Press Start To Play?, Ch. 5

"Perceptions Adjusted"

Aya stared up at the moon from where she was sitting on the shipping crates outside the Flutter. Why did that boy have to be so stubborn? It wasn't like she immediately started insulting him at first sight, so why was he so hostile toward her?

"Nice night, isn't it?" Roll said as she sat down next to Aya.

"Yes," Aya answered, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Yes it is. I always like watching the stars, and even here, they look just as good."

Roll reached into her pocket and pulled out a small handkerchief and offered it to Aya. "You know, I don't think he really meant all of what he said back there. While I won't pretend to know what exactly is going on, I think he was just upset that he is as out of place as you seem to be."

"Thanks," Aya replied as she took the cloth and wiped the tears on her face. "I mean I don't even know him, who he is, or where he comes from, and yet he immediately starts calling me stupid, thoughtless, and a preppy cheerleader bitch. And I'm none of those."

"You know," Roll suggested. "To be exactly fair, you don't know who he is, and yet you're pretty much dismissing him as just like every other jerk you've run across. Yes, he's a bit of a pervert, enough that he had a magazine that had a picture of me in it. But when he was faced with the real thing, half-naked in front of him, what did he do? He tried to get out of the room as quick as he could, and was blushing like a little schoolboy. That's not exactly what I'd call a mean person."

"That's just it," Aya explained. "He doesn't know me at all, and yet he was the one who immediately started in with the insults, simply based on my choice of clothing. He's the one who started the stereotyping. And based on his reaction, what else am I supposed to think, except for what he's given me? Granted, he might actually be a decent guy, but how am I to know if he judges me simply based on what I wear? Just because I wear this, doesn't mean that I subscribe to that clique of idiots. I just wear it to make my life just a little easier."

"Maybe you should consider this, then," Roll suggested. "While you may not be like them, why do you take the path of least resistance? He might not be too fond of people who opt for the easy way out."

"I dress like this because I already have enough stress to deal with in my life," Aya explained. "If there's something I can do that will lighten the stress I have to go through, then I'll do it. Because, at least when I dress like this, I blend into the background and no one notices me or bothers me all that much. It has it's downsides, but at least life isn't a living hell like it used to be when I dress the way I used to. I've already had one mental breakdown, I don't want another."

"Well, I can understand not wanting to have too much put on you," Roll nodded. "But still, I was just trying to help you see what he could possibly be thinking. I could be totally off the mark, but I would assume it's pretty similar to what he's thinking, based on what he's said so far."

"Hmm," Aya retorted. "Have live my life as I did, and then try to make that judgment."

"I'm sure he could say the same about you living his," Roll countered. "You two obviously come from two different backgrounds, so naturally, you're going to see things differently. Maybe if you saw it his way, he might see it yours."

"Maybe," Aya shrugged. "I'd consider it if he stopped insulting me."

"Then just give him some time, okay?" Roll smiled. "If he could be decent enough to avert his eyes and not try and see me naked, then I think that you just have to give him time to realize that he's not being very fair to you in that respect."

"Alright," Aya said as she hopped down off of the crate she was sitting on. "I'm going to go take a walk now and think for a bit. Maybe it'll help me to cool off a bit."

"Alright," Roll nodded as Aya walked off. She had just stood back up when she had to evade being hit by Megaman as he flew out the door backwards, propelled by a small explosion.

"Megaman!" Roll exclaimed as she hopped down and knelt next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Megaman coughed as he sat up. "As you can see, my attempt to talk to that boy was not very effective. At least he only tossed a small flash grenade at me, instead of the missile that he had hovering in front of my face." Megaman then shook his head. "These two diggers, I don't know who they are, or where they came from, but they are outright insane!"

"I'm sure he just wanted to make his point exceedingly clear and leave no room for misunderstanding," Roll suggested. "And call me crazy, but I'm not so sure they really are diggers. There's something odd about the two of them that I can't figure out, but I don't think that they're supposed to even be here."

"So, what did you find out about the girl?" Megaman asked. "Since you obviously fared better than I did."

"I really don't know for sure," Roll shrugged. "I think that she's just insecure and covers it up with her attitude."

"Hmm," Megaman mused. "Don't think there's any insecurity issues with the boy, that's for sure. It seems that he just covers a mistake he's made by being violent and threatening to those around him. If I had to guess, I would say that he's been persecuted a lot and is just generally sick and tired of it. So, along comes the poor girl, who happens to have the bad luck of dressing and looking a lot like the type of people who persecuted him."

Roll turned and looked at Megaman. "Are you sure you're just a digger, Megaman? Because that was incredibly perceptive of you."

"That's just what I gathered, from watching those two," Megaman said. "By the way, where did that girl go?"

"She said she needed to take a walk," Roll answered. "She headed off through the Cardon Forest."

"Well, the boy is sulking in the cockpit," Megaman said. "And judging by the way he was trying to hide his face, I guess he not too fond of himself when he hurts a girl's feelings, because apparently, he could see her out here, crying."

"Yeah," Roll nodded. "She was crying alright. She was trying to hide it, but the moonlight was reflecting off of the wet sections of her cheeks. It was kind of hard to miss."

"I still wonder, however," Megaman mused. "Where did she get all those weapons and money from? Because I've cleared out pretty much all of the ruins on the island, except for the Main Gate. And as far as I know, they don't exist anywhere else. But here she is with the exact same ones, just like the ones I got. It's like she's copied every last one, somehow."

