found outside of his manor's gates to peacefully object to the robotics projects he funds. We tried to get in contact with the reclusive inventor but were unable to reach the doctor for comment.

Will robots and humans ever be able to peacefully coexist? Only time will tell." –

"Aaand… clear." "Good. The sooner we leave, the better. That robot butler of theirs gives me the creeps." "Excuse me…"

Outside of Chou Manor, the home of Dr. David Chou and his creations, a local news company was reporting. There, a reporter with yellow hair and glasses was just wrapping up his presentation of an ongoing story: the revolution against robot-kind! As the reporter and his camera crew packed up their equipment, they found themselves approached by a tall, somewhat intimidating man in formal attire…

"Well, speak of the devil!" the reporter said, turning to face the man. "What do you want now, 'Jeeves'?" "My name is not 'Jeeves'," the tall, steel-skinned man told him. "My name is–" "Cut to the chase, 'Carl-tron'." "Mm… indeed." The man, who was indeed the butler of Chou Manor, had arrived on the scene as he had many times in the past. He had asked the news company to stop filming in front of the manor on the hill at the request of his employer and creator. However… "Look, we told you before, 'Alfred'…" The reporter was adamant about choosing that location.

"'Freedom of the Press' gives us the right to report the news when and where we want to," he told the robotic butler. "'Freedom of the Press' does, indeed, give you the right to film the news as it happens. However, I must, once again, politely request… on behalf of Dr. David Chou… that you cease using Chou Manor as the backdrop for your… if I might say… somewhat biased reporting on the growing anti-robot sentiment." "We're not actually reporting from your private property, 'Geoffrey'…" the reporter countered, "so you can just 'bugger off'. Ta ta, then! Tea and scones, wot!" The butler did not appreciate being made fun of. Especially since he didn't have the English accent the reporter was poorly mimicking.

"I feel that we have been more than patient up to this point," he told the reporter. "If you do not cease using the manor as your backdrop for anti-robot news, we will be forced to call the authorities." "Call 'em!" The reporter shrugged as he climbed into his news van. "We're not doing anything wrong!" Not long after, the news van drove away. "Mm." And the butler returned to the manor.

"How'd it go, 'Big Sid'?" "About as well as expected, I'm afraid." As the robot butler entered the manor grounds, he turned his attention to something that was flittering and fluttering around his head. It bore the shape of a small girl with pink hair, insect wings and antennae, and a colorful outfit. She, too, was a creation of Dr. Chou. "Well, chin up, pal!" the girl said as she flew around him. "Someday, all this 'no robots in my backyard' stuff'll be done 'n over wid! Then, maybe we can stop hidin'!" "No one is 'hiding', Miss Brietta," he countered as he walked through the manor grounds. "Those of us who have jobs outside of the manor are continuing to serve the public." "Okay, but what about da rest of us? Doc said we ain'a s'posed ta leave da manor if'n we ain't gotta! And-and-and," the fae-like robot girl asked in a cocky tone, "how's come th' Doc ain't been outside in months, neither?" "You would have to ask him yourself, I'm afraid. He has been… as you might say… 'holed up' in his office since the recent attack on the manor grounds." "Oh, yea'…" Brietta brought one oversized sleeve to her chin in thought. "That did happen, huh?" "Indeed." The butler reached to his vest, retrieving a gold pocket watch on a chain. "Mm. I should begin preparations for dinner. Would you care to assist me?" "Ain't that what Persis was built fer?" "I shall take that as a 'no'. Very well." The butler slowly bowed to Brietta. "Take care, Miss Brietta." "Youse too, Big Sid!" The taller of the two continued toward the manor while the smaller robot fluttered on the spot. She had her arms crossed and was doing some thinking…

"This sucks!" she said to herself. "Bein' on lockdown 'n stuff… I wanna go flippa-flap t'rough the concrete jungle 'n catch firebugs in da woods! Wish Doc Dad hadn't told us ta stay put… Gah! I'm so jelly'a Big Sis 'Fallafly' 'n Li'l 'Spooky' Sis! Wonder what they're up to right now… Oh!" Brietta clapped her sleeves together, then put her sleeved hands on her head. "Maybe if I concentrate hard 'nuff, I can imagine it! Hnnnnng…!!" –

"No way! No flipping way! I'm not gonna let some… some fake person touch me!!"

It was late in the afternoon when a familiar little clinic got a visitor. The man alleged that there was a ringing in his ears that wouldn't go away. He thought he'd hit the jackpot when a cute nurse with nice legs and a short skirt was sent to tend to him! However, after a little back-and-forth… he found out that she was a robot. At that point, chaos ensued.

"Sir, please!" an orderly said, trying to talk the man down from standing on an examination bench. "We can assure you that Nurse Farfalla Chou is one'a the most qualified practitioners'a medical science we have, yeah!" The man swung a chair at the orderly and the nurse, intentionally missing both. "Get away from me you robot in sheep's clothing!" "Security! Hey, security!! Where th' heck is that security, yeah?!" "Sir, just… just calm yourself!" Farfalla said, gesturing to the man. "There's no need for this sort of behavior!" "Stay back or I'll… wha– whoa��!" "Sir!" As the man slipped on the vinyl material covering the bench's padding, Farfalla darted around and held her arms out. She was quick to catch the man and even quicker to dive forward, letting the chair he was holding fall on her as she hit the floor.

