Sweetness And Tenderness

**Sweetness And Tenderness** is the tenth episode and finale of the first season of Mega Man. It is the tenth episode overall.

## Plot

With his life on the line, Mega Man finally dons his new suit, but his deal with Dr. Vada forces him to travel to the very edge of the Fifth Quadrant and clean up the mess he helped make. P. and Wheeler make a discovery that will forever change their lives, while Summer Girl finally takes a stand against Rod NaCervera's lies and deceit. All the while, the consequences of Sharp's actions finally come back to haunt him and he must decide what type of man he wants to be.

## Synopsis

Slow, lonely, still, panoramic shot of the scenery in the Fifth Quadrant. It’s a quiet day, not a sound to be heard save for birds chirping and a slight breeze traveling through the air. We see a country road, paved yet cracked. The landscape is expansive, but no civilization exists out here. Trees line the road every couple of miles, but for the most part the grassy plains exist all by themselves. In the distance, a mountain range seems to encircle the entire landscape. As the sun starts to rise over the Hub in the complete opposite direction, *Rachel* speeds by as fast as she can go, causing a few birds in the road to fly away completely calm. As *Rachel* continues to drive towards the mountain, the sound of her engine slowly fades away. Wheeler drives up the road while P. sits in the passenger seat pouring over his maps. Both men look extremely disheveled. Their clothes are in tatters and their faces and hair are covered with dirt and show signs of conflict. P. orders Wheeler to continue driving, as even he is unsure of where to go, as his maps don't go out this far. Hoping to keep Wheeler on his side, P. describes how close they to completing their supposed goals and gives him a long speech about how the elites fear them for standing up to them, ending it by telling Wheeler he needs him with him and not against him. Wheeler tells P. that he's with him and P. replies that he's glad, as he'd hate to lose him too.

On the mountain, *Rachel* drives up a very narrow cliffside pathway, but is forced to come to a stop when the path becomes too narrow. Wheeler begins using *Rachel*’s turbo jets as they ascend up the cliffside. As they rise above the mountain, *Rachel*’s circuits begin to short out, sending her falling down and landing on a ledge, damaging the turbo jets. He tries starting the car again, but the engine appears to have stalled. The two exit *Rachel* and begin examining their surroundings. They take a moment to appreciate the breathtaking view of the Fifth Quadrant with the Hub in the center, like a crown jewel. They begin carefully scaling a small trail up the mountain, however they’re almost at the summit. The two carefully scale the mountains, guns drawn. After walking for several miles, Wheeler suddenly grabs P.’s shoulder, pointing to the ground and he and P. both notice a small EMP device, creating a shield around the mountain. Wheeler leans down and carefully examines the device. After some tinkering, Wheeler manages to disable it. P. and Wheeler continue on their path. After a few more minutes of walking, they discover a moderately sized camp filled with San Sindustries weapons and supplies, including construction equipment, food, and medical supplies. The two pillage the camp, scarfing down as much food as they can eat. Upon getting something to eat, they make their way over to the weapons cache and grab some Cosmonaut issued laser rifles, EMP grenades, and launchers. P. warns Wheeler to keep his guard up as he examines an electrical sword. As he examines, two Cosmonauts appear behind him while P. dives out of sight behind some boxes. Wheeler tells them that he was only on a hike and didn't mean to find their camp. The Cosmonauts politely explain that they'll have to take him in, but P. shows himself and kills the two Cosmonauts with a laser rifle with two perfect headshots. P. and Wheeler resolve to discover the secret of the camp.

At the border, a group of four Cosmonauts continue working on the border hole. P. and Wheeler sneak up behind them. Wheeler uses the laser sword to cut through one of them, killing him instantly. One of the Cosmonauts turns around and notices his comrade lying dead. P. steps out of hiding with the grenade launcher. Another Cosmonaut tells them that they weren't supposed to see this and P. says that he's gathered that. The Cosmonaut tells them to turn themselves in and testify before Dr. Vada or be executed, but P. counters, telling them to surrender instead. The two other Cosmonauts return to working on the border while the primary Cosmonaut makes his way over to P., placing him under arrest. P. complies, saying that it wasn't even loaded to begin with, but P. tosses the launcher over to Wheeler, who is hiding in the bushes. He quickly loads it with the electrical grenades. P. tells the Cosmonaut to kill him now, as he'll never be taken to the Asylum. The Cosmonaut tells P. to prepare for execution. P. calls the attention of the other two Cosmonauts who P. jokingly tells that he's talking to them. The Cosmonauts turn around as Wheeler fires the launcher at them, killing them. While the final Cosmonaut is distracted, P. takes out a sheathed electrical sword and stabs him in the chest. With the camp cleared out, P. and Wheeler walk slowly over to the edge of the border and peer through the protective shield providing breathable air to the Fifth Quadrant. They are absolutely dumbfounded to discover that not only are they not alone, but just how this was all able to be kept secret. P. reaches out and touches the border wall, though it appears that he is simply touching the sky. Wheeler asks P. what he thinks this is and P. explains that he believes that Dr. Vada is scared of whatever's on the other side and they can use it to get Dr. Vada to turn over control of the Fifth Quadrant to the people. Wheeler suddenly remembers Mega Man's comment about the "Fifth Quadrant" in San Simeon Bay and mentions it to P. who believes that the only reason someone would call something that is to hide themselves from the other four quadrants. P. becomes angry upon realizing Mega Man was lying to him the whole time.

