Mega Man X: Wily's Legacy
Chapter 1: An Unfortunate Reunion
The lanterns in the mine flickered, shadows dancing upon the walls. The shaft appeared completely devoid of life and movement, but in this darkness Mega Man couldn't tell. He stumbled over the uneven ground, the path before him illuminated only by the glow of the fully charged buster shot in his left arm. Brown dust clung to his brilliant blue armor as he struggled through a particularly narrow passage.
"It doesn't make sense..." Mega Man mumbled to himself, "Dr. Light's communication said Wily had taken-"His thoughts were interrupted as the ground gave way beneath him and Mega Man found himself tumbling down a metal tube. The bottom was still out of sight but he had a good idea of what he would discover down there.
The Blue Bomber hit the ground with a thud, stumbling forward. His head jerked up sharply, whipping his Mega Buster around. The ceiling was now sealed and he found himself in a cell. While three of the walls were solid steel, the door was made of metal bars. They looked fairly new too, not something that had been sitting long. With a roar the charged shot housed in his buster tore free, vaporizing the bars in an instant.
Mega Man stepped out into the corridor, finding it well lit. The walls were lined with monitors, each bearing the flickering image of past robot masters he had defeated. Pausing to stare at Quick Man, he realized these weren't just images...they were trapped! Each of the robot masters was encased in a solid, clear block. Of what, Mega Man didn't know. All of them were deactivated at the moment, it was impossible to tell if energy was being sucked from them or drawn into them.
The corridor gave Mega Man chills. Bubble Man, Wood Man, Metal Man...This entire corridor was dedicated to the Second Robot Rebellion. Mega found it eerie to see these fierce warriors in such a state, hurrying to the end of the corridor. The door slid open, slamming back down behind him once he had entered. No turning back.
At the end of this corridor Mega saw that the door bore Wily's signature: 'Dr. W' scrawled over a circle. These walls were no different from the last, robot masters encased in the same strange substance. Guts Man, Cut Man, Bomb Man...all deactivated. Mega reached for the door panel in a hurry, yet it did not open. He felt eyes on him, spinning with Mega Buster drawn to face the wall to his right. Elec Man's eyes were open.
The robot master smirked, shattering the material around him. Mega leapt back, charging his weapon. He couldn't fathom why Wily was reviving such out-of-date robot masters, but here before him stood a very irate Elec Man.
"Mega Man! I've been waiting to settle the score with you!" Elec Man cried. "You don't have to do this! Dr. Light created you, we don't have to fight anymore!" Mega Man tried to convince his brother. "Fool! You destroyed me once, I won't let you do it again!" with that Elec Man clenched his fist, his electrical powers beginning to crackle around it. As he made a punching motion the burst of electricity was set free, ripping through the air towards its master's opponent.
Mega Man hit the ground, narrowly avoiding the bolt of raw electricity. He had felt it singe his armor for a moment. Standing, he let loose the power stored within his arm cannon, the blue orb rocketing towards Elec Man.
"What?!" the master gasped, caught off guard by this power he had never before witnessed. Stunned, he did not dodge as the glowing energy shattered his armor, tearing through his chest and searing his circuits to nothingness. For a second he staggered, his eyes rolling back in his head as oil and other fluids sprayed from the gaping hole in his chest. "But...but...tha-...not fair!"
With that, Elec Man collapsed in a heap, his body spasming with the left over electricity still running through his circuits. With a sad sigh Mega Man grabbed his dead brother's arm, absorbing the fallen robot's power. He had a feeling he would need it. Just behind the sorry scene the door slid open.
It was time. He would make Wily pay for forcing him to kill one of his brothers yet again. Mega Man's boots clanked on the cold metal floor as he stepped through the doorway into the darkness. The blue bomber didn't flinch when the door slammed shut, trapping him in the room with what had to be his arch-nemesis.
The lights flickered on, illuminating a massive room. It was not decorative, appearing to be more of a coliseum than a laboratory. This wasn't right. More disturbing than that, there was no Wily. Just what was going on here?
