Chapter 2

EDIT: Fucking FFnet and its formatting bullshit deleted everything that had a period without a space after it. Sorry if it was a bit hard to read because of that. I'll be more careful with that.

NOTE: From now on Mega Man will be referred to as an android/robot. I apologize for my misuse of terminology when I called him a "cyborg". The version of Mega Man I'm using is the same as the one from smash and the first three Mega Man games, which means he is NOT part human. To be honest I'm not well-versed in the Mega Man games. I'll stick to Wikipedia more closely.


Pac-man was very satisfied with himself. After giving Mike a short version of his relationship situation, the man went very silent. It was almost like he'd broken his sense of reality, like he could hardly believe the legendary couple was anything less than perfect, and worse, was splitting up. Lucky for Mike, he kept his mouth shut as Pac-man explained.
Pac-man watched the sun rise through the streaked window, wondering what Mega Man was up to. He hadn't said a lot about his vacation, though he couldn't say he blamed him. They were both so focused on this next step when they parted, it slipped his mind. Right about then he wished he'd asked. Obviously Mega Man had a few friends he needed to tell about their predicament. He wondered how it would go.
"We're here!" Mike barked, startling Pac-man. He hadn't even noticed the car stopped. The ghost hunter gathered his suitcase and climbed out of the car, watching Mike fidget in the front seat.
"If you tell anyone, I'll let my friends know where to find you," he sneered, slamming the door shut before he could see his horrified expression. The car peeled out, tearing up the grass and spraying it in Pac-man's face. He couldn't fight a grin as he watched him speed away.
He turned and started walking towards the house, and his smile faded. He'd always thought the thing was ugly. It looked exactly like him, the work of a fanboy construction crew, and he just never had the heart to tear it down and start anew. But now...he got the feeling if his family left, it would just be a painful reminder of all the years they'd spent in it. All the more reason to destroy the hideous place.
No, no, he couldn't start thinking like that yet. He just needed to get through today, just today. He could worry about everything else later.
His knees were getting weak as his hand reached the doorknob, but somehow he held on to it and turned.
"SURPRISE!"
Pac-man let out an un-manly screech and dropped his suitcase.
"You guys gave me a heart attack!" he cried out indignantly, quickly taking in the figures of his wife, his parents-in-law, and his son, all peeking out from behind the furniture. Master Pac, his father-in-law, came out from behind the sofa and slapped him on the back.
"Pac-man, my boy, I've heard you've been busy!"
"B-busy..?"
"Yes!" He stroked his mustache. "The Smash tournaments are no joke! I'm surprised you don't have a few scrapes!"
"Scrapes?!"
Ms. Pac-master rushed dutifully to his side, fretting around him in search of any injuries.
"Where?! Those punks better not have laid a hand on you! I'll go down there myself, you know I will!"
Pac-man laughed, patting her arm.
"But that's the point! We beat each other up to get a gold cup! It's fun!"
"Fun?" Junior slid up beside him, eyes wide. "Can I come?"
He smiled, finding it difficult to lift his son up, but doing so nonetheless.
"You, little Pac, need to focus on school! Maybe when you're older you'll get an invitation."
Dejected, the child allowed himself to be taken by his grandmother and scolded for even thinking about such things.
"Alright, out of my way, everyone!" Ms. Pac-man pushed her way through her parents, arms outstretched.
"He's here to see me too, you know!"
Pac-man felt his heart drop. She snatched his face and planted a quick kiss on his lips. He felt bad for feeling the urge to jerk away. She still didn't know he didn't belong to her anymore.
But then again, she was never completely his either.
The thought gave him a bit of comfort as she cut a huge slice of yellow cake and fed it to him. Luckily his appetite always beat out any emotion. There was pizza and ice-cream and all sorts of snacks to distract himself with. He piled his plate high and sunk into his armchair. Their dog, Chomp-Chomp, wandered in a minute later, looking for scraps. He absently fed him a slice of pizza as he listened to his family chatter, talking about the tournaments and asking questions without any of them being directed at him. He was grateful that they could tell he wasn't up to talking, even if they didn't know why.
Pac-man was more than happy to stuff his face and ignore the commotion until his wife's parents finally decided they needed their old-people medication and headed home for the night. Ms. Pac-man set about clearing the dishes.
She looked bigger. Rounder, if that was possible. Maybe she was getting fat.
"So where's Pooka?" he asked Junior, who was sprawled on the carpet with his Legos. The boy shrugged, snapping two pieces apart.
"She said she was busy. She's coming by tomorrow."
Pac-man nodded. Pooka might be able to calm him down. Give advice. She was always good at that. Pooka had been a friend of the family since Junior was five, she's been through countless rough spots right alongside them. If anyone could help, it was her.
His wife re-entered the room.
"PJ, don't you have school tomorrow? You need to be getting to bed, mister."
Pac-man looked up.
"PJ?"
"Pac-man Junior. All his friends started calling him that. I think it gives him a little individuality, don't you?"
"What's wrong? He should be proud to carry my name!"
man laughed.