"Sir…? Ouch… Sir, are you alright?" The man stared at the nurse, wide-eyed with surprise. "You… you saved my life?" Farfalla blushed a little. "I saved you from getting a nasty bump on the head, maybe…" "But… but you're a robot!" The man scowled with confusion. "Robots can't be trusted! The news media says so!" "Does she look 'bad' or 'scary', yeah?" the orderly said, helping the pair to their feet. "I thought she looked pretty cute before I found out she was a 'bot…" The man rubbed the side of his mouth. "She's still cute, I guess… B-but she's a robot! And…" He shook his head. "No, no, even if you saved my life–" "I didn't…" Farfalla meekly corrected, hiding her blushing face. "– I just can't trust you. N-nothing personal! It's just–" "'Robot bad, humanity good'. We get it, yeah," the orderly interrupted. "Hey, there you are! Have this man escorted off the premises." A shorter man in a security guard's outfit stepped into the room. "You want me to rough 'im up?" he said with a knowing smirk. "Lorenzo, just… just get him out of my sight, yeah?" "Aye aye, Mon Capitan. C'mon, you." The guard helped the man out of the examination room – whether he wanted it or not. Once he was gone, Nurse Chou put the chair back where it belonged – in front of a desk in the corner – then walked over to the bench and leaned against it with a loud, frustrated sigh.

"Why is it so hard for people to trust me once they find out that I'm a robot?" she asked, crossing her arms and looking at the ground. "What difference does it make what I am? Does that suddenly make me less qualified to do my job or something?" "I'd say it'd make you more qualified, Falla." The orderly smiled. "You were literally made for this job, yeah?" She jerked her head at the orderly and snapped, "That's not funny!" The orderly just chuckled to themselves. "Listen, hun," they began, "some people are just… dumb, yeah? They see all these news reports 'bout that Dr. Wily guy and those copycat dopes… robots runnin' 'round, destroyin' stuff all over the place… and they just start thinkin' dumb thoughts. Like I said, their brains get set to 'robot bad, humanity good'. That's how the media makes its money, yeah?" They placed a hand on Farfalla's shoulder, offering a smile. "Not everyone's like that… You know that, yeah?" "Most people never even learn I'm a robot…" she commented. "But then, this one person appears every once in a while that just… argh!" The nurse shook her head before sighing again. "How am I supposed to help people when they won't let me help them, Brie?" "That's one'a life's great mysteries, yeah?" Brie continued to smile. Eventually, Farfalla found herself smiling, too.

"How's your back? Chair do much damage, yeah?" "I'm alright," the nurse said. "Thank you for asking." "Good, good…" Brie nodded. "Weeell… it's gettin' close to 'go time' for you, yeah? If ya wanna duck out a li'l early… I can cover for you, yeah?" "Now, Brie…" Farfalla stood up, putting her hands on her hips and smirking. "You know that's not how I was raised." "Your poppy didn't raise no quitter, yeah? Well… ya ain't got any more patients scheduled for today, so…" The nurse smiled, crossing her arms. "So, I'll spend the rest of my shift straightening up and filing paperwork." "There's that smile I like!" Again, Brie nodded. "Call if ya need anything, yeah?" "I will. Thank you, Brie." The orderly bowed their way out of the room, drawing a soft giggle from the nurse. With them gone, she decided to start on that paperwork she'd mentioned.

The last thirty minutes of Farfalla's shift went by in a flash. She finished her paperwork right on time and pulled away from her desk, stretching and cracking her metallic joints. "Ow…" One hand came to the small of her back… right where that stray chair had landed. Though she'd told the orderly that she felt fine, in truth… the pointy leg of her old, wooden chair had seemingly done a little damage to her frame. She didn't look forward to explaining that to her family when she got home, but she figured she'd cross that road when she came to it. She still had to get there, after all…

"Have a great night, yeah?" "You, too, Brie!"

Farfalla walked out of the clinic's main building around the stroke of 6 PM, carrying her purse over her shoulder and a small suitcase in her other hand. She walked down the small stairs to get to ground level then opened the suitcase and retrieved what appeared to be a bundle of pipes, metal slats, and gears. With the press of a button, it unfolded from a small bundle of parts into a full-sized bicycle complete with a 50cc motor, solar-powered headlight, and a small, collapsible basket for cargo. It was the perfect way to get around the city without having to wait for traffic. There were even bike lanes in some of the areas she had to travel, which made things all the more convenient. "Alright…" she said as she hopped onto the collapsable bike, putting its case and her purse into the basket. "Time to head home!" With a flick of a switch, the small motor sprang to life. She revved the engine, making it purr, then she released the break and began her journey home.

Farfalla always enjoyed driving after work – especially during the colder months of the year. Driving home at sunset was always a treat! The lights of the city looked beautiful and even the lights of the cars driving through were somewhat charming. As it was, winter was coming up, so the days were growing shorter and the lights were becoming more prominent. When traffic was bad, she would turn the engine of her bike off and use the bike lane, pedaling with the flow of other cyclists. When traffic was somewhat less of a mess, though, she enjoyed driving in the proper lanes, engine on. The congestion on the roads was generally a mix of both, so she usually ended up taking both the bike lanes and traffic lanes back to the house on the hill. Even if some of the drivers of the city didn't appreciate it… it made her happy.

It was around 7 PM when Farfalla arrived near the manor. She stopped to admire how majestic it looked from a short distance away. "Picturesque as always…" she happily sighed. The nurse drove up to the front gate and turned off her engine before wheeling up to a nearby panel. Reaching into her purse, she retrieved a small card with a magnetic strip and slid it through. Two chirps and a green light signified that the card had worked, then the gates slowly opened for her. She pedaled into the expansive grounds as they closed behind.

"I'm home!" Once she arrived at the front door of the manor, she collapsed her bike and stored it, then let herself in. Looking around, she didn't see anyone, but the foyer was as brightly lit as ever. "Persephone? Sidney? Brietta?" she called. "Anyone?" "Nyooooom!!" Farfalla squeaked in surprise as she was suddenly pounced on by the energetic pixie 'bot she called a little sister.

