Chapter Text
“So… what? Did he expect King to destroy me, or for me to destroy King?”
“I don’t know, it sounds like Wily saw it as a win-win either way.” Mega Man was kind of joking, but there was the ring of truth to his words.
He regretted it when he saw Bass sag in dismay, clearly having thought the same thing.
Hesitant, Mega Man reached out, placing a comforting hand on the other robot’s arm. The sad thing was, he’d wanted very badly to finally bury the hatchet and find some common ground that they could build on. He just never actually thought it would happen. And yet, here they were, not exactly bonding, but…
For a split second Bass seemed to brighten, appreciating the gesture, and Mega Man couldn’t help but feel like maybe, just maybe, this was the start of a beautiful fr—
Then he got a face full of plasma from Bass’s cannon and stumbled backwards, sputtering as he clasped a hand to his stinging cheek. “Hey, jerk! I was just trying to be nice!”
“Loser,” Bass replied.
Shadow Mega Man was shuddering in his arms, leaking hydraulic fluid and coolant and sparks of raw energy flickering from the tears in his hull.
In spite of everything— the vicious fights, the horrific confession— Mega Man still felt bad for him. He couldn’t help it. In some way, in some sick, twisted way, he looked at Shadow Mega Man and saw himself. The idea that he could, that any version of him could, ever, ever be pushed to do the things this poor creature had done…
Well…
“We can, we can still— we can help you…” he found himself saying. And his evil counterpart only smirked as he shook his head. It was too late anyway.
Even if it wasn’t. He didn’t want to be saved, that’s why he’d come here, to this alternate past— to put an end to the madness.
“Don’t watch,” Bass said, charging a shot. As badly damaged as Shadow Mega Man was, it would only take one.
Mega Man didn’t need to be told twice. He looked away, bracing himself, and felt the violent jerk as the cannon shot landed and then it was done. It was over. He hunched forward, hiding his face in his hand, and wished he could cry.
Then, for one brief moment, Bass touched his shoulder. An act of sympathy that was so surprising Mega Man nearly startled. But just to make sure there was no misunderstanding, Bass kicked him afterwards.
“Agh! Why are you so mean!”
“Why are you such a dork?”
Blade Man had tagged him pretty bad, and Bass barely made it back to Dr. Light’s lab in one piece.
He glared at Mega Man when he returned with the missing piece for Dr. Wily’s equipment. Once again circumstances had forced them to work together, and Mega Man thought things were going well, but when he saw the dirty look Bass gave him, he started to second-guess that.
Afterwards, Dr. Light had discreetly called him on the com, letting him know that Bass had made some comment about Dr. Wily, and that it wasn’t Mega Man he was upset about…
…but rather the fact that he’d failed in Wily’s eyes.
With that startling realization, Mega Man found himself trying to fall back, to act as a support once Bass was back in action. It worked, mostly. Together they finished off Commando Man.
“Awesome!” Grinning, Mega Man held up his hand for a high-five.
Bass smiled and moved towards him, hand up, and for a brief moment it looked like he was actually going to give a high-five… but at the last second, he shifted and punched Mega Man in the face.
“Oh come on! What’s wrong with you!?”
“Allergic to nerds,” Bass replied with a smirk.
“Remember that time you pushed me over the ledge towards a pit of lava?”
“Are you kidding? I only did it because you were charging to shove me over the ledge!”
He expected an argument, but instead Bass started chuckling.
“Yeah, I was.”
“Ugh!”
Proto Man burst into laughter. “Aww,” he teased. “It’s so nice to see what good friends you two have become.”
“Shaddup,” Bass replied, and Mega Man shook his head as he rolled his eyes.
But this time when Bass punched him, it was playful.
The start of a beautiful friendship, indeed…