#cache.exe

—spoilers for the end of CopyCat—

BEFORE YOU READ YEAH I DIDN’T MAKE CACHE KILL COPYCAT

Shrieks and screeches met Rock’s ears. He slowly got to his feet, watching as CopyCat finally got to Cache…

He stumbled in disbelief. With Cache’s abilities… there was no way… CopyCat would be the end… the whole net would fall…

Something was wrong, though. CopyCat couldn’t stabilize. Pixels and glitches flew from the figure, it’s image switching from Cache to CopyCat… they were fighting for control. And the sudden idea of Cache being able to create other CopyCats from cache data nearly made him fall to his knees. He slowly lifted his buster and pointed it at the two navi caught and unable to stabilize. He began to charge it.

0o0o0

"…!" CopyCat and Cache froze upon hearing the familiar sound. At once, they both looked up. Their mind, a second ago filled with angry shrieks and pained cries, suddenly was silent as realization settled over them.

-…He’s…going to delete us…- In the mindspace, CopyCat’s voice was faint, fearful. -Isn’t he…?-

Cache was slow to reply. -Yes… Of course… That’s generally how it works… It’s all to his advantage… We’re sitting ducks… and it’s a two-in-one for him…-

-…I don’t want to die, Cache… Not on my knees…-

The data flying around them settled, and their left leg lifted together.

-…Neither do I, CopyCat… Neither do I. -

They got to their feet, facing RockMan. In all technicalities, they could work together. Attack in sync…

But it would take time. And they had none of that. CopyCat could feel the navi in form with him, and could feel that such a sync would be possible within seconds. But they had wasted time fighting. The similarities shocked him, and he had the sudden wish to have gotten to know Cache better.

-…I wish the same.- Cache responded to his silent thoughts.

Their body had already begun to sync, their eyes and skin evening out, but a blast of pink interrupted it, pain ripping through their chest. They stumbled, usually insane eyes oddly calm as they looked down at the wound, their fingers going to it.

Suddenly, time ceased it’s slow passage. Shot after shot tore through their shoulder, their hip… their head.

Their hand reached towards RockMan, his green eyes suddenly alight with pain, rage, and revenge. And they fell.

…

…

…

If you want a happy ending, this is where you stop reading. Go back. Declare the story finished. Pretend you never kept scrolling. Do not click ‘next chapter’.