"Welcome home, Fallafly!" Farfalla hugged her sister as the little lady did the same to her. "Hello, Brietta!" she said with a big smile. "How was your day?" "Boooring!" the pixie answered before fluttering backward. "Alls I did was float 'round da garden aaall day! I had no one to play wid! What a bummer." "Really?" Farfalla tilted her head. "Where was Quartz?" "Me 'n Quartz…" Brietta curled her lips, looking irritated. "We ain't on th' best of toims, right now." Farfalla rested her suitcase on a nearby wall. "Still?" she asked. "Dang mutt dug up my orchids!" The pixie flapped her sleeves with an exasperated look. "Dat's some 'never forgive' action, right dere!" Farfalla frowned at her sister. "Brietta…" Brietta threw her hands up. "I know, I know…! We're family, 'n family gots ta stick togethah… But-but-but, I woiked hard on dem flowers! It's my spe-ci-a-li-ty, ya know!" The nurse 'bot smiled. "And I'm sure Quartz is very sorry he dug them up!" Brietta crossed her arms. "He ain't apologized yet." "Quartz can be… stubborn," was the response she got. "Give him time and I'm sure he'll come around." "Hrreeen." "Oh, come on…" Farfalla smiled. "Don't roll your eyes like that, Brietta." "What about like dis?" Brietta leaned in close and started spinning her eyes. Farfalla laughed in response. "You're such a silly thing, sister!" "Pixies be silly, 'n I be a pixie!" When Brietta wiggled her genie pants-clad bottom, Farfalla laughed even more. The two shared a smile before moving on to the next topic.

"So, where is everyone?" Farfalla asked. "Far's I can tell," Brietta explained, "Spooky Sis went on an overnight thing up north, Quartz is keepin' dad company, Big Sid was makin' foods, 'n 'Persis' was off cleanin' some empty wing'a th' house. What's th' point in cleanin' a place where no one goes, I ask yas?" "A tidy home is a happy home?" "Poisenally," she continued as she leaned in with a sneaky expression, "I think Persis is just tryin' ta keep busy so she don't get bored! Do ya know what a drag it is bein' housebound all day? It's enough ta drive a pixie mad – mad, I says!!" Brietta zoomed around the foyer for a few seconds, swerving under the stairs and spinning around the chandelier before coming to a stop in front of her older sister once more. "Gosh, I'm bored…" Farfalla pulled her little sister into another light hug. "I know… and I'm sorry." "It ain't your fault 'Zippo's' gots th' hots fer ya, Fallafly!" "What? No. I mean, it was my fault that Dr. Wily almost got away with all of Dr. Chou's notes and his family's fortune…" "Oh, yeah!" Brietta scowled. "You was th' one who let Zippo in here, weren'tcha?" "N-not in so many words, but…" "Brietta, stop."

Brietta pulled away from her sister and hovered just out of reach, looking down at the new arrival. Farfalla looked in that direction as well. A young, blue-haired woman wearing a traditional maid outfit had walked into view.

"It's okay, Persephone…" Farfalla sighed. "If I hadn't let Heatman in for repairs, Dr. Wily wouldn't have–" "'Dr. Eyebrows' wouldn't've used Zippo ta teleport other robots in 'n attack th' manor!" "Brietta!" Persephone glared up at her sister. She was doing the backstroke in the air… "Eh, pobody's nerfect!" she told Farfalla. "We all make mistakes! You didn't know that Zippo was a Wily 'bot! You was jus' doin' what you do best 'n tryin' t' heal da woild!" She zipped down and floated in front of her brown-haired sister. "There ain't nothin' wrong wid dat!" Farfalla looked down. "B-but, if I hadn't…" "Looket me." The pixie squished Farfalla's face in between her sleeves and looked her right in the eye. "You. Did. Nothing! Wrong." she firmly stated. "You are a good poisen!" "S-so… why do you keep constantly reminding me of my mistakes?" She floated back and wiggled her finger at her sister, winking. "'Cause I love yas!"

"Brietta Chou!" Persephone interjected. "There are certain things you simply do not tease someone about! Dr. Wily's attack on the compound is one of them!" "Blah-blah-blah, Persis!" Brietta zipped over to the maid 'bot. "Fallafly's a big girl! She'll get over it! 'Sides, s'not like anyone got hoit!" Farfalla looked away, rubbing her arm. "That's only because Oilman was here…" "Hey, how is 'Oil Slick', anyway?" Brietta grinned as she asked, "I hear he's been keepin' ya puh-retty well oiled…" Brietta waggled her eyebrows as Persephone deeply blushed. "Th-that's none of your business, Brietta!" she shouted with a furious glare. "Hey, like I'm one ta talk!" She twirled as she flew upward. "I had my hands full wid Funnyface! Ah, what a doll… Always good fer a laugh, my li'l Funnyface!" The pixie slowly lowered down until she was at eye level with her sisters. "We gotta get outta here… It's been so long since I been wrapped up in Funnyface's arms… An' believe me, he's got plenty ta wrap me up in!" Persephone scowled as Brietta jingled and vibrated, hugging herself. "Makes me all tingly jus' thinkin' 'bout it…!" she excitedly whispered. "What is wrong with you?!" the maid 'bot shouted, clearly not approving. "She misses her 'clown prince' dearly."

The lights of the manor suddenly vanished, leaving the three sisters in the dark. All eyes turned to the front door of the manor as they dramatically flew open. As a mysterious fog poured in, a figure began to appear from the darkness, slowly stepping into the foyer… "Hiya, Spooky Sis!" Only for Brietta to completely ruin their entrance by announcing them.

The lights turned back on and the fog immediately dispersed, revealing a tall figure draped in a white kimono-like top with detached sleeves and red, pleated slacks. She had long, body-length, raven hair and sleepy eyes as red as her slacks. She also wore a soft smile and emanated an air of calmness, though her eyes seemed somewhat… "lifeless".