Mega's questions were answered soon enough, panels on the walls sliding open. For the longest time nothing happened. Looking through one of the panels, trying to see into the darkness, Mega could hear the shattering of glass. Not just one or two, but dozens. He gulped, stepping back into the center of the arena. Two he could manage, maybe even three or four. But all of them?
Out of the hidden doorways they came: Air Man, Yamato Man, Grenade Man, Slash Man, and all the others. All wore grins upon their faces, eager to begin the slaughter. All wanted revenge on this one robot, the one who had slain each and every one of them in combat. Mega knew that even if Protoman came it would accomplish nothing, they would merely be destroyed together.
Like a sea of metal, the mob lunged towards him. Mega Man leapt up into the air, firing in all directions. He hit a few, but they would get back up. Even if they didn't, with these numbers it didn't matter. Metal blades, spines, and even a hard knuckle flew towards him. Ducking in mid- air, the blade whizzed overhead. One of the spines however found its mark, lodging itself into Mega's shoulder. He was about to scream as the hard knuckle connected with his gut, silencing him in shock and sending him plummeting into the back wall.
"I didn't want to destroy you!" he gasped to the mob as he staggered to his feet, "You gave me no choice, if I didn't you would have taken over the world!" They merely leered, inching closer to their prey. Mega stood, wiping leaking oil from his chin. His mega buster hummed with life, if he was going to be destroyed he'd do the best he can to stop them. Suddenly the ground began to shake. Tightly packed as they were, the hoard of robot masters stumbled for a moment, the uproar painful to Mega's sound receptors. The sound of metal tearing as if by great force did nothing to ease the audible pain in the room. The ceiling ripped and tore, a thick bolt of purple lightning slamming to earth, utterly vaporizing a robot master and sending those around him flying.
"Oh no..." Mega moaned, knowing full well what was coming. It happened all so fast, a bright flash knocking the robot masters off their feet. Hovering above them, black and purple armor crackling with power, was Bass. His typically golden crests were jagged and purple, magnificent metal wings extending behind him. Frenzied red eyes darted about the room, his right hand crackling with immense power, his Forte Buster glowing with the fully charged energy it stored.
"Mega Man, I will finish you myself!" Bass shouted, thrusting his fist into the air. The power stored within his hand roared and exploded, lightning raining down upon the robot masters. They struggled to escape, clawing madly against one another as the deadly rain tore them asunder. Oil, black blood, splattered Mega and Bass' armors as the true slaughter commenced. Knowing he had no choice but to fight, Mega struggled against the robot masters as well. It was utter chaos and he could see Bass loved all of it.
In minutes the 'war' was over. Standing amongst the corpses of the fallen was the fused Bass and Treble, unscathed despite the battle they waged. Mega Man gazed in shock and horror around the room at the fallen robots, unable to believe Bass was capable of such carnage.
"Bass...how could you? They were your brothers, your comrades in arms! Wily will-" "Dr. Wily will do nothing, you fool! He betrayed me, I don't need him! In fact, he's stranded miles from here in his mangled saucer right now! I will be the one to destroy you, Mega Man. Besides, they're just scrap, we are the future," Bass said with a twisted grin. "Well, I am," he added as an afterthought, "You aren't going to be around long enough to see the future."
With that the ebony robot fired a solid beam of energy from his Forte Buster, slamming Mega Man against the back wall. The blue robot let out a shriek, twisting against the onslaught of destructive force. He could feel his armor giving way, the first of his circuits beginning to fry under the intense heat. The deadly purple beam and the leering face of his rival were all Mega Man could see, this was going to be his last...
A streak of red interrupted the purple and black clouding his vision. Suddenly the pain wasn't as bad, the burn still ached yet the force of the beam was absent. Mega could make out something going on in front of him, a red and gray form mixed with a green glow. Words swam through his audio receptors yet nothing connected.
As his vision cleared, Mega could see that it was Protoman standing before him, his shield blocking the ray of death. Mega Man's circuits jolted as he realized Proto was charging his buster. It was infinitely more powerful than his own, but at a price: it drew from Protoman's energy, right down to his life support. They were saying something but he couldn't make it out. Bass seemed angry, real angry. Mega could hear the Protoshield cracking under the strain.
