Part 15: Rogue Is A Dumb Character III

Vega asks if Mu has been located yet.

There's no doubt it lies in the Bermuda Maze... But that place is rather unique...

In a stunning surprise, Bermuda Maze is a maze. And a really complex one too; Hollow figures anyone who gets lost will never get out.

Hm... This may not go as smoothly as I planned.

You need not worry, Lady Vega...



Hollow is certain that they'll find Mu soon. Vega's pleased to hear this, and notes that now they only need to acquire the OOPArt.

What is Solo's status?

It will be some time before he awakens...



Oh great.

Your servant Hyde will retrieve the OOPArt from MegaMan! Please, Lady Vega! Grant me this!

Hyde...

Yes, ma'am!

You have disappointed me once too often.

Thank you for the... Wait! What!? You're disappointed!?

Vega points out that every single one of Hyde's plans have failed. In her own words, it's rather pathetic.

Hollow will retrieve the OOPArt. That is my decision.

As you wish...



Hollow exits, leaving Hyde gnashing his teeth.

By the way, Hyde's yet another case of the writers fucking up. He's supposed to be the supremely arrogant dick that gradually breaks down each time his plans fail, ultimately culminating in a full-fledged meltdown. Instead he's just this reoccuring asshole who doesn't really change and consistently makes every scene he's in worse. And let me tell you right now, he's never going to do anything as satisfying as crash and burn.



Cut to Geo, who's back to his frowny face. An e-mail interrupts his moping.

Since I can't get you on the phone, I decided to send you a mail.

I heard you've been depressed since you got back, so I decided that we would all come and check on you.

Oh wow, that's actually kind of nice of you. I mean knowing your track record you'll say all the wrong things and make Geo feel even worse, but at least you're showing something resembling empa-

It's not like I'm really worried about you. I want to know if you've found Sonia or not!



......



Geo is not in the mood for his friends right now.

Plus I don't even know what I should tell them about Sonia...

Here we go again. Now I gotta deal with you being all sad again...

I'm just as annoyed. "Geo falls back into his depression" is only good for one scenario, not two!

...Though I will admit that this instance is much more justified than the last one. Geo's only recently learned to trust in BBs, and having his closest friend suddenly sever that must really hurt.



And it hurts me too since now I don't have enough LP to equip all of my abilities.



Good thing I won't be needing this for today's transformation.



Instead of waiting until I gather all six Indy Fragments, I can just use a Wave Command to access MegaMan Rogue.



As you probably expected, using this form meanings giving up my Wi-Fi BBs. This causes my LP to plummet,



and with it the number of abilities I can equip. This is the main drawback to Rogue form, but since I used a Wave Command to get it something funny happens.



Even though they aren't giving me LP and can't be used in battle, all of my BBs are still intact. I can even equip the Brother cards, they just won't show up in battle.



Normally I'd have to delete all six of my BBs to get space to register the fragments, so I guess in a rare moment of foresight Capcom coded the game to nullify all of my BBs anyways.



Anyhow, without my old Power Up or all of those abilities, I can only use up to two Giga cards. This makes my normal folder unusable since it has a whopping five. This is easy to fix though, and I needed to adjust my folder for this form regardless.



I hope you are sleeping well.

Sometimes I really wonder about Hope.



But I digress. Rogue form appears as a darker recolor of MegaMan's base Tribe, and it inherits most of its abilities.


As you can see, Rogue form has a ton of passives, not all of them helpful. Let's go over these one by one.

1. Super Armor
This is inherited from Fire Saurian, while Fire +30 wasn't. All three tribes will lose their elemental boost because

2. Sword +50
Rogue form boosts this instead.


3. Mu Rejection Barrier
Once per turn, the first attack MegaMan takes will be nullified. Handy, though it's not nearly good enough to replace Invisible.

4. Null Lock-on
This ability is for VS mode. If an opponent tries to execute a Mega Attack on Rogue form, their lock-on reticule will shatter after half a second. This doesn't stop Ninja's Auto Lock-on, and for that matter doesn't really stop the normal lock-on. It's trivially easy to do the Mega Attack before the reticule breaks.

5. Null BBs
I went over this already, but it's worth nothing that since he's restricted to in-game BBs, Rogue form's maximum LP is 400.

6. Null Mega cards
For some idiotic reason, Rogue form can not use Mega cards. I guess it's because using them is like summoning friends to help you?

7. Indie Force
Here's the big difference between getting Rogue form from a Wave Command and from the Fragments. If you do the latter, MegaMan's folder will contain a special Indie Force card. He'll use this to Tribe On into Rogue form, and he can also use it to activate his Big Bang. I don't have all six fragments so I can't show you it, but it's just a purple recolor of the normal LFBB so who cares.

Back to the plot.



Geo wants to go somewhere, and both Mega and the player have no idea where.