In the woods below the Friends of P.'s former camp, Mega Man lies face down in a puddle of mud and sticks. His face is dirty, bloody, and covered in scrapes and scratches, including a black eye. His suit coughs out a faint and slow beeping and whirring sound, as if a spaceship were sending out a distress signal from somewhere deep in space. The blue paint is now chipped and scraped, with several of his homemade upgrades burnt to a crisp. A small trail of smoke billows out of the port on his back. A bullet hole shines on the helmet, just above the left ear. He lets out a small and weak cough, filtering it through the puddle. A deer walks over to Mega Man and sniffs him, but once Mega Man moves slightly, the deer runs away. Mega Man starts violently coughing as cosmic energy surges through his veins, visible on his forehead and in his eyes. He is startled awake when a voice belonging to A.C. Montana greets him, telling him that he's still alive, but Mega Man is unsure. A.C. explains that he accidentally stepped in front of Sharp's bullet, but he was found and nursed back to health, but now needs a cane to get around, which Mega Man only seems to notice once A.C. called attention to it. A.C. goes on to say that his gunslinging days are over. Mega Man explains the fight that the Friends of P. recently had and how they're over. A.C. is reluctant to believe anything Mega Man says, who blames himself for the dissolution of the gang, despite the changes P. seems to have gone through. Mega Man believes it was his fault and wishes Dr. Vada wiped his memories again and sent him back to search for the shards. A.C. says that he doesn't know what Mega Man is talking about and says it's time to get him some help. A.C. tries to help Mega Man up but to no avail. The sun begins shining down on Mega Man, causing him to sweat and feel trapped in the suit. He begins squirming and becoming claustrophobic. A.C. says that he's going to go get help for him, someone he trusts, and departs. Mega Man starts violently coughing again, looking up to see A.C. has left him. He passes out once again.

Some time later, the sun beats down on Mega Man as his body begins to shut down. His face is sopping wet with sweat, creating an almost serene image when contrasted with the cosmic energy flowing just under his skin. As it gets hotter and hotter, Mega Man wakes up in a panic only to find Summer Girl standing over him. Mega Man wakes up startled and sweating profusely. He asks Summer if the extreme heat is from her, but she denies, playfully asking why everyone assumes she's using her powers for evil. He apologizes and asks her to turn the heat down at least and she says that her powers don't work that way. Summer apologizes for what happened and how long it took her to find him, with Mega Man not even remembering he was shot in the head. Confused, Mega Man asks Summer if A.C. sent her, but she tells Mega Man that she's starting to think he's not all there and he replies that he's not, as he's currently dying from the suit. Summer tells him to take it off and he says he can't, prompting another coughing fit. She asks what he needs and he explains that she needs to take him to Dr. Vada for help, saying that he's "a friend", which causes Summer to doubt him, but says that she's taking a big risk trusting him and asks him to tell her the truth and help her find P. in exchange. Mega Man agrees. She has trouble helping him up and he suggests getting A.C. or Sharp to help her, accusing the two of them of being friends, which she silences with some sarcasm. Mega Man begins to slip out of consciousness, but asks where P. is and Summer says she doesn't know, telling him not to talk. Summer very carefully lifts Mega Man up and she takes a look at his face, specifically the cosmic energy. Summer asks what's wrong with his face and Mega Man only replies that she told him not to talk. She manages to get Mega Man to stand up and begins walking him through the forest.

At the Asylum laboratory, Mega Man once again lies on the table he was on when he first returned home. Strapped down with tubes in and out of him. He looks around the lab and notices Dr. Vada talking with two Cosmonauts at the entrance. Dr. Vada gives a side-eye glance to Mega Man and then ushers his Cosmonauts out the door. Dr. Vada approaches Mega Man and says that he has a lot of nerve to say that they're friends after he violated their agreement, but Mega Man insists that he was careful. Dr. Vada says that he wasn't careful enough and told his friend Wheeler, but Mega Man insists that with everything that's been going on with them, he most likely didn't notice, but Dr. Vada shows Mega Man security drone footage of P. and Wheeler at the border. Mega Man angrily slams on the side of the table, letting a cosmic blast out from his fists, damaging some of Dr. Vada's supplies. Mega Man asks Dr. Vada what he's going to do and he says that he isn't going to do anything. Mega Man parrots Dr. Vada's previous words back to him about not interfering, but Dr. Vada says that Mega Man was right when he says he only interferes when he wants to, but right now he doesn't. He says that due to Mega Man's unique situation, he's been keeping an eye on him and his friends, even going as far as to say he was impressed with how P. was able to murder William San Simeon, but goes on to say that Mega Man can no longer keep his word. Mega Man protests, telling Dr. Vada to give him the suit and he'll take care of everything, deciding to take responsibility for the mess he created. Dr. Vada admits that he believes Mega Man doesn't have what it takes, but is willing to see where it goes, but warns Mega Man that this is his final chance, threatening to wipe his memories again. Mega Man quickly agrees and asks for the suit. Dr. Vada says that he'll prepare the surgery room, while Mega Man should thank Summer. Dr. Vada leaves the laboratory, while Mega Man weakly gets up, holding onto two IV stands and dragging himself out of the lab as well.

