Dear rollerblading Daisy, I actually did it.
Seriously this time.
So.
What a way to start the New Year huh?
(In between procrastinating, working on starter chapters for later arcs of Bowser's Modern Life and (at the speed of an arthritic turtle) working on Dawn of the Ridleys, I wrote up a variation of Cruel Angel Thesis from Neon Genesis Evangelion (a show I have only read about. Keep in mind that the first time I heard this song was of a parody of it) starring Mega Man and Bowser Jr. It wasn't quite friendship and it wasn't quite romantic, but it was something. I added some story elements to it, uploaded it to , got one good review and deleted it after I learned that the "Reportable Offense" community expressed an interest in it. So I decided to rewrite the story, keeping the same basic beats (Mega Man talking with Bowser Jr.) and going from there. Unfortunately, the tone is somewhat less tongue-in-cheek (not to say it isn't, just less so than the original) and more…straight I guess? I'm not entirely sure whether this is friendship or romance myself, but the hoyay levels near the end has made me upload this as general for now. If you feel this is one or the other, leave a comment and I will move it appropriately. The rest of this author's note shall be a reproduction (excluding one line) of the original note.)
"But is this slash?" You may be asking. The answer, my dear reader is moreso for you to decide, whether Junior is crushing hard for Mega Man or just really wants a friend.
"But why Bowser Jr. and Mega Man?"
Well, it's different for starters. And it's not like there's that many people using Bowser Jr. as a character in these fics anyway.
Also, Bowser Jr. is kinda similar to Eggman and Wily and LOL IRONY.
Then there's "Behind Enemy Lines". Granted, there is probably a reference to Star Fox Assult that went over my head but pairings have been inspired by less.
Also Crazy Orders ships them apparently. At least twice have I gotten an order where my teammates were Rock Man and Koopa Jr. (Both times as Ganondorf, curiously enough)
But also because, I feel this idea (or at the very least some comparison between the two of them) is something worth looking into. Obviously, Father-Son bromance aside, Junior isn't really the type of character to ship with someone unless it's a brotp (Despite Pixiv condoning Bowser Jr./Baby Mario. I tend to hang out on the weird side of the internet.).
But why crackship (or at least CrackRival/friendship) him with Mega Man?
The people who see Junior as only "Baby Bowser with a bandana" tend to forget at least one crucial fact about him: Whilst a large amount of the Koop Troop, including the Koopalings and Bowser Sr. (even as a baby) favor Black Magic and brute force, Bowser Jr. prefers mechs and technology as his fondness of airships and casinos/cities in the spinoffs suggest (like his logos in Moonview highway and Junior Street as a whole). Even his magic paintbrush, despite having magic in the title, was designed by Dr. E. Gadd.
And there's his relationship with Metal Sonic in the Olympic Games.
Quotes in Fortune Street (which I found data rips of) do suggest that the Bowsers love making minions of potentially helpful people, which is the basis of this whole trainwreck. So if Junior sees a robot heavily armed with cool weapons...
TL:DR: Junior prefers technology and sees Mega Man as minion potential.
Yes, I just attempted to justify why, logically, Bowser Jr. would be attracted in some way to Mega Man.
Can you tell I put too much thought into this?
Enjoy, something I put seriously more effort into than the current story arc of "Bowser's Modern Life."
"Kid, this is getting very stupid."
"But Mr. Falco! I saw them! They were right here!"
Falco turned toward Villager, parking the arwing in the Dream Land airspace.
"And I keep saying: There! Is! Nothing! There! Honestly, How did you… come… up… with…?"
Falco stared into space as a bubble containing what appeared to be a video of Dark Pit looking buff floated by. As the bubble floated onward, the scene shifted to a crudely drawn picture of Pit saying:
"Oh Pit! You are so much more edgy and cool then I am! I, the true copy, am bleeding from the edge like the copy I am!"
Falco and Villager simply stared at the bubble. Then they looked in the opposite direction and spotted the Fountain of Dreams. Mega Man and Bowser Jr. were there.
Rock Man and Koopa Junia were sitting on one of the floating platforms, talking. However, unlike whenever Mega Man was normally in battle and whenever Junior was with anyone who was not Bowser, the two rivals seemed to actually be quietly and respectfully enjoying each other's company.
Falco screamed like a little girl.
Villager looked nervous.
Suddenly those files and blueprints that he found in the Junior's airship made sense.
Suddenly the Prince's constant demands to "battle Mega Dweeb and show him who's really technologically superior" made sense.
Suddenly Bowsy's apparent obsession with the robot made sense.
But what was the nature of this relationship, if there is any? It probably wasn't love. Junior was a notoriously bad liar and made his feelings about love clear. There was little to no way he could continue to sit back, eat popcorn and wear foam fingers as he usually did when some love drama unfolded in front of him whilst karma bit him in his spiky rear. There was an answer however. But it was sometime earlier…
Sometime Earlier…
Mega Man stared down his opponent, baring his teeth in a grimace look. The other boy, floating in his Junior Clown Car, on the other hand, gave a smirk. They stared each other down, like in the western picture shows, a logo for one "Dr. W" on the floor between them. Mega Man began firing his Mega Buster, stopping the Junior Clown Car for just a moment before it jumped into the air. Mega Man rolled out of the way of a mighty wrecking ball that made up the boys back air move. More staring down.
The reptile boy's smug face became even smugger as he gave an extra smug laugh.
"Looks like I'm gonna win this round Mega Dweeb!" Bowser Jr. declared, somehow managing to sound even smugger then previously thought possible. "But maybe you should have expected it from the prince of cool and his awesome clown car." Junior's potent air of smugness loomed over the arena. However, even amidst the smug, he could still make out the robot's question.