"Hello, Brietta," the figure greeted. "Hello, sisters." "Hello, Mikan," Persephone greeted, looking unsettled. "B-back from your trip early?" "Yes," Mikan answered simply. "How'd it go?" Brietta asked. "It went well." The tall woman closed her eyes, nodding. The doors closed behind her. "The spirits were very grateful." "We can see that…" Persephone dryly noted. Mikan's gaze and her eerie smile turned Persephone's way. "Can you?" she asked. "I can!" Brietta chimed, flying over to her tallest sister. "Hiii, spooky spirits!" As she waved to seemingly nothing, both Persephone and Farfalla looked at each other. They knew there was something there… something only those in tune with the spirit realm could see. It was weird, having two spirit-sensing sisters… especially since one was pure chaos and the other was pure order. They did kind of balance one another out, in that regard…

"The spirits say 'hello' to you as well, dear sisters," Mikan told the two. "Hiii…" Persephone said dismissively. "Look–" Without any warning, Brietta suddenly burst into laughter! "Oh, gosh, dat's a good one!!" she laughed, rolling on her back in mid-air and kicking her legs. "Tell 'em, Spooky Sis! Tell 'em what da spooky spirits told us!" Mikan's air of calmness gave way to a sudden shyness. She rubbed her index fingers together and blushed a little, looking down. "I'm… not very good at telling jokes…" she confessed. "I'll tell it!" Brietta cleared her throat, looking at the other two sisters. "So… a priest, a rabbi, and a Buddhist monk all walk into a bar…" "Thinking about it…" Mikan interrupted, "this joke does not make a lot of sense." "Whaaaaa…?" The pixie tilted her head, then her whole body. "Why-come?" "Buddhism encourages the avoidance of alcoholic beverages and drug use." "Maybe da Buddhist monk ordered a glass'a water?" She shrugged. "So's anyway–" "A second thought occurs." "Whaaaaat." Brietta huffed, starting to lose patience. "Is this joke an appropriate one to share at this time? The energy of the room is in flux. There is sadness and frustration within…" "Sounds like da poifect time ta tell it! So anyways… they gets ta talkin' 'n–" "Something else occurs." The pixie quietly growled, flying over to Mikan. "Keep interruptin' 'n I'm gonna zap ya wid my pixie dust! Kapow!!" "Understood. However…" Mikan gestured once more. "Our audience has dispersed." "What?" Brietta looked around. "Whoa! Dey're gone! How dey do dat?" The priestess smiled, tucking her hands into her long sleeves. "'How' indeed…"

On Persephone's suggestion, she and Farfalla had left the foyer and found themselves walking in the western halls of the manor. There, they began a conversation that was, in the former's objective opinion, "far more productive" than listening to their younger sisters' antics. "How was your day, sister?" she asked as they walked through the empty hallway. "The same as usual, I guess…" Farfalla softly shrugged. "I had someone threaten me with my own chair." "Goodness!" Persephone frowned. "Are you alright?" "Just fine!" The other girl smiled. "Thank you for asking." "Why was someone threatening you with a chair?" "Because…" She looked down. "I'm a robot." Farfalla explained the events of the last part of her shift to Persephone. She listened intently, taking in every word and occasionally nodding…

"So, he still didn't trust you to look into his ear problem even after you broke his fall?" "Sadly, no…" She sighed, shaking her head. "This anti-robot movement needs to end." "It may only get worse before it gets better…" Farfalla perked. "What makes you say that?" "Well, think about it." Persephone stopped walking and turned to face her sister. "What if some deranged person comes to your workplace and makes threats against your employers? Or worse… what if they actively try to dismantle your workplace?" The nurse 'bot covered her mouth, going wide-eyed. "I… I hadn't thought about that!" she gasped. "C-could that actually happen…?" "Farfalla…" Persephone gently held her sister's hands. "Every time you simply do your job, you're putting yourself… and your workplace… in danger. It would be much safer for everyone if you would consider staying home with your family." "I-it would, yes…" She paused. "B-but, I can't simply quit doing what I love… what I was created to do… I can't simply quit my job! I would be letting down my friends and co-workers! What if someone really needs me?" "There are humans who can do your job, aren't there?" "Y-yes… but…" "So…" Persephone looked somewhat worried. "Let the humans tend to their own. There's someone here at home who needs you more than anyone." Farfalla went wide-eyed, again. "I-is something wrong with Dr. Chou?" "He hasn't left his office since the attack… You know that." "Is he getting worse, though?" Panic began to show on Farfalla's face. "I-is he eating? Is he staying hydrated…?" "Farfalla…" Persephone brought a hand up, touching her sister's face with a warm smile. "Farfalla… you were his first. You are his pride and joy. He needs you more than any one of us. Please… talk to him." Persephone leaned in, offering her sister a soft hug. She then curtsied before wandering off to seemingly do some more cleaning, leaving Farfalla to ponder what she'd just been told. –

"Dr. Chou? It's… it's me. Farfalla."

Thirty minutes had passed since Farfalla and Persephone had their conversation. In that time, the little nurse 'bot had a lot of time to think.

Two months had passed since she inadvertently let Dr. Wily's forces into the manor grounds. It if hadn't been for Oilman's visit, things might have gone far worse than they did. Between him, Rockman, and Rightot, they were able to put a stop to any plans of grand larceny that Wily had in mind. No one was harmed and anything that was damaged could be replaced. Despite that… Farfalla had kept herself separate from those who would let her. Since the attack, she had blamed herself for letting it happen. In her mind, she was the reason everything happened the way it did. If Brietta, Persephone, and Quartz hadn't twisted her arm to stay, she probably would have left the manor and found somewhere else to live. Things seemed to settle into normalcy shortly after… with one exception.

She couldn't bring herself to face Dr. Chou. Not after what she'd "done".

"Go. Away." That was the response Farfalla got that night. Somehow… she wasn't surprised. Rather than insist she be let in… she just sighed and leaned against the door. "Dr. Chou… We're all worried about you. You haven't left your office since… well… since two months ago. We aren't even sure you're eating or sleeping… Sidney claims the meal trays always come back spotless, but we suspect that Quartz has been eating your food…" The nurse 'bot glanced at the doggie flap built into the doctor's office door and sighed. "My point is that your creations… your children… care deeply about you. We're worried. And most importantly… we miss you…" "Why?" The question was so blunt… so simple… that Farfalla felt taken aback. "Be… because… we're your children and we love you!