Mega Man hobbles out of the lab and makes his way over to the waiting room where Summer sits waiting for him. He tells her that he's going into surgery. Summer looks skeptical, prompting Mega Man to scan the room to confirm they’re alone. He asks her if she wants the truth and she confirms. He tells her that for her own safety and for those in Alphaville, she needs to understand that he can't disclose everything, which she agrees. He reveals to her about his powers and how they're killing him. She asks about the suit and he explains how the suit can't contain the powers so that's why he's getting a new one. Summer asks if all of that happened in prison and he denies, saying that's one of the things he can't tell her, but says he's already told her more than anybody else. She smiles and thanks him for trusting her. Mega Man smiles slightly, but starts coughing. Summer tells Mega Man that although they don't know each other very well, they're both all they have, saying they should trust each other. She asks if he trusts Dr. Vada and he denies, even sharing a laugh. Mega Man explains that he and Dr. Vada have a deal and that's all he can tell her, joking that if he does, he'll have to kill her. She sarcastically calls him mysterious and says that's why he has no friends. He replies that he has an excuse, saying that Summer's just weird, which gets her to laugh. Dr. Vada returns with a gurney, saying there are some things he should hear before the surgery and asks him if he wants Summer to hear it, which he says she can. Dr. Vada explains that the suit will have to be grafted permanently to his body. Mega Man is unsure and Summer starts to tell him that it doesn't matter how he got his powers, but Mega Man cuts her off, saying he doesn't want a speech about how he needs to be responsible with his powers, but Summer says that's not what she's going to say. She says that she's actually saying that he has a chance for a way out and he should consider it, as she knows what having powers is really like. Mega Man thinks about Summer’s words. He looks over at Dr. Vada and then a photograph of the Hub. Mega Man agrees to the surgery, but first asks how he knows Dr. Vada won't put a mind control device in the suit, but Dr. Vada replies that he won't. Mega Man lets out a deep sigh, turning it into a nod as the last of his breath leaves his mouth. He lays down on the gurney as Dr. Vada begins to wheel him into the surgery room.

At the cliffside camp, the Friends of C. make themselves at home at the Friends of P.’s last hideout. Their cars sit parked where the campfire once was as agents move several boxes out of the cave, tossing them to the side. Rod NaCervera walks up to the cave entrance, asking what they've found. The agents reply that they haven't found anything and Rod replies that he suspected as much, calling to his crew that they're calling it a day. Rod signals to two agents who have recently rejoined the crew from the secret exit. Rod asks if they've found a body and they reply that they haven't, but Rod congratulates his new crew on their work regardless, ordering them back to the warehouse. The agents are glad he's back and praise him. Rod leans back, stunned by the sudden outburst of praise from his newly stolen crew. Rod walks over to the cliff edge, the same place P. would stand and overlook the Fifth Quadrant. He smiles to himself at having slowly regained his influence, but looks slightly worried when looking up at the sun, reminding him of how he betrayed Summer. He shakes it off when a wind chill passes through the air, bringing the smile back to his face.

At the Asylum, Dr. Vada performs the surgery on Mega Man, placing him in a container of fluid while he is sedated. A tarp is draped over the tank adjacent to Mega Man. Inside his tank, tubes protrude from his arms, through the tank and into the other one. Meanwhile, Dr. Vada removes the old suit using mechanical arms. Once the suit is removed, a rush of cosmic energy rushes out of Mega Man’s body, more than Dr. Vada had anticipated. He rushes over to the tank controls and administers more fluid, briefly sustaining the energy. He quickly prepares a shot and drains the tank. Once the tank is drained and Mega Man’s body begins to fall, mechanical arms catch him and gently place him inside the skeleton of his new suit. Dr. Vada administers the shot to Mega Man’s neck, causing his body to twitch briefly before resting. Dr. Vada then puts on his goggles and grabs a set of tools. Dr. Vada takes Mega Man’s vitals, and makes sure his heart rate declines to a subtle beat. Once this happens, Dr. Vada equips the tools and turns them on. He grabs the one shaped like an acetylene torch and begins grafting the suit to Mega Man’s body, causing severe burns on his shoulders, elbows, wrists, pectorals, knees, and ankles. The suit then attaches itself to Mega Man’s skin via metal plates fusing themselves to his skin as the top half of the suit is placed over him. Dr. Vada watches with a smirk on his face as the suit finishes installing. Dr. Vada sits Mega Man up and presses a button on his back, causing the suit to glow with a faint blue light before whirring down as the camera pulls back revealing our first look at the new suit.

Summer sits in the same chair while reading a copy of *The Panem Review*  while anxiously awaiting Mega Man’s return. Dr. Vada emerges from the surgery suite. Summer stands up and looks down the hallway as Mega Man slowly walks down the hall towards them. Summer is very impressed with the suit and asks how he feels, which he replies that he's not feeling great. Dr. Vada tells him that it'll pass, but tells him that he's now nearly indestructible. Dr. Vada tells Mega Man to give the suit and body time to adjust to each other before using his powers. He also suggests that Mega Man rest after the surgery, but P. won't allow that and ushers the two out of the Asylum. Outside of the Asylum, Mega Man and Summer stop at the phone booth and talk. Summer asks how he's really feeling, as aside from the suit, he doesn't look that great, but Mega Man says he's feeling great. Mega Man begins to feel amped up as his powers return to him as the suit gets acclimated to his body. It once again begins glowing a faint blue color. Mega Man explains to Summer that they need to head into the mountains to find P. as he's found something Dr. Vada didn't want found, prompting Summer to believe he's a spy for Dr. Vada. Mega Man is insulted to hear this, saying he would never do that to the Friends of P. and that A.C. said he could trust Summer and she apologizes saying that A.C. said she could trust him too. Mega Man tells her that it's time to go and she stops him, saying they need to make a quick pit stop first.

