[Coda]

SUBJECT: Experiment Log - DWN-011
AUTHOR: Dr. Albert Wily
DATE: June 4, 20XX
FORMAT: Holovid + Telemetry with attachments

Bubble Man is watching the telemetry from Mega Man's descent through the traps he left in the water -- bombs, robots, breakaway terrain, spikes tipped with energy poison -- and alternating between excitement and frustration. Every time it seems like the intruder is going to finally get thwarted by one of the obstacles, the resourceful Light robot has yet another way of getting out of a jam. Bombs are detonated from a distance with Metal Blades; robots are pummeled with buster shots and Quick Boomerangs... The breakaway terrain ALMOST got him, but he called a wall-climbing machine to get back up! And he was always able to just narrowly avoid all of the spikes!

And now Mega Man is coming through the last tunnel.

Bubble Man closes his eyes and tries to psych himself up. "I can do this. Those were just traps and hazards. I'm a Robot Master. I was BUILT to fight Mega Man." He starts to glow faintly blue as he reminds himself of all of his advantages.

The door opens and Mega Man enters. Bubble Man slams his fist against the control panel he was using to monitor Mega Man's progress, sealing the door and opening up a panel of the same energy-poisoned spikes that he had left as traps.

"Good to see you, Mega Man! You may have gotten this far, but I'm going to be the one to stop you!"

Mega Man doesn't reply, only scowling; his response is to equip the Air Shooter, turning blue and white. Bubble Man confidently swims out to float in the middle of the room, creating a Bubble Lead in each hand.

And then the fight is on. Mega Man opens fire, generating tornadoes that ripple through the water, leaving trails of frothy bubbles in their wakes. But Bubble Man intercepts with the Bubble Lead in his hand, trapping a tornado inside it and crushing it by collapsing the bubble. The Robot Master grins eagerly, his eyes shining blue as his blue aura grows stronger. "You should have known better! I am the master of water!"

The obvious failure prompts another weapon switch, green and white this time for the Leaf Shield, just in time to block a burst of shots from Bubble Man's arm cannon. But when Mega Man tries to throw the shield to counterattack, the leaves get caught up in the water, swirling in place and making little headway before sinking to the ground.

His hope further bolstered by the second demonstration of his aquatic superiority, Bubble Man's aura flares and and fires off another set of plasma shots. With the extra power, the condensed energy attacks look like piercing glares of blue that roar through the water, and Mega Man can't get the Leaf Shield back up in time to block all of them. The shots that get through sear holes into Mega Man's armor, the water in contact with the metal sizzling as it cools the melted edges.

As soon as Bubble Man stops firing, Mega Man drops the shield, not even bothering to throw it, and he switches weapons again, turning pink as he directs a salvo of Quick Boomerangs up at the Robot Master. But this time Bubble Man raises a shield of his own, a luminous spherical forcefield of blue light, and the boomerangs crumble on impact with it.

"I didn't know I could do that!" Bubble Man exclaims in surprise. "But I do know I can do this!" He creates another Bubble Lead and drops it, only to have it settle on the bottom of his shield. The Robot Master laughs in amusement and dismisses the barrier, allowing the bubble to drop to the ground and start rolling towards Mega Man.

Mega Man jumps over it easily, but with the additional buoyancy from being underwater he has to be careful about how high he jumps. Bubble Man, meanwhile, takes the opportunity to pelt Mega Man with more arm cannon shots. With no time to raise a defense, Mega Man takes several hits, but he returns a counteroffensive of Quick Boomerangs. Bubble Man's greater aquatic mobility lets him avoid the salvo easily, but he fails to notice the boomerangs arcing around behind him.

The impacts startle the aquatic Robot Master, and his blue aura flickers and dims faintly. He fires off two more Bubble Leads to provide some cover as he retreats. Mega Man switches to the Metal Blade, equipping a suitably streamlined weapon for the greater distance, and he bursts both Bubble Leads with a single blade. Loud cracking noises punctuate the bubbles' collapse as water pressure results in rapid cavitation.