"Dr. Chou…!" Farfalla slammed her hand against the large, oaken door to her father's office. "What you're doing isn't fair! It's like you're punishing us for… for seemingly no reason! They need to see your face! Hear your voice! Know that you're healthy and alive!! Why do you keep hiding yourself from the world? Don't punish them… Punish me! It's my fault!" "No." He paused. "It's my fault." "Wh-what?" "I'm sure you've read the news or seen it on TV…" the doctor continued. "There's a worldwide anti-robot movement. And I'm part of the problem!" "Dr. Chou…?" The young woman nervously laughed. "I don't understand…" "I. Make. Robots. Farfalla. So, I'm part of the problem…" "You make good robots, though, not bad ones…" "Good and evil are subjective. You remember reading about Thomas' robots, I'm sure. It was what set this whole bloody chain of events off…"

"Dr. Chou…" Farfalla whispered. "You're not like Dr. Light… and you're definitely not like Dr. Wily! You're a good man who just wants to make the world a better place!" "Farfalla…" Dr. Chou sighed. "Dr. Wily wants to make the world a better place, too…" "N-no!" She shook her head again. "Dr. Wily wants to control the world!" "And… make it a better place." "You– you can't possibly… N-no, I refuse to believe…" Tears started to well in Farfalla's eyes. "Are you… are you defending that evil lunatic?!" "Good and evil are subjective," the doctor calmly repeated. "Dr. Wily thinks he can make the world a better place by leveling it and remaking it in his image. I don't agree with that…" "S-see?" The woman shakily smiled. "That makes you good and him evil!" "Disagreeing with his methods doesn't automatically make him evil, Farfalla…" "But–" "Besides," he continued, startling Farfalla, "some of his ideas do have some merit…" "Wh… what?" "He's right that the world powers, as they are, are corrupt. He's right that things need to change. He's right that robots could potentially be used for bad things. Most anything can! That's been the whole idea behind his attacks. Dr. Wily wants to show the world that robots should be mindless, obedient automatons built purely to serve humanity. He has no interest in robots that can disobey or revolt, much less ones that can think for themselves." "B-but, Heatman was one of Dr. Wily's creations, right…?" Farfalla sniffled. "He might be evil and not care about humans, but Dr. Wily still gave him the ability to think for himself… If Dr. Wily doesn't believe in that, then why would he make his Robot Masters intelligent…?" "Honestly?" Dr. Chou chuckled from behind the door. "I think he gives his original robots the ability to think because he knows it'll mess with Rockman's head." "R-Rockman…?" "Mostly, yes. Breakman doesn't share the kind of… uh… 'sense of justice' that Rockman has. And of course, any time Forte stops his creator, it's purely an act of egotism… With Rockman, though… The robots can talk to him… make him feel as evil as he thinks they are. It's clever if you really think about it…

"Farfalla… Everyone is capable of good deeds. Everyone is capable of evil deeds. Labels like 'good' and 'evil' are subjective, as I've said. Saving a village might seem like a good idea, but if saving one village somehow disrupts the way of life for another village… well…" The doctor paused again before sighing. "I'm tired… I'm going to bed, now. Good night." "Dr. Chou?" Farfalla perked, standing up straight and turning to the door. "Dr. Chou…?" There was no answer from the door. "Dr. Chou! Wait! Come back!" Again, there was no answer. "Dr. Chou!" Tears retired to the girl's eyes. "You're… you're not being fair!" "Life isn't fair, Farfalla. Go to bed. That's an order." "Y-you can't do that!" She shook her head. "You can't just tell me that Dr. Wily is right… that robots… you… are part of the problem… and then… and then… just leave like that!! I… I won't allow it!! I demand that you open this door and face me! Right now!!"

A chilling air fell upon the hallway after Farfalla had made her command. She knew that she had gone way too far. She was Dr. Chou's creation… his invention… and in a sense, his daughter. She had no right to order him to do anything! Yet… she had meant what she said. He couldn't possibly stay locked in that office for the rest of his life. He had to come out… he would come out! Even if the entire family had to drag him kicking and screaming, they… she… would get Dr. Chou to come out of that office and…! And…

And… that's when Farfalla realized something. Just what do I expect him to do after he comes out?

It began to dawn on Farfalla that Dr. Chou wasn't the end-all, be-all answer to all of life's problems. She missed her father, sure. All the Chou Numbers did! But once Dr. Chou was out of the office and they'd had their tearful reunion… then what? Dr. Chou couldn't change the world's opinion about robot-kind. Dr. Chou couldn't even stop the local news outlets from running negative stories about the potential danger of robots running wild. When it came right down to it… Dr. Chou was just as powerless to change the world as anyone else. Not even Dr. Right, the world's foremost expert on robots, could do it! And he made Rockman! So… just what did she expect from her father? And more importantly… what did she want…?

"I just want this all to stop…"

Farfalla sat against the door, pulling her knees to her chest and hiding her crying face. "I want all the hatred to stop… I want all the confusion to stop… I want all the anger to stop… I just want to help humans feel better and lead healthy lives. I want Brietta to be able to fly around the city, making children of all ages happy with her silly antics… I want Mikan to travel the world and help all the lost and wayward spirits pass on… I want Persephone and Sidney to be able to go shopping without having things thrown at them… And, I want Quartz to be able to go to any park he wants and play with the other dogs, again." The girl sniffled, closing her eyes. "I want normalcy… I want peace… And… and I want love. Love for all living things. Humans… Robots… Everything. I know it sounds like a lot to ask… but I just want to be able to live my life without worry. Even if it's just… just for… a little… while…" "You really do want to heal the world, don't you…?"