At his house, Sharp sits on his couch petting the cat and playing guitar when Jonze walks in from the kitchen with a beer for the both of them. He hands Sharp his and then takes a seat himself. Jonze begins talking about what a mess their ordeal with the Friends of P. was , going on and on, but Sharp cuts him off and the two argue back and forth. Jonze takes a sip of beer and is disgusted. He gets up to raid the fridge once again while Sharp strums some chords on his guitar, hoping to find a melody that sticks. As Jonze pours a glass of water, a knock on the door prompts him to draw his revolvers. He takes cover against the refrigerator and looks over to Sharp, who has drawn his rifle. Sharp nods to Jonze, who then snakes around the corner, taking cover against the wall. Sharp prepares to open the door. He slowly opens the door with his rifle, aiming at both Mega Man and Summer Girl, asking if they're here to kill him. Mega Man denies, but says he's willing to see where it goes first. Sharp carefully invites them inside. Sharp escorts Mega Man and Summer into the living room while Jonze enters from the kitchen. Sharp asks what they're here for and Summer explains that they're here to talk, as he still has his part of their deal to hold up, but Sharp insists that he's already held up his end of the bargain, unless Summer wants to pay him. Summer explains that she's out of money, but Mega Man tells him that he owes them one for killing their friend, but Sharp doesn't care about that, as he deflects the full blame on what happened to A.C. on P. Jonze speaks up and tells Sharp that he owes him one for getting them kicked out of the guild, and Sharp agrees to accompany them.

At the cemetery, Rudolph stands over the graves of Virginia and Cal, and the newly dug grave of A.C. Montana. Unlike those of his friends, his is made out of wood, not stone, and the carvings on it are rather shoddy, as if made by an unskilled craftsman. He holds an old dusty cowboy hat, clearly the one belonging to A.C. Rudolph takes A.C.'s hat and places it on his headstone, nailing it down so the wind won't take it away. As Rudolph returns to an upright position, he lets out a sigh. Upon turning around to leave, he witnesses Mega Man, Summer Girl, and Sharp making their way towards him. Mega Man finally learns that A.C. is truly dead. The three approach the grave, but Summer stops Sharp from accompanying them, forcing him to stay behind, as he's there for the wrong reasons and they're here for them, not him. Sharp watches from afar as Mega Man, Summer, and Rudolph stand over A.C.’s grave, initially rolling his eyes, but remains watching them. At the grave site, the three stand above the opened hole in the ground looking down at the makeshift casket. Mega Man looks back at Sharp. The two make brief eye contact, but Sharp quickly looks away. Mega Man tells Rudolph that he needs to see him, prompting shock. Mega Man reaches down into the hole and opens up the casket of his former friend. Upon opening it, he recoils from the smell, as Summer and Rudolph both look away. Mega Man nearly cries upon seeing him. He opens up his coat and notices the bullet hole, just as described, confirming the rumors. Mega Man looks on with silent anger and remorse before gently closing the casket and stands upright once again. The three all start crying once again as Mega Man drops to his knees. Sharp watches the scene unfold, his lip slightly trembling. His face turns to anger, but not at them, not even at P., but at himself. He rubs his hands over his face, as if to snap out of it as Mega Man, Summer, and Rudolph head down the hill. They all walk right past him as he attempts to meet their gaze, however he doesn’t say anything. Sharp looks over at the grave as if he’d like to approach it, but decides against it. He slinks back over to the others. Rudolph asks where they're going and why Sharp is with them and Mega Man explains that they've found P. and Wheeler and are going after them. Rudolph is unsure, but trusts Mega Man and Summer to do the right thing.

Meanwhile, the Friends of C. move back into their warehouse and begin production once again. Rod walks through as the thriving smuggling operations begin to return to their former glory. The Friends of C. move expensive cars and other vehicles into the garages for work, while others move several crates of weapons for shipment. Rod finally makes his way back to his office and immediately begins throwing away what’s left of Adam’s belongings. As he cleans, the phone on the desk catches his eye as he begins to wonder what’s taking Jeff so long to reach him. He notices a message and presses the button. It's from Jesus to Adam, regarding Adam's kick-ups, but praises Rod and warns Adam to get his numbers up. Rod continues reorganizing his office when the phone begins to ring. He turns to answer it, but pauses a moment. He lets it go to voicemail, where Jeff asks for Rod, who quickly answers the phone. At the mountain, Jeff stands outside of his car on his cellphone with two other Friends of C. cars and five agents with him. Jeff informs Rod that they've found them. Rod informs him that they're on their way and hangs up. Rod ends the call using the finger, but keeps the phone in his hand. He contemplates making another call. He begins dialing a number, albeit slightly irritated about it. He sits back as the phone rings. Jesus answers and Rod instinctively stiffens up in the chair and sits up straight. He gets straight to the point and explains that A.C.'s dead and he's got P.'s location and he'll have him dead by that night. He tells him to tell Big Daddy C. that Rod expects his thanks. Jesus shockingly tells Rod that he has his own thanks for the work he's done and thanks him for what Rod did for him with San Sindustries. Rod is shocked at Jesus's gratitude, but explains to him that Adam's dead, reassuring him that he had nothing to do with it, but Jesus believes him. Jesus explains that all of this was for Rod to prove himself to Jesus and to himself and that he's proud. Jesus then sends him some backup and Rod thanks Jesus and hangs up.

At the Cosmonaut camp, P. looks over the weapons and supplies at their disposal while Wheeler continues to stare out at the vastness of space. A fire burns in the center as the sun begins to set. As Wheeler continues to stare, an uneasy feeling soon creeps up on him as he begins to feel watched from the outside. He quickly turns around and hides from the border hole, hoping to stop whatever or whoever is looking at him from seeing him. Wheeler tells P. that he's with him no matter what, but he wants to possibly reconsider their plan to intervene outside could be worse than they think, but P. is somewhat angry about this remark. P. tells Wheeler that they've been facing the unknown together since the only reason this is different is because they now have a chance to end it for good. P. says that it's only be a matter of time before Dr. Vada realizes that they're here and they need help. Wheeler suggests Sharp and Jonze, but P. denies as he's against those two "traitors". P. notices a group of Cosmonauts watching them and a smile creeps across his face. He points them out to Wheeler and then greets the Cosmonauts with a speech explaining how they have their orders not to move, but they'll be there when they get the order to kill them. P. laughs to himself and turns to Wheeler, telling him that Dr. Vada's been watching them this whole time. At the Asylum, Dr. Vada sits in a chair in a dark room, watching a livestream of P. and Wheeler atop the mountain. Dr. Vada laughs at P. A Cosmonaut radios and asks if it's time for them and Dr. Vada tells them it's not time yet.

