The Spectacular Spider-Man

&

Rock Light

In

"Soulmates "

Chapter One: "Love at First Light"

Disclaimer: I'm getting tired of saying this, but here goes - I don't own the characters used in this narrative, nor do I own the original storylines and nor do I have any hand in the companies themselves; I'm merely telling a fictional, non-profit fan-fiction for the point of entertaining anyone who's interested in reading this. The characters belong to Marvel Comics and Capcom respectively (along with any licence holders I've forgotten while writing this disclaimer), while for the purposes of this story I'm changing certain things around in order to better tell my story. Consider it a 'Spectacular' Reboot of the Mega Man series of games. If there's anything I've forgotten to list in this fanfiction's disclaimer, please let me know so I can fix it...though that goes without saying.

Author's Note: For the purpose of this story, I'm swapping the genders of many of the original characters - namely the humanoid Robot Masters. Why? I find it entertaining, and it makes the point of this story a lot better. If this one goes over well, I'll be doing both a story where the characters are as they are in the canon, and one with gender swapping of certain Marvel characters. As far as I know, I'm the first person to be doing this, so yay. Finally, something original from me. Also, I'm drawing on elements from other Mega man series here, as well as things I've seen in some fanart and other stuff for basic design elements.

The Daily Bugle. A popular New York newspaper that prided itself on journalistic integrity, and an unwillingness to be bought off or back down from telling the truth. However, these lofty ideals didn't always align with the mood of the paper's Editor-in-Chief and Owner, one J Jonah Jameson, a crusty middle-aged man with a poor-taste mustache and a flat-top hairstyle, and a bent towards business suits all the time. And at the moment, he was angry. No, not the usual kind of angry, but a whole new level of angry...angry at the possibility of being scooped by another paper.

"PAAAAAAAAAARKER!"

The furious scream/cry echoed in the offices, and everyone winced in understanding and sympathy as the doomed young man, clad in a blue t-shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt, brown cargo pants, sneakers, and with a camera bag over one shoulder rushed into the office with a panicky look on his face.

"What?! What?!" He asked, panting for air as he held his chest, having sprinted across the newsroom from the coffee machine (and the complimentary donuts), while the angry publisher looked down at him.

"Parker! You're going with Urich to that...science thing!"

"Science thing?" Peter was at a loss for words, not knowing what Jonah was talking about. There was a sigh from behind him, and his partner for this story walked in - Ben Urich was a man in his late 20s, or early 30s (no one was sure), with medium length dark auburn hair with a mustache and a goatee, wearing a black leather jacket over a white shirt and black pants.

"A famous roboticist from Japan is moving to New York to set up a lab here, devoted to what made him famous - advanced robot making. It's a big enough story that they're sending me - and you - on it, and we're going to be late if we're not out the door in five minutes," the older man said, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded his boss, and the freelance photographer who, under Jonah's glaring scrutiny, felt anything but special.

"R-right, yeah...I remember now. I thought that was a closed event." Peter said, recalling something he'd read in the Bugle press release on this subject.

"It is. Only the Bugle and two other papers are getting photos of the complex, so it's important that we get there on time, Parker." Urich said, smiling in a good-natured fashion. "But you're the best of the freelancers - I've seen your Spider-Man pictures. I think they're fantastic, and I think you could do good on this assignment too."

The young man in question smiled a bit at the praise, and nodded some. "I'm sold. Let's get going, Mister Urich!" With that, Peter was out the door, a chuckling Urich following close-by. Jonah grunted, but smiled (very very very VERY) softly, and sat back at his desk, puffing on his signature cigar.

Ben and Peter took a cab, the long ride lending itself mostly to a conversation on Peter's past involvement with big stories (including the time Venom claimed that he was Spider-Man - which he is, but he wouldn't admit that to anyone) the Bugle had printed in the past....especially the Spider-Man ones.

"You take good pictures, Pete. I'm hoping you'll live up to my expectations. This isn't my usual beat either, but you know Jonah...we don't really have a science section - since it wouldn't be that popular to the layperson - and I'm one of the bigger reporters we have at the Bugle." Urich said, smiling to the young man, who smiled back and ran a hand through his short brown hair.

"Thanks, Mister Urich."

"You're welcome. And you can call me Ben if that makes you more comfortable," the older man said, getting comfortable after the first ten minutes of the drive.