Proto risked it, reaching out around his shield and firing his buster. Mega could see the sharp jolt race through his body as the buster sapped his strength, firing a brilliant, white-hot ball of raw power at Bass. The villain tried to leap out of the way yet failed, the glowing orb shattering his right wing.
Bass and Treble separated, revealing Treble had taken most of the damage. The wolf's right side was practically seared off, dripping life fluids. The beast let out a mournful whimper, its master moving to clutch it to himself. The mixture of sorrow and hatred in Bass' eyes shocked even Mega Man. Treble whimpered some more, then laid motionless.
Mega looked at Proto, noticing he was leaning heavily on his shield. There was no way they could possibly combat Bass in this shape. His own body clicked and whirred, refusing to send energy to his Mega Buster. He couldn't fight like this, if Bass chose to destroy them he'd be able to.
Bass stood slowly, covered in his beloved companion's vital fluids. His fists clenched, his steel teeth cracking under the strain of his jaw, eyes flaring with such intense hatred Mega Man shuddered. How could a robot feel so strongly, wasn't it impossible? Bass let out a growl, lunging with such intense speed there was nothing Proto could do. Bass' fist slammed against his jaw, grabbing him by the shoulders before he fell only to throw him hard against the ground. Despite Mega's feeble pleas Bass tore at the incapacitated robot, tearing his helmet from his head to beat him with it.
Proto's features were a distorted mass of torn metal and oil by now, yet still Bass beat him. Throwing the helmet aside, his fist withdrew into his left arm and he leveled the gold-trimmed barrel with Protoman's mangled face.
"Fuck you," Bass hissed in his rage, firing repeatedly into the dying robot's head. Hair, metal, and oil flew in all directions, accompanied by microchips. Mega Man screamed, struggling to inch closer to his fallen brother, to stop this monster. But there was nothing he could do, Proto's skull and oil painting Bass's armor and face.
The barrel whipped around, level with Mega's eyes now. He stared into its infinite blackness, awaiting his end. He thought of what would happen to the world now, a world where Wily would be able to do as he pleased.
"No..." Bass whispered, "I want to destroy you in combat...alone. I'll find you when I want you, I promise you." And with that Bass teleported away, leaving Mega Man the lone survivor in the mass tomb. With a deep, shaken breath, he deactivated, allowing his circuits to recover.
Mega Man let out a moan as his visual receptors blinked on. Dazed, he tried to sit up, yet found he was obstructed by wires. Looking down, he could see that his armor had been completely removed. He was lying in a repair bay, Leaning over him were Auto and Dr. Light. Both looked especially grim.
"Dr. Light..." Mega gasped. "Oh, you've come around," Dr. Light said, relieved. "Dr. Light, where is Proto?" the blue bomber asked, fearing the answer. "...He's gone, Mega Man. There was nothing we could do for him," Dr. Light replied, sorrow filling his voice.
Mega said nothing, allowing the events to sink in as the repairs were continued. Protoman was destroyed, gone. It was so hard to believe, Proto had always been around. All that was left now was his oil-stained yellow scarf and his cracked Protoshield. Mega's damages had been so great that they had had to use parts from Protoman on the spot in order to keep him functioning. They left these parts within him, it was the closest anyone could do to keeping Proto alive.
It took weeks, but finally Mega Man was back on his feet. He had retold time and time again what had happened, just how the events played out. Each time he recounted these events it hurt him. Dr. Light seemed to be working on something, so fanatically busy that it had to be important. Roll stayed and took care of him now, it meant more than anything to him. Someone wanted to see him survive. Deep down he knew he would have to face Bass. He wasn't sure if he would win or lose this time but he knew it was something he had to do.
Mega Man was drawn deeper into the darkness. He didn't know by what this time, but he had to come back. He had to witness the mass grave one last time. He stood now, staring at the door. It hadn't changed, the metal still appeared fresh, Dr. Wily's signature just as ominous as it had been before. This time it opened for him.
The corpses were strewn about as they were before, yet something felt different. Mega walked through them, stumbling over the crushed head of Snake Man. He winced yet plodded on. He had to see the spot where his brother had been struck down, he had to know it had really happened.