Bubble Man's blue aura fades a bit more, but he tries to redouble his efforts. "I won't stop until you're defeated, Mega Man! I have more bubbles!" He fires off another series of shots from his arm cannon, but they're the normal faintly-glowing yellow, and Mega Man has no difficulty evading them.

Mega Man's return fire comes in the form of a Metal Blade hurtling at Bubble Man's central mass. Bubble Man raises another barrier, but the impact of the Metal Blade sends cracks spiderwebbing over the surface of the shield and it shatters into nothingness. A second Metal Blade is less precisely aimed but still digs into Bubble Man's left arm, and an angry electric noise marks the destruction of the weapon systems contained inside.

One more Metal Blade comes slicing through the water, and no barrier appears. Bubble Man's eyes have no blue glow now, opening wide in fear and surprise up until the moment of impact.


SUBJECT: Re: Experiment Log - DWN-011
AUTHOR: Dr. Albert Wily
DATE: June 4, 20XX
FORMAT: Plain Text

A rousing, if qualified, success!

Previously, DWN-014's Wily effect manipulation demonstrated the ability to create persistent crystalline structures. DWN-011 did not replicate this technique, but it did demonstrate at least two new phenomena.

I know that the other Mark II Robot Masters can augment their own energy with Wily field energies. That was part of the design of their power cores. Further analysis of DWN-010's experiment data has additionally demonstrated direct application of red Wily field energy as a destructive force. However, DWN-011 was able to channel blue Wily field energy into its secondary weapon to increase its effectiveness and power output beyond merely providing operational energy for the weapon itself.

The second new phenomenon is the barrier. Modern technology is familiar with working with condensed energy for weapons and tactile projections, but due to its tendency to rapidly decompose when excited it is unsuitable for defensive applications. DWN-011's barrier acts more like hard light projections from science fiction. It reacts to forces as if it were completely solid, including cracking under strain. Unlike the aforementioned crystal synthesis, this barrier only persists while energy is being provided, and unlike condensed energy constructs it dissipates harmlessly when destroyed or depowered instead of exploding.

However, DWN-011 also exhibited a severe failure mode that previous Mark II Robot Masters did not demonstrate. Under conditions I have not yet been able to identify, it stopped being able to manipulate the Wily effect. This is concerning as it suggests a significant weakness that could potentially be exploited or a point of failure that could be triggered unexpectedly in a critical time. If I can identify the specific cause of the failure I may be able to add a failsafe or fallback.

On a tangential subject, a data point to note: DLN-001 has not yet exhibited any Wily effect phenomena. The Variable Weapon System could theoretically have replicated DWN-014's crystal generation, at the very least. This supports my hypothesis about focused intelligence being required to manipulate the effect. Technology alone, even the most advanced mimetic technology I have ever worked with, appears to be insufficient.


SUBJECT: Marine Crews Carefully Disassemble Death Trap
AUTHOR: Chest, CPS Television Network
DATE: June 6, 20XX
FORMAT: Video

"Cleanup efforts extend into their second day after the defeat of another one of Dr. Wily's Robot Masters.

"Two days ago, a Robot Master now known as Bubble Man installed a series of traps and weapons in the bay. Mega Man entered this impromptu lair and defeated the Robot Master, but the area is still a dangerous hazard. The cleanup effort is made more risky by the devastating effects of underwater explosives -- the shock wave of a detonation travels much more strongly in water. Light Labs is donating remote-controlled drones to assist in the disarmament process.

"Even discounting the explosives, the mechanical wreckage and the fuel and lubricant leaks are going to take a long time to clean up satisfactorily. Environmental groups have criticized Light Labs for negligence, claiming that Mega Man voluntarily entered into underwater combat instead of looking for more environmentally friendly alternatives."

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Word Count: 1487
Total Words: 12763