Rod leads a group of Friends of C. agents, totaling eight cars, with his up front, driving speedily down the backroads of the Fifth Quadrant, heading straight towards the mountain. Mega Man drives along a similar road, while Summer sits in the passenger seat, preparing herself for confrontation, while Mega Man looks sternly on the road, conflicted. Sharp sits in the back, loading a gun, more prepared than anyone for the coming conflict. P. looks on from the top of the mountain with a smile on his face as multiple Friends of C. cars start approaching him. Wheeler stands slightly behind him, keeping an eye on the Cosmonauts, who continue to watch in silence. Dr. Vada sits back with a glass of brandy, leaning back on his chair and kicking his legs up onto his desk. He sits back with a devious grin. The Friends of C. cars all park at the base of the mountain. They exit their cars and open the trunks, gathering weapons. P. watches as Rod begins giving orders, with Jeff by his side, pointing up towards the mountains. His force amounts to nearly sixty men and women, all ready to storm the mountain. The Cosmonauts turn their attention towards the Friends of C., like several stone statues rotating in exact synchronous motions. They revert their gaze back towards P. Wheeler walks over and looks down at the advancing agents, who appear to be splitting up, about thirty taking each side of the mountain. Wheeler points into the distance, noticing another car approaching, this one neither green, blue, or purple. This car belongs to someone else.

Mega Man, Summer Girl, and Sharp arrive on the scene, exit their car, and notice the Friends of C. cars. Mega Man says that he's going to head up to the top to find P. while Summer makes sure that Rod doesn't get up there first. Summer immediately begins flying up the mountain as beads of sweat roll down Mega Man’s and Sharp’s faces. Unable to fly, Mega Man is forced to carry Sharp to the forested area of the mountains, landing safely. The two head into the forest on their guard. Sharp draws his rifle while Mega Man readies his blasters. Wheeler remains on the top with a Cosmonaut laser rifle, surveying the area and keeping an eye on the Cosmonauts, who watch intently, prepared to intervene if they must. Dr. Vada, meanwhile, orders the Cosmonauts to surround the mountain. Wheeler watches as the Cosmonauts begin moving down towards the base of the mountain. They stand in formation around it, making sure nobody gets in or out. Just beyond the cars, a Cosmonaut lieutenant places a forcefield around the mountain, the same previously used in the Hub to prevent the public from noticing the work being done. From outside the forcefield, the cars, Cosmonauts, and combatants all disappear, giving the illusion of a peaceful forested mountain. The sun sets completely, submerging the mountain in the blackness of night.

In the forest, a group of ten Friends of C. agents patrol the now darkened woods, flashlights and guards up. As they slowly move about the forest, a slight sound causes several of them to turn their attention towards it. Elsewhere in the forest, P. moves around, revolver in hand and looking more disheveled than ever. He notices the group of agents and ducks down as their flashlight passes his area. With a deranged look in the eye, a smile spreads across his face and he stealthily makes his way towards them. P. picks up a rock and throws it into the brush across his path, attracting an agent over there. As the agent investigates the sound, P. creeps up with a knife and silently kills him. He searches his body and grabs his handgun. Now dual wielding a handgun and lever action revolver, P. uses the automatic handgun to kill five agents in quick succession headshots. The remaining four turn towards him and fire aimlessly in their directions, but P. has already moved behind a tree. Once the gunfire dies down, P. looks at both guns in his hand and throws the automatic handgun ahead of him, causing the Friends of C. to run forward, straight past him. Once they run past, P. emerges and quickly dispatches the four using his revolver. He looks over the ten dead agents and moves on. Meanwhile, Mega Man and Sharp continue making their way through the forest when they hear the gunshots. The two immediately tense up and go back to back, prepared for a fight. Mega Man recognizes the sound of P.'s revolver and heads off to find him. The two split up, with Sharp heading up the mountain, while Mega Man keeps running through the forest.

Elsewhere, Summer flies up the mountain, landing close to the top. Wheeler notices and cocks his rifle. He wants to shoot her, but he can’t bring himself to do it, angering him. Summer makes her way through the woods, calling out Rod, hoping he'll show himself. Sharp climbs the mountain. As he keeps moving, three Friends of C. agents notice him and begin firing on him. He quickly draws his handgun and fires, but is in a bad angle. Seeing no other way out, Sharp drops down onto a nearby tree, quite the fall, but he lands without a hitch. The agents spread out to find him, but Sharp is already long gone. He takes out his grappling hook and hoists himself up the cliff, gaining some ground. Summer continues running through the forest, but unbeknownst to her, Wheeler still has his sights on her. He takes a deep breath and steadies his aim.

P. makes his way through the forest, when he notices Rod and about eight more agents. P. takes out one of the Cosmonauts grenades and throws it towards the group, running straight towards them. The grenade goes off, electrocuting the agents, and sending them to the ground. Rod uses his wind to subvert the electricity from himself, but he still gets some static electricity. Rod angrily turns around as P. tackles him to the ground, holding his revolver to his teeth. P. threatens Rod, saying that he's aware Rod has a responsibility to the people of Alphaville, and in exchange for their lives, he'll turn over Jesus and Big Daddy C. Rod refuses and P. cocks his revolver, when Summer yells out to him. P. looks up and Rod knees P. in the back, but this reverts his attention back to him. P. fires, but Summer tackles P. off him, causing the gun to fire next to Rod’s ear, deafening him. As he recovers from this, Summer and P. grapple for a bit, before P. shoots her next to the ear, getting her to let go of him. As she grabs her ear, P. punches her in the stomach and then kicks her in the face, sending her onto her back. He stands over her, telling her that all of this was her fault. Summer rolls on the ground, attempting to recover, but to no avail. P. stands over her and aims his revolver at her head. He fires, but is out of ammo. P. looks at both Summer and Rod and backs away from them, running away. Summer and Rod both lay on the ground, exhausted and weakened by losing their hearing. They both crawl around on the ground, hoping to recover quickly.