"He's his own person."
He was a bit bothered by it, but if that's what he went by then he supposed he'd go along with it.
"Alright PJ, you heard your mother. Clean up your toys and then it's time for bed."
Sighing, Junior noisily dumped the Legos into a box and pushed it under the coffee table. Pac-man gave him a long hug. He really missed him. It seemed every time he went away, he'd come back to a different kid. It was heartbreaking.
After putting him to bed, the ghost hunter sat on the sofa, unsure of what to do next. He could hear his wife clinking around in the kitchen. It almost seemed like a typical day.
She emerged a minute later, complaining about how little tupperware they had for the sixth time. Pac-man wanted to tell her that if she wanted some to go get it, like he always did, but something made it catch in his throat. He followed numbly when she suggested going to bed.
"You must be awful tired from your flight," she murmured, rubbing his arm in a way that shouldn't feel wrong but did. He didn't respond, trying to focus on his breathing.
Entering the bedroom was a like a slap to the face. It was all so normal. Why did everything have to make him so sad?
He tore his eyes away from the Mario alarm clock he loved so much and slipped his arm out of her grasp.
"We need to talk," he sighed. He sat on the bed, patting the spot next to him.
Ms. Pac-man's eyebrows pulled together with worry. She quickly sat, concern on her face.
"What's the matter, sweetheart? Is it about the tournaments?"
He cringed inwardly, staring at the carpet.
"N-not exactly."
His heart was pounding. He felt almost like he wanted to cry, but doing that in front of her would only make things worse.
Every time he tried to force out a word, it stuck in his throat. They sat like that for several minutes, the tension in his gut only building the more time passed.
Finally he took a deep breath.
"You have to know. I owe you that much."
"Know what?" she whispered fearfully.
Pac-man looked into her eyes, seeing the anguish and pain that she was already starting to feel. He took her hand and held it tight.
"Y-you know when you said we had an open relationship, and that either of us could sleep with whoever we wanted as long as we came back to each other?"
She nodded.
"Well I found someone..."
He paused.
"But I'm not coming back."
Her pretty face scrunched up, tears shining in her eyes.
"Why?"
Pac-man curled into himself, feeling so small. There were a million reasons, but only one of them was truly important now.
"I love him," he said quietly. "I really love him."
The bed sprung up as his wife stood, looking hurt and confused. She started pacing.
"You're gay?"
"I don't know," he answered truthfully, trying to follow her movements.
"How long have you been together?"
"Almost a month."
"What's his name?"
"Mega Man."
She stopped.
"Mega Man? Of all the meat hunks there you chose him?"
"Y-what?"
"Nothing, nothing."
She placed a hand on her chin, annoyed, but not angry, which was a good sign.
"Don't you have anything else to say?" he ventured tentatively.
"What am I supposed to say? Oh, I'm happy for you? I hope you and him have a gay happily ever after? The question is, what do I do now? Do I sit in this house and pretend that you still love me? Do I tell Junior that we're moving away, and no he can't see his daddy because he's off banging a robot boy and he doesn't have time for him?"
She laughed hysterically.
Pac-man felt his nervousness lift as he heard those words. He could handle her being mad at him, but insulting Mega Man was a dangerous thing to do.
"I can't believe you would say that! I love my son and even if we aren't married I will always be there for you two! And don't you dare talk about him like he's some cheap fling!" he snarled, standing up.
"That's funny, you used to defend me like that!" she got in his face, practically foaming at the mouth. "But now I guess it doesn't matter!"
"Of course it matters! I've been kicking the shit out of myself for the past three weeks because everything, our whole life together, mattered to me!"
"Well I guess it didn't matter enough!"
Across the hall, Junior pulled the blankets over his head, sobbing uncontrollably. His parents had never fought before. He was glad he couldn't hear the terrible things they were saying to each other. He feared, deep down, that his dad was leaving, and he'd never come back.


Mega Man sat in Dr. Light's lab, watching him fuss back and forth.
"Ah, this place has been such a mess! Sorry, I really did mean to clean up! I didn't think you'd be here til tomorrow!"
The robot crossed his legs, searching for a glimpse of familiar blonde among the towering stacks of paper.
"I haven't seen it this messy in a long time. Is Roll out for the night or something?"
Roll was his little sister, in short terms. Normally she kept the house spotless. It was one of her primary functions.
"Oh no, please don't tell her!"
Mega Man turned to the short, white-bearded scientist.
"What?"
Thomas Light was by no means a cowardly man, but right about then he looked absolutely terrified.
"Roll went to see about enrolling in medical school. She wants to learn it herself instead of letting me install the programs. If she knew I'd let the place go like this, she might actually kill me!"
Mega Man laughed, nearly falling over from the force. He grabbed into the edge of a desk, holding his gut.
"Roll?! Our sweet roll is going to harm a human being?! Be rational, doc!"
The man wiped his brow, sitting on a stack of paper with a whoosh.
"You're right, you're right. She might be upset, but it's not like her programming would allow for such a thing anyway."