Dr. Chou stood in his open doorway, smiling down at his sleeping creation. He and his little robot pomeranian, Quartz, had checked on her shortly after she'd stopped talking. "Of all my creations, I think it's you that feels the most at fault when the world tears itself apart, even though it's not your fault," Dr. Chou said. "We humans are just a bunch of confused monkeys, throwing mud in a panic whenever something doesn't go our way…" The doctor reached down, softly stroking Farfalla's hair. Quartz found a place by her side and settled in. "You'll always be there to heal the hearts of those who need it the most… but who can you turn to when your heart is full of sorrow? Sleep well, my dear…"

The doctor quietly slipped back into his office, leaving his creation right where she was. As she slept… there was a calmness in her heart… and a peaceful smile on her face.

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jolienjoyswriting · 2 years ago

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Parallel Diagnoses (ft. Farfalla Chou), Ch. III

Chapter 3 (the final chapter) of "Parallel Diagnoses," a Mega Man fan fiction story.

A normal human being tries to fight a combat robot… with surprising results!

Word count: 3,202 – Character count: 18,895 Drafted: March 7th, 2023 –

Rockman, Roll, the Dr. Right Numbers, Heatman, the "Rockman" series, and related characters and concepts created by and © Capcom Co, Ltd. Farfalla Chou, the Dr. Chou Numbers, related characters and concepts created by and © jade-green-butterfly Joseph Dominique and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li

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"You know… I was trying to be nice." Both Joseph and Farfalla stared with wide eyes as Heatman caught the lead pipe in his hand. They were sure he wasn't paying attention to anything but his forceful affections… "But, I guess some idiots just have to play the hero," he continued. "So, tell ya what…" Joseph blinked… then he yelped and let go of the pipe as it suddenly turned red-hot. "If you wanna play hero…" the robot said, tossing the pipe, "then I'll be your 'bad guy'." He stood, ignoring Farfalla as she seemingly ran away. He then cracked his neck and rolled one shoulder with a grin, looking amused. "I just hope you know what you're in for, 'hero'," the fire-based robot told the man. "'Cause you're about to have a hot time in the old town tonight! Heat Mode!!" Joseph shouted in surprise as Heatman threw his arms out, bursting into flames! The heat was so intense, he ended up stumbling backward to get out of range. Unfortunately for him, the evil robot wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

"You tried to hit me with a pipe," Heatman said as he walked closer to the man. "That wasn't cool… You interrupted my make-out session with the cutest nurse 'bot this side of town, too. Heh. I bet you're the jerk that made her cry in the first place." The flames grew brighter and the heat grew more intense. "I told her to forget about you, but now that I'm actually seein' you…" Heatman planted his feet on the bubbling tarmac and drew his arms back. "Maybe I should do her a favor… and burn you down to the ground. Atomic Fire!!"

Joseph turned and ran the moment he heard the word "burn" – and with good reason! The fiery robot swung his arms, throwing three large balls of fire into the air! One landed directly in front of Joseph, blocking his escape as it exploded into a pillar of flame! The other two crashed haphazardly in no particular places behind him, but the flames were still intense enough to get his attention. The pillars quickly fizzled out, leaving some small fires burning the road and sidewalk. However, fear had left its mark. Joseph… was trembling. "C-c-can't we talk about this…?" he said, turning back toward Heatman. Heatman's grin turned malicious as he suggested, "You wanna hug it out, bro?" Once again, the robot pulsed with heat and flame. Joseph shrieked a panicked "Nooo…!!" as he fell over backward, falling onto his butt. He was trying to crawl away again, but Heatman was happy to follow at a leisurely pace. "What do they make roads out of, again?" he asked, changing the subject. "Melted rubber? Whatever it is, it's stickin' to my boots pretty bad…" The robot took a familiar "ready" stance… "Guess I'll just have to turn up the heat…" Heatman's fiery aura grew in intensity and size as he bellowed out a primal shout like he was from some Japanese fighting series. Joseph was quick to get to his feet and run even farther away, but there was no fleeing from the fight. Heatman wasn't done with him…

"Burst Fire!!" The robot launched himself forward in a blaze, scorching a path around the man and stopping him cold. Once again, Joseph fell on his butt and stared, terrified of the flaming, metal devil before him. "What do you want from me?!" he screamed, crying and shaking, overwhelmed with fear. "Say you're sorry," Heatman calmly told him, standing there in an almost heroic pose. "I'm sorry!!" "No," the robot said, "say you're sorry to my jade butterfly." Joseph frantically looked around. He couldn't see anyone else there. Just Heatman. "I'm sorry, jade butterfly…!!" he cried into the night sky. "Man… what a wienie. You're no fun." Heatman chuckled a little, crossing his arms over his boxy frame. "Well… I guess it's time to roast this wienie…" "D-don't kill me…!!" "Relaaax, dude…" The robot raised his hands above his head, gathering an increasingly large amount of flames into a bright sphere of light and heat. "This won't hurt for long…" Once again, Joseph's fear overtook him and he curled into a ball. There was no way out of his situation! That walking, talking lighter really was going to kill him and he was completely powerless to… "Stop it!!" A voice cried out in the night. And strangely enough… Heatman actually did stop what he was doing to stare in disbelief.

"Butterfly…" he said after half a minute. Joseph blinked… and paused, looking up from the hot pavement. To his surprise… Farfalla was standing in front of him, arms out and legs wide in a protective stance. "Hey, you might wanna move, alright?" Heatman shooed Farfalla with one hand. "Wouldn't wanna scorch your pretty little wings…" "I'm n-not going to let you harm this man!" she defiantly shouted through her nerves. "Butterfly, Butterfly, flutter away…" the fiery robot said in a sing-song. "Live to fly another day. Okay?" The nurse 'bot shook her head. "No!" "Wait…" Heatman scratched his head. "Are you saying you want me to melt you?" "Joseph tried to save me from your unwanted advances!" she yelled, ignoring the other robot's genuine confusion. "N-now, it's my turn to save him!" Heatman walked toward Farfalla with his flame barrier up. Joseph ducked back down, but Farfalla stood steady, glued to the spot by her courage.