"Why…?"
"What do you mean? Why are you gonna lose? Well, because-"
"Why do you follow in Wily's footsteps…? Why do you constantly fight me…?" Mega Man asked, sounding very disappointed.
"Oh…" With even more ellipses, Bowsy stopped to process the question before gleefully shouting out: "Because I hate you!"
This was a flat out lie, as the "Rank of Potential Minions list" in Junior's office in his personal airship stated. Even then, Diddy Kong and Alph (two more members of the 'Fanfic writers don't really pay attention to me and I'm not sure how I feel about that, kids branch' club) noticed that Junior's feelings about Mega Man were either venomous or crushing (or maybe squishing?) depending on the phase of the moon. The Terminan moon meant that these shifts gave Junior a boarderline Bi-Polar disorder. "But when me and my dad take over the Trophy World, we're gonna let Uncle Wily make you better."
Smoke began emitting from Rock as he thought of the mad scientist residing in the looming fortress that was the backdrop for this nightly battle. This just confirmed Rock's assumptions about Junior: He really does see everything the evil doctor might and could do as cool.
"And what exactly do you mean by 'make me better'?" Mega Man asked, already dreading the answer.
"It'll be great! With you as my minion, we'll stomp anyone who gets in our way, we'll rule the skies, pull pranks on everyone, rule from neon paradises…"
As Junior continued gushing, Mega Man slowly stopped wincing. Bowser Jr.'s plans, although malicious for the most part, sounded less like a master and his mindless slave and more like best friends. And, come to think of it, Junior is usually seen either with his dad or by himself at the arena besides protocol with the Koopalings…
Mega Man got an idea. It was a completely stupid idea, but an idea none the less. The robot approached the kid, who was still listing off activities. Then he began to… chat?
"So." Mega Man began casually sitting on the rim of the Junior Clown Car. "Do you have any friends?"
Bowser Jr. didn't answer as he was too busy being stunned that his rival just randomly stopped in the middle of a fight to chat. What was this Fire Emblem nonsense?!
"…What do you think you're doing Mega Dweeb?" he asked looking Rock in his scary, emotionless, robot LED eyes. "What sort of question is that?!"
Of course, Junior wasn't going to be co-operative.
"I'm just asking about those koopas who ride in those same vehicles that you do. I heard you used to be friends with them."
Junior made a rather unpleasant face as he turned the vehicle around, attempting to move away from Mega Man, but failing miserably.
"Mega Dweeb… I've seen the internet. And if there is anything that being in the tournament and seeing my "fans" has taught me, it's that my biggest mistake letting those uncool, cheating, lying, sneaky, giant, backstabbing traitors who love to lie to their boss's kid in this tournament. You'd make a much better minion."
Mega Man was slightly disturbed by Junior's suddenly icy tone, his haughty, affable nature having left the building and instead been replaced with recent scorn that promised revenge. Thinking about it, Mega Man wasn't even sure that line of thinking made sense. However, Rock held out against more stubborn foes (Read: Bass) so he tried thinking of other smashers that Junior may have enough in common with to consider a friend.
"Robin? Shulk?"
Junior sighed
"Ness? Lucas? Toon Link? Villager?"
Junior cringed.
"You just don't get it do you Mega Dweeb?!" The clown car extended a claw to help its owner exit the machine. He then turned in a haughty fashion which would have been kinda cool and mysterious if it weren't for the fact that, since he usually comes up to Mega Man's chest, he's actually even shorter in comparison now.
"Listen Mega Dweeb: Dad told me about this tournament and how pretty boys, those three or four kids, and later the waifus, were all over the place, falling in love with each other everywhere. He told me they hog the spotlight from everyone else and that I was at risk of "bonding" with someone, whatever that means. And for the most part, whenever I saw any of those lamewads fall in love, I just laugh. Just me and the dog laughing. I thought that with almost everyone making lovey-dovey eyes at each other, My dad and I could claw our way to the top and become the Kings of Smash!
Then I met you."
Junior looked livid as all get out. He knew for a fact that there was no way this baby faced, piece of junk that a Banzai Bill would blow to pieces was someone he would fall in love with, romantic or otherwise. Yet the desire was still there. The desire to have this weapon-loaded machine as a minion.
As an ally.
As a friend?
Junior dismissed that thought.
"So you see Mega Dweeb. I don't know what you did to me and I don't like it. I don't like romance. Why should I be smooching some loser when I could be doing things to impress Dad and my minions? Meaning, I'm not in love with anyone. Not even you. And if I really am in love with you, well I guess I'll just have to hate you to make up for it."
"Come on Bowser Jr." Mega Man pleaded. "Just give someone a chance."
Bowser Junior sat on the opposite side of the rim of the clown car looking haughty and somewhat sassy.
"Why are you so hung up on me you stupid robot?!"
"Because," Mega Man started to look disappointed again. "I don't want you to end up as miserable and lost as Wily is." Junior looked confused as Mega Man continued. I don't want to see you, or anyone actually, go down the same road that Wily went down. I want to give you the chance to lead a happier, friendlier life. So I want you to find someone you can be friends with. Even if that friend is me."
Bowser Jr. and Mega Man stared at each other, the former trying to process and formulate a smug response of independence, but unable to. So it was probably just as well that that Bob-omb spawned on top of them.
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!
GAME!
…
NO CONTEST…
And this probably isn't the crackiest ship either of these two have been in. Then again, maybe it is.
Happy 2015 (Again).
See you for Ridley part 3.
Eventually.
