Anemics Anonymous

Wily cooks up a computer code&nano virus that was meant to only affect specific targets: Light-engineered/any other industrial electricity-specialty RM such as Elec, Plug, Sheep, Fuse, etc. He’s just hoping to wreak some havoc with bots that would suddenly be draining power grids and other machines/robots uncontrollably. The virus requires an initial host bot to deliver it though so just for the theater of it since it causes a “vampire” like effect, Wily has Shade Man be the carrier for it and tasks him with infecting one of the targets at the city’s power plant where they work.

Shade finds and bites Fuse Man. (Mostly picked him for “patient zero” since I wanted someone who was already tightly wound/under pressure so a sudden massive jolt like this virus would break their usually careful control). Fuse inevitably infects some of the others at the plant the same way since it is incredibly difficult for him to control himself under this virus’s influence.

The first crack in Wily’s scheme is Spark Man gets infected. He works at the power plant part time to help Wily and the others since they’re always strapped for cash. So he was unfortunately there that day and had already taken off for the job before Wily announced his plans to the other DWNs. Whoops. In his panic/confusion, he mistakenly sends out a communication to nearby DWNs but the only one who responds is Crash (he had been on an errand with some other wily numbers and they already left for the base but Crash had hung back). He finds Spark and assumes he’s damaged by the way Spark looks and acts. Before Crash can assess further, Spark ends up biting him. Spark comes back to his senses and freaks out over what he’s doing and Crash is just completely confused. Spark tells Crash that he doesn’t think it’d be a good idea for him to return to the fortress since he has no idea what’s wrong with himself and could cause harm by going back with Crash. So he’ll go back to the plant and allow whatever happens next (maybe he’ll get help from Light Labs since most of those affected are Light bots). He asks Crash to return and let the others know what’s going on. Crash isn’t too keen about “abandoning” Spark but ultimately obeys.

And Crash returning to Wily fortress while unknowingly being infected is another Whoops.

Wily and the others are informed of Spark’s situation and Wily’s surprised by some things Crash described (didn’t he program the method of spread differently? Why are they biting? Weird. Well, whatever. It’s going to plan otherwise). Otherwise, things seem normal for an hour or two after the briefing, at least until Crash starts feeling more off. He thinks he’s just worried about Spark and letting it affect his systems. But he really starts feeling like his energy is just draining and it’s hard for him to keep his head clear. Maybe he needs to recharge? There’s some others approaching him in the corridor and he thinks they’re asking him something but he doesn’t really hear what. Damn he just desperately wants an E-can or two right now and his sensor readings keep pointing out everyone around him. What the hell does it want? The lights from his optical display is starting to piss him off. Someone touches him and Crash doesn’t recall what happens after that.

Metal and Flash come upon the scene to find some Wily numbers trying to restrain a crazed Crash and a few thrown around about the hall. They find out Crash suddenly attacked after the others discovered him doubled over in the hallway looking like he was sick and tried to help. Metal attempts to approach Crash to see if he’ll calm down if it’s someone he’s more familiar with in front of him, but that just causes Crash to knock the ones on him off in anger, lunge at Metal, and pin him down. There’s a blink and Metal sees Flash cursing behind Crash. He must have used Timestopper but run out of weapon energy unexpectedly by his reaction. Flash then simply locks an arm around Crash’s neck and pushes upward harshly causing Crash to startle momentarily. Flash yells at Metal to move but Crash recovers himself quickly and brings his teeth down on Flash’s arm. Metal hears Flash let out another curse and stumble backwards when Crash lets go of his arm very suddenly. He’s lost his window to escape Crash as he was only able to lift his upper torso from the floor but was still pinned otherwise. Metal almost makes another attempt to talk him down but after finally getting a good look at his face, he realizes it’s pointless. Crash’s eyes aren’t even looking at his. His head’s forced to the side as Crash bites down sharply on the cable running down Metal’s neck.

Dont worry, Crash comes back to his senses after sucking some energy from Metal and holds himself back from bawling like a big baby when Metal weakly glares up at him and warns Crash to not cry or he’ll be pissed.

Unfortunately Metal, Flash, and a couple other DWNs are all infected now, too lol.

So Crash took longer to finally show symptoms and change since he isn’t an electricity RM. The very first mistake in this whole thing was having Shade Man be the starter host for the virus since the program unintentionally rewrote some of itself while being housed in him. So some physical and behavioral traits of Shade’s programming got added to the virus and allowed non-electric bots to become infected now as well.

Instead of siphoning electricity like intended or sucking oil like Shade, they crave health energy (the same stuff in E-cans for example) since their body’s supply depletes unusually fast now. Instead of going into a low power mode or other typical protocol, their system slams on a new emergency program that forces them to seek out the closest source available relentlessly. They almost always lose complete control of their body during this. In order to obtain the energy in an efficient manner, the nanomachine component of the virus reconstructs certain parts of their robotic anatomy. It gives them more sharp, elongated canine teeth (this is also the route it uses to propagate itself/infect others) and sharp claws. Both of these physical changes were also added due to Shade’s influence.