"Okay...Ben." He smiled to the other man, nodding and checking over his digital camera, making sure he had an empty memory stick loaded up in it, and that everything was in working order. "So this is a big story, huh?"

"The biggest. This scientist, Doctor Light, plans on using advanced robots to do heavy industrial work, and his prototypes have seen success in Tokyo, where they were built, and he brought them over here to show the big guys - Stark, Richards, and the rest - the potential of these 'Robot Masters'. There's also some indication they could be used as a militia, or fighting force, which is what Jonah wants us to follow-up on - namely if they could handle Spider-Man."

'Of course,' Peter thought, subdued, rolling his eyes a little as he looked out his window. "How much longer is the ride, Ben?" he vocalized, to break the silence.

"A good...twenty minutes or so at the speed we're going....which is pretty good for New York traffic, to be honest with you," the reporter said, smiling some more as he peered out his own window. Peter smiled, somewhat amused, at the remark - the lack of traffic was due to clean up in the streets, fallout from yet another of his battles against the super-criminal element of New York's underworld...specifically, members of the Sinister Six.

"That's good."

It was a full thirty minutes later that the cab arrived at the lab structure, and Peter had one thing to say about the place - "Wow." There was a nice-looking house structure to the side, with the larger lab complex attached to the side, with construction still underway at some parts. The two newsmen entered the building, joining the melieu of photogs and reporters, with Urich motioning to Peter, handing him a press pass specially issued for a tour of the building.

"You're going to need this."

"Right, thanks Ben." The teenager nodded, clipping it onto his collar and separating from the older man, to explore a little. He got as far as the first lab when he felt something wrong - namely, his spider-sense. He ducked into a closet nearby, and peered out, amazed to see a figure almost as large as the Rhino, colored red, yellow, and black with a hardhat carrying a massive block, next to him a teenaged girl with long purple hair that was long in the back, and shaggy at the top, wearing a white t-shirt, a blue zip-up sweater over that, and a pair of blue jeans and sneakers, with a blue choker around her neck with a large 'R' hanging from it.

"Careful with that block, Guts Man," the girl said, in a worried fashion. "We don't want any trouble while our guests are here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know what I'm doin', Rock. This is what I was made for, remember?" came a gruff voice, that sounded a lot like a Brooklyn accent, as the block was set down. "Lissen, I'm gonna go check on the Doc. You see if there's anything he needs here."

"Sure thing," The girl said, her emerald eyes lighting up as she nodded, and began looking around. As the large figure - 'Guts Man' - left the room, the girl - Rock - noticed something wrong with the closet, and walked over to it, opening it and coming face-to-face with....a labcoat. "I must be going crazy," she sighed, in a relieved fashion...just as the block Guts Man had been moving slid forward, knocking her into the closet and into a certain teenaged photographer's arms. "H-huh?!" She look startled, her green eyes locking onto those hazel ones, her face flushing, as did Peter's, as the two looked at each other, in a close embrace, for several minutes. Finally, embarassed, they separated, and looked around, trying to move past the awkward moment. "Uh...w-what are you doing back here? This isn't exactly on the tour."

"Well, I...uh...got...lost?" the brunette said, helplessly, putting on a bit of an act for the girl...which she seemed to be falling for. When she nodded to him, he spoke again. "I'm with the Daily Bugle, here to take some pictures for the front page - at least I'm assuming it's the front page - story."

"Well, I'm Rock...you could say I'm Doctor Light's...daughter," she said, offering her hand to him, which he took and gave a shake that would seem appropriate for his build...his eyes wandering down her chest, amazed at the size, and then down to her legs, and back up again, taking in her entire body with an obviously amazed look on his face, prompting the purple-haired girl to giggle nervously. "I get that reaction a lot..."

"Oh! Oh, jeeze! I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"No, no, it's okay, really. You're a guy, you can't help it." She then turned to the block before her, and pushed at it for a moment, sighing. "Great...I told him to be careful, but did he listen? No, of course not. And now we're trapped in here until he comes back...which he probably won't."

"Y-you mean...?"

"Yeah...we may as well get comfy." Rock slid onto the floor, sighing as she sat, cross-legged, ontop of a labcoat, Peter sliding down to join her, sitting across from her with a dejected look on his face. She felt a strange pang in her core, and blinked at him with a curious look on her face. 'Wh-what's this feeling? It's so...strange...'