To progress, I have to try to leave Echo Ridge. Geo refuses to answer, and just gets into an arriving bus.



The game then cuts to Solo, who's still powering up.

Gyaaaaaahhhh!!

Also still screaming.



Back to Geo in Wilshire Hills. Once again the player is left on his own to figure out how to advance the plot.



And that would be to check this billboard.

Yeah, I have no clue what the designers were thinking for this scenario. Handholding "Hey you should do this next" is pretty annoying, but it's still much better than "press A on everything until you can move forwards". And it's only going to get worse from here.



Geo flashes back to SF1.



It was a really long flashback.

Hey, kid! What's on your mind?

I was just thinking... I was thinking about when Sonia and I first formed a BrotherBand...

She told me that we shared a connection... But now...

Hmph... How long are ya gonna be depressed for?



And arguably the only person.

Geo thinks back to how he was in SF1, and muses that it was Sonia who brought him out of his shell.



An earthquake interrupts Geo's reverie.

No, looks like your other friends are here!



A bolt of lightning hits a nearby spire,



and Hollow appears.

Come forth servants!



He wastes no time ranting and immediately tries to draw out MegaMan.

That guy works with Solo and Hyde! They're always making a mess of things! Let's go take this guy down, kid!

I... I don't feel like fighting right now...

If you wanna sit around feeling sorry for yourself, go for it.



And then Mega suddenly cared about helping people.

He's using them to get to us so it's our job to take him down!

......

I guess Geo agrees, because I regain control of him after that.



This time around.



the Murians are more colorful. And that paintjob isn't for show; the Yellow Murian is indeed Elec elemental, and that goes for all the colors but purple and tan (who are Null element).



Here's Buster Max, a very nifty Giga card. It maxes my buster's Rapid and Charge and kicks Attack up to 10. It's incredibly useful against bosses, especially in a stunlock folder like mine.



Sadly it does not stack with Buster Panel.



Also on the Giga card showcase is Poison Pharoah, which steadily depletes enemy HP as long as the statue is intact. Nifty, but gimmicky at best since all of the poison cloud effects make it really hard to focus on the enemies.



Once all of the Murians fall, Hollow makes his move. He introduces himself to Geo, then demands the OOPArt.

You think I'd give it to someone who hurts people!?

Hollow recommends Geo obey him, or else...

I have given my word that I would not permanently harm you...

There is no or else.

Your word?



Suddenly the screen dims. Both Geo and Mega feel tension in the air.

He has awakened just in time...

It would have been hilarious if Hollow just had to awkwardly leave since he can't get in a fight with MegaMan.



But as always, Solo ruins things.

Solo!

I've come to finish you!

......Very well, Solo. I leave the matter in your hands...

Hollow warps behind Solo,



who immediately Wave Changes.



The new Rogue's sporting a dark aura and a spiffy new mugshot.

What the...!? Something's different...

Don't worry! We knocked the stuffing out of him last time! We'll just have to pound the lesson home again.

Yeah!

Geo charges at Rogue,



and bounces off his barrier.

Huh...?

What's wrong, kid?

You just tried to tackle him, how do you not know what's wrong?



Geo tries his buster, with similar results.

Solo is now in possession of the power of the "Indie Proof"... He now has the power of the "EM wave barrier"...

Hollow explains that this barrier isn't under Solo's control. It's fully automatic, and will repulse anyone trying to approach Solo.



Solo has forsaken bonds, and with it all ties to other people...

Which is why he's trying to kill MegaMan right now. Or does rivalry not count as a bond now?

No one can get close to him!? I knew he didn't like people but...

Yeah, never thought he'd go that far...

Rogue steps forward.

......

Be careful, kid!

I will!

I've told you before... Friends... Bonds... I don't need such worthless things. This EM wave barrier is proof of that!

Isn't it also proof that you accepted somebody else's help?



for trusting in them.

And look who's conveniently forgetting about his previous loss.

I've staked everything on proving that to you here and now!



Cue an unwinnable battle.



Solo can't take damage during this fight. Theoretically that's because of his barrier, but it's very obvious just from the animation that Rogue's barrier is only supposed to block one hit. He just can't take any damage because.



Even poison can't harm him, even though the Mu Rejection Barrier doesn't protect against that. Rogue is straight up cheating, because I guess being invincible in cutscenes wasn't good enough for him.



Since I'm MegaMan Rogue, I'll follow his example.



Not that it changes the following cutscene. Rogue charges up for a finishing blow,



but Geo vanishes in a flash of white.



Geo (who was apparently unconscious) wakes up the next morning.

You're finally awake.

Sonia!!

Geo asks if Sonia saved him. She hesitantly confirms, and gets an immediate thank you in return.

So you've decided to come back to us then?



Geo starts to ask what she's talking about, but stops and goes for a more important question.