Someone like Metal can keep ahold of themselves noticeably better than some of the others due to his stubborn personality, willpower, and innate advantage(Metal Blade isn’t an energy intensive weapon ability so his default energy drain was always slower than most). He still remains alert and is constantly aware of his status/condition.

Now poor Crash is not having a good time. He already deals with something akin to the robot equivalent of emotional dysregulation so this virus’s intrusive programming is an extremely stressful strain on Crash’s coding and systems. He can barely control himself, if at all, most of the time. He’s forced to be restrained in the fortress’s cell area with a few other infected DWNs since he can’t be trusted to not hurt the few uninfected or himself, unfortunately. After a few days of the others reporting Crash begging them to not leave and/or let him out when visiting, Metal volunteers to remain with him in his cell until a cure is figured out since infected bots aren’t a danger to each other. Crash, to everyone’s relief, does become noticeably calmer after this.

Flash decided to lock himself up with the others in the cell room. Due to using Timestopper just prior to being bit, he unfortunately began his infection in a state of extreme energy drain and didn’t want take the risk of being uncaged. He surprises everyone since he is usually pretty calm and collected albeit kinda grouchy normally, but when the virus finally really hits, it seems like he’s struggling desperately to keep a hold of himself. He’s actually always trying to suppress a more unhinged part of himself (many of the 2nd line have it, but they just accept or indulge their violent programming) out of pride and spite but the virus programming makes it so hard and he’s on the verge of completely giving up many times. When he does let it slip and give in to it, the others report Flash attempting to seduce them into going inside his cell or letting him out. Some have told pretty colorful stories of how strong he comes on to them. Quick seemed very enthusiastic to witness this and has placed himself in the cell next door to Flash’s. Apparently the incidents of flirtation came to a screeching halt afterwards and Flash returned to almost exactly like his pre-infected self again but somehow even more disgruntled. Everyone comments that Quick looks immensely disappointed.

Oh yeah and then there’s bots like Quick who might as well not be infected even though he totally is infected. So why the hell is he, well, utterly unaffected by the virus’s “horror hunger” and other personality altering shenanigans? He was built off Elec Man’s base design. Also a good chunk of his core’s power source is extremely similar to that of an Electric-based Robot Master. So the virus is operating as though it’s infected a normal Electric RM which leaves them quite stable minded after it finally settles in. Flash can’t believe this annoying bastard’s luck. Quick doesn’t see what the big deal is. He asks if he should forgo the cure and keep the fangs. They’re pretty sexy right? Flash tells him to go fuck himself.

Quick Fact: How’d he get infected anyway? Before Flash locked himself up, Quick was mocking him for allowing himself to get infected so easily and Quick got his hand a little too close to Flash’s mouth.

So yeah, anyway, Wily’s whole plan was kinda for nothing cuz all the Electric RMs from the initial incident at the power plant returned to their normal selves not very long afterwards (although still had the physical changes and did feel the urge to drain others but could control it much better than non-Elec RMs). And they could still accidentally infect others especially non-Elec RMs which would not be good. So Light and Wily do concoct a vaccine that cures everybody of the virus. End of this little “vampire” scenario.

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Extra Bonus stuff cuz this isn’t already fucking LONG ENOUGH:

First Heat Man and it’s for this cringe story LOL.

Well, he and Crash are such close knit buddies. It broke his robot heart hearing his best friend wailing like an abandoned alley cat in a tattered cardboard box in the soaking rain. And when Crash perked up so much seeing him visit, Heat couldn’t resist that adorable face.

Heat (oblivious to what he looks like now): He looked so happy and I felt so bad, man! It wasn’t going to hurt to go in for just a minute to give him a little comfort. He looked so clear headed when I first went in, ok? He just got a little excited and well he can’t help being a bit frisky! That’s just how he is normally, too, so why would I have had my guard up?? But you see? Nothing bad happened!

Metal (who definitely does NOT look beyond irritated): Heat, you fucking idiot.

Poor fucking Air, too??? I’m so sorry.

Well, this was mostly to counter Metal being an ass to Heat since he’s a big ol’ hypocrite because hm. Metal touts being so in control and mature unlike the others. He’d never be so reckless and infect someone in a moment of foolish heated passion or anything, right? Besides since Air doesn’t have a mouth, there’s nothing to worry about. He can’t be a danger and infect anyone else. It’s kinda messed up that he can’t get energy like the other “vampires” but that’s what E-tanks are for. Everything’s cooool.

Heat: Hey Air, why’re your arms always behind your back now all a sudden?

Metal: . . .

RIP Metal’s dignity

Heat also very much noticed the mark on Air’s hand and didn’t let Metal live this down for quite some time.

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OK it’s finally over. I did NOT intend to pretty much write a damn fanfic good lord.

There’s purposely a lot of ambiguity over which characters became “vampires” outside of the specifically mentioned ones. It leaves things open to imagine your favorite RM(s) in this scenario as you please.