Mega Man hopped up onto another stack of papers. It wobbled precariously, but his weight managed to keep it standing.
"What about Zero? Is he showing up tomorrow? I know he might be busy but I'd like to see him."
He didn't know what he said, but suddenly Dr. Light looked very uncomfortable. He fiddled with his ugly spotted tie and pulled a hand through his hair.
"Last I heard from him, he was headed to Rushmount. I don't for the life of me understand why."
Mega Man froze.
Rockmount is dirty planet where desperate characters who've fallen from fame go to make money by selling their bodies for the fanboy's and girl's amusement. Simply being of a certain species might gain attention. One would think such a planet wouldn't exist, with so many heroes about, but the planet is filled with mostly innocents, and all the heroes are much too afraid of gossip and sexual objectification to stay long enough to do any justice to the real villains there. Everyone is well aware of the smutty fanart and fanfics online, so it's hard to tell if any scandalous pictures that arise from Rockmount are real or not. A lot of forgotten characters go there whenever they need a quick buck, but sometimes they don't come back.
He toppled from his perch, scattering documents all across the lab.
"Rushmount?! AND YOU LET HIM GO?!" he screeched. This was bad, so so so bad. If he hadn't been heard from in a couple days he had probably been kidnapped, or killed! So many villains used the sex slave trade to exact revenge on unsuspecting heroes. He could disappear and nobody would think anything of it!
"There was nothing I could do! I heard a couple of teenagers talking about it the other day and I couldn't get in contact-"
"I have to go after him, doc! There's a huge possibility that he's in real danger right now!"
He felt panic rising in his chest, so fierce it made his fingers go numb. Horrible images flooded his mind of what Zero could be going through right now. It was too much to handle.
Tears stung at his eyes. He wiped them angrily, seething at Dr. Light .
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU BASTARD?!"
Breathing heavily, he took a step towards the man. Dr. Light remained seated, but shrunk away.
"I-I didn't think it was that bad! It was none of my business! I figured he was in a low place and he had a few things he needed to work out!"
Mega Man wanted to rip his own hair out.
"How could you not know? That place is vile and disgusting! He should have never went alone!"
"I know it's a vile place but I didn't think it was dangerous!"
His expression slowly transformed to complete horror.
"My god, what have I done?! I'm so sorry, Rock!"
He stood, clutching the sides of his head.
"Oh my god..."
"I'm going to find him, doc," Mega Man said quietly.
"No! No no no no, out of the question! If it was that dangerous for him then it's twice as dangerous for you!"
Mega Man strode towards him, grabbing the smaller man by his shoulders and shaking him violently.
"I will not sit by and do nothing! I'm going, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" he hissed, throwing him back.
Dr. Light bit his lip, tears sliding down his cheeks. They stared at each other a few minutes. Mega Man felt his anger ebbing away as he watched the man who was practically his father cry. He felt a pang. Getting angry would do no good.
"Look, doc, I'm-"
"If you're going, take this," the scientist whispered, pulling from his pocket a thin, silver bracelet. It had two buttons on it, one red, and one green.
"If you need help, the red button will send out a distress signal and I'll come for you right away. Pressing the green button will release a poisonous gas. Use it to protect yourself. You may not be able to hurt humans, but it doesn't know that."
"I don't need this, doc. Everything I need is wired into me," the android protested, turning the bracelet in his fingers.
"If it's as bad as you say it is, then even that won't be enough. Be cunning, Rock. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."
Mega Man stilled a moment, then slipped the bracelet on. He reached out and pulled him into a hug, clutching at his back for comfort, and maybe a bit of courage. Suddenly he was going on what might be the most terrifying mission of his life.
He took his duffel bag and unzipped it, dumping it's contents onto the floor. Almost at once, the metal pieces flew together and Mega Man's robotic dog, Rush, leaped upon him, his tail going wild.
"Sorry I left you in there so long, but I know how you hate space travel."
He pushed his nose against the dog's muzzle, closing his eyes.
"I'm going on a mission, Rush. And this time you can't come."
The tail wagging ceased. Rush pulled away and tilted his head, looking hurt.
"No, boy, it's ok. I just need you to look after doc while I'm away. Can you do that?"
"Woof!"
Rush climbed off of him and padded over to Dr. Light, licking his pant leg. The roboticist smiled and rubbed his head.
"Good luck, Rock. And don't worry, I won't tell Roll where you are."
Mega Man smiled, even if he wasn't exactly feeling any better about it.
"Thank you. Oh, and by the way-"
Now his smile was more genuine.
"I'm dating someone."
Light's eyebrows shot up.
"Really? Who?"
Mega Man grinned wider.
"Pac-man."
The scientist gasped.
"You-!..We will have a serious talk about this when you return!"
"I'm looking forward to it!"
Before he could talk himself out of it, he was sprinting out the door and dialing a number into his arm plate.
"Duffy? Where are you? Turn around. I need you to pick me up. Do this for me and I'll make sure your name gets in the news."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Where do you want to meet?"