At the camp, Wheeler continues scanning the area, but seems to have lost all signs of P., Summer, and Rod. He exits the sights of the laser rifle and, upon hearing footsteps behind him, turns around as Sharp runs towards him at full speed. Wheeler turns and fires the laser rifle, but Sharp side steps it. Wheeler tosses the rifle aside and attempts to reach for his holster, but Sharp grabs his wrist and the two fight each other using Krav Maga. As they fight, they manage to push each other away from each other. Sharp uses a reverse combat roll, pulling his handgun from the back of his pants while Wheeler uses a backflip and draws his from his holster and the two hold each other at gunpoint. Wheeler questions Sharp's motives for joining Mega Man and Summer Girl, but he deflects, asking Wheeler why he's still hanging around P. Wheeler directs Sharp's attention to the border hole, shocking him while Wheeler explains his and P.'s plan to expose the truth about the Fifth Quadrant to the public. Wheeler pieces together that Mega Man is working for Dr. Vada, but Sharp doesn't care, saying he's there for himself, though he's not quite sure why. Sharp's trigger finger itches, but he goes against his usual instinct, instead hoping to win him over with words. He asks Wheeler to come back with Mega Man and Summer, as they'd take him in, but Wheeler becomes angry, instead choosing to cut ties with everyone, including P. Sharp and Wheeler both fire on each other, shooting each other's guns out of their hands. Once this happens, they both immediately run at each other and resume their Krav Maga match. Sharp starts to draw his rifle, but Wheeler knocks it out of his hand. They fight back and forth for a while. The two manage to push each other back and quickly draw knives and engage in a knife fight. Sharp uses a more direct and militaristic approach while Wheeler uses a more sleek, almost dancer-like technique. It doesn’t matter, this fight is going to end in another stalemate and both of them know it. Unless one of them gets their hands on the rifle. Sharp briefly stops moving, allowing Wheeler to land a blow, but this is exactly what Sharp wanted. As he recoils, he throws his knife into Wheeler’s boot, causing him to fall to the ground. With Wheeler on his knees, Sharp races towards the rifle. Wheeler grabs the knife from his foot and hurls it at Sharp’s head who dives away, grabbing the rifle, but Wheeler has limped up to him and flips him around. With Sharp on the ground, he’s in a bad spot, however he now has the rifle in his hand. Wheeler savagely beats Sharp’s face as blood sprays in all directions. With a death grip on the rifle, Sharp manages to headbutt Wheeler, briefly knocking him back, allowing Sharp to stand back up. Upon standing he raises his rifle, but Wheeler runs straight at Sharp and tackles him to the ground, continuing to wail on him. Wheeler screams while Sharp attempts to fight back, but Sharp is nearly beaten. Wheeler then stands back up and looks over the forest. He looks down at Sharp, who tells him that he can't say he didn't try. Wheeler’s expression changes to an emotionless mask. As he blankly stares at Sharp, he places his bloody foot on Sharp’s stomach and then looks straight ahead and kicks him off the mountainside. As Sharp falls, he quickly grabs the grappling hook and tosses it at Wheeler, wrapping it around his leg. Wheeler’s expression turns to shock as he is pulled down the cliff, hitting his back on the edge. Sharp lands with a thud in a clearing while Wheeler lands a few seconds later, tied to a grappling hook, scraping down the mountainside. The two lay there, with major injuries.

In the dark forest, Mega Man continues running, finding the remains of the ten Friends of C. agents that P. had killed previously. He heightens his guard and continues on. Elsewhere, Summer and Rod recover from their injuries, both regaining their hearing and stand up, facing each other. The two have their usual discussion, but Rod is clearly cracking under the pressure, but still wants her to join him, but she refuses after he shot Mega Man. Rod snaps, saying he doesn't care about her friends and that he has a plan, but Summer admonishes him for sounding so much like P. Rod uses his wind to fly up towards the mountain top and Summer follows. From the ground, Mega Man sees this and chases after them. As the three fly, they come to a stop at the border hole, gaping at the beauty. Rod stops and hovers mid air, while Summer approaches him. Summer tells Rod to ignore it and keep moving, but Rod believes Summer had known about it all along and is lying to him. At the camp, P. looks around and realizes that he’s alone. Looking up, he sees Mega Man, Summer Girl, and Rod flying overhead. P. walks over to the arsenal and grabs a grenade launcher. He loads it and takes aim at Rod and Summer. Rod notices P. and Mega Man notices the grenade launcher. P. fires the grenade launcher as Summer grabs Rod and hurls him down to the ground, while Mega Man flies directly into the missile, taking the full force of it and landing headstrong in front of P.

Summer and Rod land in the trees and both use their powers to safely land. Rod seems to have come to his senses after this. Summer pleads with Rod to stop, as he almost just killed all of Alphaville by putting himself in that situation, but Rod says he'll be fine as he can always count on Summer to rescue him. Summer realizes that that was Rod's plan all along, as he knows she would never let him do anything to put Alphaville at risk. Rod counters, saying that Summer attaches herself to him because she has nobody else in her life and the only friends she'd ever had are out in the woods killing each other and blaming her for it. Rod, angry, gives Summer one last chance to join him. Summer tells Rod that with P. in Mega Man's clutches, it's all over for him, so he should just give up and go home with her, but Rod refuses as he and Summer enter another fight.