He had to pay his respect.
It was not a hard grave to find. Bits of the carnage still lingered, pieces of Protoman's face, a chip of his visor here and there. Mega's circuits surged with a sudden sadness. He looked down, looking where he had once lain, helpless. The body of Treble was missing as well, Mega could only assume Bass had come back for it.
"I knew you'd be back," a familiar, sinister voice said. "I knew I'd see you here again, Mega Man."
The blue 'bot whipped around to face Bass. He looked fully charged now, his armor refitted. The sorrowed, hateful look remained in his eyes. The Forte Buster glowed with a willingness to fight, to kill.
"The doc gave me this chance. He said if I defeat you he'll complete me. Just like Dr. Light plans to do with you," Bass said calmly. "Complete you? What are you talking about?" Mega Man asked. "You're so naïve, you know that? With the incredible technology inside both of us did you really think this was it? That we are the final stage? The doc's been nosing around Dr. Light's computer, it turns out we're only a stepping-stone. Only one of us is destined to become a Reploid, Mega Man." Bass' words shook the blue bomber. "Reploid? Bass, what're you talking about?!" "Freedom, freedom from programming. We won't be restricted by our programs, or by the Rules of Robotics. Once I take care of you I'll be invincible," Bass leered. "I will stop you, Bass. I won't let you plague the world like that!"
The fight began. Within moments energy ripped through the air, splashing against the steel walls of the coliseum. Mega ducked and rolled, firing his buster at Bass only to miss and have to dodge again. Neither robot could land a hit on the other as they wove in and out between the corpses.
Open spaces, how Bass loathed them. He dashed to the exit, slamming into the door with enough force to knock it down. He vanished into the maze of corridors, Mega Man in hot pursuit.
They dashed through the hallways, shots ringing out every few seconds. Several pipes were shattered, filling the corridors with thick smoke. Mega couldn't see, could barely dodge Bass' buster shots. He knew his enemy was in his element, chaotic battle was just what Bass favored. He knew for sure his own shots were never going to come near the maniacal robot.
Mega turned a corner only to discover they had ran out of hallway. He stood face to face with Bass, buster to buster. Without hesitation they fired upon one another, globes of yellow energy colliding with globes of purple. While capable of faster fire, the Forte Buster wasn't nearly as powerful. Mega Man's shots repelled Bass', sending them rocketing back into the barrel.
Bass screamed in pain, feeling every circuit in his left arm fry. His armor was built to withstand this sort of pressure from the outside and thus from the inside, yet he could feel his circuits turn to molten liquid within the shell. His arm hung limp at his side, useless now. With the circuits severed the pain was fading. But Bass wasn't out yet.
The black-armored robot slammed into Mega Man, knocking him off his feet. The Protoshield disconnected from Mega's back and skidded off into the darkness. While his rival was down, Bass used his free hand to tear a three-foot section of steel pipe from the wall, wielding it like a one- handed sword. As Mega stood Bass struck, swinging the pipe to slam it against the blue bomber's head. The force knocked him against the wall, denting his perfect blue helmet. As he leveled his buster with Bass' chest it was struck, the force denting the hard armor.
"I won't lose to you, Mega Man!" Bass shouted, bringing the pipe around with enough force to damage the armor on Mega Man's chest. The 'bot stumbled back, trying to avoid Bass' wrath, yet he found that he could not. Bass was merciless, fighting as if a sword were his natural weapon.
As Mega stumbled back Bass examined the pipe. Oil ran down it, he had hit his enemy with enough force to split his armor. A few more hits like that and Mega Man would be no more, he knew this. He had to get out, if he could not win here he would be forced to face Bass in the future. Even if it meant his enemy would become a Reploid too, he had to survive in case Wily tried to begin the rebellion yet again.
And so the blue bomber turned and ran, activating his teleportation unit and escaping from the clutches of Bass. Even though he stood victorious, the black and gold robot felt no satisfaction. Mega Man was not dead and this fighting would continue after the transformation was made. But then...he would destroy his rival. He would be the most powerful.