"You know… I can melt through steel beams with my Atomic Fire. I'm hotter than thermite in more ways than one. Turning you into a pile of metal mush would be no problem. Is this what you want, though?" She shook her head again. "Do what you will! I don't care!!" she cried. "Yeah, well… I kinda do. Move it." "No!" "I said 'move it'…" "I will not!" "I said…" His aura flared and he reared back. "Move it!!" Joseph yelped as a ball of flames cascaded out of the evil robot's hand. However… it didn't land anywhere near either of them. In fact, it landed well behind them.

"Look, I'm tryin' to be nice, here…" "Burn me if you must," Farfalla challenged, "but I will not move away from this man!" Heatman grimaced. "Don't make me do this, Butterfly…" "I'm not making you do anything," she countered. "You're doing this all on your own!" "Look, I just wanna nuke that jerk for making you cry and–" "I'm not moving!" Heatman sighed… then, unexpectedly, he let his flames go out. "You stress me out, girl…" he said, sounding dejected. "I need another smoke…" Farfalla remained standing between Heatman and Joseph, watching the latter pat himself down, looking for something. She didn't care what. She still wasn't moving. "Oh, dang…" he eventually said. "I think I burned my smokes when I was…" The robot shot a glare at Joseph who was still cowering behind Farfalla. "Oh, whatever…" he sighed, shrugging. "I'll just get s'more at home…" Another sigh passed his lips as he reached up to one of his… ears? "One to teleport," he said, fingers in the green energy port where his ears should be. "Later, Butterfly. Later… you."

The robot in the lighter-shaped armor gave a two-fingered wave to Farfalla before turning around. He took two steps… then he disappeared in a stream of light, shooting high into the night sky. With him gone, a relative peacefulness fell over the area. Some things were still on fire and there were several massive, melty gouges of rubber in the road where Heatman had melted the asphalt… but it was far less scary since he wasn't there to keep it going.

"You… you saved me."

It took a long while for Joseph to realize what had happened… He stayed petrified for a long while after Heatman left. When he did finally notice the temperamental robot was gone, though, he looked up and spoke to Farfalla… who was still shielding him.

"Farfalla… You… you saved my life from that… that maniac…" Joseph slowly… shakily… got to his feet. He stumbled a little but managed to stand. "You're… you're a hero! You're my hero! I–" The man paused. He'd caught the sound of something… "Farfalla?" he called. She didn't respond. However, she was making some sort of sound. "Far… falla? Are you… okay?" Farfalla continued to stand there, her back to Joseph and her arms and legs wide open. She was taking hard, fast breaths… almost like she was hyperventilating. It was confusing to listen to, especially since he didn't think robots needed to breathe. "Farfalla?" he called again. "Hey… The… the scary robot is gone. You can… stop protecting me, now?" She didn't seem very interested in moving. Or responding. "Farfalla…?" Joseph noticed something else, though… "Farfalla… You're… shaking." The robotic nurse wasn't responding to Joseph's voice at all. She continued to stand her ground, arms out and legs apart, violently shaking and raggedly breathing. Something was wrong with her. It was almost like she was in a completely different reality… The man didn't know what to do… so he did the only thing that he could think of.

He walked in front of her… and hugged her.

Slowly… very slowly… and stiffly… very stiffly… Farfalla seemed to return to her senses. With some effort, she eventually let her arms find their way around Joseph's shoulders, one hand squeezing one of his shoulders while the other dug into his T-shirt. Her body wouldn't stop vibrating and her breathing refused to calm… She couldn't stop crying, either. It was like something within her just… broke. All she wanted to do… was hug Joseph for all he was worth.

Late into the night, the fire department came into the area. When that happened, they took both Joseph and Farfalla aside and took care of any of the small fires that remained. The police arrived not long after and Joseph had to explain what happened. When the name "Heatman" came up, the officer just rolled his eyes and groaned. Apparently, he was very familiar with that particular robot. Eventually, the fire department left, as did the police, satisfied with the report Joseph had filled out. They offered the two a ride home, but Joseph declined. The two sat at the bus stop bench after, though they certainly weren't waiting for a bus. Farfalla had seemingly gone into shock after her ordeal. She wasn't shaking, crying, or breathing heavily, anymore. However, she was refusing to acknowledge the man any further than she already had. It was worrying…

"I'll never be able to pay you back, you know… For saving me, I mean." Joseph smiled, watching Farfalla sit there and stare at the pavement. "That was one of Wily's robots, huh?" he asked. "I've… never seen a real, live Wily 'bot, before. I'm only familiar with a handful of them besides, like, Springman or, um… Well, I guess just Springman. He was a really surprising contestant in that whole 'Battle & Chase' race from a few years ago! Nearly won the whole thing 'til Wily revealed it was one of his evil plans! Good thing Rockman was there to stop him, huh?" He waited for about a minute, hoping for a response. When he didn't get one, he looked away and frowned. "I'm… sorry. I'm sorry you had to end up saving me like that. I… I had no idea what I was dealing with. I just saw that stupid jerk kissing you and you struggling, and I just…" The man shook his head. "I'll know better, next time. But… knowing me…" He weakly smiled. "I'd probably try and clobber him again…" Joseph sighed. "We should go home. Can I offer you cab fare? I'd offer you a ride home, but–" "You're going to leave me?" "Wha'?" The man blinked and stared. Suddenly, just like that… Farfalla was looking at him. She looked genuinely distressed, too, her green eyes shining with frightened tears… "N… no, I–" "Do you despise the idea of me being a robot so much that you would just abandon me? Even after everything that's happened tonight…?" Again, Joseph blinked and stared. "What… what's you being a robot have to do with anything?" he asked, genuinely confused. Farfalla blinked, a look of realization coming over her. She was doing it again…