On the mountain top, Mega Man and P. stand face to face. P. tells Mega Man that he's impressed with the maneuver he just pulled off and calmly surrenders, walking towards the border hole. P. assumes Mega Man has come to kill him, but Mega Man denies. P. accuses Mega Man of working for Dr. Vada for a while, but Mega Man says he's not here because Dr. Vada sent him, joining P. at the border hole. P. explains to Mega Man how he believes what's on the other side can help, but Mega Man assures him that it can't, admitting the truth to him about where he's been for the last seven years, much to Dr. Vada's anger. P. is angry with Mega Man, believing he threw everything away for Dr. Vada, but Mega Man denies once again. The two notice a spaceship flying way out in the distance in the Fourth Quadrant. Noticing the ship, Dr. Vada orders the Cosmonauts to end the security threat once and for all. The Cosmonauts begin gearing up in complete synchronicity and move into the forest as the forcefield follows them, effectively closing everybody inside between the forcefield and the border. Sharp weakly gets up and notices the forcefield moving closer. He takes a look at Wheeler, who still lays on the ground. He limps off in the opposite direction. Mega Man and P. turn around upon noticing the forcefield. They have a discussion about change, with P. blaming the events on Mega Man changing, while Mega Man says that change isn't always bad. Mega Man tells P. that the man who raised him would never have is best friend killed, but that the P. that raised him will always be with him. As he turns to leave, he destroys Dr. Vada's spy drone. P. gives a speech to Mega Man about how he won't be the last person to discover the truth and the cycle will continue on forever until one day someone comes along and reveals it to the public, asking Mega Man whose side he'll be on when that day comes. Mega Man promises him he'll be on the right side. P. bends over and picks up a flare gun. P. begins making his way towards the border hole to signal the passing ship, but Mega Man chases him. P. cocks the flare gun and prepares to fire when one of Mega Man’s cosmic blasts pierces his knee. P. screams in pain and falls to the ground. Mega Man starts to cry as he picks up the flare gun and crushes it with his hands. P. looks down at his leg, which is nearly severed at the knee. He refuses to say anything and instead leans back against the border wall. As Mega Man looks at him, he begs P. to say something, but P. replies that he has nothing left to say. Mega Man apologizes and uses his powers to blow up any remaining Cosmonaut weapons in the area, leaving only the construction supplies near the hole. He watches as the ship on the outside flies out of view, leaving Mega Man with an odd expression on his face, but he turns to leave. As he prepares to jump down the mountain, he takes one last look at P., who looks him directly in the eye. Mega Man averts his gaze and jumps down the mountain.

In the forest, Summer and Rod continue their fight, with Rod trying to coerce Summer into leaving before she gets arrested. Rod uses his wind, but Summer uses her fire powers to avert the flames, inadvertently setting some trees ablaze. Summer stops using her powers, allowing Rod to get the upper hand on her as the forest burns around her. He picks her up with the wind and slams her into the rock wall. Rod tells Summer that he hopes they can still be friends after this, claiming that they're the best of friends. Sharp arrives and notices Summer’s dire situation. He takes another deep breath and makes his way over there. Rod begins to fly up towards the summit, but Sharp uses his grappling hook to grab his leg and bring him back to the ground. Summer witnesses this. Rod is shocked to discover that Sharp has sided with Summer in this conflict, but Sharp says he's not on anybody's side but his own. Rod gets up and throws the grappling hook aside, baiting Sharp to fight him. Sharp charges at Rod and Rod quickly uses his wind powers to send Sharp spiraling into a tree. With Sharp and Summer seemingly out of the way, Rod starts to fly up once again, but Sharp’s distraction gives Summer the opportunity to intercept him. She flies up and grabs him, sending him slamming down into the ground. With Rod on the ground, he tells Summer to cut to the chase and let him go, but she refuses this time. Summer grabs Rod’s face and begins using her powers on him. As he screams in pain, Sharp gets up and limps his way over to her. Rod continues to scream as his face burns. Summer begins angrily screaming as well. Sharp tells Summer to stop what she's doing, reminding her that he hired her to protect him. Sharp puts his hand on Summer’s shoulder as she hits it away, standing up and moving away from Rod. Rod gets up and grabs his face, which is now burned and red. Summer begins hysterically crying and moving away from Rod towards the forest as Sharp follows her. Rod looks at them and walks in the opposite direction.

Elsewhere, Mega Man lands next to Wheeler, who still lies on the ground, but has regained consciousness. He stands up and asks Mega Man if he's killed P., which he denies but promises him that someone else will. Wheeler continues to blame Mega Man and Summer for what happened, but Mega Man tells Wheeler that he had a choice in this mess and these are the consequences of it. Wheeler asks if Mega Man is going to kill him or leave him to the Cosmonauts, but Mega Man replies that he's not going to do either and instead gives Wheeler the same advice P. once gave them; run and don't look back. Wheeler begins backing away from Mega Man when he notices the forcefield. He then turns around and runs as fast as he can in the opposite direction. As he runs, he starts to cry. Mega Man notices a trail of blood on the ground and begins following it, eventually meeting up with Summer and Sharp. Summer turns around and tears continue streaming down her face as Mega Man and Sharp both look at her. Mega Man asks if Rod is dead, which Summer denies, asking the same of P., which Mega Man also denies. The two both continue to cry and Mega Man notices Summer’s leg starting to bleed again. Summer looks down and rolls her eyes. All three hear rustling in the woods behind them, prompting Sharp to usher them out of the woods. The Cosmonaut border moves in as a large cosmic blast from the far left edge, signaling Mega Man, Summer, and Sharp making their escape. From the other side, a small speck flies over the border, signaling Rod’s escape. Several, but not many, Friends of C. agents are shown arrested by Cosmonauts.