He then trailed off, as he remembered something. "Dang! And I STILL haven't managed to get the boy's name!"

"Sorry," Roll shrugged. "But she didn't exactly offer, so I don't know hers either."

"It's Michael," a voice said behind them.

Both Roll and Megaman turned around. "Huh?"

"My name," Michael said. "It's Michael Summers. And no, I don't know the girl's either, sorry."

"Well, pleased to meet you, Michael," Roll smiled as she looked up at him. "That answers one question, but it still leaves us at a disadvantage, because you seem to know us rather well."

"Well," Michael hesitated. "How do I put it? We knew you two because... well, back where we're from, you guys are kind of well-known, and even a little famous. Just don't go expecting to make any money from that."

"Famous?" Roll asked. "How? I haven't even found the Mother Lode yet!"

"Well, when you're as cute and nice as you are," Michael laughed. "A girl doesn't need to find it to be famous. As for Mega, it's his bravery that makes him so well known. That's why we knew your names the instant we first met."

"Wow," Megaman said, amazed. "I didn't know we were famous already."

"Don't let it go to your head," Michael smirked. "It's the kind of famous where people will always be happy to see you, but not the kind of famous that will get you rich or anything."

"Yeah," Roll nodded. "Never enough zenny around, even when Megaman's collecting it all."

"I know," Michael then reached into his pocket and pulled out a complete refractor. "I know what it's like to be short on cash, so take this. It's worth fifty thousand zenny. Just try not to use it all at once, alright?"

"Fifty Thousand?!?" Roll exclaimed as she took the refractor from Michael. "T-thank you very much!"

"You can thank me," Michael replied. "By telling me where the young lady, who I got it from, went to."

"She said she was going for a walk in the Cardon Forest," Roll said as she pointed in the general direction.

"Thanks," Michael said as he took off toward the Cardon Forest.

Once he got there, he looked around. "Hello?!" he called out. "There's a guy here who owes someone an apology! It would be nice if he could deliver it!"

After some commotion from the Bonnes, who were hiding in the forest, something that sounded like a miniature jet cause Michael to activate his armor and ready his buster. When he realized that the sound was getting softer, and heading in the direction of the Flutter, he took off after it, thinking that maybe the Bonnes were going to try and attack it while it was down.

Back at the Flutter, Roll looked up. "Megaman, do you have your jetskates equipped?"

"Yes I do," Megaman answered. "But they're certainly not on. You hear that too?"

"If it's not your jetskates, then what is that noise?" Roll asked.

"I honestly don't know," Megaman replied. "But it's getting closer. We should go outside and see what it is."

"Yeah," Roll nodded. "Let's."

Once they got outside a blur whizzed past them and made a wide curve, just in front of the Flutter, as Aya came to a stop.

"WHOO!" Aya exclaimed. "Now that's what I'm talking about! What a rush!" She was wearing the blue digger armor, and a pair of jetskates, identical to Megaman's.

"How the?" Roll blinked. "How does she have a pair of those? Those aren't even on the island! I invented them!"

"See what I was telling you?" Megaman noted. "Her stash of equipment is rather suspicious. Do you think she was snooping around in your development lab?"

"I don't think so," Roll shook her head. "It's locked, and she never went that far down."

"Well, I don't think we have time to discuss this," Megaman said, pointing to a glow approaching fast. "Look at that, what do you suppose it is?"

"I don't know," Roll shook her head.

Aya then turned to see the glow as it approached. "Hey, wait a minute," she mused. "I've seen that before. But which one was it from? Dammit, I can't remember."

Just before it got close, there was a sudden blast, shot into the air, which was then followed by a second one. A few moments later, Michael, in full armor, came out of the forest. "Gah!" he groaned. "How the hell did X and Rock ever manage to stay charged? It makes my teeth vibrate so bad that it was starting to hurt."

"Oh, it's just you," Aya said as she relaxed. "I should've figured. I thought the Bonnes were following me."

"Well, you went zooming past me, how was I supposed to know that you weren't hostile?" Michael asked. "And you didn't hear me when I called you, I take it."

"Sorry," Aya apologized. "But it was really kind of hard to hear anything over the jets and the air rushing past my ears."

She then looked down at the jetskates. "I knew I'd left them somewhere. Glad I found them, because I didn't know how damned awesome these things really are."

"Well then," Michael said as his armor faded. "There's something I need to say to you, so, if you could follow me for a moment."

Michael then walked back behind the Flutter, as Aya followed him. "So, what did you want to tell me?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," Michael said as he sighed. "It's just that I'm pretty unhappy at the thought of being stuck here and potentially never seeing my mother again, or even my little sister, even though she is a pain sometimes. And then you came along, being almost the exact image of why I was playing that game today. And well... You didn't deserve for me to take it out on you like I did. I'm sorry for that."

Aya nodded. "Yes, I must apologize as well. I went and judged you even before I knew your name, so, I'm sorry."

"Same here," Michael replied. "Please try not to let it drive you insane. It's a really, really bad habit that I'm trying to get rid of. I make snap reactions and judgments when I don't stop and take a moment to think before saying something."

"By the way," He then extended his hand. "The name is Michael. Michael Summers."

"Aya," the redhead responded as she took Michael's hand and shook it. "Aya Natsume."