Peter lifted up his camera, pointing it at Rock, and began getting a good angle and zoom...and took her picture, the flash blinding the girl.

"Gah!"

"S-sorry. I figured I may as well get a picture out of this."

"It's cool," she smiled to him, blushing again.

"So, what exactly do you do around here?"

"I'm the Doctor's lab assistant. My sister Roll is the housekeeper. Guts Man - who you probably saw through the closet - is a construction robot, meant to lift heavy objects as well as other stuff construction works do. If we get out of here before the press conference is over, you can see the others...but if we don't get out on time, I'm sure I can get the Doctor to let you take pictures of the others."

"Really? That's awfully nice of you..."

"Well, I was...taught to be nice by Doctor Light. And you seem like a nice person...and I'm usually right about these things," the purple haired teenager smiled at Peter, almost shyly, and then settled back against the wall. "Guess we're waiting this one out..."

And wait they did...for a full half hour before Doctor Light realized Rock was missing. He had been so busy with his Robot Masters that he forgot about her (since herself and Roll weren't part of the press conference), and only a half hour or so later did he send Fire Girl, Ice Girl, and Elec Girl. The three Robot Masters, clad in their unusual armor, found the block in front of the closet and tapped on it.

"Hey, is someone out there?" came Rock's voice.

"You got stuck in there?" Ice Girl asked, her parka's hood up over her head - her suit consisted of a skyblue bodysuit with dark blue boots, gloves, and a hooded parka/vest combination, her skin a pale bluish hue and her hair a deep snowy white.

"Are you alone in there?" Elec Girl asked next, her armor consisted of red, yellow, and black body armor built to withstand high amounts of damage from electrical and non-electrical attacks directed towards her, with a slightly goofy mask...which she had removed for this.

"No, I'm stuck in here with a photographer."

"Well, you've pretty much missed the story, if that's the case."

"Boy am I in trouble..." came Peter's voice, Fire Girl laughing a bit.

"Oh, it sounds like a boy..." Her armor consisted of a greyish bodysuit, thigh high red boots with heels, opera-style armored gloves, a red vest with flame patterns on it, and a face concealing helmet on, though her short, spikey red-and-orange hair was still visible. "You aren't by chance naked in there, eh Rockie-girl?"

"W-what?! No!" The purple haired teenager said, protesting, and banging against the block in front of the closet. "Can you just please get us out of here? I have to ask Doctor Light to let Peter get some shots of all you guys."

"Well, if he's cute, I'll let him take mine," Fire Girl purred, slyly, while her sisters slapped their foreheads.

"Is that honestly all you think about it?" Ice Girl said, sighing as she peeked out at her sister between two fingers, her hands over her face for a moment.

"Well, I'm very...hot-blooded. It's in my manufacture. Just like being frigid is in yours."

"H-hey! I am NOT frigid!"

"I'd ask you to prove it, but right now let's focus on this...freeze the block, would you?"

"Oh, right." With that, the blue girl nodded, and took a stance. Almost immediately, the entire room began to grow cold, as ice began to build up on the Robot Master's arms, before she pushed out with both to fire an ice beam at the block, which allowed her two sisters to begin pushing it out of the way. A slightly flustered Rock emerged, followed by a somewhat-dejected Peter Parker. "Oh, wow," Ice Girl said, blushing as she eyed him over. Fire Girl grinned, and put an arm around his shoulders, surprising him.

"He's cute...in a nerdy kind of way. Good thing I like nerds, huh, big boy?" she said, teasingly, giving the young man a deep blush on his cheeks. "Ohhh, I think he likes me..." she said, grinning beneath her helmet, before Elec Girl zapped her sister on the backside with a small jolt of electricity. "Ow! Damnit! What was that for?!"

"You're embarassing him...and yourself. Let's just take him to Doctor Light, okay?"

"S-sounds good to me..." Ice Girl said, in a dreamy fashion - clearly she was smitten. Which surprised Peter - who heard of a robot being romantically attracted to another being, except in somewhat poorly written sci-fi novels. The three Robot Masters, Fire Girl still attached to Peter's left arm, and Rock, led their guest out of the lab area and towards the press conference area, where Ben was waiting for Peter while talking/interviewing the Doctor. When Ben spotted Peter, he flashed the young man a slightly relieved look, before going back to the Doctor. Rock approached Doctor Light, and, clearing her throat lightly, interrupted him.