Mega Man, Summer, and Sharp arrive back at the cliffside camp in Rudolph’s car. The three exit, Sharp from the driver’s seat, Mega Man and Summer from the back. Sharp is unsure how to feel, while Summer has regained her composure. Mega Man walks through the ruined camp. Tents destroyed, crates smashed and looted, and shell casings litter the ground. Mega Man looks over the spot where he fell from the cliff, as well as the secret exit, which has collapsed. Summer approaches him, asking how he's feeling as he replies that he's unsure. Sharp comments that he's glad it's all over, but Mega Man and Summer give him an angry look. Sharp is shocked at this, claiming he's more than held up his end of their deal, saying that if they want him to be their friend, they're looking in the wrong place. Mega Man and Summer, tired but still angry, have no energy to argue with him. Mega Man thanks Sharp for his help, but informs him that they no longer require his "services." Sharp looks as though he's masking some emotion that's all new to him, but remains strong. Sharp leaves, but tells them that everything he did for P. was all business and none of it was meant to be personal. Getting no response from them, he says goodbye, but reminds them that if they need his services again, they know where to find him. As he turns to leave, Mega Man tells Sharp not to speak a word of what he saw on the mountaintop to anybody. Sharp smugly smiles and turns around and walks down the hill, away from the camp for the final time. Mega Man and Summer Girl stay behind, where they apologize to each other for everything that's happened. Summer admits that she needs Rod and will always look out for him, despite everything. Mega Man says that he hopes Rod will learn his lesson after all of this. Mega Man makes his way over to the edge of the cliff and looks out over the landscape, which is currently engulfed in the darkness of night. Summer asks Mega Man what he plans to do and he tells her that he's going to run, as he violated his agreement with Dr. Vada and he'll be coming after him, but first makes her promise never to return to the mountain. Two Cosmonaut airships fly overhead, prompting Mega Man to leave. He tells Summer to stay safe and thanks her. He jumps off the cliff and starts running through the forest. Summer stands alone at the camp before exasperatingly sighing and throwing her arms up and walking towards Rudolph’s car, getting in the driver’s seat and driving away.

In the final montage, the cabin at the Charter Mill sits quietly in the early morning sunrise and dew. The door slowly swings open as Mega Man enters and takes a seat on the chair by the window. He picks up the letter Maria wrote and reads it silently. Behind the cabin sometime later, Mega Man fills in a hole carved with the names “Mary and Ellody.” He stands over it and gives a smile, though his eyes are clearly a lot emptier than before. In Alphaville, Summer walks through the busy cloud city streets as the port is being repaired behind her. She looks around at the citizens walking past her, as she pulls her hood up, reinforcing her disguise. At the mercenary compound, Jonze stands outside of the saloon, with one foot against the wall and a piece of hay in his mouth, looking like a true cowboy. He then stands up and shakes Sharp’s hand, who has just arrived on his motorcycle, implying he’s gotten it back from Summer. As Jonze shakes his hand, Sharp has an unsure look on his face as he and Jonze enter the bar, ready for some more work. At the Asylum, Dr. Vada sits at a computer in his laboratory uploading programs into a large tank, the same one adjacent to Mega Man several days prior. Elsewhere, Wheeler is shown walking through a long long long stretch of backroads, somewhere very unfamiliar. His hair is unkempt, his clothes damaged and ripped and he has a noticeable limp and cuts that have started healing on his face. The camera pulls out from his face revealing he is holding Sharp’s old rifle that he lost, newly upgraded with Cosmonaut parts in one hand, and P.’s maps in the other. A trail of dead Cosmonauts litter the road behind him. At the Friends of C. warehouse, Rod stands in front of the small mirror in his office. He has traded in his black tracksuit for a green hoodie and more Friends of C. gold chains, signifying his higher rank, however he remains self conscious about the permanent scars and burns on his face as a result of his battle with Summer. Rudolph hands out what little supplies he can to them, disappointed that he’s not doing more. Jesus is shown having a meeting in the San Simeon Bay dining room with a group of shareholders. Clearly Jesus is in charge and directing the meeting. A chart shows a massive increase in profits and a map shows new San Sindustries factories and offices opening all across the map. Jesus motions to the door as if introducing somebody. The shareholders all draw their attention as a large silhouette enters the room…A tram pulls into the Overlee tram station as Maria steps out. She is instantly welcomed by the people and she smiles, removing her cloak, shaking their hands and joining them. Up at the border, a pool of blood is shown where P. had previously lay, larger than what could have been left from his leg injury. The camera zooms out revealing that the border hole has been fixed and Cosmonauts begin breaking down the camp. One of the Cosmonauts uses a hose and sprays away the blood, effectively wiping away all that remains of P. Exactly as the last bit of blood is erased, the screen cuts to black.

## Characters

* Mega Man
* Summer Girl
* Sharp
* P.
* A.C. Montana (illusion)
* Wheeler
* Rod NaCervera
* Dr. Vada
* Rudolph
* Jesus
* Maria (no lines)
* Jonze
* Jeff
* Big Daddy C. (silhouette, no lines)

## Trivia

* This episode drops one of the first major hints that the Fourth Quadrant is not abandoned as everyone seems to believe.
* The song that plays while Mega Man, Summer Girl, Sharp, and the Friends of C. make their way to the mountain is a snippet of "Mosquito Song" by Queens of the Stone Age.
	+ Another reference to Queens of the Stone Age comes earlier in the episode where Mega Man references one of their songs saying that he "may not look like he's worth a dollar, but feels like a millionaire."