Chapter 1: An Unfortunate Reunion
The lanterns in the mine flickered, shadows dancing upon the walls. The shaft appeared completely devoid of life and movement, but in this darkness Mega Man couldn't tell. He stumbled over the uneven ground, the path before him illuminated only by the glow of the fully charged buster shot in his left arm. Brown dust clung to his brilliant blue armor as he struggled through a particularly narrow passage.
"It doesn't make sense..." Mega Man mumbled to himself, "Dr. Light's communication said Wily had taken-"His thoughts were interrupted as the ground gave way beneath him and Mega Man found himself tumbling down a metal tube. The bottom was still out of sight but he had a good idea of what he would discover down there.
The Blue Bomber hit the ground with a thud, stumbling forward. His head jerked up sharply, whipping his Mega Buster around. The ceiling was now sealed and he found himself in a cell. While three of the walls were solid steel, the door was made of metal bars. They looked fairly new too, not something that had been sitting long. With a roar the charged shot housed in his buster tore free, vaporizing the bars in an instant.
Mega Man stepped out into the corridor, finding it well lit. The walls were lined with monitors, each bearing the flickering image of past robot masters he had defeated. Pausing to stare at Quick Man, he realized these weren't just images...they were trapped! Each of the robot masters was encased in a solid, clear block. Of what, Mega Man didn't know. All of them were deactivated at the moment, it was impossible to tell if energy was being sucked from them or drawn into them.
The corridor gave Mega Man chills. Bubble Man, Wood Man, Metal Man...This entire corridor was dedicated to the Second Robot Rebellion. Mega found it eerie to see these fierce warriors in such a state, hurrying to the end of the corridor. The door slid open, slamming back down behind him once he had entered. No turning back.
At the end of this corridor Mega saw that the door bore Wily's signature: 'Dr. W' scrawled over a circle. These walls were no different from the last, robot masters encased in the same strange substance. Guts Man, Cut Man, Bomb Man...all deactivated. Mega reached for the door panel in a hurry, yet it did not open. He felt eyes on him, spinning with Mega Buster drawn to face the wall to his right. Elec Man's eyes were open.
The robot master smirked, shattering the material around him. Mega leapt back, charging his weapon. He couldn't fathom why Wily was reviving such out-of-date robot masters, but here before him stood a very irate Elec Man.
"Mega Man! I've been waiting to settle the score with you!" Elec Man cried. "You don't have to do this! Dr. Light created you, we don't have to fight anymore!" Mega Man tried to convince his brother. "Fool! You destroyed me once, I won't let you do it again!" with that Elec Man clenched his fist, his electrical powers beginning to crackle around it. As he made a punching motion the burst of electricity was set free, ripping through the air towards its master's opponent.
Mega Man hit the ground, narrowly avoiding the bolt of raw electricity. He had felt it singe his armor for a moment. Standing, he let loose the power stored within his arm cannon, the blue orb rocketing towards Elec Man.
"What?!" the master gasped, caught off guard by this power he had never before witnessed. Stunned, he did not dodge as the glowing energy shattered his armor, tearing through his chest and searing his circuits to nothingness. For a second he staggered, his eyes rolling back in his head as oil and other fluids sprayed from the gaping hole in his chest. "But...but...tha-...not fair!"
With that, Elec Man collapsed in a heap, his body spasming with the left over electricity still running through his circuits. With a sad sigh Mega Man grabbed his dead brother's arm, absorbing the fallen robot's power. He had a feeling he would need it. Just behind the sorry scene the door slid open.
It was time. He would make Wily pay for forcing him to kill one of his brothers yet again. Mega Man's boots clanked on the cold metal floor as he stepped through the doorway into the darkness. The blue bomber didn't flinch when the door slammed shut, trapping him in the room with what had to be his arch-nemesis.
The lights flickered on, illuminating a massive room. It was not decorative, appearing to be more of a coliseum than a laboratory. This wasn't right. More disturbing than that, there was no Wily. Just what was going on here?