"Oh, Rock! There you are! I was so worried when I realized you were missing! You're not damaged, are you?" The kindly old man asked, smiling in a fatherly fashion to his lab assistant, who smiled back to him and just shook her head.

"No, I got stuck in the lab's closet with a photographer...I wanted to ask if you'd consider letting him take some shots of the other Robot Masters..."

"Well, if he's this Parker fellow Mister Urich here was telling me about, I'd be glad to. I'm actually a fan of his Spider-Man shots. The things that boy can do with a camera!" Doctor Light laughed, stroking his thick white beard as he motioned for Peter and the others to approach, as well as Bomb Man, Guts Man, and Cut Girl - Bomb man had a round body, with a strange-head with a mohawk on nit, Guts Man was a heavily armored Robot Master, and Cut Girl was a human-appearing girl clad in a white bodysuit with red-pink vest, matching boots, matching gloves, and a white/red helmet with what looked like circular scissor blades on the top of said helmet. "These are my Robot Masters, Peter. I hear from Mister Urich that you're a science student, and an intern at ESU."

"Yes sir, that's correct," the hazel haired young man blinked, smiling a bit.

"Well, since that's the case, I'd like to extend an invitation to you - I'd like you to visit us sometime in your spare time. Perhaps with friends, perhaps alone, and take a guided tour. As long as you extend the same courtesy to Rock, Roll, and their brothers and sisters."

"S-sure, I'd be glad to," the boy said, smiling, though eyeing the purple haired teen curiously. 'She's a Robot too? I can't believe it...this guy does great work. He certainly puts Doc Ock to shame...'

For her part, Rock was surprised at Doctor Light's offer, though she would admit that she would like a guided tour of the new city they had just moved into, not to mention getting a better handle on the new country she and her siblings would be living in. "That sounds nice," she said, smiling, while Fire Girl gave Peter a wink and clicked her tongue in a playful fashion. For his part, Ben cocked a brow, but shrugged it off and nodded a bit.

"Doctor Light, I'd like to thank you for the personal interview, and the understanding with which you're treating us today."

"Oh, it's no bother at all. I'm always glad to share information on my work."

As Doctor Light continued to speak, a shadowed figure watched from the outside, the only hint at its identity being a sharp shuriken on a headband that glimmered in the overhead lights. The figure then leapt into the air, and ran up the side of the building, jumping off at the top, and landing on top of a flying machine - some kind of airship, with a skull motif, and a large W stamped on both sides. It was being piloted by a blonde in black, orange, and white armor, and the other figure's outfit consisted of a lavender face mask, headband, sleeveless top, a mesh top over that, what looked like lavender bikini bottoms, mesh shorts, purple and white gauntlets, and purple and white boots, and a full female figure. The first figure banged her boot against the ship, and the blonde nodded, and began to fly up and away.

In a hidden lab in the very heart of the industrial district of New York, an old man wearing a white labcoat over an Hawaiian shirt and black tie, blue pants, dark shoes, and a pair of shade son, with a bald spot and VERY prominent hair, was laughing somewhat insanely. And by 'somewhat', very.

"This is excellent news! We can get at Doctor Light's precious Robot Masters while they're at ESU!"

Suddenly an alarm went off, and a large Robot dropped from the ceiling, a mass of spikes and metal, and another, this one fully armored like a tank, moved up besides the first, in defence of their creator.

"Actually, Doctor Wily, I was thinking it would be more prudent if you...assisted me," came a smooth, assured voice, as, propelled by four metal tentacles, the now-infamous face of Doctor Octopus emerged from the shadows in the proclaimed Doctor Wily's lab, an evil smile spreading on the old man's face.

"Indeed...I was wondering when you'd pay me a visit, Otto. Has it been so long that you've forgotten your favorite teacher?"

"Sadly, circumstances outside my control prevented me from contacting you sooner."

"Yes, I've heard...this so-called 'Spider-Man'. I think I could help you with him...for a price."

And with that, a new partnership was formed.

End Notes: Well, here ends the first chapter of a new saga (that will hopefully be finished before the end of the year). You may notice I took quite a few liberties with the source material, but it was all in the name of providing you the reader with an interesting and unique story. Please let me know what you thought of it, and if you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to ask.