Sonia, tell me what happened to you. You owe me that much!

I've... I've joined up with them...

By them you mean...

Vega and her crew...

You've gotta be kidding!

Sonia wishes she were, but it's the truth. She obeys whatever Hollow says now. Geo asks if she's been brainwashed, or if she's being threatened, or if she has some reason for doing this.



How could you...

Hold up just a minute! Now I've been listening to this nonsense here, and it seems to me that you're no longer on our team, right girlie? So next time we meet we're all going to throw down, you hear me?

Are you going somewhere with this?

Do what you have to...

!!

Yo Lyra! You hear me? We're enemies now!

I think Mega's supposed to be trying to point out how absurd the situation is, but he comes off like he's enjoying this.

I'm sorry Mega... There's just some things I can't tell you...

Sonia!!

Goodbye...

Sonia teleports away.



Mega abruptly changes the topic and recommends Geo go home for his safety.



Where were you, young man!? Do you know what time it is? The sun's almost coming up! Do you know how worried I was!? I was up all night waiting for you!

Don't do that again. Now go upstairs and get to bed.

Hope is really lenient.



This nap's ominous cutscene is in Bermuda.

There's no need to get excited, Harp Note...

Sonia reminds Hollow that she would only help him if he left MegaMan alone. Because clearly Geo can't possibly take on Hollow.

You have forgotten... We'll honor the deal, but MegaMan has to give us the OOPArt, then we leave him alone.

You just changed the deal entirely, how is that honoring it?

Grr...

Hollow reminds Sonia that her duty is to solve the Bermuda Maze.

The reason we first welcomed you is because we believe in your abilities...

......

One more thing...



Hollow remarks that Vega is very unhappy.

How did...

Did you really think you could deceive us with that flashy nonsense? If you dare attempt such foolishness again, you and MegaMan will never see each other again...

With that warning, Hollow warps away.

Sonia...

I'm OK, Lyra... I'm OK...



Now for another dream.

That's Ms. Strumm to you!

Dream Sonia declares that she lives only to serve Vega, and that Geo is her enemy.



Dream Harp Note blasts Geo,



forcing him awake.



Geo still doesn't want to meet with his friends, so he decides to run away again.



He isn't as successful this time.

Z-Zack!

Bud quickly pops in too, and the duo call for Luna.



Who is just sitting there because she can't be assed to go look for her friends.

Bring him to me!



No, I wasn't... I mean...

(Sh-sh-sh-she looks super angry!)

That's Prez for you...

The look in her eyes... It can make the bravest of men turn to jelly!

Luna demands Geo to tell her absolutely everything.

......

(Hmph... She's not gonna let you go. I think you'd better give up and tell 'em.)

Geo reluctantly gives in.



A fade to black later, and the entire group is informed.

You know... Sometimes you're the world's biggest idiot!

Huh? Me?

Don't you get it? She's pretending!

Luna figures Sonia's just trying to keep Geo out of danger, so she's just acting like she's changed sides.

!!

What did you think she was doing? You think she betrayed us and now she's our enemy? You'd really thing she's do something like that?

Considering she attacked him and cut off her BB? Luna's right of course, but Geo's totally justified to be depressed.

Too bad this is Luna's moment so Geo can't say anything to defend himself.



And meanwhile she gets to be a giant ass.

You don't... Ugh... *Sniffle*

And then she starts crying. Maybe she really is bipolar.

Prez...

What? I'm just crying! Got a problem with that!? Just thinking about Sonia must be feeling makes me cry!



So she hides her pain and pretends to be one of the bad guys... Can you imagine how hard it was for her to delete your BrotherBand? As a fellow female, I can understand her pain...

So.

......

Is nobody going to mention the elephant in the room?

Prez... I'm sorry... You're right. I was a colossal idiot...

Oh man they really aren't.

I never considered Sonia's feelings. I was afraid of being hurt by her so I just ran away.



Oh well that's funny, because this whole thing happened because Sonia didn't trust Geo. He is fully capable of protecting himself, and Sonia knows this from first-hand experience! In fact, she was so confident in him that she urged him to help out and be a hero a couple scenarios ago! How is it any way consistent for her to suddenly fear for Geo's life?

Put it this way: Kung Foo Kid is the most rational person in the game right now because his reaction to meeting Geo was "Oh you're that guy who single-handedly defeated an anti-planet monster, you must be the toughest person around!"

You're right! This time I'm gonna bring her back!

Geo's smiling again.



Boo yeah! Now you're talking, kid!

Yeah... no.



Now that Geo's cheered up, it wouldn't be in-character to keep this on. And since I'm not sure how to proceed, I'll have to end the update here.

------





Here are the other two Rogue forms. Rogue Zerker is the only one worth using since Side Select is miles better than Super Armor or Anti Damage.

------