Mega's questions were answered soon enough, panels on the walls sliding open. For the longest time nothing happened. Looking through one of the panels, trying to see into the darkness, Mega could hear the shattering of glass. Not just one or two, but dozens. He gulped, stepping back into the center of the arena. Two he could manage, maybe even three or four. But all of them?
Out of the hidden doorways they came: Air Man, Yamato Man, Grenade Man, Slash Man, and all the others. All wore grins upon their faces, eager to begin the slaughter. All wanted revenge on this one robot, the one who had slain each and every one of them in combat. Mega knew that even if Protoman came it would accomplish nothing, they would merely be destroyed together.
Like a sea of metal, the mob lunged towards him. Mega Man leapt up into the air, firing in all directions. He hit a few, but they would get back up. Even if they didn't, with these numbers it didn't matter. Metal blades, spines, and even a hard knuckle flew towards him. Ducking in mid- air, the blade whizzed overhead. One of the spines however found its mark, lodging itself into Mega's shoulder. He was about to scream as the hard knuckle connected with his gut, silencing him in shock and sending him plummeting into the back wall.
"I didn't want to destroy you!" he gasped to the mob as he staggered to his feet, "You gave me no choice, if I didn't you would have taken over the world!" They merely leered, inching closer to their prey. Mega stood, wiping leaking oil from his chin. His mega buster hummed with life, if he was going to be destroyed he'd do the best he can to stop them. Suddenly the ground began to shake. Tightly packed as they were, the hoard of robot masters stumbled for a moment, the uproar painful to Mega's sound receptors. The sound of metal tearing as if by great force did nothing to ease the audible pain in the room. The ceiling ripped and tore, a thick bolt of purple lightning slamming to earth, utterly vaporizing a robot master and sending those around him flying.
"Oh no..." Mega moaned, knowing full well what was coming. It happened all so fast, a bright flash knocking the robot masters off their feet. Hovering above them, black and purple armor crackling with power, was Bass. His typically golden crests were jagged and purple, magnificent metal wings extending behind him. Frenzied red eyes darted about the room, his right hand crackling with immense power, his Forte Buster glowing with the fully charged energy it stored.
"Mega Man, I will finish you myself!" Bass shouted, thrusting his fist into the air. The power stored within his hand roared and exploded, lightning raining down upon the robot masters. They struggled to escape, clawing madly against one another as the deadly rain tore them asunder. Oil, black blood, splattered Mega and Bass' armors as the true slaughter commenced. Knowing he had no choice but to fight, Mega struggled against the robot masters as well. It was utter chaos and he could see Bass loved all of it.
In minutes the 'war' was over. Standing amongst the corpses of the fallen was the fused Bass and Treble, unscathed despite the battle they waged. Mega Man gazed in shock and horror around the room at the fallen robots, unable to believe Bass was capable of such carnage.
"Bass...how could you? They were your brothers, your comrades in arms! Wily will-" "Dr. Wily will do nothing, you fool! He betrayed me, I don't need him! In fact, he's stranded miles from here in his mangled saucer right now! I will be the one to destroy you, Mega Man. Besides, they're just scrap, we are the future," Bass said with a twisted grin. "Well, I am," he added as an afterthought, "You aren't going to be around long enough to see the future."
With that the ebony robot fired a solid beam of energy from his Forte Buster, slamming Mega Man against the back wall. The blue robot let out a shriek, twisting against the onslaught of destructive force. He could feel his armor giving way, the first of his circuits beginning to fry under the intense heat. The deadly purple beam and the leering face of his rival were all Mega Man could see, this was going to be his last...
A streak of red interrupted the purple and black clouding his vision. Suddenly the pain wasn't as bad, the burn still ached yet the force of the beam was absent. Mega could make out something going on in front of him, a red and gray form mixed with a green glow. Words swam through his audio receptors yet nothing connected.
As his vision cleared, Mega could see that it was Protoman standing before him, his shield blocking the ray of death. Mega Man's circuits jolted as he realized Proto was charging his buster. It was infinitely more powerful than his own, but at a price: it drew from Protoman's energy, right down to his life support. They were saying something but he couldn't make it out. Bass seemed angry, real angry. Mega could hear the Protoshield cracking under the strain.