"F-forget I said that!" she shouted, looking away with an embarrassed blush. "No." The man reached over, gently turning her head back his way. "Tell me what's wrong?" he softly asked. "And… tell me why you stormed off earlier. I'm pretty sure it wasn't just because of how I acted… but if I said or did something wrong–" "Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Wily…" Farfalla said, gently moving her head away from his hand, "the general consensus of robots like me… robots that can think and act independently… is… not good. Human-robot relations are at an all-time low. Even heroic robots like Rockman and Breakman are considered untrustworthy by most people. Some even think it's a big conspiracy… like the Drs. Right and Wily are just performing some sort of… stage play… to artificially bolster human-robot relations!! Even independent roboticists such as Drs. Lalinde, Cossack, and even my own father, Dr. Chou, have been dragged into this public relations nightmare… All because one crazed roboticist felt like he never got his proper dues…" Joseph looked at the sidewalk. "Oh… I… see." "That's all you have to say? 'I see'?" "What?" He looked back at Farfalla… only to see her angrily staring back with tears in her eyes.

"I give you the full explanation of my irrational behavior and why I'm so utterly terrified by the thought that my being a robot would change your opinion of me… and all you can say is 'Oh, I see'?" Joseph thought about that question for a while before telling her… "Yeah." The brevity of the answer seemed to his Farfalla like a slap in the face. She blinked a couple of times… then she smiled… then she started laughing. It didn't last long, however. "What you must think of me, Mr. Joseph Dominique…" The woman sighed. A few seconds later, she stood and looked up into the night sky. "Yes… we should return home," she told him. "My family is probably worried…" She looked his way with a sad sort of smile. "Today has been… enlightening." The woman leaned down, placing a soft kiss on the man's cheek. "Whatever you may think of me… know that you'll always have a place within my robotic heart. Good night, Mr. Dominique. And… thank you for saving me." Farfalla turned and started to walk away… only to feel a familiar tug on her arm. "Somehow… I had a feeling you were going to stop me, again," she sighed. "Yeah, well… that's because I have something to tell you." The woman didn't bother looking back as she asked, "What is it?" She heard him rise from his seat. Then, she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders. For some reason… she found herself leaning back into his warm embrace. Even if what he had to say wasn't worth listening to… she would at least have the comfort of one last hug before they parted ways for the final time.

"I like you, Farfalla…" "I… I liked you, too, Joseph." "No, I said I like you," he countered. "As in, I currently like you." "Even though I'm a robot?" There was no hint of sarcasm or "play" in that question. She meant it exactly as asked. "What is this weird, self-deprecating stigma you've made for yourself?" Joseph sighed and squeezed the woman. "It's like you don't want me to like you…" Farfalla softly sighed. "I've just… come to expect certain things from certain people, I suppose. The stories I could tell you of humans who, upon realizing that I wasn't one of them, turned against me and my employers…" "I'm all ears, Farfalla…" She hummed with a soft smile. "Not tonight." "Then… some other time?" the man asked. "Maybe… we could make a date of it?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "You're utterly incorrigible, Mr. Dominique." "I'm not hearing a 'nooo'…" Farfalla brought her arms up, hugging his as he continued to hold her. "If you're serious about this…" she whispered, "then prove it." She squirmed loose only to turn around and give him a proper hug. He smiled, returning the gesture. It was nice to see her smile, again.

"Earn my trust," the nurse said. "Show me that not all humans are alike." "Aren't most of your co-workers human?" "Yes, and they're quite nice. None see me as 'dating material', however." She closed her eyes and whispered, "It would be very hard for me to start a family, after all…" "Is that something you want?" Joseph asked, resting his forehead against hers. "To start a family with someone?" "Someday, perhaps…" she half-sighed. "I'm quite focused on work at this time." She then opened one eye to look at him. "That doesn't mean I don't get lonely, however." "I get lonely, too…" he whispered back. "Maybe we could be lonely together?" "Incorrigible… Utterly… utterly… incorrigible…"

The clouds from earlier in the day seemed to dissipate as the moon reached its apex, shining its radiance on the two new friends as they stood there at the bus stop, simply holding one another. Some would say it was a magical moment, meant to be shared between lovers… For them, though? It meant something else. "It's getting cold…" "I don't get cold, Joseph." "You really don't…" Joseph smiled, tilting his head back. "In fact, you're pretty warm." "It's part of my design," Farfalla replied, giving a smile as warm as her frame. "Wonder what other functions Dr. Chou built into you…" "If… that was an innuendo, Joseph…" The two shared a grin. It was definitely an innuendo of some sort…

"Seriously, though," Joseph continued, "you're a marvel of modern science! I'd love to get to know more about you. And not just the 'robot' parts. I wanna know what makes you tick, Ms. Chou! Ah… no… pun intended." "In due time, Mr. Dominique…" She sighed, finally sliding out of his arms. "For now… I must be homeward bound." The man nodded. "Can I give you a lift?" "Maybe some other time." She grinned as she told him, "I'd prefer you not learn where I live before our first proper date." "Chou Manor," Joseph answered without missing a beat. "The big place on the hill?" Farfalla smiled and went wide-eyed. "W-well! I… I guess it was somewhat obvious…" The man chuckled. "Kinda." "Still… I'll take a taxi cab tonight. Nothing personal," she said as she offered another smile, "but… I meant what I said. Earn my trust. I'm faithful that you can."

With some hesitation, the two went their separate ways. After the day they'd had, they certainly had a lot to think about. Joseph, in particular, slept restlessly. He could still feel the furious flames of the robot known as Heatman haunting his dreams… Despite that, though? It seemed like they were well on their way to a new… and very interesting… friendship.

#fan fiction #Parallel Diagnoses #commercial characters #Mega Man #Heatman #fan characters #jade-green-butterfly #Farfalla Chou #jolikmc #Joseph Dominique #action #drama #romance

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