Proto risked it, reaching out around his shield and firing his buster. Mega could see the sharp jolt race through his body as the buster sapped his strength, firing a brilliant, white-hot ball of raw power at Bass. The villain tried to leap out of the way yet failed, the glowing orb shattering his right wing.
Bass and Treble separated, revealing Treble had taken most of the damage. The wolf's right side was practically seared off, dripping life fluids. The beast let out a mournful whimper, its master moving to clutch it to himself. The mixture of sorrow and hatred in Bass' eyes shocked even Mega Man. Treble whimpered some more, then laid motionless.
Mega looked at Proto, noticing he was leaning heavily on his shield. There was no way they could possibly combat Bass in this shape. His own body clicked and whirred, refusing to send energy to his Mega Buster. He couldn't fight like this, if Bass chose to destroy them he'd be able to.
Bass stood slowly, covered in his beloved companion's vital fluids. His fists clenched, his steel teeth cracking under the strain of his jaw, eyes flaring with such intense hatred Mega Man shuddered. How could a robot feel so strongly, wasn't it impossible? Bass let out a growl, lunging with such intense speed there was nothing Proto could do. Bass' fist slammed against his jaw, grabbing him by the shoulders before he fell only to throw him hard against the ground. Despite Mega's feeble pleas Bass tore at the incapacitated robot, tearing his helmet from his head to beat him with it.
Proto's features were a distorted mass of torn metal and oil by now, yet still Bass beat him. Throwing the helmet aside, his fist withdrew into his left arm and he leveled the gold-trimmed barrel with Protoman's mangled face.
"Fuck you," Bass hissed in his rage, firing repeatedly into the dying robot's head. Hair, metal, and oil flew in all directions, accompanied by microchips. Mega Man screamed, struggling to inch closer to his fallen brother, to stop this monster. But there was nothing he could do, Proto's skull and oil painting Bass's armor and face.
The barrel whipped around, level with Mega's eyes now. He stared into its infinite blackness, awaiting his end. He thought of what would happen to the world now, a world where Wily would be able to do as he pleased.
"No..." Bass whispered, "I want to destroy you in combat...alone. I'll find you when I want you, I promise you." And with that Bass teleported away, leaving Mega Man the lone survivor in the mass tomb. With a deep, shaken breath, he deactivated, allowing his circuits to recover.
Mega Man let out a moan as his visual receptors blinked on. Dazed, he tried to sit up, yet found he was obstructed by wires. Looking down, he could see that his armor had been completely removed. He was lying in a repair bay, Leaning over him were Auto and Dr. Light. Both looked especially grim.
"Dr. Light..." Mega gasped. "Oh, you've come around," Dr. Light said, relieved. "Dr. Light, where is Proto?" the blue bomber asked, fearing the answer. "...He's gone, Mega Man. There was nothing we could do for him," Dr. Light replied, sorrow filling his voice.
Mega said nothing, allowing the events to sink in as the repairs were continued. Protoman was destroyed, gone. It was so hard to believe, Proto had always been around. All that was left now was his oil-stained yellow scarf and his cracked Protoshield. Mega's damages had been so great that they had had to use parts from Protoman on the spot in order to keep him functioning. They left these parts within him, it was the closest anyone could do to keeping Proto alive.
It took weeks, but finally Mega Man was back on his feet. He had retold time and time again what had happened, just how the events played out. Each time he recounted these events it hurt him. Dr. Light seemed to be working on something, so fanatically busy that it had to be important. Roll stayed and took care of him now, it meant more than anything to him. Someone wanted to see him survive. Deep down he knew he would have to face Bass. He wasn't sure if he would win or lose this time but he knew it was something he had to do.
Mega Man was drawn deeper into the darkness. He didn't know by what this time, but he had to come back. He had to witness the mass grave one last time. He stood now, staring at the door. It hadn't changed, the metal still appeared fresh, Dr. Wily's signature just as ominous as it had been before. This time it opened for him.
The corpses were strewn about as they were before, yet something felt different. Mega walked through them, stumbling over the crushed head of Snake Man. He winced yet plodded on. He had to see the spot where his brother had been struck down, he had to know it had really happened.
He had to pay his respect.
It was not a hard grave to find. Bits of the carnage still lingered, pieces of Protoman's face, a chip of his visor here and there. Mega's circuits surged with a sudden sadness. He looked down, looking where he had once lain, helpless. The body of Treble was missing as well, Mega could only assume Bass had come back for it.
"I knew you'd be back," a familiar, sinister voice said. "I knew I'd see you here again, Mega Man."
The blue 'bot whipped around to face Bass. He looked fully charged now, his armor refitted. The sorrowed, hateful look remained in his eyes. The Forte Buster glowed with a willingness to fight, to kill.
"The doc gave me this chance. He said if I defeat you he'll complete me. Just like Dr. Light plans to do with you," Bass said calmly. "Complete you? What are you talking about?" Mega Man asked. "You're so naïve, you know that? With the incredible technology inside both of us did you really think this was it? That we are the final stage? The doc's been nosing around Dr. Light's computer, it turns out we're only a stepping-stone. Only one of us is destined to become a Reploid, Mega Man." Bass' words shook the blue bomber. "Reploid? Bass, what're you talking about?!" "Freedom, freedom from programming. We won't be restricted by our programs, or by the Rules of Robotics. Once I take care of you I'll be invincible," Bass leered. "I will stop you, Bass. I won't let you plague the world like that!"
The fight began. Within moments energy ripped through the air, splashing against the steel walls of the coliseum. Mega ducked and rolled, firing his buster at Bass only to miss and have to dodge again. Neither robot could land a hit on the other as they wove in and out between the corpses.
Open spaces, how Bass loathed them. He dashed to the exit, slamming into the door with enough force to knock it down. He vanished into the maze of corridors, Mega Man in hot pursuit.
They dashed through the hallways, shots ringing out every few seconds. Several pipes were shattered, filling the corridors with thick smoke. Mega couldn't see, could barely dodge Bass' buster shots. He knew his enemy was in his element, chaotic battle was just what Bass favored. He knew for sure his own shots were never going to come near the maniacal robot.
Mega turned a corner only to discover they had ran out of hallway. He stood face to face with Bass, buster to buster. Without hesitation they fired upon one another, globes of yellow energy colliding with globes of purple. While capable of faster fire, the Forte Buster wasn't nearly as powerful. Mega Man's shots repelled Bass', sending them rocketing back into the barrel.
Bass screamed in pain, feeling every circuit in his left arm fry. His armor was built to withstand this sort of pressure from the outside and thus from the inside, yet he could feel his circuits turn to molten liquid within the shell. His arm hung limp at his side, useless now. With the circuits severed the pain was fading. But Bass wasn't out yet.
The black-armored robot slammed into Mega Man, knocking him off his feet. The Protoshield disconnected from Mega's back and skidded off into the darkness. While his rival was down, Bass used his free hand to tear a three-foot section of steel pipe from the wall, wielding it like a one- handed sword. As Mega stood Bass struck, swinging the pipe to slam it against the blue bomber's head. The force knocked him against the wall, denting his perfect blue helmet. As he leveled his buster with Bass' chest it was struck, the force denting the hard armor.
"I won't lose to you, Mega Man!" Bass shouted, bringing the pipe around with enough force to damage the armor on Mega Man's chest. The 'bot stumbled back, trying to avoid Bass' wrath, yet he found that he could not. Bass was merciless, fighting as if a sword were his natural weapon.
As Mega stumbled back Bass examined the pipe. Oil ran down it, he had hit his enemy with enough force to split his armor. A few more hits like that and Mega Man would be no more, he knew this. He had to get out, if he could not win here he would be forced to face Bass in the future. Even if it meant his enemy would become a Reploid too, he had to survive in case Wily tried to begin the rebellion yet again.
And so the blue bomber turned and ran, activating his teleportation unit and escaping from the clutches of Bass. Even though he stood victorious, the black and gold robot felt no satisfaction. Mega Man was not dead and this fighting would continue after the transformation was made. But then...he would destroy his rival. He would be the most powerful.